IRAQ ACTION DIGEST

Subject: IRAQ ACTION DIGEST
From: "Nicholas Arons, FOR" 
July 8, 1999
Dear Friends,
A few weeks back Bert Sacks, Clayton Ramey, Doug Hostetter, and I (Nick
Arons) had the opportunity to sit down for two hours with W. Scott Ritter,
former UNSCOM Chief Inspector. Much maligned by the US government and now
the press, he is an insightful individual who has been used by many to
push for further sanctions and bombing when in fact he has called for the
termination of both. I send you all the interview in a separate email.  We
all found the interview profoundly moving and interesting -- it is not
often that the "peace movement" sits across the table from a
representative of a military establishment to speak freely and frankly. We
all were happy with the exchange and dialogue, and would like to push for
further meetings such as this, to promote understanding, to forge bridges
of solidarity with those with whom we assume we would disagree, and to
better understand the many dynamics which have cast children on the
balance of life and death. Oh yeah, and here is the Digest for July 8,
1999. (You can still order organizer's packets from me! They are going
fast, so write soon). 
I. ACTIONS/EVENTS
    A. Forum on Sanctions -- Washington, D.C.
    B. Benefit Concert for Voices -- New York City (hey hey hey)
    C. Leafletting and vigil in NYC -- TODAY!
    D. Appeal to write letters to CNN for good Iraq coverage
II. News Alerts
    A. Washington's other war aims at provoking coup in Iraq
    B. Human Rights Watch Report available on Iraq
    C. U.N. Team To Assess Needs To Rebuild Iraqi Plant
    D. Article by Felicity Arbuthnot on recent trip to Iraq
    E. Turkey hunts PKK in Iraq as Turkish Troops...
    F. Iraq Oil-for-Food Program Criticized
    G. ADC Convention Site Up
    H. Mubarak wants Iraq in next Arab Summit
    I. New DU sources/resources
    J. U.S. Bombs Iraqi Communications Site (story today)
____________________________________________________________________
A. WAR & SANCTIONS
A Forum on Alternatives to Current U.S. Policy Towards Iraq
According to the Congressional  Resource Service, since the end of the Gulf
War the United States has  flown over 100,000 missions, and spent over $7
Billion, in efforts to contain Iraq. UN agencies, such as UNICEF and WHO,
have documented over 1 million deaths, most of them children, due to
U.S.-sponsored "economic" Sanctions. A growing movement exists, both within
the United States and internationally, to end this War, and to work toward a
humane and just solution for the conflict. Please join our panel in
exploring alternatives to current U.S. policy.
WHEN: Thursday, July 15th, 7pm
WHERE: Luna Books, 16th & P Street, NW, Washington D.C.
(above Luna Cafe & Skewers Restaurant)
SPEAKERS:
Phyllis Bennis, Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies
Erik Gustafson, Gulf War Veteran & Director of EPIC (the Education 
for Peace in Iraq Center)
Hussein Ibish, Media Director for the ADC (American Arab 
Anti-Discrimination Committee)
Carwil James, Steering Committee, DC Coalition to Stop the War 
Against Iraq
This event is sponsored by the DC Coalition to Stop the War Against 
Iraq, meeting the first & third Mondays fo every month, at 7:30pm, at 
Luna Books. Please call (202) 234-2000 for more information.
*******
B. Benefit for Voices in the Wilderness
with Girls Against Boys + Cat Power + Joan of Arc + Ted Leo
Tramps; Saturday, July 10
(I don't even know where this is -- Tramps)
Among all the grand injustices being delivered upon innocent people in
the world today, few if any compare with what's happening in Iraq.
Since 1996, the Chicago-based organization Voices in the Wilderness has sent
almost 20 delegations of people into Iraq with medicine, toys and books,
doing a conscientious end-run around the sanctions. Openly defiant of U.S.
policy, VitW's first action was to send a letter to Janet Reno detailing
exactly what they were about to do - nonviolent civil disobedience, and in
your face. Now the government may be preparing to issue jail terms and
severe fines to VitW staff. Punk Planet, an underground magazine which has
documented VitW's efforts, put together this show to raise funds for their
defense and activities.
And it's going to be a [heck] of a show. Girls Against Boys should have a
batch of new songs to try out on the swooning crowd, as they look
towards a new album in '00; Cat Power, a.k.a. Our Lady of Beautiful
Calamity Chan Marshall, will go it alone tonight on piano; the superb
Chicago apres-rock trio Joan of Arc sees its original lineup reform for
one night only; and Chisel main guy Ted Leo flies solo as well. To add
context, Freedom Fighters drummer Jeff Guntzel, who went to Iraq as a
member of VitW last fall, will be speaking between bands on the
situation and his experiences. -Mike Wolf
********
C. New York City
This week we will be leafletting about the Iraq sanctions on Thursday
July 8th at University Place and 8th Street, (near NYU) from 5 to 6:30
pm. Please try and join us.
Last week we were at the NY Public Library, and that was fairly
successful. We are still trying to decide locations, days and times that
would suit most people, so your input in deciding these would help.
Shubh
For more information call 718-832-6243  212-633-6646  212-420-0250
*********
D. Please write similar letters to CNN
Dear CNN, 
Thank your for James Martone's report (CNN Today, July 1, 1999) about the
price that Iraqi children are paying because of UN sanctions on their country. 
The report focused on the devastation to the country's education
infrastructure and economy, forcing many young children to work or beg,
rather than on the well-documented increase in child mortality and disease
also caused by the sanctions. Nevertheless it showed in clear human terms
that it is young children like Nizar, pulled out of school in order to help
his mother survive, who pay the highest price of a failed, pointless and
vindictive sanctions policy.
