United Nations Sanctions continue to kill 4 to 5,000 young Iraqis each month F

[John Fitzgibbon <fitzgij at connect.ie>]

Friends in the Anti-Sanctions, anti war, pro peace & justice movements.

Unless we are United (Nations) in the view that we cannot continue to kill
thousands of children each month can we be united in anything?

We believe everyone must act to end the crimes being committed by the UN in
our names in IRAQ

I think there is an  opportunity for Mrs Robinson to make a significant
contribution to the ending of the Iraq Sanctions even at this late stage.

The attached a letter (RobinsPR.rtf), requesting action, was sent to her by
the CEISI anti sanctions campaign in Ireland.

Please consider supporting this request and encourage & persuade her to act
decisively and courageously now, as her term expires soon.

The attached letter (USAGClark0802.html) from former US Attorney General
Ramsey Clark has been sent to all members of the UN Security Council, with
copies to the UN General Assembly and Senator Biden of the US Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations July 29, 2002. It makes a strong case for UN
action
Extracts from the UNICEF HUMANITARIAN ACTION IRAQ DONOR uPDATE 29 MAY 2002
(UNICEFXtract290502.doc) give a view of the current tragic situation in
Iraq.

Thank you for any assistance you can give in this matter,  John Fitz

Please  email, write, fax  or phone Mrs Robinson.

Mrs Mary Robinson, High Commissioner, OHCHR,
Palais Des Nations, 1211 Geneve 10, Switzerland.
Tel +41-22-917 1234  Fax 917 0245,      email: webadmin.hchr at unog.ch
Retires Sept 02


John Fitzgibbon, Dublin Irl, 353 1 2853387




_______________________________________________________________
Dear fellow citizens in the Irish Government and Civil Service,

Please note the eminently reasonable letter by the distinguished former US
attorney General and review Irelands disgraceful support of the Iraq
Sanctions that have killed over a million people. Note also the attached
valuable Canadian Churches report that says-
"The fact that this suffering and death continues to happen after nine
years and that the perpetrators of the sanctions do not repent and end the
sanctions after clearly recognizing their impact, implies that they are in
fact intentional deaths and therefore murder. In a now infamous statement
in 1996, then US ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright (now US Secretary
of State) was asked on television whether the deaths of hundreds of
thousands of Iraqis were worth the price of the sanctions. "I think this is
a very hard choice", she replied, "but the price, we think is worth it.""
Thank you, John Fitzgibbon, 2853387
*The following letter by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark has been
sent to all members of the UN Security Council, with copies to the UN
General Assembly and Senator Biden of the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations. Please circulate.*
July 29, 2002


Dear Ambassador,
Any remaining hope the peoples of the United Nations have to save
succeeding generations from the scourge of war through the United Nations
would be crushed by another United States attack on Iraq.  Threats to
attack, invade and overthrow the government of Iraq by President George
Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, various cabinet
officers and Pentagon officials have been routine for a year.  The
psychological warfare is itself a crime against peace and violates the U.N.
Charter.  Today's front-page headline story in the New York Times, "U.S.
Exploring Baghdad Strike As Iraq Option," is typical of the in terrorem
intention of the threats.  The danger to civilian life in Baghdad from such
a strike would be enormous.


THE UNITED NATIONS MUST ACT TO PREVENT AN ATTACK BY THE UNITED STATES
AGAINST IRAQ
If the United Nations is unable to restrain the United States, a permanent
member of the Security Council, from committing crimes against peace and
humanity as well as war crimes against a nation that has already been
violated by the U.S. beyond endurance, then what is the United Nations
worth?  At the very least, opposition to any attack or attempt to overthrow
the government of Iraq by force must be publicly expressed by the United
Nations.


