Final Press Release from World Tribunal on Iraq

What is not going to be covered by US Mainstream Media:

Just released is the Jury Statement:

PRESS RELEASE about JURY STATEMENT
27 Jun 2005

‘The attack on Iraq is an attack on justice, on liberty, on our safety, on our future, on us all’ – The Jury of Conscience

Istanbul, 27 June, 2005 - With a Jury of Conscience from 10 different countries hearing the testimonies of 54 members of the Panel of Advocates who came from across the world, including Iraq, the United States and the United Kingdom, this global civil initiative came to an end with a press conference at the Hotel Armada where the chair of the Jury of Conscience, Arundathi Roy, announced the Jury’s conclusions.

The Jury defined this war as one of the most unjust in history: ‘The Bush and Blair administrations blatantly ignored the massive opposition to the war expressed by millions of people around the world. They embarked upon one of the most unjust, immoral, and cowardly wars in history. The Anglo-American occupation of Iraq of the last 27 months has led to the destruction and devastation of the Iraqi state and society. Law and order have broken down completely, resulting in a pervasive lack of human security; the physical infrastructure is in shambles; the health care delivery system is a mess; the education system has ceased to function; there is massive environmental and ecological devastation; and, the cultural and archeological heritage of the Iraqi people has been desecrated.’

more....

http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/?b=93

Jacob Matthan
http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com
Oulu, Finland

it will be blotted out by catapulted propaganda.

The administration has violated all laws, and in account, torture provisions of the geneva convention, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

All the while to the backdrop of an illegally propped war with no justification http://www.downingstreetmemo.com

It's time to hold the slime accountable......Begin the proceedings!!!! :thumbsup:

Full-press on the congress & senate for resolution of inquiry: http://www.usalone.com/index.htm Bring them home! :yourock: :yourock:

Liberal Talk Show Hosts, (Mike Malloy, Mike Webb, Guy James, Tony Trupiano, Randi, Thom Hartmann, Mark Levine, Bernie ward, Peter Werbe, Ray Taliferro, etc.) Senators Boxer and Obama (waste of time knowing he is a co-operator with the malAdministration) and to Congreeman John Conyers Jr. and hopefully Congressman Dennis Kucinich (I am not sure I have his correct email address).

Jacob Matthan
http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com
Oulu, Finland

this record is viewed has a huge success. Now if all those naysayers would just shut up and get out of the way, W has more countries on his agenda that he needs to bring his brand of freedom and democracy to.

On the basis of the preceding findings and recalling the Charter of the United Nations and other legal documents, the jury has established the following charges against the Governments of the US and the UK:

• Planning, preparing, and waging the supreme crime of a war of aggression in contravention of the United Nations Charter and the Nuremberg Principles.
• Targeting the civilian population of Iraq and civilian infrastructure
• Using disproportionate force and indiscriminate weapon systems
• Failing to safeguard the lives of civilians during military activities and during the occupation period thereafter
• Using deadly violence against peaceful protestors
• Imposing punishments without charge or trial, including collective punishment
• Subjecting Iraqi soldiers and civilians to torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment
• Re-writing the laws of a country that has been illegally invaded and occupied
• Willfully devastating the environment
• Actively creating conditions under which the status of Iraqi women has seriously been degraded
• Failing to protect humanity’s rich archaeological and cultural heritage in Iraq
• Obstructing the right to information, including the censoring of Iraqi media
• Redefining torture in violation of international law, to allow use of torture and illegal detentions

The Jury also established charges against the Security Council of United Nations for failing to stop war crimes and crimes against humanity among other failures, against the Governments of the Coalition of the Willing for collaborating in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, against the Governments of Other Countries for allowing the use of military bases and air space and providing other logistical support, against Private Corporations for profiting from the war, against the Major Corporate Media for disseminating deliberate falsehoods and failing to report atrocities.

The Jury also provided a number of recommendations that include recognising the right of the Iraqi people to resist the illegal occupation of their country and to develop independent institutions, and affirming that the right to resist the occupation is the right to wage a struggle for self-determination, freedom, and independence as derived from the Charter of the United Nations, we the Jury of Conscience declare our solidarity with the people of Iraq and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the coalition forces from Iraq.

(more) http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/?b=93

Does anyone know where there might be an audiotape or a video of the reading of these charges by Arendati Roy? I would just love to hear the power of her voice reading the conclusions and verdict of the proceedings.

They have compiled a definitive historical record of evidence on the illegality of the invasion and occupation that will be recorded in a forthcoming book.

Contact:
Tolga Temuge,
International Media Coordinator
+(90) 533 644 4687
tolga.temuge@worldtribunal.org
http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/?b=93

I just heard the details on one illustration of this. It happened in Fallujah in April 2003, before it was destroyed.

When a school was taken over by US paratroopers to be used as a barracks, the teachers, parents and children staged a protest. It was peaceful, although some people were yelling at the soldiers. (It's also possible some were throwing rocks.) That's apparently where things went very wrong. The nervous soldiers opened fire on the crowd, killing 13, including children.

There's no independent corroboration of the US account claiming these people were actually there celebrating Saddam's 66th birthday when a few civilians shot into the air, and that's when the soldiers opened fire on the crowd.

Another, angrier protest took place after the funerals. Again people died.

This contextual account appears in a BBC report of the incident:

Earlier this month, US marines opened fire on angry demonstrators in the northern city of Mosul. Ten people are thought to have been killed in the incident.

US forces first denied responsibility for the killings, but later admitted they did shoot and kill a number of Iraqis during the protest.

http://radio.indymedia.org:8000/ecr-lo.mp3

and Enemycombatantradio.net

I was able to listen to all the testimony, see much of it in direct video transmission using Quicktime.

What I heard was a million times more shocking than I have ever heard before, and I am fairly well educated on what has been happening.

The descriptions by eye-witnesses from Fallujah was so shocking. It was the 82 Airborne Division where Bush is talking today that were responsible for the major atrocities in Fallujah!! Their actions could be described as nothing better than animals - and I hope all of you do not blindly still cry out "We support our troops to do this!""

By all means support your troops but do not support those who claim to be your troops and behave like animals - the 82 Airborne Division being the prime example.

Jacob Matthan
http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com
Oulu, Finland