Bishop speaks out for long suffering children of Iraq

BisHoe THostss McMahon of Brentwood called for the economic sanctions on Iraq to be lifted immediately, writes Antoine Lokottga.
He released a statement to mark a peaceful protest organised last Monday in central London by groups including international Catholic peace movement Pax Christi.
The bishop said urgent action was needed to save the lives of children in the country who were dying because of malnutrition and lack of medicine.
Bishop McMahon added his voice to a chorus of protests against the sanctions — held to mark the 10th anniversary of their imposition, when Saddam Hussein invaded neighbouring Kuwait in 1990.
Bishop McMahon said: "It is a matter of profound concern to me that it should be necessary for us to mark the tenth anniversary of the imposition of economic sanctions on Iraq. The sanctions policy has devastated Iraqi society.
"For 10 years, the ordinary members of society have paid an appallingly heavy penalty for decisions and actions over which they had no control.
"The impact upon Iraqi health service and upon availability of basic necessities has cost the lives of many people and particularly the lives of children."
He added: "The prolonged and unnecessary suffering of the people of Iraq requires urgent attention."
Bishop McMahon said he offered his wholehearted support to PiLX Christi's work in opposing this "devastating policy".
A "die-in" protest was also supported by the bishop and Pax Christi. It began with a gathering in Trafalgar Square, from where protesters dressed in black walked to the Foreign Office in Whitehall.
Many of them then committed "non-violent" civil disobedience by staging symbolic "die-ins" in the road outside the Foreign Office to represent the people who have died in Iraq as a result of sanctions.
Since sanctions were imposed on Iraq, it is estimated that almost half a million children have died of starvation and disease.
Two former UN Hume& Lanai' eo-ordinatois for liaq, Denis Halliday and Hans son Sponeck, have resigned in protest ,u ilL. efiect sanctions are having on ordinary people in the country.
Mr Halliday said the West was in the process of destroying an entire society. He said: "It is as simple and terrifying as that. It is illegal and iuunoral.'
The deinuestrations were also organised by Voices in the Wilderness, Youth CND and Women in Black and was joined by a number of MPs.