THE UNITED STATES BOMBED DEFENSELESS IRAQ MERCILESSLY FOR FORTY-TWO DAYS IN
1991
The U.S. led and glorified the massive assault on Iraq in January and
February 1991.  The Pentagon announced it conducted 110,000 aerial sorties
against the defenseless "cradle of civilization," dropping 88,500 tons of
bombs. The widespread bombing destroyed the economic viability of the
civilian society throughout the nation.  It killed tens of thousands of
Iraqi citizens and others.  A major part of the bombing was directed at
civilians and civilian facilities.  It was less accurate than the recent
indiscriminate attacks in Afghanistan.   U.S. bombs destroyed Iraqi water
systems, electric power transmission, communications, transportation,
manufacturing, commerce, agriculture, poultry and livestock, food storage
facilities, markets, fertilizer and insecticide production, business
centers, archeological and historical treasures, apartment houses,
residential areas, schools, hospitals, mosques, churches and synagogues.
The Pentagon stated its casualties were 156.  One third were from "friendly
fire"; the rest were accidental.  The U.S. had no combat casualties.
THE UNITED STATES FORCED THE IMPOSITION OF GENOCIDAL SANCTIONS ON IRAQ IN 1990
The U.S. crafted economic sanctions against Iraq which the Security Council
approved on August 6, 1990, the 45th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bomb
attack on Hiroshima. Those sanctions are the direct cause of the very cruel
deaths of more than a million people.  This is the greatest crime against
humanity, in the last decade of the most violent century in history.  Each
painful death of an individual wasting away?from malnutrition; Kwashiorkor;
the rush of dehydration from contaminated water and from diseases was 
preventable.  The sanctions continue to this time to cause hundreds of
deaths each day.  Every United Nations agency dealing with food, health and
children--including FAO, WFP, WHO, UNICEF--has proclaimed the horror,
magnitude and responsibility for this human catastrophe.
The great majority of the deaths caused by the sanctions are infants,
children, the elderly, the chronically ill and emergency medical cases. 
These are the people most vulnerable to polluted water, malnutrition, and
the lack of medicines and medical equipment and supplies.
U.S. claims that it is the Iraqi government that is responsible for deaths
from shortages of food and medicine are false.  The U.S. blocked oil sales
by Iraq for six years before appearing to yield to humanitarian pleas to
permit oil sales to purchase food and medicine.  Since 1997, when sales
began, it has effectively frustrated and delayed the Oil for Food program,
which does not provide sufficient income at the levels approved to stop the
daily deterioration of health and growing death rates in Iraq.
Before sanctions there was virtually no malnutrition in Iraq and free
hospital, health services and medicines were a model for the region.  Its
present system of government distribution of available food staples is a
model of fairness and efficiency, lacking only in quantity and variety of
food.


UNITED STATES MILITARY AIRCRAFT HAVE ATTACKED IRAQ AT WILL FOR ELEVEN YEARS
The U.S. has engaged in air strikes against Iraq at will since March 1991,
when the massive attacks averaging one aerial sortie every 30 seconds
ended.   Without losing a single plane, U.S. attacks have killed: cleaning
personnel at the Al Rashid Hotel in Baghdad in a failed attempt to
assassinate Saddam Hussein; scores of people each year in attacks on radar
stations in or near the U.S.-imposed no-fly zones; all the persons aboard a
U.N. helicopter shot down by U.S. aircraft; and civilians from all walks of
life, including the internationally famous artist and Director of Iraqis'
National Center for Arts, Leila al Attar.


IRAQ IS NOT A THREAT TO THE U.S., COUNTRIES IN THE REGION OR OTHERS
The U.S. has falsely claimed that Iraq is working to develop weapons of
mass destruction to attack the U.S., Israel, its neighbors and others.  The
U.S. claimed its 1991 attacks destroyed 80% of Iraq's military capacity.
The U.N. inspection efforts claimed to discover and dismantle 90% of Iraq's
post-1991 capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction.  Iraq, its
peoples and resources are exhausted.  It has a "stunted" generation of
children under age 10 and a debilitated population at all ages.  It is the
victim of the worst crime against humanity in recent decades.


THE UNITED STATES IS THE GREATEST PURVEYOR OF VIOLENCE ON EARTH
Two of the highest U.N. officials responsible for U.N. weapons inspection
within Iraq and a principle U.S. citizen participating in the inspections
have resigned, denounced the sanctions and denied that there is a threat
that Iraq will develop weapons of mass destruction.
The U.S. has more nuclear weapons than all other nations combined as well
as the most sophisticated and numerous systems for the delivery of nuclear
weapons, including the Trident II submarine fleet.  It possesses the
greatest stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and the most
advanced and extensive research in mass destruction weaponry in the world. 
Military spending by the U.S. exceeds that of the nine next largest budgets
for war combined.  President Bush has repeatedly declared the right to
strike first.  The U.S. attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs
and continues to justify those acts.
The U.S. has renounced treaties controlling nuclear weapons and their
proliferation; voted against the protocol enabling enforcement of the
Biological Weapons Conventions; and rejected the treaty banning land mines,
the International Criminal Court and virtually every other international
effort to control and limit war.  The U.S. War Against Terrorism is a
declaration of right by the U.S. to attack first?anyone, anywhere, on mere
suspicion, or without excuse, unilaterally.
The U.S. wants to overthrow the government of Iraq and many others in
violation of law.  Unless restrained the chance for peace and global
equality of economic, social, cultural and political opportunity among
nations will be lost.  Which government presents the greater threat to
peace globally or for Mesopotania and its neighbors?the U.S. or Iraq?


