Hear Ramsey Clark tomorrow live from Iraq on Pacifica Radio's Democracy Now!
Tuesday Aug 27 At 9 am Listen in: San Francisco at KPFA 94.1 FM Los Angeles at KPFK 90.7 FM NY at WBAI 99.5 FM Washington, DC at WPFW 89.3 FM Houston, TX at KPFT 90.1 FM ---------------------------------------------- Press Release Aug 26 RAMSEY CLARK LEADS PEACE DELEGATION TO IRAQ WILL GO TO SITE OF SUNDAY'S COALITION BOMBING THAT KILLED SIX CIVILIANS-- Calls for Mass Anti-War Demonstrations in the U.S. on October 26 to Say "Stop the War Before It Starts" While the U.S. prepares for war against Iraq, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark has just arrived in Iraq with a five-person fact-finding peace delegation. The delegation is meeting with high government officials, family members of people who were killed in the U.S. bombing of Basra August 26, and visiting hospitals and food distribution centers. The group is touring Basra at the site of yesterday's bombing raid that killed eight civilians. The purpose of this trip is to report on the latest effects of U.S.-led UN sanctions against the Iraqi civilian population, and to show solidarity with the people of Iraq who are facing the prospect of an imminent US war of aggression. Ramsey Clark is the founder and chairperson of the U.S.-based International Action Center, which has campaigned against the devastating economic sanctions on Iraq for the last decade. The delegation also includes Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, an attorney and co-founder of the Partnership for Civil Justice?LDEF; Johnnie Stevens, co-director of the People?s Video Network; Kadouri al-Kaysi, coordinator of the Committee in Solidarity with the Iraqi People; and Brian Becker, co-director of the International Action Center. "It is clear from our discussions with both officials and average Iraqis that the people of this country hope that people of conscience in the U.S. and around the world will join together in building a massive movement to stop the war being planned by George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and the other warmongers in the White House and Pentagon," stated Mara Verheyden-Hilliard. "Iraq is still reeling from the impact of economic sanctions," Verheyden-Hilliard continued. "In our meetings with officials from the health ministry today we have learned that mortality rates for children and the elderly have actually increased in the last twelve months. More than 8,000 people die needlessly this month from hunger and water-borne diseases and the degrading of Iraq's health care system. According to the United Nations statistics more than a million Iraqis have perished from sanctions. The so-called debate in the U.S. establishment is over whether Iraq should be invaded today or tomorrow or next year. That misses the point. The US has conducted an illegal non-stop war against Iraq for more than ten years and it must end now. We are organizing against war and sanctions." Clark is the author of a recent letter (full text at www.iacenter.org) addressed to the UN Security Council and copied to the UN General Assembly, denouncing new plans for a U.S. war on Iraq -- plans that include the use of 250,000 troops. Since its dissemination at the UN, the letter has been translated into Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese. "Twelve years ago when the U.S. organized the aerial slaughter it was able to build an international coalition against Iraq. Most governments in the coalition joined as a result of US bullying and coercion. Today the US government is isolated. All the people of the world and all twenty-two of the Arab League governments oppose this plan for unprovoked aggression that violates all international law," stated Ramsey Clark. "We have come to Iraq to help galvanize the active mobilization of world opinion which stands in opposition to this planned war. This war can be stopped but only if the people of the world take action now." The third edition of Ramsey Clark's book The Fire This Time: U.S. War Crimes in the Gulf will be released in mid-September 2002. The book constitutes the most comprehensive and well researched analysis of the events leading up to the 1991 Gulf War and the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by US and Allied forces during the 42-day assault. The third edition is being published by the International Action Center. For more details about October 26 check out our website at http://www.internationalanswer.org/ -30- FOR MORE INFORMATION [EMAIL PROTECTED] New York: 212-633-6646 Washington DC: 202-332-5757 Chicago: 773-878-0166 Loa Angeles: 213-487-2368 San Francisco: 415-821-6545 International A.N.S.W.E.R. Act Now to Stop War & End Racism http://www.internationalanswer.org/ ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
