Dear RN list,
Obviously, those of us who tried to prevent the bombing have not succeeded.
There are actions we can still take and that others are taking, that we
should know about. (I am considering just walking down the local highway
tomorrow with a sign: "What good will the bombing do?/ Bombarder, ça sert à
quoi?" and alerting local media; they might think it worth their while to
take a picture, to ask me why I feel moved to do this.... I know that many
people think we need to "be firm with Saddam" and have really no idea that
this bombing has nothing much to do with "being firm with Saddam".)
Anyhow, this posting will inform you of some actions being taken.
all the best, on this sad night, Jan
*******************************************************************
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 21:39:12 -0500
From: Eric Fawcett <•••@••.•••>
Subject: U.S. News Release: Iraq and Impeachment
From: Institute for Public Accuracy <•••@••.•••>
(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org
915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
The following news release was distributed via fax on Wednesday
afternoon, December 16, 1998 a few minutes before the first reports
that a military attack on Iraq had begun:
IRAQ AND IMPEACHMENT: INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE
MICHAEL RATNER, (212) 614-6430, (212) 243-3805, •••@••.•••,
http://www.ccr.org
An attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights,
Ratner is author of a forthcoming American Journal of
International Law article titled "Bypassing the Security Council:
Use of Force and the Iraqi Inspection Regime." On Wednesday
afternoon, Ratner said: "Clinton's repeated attacks on Iraq and
his bombing of a pharmaceutical plant in the Sudan are
impeachable. They violate the Constitution, which gives Congress
the power to declare war, and the War Powers Resolution. Also,
the U.N. Security Council has not given any authority to bomb
Iraq for allegedly violating the inspection regime. A bombing
would violate our Constitution -- only Congress can declare war.
Clinton's attacks on Iraq are a subversion of our Constitution,
our structure of government and treaty obligations."
FRANCIS BOYLE, (217) 333-7954, •••@••.•••
Professor of International Law at the University of Illinois
College of Law in Champaign, Illinois, Boyle said: "The incentive
is to start bombing and continue until January 6th, when the new
Congress convenes and the resolution of the House Judiciary
Committee dies. The new Congress would have to start impeachment
proceedings all over again.... The war powers clause of the
United States Constitution, Article I, Section 8, expressly
requires authorization by Congress before the President can
engage in acts of war, unless there is a direct attack upon the
United States. Clinton has also violated the War Powers
Resolution of 1973 that was enacted by Congress over President
Nixon's veto in order to prevent a repetition of the Vietnam
War scenario, where Americans were misled by repeated
presidential lies, misrepresentations, deceits and falsehoods at
every step of the way."
SIMONA SHARONI, (202) 895-4927, (202) 723-3770, •••@••.•••
Professor of Peace and Conflict Resolution at American
University, Sharoni said: "Strategically, it is doubtful that
bombing would get rid of Saddam Hussein or make him comply with
UNSCOM. In fact, it could end UNSCOM's role. One cannot help but
be sickened by the prospect of a miliary attack on the eve of
Clinton's impeachment and in the midst of the holiday season."
STEPHEN ZUNES, (415) 422-6981, (831) 425-2975, •••@••.•••
Zunes is chair of the Peace and Justice Studies Program at
the University of San Francisco. "No member state of the United
Nations can unilaterally enforce a Security Council resolution
without expressed approval by the Security Council," he said.
"The U.S. had such authorization in 1991 regarding the expulsion
of Iraqi forces from Kuwait -- but it has no such mandate now."
Zunes added: "If the U.S. could unilaterally attack Iraq for its
violations of a U.N. Security Council resolution, then Russia
could unilaterally bomb Israel for its many violations of U.N.
Security Council resolutions."
***********************************************************************
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 17:58:52 -0500 (EST)
From: David Morgan <•••@••.•••>
Subject: [IAC] Important Phone Numbers - Let your Voice be HEard
>>Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 20:08:52 +0000 (GMT)
>>From: Rania Masri <•••@••.•••>
>>To: •••@••.•••
>>Subject: [IAC] Important Phone Numbers - Let your Voice be HEard
>>Sender: •••@••.•••
>>
>>=========Iraq Action Coalition ========http://leb.net/IAC/ =======
>>To subscribe, send an e-mail to "•••@••.•••" with
>>'subscribe iac-list' in the body of the message
>>==================================================================
>>
>>Dear Friends,
>>
>>Please call the following individuals, and let them know that bombing
>>Iraqi cities is a crime - legally and morally. (Thanks to Reem Haddad for
>>providing this list.)
