Home > World Wide Petition against the Escalation in Iraq: An initiative of the (...)

World Wide Petition against the Escalation in Iraq: An initiative of the BRussells tribunal endorsed

by Open-Publishing - Friday 5 November 2004
27 comments

Demos-Actions Wars and conflicts Justice International Europe

Prof. Jean Bricmont, a Belgian scientist, specialist in theoretical physics, and author on politics, who was member of the prosecution at the BRussells Tribunal, has written a short but strong statement "Stop the escalation" (see the text after this message, in English, French and Dutch). It has been signed already by several distinguished people (see underneath).

We feel that we can’t wait any longer to do something. We hope that you and/or your organisation will sign this letter, giving the call of prof Bricmont the resonance it deserves and he aimed at in writing it.

Now that we know, since the evening of 28th of October 2004, from an article in the Lancet, based on a survey by Johns Hopkins University that 100.000 Iraqi’s died in the war, we feel this petition is urgent, so we send it out now.

We hope you join us in our outcry over the ongoing massacres by signing this petition against the escalation.

Yours in struggle for peace.

Prof.Lieven De Cauter, Dirk Adriaensens, Hana Al Bayaty and Patrick Deboosere,
on behalf of the B Russell s Tribunal committee.( www.brusselstribunal.org )
with full support of the the World Tribunal on Iraq ( www.worldtribunal.org ) of which the BRussells tribunal Committee is part.

STOP THE ESCALATION

"Excluding information from Falluja, a Lancet report of october 29 estimates that 100,000 more Iraqis died than would have been expected had the invasion not occurred. Eighty-four percent of the deaths were reported to be caused by the actions of Coalition forces and 95 percent of those deaths were due to air strikes and artillery." (Reuters, October 28, 2004)

Far from being over, the war in Iraq has only begun. The United States do not seem to be able to defeat the Iraqi resistance with the means they have been using. But neither can they accept their setbacks. The very arrogance with which the war was declared and waged has put all their prestige at stake in Iraq and, thereby, decades of efforts to assure their world domination. The stakes are even greater than in the Vietnam war. The United States cannot get out of Iraq unless they leave behind a friendly government, but today they have so few friends in that part of the world that no democratic election can produce such a government.

As a result, one must seriously anticipate a military escalation after the elections — immediately in case Bush is returned to office, perhaps more gradually should Kerry win. But the Democratic candidate has no more intention than Bush of withdrawing from Iraq . The U.S. government will seek to defeat the resistance by all possible means. The effort is already underway to demonize the resistance in world opinion by associating it with abductions and murders condemned by virtually the whole spectrum of political organizations in the Arab world.

We demand that the United States face up to reality, unconditionally withdraw their troops from Iraq , and draw the necessary conclusions as to the unacceptable nature of preventive war. It is an illusion to ask that the U.S. forces remain until Iraq is pacified or stabilized, because their very presence is so hated that it constitutes the main obstacle to any sort of pacification.

Meanwhile, we affirm that we shall oppose by all peaceful and legal methods every attempt to crush the Iraqi resistance by a military escalation such as was attempted during the Vietnam war. We call on all governments to grant asylum to American military personnel refusing to serve in Iraq . We shall do our best to spread all available information to counter the war propaganda, and we shall try to mobilize world public opinion, as in 2002, to demand that the United States abandon their efforts to impose a military solution on Iraq .

CONTRE L’ESCALADE

"excluant information sur Falluja, un rapport publié par The Lancet le 29 octobre estime que 100.000 Irakiens de plus ont mouru que expecté si l’invasion n’aurait pas eu lieu. 84 pourcent des morts sont rapporté d’être due aux actions des forces de la coalition et 95 de ces morts sont du a des attaques aeriens et d’ artillerie " (Reuters, October 28, 2004)

Loin d’être finie, la guerre en Irak ne fait que commencer. Les États-Unis ne semblent pas arriver à vaincre la résistance irakienne avec les moyens qu’ils utilisent. Mais ils ne peuvent pas non plus reculer: l’arrogance même avec laquelle la guerre a été déclarée et menée fait en sorte que tout leur prestige est en jeu en Irak et, avec lui, des décennies d’efforts visant à la domination du monde. L’enjeu pour eux est encore plus considérable que lors de la guerre du Viêt-Nam. Les États-Unis ne peuvent quitter l’Irak qu’en laissant derrière eux un gouvernement ami, mais ils n’ont aujourd’hui que très peu d’amis dans cette partie du monde et aucune élection démocratique ne pourra produire un tel gouvernement.

