Press Release by the Spanish Campaign Against Occupation and for the Sovergenty of Iraq (CEOSI)
15th August, 2005
Last 26th June, 44 members of the US Congress (all of them but one Republicans) sent a setter to the Italian Ambassador in Washington, Sergio Vento, in which they were accusing the Anti-Iperialist Camp (AIC) of being "[……] part of an international network for founding terrorism" [1]. The existence of this document was published by US News in its edition of 27th July [2]. AIC is an organization with presence in several European countries, between them, Italy.
In their letter, the members of the US Congress also warned that the Conference "In support of the Resistance and for a Just Peace in Iraq" previewed to be held in Rome next 1st and 2nd October [3] "[……] will be used to increment the additional founds for terror in Iraq". The letter to the Italian Ambassador in Washington starts with the following consideration:
"We are writing you to express our concern that supporters of terrorist activity are planning to meet in Italian soil in the near future to plan a campaign for financial aid for terrorism".
This meeting has been promoted by AIC and other international organizations and counts on the adhesion of the Spanish Campaign Against Occupation and for the Sovereignty of Iraq (CEOSI) [4], that has kept for years solid links with AIC. Last 4th August, AIC issued a communiquà© rejecting the content of the US Congress´s letter [5].
Refused Visas
There are signs that as consequence of the US pressions, the Italian Government has reconsidered its initial compromise of providing visas to entry Italy for the representatives of Iraqi and other Arab organizations and personalities that were previewed to participate in the Rome Conference. The Italian Embassy in Baghdad has already informed that it will not provide the visas due to a political decision taking by the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry.
In a letter of 15th August addressed to the Italian General Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Paolo Pucci di Benisichi and to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gianfranco Fini, the Italian committee of Iraqi Libero has requested to reconsider a decision that being supposedly taking by the direct pression of US, will not allow the Rome Conference to be celebrated, "[……] destroying an opportunity to contribute to a just peace in Iraq that respects the right of the Iraqi people to self-determination".
The CEOSI, affirming its full solidarity with AIC and endorsing the content of the referred letter of the Italian committee, expresses its rejection to the criminalizing considerations included in the letter of the US Congress members, imputations of which we feel also subject as platform that has endorsed in the Spanish State the call for the Rome Conference.
Legitimate interlocutors of CEOSI
Furthermore, the main part of the Iraqi delegates are interlocutors of CEOSI, both in Iraq and in Europe, with whom CEOSI has celebrated meetings and visits before and after the invasion of their country.
Between them, Ibrahim al-Kubaisy, bother of …‘Abdel Jabber al-Kubaisy, (General Secretary of the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance arrested by the US forces since September 2004), who visited Madrid in June, 2005 and was interlocutor of the CEOSI delegation in Iraq last April; the representatives in Europe of this political organization, between them, Awni al-Kalamji; the sheij al-Khalesi, General Secretary of the platform Iraqi National Foundational Congress, participant in the Barcelona Session of the World Tribunal on Iraq in May, 2005 and who hosted in Baghdad the CEOSI delegation while their visit to Iraq [6].
Truly, all of them represent clear positions against occupation and also represent the democratic aspirations of sovereignty and integration of the majority of the Iraqi people in front of the project of domination lead by US and its allies, a regressive project regarding basic rights (social and women rights) and of sectarian and confessional fragmentation, as the project of the transitorily constitution …—that today, 15th of August had to be presented…— will consecrate.
All of them defend as well the legitimate right of resisting civil and by military means an occupation that is illegal, a legitimate right that can not be waived; and also denounce and condemn clearly the indiscriminate and sectarian attacks that the Iraqi population suffers, completely alien as they are to the Iraqi Resistance and that pretend to encourage the internal confrontation and to justify the extension of the foreign tutelage on Iraq.
The Bush Administration faces since a long time ago the failure of its hegemonic domination project in Iraq, a factor due to the capacity or resistance, in all levels, of the Iraqi people. While confronting the inescapable fact of having to open soon or later a resolute dialogue with the Iraqi Resistance, US tries to prevent that the legitimate representation of the Iraqi people emerges publicly.
For all that, further of the concrete subjugation of the Italian Government to the dictates of US provided by the negative of giving visas, rejecting the right of expressing freely abroad to those legitimate interlocutors of the Iraqi people is, in any circumstance, a very serious political mistake that will make difficult without doubt, but will not impede, the future achievement of peace and full freedom for Iraq.
Spanish Campaign Against Occupation and for the Sovereignty of Iraq (CEOSI)
15th August, 2005
www.nodo50.org/iraq
References:
1.http://images.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050727/10euros.pdf.
2.http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050727/27natsec.htm.
3.http://www.iraqiresistante.info.
4.See in IraqSolidaridad: http://www.nodo50.org/iraq/2004-2005/docs/ceosi_14-04-05.html.
5.http://www.antiimperialista.org/es/view.shtml?category=16&id=1123443522&....
6.See in IraqSolidaridad artcles and chronics related in: www.nodo50.org/iraq.