To: The Halifax Herald
Cc: Bob Howse
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2001 12:16 PM
Subject: Iraq and no-fly zones

 
The Editor:
The Halifax Herald
 
Feb. 20, 2001
 
Dear Editor:
 
Your editorial { " A message to Saddam" Feb. 20} states : "The US President said the attack was necessary to enforce the no-fly zone Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had agreed to after the Gulf War". You go on to say : " Mr. Bush ...wants to send a strong message to Mr. Hussein, who regularly played fast and loose with the no-fly zone agreement."
 
All this is totally untrue. As many nations, including three permanent members of the Security Council, France, China and Russia, repeatedly affirm that no such agreement with Iraq exists and no UN resolution related to the no-fly zones exists, and they have condemned this bombing attack as a violation of international law. Similarly, this attack has been condemned by many European, Asian and Arab countries, that were US allies in the Gulf war. Many British Labour party MP's condemned their own government action as an act of international terrorism.
 
It is time that our govrnment and media paid a little more attention to international law and stopped their unquestioning support for the US continuing violation of international law.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Ismail Zayid, MD