Humanitarian research mission to Iraq paints bleak picture should war occur

Military intervention in Iraq would trigger the collapse of an already fragile Iraqi public health system, concluded the humanitarian research team this past week. The team - headed up by the Center for Economic and Social Rights and including CWS Executive Director John L. McCullough - released its report on Jan. 30. The 16-member group was in Iraq from Jan. 19-29. The team's report also indicates that a war-caused humanitarian crisis would exceed the capacities of the United Nations and relief agencies to respond.