*The following is a response by MADRE's Executive Director Yifat Susskind to the New York Times' article "'Environmental Poisoning' of Iraq Is Claimed."
"'Environmental Poisoning' of Iraq Is Claimed" reveals the connections between US military waste disposal in Iraq and the terrible rise in cancer, birth defects and other health problems among Iraqis and US veterans.
There is another connection we must make. In both Iraqi communities grappling with the toxic legacy of war and US communities where veterans have fallen sick, it's women who take on the lion's share of care work.
When a child is born with a birth defect, her mother tends to her needs. When a family member is struck with cancer, women nurse them as best they can. This is a tie that binds both Iraqi women and US women.
We endorse the Right to Heal campaign to hold the US accountable for the suffering this war unleashed. Women caretakers are daily witnesses to this pain, and their voices drive our demands for justice.
Sincerely,
Yifat Susskind
Executive Director
