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Dear List, I have looked through Hemming's website and I find his project to be a colonialist enterprise. The origins of the project are vague and there is sparse information and no names on the website. The website states: "Considerable work is being done on planning alternatives for Iraq to protect non-combatants. Much of that cannot be made public until it has reached final conclusions as it could mislead people." Apart from that, this unknown organisation is formulating constitutional proposals for a future Iraq. At best, this is a sick joke. I do not believe this has anything to do with humanitarian concerns, and I urge people to ignore it and not to be sidestepped from opposition to war. Kamil Mahdi >From: john.hemming@jhc.co.uk >Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 16:20:54 PM GMT Standard Time >To: casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk >cc: >Subject: [casi] Iraq - what next? > >For a number of months we have had the view that some form of military acti= >on from the US in Iraq is inevitable. The assumption which we made in Sept= >ember appears as this year draws to a close to be more and more accurate (a= >lthough only hindsight has 20:20 vision). > >In the last fortnight we have held meeting with various members of the vary= >ing Iraqi opposition groups, the UK Ministry of Defence and attended the op= >position conference at the Edgware Metropole. > >We are arguing the following case: > >a) It is important to minimise casualties and think of the Iraqi people ra= >ther than just the oil >b) It is a bad idea to have an invasion which results in Iraq ending up bei= >ng controlled by the US government. This would be bad both for Iraq and th= >e rest of the world (with the knock on effects). > >It is, however, the case that unless there is a clear strategy that involve= >s US support for an uprising by the Iraqi people that the US understand can= > work that they are likely to go for what they see as the easy option of in= >vading. >>We are, therefore, trying to put such a strategy together. > >We will be having further meetings with various people (mainly Iraqis) over= > the Christmas holiday period. > >If anyone feels they can add to this process please email me as above. > >We think we have successfully made the point that an invasion of Baghdad wi= >th the consequent street fighting in a city that is the home to 20% (plus)= > of the Iraqis in Iraq would be something to be avoided. > >We are arguing the case with the Military in the UK that in the event of a = >decision for some action to be taken to remove Saddam Hussain from power th= >e opposition should be given support for an uprising before any invasion de= >cision. > >Other issues are on the website at www.operationdeserthaven.org > >We are looking at the issue of using UN resolution 949 to create safe haven= >s in the South of the country particularly in the sacred cities. One diffi= >culty is how to resolve the issues around Kirkuk in the North. > Dr Kamil Mahdi University of Exeter _______________________________________________ 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