Media Spin Separates War From Death

After providing a brief overview of what happened the last time we attacked Iraq, Norman Solomon asks, "What are the likely human consequences of the impending war on Iraq? News media should be asking that question. But the American public remains in the dark." He continues,

"The avowed U.S. aim of regime change means any new conflict will be much more intense and destructive than the Gulf War, and will involve more deadly weapons developed in the interim," said a report issued last month by health professionals with the London-based Medact organization and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. They warned: "Furthermore, the mental and physical health of ordinary Iraqis is far worse than it was in 1991, making them much more vulnerable this time round."

The report found that "credible estimates of the total possible deaths on all sides during the conflict and the following three months range from 48,000 to over 260,000. Civil war within Iraq could add another 20,000 deaths. Additional later deaths from post-war adverse health effects could reach 200,000."

And here's another conclusion from the report that major U.S. news outlets keep ignoring: "In all scenarios, the majority of casualties will be civilians."

Related: Solomon popped up on CNN in a discussion with Jonah Goldberg and Wolf Blitzer on US policy towards Iraq. See the transcript.