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There follows a press release from the Mariam Appeal. Yousef Ghazi-Tabatabai *********************************************************** Co-ordinator, Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq www.casi.org.uk fax 0870 063 5022 *********************************************************** Trinity College Cambridge CB2 1TQ ----- Original Message ----- From: Tricia Meehan <trish@mariamappeal.com> To: <soc-casi@lists.cam.ac.uk> Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 11:13 AM Subject: Sanctions-busting plane from Britain lands in Baghdad > PRESS RELEASE FROM THE MARIAM APPEAL: > > SANCTIONS-BUSTING > PLANE LANDS IN BAGHDAD. > > > THE FIRST PEACEFUL BRITISH FLIGHT > IN MORE THAN A DECADE DEFIES THE GOVERNMENT > AND TOUCHES DOWN IN IRAQ. > > > At around 8am local time (5am GMT) the first British flight since sanctions > were declared against Iraq more than 10 years ago landed successfully at > Baghdad's international airport - without permission from either the > British government or the UN Sanctions Committee in New York. The party of > eight included the Labour MP for Glasgow Kelvin, George Galloway, hereditary > peer Lord Rea of Eskdale and Catholic priest Father Noel Barry, who is the > former press secretary of Cardinal Thomas Winning. > > The plane was an Air Dassault Falcon 50 which flew under the cover of > darkness and subterfuge from Manston airfield in Kent. The sanctions-busting > flight was paid-for by private donations to the Mariam Appeal, the > campaigning organisation which is fighting to stop the embargo on Iraq which > has caused the deaths of more than 1 million Iraqis, the majority of them > children. The flight was deliberately not a humanitarian one - no drugs or > medicine were on board - but was intended to focus world attention on the > plight of the people of Iraq. > > "We don't accept that there are any UN sanctions against passenger flights > into Iraq - as the British and American governments maintain - but I do > accept that we have committed an offence in Britain by not informing the DTi > of our flight plan or allowing the department's inspectors to check out the > plane" said George Galloway. "I hope that the government won't take action > against us but if they do then we'll relish our days in court." > > At the same time as the plane landed a letter giving details of the flight > was being handed in to Foreign Office minister Peter Hain. The letter says, > in part: "We have made this journey to demonstrate the widespread and > growing opposition in the United Kingdom to the continuing embargo.As you > know my view is that there is not requirement for any UN Sanctions Committee > approval for this flight and there is no breach of any international legal > requirement." > > Fr Barry said: "I have written and campaigned against sanctions for some > time now and it is time to add action to the rhetoric. Children are dying in > Iraq and as a committed Christian I find it impossible to walk past on the > other side of the street." > > > > > > > Trish Meehan > Mariam Appeal > t: 0044 (0)207 403 5200 > f: 0044 (0)207 403 3823 > e: trish@mariamappeal.com > w: www.mariamappeal.com > > -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 details of CASI's various lists can be found on the CASI website: http://www.casi.org.uk