Baghdad: Release Italian and Iraqi abducted
sansibar - 08.09.2004 18:34
An Appeal for the Release the Italian and Iraqi Aid Workers Abducted in
Baghdad:
THEY ARE NOT INSTRUMENTS OF THE OCCUPYING FORCES
An Appeal for the Release the Italian and Iraqi Aid Workers Abducted in
Baghdad:
THEY ARE NOT INSTRUMENTS OF THE OCCUPYING FORCES
We are individuals and organizations from around the world who opposed
and
continue to oppose the occupation of Iraq and we plead for the release
of
two Italian and two Iraqi humanitarian workers who were abducted in
Iraq
last September 7, 2004.
Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, both Italians, and Ra¹ad Ali Abdul
Azziz
and Mahnoaz Bassam, both Iraqis, are members of Un Ponter Per Baghdad
(Bridges to Baghdad) an independent Italian humanitarian organization
that
has been working in Iraq since 1992. During the embargo, other
humanitarian
organizations refused to operate in Iraq, Bridges defied that in the
belief
that the suffering of civilians should not be used as a political
bargaining
chip.
In this occupation, the United States and its coalition cynically
blurred
the distinction between the humanitarian and the political, using aid
and
relief as an apparatus for pacifying the Iraqis. As a result, Iraqis
have
become increasingly and understandably suspicious of international
humanitarian organizations. Despite the perils caused by this
confusion,
Bridges consciously decided to continue its operations in Iraq,
convinced
that Iraqis will see through their intentions.
Bridges is not an instrument of the Italian government, nor of the
US-led
coalition, to make the occupation more bearable, and therefore, more
acceptable to the Iraqis. From the very beginning, Bridges has been
open
And consistent with its positions: it opposed the embargo, it opposed
the
invasion, and it opposes the occupation. In Italy, Bridges has been a
leading critic of the government¹s decision to join the US-led
coalition.
It plays a leading role in the nation-wide movement that mobilized over
a
million Italians to march against the war in February 15, 2003, as well
as
in various demonstrations after. Bridges has also been very active in
the
global anti-war movement, maintaining links with various anti-war
organizations around the world and playing a key role in establishing
the
Occupation Watch Center in Baghdad, a center for monitoring the
occupation
founded by anti-war organizations and coalitions from different
countries.
Simona Turretta has spent a third of her life for Iraq; Simona Pari
joined
her in 2003. As chief of Bridges¹ in-country operations, Simona Turreta
has
been supervising projects to rehabilitate Iraq¹s decrepit water
infrastructure and to repair school buildings. Among other things,
Simona
Pari was organizing educational programs for Iraq¹s traumatized
children.
Ra¹ad is an Iraqi engineer who took charge of Bridges¹ school projects
in
Baghdad and Basra. Mahnoaz was involved in the social programs. Aside
from
these projects, Bridges has also helped build the capacity of local
Iraqi
organizations to document and report cases of human rights abuses
committed
by occupation forces. In April this year, Bridges organized a
humanitarian
convoy that delivered food, water, blood, and medicine to civilians
under
siege in Fallujah. Last month, as US and Iraqi ³interim government
forces²
mounted their offensive in Najaf, Bridges was also there, providing aid
and
assistance to Iraqis caught in the crossfire.
Simona, Simona, Ra¹d and Mahnoaz are not enemies of the Iraqi people.
They
stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in calling for an immediate end to
the
occupation. We appeal to those holding them to release them
immediately.
We also call on the Italian government to immediately withdraw its
membership in the US-led coalition. We call on the United States and
the
remaining members of the coalition to end the occupation.
SIGNED:
As of 8 September, 3 PM GMT
[Organizations]
Iraq International Occupation Watch Center
Alianza Social Continental (Latin Americano)
Campaign Genoa 2001 (Greece)
Continental Campaign Against FTAA (Latin Americano
Code Pink (United States)
Global Exchange (United States)
Globalize Resistance (United Kingdom)
Focus on the Global South (Philippines, Thailand, and India)
International Civilian Campaign for the Protection of Palestinians
(France)
Palestinian Workers Union
Stop the War Coalition - Greece
Stop the War Coalition - UK
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