ICRC Supports Imperialism for Profit
Stephen Lendman, Jul 18 2012 (slightly abridged)

James Petras once said most NGOs skim 90% of donations for themselves. They’re predators, not humanitarians. They serve political agendas for profit. They avoid denouncing governmental patrons providing financing. They don’t link neoliberal exploitation and human rights violations to imperial agendas. They support wrong over right. They prey on the world’s vulnerable. They commit flagrant abuses for self-enrichment and close ties to top government officials. Some NGOs operate honorably. Mandated principles are followed. Most others fall short. They profit handsomely from disasters and wars. Entrenched bureaucracies infest them. Their officials are highly paid. They illegitimately claim non-profit status. Many provide minimal or no humanitarian services. They operate unethically. They collude with governments and/or business interests. They exploit people shamelessly. They profit from human misery. They perform PR, intelligence, and population control services. Often they’re the preferred choice for Western aid and emergency relief. They provide cover for imperial intervention. “Non-profiteering” is big business. Organizations cash in handsomely from wars, floods, famines, earthquakes, and other disasters.

ICRC is no exception. It blew its cover many times. It did again on Syria. It declared ongoing conflict a civil war. A previous articleexplained there’s nothing civil about Washington’s war. Civil involves internal warring sides. In Syria, USAia largely uses imported proxy mercenaries. Doing so reflects naked aggression. Core international law provisions are violated. ICRC understands but sold out anyway. Big bucks explains why. Doing so exceeds prostitution shamelessness. Selling bodies is one thing. Souls, honor, morals, ethics, and principles are quite others. It’s especially so when human lives and welfare are at stake. ICRC’s claimed humanitarian mission is cover. What’s involved is money, special privileges derived, and connections to people in high places. Benefitting this way is loathsome and contemptible. Operations profiting from human misery have no place in society.

ICRC’s 2011 annual report reveals what’s at stake. Contributors donate hundreds of millions of dollars. Donor types break down as follows: Governments provide 82.34% of funding. The European Commission donates another 9.17%. National Societies give 4.71%. Private sources contribute 2.30%. Others make up the remaining 1+%. Twenty major 2011 donors were listed. They’re all countries or related to them. Except for Japan and Australia, they’re all Western. Major contributors included USAia $241m, UKia $153m, Switzerland $112m, European Commission $106m, Sweden $84m, Norway $61m, Japan $47m, Australia $45m, Netherlands $36m, Germany $35m, Canada $28m. Other major donors included Spain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Finland, and Luxembourg. They derive more than they give. Contributions expect services in return. US and UK are especially demanding. Francis Boyle explains that he who pays the piper calls the tune.

On Jul 16, a State Dept Fact Sheet provided information on “US Humanitarian Aid Reaching Syria and Neighboring Countries”. USAia abhors humanitarian aid or other efforts to help troubled nations. Its agenda reflects exploitation and dominance. So-called aid is cover for these purposes. “International and non-governmental humanitarian partners” were listed and amounts donated. They include $27.5m to the World Food Program, $15.1mn to NGOs, $8.5m to the UNHCR, $8m to the ICRC, $3m to UNRWA, $750,000 to UNICEF, $500,000 to UN OCHA, and $300,000 to the UN Dept of Safety and Security for support of humanitarian operations. Boyle said ICRC got $8m in return for giving Washington “a Declaration of Belligerency in Syria.” As a result, US-recruited death squads “have the right” to keep on killing. Boyle is a distinguished international law expert. He’s also a champion of right over wrong. He called what’s going on “truly shameless. But such has always been the ICRC.” It’s “always been the most sanctimonious gang of hypocrites in the NGO world.” Boyle hasn’t trusted them in years.

The ICRC’s close ties to Western intelligence are well-known but not publicly acknowledged. Doing so would blow its cover. Boyle said he once caught them red-handed “ferrying arms to guerrillas in Sudan and sent them a demarche on it.” They ignored him. It’s how all scoundrel individuals, organizations, corporate bosses, and government officials behave. ICRC is no exception. Given the enormous amount it gets in donations, it ranks with the worst. Prostituting itself in support of Washington’s war on Syria alone strips this emperor of clothes. Calling naked aggression a civil war shows how far it’ll go for a buck and whatever other benefits it derives. It knows international law well. It’s written about it. In Oct 2010, its web site featured a “War and International humanitarian law” overview. It explained its inviolability and importance. It flagrantly violates principles it endorses. Saying one thing and doing another is indefensible. It’s also lawless, reprehensible, and unforgivable. ICRC’s unstated mandate is show me the money. It sold its soul long ago. Its humanitarian mission is cover for supporting imperial lawlessness. Business is good. Washington’s deep pockets alone assures it.