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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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] Dear PeterDear Peter Thank you very much for message June 10. Now that tempers are cooler I think that we can exchange more meaningful messages. 1- I am not the only one who objects to the “regime change American style”. Many factions of the Iraqi opposition in London oppose it too. Some because they think it is “sinful” to deal with the “great Satan”. Some object to it because they believe that “external regime change” is unacceptable instrument of international relations, it is against the UN charter and in fact against the peoples right to chose their government, irrespective of how bad or how good that government is. This attitude is also shared by many legal and political scholars from many different counties. Some Arab countries also object to it for fear that it might be used against them some day. There are those in Iraqi opposition who believe that the human cost for such policy is so high that they don’t want to march to Baghdad on the skulls of so many dead Iraqis. There are those who do not trust American intentions they think that America is after Oil and that the “liberation” of Iraq is only a pretext. 2- Are we going to call all the above people “Baathist”? Some of them hate Saddam Hussein as much as, if not more, than some list members. 3- For those of us, yes us who live in Iraq Baathist and non Baathist, we have an additional reason for opposing the “American style” is that it is our families who are going to be killed, it is our homes that are going to be destroyed, it is our hospitals that are going to be bombed, or at best made inoperable, we have to live without water or electricity and sewage. Peter do you want me go on? We have lived it 12 years ago we know better than any one what it means. No one knows what it means when you don’t know what happed to your family for a month of savage bombing and without telephone or transport. No thanks Peter having lived the events of 1991 and seeing what they did to Afghanistan I will oppose the “American style” and I don’t care what some list members call me “baathist” “agent of Saddam” ..etc. Peter it is my family, my house, my car, .. my life that is going to be shattered not the “others in Washington or London ” who advocate “American style”. By the way Peter how long this military campaign is going to last? One week? One month? Six months? More? They still have not captured Usama Bin Ladden ( UBL ! ) after six months. What makes you sure that the Americans can capture SH in less time!! Sorry Peter for the “you” I find it difficult some times in rephrasing the sentences to avoid using “you” 4- It has been exactly 35 years ago since I fished my engineering degree from America. In 1974 I was working for the Central Statistical Organization as a computer systems analyst. I didn’t like it so I quite my job. My boss, a protégés of Saddam Hussein and a Baathist, issued an order to foreign computer companies not to hire me. Privet companies and contractors where to be imprisoned if the employ me because I committed a crime of quitting my government job! I may open a small shop selling soft drinks!! Great prospect!. Or I fight for my rights, Or leave the country. Leaving the country was what they wanted because my case would be used to demonstrate to others "if you quit you have no future in Iraq". I elected to fight. After a year I saw the new acting Minster of Planning, Mr. Ramaddan, now the vice president, he asked me to go back to work for the government I said I will but the next holyday I take overseas I will not come back and I asked him is that what he wants me to do? He said not, I said don’t force me to do it. The gentleman eventually removed all the restrictions imposed on me. The reason for this lengthy story is that my ex boss, who was oppressing me years ago, is now one of the leaders of the Iraqi opposition in London. He was an instrument of the regime that oppressed many people like me. To satisfy his sick ego, and to show his masters how loyal he was, he acted more aggressively than Mr. Ramaddan or other members of the RCC. The other point I want to make is that you have to fight for your rights and that implies some sacrifices on your part. The easiest thing, then, was to run away from the problem and settle in London and cry wolf. One can curse the darkness as much as he can but nothing happens. For those who want to attack me I say that was the first and the last time I saw Mr. Rammadan!. Do you think that “walking god” managers like what I did? Certainly not but they can’t do any thing about it. I won my rights, or some of it, and to me that is an achievement irrespective who trivial others see it! For 22 years I refused to pay my engineering Union dues in protest that the union is not doing what it should to protect its members. 5- I am really amazed that some one like the ex director of the military intelligence, who was an active instrument of the regime oppression could be so thoroughly “dry cleaned” and his sins are completely “washed” and presented to us as a “ lily white smelling like a daisy” who is going to save Iraq from its predicament. The people are asked to accept being bombed again to the pre-industrial age so that these “newly dry cleaned” eleventh hours democrats could exercise what they knew best which oppression 6- I recall that the relatives of the victims of Sep.11 marched to Washington asking the American government not to revenge their death by killing the innocent Afghani’s. I see some members of the group advocating “regime change American style” with all the atrocities associated with it, to revenge for the executions!! 7- I am sure that last year was much quitter place on CASI. A.I. report is published and every one congratulate every one else for identifying the devil, Saddam Hessian. Some CASI members would curse the devil and go home and sleep comfortably. They have identified and cursed the devil!. This year two trouble makers, out the more than 200 members, started to disrupt their comfortable sleep, or may be their conscious by stating that the bigger devil may not be SH but it is the sanctions. These trouble makers advocate that the west “the big devil” is beating a nation of 22 millions to death to get the “small” devil out. No, they said, this is a baathist propaganda and went on a witch hunt to get rid of those trouble makers. Yes they may get rid of them but I am sure they will not sleep as comfortably as before. 8- In the last 35 years I have been accused, by the ideates, of being a reactionary, pro American, pro British , pro Australian, and now I am accused, by remote sensing, by some members of this highly educated group of democrats and human rights campaigners as being a “baathist” or “agent of Saddam”. To me, at least, I don’t see any deference between those two groups. Both of them did not like what I say and instead of discussing the issues they accuse me of being this or that to divert the attention from the issues. 9- To be a member of A.I. or HRW is simple fill a card any pay few pounds. To be humanitarian is a lot harder! Best regards Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar Baghdad, Iraq _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. 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