House Of Commons Public meeting achieves common stand against the occupation of Iraq

12 May 2004

In a packed meeting hall at the British House of Commons, representatives of different political trends of Iraqi society, Islamic, Left and Arab Nationalist, projected a united front against occupation and articulated their approach towards solving the crisis in Iraq. The meeting was also addressed by representatives of the anti-war movement in Britain.

The meeting was organised by Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation and supported by Stop the War Coalition. It was chaired by Jeremy Corbyn MP, who set the tone of the meeting when he said that the majority of the people attending the meeting, while opposed to the dictatorship of the previous regime, all campaigned against the unjust war and the subsequent occupation of Iraq.

Jeremy Corbyn also conveyed a message from Mr. Tony Benn, the veteran leftwing MP, who said that he has consulted his notes to discover that he and Dr. Allawi have sat together in 1954 on the committee against the French Occupation of Algiers, an occupation that was vicious and failed, like the present US-British occupation of Iraq that is vicious and will fail!

The speakers were Lindsey German, convenor, Stop The War Coalition
Dr. Khair El Din Haseeb, Director of the Arab Unity Studies Centre
Dr. Mohammed Al Musawi, chairman, Shia Islamic Worldwide League
Dr. Ibrahim Allawi, editor in chief, the Baghdad leftwing Newspaper, Al-Ghad

Lindsey German from the Stop War Coalition spoke of 'the shameful actions of the government' in Iraq, none of which would have taken place had the government not taken the country into an illegal war. The speaker compared the language employed by the government and such figures as the Archbishop of Canterbury when discussing the maltreatment of prisoners, while the US/British troops who had tortured detainees had committed 'shameful' acts, Iraqi actions, such as those in Falluja, were always described as 'barbaric'. This kind of language, argued German, harks back to that used during the Empire to describe their native insurrectionists. The speaker demanded the immediate withdrawal of the troops and an end to the occupation. German outlined the aims of the anti-war movement remembering that the war is certainly not over -whatever is otherwise claimed. The aims should be as follows:
1. To build a movement of solidarity with the Iraqi people.
2. To continue to protest both to support the Iraqi people's demands for genuine elections and against a phoney democracy the supposed transition of June 30 will attempt to install.

Dr. Khair al-Din Haseeb addressed three issues
1. The legitimacy of the occupation
2. Resistance to the occupation.
3. The future of occupation.

Starting with the legitimacy of the invasion, Haseeb reiterated the international legal rules governing the use of force which take as their starting point Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter. The Charter only allows two exceptions to this rule: when force is required for self-defence in case of an imminent threat or when the Security Council authorizes the use of force to protect international peace and security. In the case of Iraq, legal opinion overwhelmingly considered that these conditions were not met, and the invasion and subsequent occupation is illegal.

The resistance to the occupation started immediately after the fall of Baghdad. Since the occupation is illegal, resistance to it is legitimate under international law. Haseeb noted how the resistance movement is not monolithic but comprised of different components, some armed, some simply vocal political opposition such as that of Ayatollah Sistani who neither recognises the Governing Council nor the Transitional Administrative Law that they signed. In his words, the stand taken by Ayatollah Sistani was a major factor in blocking American plans in Iraq.

The resistance is not split up according to sects. It is not possible to talk of ethnic groups as unified, homogenous entities nor can we take as given the figures that attest to each ethnic group's presence in a province- some go back to British figures from the 1920s and they were rough estimates in any case. Haseeb explained that clashes between Shiites and Sunnis are unheard of.

As for the future of the occupation, it cannot be sustained. The US presence in Iraq is now the main problem as part of being the so-called solution to a problem.

The only option that remains is to conduct genuine elections but this will only happen if the US-led occupation forces withdraw. Until then, Iraq will have an armed resistance to make sure this happens.

Dr. Mohammed Al Musawi began by stating the simple truth: no Iraqi can accept the occupation of hic country in the same way that no Englishman or American would accept the occupation of theirs.

Dr. Musawi condemned the crimes of the previous regime, and posed some questions to the UK government:

1. What happened to the mission to bring freedom and democracy? There is no freedom only destruction. If the mission of the US and UK was to get rid of WMDs then why did they let Saddam Hussein use them on his own people with their full support and aid.

2. Why didn't they abide by their legal obligations as occupiers (i.e. Geneva Conventions) but allow the looting and destruction of all buildings, towns and cities and the murder of innocents- only the Ministry of Oil continues to be spared...

3. What are all the soldiers doing all barricaded up behind high concrete walls while Iraqis have no security whatsoever?

After 13 months of occupation- Iraqis have no rights, no basic services, no security.

Al Musawi stated that after June 30, the interim government must have limited authority. An un-elected government should not be allowed to tie Iraq up to agreements with occupying forces. All the important decisions must be left to an elected government.

Finally, all Iraqis must have free elections and equal political rights regardless of faith or ethnicity.

Dr. Ibrahim Allawi said that what has happened in Iraq could put an end to this notion of an 'axis of evil'. The American adventure in Iraq has already failed. In desperation some in the USA are calling for the dismemberment in Iraq claiming that there is no Iraq, forgetting that Iraq is the cradle of civilizations and that it has existed for thousands of years.

The internal situation is such that young people who were once apathetic are now highly politicised, with the situation radically changing by the week and even by the day. Supporters of Mugtada Al-Sader represent a phenomena of an uprising by millions of the starving and unemployed young against an occupation that created the destruction of the Iraqi state, its institutions and Iraqi industry.

Allawi mentioned the names of two key political actors: al-Khalisi from Khadimiyya, and al Dhaher from Falluja/Ramadi, who have joined other political parties for a wide-based grouping last Saturday, illustrating the new trend for unity in Iraq in the face of occupation.

Allawi stated that the Iraqi people need international support. Without an Iraqi victory the world will be in darkness. By saving Iraq we save the World.

From left to right, Dr. Allawi, Dr. Al Musawi, Jeremy Corbyn, Sabah Jawad, Dr. Haseeb, Lindsey German

"By saving Iraq you save the World, without victory for the Iraqi People there will be darkness in the World". Allawi, Alghad newspaper

"The USA does not want democracy in Iraq and is against free elections. The Iraqi people do not accept the occupation of Iraq". Al Musawi, Shia Islamic Worldwide League

"The USA is the Problem instead of being the solution for Iraq. The UN Security Council has to adopt a new resolution identifying the date for withdrawal of occupation forces, otherwise no free elections can be held in Iraq". Haseeb, centre for Arab Unity Studies