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BBC Radio 4 World at One 18 February 2001 Interviewer: 'Are you satisfied that this is being done under the umbrella of international law?' Brian Wilson (new Minister of State with special responsibility for Iraq at the Foreign Office): 'It is being done as a policy of humanitarian protection to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe over [catches himself] or under, the no-fly zones. It is being done under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 which authorises that humanitarian action.' Comments: 1) Absence of evidence that humanitarian catastrophe is being prevented by no-fly zones. 2) Considerable evidence that humanitarian catastrophe is being caused by economic sanctions. 3) UNSCR 688 does not authorise the setting up of no-fly zones either in the north or the south of Iraq (or anywhere else in Iraq). 4) UNSCR 688 does not authorise the use of force for humanitarian purposes in Iraq. 5) UNSCR 688 does not authorise the use of force by US or UK aircraft in pre-emptive attacks to maintain their safety during supposedly humanitarian patrols. Resolution text in .pdf format http://www.un.org/Docs/scres/1991/688e.pdf Contact details for Brian Wilson MP from Dave Rolstone's earlier post: Labour Member for Cunninghame North House of Commons London SW1A 1AA Tel 020 7219 4033 Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street London SW1 2AH Tel (020) 7270 2090 Fax (020) 7270 3731 Constituency Office, 37 Main Street Kilburnie Ayrshire KA25 7BX Tel 01505 682847 Fax 01505 684648 e-mail:- user@brian-wilson-mp.new.labour.org.uk and ps/mrwilson@scotland.gov.uk Cheers Mil Milan Rai Joint Coordinator Voices in the Wilderness UK National Office 16B Cherwell St, Oxford OX4 1BG NEW personal contact details 29 Gensing Road, St Leonards-on-sea TN38 0HE ph 0845 458 9571 (local rate) pager 07623 746 462 -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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