Political Quotes

“The weak international response that followed Halabja emboldened Saddam. In August 1988, he launched his final offensive against dozens of other villages, killing hundreds, and causing tens of thousands to flee to neighboring countries. A staff report prepared for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, based on interviews with survivors, described the atrocities in vivid detail: The bombs . . . did not produce a large explosion. Only a weak sound could be heard and then a yellowish cloud spread out from the center of the explosion. . . . Those who were very close to the bombs died almost instantly. Those who did not die instantly found it difficult to breathe and began to vomit. The gas stung the eyes, skin and lungs of the villagers exposed to it. Many suffered temporary blindness. After the bombs exploded, many villagers ran and submerged themselves in nearby streams to escape the spreading gas. . . . Many of those who made it to streams survived. Those who could not run from the growing smell, mostly the very old and the very young, died. The survivors who saw the dead reported that blood could be seen trickling out of the mouths of some of the bodies. A yellowish fluid could also be seen oozing out of the noses and mouths of some of the dead. Some said the bodies appeared frozen. Many of the dead bodies turned blackish blue. Saddam's outrageous act prompted only a muted response from the world community.”