>Mailing-List: ListBot mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Status: > >STOP NATO: °NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG > >> *****IRAQI SANCTIONS MONITOR (13)***** >> >> -VON SPONECK KEEPS TALKING >> -UN SANCTIONS ON IRAQ STOP ANTI-CENSORSHIP PACKAGE >> -CONFERENCE ON THE POST-SANCTIONS OIL INDUSTRY IN IRAQ >> -THE ECONOMIST ON VON SPONECK'S RESIGNATION >> -LONDON STONEWALLS >> -DU EVENT IN CARDIFF >> >> -VON SPONECK KEEPS TALKING >> >> Resigning UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Iraq Hans von Sponeck has said >> he will present a farewell report on the devastation caused by U.S. and >> British airstrikes on Iraqi territory. >> >> Von Sponeck infuriated Washington and London last year by writing a >> similar report. The Washington Post reported 17/2/00 that "Von Sponeck's >> decision to revisit the issue before his March 31 departure was viewed by >> American officials as a parting act of defiance against the allied powers, >> which have pushed for his removal for months." >> >> The report continues that von Sponeck said "he and Jutta Burghardt, a >> fellow German who is head of the World Food Program in Iraq, resigned >> after concluding that a U.N. Security Council resolution in December >> provided false hope that the suffering of ordinary Iraqis would soon be >> eased." >> >> "I do not want to be associated with a Band-Aid that is inadequate to end >> the plight of the civilian population," he said. >> >> State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said von Sponeck's plan to >> report on the airstrikes "underscores his tendency to exceed his authority >> and to rely on Iraqi propaganda." "He has a habit of reporting Iraqi >> claims of casualties from the air attacks without having the ability to >> verify those claims," Rubin said. >> >> While conceding that he relied heavily on Iraqi sources for his previous >> report, von Sponeck said U.N. staff workers witnessed 23 of the 99 >> airstrikes investigated by his office. He said he personally witnessed >> three attacks. >> >> >> -UN SANCTIONS ON IRAQ STOP ANTI-CENSORSHIP PACKAGE >> >> The Guardian reports 18/2/00 that "an attempt to send documents to Iraq >> advising Iraqis on human rights and press freedom has been blocked by >> Whitehall as a result of UN sanctions." >> >> The package was sent by Article 19 to Mosul university in northern Iraq, >> and included "advice on access to health information, including family >> planning and AIDS." There was also "a comparative study of press freedom >> in democracies, originally drawn up for the UN." >> >> The article says "Kafka would have been proud" of the returning of the >> package, which was accompanied by an anonymous letter saying that if >> customers wished to send "goods" they needed an export licence from the >> DTI. >> >> Andrew Puddiephatt, director of the freedom of expression NGO, said, >> "Surely the UN's legal guarantee of the free movement of information and >> ideas regardless of frontiers should have some bearing on decisions taken >> by the UK on a UN embargo." >> >> >> -CONFERENCE ON THE POST-SANCTIONS OIL INDUSTRY IN IRAQ >> >> On Tuesday February 29 four Iraqi oil experts will give a talk at the >> Lisagor Rooms of National Press Club >> 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. >> >> The speakers include Fadhil J. Chalabi, Executive Director of the Center >> for Global Energy Studies, Walid Khadduri, Executive Editor of The Middle >> East Economic Survey, Issam Al-Chalabi, former Oil Minister of Iraq, and >> Raad Al-Kadiri of Petroleum Finance Company. >> >> Acceptance to attend faxes should be sent to Programs Department at >> 202-331-8861, or e-mailed to [EMAIL PROTECTED], by Thursday, February >> 24. Please include your name, affiliation, and telephone number. >> RESPONSE: ATTN: PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT >> >> >> -THE ECONOMIST ON VON SPONECK'S RESIGNATION >> >> The Economist says 18/2/00 Mr von Sponeck "squarely blames America and >> Britain for oil-for-food's failure. Their vetoes hold up contracts, he >> says, their carping stymies any effort at streamlining and their public >> statements deliberately cloud the issue by pointing the finger at Iraq." >> >> It holds that the UN may have trouble in finding a less outspoken >> replacement as "the post turns its incumbents into crusaders. For a time, >> Mr von Sponeck seemed more guarded than his predecessor, Denis Halliday, >> who voiced similar complaints and departed similarly. But 16 months on the >> job seems to have brought him round to Mr Halliday's point of view. >> >> "This experiment of sanctions on Iraq has not worked," he says, "Why must >> we prolong the pretence that it does?" Sadly, his departure may further >> prolong the pretence." >> >> >> -LONDON STONEWALLS >> >> Labour MP Tam Dalyell attempted yesterday 17/2/00 to get a government >> statement on recent the resignations in the UN. The exchange with the >> Leader of the House, Margaret Beckett, is as follows: >> >> Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow): May we have a statement on the resignation >> on matters of principle and policy, particularly towards the children of >> Iraq, by the distinguished international civil servant, Mrs. Jutta >> Burghardt? She is the third international civil servant who has been in >> Baghdad, seen the situation at first hand and then decided to resign, >> following the Irishman, Denis Halliday, and another German, Hans von >> Sponeck. When such people, who are close to the problem, resign on matters >> of principle, ought there not to be some explanation from the Government >> and the feeling that policy should be reconsidered? >> >> Mrs. Beckett: The whole House knows of my hon. Friend's deep interest and >> concern in these matters and his sympathy for those who are affected by >> the problems that have arisen in Iraq as a result, of course, of the >> actions of the Iraqi Government. >> >> As to whether we should seek a statement in the House, the lady is, as my >> hon. Friend rightly says, an international civil servant. She is an >> employee not of the Government, but of the United Nations, and the policy >> to which she objects says that Iraq must face sanctions unless it complies >> with international demands to disarms. That is an international policy >> supported by many Governments. >> >> There is, mapped out in resolution 1284, a clear path out of sanctions for >> Iraq and its people, if only the Iraqi Government would take it. Although >> I understand and sympathise with my hon. Friend's concern, which I presume >> also lies behind the resignation, the answer is in the hands of the Iraqi >> Government." >> >> >> -DU EVENT IN CARDIFF >> >> There will be an evening of film, prose and poetry at Ecocentrig, Wood >> Street (next to Central Bus Station) Cardiff on Tuesday February 22 >> 7.30pm. The evening includes a screening of "From Radioactive Mines to >> radioactive Weapons"(35mins) which looks at the use of depleted uranium in >> modern warfare and its human and environmental impacts. The journey takes >> us from San Francisco to Soho, the "Navajo Nation" to Baghdad. >> >> Also readings by Robert Minhinnick - one of the film makes. Included will >> be "Twenty Five Laments for Iraq" which won the 1999 Forward Prize for >> "best individual poem." >> >> More information: Margaret Minhinnick : (01656)783405 >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >> Iraqi Sanctions Monitor >> Mariam Appeal >> >> t: +44 (0)207 872 5451 >> f: +44 (0)207 753 2731 >> e: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> w: www.mariamappeal.com >> >> > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
