The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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Dear friends, One of your contributors (Mark Parkinson) recently asked for the text of letters written to newspapers to be posted to the CASI list. Just as useful would be the text of leaflets circulated in mailings and on the streets. below is the text of a leaflet distributed in some numbers by the Sheffield group (Sheffield Campaign Against War in the Gulf) leading up to a successful street protest which took place on February 26. This leaflet text also a contribution to the debate between opposing liberal humanitarian and anti-imperialist views about how to wage our campaign. This leaflet reflects the stance of the Sheffield Campaign, which is to encompass the humanitarian dimension within its overall anti-imperialist message (without necessarily using that word). This leaflet makes no concessions to child-killers and does not attempt to be diplomatic. We do adopt a different style in other of our letters and appeals, so, for sake of giving y'all a balanced view of the Sheffiueld campaign's appraoch, I've also attached the text of the Declartion of Support for the Sheffield Delegation to Iraq and the accompanying covwering letter. Greetings, John S Oppose Sanctions and War on Iraq Protest against Labour's ethical [this word is crossed out and 'genocidal' written above it] foreign policy Tony Blair's government has recently celebrated 1000 days in power. Every six minutes of these thousand days, an Iraqi child has died as a direct result of the UK government’s policies of sanctions and war on Iraq.* In recent months, the UK has vetoed the export of vaccines intended for Iraqi children and has joined with the US in blocking $1.3 billion of humanitarian supplies. UK warplanes continue to bomb Iraqi targets on a weekly basis. The pretext for this inhuman and criminal policy is to “contain Saddam”. Yet the UK and US backed his regime for decades, supplying all the weapons he needed to kill his own people, so as to preserve a safe investment climate for UK and US oil companies. The biggest problem in the Middle East is not Saddam, but the determination of western powers to rule over and exploit the peoples and natural resources of the region. “Ethical foreign policy”? It’s a disgrace! Blair, Clinton and Cook are war criminals! *This figure has been established by various UN studies, the latest by UNICEF, which reported that infant mortality of 131/1000 is three times what it would have been in the absence of the brutal sanctions regime and the devastation of the civilian infrastructure and economy by US and UK bombs in 1991 and since. Shefield Campaign Against War in the Gulf SHEFFIELD DELEGATION TO IRAQ DECLARATION OF SUPPORT 1. We reject and condemn the US/UK governments’ policy of bombing and sanctions against Iraq. We note with horror the genocidal effects of these policies upon the Iraqi people, which include economic collapse, soaring child deaths and radiation poisoning. 2. We welcome the decision of the Sheffield Campaign against War in Iraq to send a delegation to Iraq in the year 2000 to: - establish direct human contact with Iraqi people and build links of solidarity between Iraqis and organisations in Sheffield - report back to organisations in Sheffield the social and economic realities of British and US policy towards Iraq - deliver essential medicines and other much needed aid in opposition to the sanctions 3. We agree to sponsor or support the delegation* in whatever way we can by publicising the delegation, helping to raise funds or by giving a donation. We note the cost of sending a delegate will be approximately £700 per person. (If you or your organisation is able to give a donation towards the cost of sending delegates, please make cheques payable to “Sheffield Delegation to Iraq.”) COVERING LETTER Dear Friend Sheffield Delegation to Iraq As many of you will be well aware, the British Government has continued to use a policy of sanctions and bombing against the Iraqi people despite mounting evidence from the UN that sanctions have caused economic collapse with wide spread malnutrition and soaring child deaths. There is also clear evidence that the bombing of Iraq has left an aftermath of radiation poisoning leading to increases in childhood cancers and other diseases. The Government’s policy of sanctions and bombing remain in place and are a daily experience of the Iraqi population. Since 1998, Sheffield Campaign against War in the Gulf has protested against this genocidal policy by organising a petition, by holding regular vigils and peaceful demonstration in the centre of Sheffield and by raising the issue as widely as possible throughout the city. As we go into the year 2000, we think it is most important to challenge the Government’s complaisant rationalisation of an aggressive war-mongering policy by both providing an alternative report on what is the present situation in Iraq and by extending a hand of solidarity to the many Iraqi teachers, doctors and nurses, women’s groups, trade unions and grass roots organisations who bear the brunt of the sanctions. These are reasons for proposing a Sheffield delegation to Iraq in the year 2000, a delegation which will hopefully have a broad representation of members and have a lasting impact in reach a wide Sheffield audience. Attached is a declaration of support. Please sign this as an individual and/of, if you are able to, raise it at your trade union branch, women’s group, religious group, political organisation or any other way you can. We clearly need funds to send a delegation but that’s not the only thing. We need your support and your person-power so we can rise funds through concerts, sponsored walks, fund-raising meals and any other ideas you may have to raise money. Finally you or the organisation you may belong to, might want to have a member on this Sheffield delegation. If this is the case, please let us know by phoning: Please act on this request. The people of Iraq need our support and solidarity at this tragic time. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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