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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FAO:
Newsroom &
Political Editor 21st June 2001 IRAQ: 1000 miles…1000 untold stories. Walking all over “Smart” sanctions. Leeds students Corinne
Fowler and Sally Entwistle set out today to walk from John O'Groats to Lands End
for a 1,200mile, 2 month long protest. They will be challenging the new
US-backed British proposed changes to the Iraqi sanctions regime. They aim to
bring the reality of the new so called "Smart" sanctions to the public's
attention. In addition they will be
raising money for humanitarian projects in Iraq. The
press has reported this new initiative as the ‘end of sanctions’. We wish to inform the public of the
words of Colin Powel, US Secretary of State, that the new Iraq policy "wasn't an
effort to ease sanctions [but] an attempt to rescue the sanctions policy that
was collapsing" (8th March, 2001) They
are aiming to raise thousands of pounds for the Human Relief foundation [2], the
only registered British charity active in Iraq. The HRF carry out vital humanitarian
projects such as rebuilding schools, hospitals and water treatment plants
"When
we learned what Britain was doing in Iraq, we were overwhelmed by a tremendous
sense of shame", explained Corinne.
Unicef has estimated that an additional half million children under the
age of five have died due to sanctions. Sally and Corinne got involved in the
campaign after watching John Pilger’s documentary ‘Paying the Price – Killing
the children of Iraq’ “We felt so ashamed of the genocide being committed in our
name that we decided to do something there and then to combat it in some small
way”. Sally
and Corinne will walk 20 miles a day for 2 months without the help of a back-up
vehicle, stopping in towns, cities and villages along the way. They will be
alerting local media, informing and urging locals including MP’s to voice their
opposition by sending personal messages of condemnation, addressed to 10 Downing
street, on balloons symbolising the desperate need to re-INFLATE the Iraqi
economy. This is
the first walk of its kind in the growing anti-sanctions campaign. It is unique in that it has a very
up-to–the-minute political edge as the UN Security Council votes on the proposed
“smart” sanctions resolution on 4th July – right in the middle of
their walk! They
are readily reachable and are willing to meet with journalists and give
interviews at any point along their route [1]. They are also encouraging people
to join them at any point long the route. They hope to reach Land’s End on the
21st August in time for Corinne’s birthday for a double
celebration! The
past few years have seen a growing tide of opposition to the sanctions. Two
Assistant Secretary Generals to the UN and Humanitarian Co-ordinators in Iraq
resigned in protest. The first Denis Halliday said "We are in the process of
destroying an entire society, it is as simple and terrifying as that. It is
illegal and immoral". The
second Hans von Sponeck was particularly outspoken about the effects of
sanctions on children, pointing out that infant mortality had more than doubled
under the sanctions. He added, “Can we afford, can anyone afford to associate
himself or herself with such a reality? I cannot”. For more information: visit:
www.basinet.org
where you can also follow their progress day by day.
Tel:
0113 282 4810
Mobile: 07713 74 2021 E-mail: info@basinet.org Address:
BASI, 6 Main Street, Carlton, Wakefield, WF3 3RW NB: Corinne and Sally are members of the
Leeds University Students Union [3] campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Society
and Britain Against Sanctions on Iraq (BASI). Both organisations aim to raise
awareness of the effects of the economic sanctions on the civilian population of
Iraq and campaign for the lifting of non-military sanctions. They do not support
or have any ties with the government of Iraq. Notes to Editors: 1.
They
will pass through some major towns and cities: Inverness, Stirling, Glasgow,
Carlisle, Lancaster, Bristol to name a few...contact BASI for more
details. 2.
The
Human Relief Foundation - Registered Charity No: 1043676 Contact
details: P.O. Box 194, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1YW, England,
U.K. Tel:
01274 392727 Fax:
01274 739992 www.hrf.co.uk
3.
A
motion was passed at this years Annual General Meeting of the Leeds
Student Union, which condemned the economic sanctions on Iraq. The sanctions are
killing 5000 children every month and have caused the deaths of millions of
Iraqis since their imposition. The Leeds University Union now officially opposes
this genocide. |