Par conséquent, il faut sérieusement s’attendre à une escalade militaire après les élections. Immédiatement si Bush est élu, plus lentement peut-être si c’est Kerry. Mais celui-ci n’a, pas plus que Bush, la volonté de se retirer d’Irak. Ils chercheront à vaincre la résistance par tous les moyens. On tente déjà de démoniser celle-ci dans l’opinion publique mondiale en l’associant à des enlèvements et des assassinats condamnés par la quasi-totalité des organisations politiques du monde arabe.

Nous demandons que les États-Unis fassent preuve de réalisme, retirent leurs troupes d’Irak sans condition, et en tirent les conclusions qui s’imposent concernant le caractère inaceptable des guerres préventives. Il est illusoire de demander que leurs forces armées restent jusqu’à ce que l’Irak soit pacifié ou stabilisé, parce que leur présence est tellement détestée qu’elle constitue le principal obstacle à toute pacification. En attendant, nous affirmons que nous nous opposerons par tous les moyens pacifiques et légaux à toute tentative d’écraser la résistance irakienne par une escalade militaire, comme cela a été tenté lors de la guerre du Viêt-Nam. Nous demandons que tous les gouvernements accordent l’asile politique aux déserteurs américains. Nous nous efforcerons de diffuser toutes les informations permettant de contrer la propagande de guerre et nous tenterons de mobiliser l’opinion publique mondiale, comme en 2002, afin d’exiger que les États-Unis renoncent à chercher une solution militaire à la situation en Irak.

TEGEN DE ESCALATIE

“ Met uitsluiting van cijfers uit fallaja, een rapport gepubliceerd in The Lancet van 29 oktober stelt dat naar schatting 100.000 Irakezen meer zijn omgekomen dan het geval zou geweest zijn indien de invasie niet had plaats gevonden. 84 % van deze doden zouden volgens het rapport veroorzaakt zijn door acties van de coalitie troepen en 95 % ervan zijn te wijten aan luchtaanvallen en artillerie. “(Reuters, October 28, 2004)

De oorlog in Iraq is verre van voorbij. Hij is pas begonnen. De Verenigde Staten schijnen er niet in te slagen het Iraaks verzet te overwinnen met de middelen die zij nu inzetten. Maar ze kunen evenmin terug: de arrogantie waarmee de oorlog werd verklaard en gevoerd maakt dat hun prestige op het spel staat in Irak en daarmee ook decennia van pogingen tot werelddominantie. De inzet is groter dan in de oorlog in Vietnam. De Verenigde Staten kunnen Irak slechts verlaten als ze er een bevriende regering kunnen achterlaten, maar ze hebben in dit deel van de wereld vandaag de dag erg weinig vrienden en geen enkele democratische verkiezing kan een dergelijke regering voortbrengen.

Dus moet men zich verwachten aan een militaire escalatie na de verkiezingen. Onmiddellijk indien Bush wordt verkozen, iets trager misschien indien het Kerry wordt. Maar deze heeft, evenmin als Bush, de wil om zich uit Irak terug te trekken. Ze zullen proberen het verzet te overwinnen met alle mogelijke middelen. Men is reeds bezig om het verzet te demoniseren in de ogen van de publieke wereldopinie door het in verband te brengen met ontvoeringen en mooden die door zowat alle politieke organisaties van de Arabische wereld worden veroordeeld.

Wij vragen dat de Verenigde Staten zich realistisch opstellen, hun troepen onvoorwaardelijk terugtrekken en conclusies trekken omtrent het onaanvaardbare karakter van preventieve oorlogen. Het is een illusie om te vragen dat hun troepen blijven tot Irak zou zijn gepacificeerd of gestabiliseerd, omdat hun aanwezigheid zo erg verafschuwd wordt dat ze het belangrijkste obstakel vormt voor elke pacificatie.

