MIM Notes 155 February 1 1998

SANTA CLAUS IN BAGHDAD?

by RC 4T4

On December 26, 1997 a plane landed in Baghdad 
carrying medicine and a Santa Claus. This was the 
second U.N. approved aid flight to arrive in two 
days. The group responsible for chartering this 
plane is the Icelandic Charity Peace 2000 
Institute. Iraq is a predominantly Muslim country, 
so the use of a Santa Claus is just another example 
of European ethnocentrism. The U.N. approved aide 
for Baghdad could not be more ironic. As the United 
Snakes, who virtually control the United Nations, 
builds more and more public opinion against Iraq, 
they also use propaganda such as this plane 
carrying aide to convince the people that the u.s 
is really trying to help the people of Iraq. 

Meanwhile the United Nations which approved this 
token aide, is the same United Nations which 
created a trade embargo against Iraq that has 
resulted in extensive malnutrition of the people of 
Iraq. The Iraqi government also points out that it 
was the sweeping U.N. sanctions imposed after the 
1990 invasion of Kuwait which caused the death of 
hundreds of thousands of children. Therefore there 
is much irony in a U.N. approved plane carrying a 
Santa Claus who says "Violence leads to more 
violence. Stop using children in politics."(1) 

MIM does not know much about the Icelandic Charity 
Peace 200 Institute, but we can tell by these 
latest actions that they are not a revolutionary 
group. This group calls for world leaders to stop 
using children as political weapons, while it 
cooperates with the U.N. who are responsible for 
the embargo which is killing many Iraqui children 
through malnutrition and the 1990 attack of Kuwait 
which also killed hundreds of thousands. MIM agrees 
that world leaders should stop using children in 
their power games, but we disagree with the mixed 
message being sent by the Icelandic charity Peace 
2000 Institute. In order to truly help the children 
of Iraq this group and other humanitarian groups 
like it must be clear in their criticisms. They 
must analyze the political situation and choose a 
side and the side they choose must be the side of 
the people. The number one enemy of the children in 
Iraq is imperialism The only way to truly help the 
people of Iraq is to overthrow the imperialism. 
Under Socialism children will no longer be used as 
political weapons and malnutrition will be a thing 
of the past.


NOTES: The Times Herald Record 27 December, 1997.