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2003-11-28 Iraq
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The Guardian attempts to manufacture more controversy on Iraq
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The has to be one of the worst attempts at scandalmongering Iâve seen by The Guardian since olâ Wolfowitz said the war was for oil.
EFL
How British charity was silenced on Iraq
One of Britainâs most high-profile charities was ordered to end backbiting vilification criticism of military action in Iraq by its powerful US wing to avoid jeopardising financial support from Washington and corporate donors, a Guardian investigation has discovered. Internal emails reveal how Save the Children UK came under enormous pressure after it accused coalition forces of breaching the Geneva convention by blocking humanitarian aid. Senior figures at Save the Children US, based in Westport, Connecticut, demanded the withdrawal of the anti-war criticism and an effective veto on any future anti-war statements blaming the invasion for everything from global warming to bad public schools the plight of Iraqi civilians suffering malnourishment and shortages of medical supplies.
Uncovered documents expose tensions within an alliance that describes itself as "the worldâs largest independent global organisation for children" but which is heavily reliant on governments and big business for cash. Save the Children UK, which had an income of £122m in 2002-03, boasts the Queen as patron and Princess Anne as president, plus a phalanx of the great and the good lending their titles and time.
The row over Iraq erupted in April when the London statement said coalition forces had gone back on an earlier agreement to allow a relief plane, packed with emergency food and medical supplies for 40,000 people, to get shot down land in northern Iraq. Rob MacGillivray, the UK wingâs emergency programme manager, released a statement which stated George W. Bush is a big poopie head that the "lack of cooperation from the coalition forces is a breach of the Geneva conventions and its protocols, but more importantly the time now being wasted is costing children their lives".
Ms Sherman said the Americans were "really astonished at todayâs release, which went out without our prior knowledge, that attacks the US military". Her email went on: "This is undermining all the great work weâve done, much of it in collaboration with you. Weâll have to see the consequences of how this plays out - including affecting our future funding from the government." A number of less controversial "joint messages" were proposed by Ms Sherman, none of which criticised any aspect of the invasion or occupation. She instead wanted the UK and US groups to point out that humanitarian organisations were still not permitted access to most of Iraq, that delays harmed children and, on a positive note, that relief work was under way in Umm Qasr, Masul and northern Iraq. "Safe, secure conditions must be created immediately to allow humanitarians to bring in essential supplies and expertise to the people of Iraq," was her truthful alternative version.
Good job, Ms. Sherman. Itâs comforting to know that at least the people at Save the Children US were smart enough to realize that the best way to save the children was by being supportive of the war to remove their leader. Itâs a lot easier to get food and supplies to the children after theyâve been freed from thier prison cells, instead of starving away in there waiting for someone to find them. And Iâm suuuuure the fine people at Save the Children UK didnât have a single anti-war bone in their bodies, and that everything they wrote was strictly on the level. Sure it was. 
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Posted by g wiz 2003-11-28 3:37:52 AM||
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Posted by Tokyo Taro 2003-11-28 4:26:52 AM||
2003-11-28 4:26:52 AM||
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Posted by Hyper 2003-11-28 8:43:38 AM||
2003-11-28 8:43:38 AM||
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