In afwachting, bevestigen wij dat wij ons met alle vreedzame en legale middelen zullen verzetten tegen elke poging om het Iraaks verzet te breken door een militaire escalatie, zoals dat eertijds geprobeerd werd in Vietnam. Wij vragen dat alle regeringen politiek asiel toekennen aan Amerikaanse deserteurs. Wij zullen ons inspannen om alle informatie te verspreiden om de oorlogspropaganda tegen te gaan. En wij zullen proberen om de publieke opinie van de wereld te mobiliseren, zoals in 2002, om te eisen dat de Verenigde staten afzien van een militaire oplossing van de situatie in Irak.

First provisional list of signatories (30.10.04)

Noam Chomsky, author, USA
Jean Bricmont, prof. of theoretical physics and political publicist, writer of this petition, Belgium
Lieven De Cauter, prof of philosophy, Belgium
Patrick Deboosere, demographer, Belgium
Hana Al Bayaty, film maker, Iraq/France
Dirk Adriaensens, SOS Iraq , Belgium
Ayse Berktay, WTI organiser, Turkey
Abdul Ilah Al Bayaty, author, Iraq/France
Haifa Zangana, Iraqi-Kurdish novelist and journalist, Irak/UK
Ahmedzaib Khan Mahsud, Architect / Planner, Doctoral candidate, K. U. Leuven
Dr.Haithem Alshaibani, Prof. of Physics, UAE
tareq aldelaimi, writer and political activist, Iraq
Salah Omar Al Ali, Chief Editor of Al Wifaq Al Democraty, Iraq
Ed Herman, Professor Emeritus of Finance, Pennsylvania , economist and media analyst, USA
Michael Parenti, author, USA
William Blum, author of books on US foreign policy, Washington , DC
Richard Plunz, professor urban design, New York
Pierre Galand , Senator , Belgium
Karen Parker, attorney, USA
Amy Bartholomew, Law professor, Canada
Tom Barry, Policy Director, Interhemispheric Resource Center (IRC) , USA
John Saxe-Fernández, Professor, Mexico
Joachim Guilliard, journalist, Germany
Alkan Kabakcioglu, Posdoctoral Fellow in Physics, University of Padova , Padova , ITALY
Erik Swyngedouw, prof of social geography, Oxford
Ur Shlonsky, Professor Geneva , Switzerland
Xavier Bekaert, theoretical physicist, Paris
Nicolas Boulanger, Chercheur en Physique Théorique, Belgium
Bruno Vitale, physicist, Geneva ( Switzerland )
Biju Mathew, Professor, USA
Anton Regenberg, former director of the Brussels Goethe Institute
Anthony Alessandrini, New York University Students for Justice in Palestine , USA
Ayca Cubukcu, Ph.D. student, Columbia University , WTI- New York organizer, New York
Madiha Tahir, student and activist, USA
Rania Jawad, Graduate Student, New York City
Gizem Arikan, Graduate Student, USA
Stephanie Schwartz, New York , NY
Ozlem Altiok, Peace Action of Denton , Texas , USA
Obie Hunt, therapy aide Manhattan Psychiatric Center , USA
Pierre Py, Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse
Janine Tillmann Py, Switserland
Silvia Cattori, Journaliste, Suisse
Adriana Hernandez Alarcon Mexico Doctor, member and founder of the organization "Not in Our Name México"
Aracely Cortes Galan Mexico , member and founder of the organization "Not in Our Name México"
Federico Campbell, México, Journalist, member and founder of the organization "Not in Our Name México"
Ramsés Ancira, México, Jorunalist, member of "Not In Our Name Mexico"·
Rosa García, México, member and founder of of the organization "Not in Our Name México"
Gabriel Perez Rendon Mexico Doctor, member and founder of the organization "Not in Our Name México"
Annelies De Backer , Belgium
Griet Boddez, director’s secretary, Belgium
Ariella Masboungi, Architect and urbanist, France
Stefan Boeykens, Architect-Engineer, Leuven, Belgium
Paul Blondeel, urban research and consultancy, Amsterdam
Daniela Peluso, Anthropologist, Canterbury , UK
Erling Fidjestøl, social worker, Norway
Kaat Boon, civil engineer architect, Brussels
Elise Christensen, Peace Council , Norway
Catherine Denis, Médecin généraliste, Belgium
Simten Cosar, Ankara , Turkey
Enrique Ferro, Peace Activist, Brussels
Behcet Akalin, Istanbul-Turkey, IT Director
Saul Landau, journalist, USA
Roland Marounek, programmer, Stop.USA, Brussels

I Sign the Petition!

