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"We British humanitarian campaigners are glad to have reached the point of Iraq
agreeing to discuss at the Arab League Meeting TODAY, our subject of 605
hostages/PoWs/missing Kuwaitis plus third-nationals, dearly loved, sincerely missed
and wanted home !" Comments the humanitarian organisation H.E.L.P.
"H.E.L.P." is supported by the world renowned Welsh Centre for International Affairs
and the Cardiff United Nations Association, in the capital city of Wales, UK.
Kuwaiti hostages were seen inside Iraqi prisons by Baroness Emma Nicholson,
she stated publicly on UK Channel 4 TV in London, February 1998.
As reported 1998 - 1999 by the British TV, Radio media and national press -
it is a fact that a letter regarding 605 Kuwaiti and third-national hostages
plus PoWs still held in Iraq, signed 19 March 1998 by Foreign Secretary
Robin Cook states quite clearly "sanctions cannot be lifted until this issue
is resolved". Some writers choose to focus on non-compliance of weapons'
inspections - purposefully omitting the human face of this tragedy and with
repeated 'speculation' also misleading concerned individuals about 'sanctions'.
It has been confirmed verbally again to H.E.L.P. by telephone recently when A New
Draft Proposal was submitted to the UN by Britain appertaining to all aspects
of this whole issue.
i.e. Release of the 605 has always been requested within the syntax of United
Nations Resolutions 1154 signed March 1998 and 687 signed February 1991.
Humanitarians and political activists throughout the globe are today aware of
these relevant points, which directly affect their debates, conferences,
petitions and rallies.
<ina@nisciraq.net> IRAQI NEWS AGENCY MESSAGE TO WALES
The Iraqi News Agency earlier this year replied to one of H.E.L.P.'s e-mails.
*** e-mail to Wales from Saddam's regime:
Subject:
Re: un sanctions
Date:
Sat, 27 June 1998 15:35:55 +0300
From:
"ina" <ina@nisciraq.net> IRAQI NEWS AGENCY
To:
Moonirah<hamzah@cwcom.net>
Wales, United Kingdom ( H.E.L.P. Worldwide Campaign - Free 605 Kuwaitis + )
We confirm that Iraq holds no POWs, neither from Kuwait nor from any other country.
This card is being played by Kuwait and the U.S. administration in order to prolong
sanctions against Iraq.
INA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iraq has agreed in principle and with certain conditions to taking part
in a commission charged with examining the fate of the disappeared,
605 Kuwaitis and third-nationals.
Saudi Arabia's Okaz newspaper said Gulf Foreign Ministers would meet
on Friday 10th, in the Red Sea port of Jeddah to coordinate their
position ahead of the Arab League meeting being held Sunday 12th
and Monday 13th September 1999.
( * Note that THE UN TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE WAS SET UP TO HELP KUWAIT !!)
605 HOSTAGES AND POWS ILLEGALLY ABDUCTED 1990 - 1991,
STILL BEING HELD IN IRAQ ARE FROM INDIA, PHILLIPINES,
LEBANON, EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA, OMAN and Kuwait.
The 605 Kuwaiti POWs and hostages in Iraq are made up of 389 civilians
and 216 military personnel.
The Arab League is to discuss this issue of 605 prisoners of war and other people
missing from the 1991 Gulf War during its meeting today, being chaired by Iraq.
Kuwait has repeatedly asked for more information concerning the fate of
600 people it says "disappeared" or were detained during Iraq's
occupation of the Emirate.
Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Ahmad al-Sabah said he hoped the
meeting of the Arab League, to be chaired by Iraq, would be "problem free."
Iraq's foreign minister walked out of the last Arab League ministerial
meeting on Iraq in January 1999.
"The issue of Kuwaitis detained by the Iraqi regime is the main point
on the report of the Arab League's "Secretary General" Esmat Abdel
Meguid, which is a sort of Agenda for the Ministerial Meeting," the
daily said, quoting Kuwaiti league representative Abdel Aal Al-Qanai.
Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Thursday said
the Emirate would participate in the meeting, scheduled for 12th - 13th
September 1999 even though Iraq is "chairing" the event, in Cairo.
Sa'idi stressed that Iraq had cooperated earnestly and sincerely (false)
with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the third
party to the tripartite committee, to find Kuwaitis whom the Kuwaiti
regime alleged to have been detained or missing in Iraq.
( from H.E.L.P. in the UK with written e-mail permission by Clari Net )
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council agreed Friday to
hold a meeting on Iraq in London next week, including China which had
refused to attend a similar gathering in Washington, diplomats said.
Both British and U.S. officials said the goal of the meeting, scheduled for
Wednesday, was to conclude a new Security Council policy on Iraq by the end
of September when foreign ministers of the five veto-wielding countries meet
on the edges of the U.N. General Assembly.
