The Iraqi press has been proclaiming it for years. Independent journalists have shouted it from the rooftops. The Western press has barely mentioned it, while the American media has been prominent amongst the silent.
Today, however, the BBC in the guise of its World Editor, John Simpson, has blown the top off a story that should have been making headlines, and creating fury, for the last six years.
The place is Fallujah, Iraq. The building is a brand new hospital, Fallujah General, built with American money. It’s what’s in the hospital that’s so disturbing. Some sights were so ghastly John Simpson had to tell his cameraman not to film them.
Paediatric specialist, Dr Samira al-Ani, told the BBC she saw two or three cases of serious birth defects every day at the hospital. Simpson was shown photographs of a baby with three heads. He saw children with six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot.
Women living in and around Fallujah have been advised by their doctors not to have children.
The BBC shows one image in its report.[1] Sparrow Chat has decided not to reproduce it, or the myriad other images of grossly deformed Iraqi children available on the internet. They are, frankly, too appalling.
For those with strong stomachs, google ‘iraq birth defects’ and click on the ‘images’ tab. The choice is vast.
The Iraqi government refuses to investigate the causes of this catastrophic situation. They don’t wish to embarrass their American benefactors. Fallujah is still a dangerous place to visit and many politicians aren’t welcome there.
The cause is obvious, without any inquiry. In 2004, the United States dropped thousands of tons of depleted uranium bombs on and around Fallujah. Iraqis will be suffering the consequences for generations to come.
Read John Simpson’s report available via the link below. Then, pause for a moment and wonder why those who caused these vile occurrences – George W Bush, Richard Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Tony Blair – are not languishing behind bars for the immeasurable suffering they have caused in our name.
And when, over Fallujah, the shit finally does hit the fan – expect a total political whitewash.
NOTE: Shamefully, the BBC has not released Simpson’s filmed report onto the internet, though it was broadcast on the 5am World News on BBC America today. His own written report on his findings is available at the link below.
[1] “Disturbing story of Fallujah’s birth defects” BBC, March 4th 2010
Filed under: Iraq war crimes
