Contents

1. Putting Pressure On Politicians
2. Colin Powell Out?
3. Von Sponeck
4. Last Letter Before The Election
5. Strangle Holds
6. Other News

1) PUTTING PRESSURE ON POLITICIANS Return to top

Now that the General Election has been delayed to 7 June, the date for returning the Constituency and National Petitions to the Oxford office has moved back to 23 May.

The election gives us a chance to put pressure on the political system to make the politicians who claim to represent us realize the strength of feeling that exists in this country over this issue.

The strategy of the Petition is to put pressure on all prospective parliamentary candidates in every constituency where there are anti- sanctions campaigners.

The aim is to gain as many anti-sanctions pledges from as many prospective parliamentary candidates as possible.

And to try to ensure that as many of those who are elected as MPs are for the rights of all children, and for the immediate and unconditional lifting of economic sanctions.

Wherever we live, we can make an impact, by circulating the petition, by writing to local newspapers, by lobbying prospective parliamentary candidates, by holding stalls, by mobilizing local churches and mosques, and so on.

National Petition

The easiest thing is simply to circulate the National Petition amongst people we already know to be sympathetic.

Constituency Petition

Slightly more work is involved in circulating the Constituency Petition, which needs to be customised to have the name of your constituency at the top. You can get a customised copy from www.notinournames.org.uk (it is generated automatically by entering your post code).

Or you can just cover up the top of the Petition with the name of your constituency (available from the website or from 0845 458 9571).

Then it needs to be circulated to likely venues in your constituency - there are some ideas in the last issue.

Local Contacts

If you are able to be a collection point for the Constituency Petition, please register as a Local Contact via the website, or by calling 0845 459 9571.

It would be wonderful to have a Local Contact everywhere there is a newsletter reader - something we could use in press work.

Political Parties

The Liberal Democrats are for the lifting of non-military sanctions, the Tories and Labour are not.

The voices website will list the positions of all the parties as soon as they become clear. But that should not distract us from the individual prospective parliamentary candidates.

2) COLIN POWELL OUT? Return to top

US foreign policy seems to be evolving in fits and starts, away from the continuity represented by Colin Powell, who may not last much longer as US Secretary of State.

The airstrikes on Baghdad in February, the mass ejection of Russian diplomats, and the desire for a tough stance towards China over the downed US spy plane, are all of a piece, creating the atmosphere of confrontation which is needed to justify the adoption of the National Missile Defence (NMD) system.

China Syndrome

Given the recent confrontation with China, it is worth recalling that the airstrikes on Baghdad were justified by the Iraq's acquisition (allegedly for air defences) of Chinese fibre-optic cable.

It now turns out that Huawei Technologies, the Chinese company suspected of installing fiber-optic cables to improve Iraqi antiaircraft batteries, has been seeking U.N. approval for more than a year to sell Iraq about $34 million in fiber-optics and related equipment, according to U.N. documentsand diplomats.

'It is not clear whether the company, frustrated with the approval process, went ahead and sold the equipment to Iraq.' (Washington Post, 15 Mar.)

Cheney Power

NMD is a core project for Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, said to be the 'mentor' of Vice-President Dick Cheney, the most powerful Vice-President in history.

The commitment to NMD, which creates friction with the Europeans, and needs greater US aggressiveness, creates a confrontational framework for US foreign policy quite different from that preferred by the State Department.

Cheney (known as Bush's 'Prime Minister') has apparently set up 'his own mini-"foreign ministry" - which has its own East Asia desk - and has usurped some of Ms [Condoleeza] Rice's functions as the President's foreign policy adviser.' (Sunday Telegraph, 8 Apr., p. 21)

Apparently, Colin Powell 'has lost the battle for the President's ear.' It is being suggested that 'He may well resign before long, perhaps to run for the presidency himself in 2004.' (Independent on Sunday, 8 Apr., p. 25)

Stupid Sanctions

This affects the "smart sanctions", which now look set to be announced in June, around the time the Security Council conducts a review of the sanctions. (AFP, 26 Mar.)

The smart sanctions package being developed by the State Department seems to involve setting out a list of banned items 'in greater detail' so that countries exporting to Iraq could better judge whether their shipments would be allowed.

'The new arrangements would remove the need for the United States to put so many goods on hold, the senior State Department official said.' (Washington Post, 26 Mar.)

