Say Anything Blog

By the UN’s own Humanitarian Briefing in April 2003:

Humanitarian Briefing, 16 Apr 2003
Transcript of the UN humanitarian briefing in Amman, Jordan
Geoffrey Keele, Spokesman for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

There has been an outbreak of Blackwater Fever in southern Iraq. This is a waterborne disease also know as Laeshmaniasis.

The Iraqi Refugee Aid Council has told us of 100 cases in Amarah, 70 cases in Nasariya, and an unspecified number of cases in Az Zubair. The ages of the victims are not known, however, Blackwater Fever can be fatal and children under five are the most vulnerable to contracting it.

This disease - spread mainly by sand-flies—causes malnutrition and anaemia and can kill weaker, malnourished children (although no fatalities have been reported in these towns so far).

Symptoms of the disease include fever, weakness, discolouration, bloated stomach due to swollen organs, and black coloured urine due to hemorrhaging. If not treated within 4-6 weeks it leads to severe debility and eventually death.

Given this, our biggest concern is that the first cases of the fever were reported in February before the outbreak of the war. UNICEF immediately procured the drugs needed to treat the fever, but war broke out before we could get them into the country.

At that time, 100 cases had been discovered from Thiqar governorate in the south, to Babylon in the north. These are areas we still do not have access to, and 90% of cases could die without medicine (PENTOSTAM).

UNICEF has 1,000 doses of the medicine and we were able to send 100 vials of it to Nasriya yesterday. In an excellent example of UN - media cooperation, we sent in the life saving medicine with a German television crew. We hope to send 200 vials to Amarah tomorrow.

Nine Trucks caring clean water to the Fao peninsula left Iran today and entered Iraq at the Shalamcheh border crossing. Three other trucks were unable to cross today, but will cross tomorrow instead.

Named after Blackwater, the E-V-I-L Contracting Mercenary company... right?!?!? Liberal heads exploding in 3... 2... 1...

The left is posting things like this gem:

[suggesting Haliburton Fever as a better name] Malaria spreads through contaminated water, as well as mosquito bites. Halliburton served our troops contaminated water, so…

But this rant was the best:

That disease and PARASITES …and these American Doctors are totally ignorant of .The South lost the war to HOOKWORM infections …that the slaves brought over with them from Africa …And this DISEASE is on its way back big time here in America .In West Tennessee hundreds of people are being treated for everything but Parasites .My Grandmother died from Worm Infection .The Parasites gave her a stroke and then she died .She was the cleanest person in the world .I blame Poor city water and under-educated doctors .And these Troops have these Liver Parasites and more than probably other parasite infections .And all it takes is doses of Mebendazolefor HOOKWORM and Rounworm infection the other parasite infections take something else .I seen lots of people who are sick and being cheated by doctors and specialist from quality of life ..Because they are ignorant .I really feel sorry for all these Troops who will come back to a Health Care system that was Broken before they enter the Service .This country needs a big wake up call and BUSH and Cheney need to be IMPEACHED ! Bush went to take care of Africans with out Nets for misquitos …Hey same thing BUSH is happening here …PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO HEALTH CARE AND no GOOD doctors to give the care needed !

Speaking of diseases and treatment, I think I need a vaccination and a tetnus shot simply for allowing my web browser to travel to the filth of DU and Think Progress.

RBB, you are a douche.