US responsible for Kurdish tragedy

[antennae at gn.apc.org]

This response to this topic also originally appeared in
Mideast.Forum.

KURDISH TRAGEDY: U.S. RESPONSIBLE	Response  1 of  1
igc:goodwork
mideast.forum	 8:13 pm  Apr 27, 1991

Two reactions as I read the above posting from the national group
with which my local Coalition has been most connected these past
months:

1. This is an example of the blame game.  The responsibility for
the tragedy of the Kurds is shared; such a horror is beyond the 
reach of one party to create.  U.S. unleashed horrific dimensions
of violence.  Iraqi forces opposed the rebellion in the Kurdish 
areas and continued with an uncertain degree of retributions
(people do not become refugees under the existing conditions and
in the quantities of this emigration for nothing!).  Some at
least of the Kurdish leadership went for the opportunity, or the
U.S. call, or implied promise if you interpret it that way, and
chose the armed uprising method as many times in the past.  
knowing as they must what it might cost to many of the people
they hoped to liberate.
The temptation succumbed to in the topic posting is to load it
all  on one party, your unfavorite party.  I realize that in the
U.S.  the tragedy is being piled at the feet of Saddam Hussein
and the  Iraqi government -- but there is a need for a
comprehensive response rather than an immitative response which
simply distorts in the opposite direction.  
Did the formulators of the statement intend to respond to the
distorted total blaming of the Iraqi govt.?  Was there some other
reason for the choice to write the statement as it was done?

2. The statement is right on to bring up the tragedy in the rest
of Iraq, which is more due directly to the violence of the U.S.
military (and so of course isn't getting the coverage in the U.S.
that it needs).  Let's please as we talk about this whole
situation bring up the needs of ALL in the area.  

Let's get out of the cycles not only of violence, but of
political  blaming.  Though I suppose those I call political
blaming are not doing so by their understanding, but would call
it simply telling it like it is!

Joe Maizlish, Los Angeles