AN ATTACK BY THE UNITED STATES ON IRAQ TO OVERTHROW ITS GOVERNMENT WOULD BE
A FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF THE U.N. CHARTER, THE NUREMBERG CHARTER AND
INTERNATIONAL LAW
If, as promised so many times, the U.S. does attack Iraq to overthrow its
government, it will be the most notorious, arrogant and contemptuous
violation of the Charter of the United Nations, the Nuremberg Charter and
international law yet experienced, or likely hereafter. Only absolute power
unrestrained by any rule of law or standard of human decency openly taunts
an intended victim as President Bush has taunted Iraq.  Because the U.S.
has committed historic injustices against Iraq, most during his father's
presidency, and still seeks dominion in the region, President Bush, his
Vice President and others in his administration hate Iraq and want finally
to destroy it.
I am writing this letter to you; to each U.N. Representative of a Security
Council Member; the President of the General Assembly; and President Bush. 
This is one of a series of letters describing and protesting U.S. and UN
wrongs against Iraq.  The threatened wrong addressed here is the worst.  If
twelve years after its devastating aerial assault and after twelve years of
genocidal sanctions, the omnipresent risk and frequent fact of random
attack with the ever present stalking by U.S. aircraft and endless threats
against its helpless victim, the U.S. commits its coup d'grace on the
people of Iraq to the silence of the U.N. and wealthy nations of the world,
human shame and impotence will doom us to ever greater violence.
A U.S. ASSAULT ON IRAQ WILL CAUSE MORE AND GREATER VIOLENCE; URGENT ACTION
BY THE UNITED NATIONS TO PREVENT A U.S. ASSAULT OF IRAQ IS REQUIRED
I urge you to immediately activate the United Nations, the General
Assembly, the Security Council and all its agencies to denounce the
continuing threats by the United States against Iraq, to demand immediate
cessation of the threats and to warn the United States that an attack by it
on Iraq will violate the Charter of the United Nations, international law
and the friendship of all who seek peace and respect the dignity of
humanity.


AN ATTACK BY THE U.S. ON IRAQ WOULD VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF
THE UNITED STATES REQUIRING IMPEACHMENT, TRIAL BEFORE THE U.S. SENATE AND
CRIMINAL CHARGES IN FEDERAL COURTS AGAINST PRESIDENT BUSH AND ALL OFFICIALS
RESPONSIBLE
An attack on Iraq by the United States would also violate the Constitution
and laws of the United States and expose President Bush to impeachment by
the House of Representatives under the Constitution of the United States
for the highest of crimes, those against peace and humanity, to judgment by
the United States Senate and trial in federal court for crimes charged.
Unfortunately in recent years our Constitution has been more honored in the
breach than in faithful observance of the rights it is intended to protect
for all.  But the effort to hold accountable any U.S. authority who
participates in an assault against Iraq will be made here by those who love
their country and for that reason insist that its acts be just.
Sincerely, Ramsey Clark
International Action Center 39 W. 14th St., Suite 206 New York, NY 10011
212-633-6646 fax: 212-633-2889 http://www.iacenter.org iacenter at iacenter.org

Campaign to End Iraq Sanctions - Ireland Website:
http://www.endiraqsanctions.net; email: info at endiraqsanction.net




_________________________________________________________________________
For the URGENT personal attention of Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for
Human Rights
AND all staff at the Office of the UNHCHR

The United Nations declared 2001 - 2010 a "Decade for a Culture of Peace
and Non Violence for the Children of the World" but, for 10 years before
2001, & since,
UN Sanctions kill 4,000+ Iraqi children each month.