Send a mail to InfoATBrusselstribunalDOTorg
with "I sign"
mentionning your name, profession, country,
and organisation if needed

Forum posts

  • Americans are doing a great Job In IRAQ is will contribute to democratisation of the entire middleeast lets Support USA and new iraqi government instead critisizing them...Sadam has killed 100,000 Kurds only in anfal campagn using chemical weapon plus killed similar number from shia arabs of south Iraq this and also lead to death of 1 million people in both Iran -Iraq and Golf war.. The only person to be blamed for this £100,000 death is Sadam husain as he could have left Iraq peacefully.

    • Turkey has killed and persecuted more Kurds than Iraq but USA ignores this (we have bases and Mcdonalds there and they jump when we say jump). During Iran/Iraq war we kept both sides equally armed to prolong the conflict (ask Rumsfeld). If we’re talking about foreign powers killing people -how about good ’ole USA -since 1945 min. no killed by Uncle Sam 10,500,000 and max killed 17,500,000. You don’t hear this on Fox or ABC.

    • It is sad and disgusting that Americans feel they have the right to go any where and kill people in their own countries in the name of "American Interest".

    • AMERICANS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB IN IRAQ? TALK ABOUT HYPOCRACY AT IT’S BEST. AMERICA HAS BROUGHT SHAMEW UPON THE WESTERN WORLD BY IT’S INHUMANE ACTIONS AGAINST AN INNOCENT NATION . IT’S LEADERS SHOULD BE UP ON CRIMINAL CHARGES. THEY WHERE THE ONES WHO SUPPORTED SADDAM WHEN THE APARENT PROBLEM WITH THE KURDS WAS TAKEN CARE OFF. THEY SUPPLIED THE WEAPONS AND TACTICAL SUPPORT. AMERICA IS NOT A DEMOCRACY BUT A DOCTRINE OF GREED AND EVIL. IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWL, REPAIR OF ALL DAMAGE DONE WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP TO SHOW THE WORLD SOME GOOD WILL. WE ALL NEED TO AVOID SUPPORTING THE BUSH REGIME BY REFUSING TO BUY ANYTHING THAT IS MADE IN USA. HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS THE MOST. ECONOMY. INITIALIZING WARS TO BOLSTER A CHOSEN FEW’S BANKACCOUNTS IS GETTING MIXED UP WIT PATRIOTISM.

    • I am an American. I detest what my government feels it is allowed to do to the rest of the world. Why is it that they feel that democracy, as the United States practises it, is the only acceptable form of government? Who are they to force this puritanical belief that the US is some light of glory that will illuminate the dark heathen corners of the world? Change must come from within a society. When one tells a community what to believe and how to manifest that belief it is usually called oppression. We here are so lazy and so afraid of not being the most civilised, the most advanced, the best, that we stand staunch against even logic and reason. Just so we can remain correct. I am proud to be a human, not an American.

    • Hmmm. You detest the US government for fighting for democracy. I wonder if you have the same detestation for Hussein and his dictatorship that has caused havoc and oppression.

    • What is a democracy that need to be imposed by force ?

    • BTW, it should be clear by now that the USA is less fighting for democracy than for OIL ! Ask Halliburton, ask Cheney.

      As for democracy nation building, history tells another story.

    • Hmmm, democracy imposed by force or a dictatorship. Which one should I take? One choice gives me a structure where I have representation in government and the other choice is a guy trying to kill me if I don’t do what he says. You know this is an easy call for me. I’ll take the democracy, as messy as it is to set up any time. I think the afghanis who just voted would thoroughly agree with me. I bet you the iraquis will feel the same come January. Since you prefer a dictatorship, I believe that kind of government is currently being enjoyed by the good people of Zimbabwe. I urge you to emigrate there and be happy.

