_________________________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: "STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN!" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------- 27 Americans To Defy Iraq Travel Ban http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010111/wl/jordan_us_iraq_1.html ================ + =============== Thursday January 11 3:16 PM ET 27 Americans To Defy Iraq Travel Ban By JAMAL HALABY, Associated Press Writer AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - A group of American activists plans to fly to Iraq on Friday, becoming the first U.S. citizens to challenge a U.N. ban on air travel to Baghdad, the trip's organizer said. Speaking to The Associated Press on Thursday, James Jennings said the 27-member group will donate $150,000 worth of medicine, eyeglasses, school supplies and medical books to the Iraqis - all without U.S. government authorization. ``We had no export permit from the United States and we have refused to ask for it,´´ said Jennings, the founder and president of the Atlanta-based Conscience International, which is organizing the trip. The group, which consists of representatives of religious and humanitarian organizations from 10 American cities, has the ``avowed intention of repudiating´´ the U.N. sanctions imposed on Baghdad following its August 1990 invasion of Kuwait, he said. The activists include social workers and child disability specialists, Jennings said. While in Baghdad, they will serve as advisers to local medical and social welfare personnel. The Americans flew to Amman, the Jordanian capital, from New York earlier in the day and plan to depart for Baghdad aboard a Royal Jordanian flight scheduled for Friday evening. The flight - dubbed the ``Baghdad airlift´´ - is ``about the children of Iraq and the conscience of America,´´ Jennings said. ``One Iraqi child has died unnecessarily every 10 minutes for the entire eight years Clinton has been sitting in the Oval Office.´´ The sanctions against Iraq can be lifted only once U.N. inspectors verify that Iraq no longer has weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles or the ability to produce them. But critics of the sanctions say they hurt impoverished Iraqis more than they do the Baghdad government. A group of Jordanian doctors and nurses are expected to join the Americans aboard Friday's flight. The Jordanian medical team, headed by Health Minister Tareq Suheimat, will perform charitable work at Iraqi hospitals, Jordan's official Petra news agency reported. Government officials said Jordan has notified the U.N. Sanctions Committee of the flight. Copyright © 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ================ + =============== Support Antiwar.com http://Antiwar.com; and 'Spirit FM' Catholic Christian radio (90.5-FM, Tampa, Fla. USA) http://www.spiritfm905.com; and Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space http://www.space4peace.org Thanks from Kevin; age 46; online Christian peace activist and stay-home father-of-4, in Florida (Tampa Bay area). + Blessed are the nonviolent peacemakers. Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Help me speak truth to power. Please pray for one another. Be merciful. Love your enemies. Be grateful + Soften your heart. Forgive those who've hurt you. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. Come quickly, Jesus Christ, son of God and Prince of Peace. Deo Gratias. + ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