Dear Commissioner Robinson and UNHCHR Staff members,
	August 12, 2002
The retention of the Economic Sanctions on Iraq is the worst scandal in the
history of the United Nations!
Those of us who understand what's going on, and don't do everything we can
to end, and failing that circumvent, this abominable policy, are complicit
in mass murder.
During your tenure, Mrs. Robinson, I heard you being asked twice what you
were doing about the horrifying effects of the Sanctions on Iraq. On Marion
Finucane - RTE 1 310500, you said it was Kofi Annan's business. At the
Transforming the United Nations conference, you avoided answering the
question.
If the long-term barbaric treatment of the Iraqi people by the UN is not
the critical priority of the UNHCHR, what is its purpose?
As the paramount human rights officer in the world, responsible for
eliminating, or at least minimising human rights violations, you must be
painfully aware that-
4 to 5,000 children under 5 years old die EACH month in Iraq due to UN
sanctions, that is about 50,000 a year,
This annual atrocity is 16 times the magnitude of Sept 11th in the USA,
"A UNICEF report says- Sanctions killed 500,000 Iraqi children between '90
and '98 &
Four of the most senior UN staff in Iraq, (Halliday, Von Sponeck, Jutta
Burghardt & Scott Ritter), resigned in protest at what Halliday called
genocide
The tragic slaughter of 3,000 on Sept11th by terrorists was given blanket
media coverage for several months. The deaths of 4 to 5,000 Iraqi children
every month for 12 years (caused by cynical & silent UN terrorists?) gets
virtually none.
So this genocide is, as happened in East Timor, effectively hidden from the
public leaving them powerless to intervene.
Your office has, it seems, failed abysmally to face up to, and act to
redress the-
- Criminal nature of these sanctions.
- Gross violation of the UN Charter and every human rights convention by
retaining them, long after the condition for imposing them, getting Iraq
out of Kuwait, was met in 1991.
- Covert complicity of UN member governments in mass murder, genocide!
- Fact that the UN, while it implements such inhuman, cruel & devastating
policies cannot expect to command respect from citizens or governments of
the world.

It is imperative, Commissioner, that your office fully & immediately
discharges its onerous responsibility to the citizens of the world, to
categorically reject the criminal trampling by the UN of the human rights
of Iraqi citizens.

The facts demand that you -

Declare the sanctions void for reasons stated.
Insist, and require all UN member governments to insist, that the Security
Council formally rescind the sanctions forthwith and,
failing this, that they withdraw their ambassadors (missions) until the
Security Council complies or, the UN is transformed.
For those countries that do not comply, use all means at your offices
disposal to inform their citizens of the covert murder of over a million
people in their names, more than half of them children under 5 years old.
Advise them to insist that their respective governments comply
I've been involved for 2.5 years in the Campaign to End Iraq Sanctions Irl.
(CEISI) and am utterly dejected by the UN's role in this massacre. I want
no part whatsoever in a UN that supports it!
Tragically, for the people and children of Iraq, the role of the UNHCHR in
this paramount issue to date has seemed ineffectual, even disastrous. We
request that in the final phase of your incumbency you will make a do or
die effort, regardless of the probable consequences, to transform that role
and add a vital success to your other achievements.
Please confirm receipt of this letter and let me have your response as a
matter of urgency to facilitate consideration of what other steps are
necessary to end the sanctions now.
"If you believe you can you will, if you believe you can't, you're right"!
Henry Ford
Thanking you, Mrs Robinson, in anticipation,
Le gach dea ghui agus beannachtai,

John Fitzgibbon, Dublin, 353 1 2853387

To work for justice for Iraq contact- Campaign to End Iraq Sanctions Irl
(CEISI), 125 Winter Garden, Pearse St, Dublin 2. Tel. 01 6727803 Sandeep,
087 2225742 Michael,
 01 2853387 John fitzgij at connect.ie, email: info at endiraqsanctions.net;
Web www.endiraqsanctions.net
also see http://www.casi.org.uk, http://www.endthewar.org,
http://www.fair.org/international/iraq.html,
http://www.mariamappeal.com/George Galloway   MP UK,
http://www.welcome.to/voicesuk  Voices in Wilderness(VitW) UK,
http://www.nonviolence.org/vitwVitW US,   http://www.unicef.ie UNICEF
Ireland Tel:01-8783000  (mob) 087-2389101  unicefir at indigo.ie