>>
>>Secretary General Kofi Annan --> 212.963.5012
>>President Clinton --> 202.456.2580
>>White House Comment Line --> 202.456.1111
>>Secretary of State Albright --> 202.647.4000 & 202.647.5291
>>Secretary of Defense Cohen --> 703.695.5261
>>US Ambassador to the UN --> 212.415.4404 & 212.415.4062
>>Britain's Ambassador to the UN --> 212.745.9334
>>
>>Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
>> (has 20 members) --> 202.224.4651
>>House Committee on Foreign Affairs
>> *has 48 members) --> 202.225.5201
>>
>>Congressional Switchobarod --> 202.224.3121 or 202.225.3121
>>
>>MEDIA:
>>ABC 212.456.7777 - ask for comment line then press 4
>>CBS 212.975.3247
>>NBC 212.664.2333 ext. 2
>>NPR Morning Edition - 202.842.5044
>>New York Times - •••@••.•••
>>
>>Please distribute.
>>
>>- Rania Masri
>>
>>Iraq Action Coalition
>>http://leb.net/IAC/
>>
>>
>>
**************************
* David Morgan, * (president, Veterans Against Nuclear Arms)
* 240 Holyrood Road, *
* North Vancouver, *
* BC, V7N 2R5 CANADA *
* Tel: 604-985-7147 *
* Fax: 604-985-7147 *
* <•••@••.•••> *
**************************
**************************************************************************
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 17:16:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Kathy Kelly <•••@••.•••>
PRESS REALEASE
For Immediate Release Contact: Voices in the Wilderness
December 16, 1998 Chicago (773)784-8065
Amidst Bombing, Voices in the Wilderness Members Depart for Iraq
Chicago -- Voices in the Wilderness, a Chicago based anti-sanctions group,
currently facing federal fines of $160,000 for bringing medicine and toys to
Iraq, is sending a delegation to Amman, Jordan on December 17, with plans to
enter Baghdad as soon as possible.
As the U.S. launches military strikes against Iraq, Voices In the
Wilderness announced that its 19th delegation will leave for Iraq. The
delegation will deliver rmedicine and medical supplies for children's'
hospitals in Iraq in public defiance of US / UN sanctions.
Kathy Kelly, co-founder of the campaign, will travel along with Brad
Simpson of Chicago and Alan Pogue, of Austin, TX. Ms. Kelly has traveled
to Iraq nine times since 1991. Voices in the Wilderness openly violates US
sanctions regulations to protest the most comprehensive economic sanctions
ever imposed on any country.
The U.N./U.S. sanctions have been in effect for more than eight years and
have caused the deaths of over 1.2 million Iraqi civilians, 60% of them
children under 5 years of age. According to the United Nations, an estimated
6,000-7,000 Iraqi children die every month as a result sanctions - induced
starvation and disease.
As many Americans prepare for Christmas and observe Hanukah, and as Muslims
enter the Holy month of Ramadan, the Pentagon estimates that a military
bombardment of Iraq could result in ten thousand deaths.
"Bombing Iraq, a country already devastated by eight years of sanctions,
will only compound the suffering of innocent civilians," said Brad Simpson,
a graduate student at Northwestern University who travelled to Iraq in
December, 1996 and will travel with the 19th delegation.. "We are
travelling to Iraq to voice in the strongest possible terms, our opposition
to any use of military force."
Note: Ms. Kelly and Mr. Simpson will be available for interviews on
Thursday, December 17 as they pack for departure.
-30-
Voices in the Wilderness
A Campaign to End the US/UN Economic Sanctions Against the People of Iraq
1460 West Carmen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
ph:773-784-8065; fax: 773-784-8837
email: •••@••.•••
website: http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw
******************************************************************
The Refuse and Resist list has resent their listing of day after protest
actions.
You can subscribe to that list by e-mailing for help:
X-ListProcessor-Instructions: Send an email to •••@••.••• with the
subject blank and the BODY containing nothing but the word HELP for
instructions.
If you still have the RN list message of Nov. 11, the Refuse and Resist list
of day after actions can be found there.
