March 27, 2003
GOD SAVE US FROM THE HUMANITARIANS:
Aid shipment to hungry Iraqis called propaganda (MARK MacKINNON, Mar. 26, 2003, Globe and Mail)The International Committee of the Red Cross has condemned the arrival of the first aid shipments into southern Iraq — and a possible future route for Canadian aid — as a propaganda exercise.Three trucks of aid arrived in the southern Iraqi town of Safwan yesterday afternoon, which led to chaos as hungry crowds mobbed the trucks chanting "Food! Food!" while unidentified workers tossed relief packages into the crowd. The whole episode unfolded in front of rolling television cameras, while armed American soldiers stood watch.
Mui'n Kassis, the head of communications for the ICRC in Jordan, said he was appalled as he watched the scene on television. "That was disgusting; that was propaganda," he said, shaking his head angrily.
He said he didn't know who co-ordinated the aid shipment, which came overland via Kuwait, although news reports said it was the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, an affiliate of the ICRC. Mr. Kassis said whoever organized it seemed more interested in appearances than in those they were supposed to be helping.
"We have to think about the dignity of the recipients in these situations," he said.
So, let's see if we have this straight--he's denouncing his own organization, worrying about the "dignity" of people who are starving to death, and calling the dangerous attempt to feed them propaganda? Disgusting indeed. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 27, 2003 12:36 PM
Man, these people are like children! Mr. Kassis is from Jordon ,evidently, a country in a part of the world that produces more than its fair share of people with the mentality of suicide bombers, willing killers of innocents, supporters of tyrannical regimes because of common ethnicicity... a way of looking at life that is tough for most Americans to fathom. Raising an objection to aid distribution because of appearances...? Don't want to generalize here, but what's with these people?
Posted by: Tom C., Stamford, Ct. at March 27, 2003 2:16 PMIt seems like his objection is to the airing of the images of the grasping, desperate men, women and children as they scrambled for hand-outs. He might be right.
That being said, if it hadn't been videotaped and aired, he would probably say the aid had never happened. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Any time, any place, any where in politics, when you hear the word "dignity" bandied about, it's a big red warning flair. "ALERT! This person cares not one whit about the actual results of that which he advocates. He cares only about his 'agenda'. ALERT!"
"Dignity." Every time.