by Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights AssociationAddameer welcomes the release of Abla Sa`adat, while 65 Palestinian women remain in Israeli prisons on International Women`s DayAddameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association welcomes the release of Mrs. `Abla Sa`adat, arrested on her way to the World Social Forum on 21 January 2003 and subsequently given a 4 month administrative detention order. She was released on the morning of 7 March 2003 and, just as her arrest, was not given a reason for her early release. However, as we also commemorate International Women`s Day today, we also remember the remaining 65 Palestinian female detainees currently being held by Israel in the Neveh Terzah section of Ramleh Prison. Of the 65 Palestinian women being detained, 10 are … [read more]

Discussions whether to protect civilian or strategic targetsSome hundred people from the Western world followed the call to serve as human shields in Iraq. As the US aggression is approaching there are intensive discussion among the participants about the scope and aim of the mission. As the group is highly heterogeneous it different opinions prevail.There is an important mainly Anglo-Saxon tendency which combines naïve pacifism with an overestimation of their own role. O´Keefe, ex-marine who apparently has kept the behaviour of American soldiers, is their protagonist trying to impose himself as leader of the entire movement. They retain that the human shields would be able to detain the US from attacking and that the war still can be averted. Therefore, according to them, the human … [read more]

BaghdadWe would like to inform the public that on Monday March 3rd 2003 an international group of 5 Human Shields composed of 2 Italians, 1 Sardinian, 1 British citizen and 1 Austrian have deployed to the Al-Mamoun Communication Centre in Baghdad. Important services located in this building such as post and telegraph which are of vital importance for the population. An air strike against this communication centre would endanger the lives of Iraqis as well as the international activists. The Human Shields at the Al-Mamoun Communication CentreBaghdad, March 5, … [read more]

We urgently call on all Human Shields coming to Iraq to bring with them many medications needed to treat children afflicted with leukemia as a result of the use of depleted uranium during the Gulf War and the continuous bombings. This weapons component becomes a long-lived radioactive dust upon use and attacks unborn children, when their mothers breathe this dust while pregnant. The medications needed to treat children are permitted under the U.N. 661 sanctions committee but cannot be obtained in a timely manner. Impediments and delays have been written into the procurement procedures, largely by the United States, so that when the medications are finally cleared for use the are already near or at their expiration date. Before the Gulf War 75% of Iraqi children were cured of leukemia by … [read more]

by Communist Workers Peasants Party, PakistanKarachi, Feb 28: A big rally was brought out in Karachi today against American aggressive war on Iraq under the smokescreen of "disarming Saddam Hussein". Thousands of people including women, children, students, writers, film and TV artists, journalists, social workers, doctors, lawyers and political activists, trade union workers and leaders participated in the demonstration for their venom against US imperialist design in the Middle East. The rally was organized by several organizations under the auspicious of Citizens Committee Against War, in which Communist Workers-Peasants Party, Pakistan (CMKP), Communist Party of Pakistan, Labor Party of Pakistan, National Workers Party, Pakistan People´s Party (Saheed Bhutto), Tehrek-e-Insaf, Irtiqa … [read more]

Interview with Ahmed Karim, National Democratic Communist Movement of IraqAuthorised interview with Ahmed Karim, leader of the National Democratic Communist Movement founded in 2001. Karim is of Kurdish origin and has been member of the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) since 1954. Most of his life he has been representative for the party in Eastern European countries leading the party´s radio broadcasting services.Q: How would you characterise the Iraqi Communist Party of today? The ICP is an opportunist party indirectly helping imperialism. Its leadership has switched sides and want the war in order to topple Saddam. But you cannot say that it has turned altogether into a reactionary force. The leadership is not prepared to guide the membership. They do not function as a party, they are not … [read more]

by James BrooksFebruary 12, 2001: In the war-ravaged neighborhoods of Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a barrage of collective punishment after soldiers were shot at by Palestinian gunmen. Machinegun fire and tank shells rained down on the refugee camps, a fusillade that lasted long into the night. But the Israeli army chose that afternoon to introduce a new and mysterious gas weapon to a defenceless population. To ensure its delivery, the soldiers fired the gas canisters into the streets, courtyards, and houses of the Khan Younis and Gharbi refugee camps.The people of Khan Younis are utterly familiar with teargas; their neighborhood has long been known as one of the most heavily teargassed areas in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). But … [read more]

