>From: "Francisco Javier Bernal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> The Biggest Robbery Of The Century > >> > >> by Rafiq A Tschannen > >> Daily Star (Bangladesh), 9th December > >> > >> DURING the gulf war 1991 the USA has destroyed the water >distribution > >> system of Iraq and thereby violated the Geneva war convention. >Only > >> recently an American High School teacher submitted a study which > >> proved that the wilful destruction of a whole country was carried > >> out with a strategic calculation. Nearly ten years later the whole > >> population of Iraq continues to pay the price of the stubbornness >of > >> the USA and Iraq's leader Saddam Hussain. There is no end in sight > >> in this situation. On the contrary during the US election campaign > >> both candidates were eager to outdo each other in their anti-Iraq > >> feelings. And quietly the robbing of Iraq continues as the work of > >> the UNCC United Nations Compensation Commission shows, an obscure > >> entity, which sucks off one third of all Iraqi export earnings. > >> > >> The UNCC has existed for the last ten years and remains nearly > >> unknown to the public. But actually this discretely operating > >> institution is one the most important instruments in the >destruction > >> strategy against Iraq. The economic sanctions against Iraq are > >> being covered by the media. We see on TV malnourished children and > >> hospitals where the most basic items are missing. We see a whole > >> country and a whole culture being permitted to deteriorate > >> further and further. But hardly any journalist seems to be >interested > >> in the work of the UN Compensation Commission and in their >doubtful > >> legality and their dubious practices. And this in spite of the >fact > >> that since December 1996, 11 billion dollars, approximately one >third > >> of the export earnings of Iraq, have flown into the coffers of >this > >> commission. > >> > >> In April 1991, shortly after the defeat of Iraq, the UN security > >> council decided that according to international law Iraq will be > >> liable for all losses, damages.... which other states, >individuals, > >> or foreign corporations have had as an immediate result of the > >> Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait. For the determination of > >> such damages the UN compensation commission was created. The board > >> of this commission is made up of representatives of the 15 members > >> of the UN security council. The executive council, which has been > >> dominated by its US members right from the start, is supposed > >> to inform the commission, although disinform would be the more > >> appropriate term. > >> > >> The method chosen by the Security Council is without parallel in > >> history at least not since the Versailles Agreement at the end of > >> World War I, which laid the foundation for the Second World War. > >> In article 231 of the Versailles agreement Germany was made to >pay. > >> Hitler took advantage of this agreement that went too far. It was > >> easy for him to point out that "enough is enough". The United >States > >> had not ratified the Versailles agreement, but today is carrying >on > >> in the same way "Iraq will pay!" How will this time? > >> > >> Iraq is not even recognized as a defendant party". Every petty > >> criminal has the right of defence but the country of Iraq has no > >> say in how and how much the country is bled. Every year 50 million > >> dollars are being deducted from the Iraqi export earnings to > >> finance the activities of the commission. Excellent salaries of >the > >> commission members and their travelling arrangements in business > >> class are financed. For the first time in the history of countries > >> since the Second World War a state has absolutely nothing to say > >> about a juristic case that directly relates to it. > >> > >> Iraq has no right to vote at the UN because it did not pay its >dues. > >> At the same time the USA is in arrears for over one billion >dollars. > >> Just another small example of the double standards prevailing >today. > >> One law for the super power and another law for the rest of the >world. > >> > >> No doubt Iraq does have a duty to provide compensation. But how >can a > >> law case be fought and presented without giving the other side a >right > >> to present their own case? For instance: The state of Kuwait had > >> presented a claim for 21.6 billion dollars in 1994. Baghdad was >given > >> a summary of the claim five years later in 1999. The Iraqi >Government > >> was given a dateline of 19th September 2000. Iraq requested >permission > >> to use some fund out of the commission's funds actually Iraq's own > >> export earnings! to pay for a legal office to scrutinize all the > >> documents. The commission refused. After a long discussion finally > >> Iraq was given one hour on 14th December 1999 to present its point > >> of view. One hour to treat a 20 billion dollar claim! In spite of > >> Russian and French reservations the compensation was fixed at 15.9 > >> billion dollars. > >> > >> The UN Secretary General had recommended in 1991 that Iraq "be >informed > >> about all claims and to be given the right to present to the >commission > >> their point of view." The commission did not follow the Secretary > >> General's directive (or probably thought they could claim to >follow > >> him by giving that one hour to Iraq to discuss a multi billion >dollar > >> claim...). > >> > >> The UNCC justifies these practices through the necessity to >process > >> hundreds of thousands of claims. In fact 2.6 million claims relate >to > >> individuals. These amount to 20 billion dollars, a small part of >the > >> total claims of approximately 320 billion dollars. The amount of >15 > >> billion dollars approved for the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation >amounts > >> to about the total compensation approved for the 2.6 million >individual > >> persons. And it is double of what the Iraq central government was >given > >> from December 1996 to July 2000 for food and medicines of 15 >million > >> Iraqis. > >> > >> In the C-category, individual compensation, the US citizen Michael >F. > >> Raboin is the key figure. He brought along another American >Norbert > >> Wuhler. This team is of course highly biased. Staff members were > >> shocked to continuously hear such instructions as the criteria >should > >> be interpreted in such a way that maximum approvals can be given, >and > >> doctoring the samples. It was made easy by the fact that most >persons > >> could not provide proof of their claims and as such mere >statements > >> of claimants were considered sufficient. > >> > >> Even more scandalous was the direct intervention of the US >government > >> to the executives of the commission to reinterpret the parameters >in > >> which the commission works. The practices of Washington remind one > >> of the work of the UN special commission for the destruction of >arms > >> which were infiltrated by the CIA and totally manipulated by them > >> (UNSCOM). > >> > >> The largest claims are still under consideration. As at 16th June > >> 2000 a total amount of 267 billion dollars in claims was still > >> outstanding. A large number of them are totally absurd and might > >> well be rejected. Friends of the USA, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia > >> and Israel, are receiving preferential treatment. A good example > >> how the commission works may be given in these instances: Many > >> Israeli shops and businesses were compensated for lack of business > >> during the war as for instance they were able to sell less flowers > >> or less cinema tickets due to the political tensions of the Gulf >war. > >> Who would have got the idea that Great Britain could have claimed > >> from Germany compensation for cinema tickets not sold during the > >> Battle of Britain from 1939 to 1945? > >> > >> The total value of claims amounts to 320 billion dollars. Out of >this > >> amount 180 billion are claimed by Kuwait, that is 9-fold of the >gross > >> national product of Kuwait for 1989. Considering that for these >claims > >> one third of the export earnings of Iraq is being confiscated it >would > >> mean that Iraq might have paid off these claims by the year 2060. >What > >> will be left of the hospitals and schools by then? > >> > >> Is it justified to make a country pay without regard to its >ability? > >> In article 14 of the peace agreement between Japan and the United > >> States dated 1951 it is stated: Japan must pay reparations to the > >> allied powers for all damages occurred during the war. We however >note > >> that the resources of Japan and the economy will not be sufficient >to > >> pay for all such claims... and at the same time meet all their >other > >> obligations. It may be reminded that at that time the Japanese >Emperor > >> was also considered a war criminal just like now Saddam Hussain. >UN > >> resolution 687 does specially state that the requirements of the >Iraqi > >> people and the possibility to pay should be considered. > >> > >> Many jurists deny that the UN Security Council has the right to >fix > >> the amount of a compensation. In several cases the Israeli attack >on > >> the airport-of-Beirut in 1968, the Portuguese attack on Guinea in > >> 1970, the South African excursion into Angola in 1976 did the >Security > >> Council state that compensation should be made. However for >instance > >> in the case of Angola the British Ambassador stated that. The >Security > >> Council is not a court, and therefore not the right place to >decide > >> about compensation claims. > >> > >> Shortly after the UNCC meeting of 28th September 2000 the Security > >> Council decided to slightly amend the more scandalous points of >the > >> rules. As from December of this year the quota of the export >earnings > >> that will be confiscated by the commission will reduce from 30 to >25 > >> pre cent. Furthermore, the commission should consider the interest > >> of Iraq a bit more. As a compensation to this improvement France >and > >> Russia agreed to the claim of 15.9 billion dollars, which is >mostly > >> going into the coffers of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. A deal > >> which proves once more that it is the United States that plays the > >> tune in the commission. > >> > >> The above mentioned actions of a UN commission bear ill for all >other > >> UN activities. How can we believe that other UN agencies have the > >> welfare of the people as a whole at heart when the same UN permits > >> itself to be manipulated in this way? > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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