Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor (November 12, 2004)

A different view of Iraq

Editor:

I disagree with some of the points raised in the guest opinion by Hala Alshahwany in the last week's Viewpoint. Here are a few:

1. The United States government did not impose economic sanctions on Iraq. The United Nations imposed the sanctions.

2. According to UNICEF more than a half million children died due to sanctions imposed. The UN allowed Iraq to sell oil to ease the hardships on the Iraqis. Saddam put that money in his own pockets. That is why close to $1 billion in new money was discovered by our troops. It was the duty of the UN to force Saddam to use the money for his starving children. Saddam ignored the UN edict as he did other sanctions.

3.The reason the U.S.-led coalition put the Iraqi oil wells under immediate control was because they were worried that Saddam would set them on fire as he did in Kuwait. The money generated by the sale of Iraqi oil is earmarked to pay for the rebuilding of Iraq and is now under the control of the new Iraqi administration.

4. Iraqi people did the looting. The U.S. coalition troops did not imagine that the Iraqi people would loot everything they could haul away. The report that the museums were looted turned out to be mostly false. While some things were stolen, most were removed by the museum administrators to prevent looting and have now been returned.

Dominick Garofano
Preston Drive

Rep. Eshoo says thank you

Editor:

I am deeply grateful to the people of the 14th Congressional District for your overwhelming support on Nov. 2.

It is an honor to represent you in Congress, and I will continue to do everything I can to provide you, my constituents, with the representation you deserve and can be proud of.

Anna Eshoo
Member of Congress

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