These figures, cited in the June 16 Washington Post, are also backed up by a recent United Nations survey on civilian casualties in Iraq.

Since December 1998, when the United States and Britain pounded Iraq around the clock for four days, Baghdad has been protesting the so-called no-flight zones that the two imperialist powers imposed unilaterally.

These zones cover most of northern and southern Iraq. They deny Iraqis--but not others--the right to fly over two-thirds of their own air space. Since December 1998, the United States and Britain have been bombing Iraq in these zones, sometimes on a daily basis.

The bombing campaign of Dec. 16-19, 1998, led to protests all over the world, especially in the Middle East and northern Africa. Big anti-war demonstrations also took place in the United States. Since then, this form of warfare, like sanctions, has gone largely unnoticed in the capitalist media even as the bombings continued to terrorize the Iraqi population.

The Iraqi air defense command says that more than 21,600 U.S. and British warplanes have flown into Iraq's air space since December 1998. There has been a bombing or missile attack an average of once every three days and a civilian death every other day.

The Pentagon admits to have flown more than 280,000 sorties since the United States and Britain imposed the "no-flight zones" in 1991.

Butler predicts another crisis

One of those who has enthusiastically carried out U.S. strategy against Iraq is former UN "weapons inspector" Richard Butler.

Butler was recently in Australia to promote his new book "Saddam Defiant--The Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and the Crisis of Global Security " at a literary lunch. There he predicted, "We'll probably have another Iraqi crisis on our hands" in the next six weeks, the Age of Melbourne reported June 23.

The United Nations is preparing a new inspection agency to begin making demands to enter Iraq in August. The previous agency, the United Nations Special Commission or UNSCOM, made over 9,000 inspections throughout Iraq without discovering any significant violations. UNSCOM has since been exposed as having connections to the CIA, which Iraq had charged all along.

The weapons inspection regime has been used as a justification to continue the deadly sanctions, which have killed over 1 million people. Aug. 9 will be the 10th anniversary of the imposition of the sanctions.

As Butler spoke, protesters demonstrated against the sanctions and the continued bombing.

Protests disrupt gov't reps

Just a month ago protests disrupted U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's speech at the University of California at Berkeley's commencement ceremony, where she received an honorary degree. Every few seconds a protester rose to denounce Albright as a war criminal. When that person was ejected, another would stand up.

Anti-war and anti-imperialist activists again gave Albright the greeting she deserved at Northeastern University in Boston. Demonstrators from all over New England avoided a police ban on amplified sound by rotating those operating the sound systems so they could continue to feign ignorance of the rule.

With this tactic, they managed to keep a strong rally going outside, where they told the thousands in attendance about the over 1 million people killed by the sanctions on Iraq that Albright promotes. They also exposed the massive U.S. aid to Colombia that is funding the Pentagon's war against the liberation movement in that country.

The progressive activists got quite an opportunity to address the crowd, since Albright began her speech while over 1,000 audience members were still outside, waiting to go through metal detectors and be searched before they were allowed to enter.

At least 12 activists were able to get tickets from sympathetic people attending the demonstration. As Albright spoke and received her honorary degree, protesters unfurled four banners condemning the sanctions on Iraq and U.S. military aid to Colombia.

Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering, the third-ranking State Department official, had the nerve to speak in support of the sanctions against Iraq at an annual convention of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. He was disrupted by the audience, who booed, banged their plates and spoke against the murderous sanctions policy.

The Iowa Coalition to End War Crimes Against Iraq held an action at which 22 people formed a human blockade across the entrance to the Iowa Air National Guard headquarters. For a few minutes, they disrupted normal operations for the military. They drew attention to the Guard's preparation for its fourth trip to Turkey, where its troops participate in bombing sorties over the "no-flight zones."

All 22 demonstrators were arrested and several spent the night at the Polk County jail.

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