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 Dirk and others, I rarely if ever post on this discussion list, but now i feel i have to. I wholeheartedly agree that America's foreign policy has been and remains a brutal one. Similarly, as a member of this list, i can not agree >more strongly that sanctions imposed by the UN security council have had >a devastating effect on the whole Iraqi nation. Both the moral and >legal implications of such a policy that imposes such enormous economic >costs on the civilian population of Iraq have been ignored by the >international community. The problem with responses like yours and that of Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar is that they automatically equate opposition to Saddam as being compliant with the US, and even more insultingly, Israel. As a Britain of Iraqi origin, many of my relatives remain in Iraq and have suffered under sanctions. They too have suffered under Saddam. >Every year for as long as i can remember the Iraqi community in Britain has >taken the anniversary of the murder of the Iraqi cleric Ayatollah Muhammad >Baqir Al-Sadr as a day to voice its anger against the Iraqi regime. Our cries have not been instigated by America and have not been concerned with oil-politics but have rather been for the Iraqi people. Saddam Hussain had been flagrantly violating human rights long before he started to threaten the global economy. To date, torture is an everyday reality, whilst extrajudicial and arbitrary executions are the norm. The 1997 report of the UN Commission on Human Rights effectively >highlights the failure of the Iraqi regime to conform to its obligations imposed by international humanitarian law, whilst the 1997 Amnesty international report of the same year reports over sixteen thousand unsolved 'disappearances'. One wonders whether Iraqi citizens have not suffered enough with a ruthless, despotic regime, merely to be faced with the rest of the world's hostility. These human rights violations, have not suddenly occured in a vacuum and NOR have our protests against them. Anti-Americanism should not lead to such blind accusations. As for; > > > > "some 1,200 people marched through central London demanding the > > overthrow > > > > of....... Iraqi President Saddam Hussein." > > > > Is this a new CIA-tactic to convince the British population that >they > > > > should join forces with the USA and invade Iraq Is this the only possibility? U seem to be suggesting a false dichotomy: if u march against Saddam your with the US, if not your against the US. We know full well the CIA's role in getting the ba'ath party to >power, and more significantly the American role in quelling the 1991 Iraqi popular uprising. My own view is that the Iraqi regime, which has played a significant role in the massacarinmg of its own civilians, sanctions as well as US hegemony should be opposed. To neglect the Iraqi regime from thisequation is to be in addition to ignorant, both anti-american and anti-Iraqi civilians, and to equate opposition to Saddam as being a puppy for America or Israel is profoundly insulting. Yasir Al-Wakeel Cambridge Universtiy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: Dirk Adriaensens <dirk.adriaensens@skynet.be> > > > > To: <soc-casi-discuss@lists.cam.ac.uk> > > > > Sent: Monday, April 08, 2002 4:32 PM > > > > Subject: [casi] Iraq stops oil exports for 30 days > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] > > > > > > > > > > Hello all, > > > > > latest news on Iraq. I thought I'd let you know. > > > > > Dirk. > > > > > > > > > > BAGHDAD, April 8 (AFP) - Iraq stopped oil exports for 30 days > > > > > from Monday in protest at Israel's offensive against the > > > > > Palestinians, President Saddam Hussein announced in a speech to >the > > > > > nation. > > > > > Iraq's leadership decided to "completely halt oil exports as of > > > > > this afternoon, April 8, 2002, through the pipelines carrying > > > > > (crude) to the Turkish port on the Mediterranean and through our > > > > > ports in southern Iraq," Saddam said in his televised address. > > > > > The stoppage will last "30 days, after which we will review >(the > > > > > decision), or until the armies of the Zionist entity have > > > > > unconditionally withdrawn from the Palestinian territories they >have > > > > > occupied and (until they) respect the will of the Palestinian >people > > > > > and the Arab nation," he said. > > > > > Saddam urged other Arab and Muslim oil producers to follow suit > > > > > and suspend crude exports. > > > > > "Our Arab and Muslim brethren and all