These proposals aren't 'smart sanctions' (see last issue). They don't allow the re-inflation of the Iraqi economy; they don't permit the full reconstruction of Iraq civilian infrastructure; and they don't provide investment in Iraq's oil industry to guarantee a steady stream of funding for reconstruction.

3) VON SPONECK Return to top

On the phone from Baghdad, Feb. 2001:

'My first reaction to the "smart sanctions" proposals is that they reflect a growing awareness even in Whitehall that business as usual is not acceptable.

'Real "smart sanctions" are not just about reducing holds - which have reached an all-time high. Both the social and the economic engines must be re-started, not by tinkering with the edges.

'The Foreign Office will say that there should be no return to financial management by Baghdad. I don't think one can allow the re- starting of the economy, and at the same time have a rigid control through a bank account managed from outside.

'There can be no progress without risk. One must have some courage.'

'The smartest approach would be the immediate lifting of economic sanctions, a return to dialogue with Iraq and thoughts about how the arms control agenda can be tackled realistically - dealing with sellers as well as buyers.

'I see good prospects with the re-thinking in London and Washington, a real chance of de-linking the arms discussion and the embargo.'

4) LAST LETTER BEFORE THE ELECTION Return to top

MPs will be breaking up for the election within weeks. Just time for one more letter...

Please write letters in your own words, based on some of the points addressed here. We understand that hand-written letters receive more attention than typed ones.

NB It is always important to ask your MP to do something. The easiest thing for them to do is to ask a Parliamentary Question. Possible topics for PQs are indicated below.

Growing Consensus

(All items written as if addressed to MP)

Save the Children Fund UK describes the economic sanctions on Iraq as 'a silent war against Iraq's children' (July 2000). The international human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) says economic sanctions have 'contributed directly to the general pauperisation of the vast majority' of Iraqis (Jan. 2000) and are 'undermining the basic rights of children and the civilian population generally' (Aug. 2000).

In a joint letter to the UN (Aug. 2000) Save the Children Fund UK and HRW stressed that 'the [Security] Council must recognise that the sanctions have contributed in a major way to persistent life- threatening conditions in country.'

PQ 'Does the Government accept the view of Save the Children UK and Human Rights Watch that economic sanctions 'have contributed in a major way to the persistent life-threatening conditions' in Iraq and that, consequently, Saddam Hussein is not 'alone to blame' for the humanitarian crisis (Robin Cook, Feb. 2001)?

Re-Inflating

You will know that the Foreign Office is very proud of the high volume of humanitarian goods being imported into Iraq under the oil-for-food programme.

However, it is generally recognised that a 'commodity-based programme' cannot solve the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

The UN Security Council's own Humanitarian Panel reported in March 1999, 'the humanitarian situation in Iraq will continue to be a dire one in the absence of a sustained revival of the Iraqi economy, which in turn cannot be achieved solely through remedial humanitarian efforts.'

The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation reported in 1995 that to solve the nutritional crisis, Iraqi families needed 'adequate food supplies', restoration of the 'viability' of the Iraqi Dinar, and 'conditions for the people to acquire adequate purchasing power'.

'But, these conditions can be fulfilled only if the economy can be put back in proper shape enabling it to draw on its own resources, and that clearly cannot occur as long as the embargo remains in force.' ('Evaluation of Food and Nutrition Situation in Iraq', 1995)

PQ 'Does the Government accept the view of the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation and the UN Security Council Humanitarian Panel that the humanitarian crisis in Iraq can only be solved through the re-inflation of the Iraqi economy? And if not, why not?'

Sanctions Committee

The UN Secretary-General wants the Sanctions Committee to stop checking on all but the most controversial orders by Iraq (see 'Strangle Holds' article on page 5).

The Foreign Office defends British 'holds' on humanitarian goods by saying that there are no weapons inspectors in Iraq: 'Without weapons inspectors in Iraq, it is simplistic to argue, as Voices in the Wilderness do, with selective quotes, that arrangements are in place to ensure that goods are used for their intended purpose.' (Letter to David Lepper MP from Peter Hain, 20 Dec. 2000)

You may be aware that this issue was recently addressed by the head of the oil-for-food programme, Mr Benon Sevan.

On 8 March 2001, Mr Sevan said, 'We have the capacity and the necessary monitoring and observation mechanisms in place to monitor oil spare parts and humanitarian supplies arriving in Iraq toprovide the assurances to the [Security] Council and its [Sanctions] Commmittee that supplies arriving in Iraq under the programme are indeed being utilized for authorized purposes.'

