A Massive Failure - Conditons Worse Than Ever in Iraq.

Bill Neely (ITN's chief international editor) was an 'embedded' reporter who has now broadcast some horribly honest reports about how things really are in Iraq. He reports from Basra, from a hospital where there are now fewer drugs available to the doctors than during sanctions. People are having amputations where, with standard drugs available, they wouldn't need to. There have been no cancer treatments available for three years.

This is all in Basra, Iraq's second city, supposedly controlled by the British army and not so long ago portrayed by Bush and Blair as calm and orderly, in contrast to the rest of Iraq. Neely calls it 'a massive failure'.

You can see one of his reports here. It's hard to watch, but really, really vital.

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Technorati tags: Iraq; health; incurable_hippie; Basra.