LETTER: The Middle East double standard
Editor,
The United States and Britain are committing a mistake by exclusively targeting Iraq for refusing to comply with United Nations’ resolutions. It may not be known in America, but there are many U.N. resolutions concerning the Middle East.
Most in fact, deal with Israel which blatantly disregards more than 60 U.N. resolutions.
U.N. resolutions that condemn Israel for everything from A to Z are: occupying Palestinian land, deportation of innocent Palestinian civilians, abduction of foreign citizens in surrounding countries, building illegal settlements, and committing raids in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
Oh, and let us not forget the U.N. resolutions that prevent Israel from making Jerusalem its capital.
Iraq is not a model of decency, but throughout the past five decades Israel has perpetrated all sorts of racist and terrorist acts. It is Israel and not Iraq that occupies the territories of other countries. It is Israel and not Iraq that uses unarmed civilians as human shields in its military operations. It is Israel and not Iraq that steals water resources of neighboring countries. It is Israel and not Iraq that has spied on and stolen U.S. nuclear secrets and refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And it is Israel and not Iraq that has executed military prisoners. This is the leading theory of why Israel attacked and killed American servicemen stationed on the USS Liberty. The Israelis thought the USS Liberty saw the executions in the Sinai Peninsula.
The United States should stand up for human rights. It should stand against leaders of other countries who start wars for selfish reasons and commit war crimes. Saddam Hussein is a blight on the human race and should be addressed, but so should Ariel Sharon. The Israeli prime minister cannot even travel to Europe because he is wanted for war crimes against humanity. I believe the United States should enforce U.N. resolutions in a fair and impartial manner. A U.N. resolution should be a U.N. resolution no matter what country it applies to.
Mohammad Almasri