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 nermin, and all, >Till now I am waiting the end of this discussion about human rights and AI >annual report. Don't sanctions fall within the "human rights" category? I thought they did, along with many other tragedies concerning the Iraqi people. >Regarding Iraq, the report repeats itself year after year and has nothing >to >say but the same information without any documents. I think the same goes for the Sanctions if you apply this in the same respect. Over 10 years and no progress. >Yes I agree with Hasan that most of data are biased on reports given by >Iraqis who seek asylum in the west and they forgot that they had finished >their studies in Iraq where the education was free, or in western >universities on the expenses of Iraqi government. A lot of Iraqi professionals living outside Iraq had a good University education prior to the sanctions. A lot of them were sent to American and European Universities as well (with strings attached of course...If you were sponsored to study Theoretical Nuclear Physics in America then it doesn't take a genius to figure out why the regime REALLY wanted you [as was the case with Dr. Khidhir Hamza]). I think I have pointed this out before; a free education system cannot compensate for brutal dictatorship, oppression, genocide, occupation, warmongering and much more. I understand that you cannot be seen to agree with these because of your current position. I received a free education in the UK, by the UK Government, but that doesn't justify their use of Sanctions on the Iraqi civilians, and I dont think you can use Iraq's once-free education system to a similar effect. >Again, I agree with Hasan >that being against one person dose not mean being against whole country and >nation, but! Definately true. I couldn't agree more with you myself. > The same report indicates the double standard of the terms (human rights >and terrorism). Many international personalities assure that the sanctions >are violating the Human Rights Chart and many other international accords >in >this field, but who dares to put this in a report? Yes, the sanctions on civilian goods certainly violate the Human Rights Charter and many other international accords in this field. Actually, AI acknowledges the suffering of the Iraqi people under sanctions. It supports all means to end the suffering and strongly supports the position of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted on 8 December 1997, that "inhabitants of a given country do not forfeit their basic economic, social and cultural rights by virtue of any determination that their leaders have violated norms relating to international peace and security." > About Halabja, I attended a press conference in Baghdad in 1990. It was >in >June or July, I do not remember, attended by April Gelaspy, the US >ambassador in Iraq, and many of American businessmen, in that conference, >she, the ambassador, said that US had information that Halabja was attacked >chemically by Iranians. Are we talking about the same America that imposed Sanctions on the Iraqi people?, that supplied and built up Saddam's weapons capabilities?, that supported him in his illegal and devastating war against Iran?, that until recently even supported the Taliban? Are you seriously supporting this American claim in light of this? Its no as if America has even provided this "information", but do you really think it is a credible statement? Peace, Mustafa _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx _______________________________________________ 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