[Peace-discussion] My report to the New York State Green Party on the December 12th conference call

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:04:49 +0000

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In a December 12, 2007, United For Peace and Justice conference call in which the author participated, he listened to the first-hand testimony of Raed Jarrar and Noah Baker Merrill who spent five months with Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan. Jarrar is the Iraq Project Director for Global Exchange that builds people-to-people ties by organizing against war and sweatshops. Merrrill is a lifelong Quaker who coordinates the Direct Aid Iniative (DAI), a project of the Electronic Iraq news and analysis web site that provides crucial medical care to displaced Iraqis.  
Jarrar noted that over four millions Iraqis have either fled to safety in Syria (1.5 million or 1 in 9 of the Syrian population) or Jordan (750, 000 or 1 in 7 of the Jordanian population) or have been internally displaced (2.2 million) mainly by U.S. bombing.  This led him to observe that any comprehensive solution must recognize that the entire crisis was precipitated by the U.S. led war and occupation. This must be acknowledged.  Displaced Iraqis want to go home. They do not want to come to the United States. The argument that if the U.S. were to withdraw, there would be a bloodbath is absurd, as was demonstrated by the Vietnam War’s aftermath when the same argument was employed, and disproven. What is described as sectarian violence between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds is essentially a conflict between those who are for the occupation and those who are against. In this respect it is similar to the U.S. Civil War.  The major difference is that the United States was not under foreign
 occupation, unlike today’s Iraq.  In the current conflict, Washington is taking the side of those who are seeking to secede from the country and is actively engaged in ethnic cleansing along with the current Iraqi executive branch.  Indeed, the current leaders of Iraq comprises a separatist government that is carrying out legislative actions through the executive and which follows an agenda of U.S. occupation, establishment of permanent military bases, and  privatization of Iraq oil.  “At best, the current Iraq government is a failed state; and at worst, a criminal state.”  Somewhere between 80 to 90% of the Iraqi people want the immediate withdrawl of U.S. troops.   
Merrill began by pointing out that the displacement crisis was one dimension of “a humanitarian catastrophe.”  There is also the “total collapse” of basic security, health care and education.  Diseases that were absent under Saddam Hussein have returned in full force. The Mosul dam has been designated as the most dangerous dam in the world.  If is breaks, a wall of water fifteen feet high would hit Baghdad and kill 500 thousand people.  South of Baghdad, the Euphrates River is so polluted with dead bodies that a fatwa has been issued against eating the sacred carp.  The suffering of people in walled-off neighborhoods thanks to the U.S. “surge” is intense.  People are starving to death.  The United Nations has determined that 8 million Iraqis are in need of emergency assistance such as clean water.  Cholera, formerly extinct, has returned with the U.S. occupation.  The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees has counted 2.4 million internally displaced Iraqis and 2.2 million ou
tside of the country out of a total population of 25 to 27 million people, depending on how many have died since the U.S. invasion.   From 2003 to 2005, the U.S. accepted 20 Iraq refugees, in 2006—100, and this year—1,500. The only nation that recognizes the refugee status of Iraqis is Iran.   
Before March 2003, 97% of the population had access to free universal health care.  Now there are open sewers and only 16% have access to water supplies that are not contaminated.  The U.S. has issued twice new passports to Iraqis.  Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel-Prize winning Columbia University economist, has determined that Washington is spending $720 per day on the war in Iraq, but only $200 million per year on the refugees.
In response to a question from me, Merrill said that the number of Iraqis killed so far ranges from Lancet’s estimate which has the number at over a million now, down to the most conservative estimate of 650, 000.  Lancet is the oldest peer-reviewed medical journal on the planet. 
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In a December 12, 2007, United For Peace and Justice conference call in which the author participated, he listened to the first-hand testimony of Raed Jarrar and Noah Baker Merrill who spent five months with Iraqi refugees in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Jordan</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Jarrar is the Iraq Project Director for Global Exchange that builds people-to-people ties by organizing against war and sweatshops. Merrrill is a lifelong Quaker who coordinates the Direct Aid Iniative (DAI), a project of the Electronic Iraq news and analysis web site that provides crucial medical care to displaced Iraqis.&nbsp; <?xml:n
amespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Jarrar noted that over four millions Iraqis have either fled to safety in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Syria</st1:country-region> (1.5 million or 1 in 9 of the Syrian population) or <st1:country-region w:st="on">Jordan</st1:country-region> (750, 000 or 1 in 7 of the Jordanian population) or have been internally displaced (2.2 million) mainly by <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> bombing.&nbsp; This led him to observe that any comprehensive solution must recognize that the entire crisis was precipitated by the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> led war and occupation. This must be acknowledged.&nbsp; Displaced Iraqis want to go home. They do not want to come to the <st1:country-region 
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The argument that if the U.S. were to withdraw, there would be a bloodbath is absurd, as was demonstrated by the Vietnam War’s aftermath when the same argument was employed, and disproven. What is described as sectarian violence between Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds is essentially a conflict between those who are for the occupation and those who are against. In this respect it is similar to the U.S. Civil War.&nbsp; The major difference is that the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region> was not under foreign occupation, unlike today’s <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>.&nbsp; In the current conflict, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:State> is taking the side of those who are seeking to secede from the country and is 
actively engaged in ethnic cleansing along with the current Iraqi executive branch.&nbsp; Indeed, the current leaders of Iraq comprises a separatist government that is carrying out legislative actions through the executive and which follows an agenda of U.S. occupation, establishment of permanent military bases, and&nbsp; privatization of Iraq oil. &nbsp;“At best, the current <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> government is a failed state; and at worst, a criminal state.”&nbsp; Somewhere between 80 to 90% of the Iraqi people want the immediate withdrawl of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> troops.&nbsp; &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Merrill began by pointing out that the displacement crisis was one dimension of “a humanitarian catastrophe.”&nbsp; There is also the “total collapse” of basic security, health care and education.&nbsp; Diseases that were absent under Saddam Hussein have returned in full force. The <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mosul</st1:place></st1:City> dam has been designated as the most dangerous dam in the world.&nbsp; If is breaks, a wall of water fifteen feet high would hit <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baghdad</st1:place></st1:City> and kill 500 thousand people.&nbsp; South of Baghdad, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Euphrates</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:Place
Type></st1:place> is so polluted with dead bodies that a fatwa has been issued against eating the sacred carp.&nbsp; The suffering of people in walled-off neighborhoods thanks to the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> “surge” is intense.&nbsp; People are starving to death.&nbsp; The United Nations has determined that 8 million Iraqis are in need of emergency assistance such as clean water.&nbsp; Cholera, formerly extinct, has returned with the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> occupation.&nbsp; The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees has counted 2.4 million internally displaced Iraqis and 2.2 million outside of the country out of a 
total population of 25 to 27 million people, depending on how many have died since the U.S. invasion.&nbsp;&nbsp; From 2003 to 2005, the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> accepted 20 <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> refugees, in 2006—100, and this year—1,500. The only nation that recognizes the refugee status of Iraqis is <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Iran</st1:country-region></st1:place>.&nbsp; &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Before March 2003, 97% of the population had access to free universal health care.&nbsp; Now there are open sewers and only 16% have access to water supplies that are not contaminated.&nbsp; The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> has issued twice new passports to Iraqis.&nbsp; Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel-Prize winning <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Columbia</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> economist, has determined that <st1:State w:st="on">Washington</st1:State> is spending $720 per day on the war in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region></st1:plac
e>, but only $200 million per year on the refugees.<o:p></o:p>In response to a question from me, Merrill said that the number of Iraqis killed so far ranges from Lancet’s estimate which has the number at over a million now, down to the most conservative estimate of 650, 000. &nbsp;Lancet is the oldest peer-reviewed medical journal on the planet. </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>

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