A Chinese spokesman, Chen Ranfeng, said Beijing had accepted the invitation
by Britain for a meeting in London of political directors concerned with
Iraqi policy.
He said the reason was that the London meeting would be a continuation of
U.N. talks on Iraq among the five -- the United States, Russia, France,
Britain and China -- rather than a ``new mechanism.'' ``And that's an
important point,'' he added without elaborating.
The United States wanted to hold a meeting among political directors in
Washington last week but China declined to attend. U.S. officials said they
backed a British-Dutch draft resolution but there is little chance China,
Russia and France would agree without major changes.
Britain will be represented by a political director, Emyr Jones-Parry, while
Under Secretary of State Thomas Pickering will attend for the United States.
The 15-nation Security Council has made no headway in restoring arms control
functions in Iraq since mid-December U.S.-British bombing raids. No weapons
inspector has been allowed back in Baghdad since then.
The British-Dutch draft resolution would suspend Iraqi sanctions on exports,
such as oil, if Baghdad complied with key disarmament demands.
Britain quickly gathered co-sponsors for its draft among the 10 nonpermanent
council members. They include the Netherlands, which helped draw up the
resolution, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Gambia, Namibia and
Slovenia.
France, in a rival draft, would suspend sanctions on Iraqi imports as well
as exports immediately after a new arms commission is set up and
functioning. In contrast the British-Dutch draft calls for several steps
over eight months to make sure Iraq has complied with key arms demands.
Nevertheless Britain has indicated it might consider easing sanctions on
imports providing arms inspections resumed and financial controls were in
place.
n.b.
The sanctions, imposed in August 1990 after Baghdad's troops invaded Kuwait,
are linked to weapons demands plus requests for release of 605 hostages and PoWs,
Kuwaiti and third-nationals, still held in Iraq since 1990 -1991.
"H.E.L.P." is supported by the world renowned Welsh Centre for International Affairs
and the Cardiff United Nations Association, in the capital city of Wales, UK.
Cardiff-born, Voluntary Co-ordinator Moonirah has petitioned the President of the
European Parliament about the 605 Kuwaiti and third-national "hostages" plus "pows"
still held by Saddam Hussein in Iraq. She also made a "live" radio appeal to Saddam
from the border between Kuwait and Iraq this year - on 27th February 1999.
Iraq's regime should understand that we humanitarians, the international
community, governments, parliaments, organizations, groups, individuals and
people of good will now raise to speak as 'envoys' for the "605 voices in
isolation" in Iraq, incarcerated nine years as hostages and PoWs since
1990 - 1991, all are loved, dearly missed and awaited to return home.
We quote the facts herein, as some persons often choose to focus on
the non-compliance of weapons' inspections in Iraq - knowingly omitting
the 605 human faces of this tragedy, whilst the British Foreign Office
states and has confirmed in writing that "Sanctions cannot be lifted
until this issue is resolved." - according to United Nations Resolutions
1154 of 1998 and 687 of 1991.
* Note that THE UN TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE WAS SET UP TO HELP KUWAIT not Iraq,
specifically to deal with the 605 hostages and PoWs' humanitarian issue !!
LET US ALL HOPE THIS WEEK THAT THIS ISSUE IS CONCLUDED AT THE ARAB LEAGUE
MEETING IN CAIRO - TO BE CHAIRED BY IRAQ.
F.C.O. confirms "SANCTIONS CANNOT BE LIFTED UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED".
With appreciation of your attention.
Moonirah - Co-ordinator.
Hostages' Envoys for Liberty of Prisoners in Iraq
H.E.L.P. WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN
WALES UK
E-mail:help-kuwaiti.hostages-pows-iniraq@dtn.ntl.com
______________________________________________________________
Eric Herring wrote:
>
> There was a recent piece (1999) on precisely this in a
> recent issue of the academic journal Review of
> International Studies. I don't have the precise reference,
> but you shouldn't have any difficulty finding it.
>
> Cheers
>
> Eric
>
> On Fri, 10 Sep 1999 19:20:39 -0400 (EDT) Geoffrey A Lundeen
> <lundeeng@pilot.msu.edu> wrote:
>
> > Hello
> >
> > I am looking for sources of feminist advocacy, or offering a feminist
> > perspective, on economic sanctions. Please backchannel me if you have any
> > suggestions.
> >
> > Geoffrey Lundeen
> > --
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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> >
>
> ----------------------
> Dr. Eric Herring
> Department of Politics
> University of Bristol
> 10 Priory Road
> Bristol BS8 1TU
> England, UK
> Tel. +44-(0)117-928-8582
> Fax +44-(0)117-973-2133
> http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Politics
> eric.herring@bristol.ac.uk
>
> --
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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