I sent this letter to the editor to a couple of newspapers today. Feel free to borrow from the language and send it to your local newspaper:
Dropping the G bomb on Iraq
Last week, President Obama took to national TVs to announce new military action “to prevent a potential act of genocide” in Iraq. The president explained that he has ordered "targeted air strikes" to help "break the siege and protect the civilians trapped there".
This week, about 20 US military personnel landed on the mountain to assess the situation. According to a Pentagon statement released today, there are "far fewer" refugees than they expected, and they "are in better condition than previously believed."
Potential acts of genocide, sieges trapping civilians, and other abuses of human rights are real problems that exist around the Middle East and the world, and they require immediate response from the international community. But alleged crimes should first be investigated by legitimate UN and other international bodies, then aid should also be distributed according to international law. As it stands, Iraq’s humanitarian crisis is being used as a pretext to sneak in military strikes and more arms to some of Iraq’s fighting factions.
Turning humanitarian catastrophes such as Genocide and siege to buzzwords to justify political and military agendas is a slap in the face of victims of such atrocities, and it will make it harder for the international community to respond once there are real threats.
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