believers will hopefully > > > > > encourage our move ... by taking similar measures in the case of > > > > > those who have oil," he said. > > > > > Arabs and Muslims without oil wealth should take "effective > > > > > measures" in accordance with their own means, the president added. > > > > > The oil ministry said in a statement that oil exports stopped >at > > > > > 1000 GMT from Mina al-Bakr terminal on the Gulf and the Turkish > > > > > Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, the two ports through which Iraq's >oil > > > > > flows. > > > > > The price of oil promptly jumped above 27 dollars a barrel in > > > > > London before settling back. > > > > > Benchmark Brent North Sea crude for May delivery surged to >27.35 > > > > > dollars from 25.99 on Friday evening, then eased to 26.91. > > > > > Oil prices had risen even before the Iraqi announcement, after > > > > > Israel pressed ahead with its siege of the West Bank, ignoring >calls > > > > > from US President George W. Bush for a pullout from Palestinian > > > > > territories it reoccupied in the past 10 days. > > > > > But an OPEC source in Vienna told AFP the oil cartel had no > > > > > plans to organize a collective ban on crude exports following the > > > > > Iraqi move. > > > > > The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries "is for order > > > > > and harmony in the oil market and should not be dragged into a > > > > > political crisis in the (Middle East) region," the source said. > > > > > In Doha, OPEC general secretary Ali Rodriguez told AFP on the > > > > > sidelines of an oil conference that he was consulting member > > > > > countries about Iraq's gesture. > > > > > Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Islamic > > > > > oil-producing countries Friday to suspend their exports to Western > > > > > countries and those that have relations with Israel "for a >symbolic > > > > > period of one month." > > > > > Libya voiced suport for the call. > > > > > Saddam said the decision to halt exports was taken at a joint > > > > > meeting of Iraq's ruling Revolution Command Council, Baath Party > > > > > leadership and cabinet. > > > > > "This decision is essentially aimed against the Zionist entity > > > > > and the aggressive US policy, not against anyone else. It is not > > > > > meant to harm anyone except those who have decided to harm the >Arab > > > > > nation, including the heroic Palestinian people," he said. > > > > > Saddam accused the United States of being Israel's accomplice >in > > > > > the blitz on West Bank towns. > > > > > "The Zionist aggression in which our brothers and sisters are > > > > > being killed in front of TV cameras is being perpetrated by common > > > > > arrangement between the Zionist entity and the US administration," > > > > > the Iraqi leader charged. > > > > > "Its objective is not only to occupy Palestinian and Arab lands > > > > > as happened in 1948 and 1967, but also to break the Palestinians' > > > > > and Arabs' will and force them to surrender to the >Zionist-American > > > > > alliance," he said. > > > > > The office administering Iraq's oil-for-food program with the >UN > > > > > said on April 2 that the volume of oil exported by Baghdad under >UN > > > > > supervision surged from 6.7 million barrels to 16.5 million >barrels > > > > > the previous week. > > > > > Iraq has periodically halted exports under the UN oil-for-food > > > > > scheme in recent years, the last time on June 4, 2001, for a month > > > > > in protest at efforts to introduce "smart sanctions" against > > > > > Baghdad. > > > > > OPEC member Iraq has proven reserves of 112 billion barrels and > > > > > a current production capacity of 2.2 million barrels per day >(bpd). > > > > > > > > > > BAGHDAD, April 8 (AFP) - Iraq stopped exporting oil at 1000 GMT > > > > > on Monday, the oil ministry said in a statement. > > > > > Exports were halted at the Mina al-Bakr terminal on the Gulf >and > > > > > the Turkish Mediterranen port of Ceyhan, the two ports through >which > > > > > Iraq's oil flows. > > > > > President Saddam Hussein announced exports would stop for 30 > > > > > days as a protest against the Israeli military assault on the > > > > > Palestinians. > > > > > Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Islamic > > > > > oil-producing countries Friday to suspend their exports to Western > > > > > countries and those that have relations with Israel "for a >symbolic > > > > > period of one month. > > > > > > > > > > BAGHDAD, April 8 (AFP) - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is > > > > > vowing