Ask Amnesty

From Muriel, River Forest, IL:

Does the reaction of the Iraqi people bear any resemblance to the so-called Stockholm Syndrome? Does anyone have any info on the mindset of the Chilean people when they overthrew Pinochet? These people seem to be too frightened of the inner circle around Saddam to think. Saddam Hussein is a typical sociopath and incapable of humane treatment of anyone. How do you reach such a person with negotiations or references to the Geneva Convention?

Amnesty International USA's Iraq Country Specialist, Beth Ann Toupin responds. She has been an active member of Amnesty International for many years and is currently a member of the AIUSA Board of Directors.

Saddam Hussein's regime has had an absolute grip on the people of Iraq for some time, apparently grown even tighter during the years of sanctions, as the people have become dependent upon the government for their livelihood. It is difficult to judge the mindset of the people. There being no freedom of expression and little access to the country, it is not possible to get a full sense of the Iraqi "street". Any statements about what the people want would have to be based on conjecture. That said, I would think that while many Iraqis would welcome being freed from the tyranny of this regime, they would probably prefer to be alive to enjoy it. Balancing whether or not the inevitable negative human rights and humanitarian consequences of war are "worth it" is a calculus Amnesty will not perform. We will not use one set of violations to excuse another.

As to whether or not Saddam Hussein or the rest of the Iraqi government could be reached -- meaning convinced to change their ways -- through means other than military intervention, your questions raises several others. Does the failure of policies enacted to date mean that no peaceful course could work? What if nations had placed a higher priority on human rights in the development of their foreign policy regarding Iraq in the past? What if there had been an International Criminal Court in 1989? The answer now is that we will probably never know.