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Dear All, STOP THE CORPORATE INVASION OF IRAQ - PROTEST OUTSIDE 'DOING BUSINESS IN IRAQ' CONFERENCE MONDAY 13 OCTOBER, 12 NOON, OLYMPIA CONFERENCE CENTRE *** EVEN IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO OLYMPIA YOU CAN STILL PROTEST AND TAKE ACTION WITH A SIMPLE PHONE CALL OR TWO (see below**) The conference will be addressed by members of the Governing Council, representatives from the US Dept of Defense, the Coalition Provisional Authority and many other interests. Many UK companies will be attending and this is an important opportunity to show them that they are being scrutinized. There is a conference session called 'Investing in Iraq - is it lawful?' This is our opportunity to highlight the fact that, not only is it not legal, but also that there is no democratic decision-making structure in Iraq to ratify what is effectively the privatisation of almost all Iraq's services and resources? STREET AUCTION PROTEST We are organising a street 'auction', with an auctioneer who will be selling off segments of Iraq's services and resources with detail about the companies involved. The bidders will be 'representatives' from the companies (Bechtel, HSBC, AMEC...). We are hoping that as many people will be able to come down as possible or at least as many as necessary to make our action successful. We have already had quite a bit of press interest - listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 from 7.30am on Monday. If you would like to take part in the auction please come a bit smart to maximise the visual impact! Please be there no later than 12.15. TRAVEL TO OLYMPIA: tube from Earls Court to Olympia overland train from Watford/South London to Olympia tube to High Street Kensington and then any one of a number of buses along to Hammersmith Road where the conference centre is located. also near Shepherds Bush and West Kensington tubes. **CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE PROTEST? JOIN THE PHONE AND EMAIL PROTEST!!!! Many people won't be able to may the protest as its a weekday but thanks to the wonder of technology you can support the protest and actions at Olympia by taking a few minutes of your time to phone and/or email some of the British companies listed below that are/may be involved and potentially bidding for business in Iraq, to voice your disapproval. The point is to shame the companies for attending and show them that any involvement in "Doing Business in Iraq" will generate very negative publicity and will be vehemently opposed by the British public (including customers, shareholders and potential shareholders). Even if they are not involved then it will act to deter them from any potential involvement. Proposed questions for the companies: You can call or email as a customer/potential customer, shareholder/potential shareholder to: 1) confirm whether they are taking part in the conference "Doing Business in Iraq" at Olympia 2) Question exactly what their involvement is and what future plans they have to be involved i.e. will they be bidding on business in Iraq. 3) voice your disapproval at any involvement or any potential involvement. CONTACT DETAILS FOR COMPANIES INVOLVED, OR THINKING OF BEING INVOLVED, IN IRAQ HSBC Bank plc: 0800 881 155/0800 028 3516 (textphone) customerrelations@hsbc.com www.hsbc.com - 'the world's local bank', supposed to be giving a 'major contribution' to the Conference. - The United States' Iraqi Viceroy Paul Bremer recently promulgated a new law opening up Iraq's banks to foreign ownership. Will HSBC be one of the buyers? PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP: Telephone: 020 7583 5000 Telecopier: 020 7822 4652 http://www.pwc.com/ Consultants, now owned by IBM. A USAID official told the Wall Street Journal in May that the consulting work on the privatisation of Iraq would be put out to a 'limited pool of competitors' including Pricewaterhouse. Olive Security: Tel 020 7307 0540 Fax 020 7307 0542 om@olivesecurity.com http://www.olivesecurity.com/newtest/pages/framesetthree.htm - British private security firm. Has been working in Iraq providing security for Bechtel. - There web-site boasts that 'All our consultants are former members of United Kingdom Special Forces.' - A representative from OS recently told the FT 'There is quite a bit of business out [in Iraq]. From our point of view,it just gets better and all the time.' AMEC: Tel: 020 7634 0000 email: media@amec.com Director of Investor Relations, Telephone: 020 7634 0000 Facsimile: 020 7634 0093 Email: investors@amec.com http://www.amec.com/index.asp?pageid=1 - British engineering firm. Has formed joint venture with US company Fluor to bid for contracts in Iraq. Philip Carroll, a former Shell CEO appointed to 'oversee Iraq's oil industry' earlier this year, has close links to Fluor. - Involved in the construction of the controversial Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline which is expected to cause major environmental and human rights problems Nestle: 00800 63785385 http://www.nestle.com/ The "powdered milk baby killers". Rumoured to be attending the Conference. Motorola: Communications and Public Affairs Manager Telephone: 01256 790481 Fax: 01256 790339 E-mail: patrick.hamilton@motorola.com Communications and Public Affairs Manager - Scotland Telephone: 01355 356550 Fax: 01355 233922 E-mail: dawn.bliss@motorola.com http://www.motorola.com/ Telecommunications firm. Supposed to be giving a 'major contribution' to the Conference. Our press release is below for more information or contact us: gabriel@voices.netuxo.co.uk, 0845 458 2564, www.voicesuk.org hope to see some of you there. From the 13 October protesters PRESS RELEASE from Voices UK [1] 8th October 2003 Iraq under the hammer: protest auction at privatisation conference McDonalds and Nestle rumoured to be attending conference to 'kickstart' Iraq's private sector. Monday 13 October, 12 noon, outside the Olympia Conference Centre: Iraq's industries and services will be auctioned off outside the business conference 'Doing Business in Iraq: Kickstarting the Private Sector' [2] by campaigners protesting the corporate sell-off of Iraq. Protestors representing McDonalds, Nestle, Bechtel and Motorola among others will bid for Iraq's services and resources including water, electricity, education and health sectors (each depicted visually on placards). The Conference takes place in the wake of the recent announcement by the US Government of new laws permitting all of Iraq's industries and services (other than, for now, the oil sector) to be sold off to foreign companies [3]. The same laws also slash corporate taxes to a maximum of 15% (down from a prior 45%) [4]. Conference attendees will be treated to talks by representatives from the US Department of Defence, the US Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the US-appointed Iraq Governing Council on topics such as 'Privatisation of the Iraqi oil sector', 'Restructuring the Iraqi monetary system' and 'Investing in Iraq: Is it lawful?' [2]. McDonalds and Nestle are rumoured to be attending the Conference. A spokesperson for the protestors, Emma Sangster, said "It is outrageous that the US and Britain, having illegally invaded and occupied Iraq, are now forcing their free-market ideology on the country whilst selling its assets to the highest bidder. Not only is this likely to lead to massive job losses, corruption and poverty - as similar measures in Russia and elsewhere have done - but it is also completely undemocratic: no-one in Iraq has voted for this.' Photo opportunity: Meet at the front entrance to the Olympia Conference centre at 12 noon for the auction. Contact Voices on 0845 458 2564, gabriel@voices.netuxo.co.uk NOTES [A] Voices UK is a group campaigning in solidarity with the people of Iraq. Between Feb. 1998 and May 2002 Voices UK sent 11 sanctions-breaking delegations to Iraq to protest the grave humanitarian impact on ordinary Iraqis of UN economic sanctions. For more info. see www.voicesuk.org. [B] For more information about the Conference go to www.ibcenergy.com and click on 'Current Events.' [C] See 'Foreign firms to bid in huge Iraqi sale', Guardian, 22 September. http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1046868,00.html [D] See 'Iraq to allow full foreign ownership outside oil', Reuters, 21 September. http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/030921/group_iraq_5.html -- Emma Sangster _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. 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