Eman Ahmad Khammas
War crimes
1. Big lies (3)
WMD
Al Qaida
Democracy
Attitude of Security Council. Did nothing against invasion and occupation. Resolution legalises occupation.
2. Civilian casualties
Iraqbodycount. 8000 victims – 20000 casualties
Bombing of cultural buildings. National museum and national library. National theater is occupied by families.
3. Illegal weapons.
4. Destruction.
5. Cultural destruction.
Occupation crimes
1. Human rights
a. Collective punishment
De-Baathification law. Baath Party = 2 million people. Simply to live. People are expelled from jobs. University : 2000 profs expelled. Is illegal. Have done nothing wrong.
Investigate case by case.
b. Random shooting. Just indiscriminate shooting.
c. Compensations issue.
Killed people, houses destroyed. Before and after the war. Killing = 2500 $. Is just showing « sympathy ». Stop all claims against US. Value of an Iraqi is 2500 $.
Bush declared official end of war. All what is during the war must not be compensated.
d. Absence of authority
e. Humanitarian relief obligations.
f. Random arrests – raids. They bomb doors to enter and raid the house. Many incidents of stealing. Documents. They arrest people and take them. Without reason.
g. Disappearing Iraqis.
All kind of people. There are hughe camps, 3 in Bagdad. Nobody can enter these camps. Only Red Cross, condition that they don’t talk about inside. Um Kasr, deep in Iraq. Also police stations. You never know where, for how long.
h. Bodies confiscations. You can not get the bodies of people killed. Strange. We don’t know why. Maybe hiding something. Evidence ? Create terror ?
i. Hostages.
2. Economic crimes.
a. Privatisation. 192 Iraqis companies. Water, transportation, education, textile. Many demonstrations against that. Very dangerous. Especially health. Money goes to government. Who is government. You don’t know what is going on.
b. New investment law. Giving foreign companies 100 % ownership. Halliburton. Bechtel.
c. International corporations. No Iraqi company can compete. Telecommunications: must have 15 years experience, must have worked outside Iraq. Simply to evince Iraq companies.
d. Destroy the structure of economy. Total absence of security. Shops for electric equipment: must take all his material to his house every day. Services are destroyed. Factories are not working.
e. Unemployment. People are out of job. Private small jobs are not functioning. Drivers just sit and wait because of insecurity. Profs, scientists are out of job. Demoralisation of people. Branded as “Saddam-followers”.
3. Political crimes.
a. Democracy and freedom. People are imposed. Come from outside. They say that it includes all members of the population. They impose quota. They consolidate the divisions. Split up the society.
They “deleted” the ministry of defence. Many people are linked to ministry. Are left without income. Relatives of the missing used to receive a pension from the ministry.
Society of Human Rights is asking to stop this.
Humilations. Women are very covered, are taken out at night, in front of men. Not the time to put something on.
Two kind of operations. Resistance against American forces. Also terrorism against Mosquees, International institutions.
“You promised to liberate us. Why you are not helping the victims of Saddam ?”
Freedom of speech: any item that provocates disorder is illegal. They arrest journalists. Demonstration every day. Nobody answers to them. Never negociations. They laugh at them.
b. Constitution.
They change the constitution. People imposed by Americans. Do something about this.
4. New social problems.
a. Homelessnes. School occupied by 10 families. Ministry. Airport headquarters: whole neighbourhood.
b. Drugs. Severest punishment was against dealers. Now you can buy on the streets.
c. Street children. 3000 children in Bagdad.
d. Women. Kidnapping and raping. Absence of authority creates conditions.
Tribunal
Can investigate crimes.
Tribunal about war crimes and occupation crimes. Istanbul ?
Send people to Iraq, specialists law, human rights…
Investigate this things.
Appoint a lawyer, go to Iraq, go to the camps, two, three cases as example. All the information put together.
Economic conference soon.
Send to investigate. OccupationWatchCenter can help with all, send everywhere.
We have an American lawyer working on compensation.
Collective project or local project. Raising funds.
