by Haider Rizvi

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 21 (IPS) - International social justice groups are calling on the United Nations to stop paying out millions of dollars in Iraqi oil revenues to Kuwaiti businesses and individuals as war reparations for Saddam Hussein’s invasion of that country 15 years ago.

“The citizens of Iraq should not be held responsible for the actions of Saddam and his regime,” says the U.S.-based group, Voices in the Wilderness.

“The continued claims of war reparations is another form of violence against Iraqis,” adds Jubilee Iraq, a Britain-based charity.

The joint statement by the anti-war U.S. and European groups comes ahead of a U.N. meeting in Geneva next week that will decide which claims for war reparations relating to the occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91 are to be paid by Iraq, and in what amounts.

16 Jun 2005 11:59:10 GMT
Source: Reuters

GENEVA, June 16 (Reuters) - A former top U.N. humanitarian official in Iraq on Thursday called for an end to a U.N. programme exacting compensation from Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War.

Hans von Sponeck, who quit as U.N. humanitarian coordinator in 2000 after sharply criticising the effects of the then economic sanctions on civilians, said Iraq’s government should negotiate its reparations debt directly with claimants.

Kathy Kelly and Hans Von Sponeck

CAIRO, June 11, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) — A group of anti-Iraq war activists from around the globe will begin a fast at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 16-30 to protest economic injustice suffered by the Iraqi people.

Jeff Leys and Kathy Kelly, of Voices in the Wilderness, speak of civil disobedience and the closing of the Extremely Low Frequency Systems (ELF) site at Clam Lake, Wisconsin.

By ANDREW BROMAN
The Daily Press
Monday, May 02nd

Jeff Leys knew he’d probably spend time in prison if he tried to cut down a section of antenna at the Project ELF site.

He was no stranger to civil disobedience, but the stakes are higher when it comes to damaging federal property. You don’t simply wake up one morning and decide to saw into a pole holding the antenna that sends signals to U.S. submarines armed with nuclear weapons deep in the ocean.

“I was at a point of being able to risk a felony charge, but it was something that had evolved over a three, four, five year process,” Leys said.

By Jon Yates
Published May 8, 2005
Chicago Tribune

He considered using a foghorn but decided on a bell because of its simplicity.

A solitary ding every minute for more than 26 hours, one ring for each of the 1,594 U.S. soldiers who have died in Iraq.

“This is kind of my solidarity, to say I’m with [the soldiers],” said Scott Blackburn, 34, of Chicago, who started his anti-war vigil at 8 a.m. Friday on a wooden seat near Water Tower Place, and calmly rang his bell, day and night, until 10:34 a.m. Saturday.