What wouldMacGyver do?

A new chance in Iran?

A forgotten plea to prevent the war in Iraq

Before the war in Iraq in 2003, I noticed a plea by a group of scientists in Scientific American who claimed that the war could be prevented by solving the extreme water crisis that the country was facing since the 90's.

The extreme water crisis in Iraq before the war was the primary cause of the war.

In Iran today, some people literally fight over the last drops of water.

Instead of solving the problem, water systems in Iraq were specifically targeted by bombings and sanctions, causing massive suffering and death among the civilian population.

(2021) Intentional genocide: the targeted destruction of Iraq's water systems is a war crime NATO military forces committed war crimes by depriving civilians of drinking water. The vast majority of the 1.5 million civilian deaths were caused not by the direct impact of bombs but by targeted destruction of water systems. Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) | Water under siege in Iraq

According to U.N. aid agencies, more than 1.5 million civilians in Iraq - including 565,000 children - were killed by sanctions specifically intended to destroy access to drinking water.

Sanctioned Genocide: Killing the Children of Iraq

Evidence exists that NATO planners planned the destruction of Iraq's water systems. A documentary film by award-winning journalist John Pilger uncovers details.

[Show details and link to film]

A declassified document from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) - titled "Iraq's Water Treatment Vulnerability" -outlined with deadly precision the effect economic sanctions would have on Iraq's water supply.

"Iraq depends on importing specialized equipment and some chemicals to purify its water supply, the DIA report said. "Failing to secure supplies will result in a shortage of pure drinking water for much of the population. This could lead to increased incidences, if not epidemics, of disease.

"Although Iraq is already experiencing a loss of water treatment capability, it probably will take at least six months before the system is fully degraded.

According to U.N. aid agencies, about 1.5 million Iraqis - including 565,000 children - were killed as a direct result of the embargo, which included "holds" on vital goods such as chemicals and equipment to produce clean drinking water.

NATO blocked drink water tankers on the grounds that they might be used to haul chemical weapons. This was at a time when the major cause of child deaths in Iraq was a lack of access to potable water.

Award-winning journalist John Pilger - who produced the documentary film "Paying the Price - Killing the Children of Iraq" -said up to 5.4 billion dollars in vital humanitarian supplies for the people of Iraq were being obstructed.

Watch the film on: Vimeo | YouTube

Thomas Nagy, a professor at George Washington University who discovered and brought the DIA document to the media's attention, said the U.S. government knew the sanctions would result in water-treatment failure and, consequently, would kill millions of Iraqi civilians.

(2021) Sanctioned genocide: the targeted destruction of Iraq's water systems is a war crime NATO military forces committed war crimes by depriving civilians of drinking water. The vast majority of the 1.5 million civilian deaths were caused not by the direct impact of bombs but by targeted destruction of water systems. Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) | Water under siege in Iraq

The lack of access to clean drinking water led to widespread public unrest and protests, causing the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) and its violent campaign against the government.

(2020) Water Crisis, A Bigger Threat Than Terrorism Extreme water scarcity and wide disparities in public water supplies are potent ingredients for conflict. Jordan's water situation-long deemed a crisis-is now on the brink of "boiling over" into instability. Providing access to drinking water will have a great effect on people, and will make them sympathize with us and feel that their fate is tied to ours. Source: Deutsche Welle | LIRNEasia | The Guardian

Intentional Destruction of Water Infrastructure

The water infrastructure in Iraq (2003) was intentionally destroyed.

NATO blocked drink water tankers on the grounds that they might be used to haul chemical weapons. This was at a time when the major cause of child deaths in Iraq was a lack of access to potable water.

Award-winning journalist John Pilger in documentary Killing the Children of Iraq Source: Killing the Children of Iraq

The same happened in Libya in 2011.

Over 500.000 civilian people were killed in Libya and NATO specifically destroyed the water infrastructure, causing a humanitarian crisis that deteriorates until today.

(2015) War crime: NATO deliberately destroyed Libya's water infrastructure The deliberate bombing of Libya's water infrastructure, with the knowledge that doing so would result in massive deaths of the population, is not just a war crime, but a genocidal strategy. Source: The Ecologist: Informed by Nature

(2021) NATO Killed Civilians in Libya. It's Time to Admit It. Source: foreignpolicy.com (Foreign Policy)

The same is happening in Gaza today.

(2024) Urgent Attention: Israel deprives Gaza of drinking water Israel is not only bombing the people Gaza but also cuts the population off from access to drinking water. Source: La Via Campesina | The Guardian | UN expert: 🇮🇱 Israel must stop using drinking water as a weapon of war

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

By choosing to solve the water crisis, as a group of scientists had advocated before the war in Iraq, the well-being of millions of people and children could have been protected, instead of harmed. It could have turned people into friends and prevent terrorism fundamentally.

Albert Einstein: Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent problems.

In the saying of Albert Einstein "intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent problems", one can find an ethical responsibility.

In the saying of MacGyver "You are smarter than this", one can find a Lévinasian eschatological motive.

The ethical responsibility and the eschatological motive combined provide a basis for the pursuit of non-violent pro-active solutions that bring people together and that support a path of intellectual progress for humanity and beyond.

Air-To-Water Technologies

As of 2024, there are dozens of advanced air-to-water technologies that can produce sufficient drinking water to solve the water crisis in the Middle East. An example company that promises to have a Hydropanel based solution for the capacity to meet the demand, is from Arizona USA.

Another example is the Dutch-Canadian Air-to-Water technology company that has a unit available that is capable of producing 20,000 liters of drinking water per day.

Can a farm of 1 million Rainmaker Air-to-Water machines solve the water crisis in Iran?

Rainmaker Air-to-Water machines have the capability to produce up to 20,000 liters of drinking water per day from the air. The machine is also capable of being installed on a rooftop and can be connected directly to the water supply.

The machine has the potential to work well in Iran, especially in areas with suitable humidity and temperature levels.

Protection of Children

Consider supporting the following organizations. Most organizations have a page titled How can I help?.

Lévinas and the Israeli- Palestinian conflict

Professor Lévinas was a member of the peace movement in Israel.

EcoPeace, a similar organization, brings together Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians and Jordanians in efforts to protect nature.

Adam Sandler created a film that showed that Israelis and Palestinians can flourish together side by side and there are rumors that Adam Sandler was in love with a Palestinian woman.

Some argue that the war in Israel is a fulfillment of Bible Prophecy.

Lévinas' philosophy and his concept of an eschatological vision for peace can counter the ideas proposed by Luke 21:24 from the Bible by emphasizing the importance of ethics, responsibility, and peace in the present moment, rather than waiting for a future event to bring about peace.

🕊️ Support Peace

The primary argument of this article:

The ethical responsibility expressed by Albert Einstein (…^{^}) and the Levinasian eschatological motive expressed by MacGyver (…^{^}), combined, provide a basis for the pursuit of non-violent pro-active solutions that bring people together and that support a path of intellectual progress for humanity and beyond.

Reason and intellect is a higher good than war and revenge.

Further reading is available in a December 2023 magazine special on solutions for peace in the Middle East, by The Economist.

A PDF of the article is attached to this eBook. The magazine can be purchased here.

Israel and Palestine: How peace is possible

(2023) Israel and Palestine: How peace is possible A peace process can go wrong in many ways, but a real possibility exists that it could go right. Source: The Economist (PDF backup) | December 2023 magazine issue