Mr Sevan added, 'In considering applications for approval, the [Sanctions] Committee should place more faith in our observation capacity.'

PQ 'Does the Government accept the assurance of Mr Benon Sevan, head of the Office of the Iraq Programme, of 8 March 2001, that the OIP has 'the capacity and the necessary monitoring and observation mechanisms in place' to ensure that 'supplies arriving in Iraq under the [oil-for-food] programme are indeed being utilized for authorized purposes'? If not, why not?'

Commercial Protection [This is a rather technical issue, but important for oil-for-food.]

You will be aware that there have been a number of problems with humanitarian goods imported into Iraq not meeting basic quality standards, and other examples of supplies taking advantage of Iraq's weak commercial bargaining position.

According to the March 2001 report from the UN Secretary- General, over 1500 contracts have been rejected by Iraq for failing quality control and similar reasons over the past year.

Kofi Annan says that it is 'essential' to provide legitimate commercial protection to Iraqi buyers of goods.

In his report he has asked the Security Council to accord such protection the 'highest priority' to protect the humanitarian programme against the 'commercial malpractice' and 'occasional fraudulent practices' of suppliers. (62)

You may be saddened to learn that the Secretary-General has indicated in his latest report that the Sanctions Committee has been dragging its feet on the discussion of this topic.

PQ 'Will the Government respond to the UN Secretary-General's concerns regarding the commercial protection of humanitarian goods ordered by Iraq under the oil-for-food programme, and press the Security Council to introduce such protection as a matter of the 'highest priority'?'

Talcum Powder

You may be aware that a consignment of talcum powder was re- exported from Iraq in August 1999 - for failing quality control, according to the Iraqi Government.

This was mis-reported as a case of Baghdad smuggling baby milk powder out of the country for re-sale, even though an Associated Press report was clear that the goods impounded near Dubai were '75 cartons of talcum powder and 25 cartons of baby bottles'.

In his Mar. 2001 report, the Secretary-General notes that 1000 tons of therapeutic milk (68 per cent of the milk ordered) has been found to be contaminated. It may therefore be returned to the supplier.

No other controversial events involving baby or 'therapeutic' milk have been reported.

Despite this, the Foreign Office continues to claim that Baghdad has been caught smuggling baby milk.

PQ 'What evidence does the Government have that the Government of Iraq has exported usable milk powder, as claimed by Robin Cook in his Telegraph article of 20 February 2001?'

Holds

[See page 5 article 'Strangle Holds' and the voices long briefing 'Strangle Hold' for more information] The Foreign Office claims that British 'holds' on humanitarian goods ordered through 'oil-for-food' are kept 'to a minimum' (Peter Hain letter, 20 December 2000).

Why is it, then, that the UN Secretary-General has publicly regretted the fact that the Sanctions Committee has not reviewed outstanding holds, as once promised?

Why is it that he has called on the Sanctions Committee to deal with applications in an 'expeditious manner' and to decrease 'drastically' the level of applications on hold?

How is it that he has called for the Sanctions Committee to restrict itself to considering only those goods which are mentioned explicitly on an official UN list of items relevant to weapons of mass destruction?

PQ Will the Government accept the recommendation of the UN Secretary-General that all civilian goods ordered through the oil-for- food programme be placed on notification-only "green lists", except for those dual-use items specified by UN Security Council Resolution 1051?'

5) STRANGLE HOLDS Return to top

Throughout the period of sanctions, the US and UK have used the Sanctions Committee to hinder and obstruct reconstruction in Iraq.

However, the 'holds' imposed on humanitarian goods ordered by Iraq are not the fundamental cause of the humanitarian crisis.

In other words, lifting the holds by itself cannot solve the crisis facing ordinary families in Iraq.

However, the holds do indicate the moral level of US/UK policy, and of course they do impose significant humanitarian costs.

UK 'holds' $607 million

At the end of February, a detailed analysis of holds imposed by different countries was posted onto the oil-for-food website (and quickly removed).

According to this information, at that time the UK had $63m worth of holds by itself, and $544.9m worth of holds with the USA.

The US had imposed $2.7bn worth of holds all by itself, and another half billion or so together with other countries, bringing it up to $3.3bn in holds in total. 98 per cent of the total value of holds.

Kofi Annan Reports

The latest report (2 Mar.) from the Secretary-General is quite detailed on the subject, citing holds on vaccines; on equipment needed to land food at Umm Qasr port; on trains and train safety equipment; on water treatment materials and lab supplies.