The Islamic regime of Iran executed Sassan Al-kanan(m), aged 35, in the prison of Sanandaj , the capital of Kurdistan province on 19 February 2003. On 5 Jaunary 2003, Branch 1 of the Islamic"Revolutionary" Court in Sanandaj sentenced Sassan to death on various charges, including "acting against state security" and "supporting Komala Organisation. Sassan denied all the charges during interrogation and hearing. On 16 January , a well informed judicial official in Sanandaj announced that two armed members of Komala visited Sassan while they were in town. He added that they were about to be arrested but could run away by the help of Sassan and two of others.The sentence upheld by Supreme Court on 10 February 2003. Sassan was not given a chance to appeal and his lawyer was not informed about … [read more]

KMU News Release, February 22, 2003The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) today raised strong alarm on the imminent participation of US troops in direct combat operations against the ragtag kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and said that this could effect far more destruction on the Filipino people`s lives and the failing economy. The labor group also blamed the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government and her blatant patronage to the US-led war of aggression as the primary reason for the comprehensive deterioration of the country`s social conditions."KMU Secretary for Federation Affairs Joel Maglunsod strongly argued that Abu Sayyaf is not the real target of US military presence in the country. "The so-called pursuit operations against the ASG is just a grand cover-up … [read more]

On February 8 and 9 more than 200 Iraqi oppositionists gathered in Paris. Among them Baath break-away groups, numerous communists including the leader of the "National Democratic Communist Movement" founded in 2001, and also Kurdish and Islamic forces. They all share the view that facing the impending US aggression on their country it is necessary to be on the side of their country, to defend it. They are searching for national reconciliation without dropping their opposition to the Baghdad regime.By the end of last year a delegation of "Iraqi National Coalition" conducted talks with the authorities agreeing on a three point programme to be implemented from now on: preparations for a new constitution, a new party law providing for a multi party system and a new press law. The congress … [read more]

Joint appeal of the Iraqi Patriotic Opposition and the Anti-imperialist Camp to go to Iraq and to defend the countyThe US´ decision to attack Iraq has already been taken. The purpose of their "pre-emptive, permanent and global war on terror" is to secure their increasingly fragile predominance by smashing any possible opponent. Iraq is the current target as it has been refusing to subordinate to the American neo-colonial architecture of the Middle East. Neither did Iraq surrender the nationalised oil resources nor did it recognise Zionism. Others will follow.The US and its allies do not even bother to cover their real intentions. They cannot credibly claim any more "humanitarian" motives as they have been driving the devastating and unprecedented embargo bearing the responsibility for … [read more]

by FNPBI - National Front of Indonesian Workers struggleOn February 15, 200 protestors of Anti- imperialist front marched to oppose the possible US military attack on Iraq. This front consists of student organization, trade union, NGO and political party.The protestor gathered in front of Hotel Indonesia and started to move at 12.00 to the British embassy. Protestor carry the poster written " No blood for oil, no imperialism war´, Bush –Blair stop killing the baby for your neoliberal-globalisation war". In front of the British embassy one delegates from LMND (National student league for Democracy state on his speech that Blair has been support attack to secure its economic domination. The expensive war will cause the terrible prices of losing the live of the innocent … [read more]

Interview with Abdel Jabbaar Al-KubeisiInterview with Abdel Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi, chairman of the Iraqi National Coalition at the occasion of its third congress in Paris, February 9, 2003What is your position on the upcoming war against your country? We will take up arms and fight the US invaders by all means possible. What about your demand for democracy, will you drop it, will you renounce to your opposition to the regime of Saddam Hussein? Iraq needs democracy in peace and war and democratic reforms will even strengthen the readiness of the people to defend the county. However, we will subordinate our political conflict to the defence of your country. A defeat of the US will give us more possibilities.Will you return to your country before the war starts? Some of us have been in exile … [read more]

Thessaloniki Resistance 2003, 16/2/03On Saturday 15/2/03, huge demonstrations took place in 43 cities and towns in Greece. In Athens, more than 150,000 people marched from the Parliament Building to the American Embassy. In Thessaloniki, more than 25,000 marched towards the American Consulate. Thousands of people in the four main cities of the island of Crete demanded the closure of the American naval base of Souda. In Larissa (Central Greece), thousands of demonstrators marched towards South East NATO HQ.The demonstrators shouted slogans against the forthcoming war prepared by USA and in solidarity to Iraqi and Palestinian peoples. The slogans were also against the Greek government which allows USA to use the military bases for attacks against Iraq. On Friday 14/2, civil servants were on … [read more]

