The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]
subscribers to the list may remember the name of Tom Levitt, MP for High Peak. This is a circular letter he has been sending out. > From: LEVITT, Tom [mailto:LEVITTT@parliament.uk] > Sent: 14 February 2003 15:32 > To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX > Subject: Iraq > > > Dear Mr XXXXXXXXXXXX > > Thank you for your email of 30 January > > You will not be surprised to hear that I am still receiving a steady stream > of letters and emails from people opposed to a war in Iraq. Let me stress > that I do not want to see a war in Iraq and neither does our government. As > Tony Blair said to the Commons this week, in wars innocent people get killed > and hurt. > But the Iraq question is not a simple one of war or no war. We need to > remember that: > - the United Nations is a valuable international institution, born from war > and the need to never repeat the experiences of the two world wars again; > - Iraq has been in breach of 27 UN resolutions over the last 12 years about > humanitarian issues > - the UN is working hard to find a peaceful solution; resolution 1441 sets > out to put a long-running issue to rest > - Iraq is the only country to have used chemical weapons for genocide > (against its own people) > - Iraq has few friends even amongst the Muslim world, in 1991 it actually > invaded Muslim Kuwait > - as far as we know Iraq and North Korea are the only countries developing > weapons of mass destruction outside treaties on their reduction, control and > non-proliferation > - where such weapons exist, there is an opportunity for terrorist > organisations to obtain them > - there is evidence from the inspectors that Iraq has weaponised V7 nerve > gas, and no evidence that it has destroyed its 1995 stockpiles > - Iraq continues to deny the weapons inspectors full access to its records, > laboratories and other institutions (although recent pressure has > undoubtedly helped) > Some of us feel that 12 years of military, political and economic sanctions, > endorsed by the international community, have been ineffective. A regime > that creates weapons of mass destruction in a clandestine market, has > contacts with terrorists like the late Abu Nidal (although not necessarily > Al Quaeda), that has killed 50,000 political opponents within its own > country and that has used chemical weapons against its own people does not > deserve to survive politically and that the biggest beneficiaries of > Saddam's removal would be the Iraqi people. > There have been some 200 wars on this planet in the last 50 years. None has > been pleasant. > In the last ten years alone, since the last Gulf War, British forces have > been active in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone. In each case we > left those countries better than when we found them (and 3 of these were > Muslim countries). If we do not take the threat of terrorism seriously, and > cut off the sources of potential supply of illegal weapons of mass > destruction, then we will see atrocities on the scale of 9/11 again and > again in future. > Meanwhile, Britain is leading the world in persuading USA not to take > precipitate action - successfully so far - and in bringing international > pressure on Israel to settle the Palestinian question justly. The Middle > East does stimulate some (but not all) of the acts of vengeance from self > appointed terrorist vanguards. > I honestly hope that this is helpful. We must never forget the evils of war, > but let us not kid ourselves that the absence of war is the same thing as > peace. There are other evils too. > This is the third 'standard letter' I have sent out on this issue recently. > You can see the previous two on my web site or I can send them to you if > requested.Tom Levitt MP > Labour Member for High Peak > Web site: www.tomlevitt.org.uk > _______________________________________________ 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