Leave Iraq in peace -– support the legitimate popular resistance

10/08/2005

Programme & Speakers of the International Conference

Chianciano, Italy, 1-2 October 2005
(preliminary)

Presidency:
Jaime BALLESTEROS, Organization of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa & Latin America OSPAAAL
John CATALINOTTO, International Action Centre, USA
Manolis ARKOLAKIS, International League of People´s Struggle ILPS
Jean-Pierre PAGE, First Int´l Conference for the Support of the Resistance of the Iraqi People
Leonardo MAZZEI, Secretary Italian Free Iraq Committees
Wilhelm LANGTHALER, Ant-imperialist Camp

1st session: American Empire and the Greater Middle East
Saturday Oct 1, 10 am – 1 pm

Session presidency: Jaime BALLESTEROS

1) Wilhelm LANGTHALER, Introduction
2) Domenico LOSURDO, Italian philosopher: The US imperial drive
3) Samir AMIN, professor for economy in Dakar, Forum Third World: Economic interests in the occupation of Iraq
4) Haluk GERGER, political scientist and journalist from Turkey: The Greater Middle East of US design
5) Jose Maria SISON, International League of People´s Struggle ILPS (by phone): The paradigm of "terrorism"

2nd session: Voices from inside – the Resistance continues
Saturday Oct 1, 2,30 -- 6,00 pm

Session presidency: Manolis ARKOLAKIS

1) Ayatollah Sheikh Jawad al KHALESI, leader of the Iraqi National Foundation Congress: the election farce and the puppet regime
2) Ayatollah Sheikh Ahmed al BAGHDADI: the US attempt to confessional strive and the Iraqi response
3) Salah al MUKHTAR, former Iraqi ambassador to India: the prospect of the Resistance
4) Sheikh Hassan al ZARGANI, international spokesman of the movement of Muqtada al Sadr: The contribution of the urban poor to the Iraqi Resistance
5) Awni al KALEMJI, spokesman of the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance: towards the political front of the Resistance
6) Ahmed KARIM, Iraqi Patriotic communist of Kurdish origin: the Kurdish question and the Resistance
7) Mohamad FARIS, Iraqi Patriotic communist: the tragedy of the Iraqi communist movement
8) Abdulhaleem KANDIL, representative of Kifaya (Egypt): Mubarak´s regime as pillar of the US regional design
9) Ahmed SAADAT, General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (by phone): occupation of Palestine and Iraq – one enemy, one struggle

3rd session: The legitimacy of the Iraq Resistance and historic precedents
Saturday Oct 1, 6,30 -- 8,30 pm

Session presidency: John CATALINOTTO

1) Aldo BERNARDINI, Italian professor for international law: Occupation – breach of international law
2) Gianni VATTIMO, Italian philosopher: The anti-Fascist and the anti-American Resistance
3) Tariq RAMADAN, Islamic scholar: European Islam and the Iraq Resistance
4) Ben BELLA, Former President and Prime Minister of Algeria: The Algerian liberation struggle as example for Iraq
5) Ibrahim al KUBAYSI, brother of the kidnapped secretary of the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance (IPA): Abu Ghraib and the political prisoners of Iraq
6) Ashraf BAYOUMY, Former Head of the Observation Unit of the World Food Program in Iraq: triple genocide – embargo, depleted uranium, Falluja

After dinner: Meeting of the Coordination Committee

4th session: Debate on the anti-war movement and the support to the Iraqi Resistance
Sunday, Oct 2, Sunday: 10 am – 1 pm, 2,30 pm – 5 pm

Session presidency: Jean-Pierre PAGE

1) Subhi TOMA, Iraqi sociologist living in France: The ambiguous role of the European powers and the shortcomings of the anti-war movement
2) John CATALINOTTO, International Action Centre, USA: The US anti-war movement and the impact of the Iraqi Resistance on the US army
3) Costanzo PREVE, Italian philosopher: European centre left and its "soft" support for the occupation
4) Hamza PICCARDO, National Secretary of the Union of Islamic Communities of Italy: The anti-war movement and the crusade against Islam
5) Jan MYRDAL, Swedish author: From anti-globalisation to anti-imperialism
6) Silas CERQUERIA, university professor in Portugal
7) Leonardo MAZZEI, Conclusions

Note:
- Speaking time each 15 minutes.
- Languages of the conference are Arabic, English and Italian provided in simultaneous translation.
- The topical assignments are proposals by the organising committee and are due to confirmation with the orators.