A Theoretical Document Presented to the Third Congress of The Iraqi National Coalition Conference Polarization forced on Iraq, the Arab and the South countries, sundry challenges, like, on the top of them, facing the American singularity and the increasing tendencies for dominating the world and trifling with the destinies of peoples and their social and economic choices. In the frame of these tendencies, stark fascistic and hostile policies against the rights and dreams of (non-American) peoples around the world, have been increasing within the successive American administrations since the collapse of the former Soviet Union. In this context, globalization seems to mean, in a certain way, a manner of Americanizing the world; and its mottoes have been used to pass ideas, programs and … [read more]

By Harsh ThakorThe following is a description of the people´s movement during the Khalistani period. It narrates how the State uses communalism and how only democratic forces can combat it. To democratic forces the world over the period of the Khalistani movement and the secular democratic resistance is a lesson.The Khalistani movement marked a historic epic in the history of post-Independent India. This reactionary communal fascist movement advocated the liberation of Sikhs and a separate state to be carved out for the Sikh people. Khalistani ideology advocated a separate theocratic state based on all the tenets of Sikhism.Jagjit Singh Chauhan was the founder of this movement in the late 60´s abroad. Natively from Punjab he had settled abroad and in Britain formed Sikh religious groups … [read more]

Press ReleaseThe Iraqi National Coalition has ended its third conference held in Paris in the period between the seventh and the ninth of February 2003, under the motto " National Reconcilement and democracy: Our Way to Resist and Defeat the American Aggression". Two hundred and thirty agents from the national Iraqi opposition parties, organizations, powers and figures, and a great number of representatives of Arab political parties and figures from Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Tunis, Algeria and Morocco have attended the conference. Moreover, many foreign political figures from Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Britain and France have attended the conference as well. During the conference, several foreign and Arab political figures talked and commended the … [read more]

StatementThe delegation of The Iraqi National Coalition, headed by Mr. Abdel Jabbaar Al-Kubeisi, the president of the Coalition, and accompanied by the members: Aouni Al-Qalamchi, the Coalition´s official spokesman; Fadhil Al-Rubaiee, the media spokesman; Dr. Muhamad Jawad Faris; Labied Abdel Aziz; and Amir Al-Tharb, visited Baghdad after receiving an official invitation from the political leadership. During the period from 11-11-2002 to 18-12-2002, the delegation discussed several issues with high-ranked officials in Baghdad, concerning the national political work, democracy, and diverse-political-life regulating rules. The American-Zionist threats, of a devastating war against our country and people, and what one may need to resist these threats and enforce the national unity, headed … [read more]

by Addameer, 6 February 2003On Thursday 30 January 2003, after an 8-day hunger strike in protest of their conditions of detention, Palestinian female detainees `Abla Sa`adat and Iman Abu Farah were transferred to Ramleh Prison within Israel`s 1948 borders. The transfer took place after the judicial review of their administrative detention orders, and it was understood that they would be transferred to a section of Ramleh Prison specifically for female political detainees.However, on Tuesday 4 February 2003, when Addameer`s lawyer Mahmoud Hassan attempted to visit the two women, he was not only harassed by the prison authorities, but also discovered that the women were in fact being held in a section of Ramleh Prison with Israeli female criminal prisoners. Advocate Hassan was searched … [read more]

Congress of the Iraqi National CoalitionOn February 8 and 9 the congress of the Iraqi National Coalition will take place in Paris. About two hundred delegates are expected to represent the following components of this patriotic opposition:1. opposition wing of the Arab Baath Socialist Party, 2. Socialist Unity Party (of Nasserite orientation), 3. Arab Labour Party (Arab Nationalist - Marxist), 4. Arab Socialist Movement (remainder of the Arab Nationalists` Movement, mostly inclined to Marxism), 5. Kurdish Islamic Army, 6. Kurdistan Peace Party (an elite of Kurdish intellectuals and journalists), 7. patriotic current in the Iraqi Communist Party, 8. independent political and intellectual figuresIn a statement released on February 3 Abd al-Jabbar al-Kubaysi, the leader of the coalition, … [read more]