Journal Sentinel reporter Tom Heinen recently visited Iraq with a small
group of peace activists and concerned observers from Milwaukee. His
reports, published last week, powerfully detailed the misery, heartache
and
poverty that many Iraqis experience.

Shortages of food and medicine are common; it is estimated that
hundreds of
thousands of Iraqi children have died prematurely.

The greatest portion of the blame for the humanitarian disaster falls
on
Hussein. But there is little doubt that the sanctions, which the United
Nations put into effect in 1990 after the Persian Gulf War, have
contributed
to the tragedy despite a massive oil-for-food relief program.

This newspaper has supported the sanctions and their critical goal:
crippling Hussein's ability to develop weapons of mass destruction. But
there is good reason to question the sanctions' effectiveness; they
certainly haven't weakened Hussein's iron grip on Iraq. What there's no
question about is Hussein's use of them for his own ends.

Blame the Americans, he tells his people. Your lives are miserable?
Your
homes in ruins? Your children dying? Blame the Americans. They are not
giving you what you need; they are preventing me from helping you.
Blame the
Americans.

So a generation of children grow up with hatred in their hearts for the
United States and admiration for Hussein, the great hero who defies the
Americans. Future leaders of Iraq will come from this generation.

In fact, it is Hussein who has caused their plight. The State
Department
reported in March that child mortality rates in northern Iraq are below
pre-Gulf War levels; however, the rates in central and southern Iraq
are
experiencing "a disturbing rise." The difference is that the U.N.
controls
distribution of the oil-for-food program in the north.

The State Department also reports that vaccination levels in areas
controlled by Baghdad are lower than they were in 1994 and that Iraq
has
still not implemented supplementary feeding programs recommended by the
U.N.
for malnourished children.

Hussein's manipulation knows no bounds, but why make things easier for
him?

The Defense Department reported last week that Iraq is not much of a
security threat anymore. "Iraq is contained," said Pentagon spokesman
Ken
Bacon. "It has a broken economy. It is an isolated state."

If that's the case, why not declare victory and remove the sanctions?
Keep
the no-fly zones in place so that Hussein cannot use his planes to
attack
his own people or the rebels who dream of ousting him. Keep enough
military
forces in the area to make him think twice about attacking anyone.

Monitor Iraq for the development of weapons of mass destruction, and
destroy
facilities designed for such purposes. And wait for the effects of the
Internet to help undermine state control.

Yes, Hussein will use the lifting of sanctions to declare his own
victory
over the U.S. and its allies. But that will be a onetime declaration.
Without the sanctions, Hussein will have nothing to blame, and his
people
should soon realize that the quality of life in Iraq is determined not
by
outside influences, but by the priorities and policies of Hussein
himself.

Right now, Hussein is able to use the sanctions as a club to control
and
beat his own people. It's time to take that club out of his hands and
remind
his people that they are ruled by a monster. Lift the sanctions.

© Copyright 2000 Journal Sentinel Inc.