Europe's peoples quest for just peace in Iraq cannot be stopped by US
1) Emergency
campaign to defend Iraqi resistance conference
2) Message of Denis Halliday to the conference
3) Solidarity messages
4) Signatures protest letter to Foreign minister Fini still growing
5) Jan Myrdal: letter to Swedish govt to allow conference
6) Speakers, call, endorsers of conference
1) Europe's
peoples quest for just peace in Iraq cannot be stopped by US Emergency campaign
to defend Iraqi resistance conference
Italian
government negates visas for Peace and Resistance conference
After having submitted an official
request to the Italian embassy in Baghdad as well as to the Foreign Ministry in
Rome in the morning of August 1 we received a message saying that "no problem
for the visas" asking us even for details to proceed. Then the letter of the 44
US congress members became
known. While the activities of the organising committee of the conference "Leave
Iraq in Peace - Support the Legitimate Popular Resistance" were in full swing
all of a sudden on August 8 the Italian representation in Iraq turned around
signalling that "the Foreign Ministry negated your visa request".
While our protest letter to the Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini (leader of
Allianza Nazionale, the former Neo-Fascist Party), which was signed by
influential personalities, remained silenced by the mainstream press, Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi's mouthpiece "Libero" launched a campaign to
criminalise the conference and its organisers as "fund raisers for terrorism"
along the line given by the US congress. The witch hunt climaxed in the demand
to ban the conference, as well as to arrest and indict Leonardo Mazzei, the
secretary of the Italian Free Iraq Committees, trying to apply the
anti-democratic and un-constitutional laws passed under the guise of the "war on
terror".
Meanwhile in the regional parliament of Tuscany, the province in which
Chianciano is located, Forza Italia, the formation of Berlusconi, has launched
the initiative to also formally ban the conference while the local press is just
joining in. There are rumours that the police is already exerting pressure on
the congress centre to cancel the contract for the conference.
US dictate
against dialogue with Iraqi people
The reasons for the US drive against
the conference under the motto "with the Iraqi resistance for a just peace" are
obvious. Washington wants to impede at any cost that high ranking
representatives of all major political, cultural and religious forces opposing
the US occupation enter into dialogue with the European people. While a
political front of the resistance is not yet constituted the conference intends
to bring together all its possible components. Not pretending to formally
represent the Iraqi resistance nor the Iraqi people it is, however, clear that a
legitimate government will be formed based on the forces represented by the
scheduled delegates.
The conference
organisers and participants firmly hold that a just peace is only possible by
ending the occupation, withdrawing the troops and respecting the right to
self-determination. Possible peace talks therefore must be conducted with the
real representatives of the Iraqi people, i.e. recognising the forces opposing
and resisting the occupation as only legitimate interlocutors, and not with the
puppet regime set up by the occupants.
The US hegemonic
interests clash with this democratic procedure which is in full accordance to
international law based on popular sovereignty. That is why they need to
discredit us as "terror supporters" against which their "Patriot Act" should be
unleashed by intermediary of their European allies.
Contradictions
within European political class reflects popular pressure
The European oligarchies and especially those of the countries which continue to
participate in the US occupation and their crimes are faced with the
overwhelming opposition of the broad masses. The latter want to desist from the
US war of aggression for the sole sake of the American empire and they urge to
end the occupation leaving Iraq in peace. Only in this way counter-attacks in
the asymmetric global US war can be avoided and Europe's security safeguarded.
So some rulers - like Zapatero of Spain - have understood that they cannot
permanently trample the will of the popular masses without paying the price.
Therefore also in Italy the leader of the parliamentary opposition and former
President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, has announced the withdrawal
of the Italian troops in case he will win the forthcoming elections. He went
even beyond this calling the foreign armies in Iraq occupation troops.
But even within
the governmental coalition there are forces who want to end the subordination to
the US and withdraw from Iraq. They signalled that they will not obstruct the
conference thus trying to send a veiled signal to the Iraqi and Arab fighters.
The US dictate,
having become manifest in the letter of the 44 congressmen, is indirectly also
targeting all those tendencies in the European ruling classes which want to stop
the confrontation with the Arab-Islamic world.
