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COMMITTEE TO END
THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ (CEO-I)
The focus of the committee is education about the brutality of the US occupation and coordination of action to oppose it. One main thrust is to schedule dozens of presentations of a slide presentation produced by Robert Allen that provides a graphic depiction of the brutality of the US occupation. The presentations include an open and free flowing discussion. We need your help as we would like to organize these presentations in as many communities, on campuses, in high schools, etc. We also are preparing a digital version of the presentation which will soon be available for a small donation.
Other action proposals appear at the end of this statement.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
After the Gulf War of 1991 and 12 years of sanctions and low intensity bombing warfare against the nation and people of Iraq, the US has executed a devastating invasion and takeover of Iraq through massive bombardment and invasion by hundreds of thousands of US troops. While the US administration has declared the “war” to be over, a brutal occupation continues as the US attempts to impose its will and the theft of Iraqi oil upon the Iraqi nation and people. For its part, the United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to approve the US takeover Iraq and has actually given complete ownership of Iraqi oil to the US. US troops regularly shoot, injure and kill dozens of unarmed demonstrators opposing the US presence, carry out midnight raids in which people are killed and hundreds are arrested, arbitrarily set up road blocks and barbed wire barriers and otherwise harass and repress the entire population. The national museum and library, much of Iraqi infrastructure, hospitals and many communities around Iraq have been looted. Cholera and malnutrition are rampant and radiation poison is resulting from looted nuclear laboratories. The water and the electricity are not running throughout much of the country and depleted uranium and unexploded ordinance litters the entire nation.
For their part, the Iraqi people are opposing the occupation in many ways: through massive marches, to sermons in Iraqi mosques, to non-violent blockades of military processions to armed resistance. Lately, US GIs have are being killed daily as the resistance mounts and families of GIs and the GIs themselves are starting to call for an end to their involvement in the occupation.
The Committee to End the Occupation of Iraq has come together to work to build solidarity with the Iraqi people. We believe the best way to demonstrate our solidarity and support for the nation and people of Iraq is by demanding that the US withdraw from the occupation of Iraq. We are united by the following principles: * Unconditional immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq * Immediate cessation of all hostile acts of military and economic character * End of all foreign interference including by the United Nations in the internal affairs of Iraq * US reparations for all destruction of Iraqi infrastructure as a result of the US / UN sanctions, bombing and invasions including environmental remediation and clean up of depleted uranium and dangerous unexploded ordinance that litters the entire nation.
* We support the
unconditional sovereign rights of the Iraqi people to determine their own
future.
We plan a campaign of action around these principles and goals to be inclusive of but not limited to the following:
We invite individuals and organizations to join the committee. We would like to present to your organizations a workshop including a slide show and discussion on the occupation and our plans to oppose it to your group or committee. Afterwards, we invite your group to join and become part of the committee. Please contact us if you are interested in helping organize a workshop on the US occupation of Iraq for your organization or in your community.
We will be preparing an 8 page newspaper about the US occupation of Iraq with information on the many aspects of the US occupation, The goal is to have it ready for September.
The slide show presentation we are using will soon be available as a power point presentation for a small donation. We will provide text for the slides as well. The idea if for each of us to become “expert” enough to continue to present on the topic to audiences large and small. We can also make copies of the slide presentation for traditional slide projectors as well.
Contact us at:
Committee to End the Occupation of Iraq, PO Box 1214, Belle Mead, NJ 08502 *
908-881-5275 / 215-438-4187 *
ceoi@endocciraq.org
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