    • Well, you should ask the iraqis themselves about that!
      ask them what most of them really think about bush, the coalition, the anti-war people and countries.
      you will be ashamed!
      And don’t speak anymore for them.

      http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

      http://messopotamian.blogspot.com/

      http://hammorabi.blogspot.com/

      http://www.roadofanation.com/

    • Well it is working..the worldwide boycott of American made anything...and our economy is plummeting....our trade deficit is at an all time high and the dollar has just dropped to all time lows against other major currencies. While we are busy worring about the gays, and imposing our "values" on others, the other countries of the world are reaping the values of good products and investment in their own economies and infrastructure. And they can hardly contain their glee as we self destruct. As we are tearing down what used to be the world’s largest economy, the communists are winning all as it turns out. China has a 15% annual growth rate and they have nuclear weapons so we can’t do an Iraq number on them. I guess the cold war was lost by us while we slept and are sleeping......

    • Are all of these phony web sites? They must be as most Iraqi people do not have computers and the USA is so busy installing the same propaganda machine we have here in Iraq, they have a t.v. propaganda station and a radio propaganda (Rush Limbaugh and Shawn Hannity and Laura Ingrams and Mike Savage are the regular programing) station, so how can we be sure these websites are not just phony US propaganda sites?

  • Frankly, I am suspicious of that 100,000 body count and I think it is a number prone to exaggeration and inflated to get the maximum amount of sympathy. Second, how do they know that the people who have died are civilians? Since these are terrorist insurgents that are fighting, they are not dressed any differently from the population.

    Also, the US military is doing a great job of killing these terrorists. The more the better. These terrorist have resorted to killing regular Iraquis attempting to normalize the country because they are losing. The military has bent over backwards trying to accommodate Allawi and his negotiations. However, every time they broker a surrender from a tight spot, they leave with their weapons only to settle in another city, like cockroaches to food droppings, and create havoc for the general population.

    If these europeans were really concerned, they would have tried to get him out earlier instead of letting 12 years and 17 resolutions go by during which hundreds of thousands of Iraquis have been killed by Hussein. If europeans really cared, their governments would not have let their resentment against Bush prevent them from acting to help people instead of worry about helping Bush politically. If Chirac and his ilk really cared, they wouldn’t have stolen food from the mouths of Iraquis by accepting the food for oil vouchers and lined their pockets with even more money. You are all just a bunch of hypocrites.

    • If you want to know the methodology used to estimate those 100,000 deaths
      – http://image.thelancet.com/extras/04art10342web.pdf

      Want to see who are some of the targeted ’terrorists’ ?
      – http://www.thefourreasons.org/victimsofwar.htm
      – http://www.robert-fisk.com/iraqwarvictims_mar2003.htm
      – http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2004/11/82324.php (Warning: explicit images of violence)

      God Bless Am... The World, but will God forgive George W Bush ?

      Ready to sign ? World wide petition against the escalation in Iraq

    • No, I don’t want to sign. The study interviewed 33 clusters of 30 households throughout Iraq, effectively 990 households. If you do the math 100,000 deaths divided among 990 households - that means each household suffered at least 101 deaths. Does that make sense to you?

    • I respect your choice not to sign, I just wish you don’t decide this on false idea.

      None of the about 3,000 victims of September 11 has been considered ’an egg that need to be broken to make an omelette’, despite 9/11 was immediately declared - by G W Bush - to be an act of WAR.

      How many times higher is the life of one American civilian over an Iraqi civilian ?

      Even if you just account the very minimal number of victims in Iraq as reported by Iraq Body Count, THERE IS ALREADY AT LEAST 5 TIMES AS MUCH CIVILIAN KILLED IN IRAQ THAN IN 9/11 !

      Please think about that.

    • Do those pictures make sense to you?

      Please. Ready for the red pill?

      What’s the acceptable cutoff point anointed one? That’s what was so cool about the nazi’s, by supressing information, nobody knew $hit. Then we found allot of bodies, but the germans knew nothing or they said they didn’t. There were the statistics guys who challenged those attrocities too, where are they now?

      Keep talking.

      You realize this is an anti-war board don’t you? Take your fake wannabee cointel $hit up or come back and get some more. I won’t even bother to point out some EARLIER figures of 50,000, and before that 20,000. Your right, there are no deaths, feel better, or are you going to remind me of 9/11. Hey, do I have to remind you who osama was, they gave you him and his boy last week, aren’t you a believer yet...or saddam still have your panties in a knot?

