UK Letters To Editor: "Galloway Made Me Proud to Be British"

[Hissyspit]

Letters from England in response to Galloway's Senate Testimony from both The Independent and The Times (One from an American in NJ):

http://comment.independent.co.uk/letters/story.jsp?story=639558

Galloway made me proud to be British

Sir: Appearing in front of the US Senate subcommittee on live television, watched by millions around the globe, George Galloway may have done something inestimable for the image of Britons in the eyes of the world: he might well have redeemed us.

Never have I witnessed such a powerful performance by a domestic politician. I cannot think of any previous occasion when any politician made me feel proud to be British. Mr Galloway, whom I had not previously supported, has achieved this with a display of genuine bravery and fierce doggedness. One could not help but be impressed by his tenacity, his moral courage and his transparent honesty. And all this whilst in the very belly of the beast.

- snip -

LEON GARTSHORE
DUMBARTON, WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE

Sir: The most cathartic feature of George Galloway's magnificent performance in the US Senate Office was his reminder to the world of probably the worst crime against humanity of the late 20th century - the sanctions against Iraq. The wicked brutality of those sanctions has been forgotten, "moved on" from, or vaguely blended into the crimes of Saddam's regime.

Your report refers to sanctions that "he said had led to the deaths of one million Iraqi children". It is not just Galloway who "said" this, but a substantial list of former UN staff, one of whom referred to the sanctions simply as "genocide". Even the UN's own children's fund, Unicef, accepted that sanctions were the major reason why Iraq lost an entire generation of its population. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright clearly stated that the deaths of 585,000 Iraqi children under the age of five was a price worth paying; and Galloway of course used congressman David Bonior's memorable quote about "infanticide masquerading as politics".

- snip -

PETER MCKENNA
LIVERPOOL


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-1617716,00.html

Mr Galloway goes to Washington

From Dr David Wade

Sir, We Americans are still recovering from George Galloway’s double-barrelled blast at the US Senate and Administration (reports, May 18). It was the most refreshing bit of testimony to emanate from those atherosclerotic chambers in a very, very long time.
For the silent majority (the ones who did not vote for Bush), Mr Galloway’s visit provided a brief respite from the depressing day-to-day life in this military-industrial complex that cannot exist without being at war with the rest of the world. Many of us wish we were represented by the likes of George Galloway.

Yours faithfully,
DAVID WADE,
Somerset, New Jersey 08873.
May 18.


From Dr Izhar Khan

Sir, The opprobrium heaped on George Galloway, MP for Bethnal Green & Bow, by much of the British media is shameful. However much one might disagree with his views, the man is an elected representative of the people and should be allowed to defend his reputation.

One wonders what the US media and Government’s response would be if our own Foreign Affairs Committee were to invite US Vice-President Dick Cheney to explain the role of his old company Halliburton in scooping massive contracts in Iraq.

Yours faithfully,
IZHAR KHAN,
Aberdeen
May 18.

[KharmaTrain]

1. Good Pictures, Nice TV, Move Along

I thought Galloway's testimony was the most damning I've heard in front of a Congressional committee in recent memory. He was dead on and didn't mince words. The problems was it was the wrong person.

While I appreciate my many friends outside the U.S., shall I say, this is our mess to clean up. A foreign voice is like a relative who comes to your house, tells you how messy it is and then goes home. They didn't make it, but the fact they told you there's a mess is enough to get your hackles up no matter how much you like that relative. The same applies here.

We need American leaders with the stones to really step up and not stand down. No more "bi-partisan" nice-nice. No more mincing words...these people LIE...constantly, regularly and without impunity. This is the type of person we need to be in Coleman and every other Repugnican's face. I keep waiting and waiting.

[ROH]

2. Apparently Coleman smiled when Galloway quoted this. Why?

"... David Bonior's memorable quote about "infanticide masquerading as politics"."