Holds on agriculture have more than doubled. There are holds on irrigation and other agricultural goods; on power generation supplies; on computers for education; on telecommunications. Even on a few goods for the North!

There were even holds on $10m worth of items which the Security Council later agreed were safe enough to be put onto the 'green lists'!

Kofi Annan now wants all civilian goods except those on the 1051 weapons of mass destruction/dual-use list to be put on pre- approved 'green lists' which do not have to go before the Sanctions Committee.

Leaked Document A recent US delegation to Baghdad received a document specifying health-related holds information as of 17 Jan. 2001. More details soon.

6) OTHER NEWS Return to top

Trials

Those charged with highway obstruction at the 16 Jan. Gulf War Anniversary action in Parliament Square (see issue 14) stood trial last month.

All received conditional discharges and had small costs (£50 - £60) awarded against them.

The magistrate listened with interest to evidence about the sanctions, stating that "this is an issue that needs to be brought to the attention of the British public".

Activists were praised for their 'intelligence', 'articulacy' and (on at least one occasion) 'charm'!

Other news: Bee, who threw the famous tomato, got a one-year conditional discharge and £50 costs. Margaret Jones of Bristol who recently painted the Foreign Office with anti-sanctions messages - twice in one day - will be on trial for criminal damage on 4 June, Bow St. Magistrates Court, Bow St., London.

Conference

The June anti-sanctions conference now looks set to follow on the heels of (a) the British General Election, (b) the announcement of so- called 'smart sanctions', and (c) a Security Council review of sanctions.

Good, then, that we're getting together some of the best talent in the global anti-sanctions movement to discuss, debate, and plan the way forward. Meeting in the same East London venue Gandhi stayed in when he came to London for the famous Round Table talks on India.

voices, CASI and the other co-sponsoring groups hope the re- energise! conference will mark a turning point for the anti-sanctions movement. Book now to avoid disappointment!

£10/£5 (please make cheques out to 'Anti-Sanctions Conference') to Glenn, Anti-Sanctions Conference, 29 John St, Enfield, Middx. EN1 1LG

Blair, Vaz and Prescott

The Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and the trouble Minister for Europe have all been personally called to account for their crimes against the Iraqi people.

Tony Blair was about to give the Muslim News Awards for Excellence when voices spoke up from the back of the hall (we'd been nominated for an award for 'championing a Muslim cause').

Mr Blair began by remarking jovially that he heard some familiar noises in the hall (a baby was crying).

Milan Rai got up and called out, 'But what about the children in Iraq, Mr Blair? Speak the truth! Show some compassion!' He was prevented from further championing the cause of the Iraqi people by Special Branch.

Voices supporter Tim Buckley collared John Prescott after an edition of 'Breakfast with Frost': 'I put it to him that UN reports showed clearly that economic sanctions had killed hundreds of thausands of innocent Iraqis. He did not dispute the point and simply responded with "It's a balance of terror."

'He asked me if I wanted sanctions lifted, and when I said "yes" he replied "Jesus Christ!"

And Keith Vaz was reportedly 'grilled' over Iraq by students at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. (Cambridge Evening News 16 Mar. 2001) More Ministers please!

New Meetings

After constructive suggestions from a number of voices members, we've now changed how our monthly London meetings are run.

We now have Action Meetings 7.30 - 9.15pm, the third Tuesday of every month, comprising: (7.30 - 8.10pm) discussion of broader issues. And (8.10 - 9.15pm) action planning.

It was unanimously agreed that after meetings there would be a short social at a nearby pub. We hope that this structure will make meetings more attractive, and that it will help more things will get done.

Many members had felt that there was not enough time in Voices meetings for healthy discussion of recent events, themes and strategies.

Everyone who receives the newsletter is welcome to come to the meetings (venue details on p. 6). Glenn Bassett

Those Figures Again

The way that Iraq's oil income is split up under oil-for-food has changed several times, most recently in Dec. 2000.

Now, 25 percent is diverted to the Compensation Commission in Geneva (it used to be 30 per cent). 2.2 per cent covers UN costs in administering oil-for-food, and 0.8 per cent funds UNSCOM's successor, the UN Monitoring and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC).

59 per cent of oil revenues now goes to humanitarian relief in the centre and south (controlled by Baghdad) and 13 per goes north to the autonomous Kurdish areas.