The hospitals in Iraq are described as pitiful in respect of the building fabric and almost empty of even the most basic drugs, equipment and facilities. There are also reports of the private palaces that have been built since the Gulf War. Why cannot the resources that were devoted to building and outfitting palaces (for the glorification of one man) not have been used for improvement of hospitals and medical care of the many?

There is some merit in your line of questioning. With the same reasoning we could ask why is there a shortage of money for British schools and hospitals and no money to pay our firefighters fairly for their risky, courageous and life-saving work, when we always seem to have enough money to fight wars in distant places with no benefit to ourselves. Inequality and injustice are not only the preserve of third world countries. However, the problem in Iraq is not merely one of lack of funds. Even if all the money spent on palaces were diverted into health care, the hospitals would still be devoid of equipment and drugs because of the inhumane sanctions (see our article A list of prohibited items into Iraq).

These sanctions have allegedly been put in place to weaken the Iraqi regime and prevent a build up of weaponry, but they are so indiscriminate that they kill men, women and children and leave only the few rich enough to live in palaces untouched. These sanctions which have been there now for over a decade are in themselves one of the greater crimes against humanity of modern times which we who claim to be spearheading the values of civilisation and human rights are responsible for.