Psyche, Science, and Society

Lancet Iraq mortality author Riyadh Lafta’s Canadian talk cancelled

April 25th, 2007

Dr. Ali Al-Ebadi of Vancouver, BC, posted this article in the Comments — on the refusal of the United States and Britain to give visas to Lancet Iraq mortality study author Riyadh Lafta resulting in cancellation of his American and Canadian talks — with a request that I publish it:

The first victim of US-led occupation of Iraq

The truth is certainly the first in an endless series of victims of the war.

A public talk by Dr. Riyadh Lafta of Baghdad’s Al-Mustansiriya University College scheduled for Friday, April 20, 2007 at Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, in Vancouver, has been cancelled. American and British authorities denied him a visit visa. Alternative arrangements at the University of Washington (U of W) in Seattle have been made for a talk by Dr. Les Roberts, co-author with Dr. Lafta of a Lancet article on Iraqi deaths published in October 2006. The study estimated 654,965 persons have died as a consequence of the occupation. Of these, 601,027 have died from violence. The event in Vancouver was moderated by Dr. Tim Takaro, who is studying the rise in childhood cancer in Iraq with Dr. Lafta and researchers from the U of W.

More than 100 Canadians in Vancouver, including three of Iraqi origin, attended the conference and, during the question period, many individuals enthusiastically discussed issues related to studies about victims of US occupation of Iraq.

Dr. Les Roberts told the audience in Seattle and Vancouver that he presented the project of Iraq casualties study to CNN and CBS. Both American channels declined to cooperate with him because of the inconvenience it might cause but they were willing to support him if he would have agreed to conduct a poll about freedom, democracy, and security in Iraq. Roberts said that he was astonished that such a report did not even move the US Congress to any investigation.

It is well-established that US Army intensively used depleted uranium ammunition against thousands of Iraqi tanks and soldiers’ trucks during George H. Bush 1991 war and George W. Bush 2003 war against Iraq. In both wars, the abandoned military vehicles literally became first a ‘playground’ for children and animals from neighboring villages in southern Iraq and near Basra before some of them was removed to military junkyards. All exposed individuals were practically subjected to a variable intensity of toxic uranium radiation. Depleted uranium ammunition is considered a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) by definition and practice.

For Iraqi researchers there is a well-known link between the US Army uses of depleted uranium ammunition in 1991 and 2003 and the drastic increase and / or new occurrence of many cancers and anomalies in humans, animals and plants. Thus far, there are no published comprehensive statistical data taken from pre- and post-occupation Iraqi government sources to clearly substantiate this link. In addition, White House and Pentagon officials maintained complete denial of such relationship and prevented any independent academic research to find out and publish the truth. Iraqi civilians are by no means the only victims of such denial. American and other allies’ soldiers who were subjected to the radiation of depleted uranium ammunition and other vaccination programs and later developed the so-called Iraq or Gulf War Syndrome are denied any specific medical care in their own countries.

More interestingly, on searching the name ‘Riyadh Lafta’ in Arabic on Google search engine Thursday night, April 19, 2007 only one hit was shown that was a translation from English about the study of 2006.

In conclusion, the academic truth-spreading mission of Dr. Riyadh Lafta fell a victim to the following unfortunate factors:

1. George W. Bush’s and Tony Blair’s mentality of warmongering, intolerance of occupation critic, and fear of international legal percussions of admitting wrongdoing and using WMD has its direct effect on government policy on all levels and on the media.

2. Necessity for hiding all genocidal activities of US-led occupation of Iraq, and mass destruction of civil infrastructures, including health and social care and, when revealed, simply denying and discrediting the source.

3. Strict monopoly of media moguls who are still supporting the main goals of occupation even if they disagree about some domestic political issues.

4. Lack of civil courage of many American and British journalists.

5. All of the above directly applies to US-loyal occupation governments and media in Iraq, and the translated Arabic media.

6. Overconfidence in the USA and UK authorities.

7. Fear of Congressmen, who supported the visit, of political escalation that may jeopardize financial support to the University of Washington.

The Canadian research partner, Dr. Tim Takaro, emphatically said at the end of the conference that he will not give up on the visit of Dr. Lafta to Canada during this year.

Entry Filed under: Iraq, Middle East, Mortality, Public Health