Educational Handout

An Anti-War Response to the London Atrocities

In the face of global terrorism, we believe that our community, our nation, and our world, must choose the path of peace, human rights, and justice. We believe that what is presented to us as “the war on terrorism” is a campaign of violence and repression that actually generates more anti-Western terrorism…

Download the handout for your own outreach and education efforts during this crucial time. (pdf)

By Greg Rollins
Christian Peacemaker Teams

Most Iraqis dislike the police and Iraqi National Guard (ING). Many people think they are nothing but thugs with guns. The police and ING drive up and down the streets (or sidewalks) shooting into the air and blasting their sirens and horns so that people will move out of their way. They abuse their power. People tell CPT that they insult and harass people at checkpoints, and arrest and beat innocent civilians.

In the early 1990’s, when the onset of economic sanctions turned Iraq into a refugee camp, people outside Iraq were horrified by stories of Iraqis forced to sell everything from their most precious belongings to their furniture in order to obtain necessities. Today in Iraq, as the occupation drags on, economic hardships are again forcing people to sell their belongings – what little they have left. When the US/UK forces invaded Iraq two and a half years ago, they attacked a country whose economy was showing small signs of life. Iraq, at the time, was improving its relations with neighboring countries; it had negotiated contracts with China and Russia, among others. Commercial and business air travel had resumed on a small scale. Business conventions were held. The invasion put an end to that, replacing it with violence, creating conditions that are indeed not unlike a refugee camp. In a refugee camp, typically, hardship is a way of life. There is no formal economy. Instead people depend largely on handouts. Disease threatens, especially children. Services are makeshift and likely to fail. The future promises little in the way of improvements. In a study entitled, “Living Conditions in Iraq,” the UN Development Program and the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development report an “alarming deterioration in living conditions” since the US/UK invasion.

The following articles cover a wide range of issues facing people in Iraq: the shortage of rations upon which most people depend; the shortfall of electrical power as the heat of summer descends; water-pollution and water-borne infectious disease; threats to children in Iraq; the bombing of infrastructure, including water and oil pipelines; the Mayor of Baghdad threatening to resign over a lack of funds for services; outbreak of TB in Amarah; lack of treatment for people with leprosy; military attacks on hospitals; planned increases in Iraqi doctors’ salaries; major displacements of people in Western Iraq in advance of US military offensives; child labor; illegal trade in human organs; and last, but not least, good times for Halliburton as it acquires another multi-billion dollar contract for work in Iraq.

Suggestions for improving this Digest, including its content and format, are welcome. Contact David Smith-Ferri (smithferri at pacific.net) or Scott Blackburn (Scott at vitw.org)

Dear Friends,

During the past few days, two UK groups, Justice Not Vengeance and Voices In The Wilderness UK, initiated silent vigils throughout Britain to deliver “An Antiwar Response to the London Atrocities.” Justice Not Vengeance’s website, www.j-n-v.org, is updated each day to equip groups with literature, talking points and media analysis as part of this response. We’ve posted much of this material on the Voices website and also on www.electroniciraq.net. Please feel free to get in touch with us if we could be of further help to you in your outreach and education efforts during this crucial time.

Here is one excerpt from justice not vengeance (jnv): “The atrocities in London have shocked the world. If we are to avoid perpetuating an endless cycle of confrontation and violence, we must force the mass media to acknowledge the truth about the threat that Britain faces. This threat will only deepen if the bombings lead to more repression and more military action. The threat will only be reduced if we end Britain’s participation in injustice around the world.”

Please also see the update on the Voices court case in Washington, D.C. A terrific gathering of people who’ve been active with Voices In The Wilderness was hosted by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker and other friends in Washington, D.C. The morning in court was capped off by a dramatic exchange between Bill Quigley, representing Voices, and Judge Bates.

It’s 3:00 a.m. on a Sunday.

Once again Bush’s goddamn war has woke me up. I’ve checked the email to see if anything is stirring in the peace movement. Since I’ve seen nothing, all I can do is write to you, to try and feel like I’m doing something that matters.

And right now, what I can hardly keep from screaming (since the bride is upstairs asleep) is this:

We finally have begun making some inroads with the Downing Street memo. I’m glad for that. Perhaps it will get some people thinking. But dear god…did we NEED the DSM to know that: