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.
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Dear List, It is good that there is active participation in the discussion, with more exchange of ideas. The problem is that those who KNOW NOT insist on believing that they KNOW. Here are some examples: > How come "occupation" allows you to visit Iraq, set up shop, or is it political party headquarters< So could they during Saddam’s rule. One such was Voices in the Wilderness, which was openly critical of the regime. The BBC and CNN had offices in Baghdad and they reported live from Iraq. Another group is the Iraqi National Coalition (comprising of many opposition groups), which “set up shop” in Iraq while still openly criticizing the regime.. Some of its members NEVER left Iraq to the comfort (and salaries) in the West.. > criticise it LEFT, right and centre in your bulletins and leave it unscathed when you yearn for your creature comforts back in the ivory tower of the imperialist motherland?< Paul Bremer, the “High Commissioner” in Iraq issued a decree banning any criticism of the “occupation”... Several newspapers were closed and its editors detained for lengths of time for that reason.. >The Iraqi people, regardless of their political views, their reservations about the means used and by whom to achieve this, are very grateful for this basic right to be able to visit their country and leave whenever they want to.< Tell that to the Iraqi engineer who came from Denmark to practice “this basic right to be able to visit” his country, only to be arrested by the US soldiers, humiliated in front of cameras, taken to the Airport prison, labelled “suspected murderer” and kept for weeks before being released without an explanation... Tell it to the women being kidnapped and raped.. Tell it to the families of people being killed and robbed.. >Incidentally, from now on, those expatriates can keep their dual nationalities without forfeiting their Iraqi nationality.< Not if they are citizens of the GREAT US of America, whose laws DO NOT allow dual citizenship.. According to US laws, none of those Iraqis holding its citizenship can claim back their Iraqi citizenship while still holding the American one.. It also means, according to US laws, that none of those is an Iraqi until he/she forfeits his/her US citizenship.. >Moreover, those still in Iraq can use mobile phones< Something Iraq wanted, and signed a contract with ALCATEL in the 1990s, but the US refused to allow it. Iraq’s explanation was that the telephone networks were old and damaged, and it would be more feasible to build a new mobile network. The US thought Iraq didn’t need such luxury and should instead repair its fixed line network. So Iraq built on its own a network of VHF transceivers to facilitate contacts. After the “liberation”, some companies from Gulf countries wanted to allow Iraqis to use their networks, and actually set up transmission towers and equipment and started operating. Mr. High Commissioner issued another order prohibiting their activities. Now Iraqis understand why. All of those use the GSM system of mobile phones, which is NOT the system used by the US, and which means that in case Iraqis get used to GSM, American companies stand no chance of building Iraq’s new mobile phone network or selling equipment and units.. >satellite TV dishes< Those don’t seem to be doing much in Iraq, especially with the lack of electricity. Besides, I am certain that had Saddam’s regime allowed satellite dishes to be imported, the US and its Iraqis stooges would have been the first to accuse it of wasting funds on luxurious articles while failing to provide food and medicine.. And to show how the new “democracy” in Iraq is working, the puppets in the IGC yesterday ordered the suspension of activities of two satellite stations, Al Jazeera and Al-Arabiya, accusing them of inciting violence against the “coalition forces”.. So what is the use of having a satellite dish, if the stations are restricted? Of course, stations which call for the assassination of Yasser Arafat and Palestinian leaders are allowed, because it is only the “coalition forces” that should not be criticized.. >and criticise their rulers without fear of loosing their ear, tongue or even head.< Of course when those stations gave space to the same stooges in the IGC and “opposition” parties in the 1990s, no one criticized them. Now if you criticize the IGC or the CPA, you are put in prison.. I suppose the next step would be to prohibit satellite dishes.. >Incidentally, even a personal manual typewriter was banned under the rulers of "Pre- occupation".< Not true, and I myself have sent a typewriter and fax machine to Iraq AFTER the sanctions. Iraq was also full of computers and peripherals, whose components were bought from Dubai and assembled in Iraq. > 34 years in the case of our ultra-left Iraqis.< It seems Muhammad doesn’t know that the Iraqi Communist Party (an ultra-left party) is represented by its Secretary General in the IGC. It also has two ministers in the new government. In addition to that, we should not forget that Jalal Talbani belonged before to the ultra-left. He was, at one stage of his chameleon transformations, a Maoist.. But I suppose you don’t have such information in Hackney, and I would suggest you search, read and verify your information before shooting yourself in the foot again. Your foot must certainly be getting very sore.. HZ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. 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