Re: SANCTIONS:KUWAITI & THIRD-NATIONALS STILL HELD IN IRAQ - U.N.RESOLUTION 1284 (1999)

["Mambo No. 6" <mda24@DELETETHIShermes.cam.ac.uk>]

> > H.E.L.P. was initiated in the UK at the end of 1997 to re-address the
> > balance of global focus, being very glad that there had always been
> > innumerous world groups and organisations battling for the sake of
> > innocent Iraqi civilians inside Iraq - however, if 'humanitarians' do
> > care for the whole of 'humanity', surely it is only fair to consider
> > lives of the 605 awaited detainees.

I speak here as an individual, not in my capacity as CASI committee
member.

I want to express my agreement with the "mission statement" of H.E.L.P.
and my feeling that it is a very worthwhile persuit.  I regret, however,
the use of the phrase "re-address the balance of global focus."  The
paragraph above seems to imply that campaigners for the liberation of
Kuwaiti prisoners and campaigners for the lifting of sanctions to
aleiviate humanitarian suffering must be at odds.

If H.E.L.P. is not pro-sanctions then we are both groups whose concerns
are humanitarian, not political, and this implied polarisation between us
only fits in with the political scenario and the media's portrayal.  Hence
it should not be a question of "re-addressing the balance" from suffering
of Iraqis to suffering of Kuwaitis, but of a combined effort of
emphasising the human tragedy entailed in this situation while the
politicians manouevre.

I wonder, therefore, if H.E.L.P. would further clarify its position on
this for me.

Yours sincerely 

Mark Sinjakli

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq
For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk
Full archive and list instructions are available from the CASI website:
http://welcome.to/casi