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> I'm a newcomer to this list, so I apologize if I'm asking questions that > have already been exhaustively discussed on this list... You're welcome, although people should note that you can search the list archive on the CASI website to check whether something has already been discussed... Anyway, no, those questions haven't been discussed. > First, I'm wondering how much and what kinds of popular > protests there have been in the U.S. against the Iraq sanctions. I am an > American, and since arriving in Cambridge in the fall have noticed a lot > more activism here than I did at home. Most people seem to say there's a higher level of activism against sanctions in the US compared to the UK, although of course it's difficult to compare two countries with such different populations. From what I've heard it seems roughly similar : there are campaign groups in many major cities in the US and the UK. There are much larger scale national groups in the US though, particularly Voices in the Wilderness, the group which violates sanctions by taking medicine to Iraq (which, incidentally, has a UK 'branch' now, too)). As well has having exported a huge amount of medicine to Iraq, despite the threat of fines up to $1 million and 12 years in prison for violating sanctions, 25 VitW people are for example right now walking from the Pentagon to the UN over 15 days, to raise awareness of sanctions. I think what may well be the case is that the UK media is more willing to expose the suffering caused by sanctions, which means people in the UK, particular in the last few months, have become a lot more aware of the whole issue. > The sanctions were really a > non-issue at my undergraduate campus, It may be coincidence - I don't know of any other British university with a group as active as CASI. > Are there other groups active in the U.S.? Which, and where? The Iraq Action Coalition (http://leb.net/IAC) lists some organisations. During the recent bombings (which is a slightly different issue, but not far off), the lists of demonstrations etc. in the US was huge. But then I guess the US *is* huge, so again I'd estimate that roughly equivalent to the UK action...? > question is: in what political fora, and when, have states challenged the > LEGALITY (not just the morality or appropriateness) of sanctions against > Iraq? I'd appreciate all the information I can get from any of you. I don't personally know of any cases where actual states (rather than opposition parties or other organisations) have challenged the legality of sanctions (as opposed to air stikes). ... maybe someone else can help you? Seb -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html