King Hussein and Iraq Embargo

In response to “This Leak Needs to Be Plugged,” editorial, July 3:

I am appalled and disheartened by this editorial. Once again, the U.S. is criticizing King Hussein of Jordan for his neutral stance during the Persian Gulf War.

He did not approve of the invasion of Kuwait. He desperately worked for a peaceful, diplomatic solution while President Bush was busy calling President Saddam Hussein a Hitler in order to prepare the American psyche for war.

I just returned from Iraq. I spent anywhere from four to five hours in the middle of the night at both the Jordanian and Iraqi borders. I myself saw the hundreds of trucks passing through these borders. Mine was one of them. I saw each truck inspected thoroughly at each border. Four to five men would be on top of each truck probing with long sticks to make sure there was nothing other than wheat, flour, or grain they were carrying. Men were also checking under the trucks, inside the engines, in the driver’s compartment and opening boxes. This procedure was followed religiously at both borders.

King Hussein is said to be helping to prolong the survival of a regional menace like Saddam Hussein. Why was he not a regional menace when the U.S. was supplying him with arms, tanks and other military equipment during the Iran-Iraq War and right up to the Gulf War?

Could it possibly be that King Hussein is concerned about the horrendous living conditions under perpetuated sanctions for the 18 millions citizens of Iraq?

The people of Iraq are coping with 2,500% inflation with no pay increases, a civilian infrastructure which still remains critically impaired, a barely functional health care system, increased infant mortality and malnutrition affecting 800,000 children.

We cannot tie the Iraqi people and especially the children to the current political standoff between the U.S. and the Iraqi governments. The U.S. has no right to make claims that King Hussein is violating the sanctions. If anything, he is helping to save children’s lives. If Amman’s borders are closed to Iraq through needless propaganda, this would surely mean the genocide of the Iraqi people.

DIANNE JUDICE

Teddy Bears for Iraq

Santa Barbara