The conference as
the most consequent expression of the will of the European people is used by the
US both as a scapegoat as well as a prove of strength over their imperial
dictate.
Urgent
mobilisation - we will not give in as the Iraqi people is continuing its
resistance
Every day we see that the legitimate
opposition and resistance of the Iraqi people is increasing. We neither want nor
will abandon the will of the European majority for a dialogue with the Iraqi and
Arab people. But this presupposes to make their voice heard. Our conference is a
necessary first step to a just peace from which we cannot cede. It will be held
sooner or later - in Italy or if necessary elsewhere.
We call
upon the democratic and peace-loving public to protest against the negation of
the visas for the Iraqi civil society's representatives and the attempts to ban
the conference altogether.
The Italian Free
Iraq Committees will stage a hunger strike from August 31 onwards in front of
the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome to make the conference possible as
originally scheduled and to get an answer for what reasons the Ministry tries to
impede it.
We urge
the international movement against war and occupation to protest in front of the
Italian representations throughout the world. We invite to demand from the
respective EU governments, who claim to democratically represent its people, to
allow the conference in their country.
The right of the
supporters of the Iraqi resistance to raise their voice is today the acid test
for democracy. Either we defend it or we will be eaten up by the European
version of the "Black List", the "Patriot Act" and the "Homeland Security". Our
very freedom is at stake.
Furthermore we
ask those forces within the system who speak of peace and withdrawal of the
troops to let deeds follow words and not to back down before the US pressure. If
the words of Prodi & Co are to be taken serious they have to intervene to make
the conference possible and to open the dialogue with the real representatives
of the Iraqi people. If we get a political guarantee we would be ready to move
the conference to another country or postpone it to after the elections.
For Saturday, September 10, we call for an emergency meeting not only of
the organising committee of the conference but the entire movement for peace,
against occupation and in support of the resistance to take place in Florence.
After weeks of the intensive struggle we will have to collectively decide how to
proceed.
Full
responsibility of Berlusconi and Co
Those who block the way to a just
peace - to which the conference intends to contribute - will have to bear the
full political responsibility in front of the Italian, European and
international public. Subordinating to the US neocons they violate the will of
the people, sell out national sovereignty and curb democratic rights.
Furthermore they endanger our security as they align with the US war provoking
asymmetric reactions from the aggressed.
The US imperial aspiration is dragging the world into a catastrophic war.
Peace can only be established by stopping them aligning with the legitimate
popular resistance which spearhead is today Iraq. They might be able to impede
the conference now but their power is overstretched. They can be defeated and
peace, democracy and self-determination established.
Defend the
conference as a step to a just peace!
Repeal the attack on political freedom!
Safeguard national sovereignty as precondition of democracy!
Make the will of Europe's people for friendship with the Arab world prevail!
Support the legitimate popular resistance against the US imperial drive!
The organising committee of the International Conference "Leave Iraq in Peace -
Support the Legitimate Popular Resistance"
2) Message of Denis Halliday
"Regarding the Conference: I support resistance and recognise it as
legitimate under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter but personally I only
advocate non-violent resistance. I would hope that this theme would come through
in the dialogue. Best wishes and all success."
Denis Halliday was director of the UN programme "Oil
for food" in Iraq from 1997 to 1998 and resigned protesting the embargo.
3) Solidarity messages
www.iraqiresistance.info/solidarity.php
and
www.iraqiresistance.info/news.php
4) Protest letter to Gianfranco Fini
www.iraqiresistance.info/news.php?n=0
Until now some hundred people have signed up including well known personalities,
Sign by sending a mail to us.
5) Open letter to Prime Minister Göran Persson
www.iraqiresistance.info/news.php?n=4
6) General information
Sign up to our mailing lists
www.iraqiresistance.info/mailing.php
Scheduled speakers
www.iraqiresistance.info/speak.php
Updated endorsers' list
www.iraqiresistance.info/endorsers.php
International Conference
1-2 October, Chianciano, Italy
Leave Iraq in Peace - Support the Legitimate Popular Resistance
www.iraqiresistance.info