      Don’t you get it, we do, that’s why we’re here.

      But you know what, while I’m here, let me remind you that the US government is also using depleted uranium(thats DU or DUH) in those terrorists bunkers and towns...here’s how, see DU is a toxic waste and...well...as you can guess, not too many people want it. Turns out, it makes a good lining in some of those bunker busters and as such, people are willing to give it away pretty cheap and, since our gov’t likes to save a few bucks here and there...they use them or rather, our tax dollars buy them and then we use them.(on our own troops, I’m getting to that)

      When we use these bunker busters and precision weaponry, they end up staying there, I’m not sure Iraq is quite ready for cleanup, considering there is a war going on outside their homes. This war is between "terrorists" that came AFTER we knocked out saddam and you know who. Well, our boys make good cops and targets...and photographing and video taping rape and torture, wasn’t a great idea(at least coming from higher up-Rumsfeld’s own investigation found him responsible for: "ordering the conditions that led to the settings where abuse could be done") Yeah, in short, he looked the other way but made sure they knew to do it....oh, and here’s the kicker...our own CIA(if you believe them), found that those prisoners had little to NO intelligence value. I’ll explain it small so you can understand. These guys were car jackers, wife beaters, and thieves. But that’s not all, what you didn’t see, is the rape of a 15 year old boy on video and some girls too. Terrorists?Insurgents? sadly, no.

      But let’s not forget that you were concerned with the accuracy of 100,000 civillians, you are claiming how many?

      I am claiming that those same bunker busters that have DU, our boys and their children get to jump around and shoot at each other, so americans feel safe. While they do that and because we used them in the first gulf war as well, kids are being born with no eyes and or no lungs, and our boys...if you really care, are getting sick, suffering from abnormal conditions, tumors, and ptsd...all of which, our gov’t denies(but still pays the bills)...and still uses those bombs.

      No, your right, it doesn’t make sense.

    • Well thank you for respecting my choice. There is no doubt that in war innocents get killed. But I sincerely believe that the war is being fought for a good reason. It was interesting that in the Lancet they didn’t include the mass murders as a reason for the death of iraquis prior to the war. For some reason the researchers were not at all outraged about that.

    • Your pious self-righteousness does not impress me. Where were you when Saddam was committing mass murder for 12 years?

    • What make you believe that the war (In Afghanistan ? in Iraq ? in...) is being fought for a good reason ?
      What make you believe that the war against USA on 9/11 was not fought for a good reason ?
      How do you know the researchers were not at all outraged by the death of Iraqi prior to the war ?
      Is it really necessary to enumerate the crimes comitted against the USA to make you open minded about the crimes comitted BY the USA ? Will you care at all ? Haven’t you heard enough times already how much the ’outside world’ is hating the freedom and democracy of the USA ?

      So many certitudes based on a so huge ignorance... (and WE accuse ’the others’ to be blind killers...)

    • Well, doesn’t any good patriot stand by his president ? So he probably closed his eyes on the support we gave to Saddam (including the chemichal weapons that were used against the Kurd during the Iran-Iraq war) up until it became clear that Saddam would not serve the US interests anymore.

    • According to you, a patriot is deaf and blind. You must be european. It’s clear that you live in a time warp and have no sense of reality. Most matters in the world is not about choosing between good and evil. It’s about choosing between evil and the lesser evil. What once were allies could turn and stab you in the back (hello france and germany). Things change. Deal with that and you’ll be a lot saner.

    • You must be one of those cynics who think the Afghanistanis and Iraquis are too stupid to be able to carry out a democracy. You would have preferred that they continue to suffer under a theocracy of the Taliban or a dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. It’s very easy for me. Democracy trumps both and I am glad that Bush is fighting for it. You euros and dems think you’re so glib and all knowing when you actually give people very little respect and would continue to let people suffer.

    • Sorry but I put faith in ’better’ more than in ’less worst’.
      America is going the wrong way, and my patriotism urge me to denounciate that.

    • And you obviously think Saddam was better. Yikes!

    • Guess what? This is a French website....aren’t you Bush butt boys boycotting all things French???

  • we have no choice but to sign to have this madness stopped. i cannot have it in my name! -fox