Bush and Blair deserve worse
The two editorials in your June 9 edition on page 9 could have easily been combined into one. The first focuses on the US and Britain's altering of reports on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction to appease public support for their campaign to topple Hussein and reveal to the world what Blix and his crew have failed to dig up over the past 12 years. The other focuses on the death toll in Iraq due to the economic sanctions put in place during the early 1990s.
The sanctions were installed against Iraq following the Gulf War to pressure them to come up with and destroy chemical, biological and nuclear arsenals. Throughout the 1990s, UN crews have ventured into Iraq in search of such arms and have come up with nothing. But due to US pressure on the UN to maintain sanctions based on undeniable "evidence" to the contrary, 1.5 million Iraqis have died. Since the US failure to topple Saddam throughout the 90s, the US has fabricated reports in hope that the sanctions would erode Iraq from within.
The US' 13-year campaign against Iraq has provided enough evidence to show how deceptive the US really is and its apathy toward innocent people. The "Weapons of Mass Deception" can be combined with "Words of Mass Deception" with a 13-year price tag of 1.5 million people.
Ironically, the day after these articles were printed, a report on the front page of the June 12 edition, "US revives war-crimes row with EU," offers another link between these articles. The EU is trying to stop the UN Security Council from renewing the US exemption from prosecution of war crimes. Quite convenient considering all the lies that have surfaced on US and Britain's fabrication of documents. My question is, if they are innocent, what are they afraid of?
Sadly both Blair and Bush will walk away from this unscathed. Their empire will continue to grow in the wake of an ever expanding shadow of lies looming over the never ending desert of bodies. And in the history books they will be praised for their actions thus forever weaving their web of deception, even from the grave.
Chris Piggins
Tainan
Coverage merits a visit
I felt compelled to send this e-mail after reading about the WHO's decision not to rescind its travel warning for Taiwan in today's edition of your paper on the Internet. I think it's unfair, based on your reporting. I have been reading your paper over the last couple of months as I wanted the "local" view on the epidemic.
I have found your reporters' articles and your editorials very informative and apparently without the normal media hype! I have, of course, followed the stories in other media but your coverage seems to be the most factual.
Your coverage has convinced me to continue with my planned first trip to your country at the end of this month, on my way to Europe. I will be stopping over for a few days in each direction as a result!
Reni Barnes
Australia
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