to fight to the last, but US military action against >Baghdad > > > > > looks increasingly uncertain as Middle East violence spirals out >of > > > > > control. > > > > > "If half your anti-air defences were to be destroyed, you would > > > > > defend with the other half and if the remaining half also came to >be > > > > > destroyed, you would fight with your daggers like your brothers in > > > > > Palestine are doing," Saddam told senior military officials late > > > > > Sunday. > > > > > "You are strong and your enemy is weak because you are right >and > > > > > he is wrong," the Iraqi strongman charged. > > > > > In another sign of his pugnaciousness, Saddam announced Monday > > > > > that Iraq had stopped oil exports in protest at Israel's offensive > > > > > against the Palestinians, sending world crude prices jumping in an > > > > > indication of what might happen if Washington attacked. > > > > > US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony > > > > > Blair warned Saturday they were considering "all options" against > > > > > Iraq, which has refused to allow in UN arms inspectors since a > > > > > December 1998 US-British bombing blitz. > > > > > Blair delivered his bluntest warning yet to Iraq a day later, > > > > > speaking of possible military action to topple the "brutal, > > > > > repressive" regime of Saddam Hussein. > > > > > The two leaders received short shrift in the Iraqi media on > > > > > Monday, with Al-Jumhuriya daily branding them "criminals". > > > > > "Bush, the villain, and Blair, the stupid, have attacked Iraq > > > > > with their idiotic statements to cover up their crimes in > > > > > Afghanistan and ... their isolation in Europe on Iraq, Palestine, > > > > > and Afghanistan," it said. > > > > > Babel newspaper declared that the Israeli offensive against the > > > > > Palestinians "is part of a plot ... which starts in Palestine and > > > > > ends in Iraq." > > > > > The daily run by Saddam's son Uday warned that "what the > > > > > Palestinians are going through can be repeated in any other Arab > > > > > country." > > > > > "We are keeping some surprises for enemies despite all the > > > > > precautions they may take," Babel said, underlining Baghdad's > > > > > determination to defend itself against any US-led attack. > > > > > But the London-based The Times, citing sources close to Bush >and > > > > > Blair, reported Monday that while the two leaders have agreed on a > > > > > military campaign against Iraq, no action is likely for at least a > > > > > year. > > > > > They sketched out a "three-phase plan" to overthrow Saddam: > > > > > "First recreating a coalition for action by convincing Iraq's > > > > > neighbours that Saddam can be ousted; then taking military action > > > > > against him and finally ensuring that a successor regime is >capable > > > > > of running the country." > > > > > Blair said Sunday there would be no precipitate action against > > > > > Iraq, but added: "We must be prepared to act where terrorism or > > > > > weapons of mass destruction threaten us." > > > > > But the two men have seen their plans to topple Saddam thwarted > > > > > by the bloodshed from Israel's latest military offensive in > > > > > Palestinian territory, which has been strongly condemned in the >Arab > > > > > world, notably by all of London and Washington's most faithful > > > > > regional allies. > > > > > Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Sunday that military > > > > > strikes against Iraq would be a mistake and counter-productive. > > > > > "Talk of using force today, when other means exist, is for the > > > > > least politically incorrect, and would be a mistake," Putin said. > > > > > Fellow "axis of evil" nominee Iran also reiterated its > > > > > opposition to any US strike on neighbouring Iraq on Monday, saying > > > > > that the region "cannot bear a new war". > > > > > "Resorting to force to change a government is against > > > > > international law, principles of democracy and morality. It is up >to > > > > > the people to carry out such a change," foreign ministry spokesman > > > > > Hamid-Reza Asefi said. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on > > Iraq. > > > > > To unsubscribe, visit > > > > http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss > > > > > To contact the list manager, email > > casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk > > > > > All postings are archived on CASI's website: >http://www.casi.org.uk > > > > > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. 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