16 décembre 2012

A CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE FOR IRAQ
by IAON on 26/10/2012

The illegal war launched by the US-UK led “Coalition of the Willing” clearly fits the Nuremburg definition of a Crime against Peace. Such a war must have legal consequences for the aggressors and for the rights of its victims under international law. The IAON calls for 2013 to be a year of campaign for ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE FOR IRAQ.


Ten years of occupation have destroyed Iraq as a country. The sectarian political process under the Bremmer constitution imposed in violation of international law has created a failed state. Iraq today is characterized both by the complete collapse of all public services and by the systematic violation of all aspects of human rights, including the right to life. An ancient, deeply rooted culture has been destroyed, brutalized and thrown into chaos. Despite the withdrawal of regular military forces by the end of 2011, Iraq is still not free. It remains in the grip of the US-Administration and is de facto ruled by an unrepresentative government, more loyal to Iran, whose violent sectarian policies threaten Iraqis on a daily basis, restrict their movement and endanger their lives. As long as the Iraqi people have not regained full control over their own country, there is little scope for democratic accountability. State corruption and human rights abuses will continue under the shadow of US, Iran, Israel and other regional powers.
The International Anti-Occupation Network (IAON) supports real self-determination for the people of Iraq and continues to oppose the new phase of the occupation under its illegal, divisive constitution and sectarian government. We call for a general campaign during 2013, the tenth anniversary year of the war and occupation, which re-affirms the following:
1. A real end to the occupation demands that all foreign military and civilian advisors, security contractors and mercenaries leave Iraq and that all long-term agreements, political structures and laws introduced under the occupation in violation of the Geneva Conventions be abolished.
2. The unity of Iraq must be defended and all foreign attempts to partition the country rejected. Because of its geo-political position and rich resources, the stability of a, sovereign, secure and unified Iraq is in the interests of its people, the region and the world.
3. The Iraqi anti-occupation movement is the only real representative of the Iraqi people. As emphasised in the Le Feyt Declaration, the sovereignty of Iraq rests in the hands of its people in resistance, which by definition represents the will of the Iraqi people to defend independence and unity and reject sectarianism.
4. Human rights continue to be violated. The security apparatus in Iraq today is a machine of repression and death. Mass executions occur on a regular basis, people are condemned without a fair trial. Tens of thousands of Iraqis are arbitrarily detained in both official and ghost facilities all over Iraq. Torture of detainees is still widespread. We demand the immediate release of all detainees held without charge or trial, a stop to arbitrary detentions and executions as well as an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Iraq.
5. Millions of people have either been internally displaced or have fled Iraq. As long as stability and security is absent, the conditions for a safe return are lacking. Immediate action must be taken to protect the dignity and rights of the displaced.
6. The Pentagon has made Iraq a testing ground for depleted uranium and other weapons. The WHO must examine the effects of these weapons on the Iraqi people. The United States must assume full responsibility for the cost of removing ammunition and cleaning up all contaminated areas.
7. All of the countries that have taken part in the occupation are legally responsible for the cost of repairing and rebuilding Iraqi infrastructure and private property. Iraqi civilians must be given monetary compensation for their suffering.
8. All war crimes must be investigated by the International Criminal Court. US officials and others must be held legally accountable for the lies and policies that led tothese abuses against Iraq and its people. We welcome the judgements of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal and urge other official bodies to hold those responsible accountable.
9. International bodies must make repeated efforts to ensure the basic humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, to protect doctors and other academics,  to demand an assessment of the damage to Iraq’s archaeological sites, and above all to immediately ensure the appointment by the OHCHR of a Special Rapporteur for Iraq.
 The IAON is the moral successor of the World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI), a people´s tribunal that aspired to both start the process of accountability and to record history.
We will not accept that history is re-written by the invading powers that illegally occupied a sovereign country. The UN has excelled in silence. The corporate media have excelled in silence. We believe silence is complicity. We urge all to join us in speaking out loudly and clearly for justice and accountability for Iraq.



Meeting of the International Anti-Occupation Network - Bever, Belgium - 20 May, 2011

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