Sincerely,
Ali Abunimah
ahabunim@midway.uchicago.edu
_____________________________________________________________
 II. NEWS BRIEFS (for entire articles please access web sites or write me.
preferably checking web sites, last resort email me)
A. USA/IRAQ: Washington's Other War , June 29, 1999 
Washington's other war aims at provoking coup in Iraq
By Norm Dixon
While the world's capitalist media have been dominated by the massive
US-directed NATO air war against Serbia,
Washington's other terrorist war has been all but expunged from
the airwaves and newspaper columns. Throughout the Balkans war,
US and British war planes have continued to launch daily air
raids against Iraq, killing dozens of civilians. Meanwhile, onerous
sanctions have also continued to cause the deaths of thousands of
children and old people while the US government stymies moves
to have them lifted.
-----
B. HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 1999 Report on IRAQ
Human Rights Developments 
The Iraqi government continued to engage in a broad array of human rights
violations, including mass arrests, torture, summary executions,
"disappearances," and forced relocations. In Iraqi Kurdistan armed Kurdish
political parties and Iraqi security forces were also responsible for a wide
variety of human rights violations, including the arbitrary detention of
suspected political opponents, torture, and extrajudicial executions.
The United Nations economic sanctions against Iraq entered their ninth
year. The Security Council's resolution 1153 increased the amount of oil
Iraq could export to meet humanitarian needs, but the public health crisis
facing the Iraqi population continued. 
-----
C. U.N. Team To Assess Needs To Rebuild Iraqi Plant
Saturday July 3 10:38 AM ET
By Hassan Hafidh
               BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United Nations will send a team to
Iraq to assess requirements to repair an animal vaccine factory which U.N.
arms inspectors said had been used to produce biological weapons, a senior
U.N. official said Saturday.
-----
D. You can find an article by Felicity Arbuthnot
(http://www.wsws.org/images/title.gif ) after a recent visit to Iraq
-----
E. Article from the Independent (9/7)
TURKEY HUNTS PKK IN IRAQ AS TURKISH TROOPS swept through northern Iraq in
pursuit of Kurdish guerillas yesterday as reports emerged of a split among
the rebels.
About 10,000 troops backed by helicopter gunships are hunting down Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) guerillas nine miles inside Iraqi territory, according
to Turkish news reports. Military officials confirmed troops had crossed
into northern Iraq on Friday in pursuit of the rebels, but refused to
comment further.
-----
F. Iraq Oil-for-Food Program Criticized 
AP Online
July 05, 1999; Monday 
BYLINE: LEON BARKHO 
DATELINE: BAGHDAD, Iraq 
BODY:  Large amounts of food and medicine arriving in Iraq under a
U.N.-sponsored oil-for-food program are substandard, damaged or unusable, a
top U.N. official said Monday.
-----
G. ADC Convention Site Up, Arab Daily Chronicle Back in Action
ADC is pleased to announce that its archive of the 16 National ADC
Convention, which was held in Arlington, VA from June 10-13 is now
available on the internet.  A multi-media section of the ADC website
 will be devoted to photos, texts and transcripts, and
realaudio files of the speeches, panels and workshops from the
Convention.  Several panels and the speech by Prof. Edward Said are now
available on ADC website and more content will be added in coming days.
The Convention Section of the site is at URL
, and will be growing quickly.
ADC's website also welcomes back the beloved Arab Daily Chronicle, our
Monday through Friday index of news articles of interest to the
Arab-American community, updated daily.  It had been enjoying a
well-deserved break during ADC's Convention, but is now back online
daily for all your news and information needs.  It can be viewed at
.  Feedback on the Chronicle is
always welcome.
-----
H. MUBARAK WANTS IRAQ IN NEXT ARAB SUMMIT
Egyptian president wants Iraq to attend the next Arab summit, at a level
yet to be determined, says paper.
http://www.arabia.com/content/news/7_99/egypt7.shtml
-----
I. DU Site for News and Information
A lot has been said lately about Depleted Uranium (DU) in these
postings.  I found this fact sheet on an official government website
http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du/du_factsheet_4aug98.html
(from Erik G: epicenter@igc.org)
In addition to the Veterans Administration's website on DU, I encourage
folks to visit the National Gulf War Resource Center's (NGWRC) website. The
NGWRC has filed hundred of FOIA's regarding Depleted Uranium (DU) and
represents thousands of sick Gulf War veterans.  It should also be noted
that the NGWRC passed a resolution in December against the sanctions on Iraq
and all sanctions that "prevent or hamper a nations ability to provide for
the public health of its people."  The VA is a good official site.  The
following is more of a government watchdog and veterans advocate site. Once
at the site, click SEARCH and then type Depleted Uranium.
http://www.gulfweb.org/ngwrc/index.htm
-----
J. U.S. Bombs Iraqi Communications Site
Thursday, July 8, 1999; 10:26 a.m. EDT
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- U.S. warplanes bombed an Iraqi communications site in
the northern no-fly zone today after Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery fired on
allied patrols, a U.S. military statement said.
Air Force F-16s and F-15s dropped laser-guided bombs on a center used by
Iraqi forces to process radar information for anti-aircraft artillery, the
U.S. European Command said in a statement. The command is based in
Stuttgart, Germany.
The site was located southeast of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, 250
miles north of Baghdad, the Iraqi capital.
All planes left the area safely, the statement said. The aircraft are based
at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey.
The no-fly zone in northern Iraq was set up after the 1991 Gulf War to
protect Kurdish rebels from the forces of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Another no-fly zone in the south protects the Shiite minority. Both zones
are patrolled by U.S. and British planes.
It was the 58th time that U.S. planes attacked Iraqi facilities in the
northern no-fly zone since Dec. 28, when Iraqi forces began challenging the
planes.
Baghdad says the zones violate Iraqi sovereignty and international law.
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