From
Lawyers Against War:
This letter was sent to press yesterday,
"Dear Editor,
Iraq is being denied free and fair elections, after enduring decades of Saddam's brutal dictatorship. The US and British occupation governments have engineered a process for reproducing the US-appointed Iraqi Interim
Government, to prolong the occupation and incite sectarian and ethnic conflicts.
Millions of Iraqis, under siege in many parts of their homeland, will be disenfranchised, while hundreds of thousands of second generation Americans and Israelis could vote.
Since I received this in an email, the balance of the story can be found below the fold.
While boycotting this undemocratic exercise, we strongly condemn all forms of violence against Iraqis participating in it. We, as exiles, are confident that the vast majority of Iraqis, at home and abroad, shall unite to end the US-led occupation and establish democracy, whatever their stance on participation.
We echo opinions within Iraq stressing the impossibility of holding free and fair elections while under occupation, and being subjected to war crimes by the US-led forces. However, we support demands for minimal pre-conditions:
(1) setting a strict timetable for speedy withdrawal of all occupation forces,
(2) ceasing all attacks, and confining all occupation forces to barracks until full withdrawal,
(3) ending martial law and releasing all political prisoners,
(4) establishing an independent election commission, led by Iraq's senior serving and retired judges, and including all Iraq's political
forces. The commission can be assisted by anti-occupation figures, e.g. Nelson Mandela, and the UN General Assembly."
Signatures:
- Sami Ramadani: Senior lecture, London Metropolitan University
- Haifa Zangana: Novelist, UK
- Professor Kamal Majid, UK
- Tahrir Numan: Journalist, UK
- Dr. Imad Khadduri: Nuclear scientist, Toronto, Canada
- Mundher Adhami: Researcher, Kings College, London University
- Dr. Nadje Al-Ali: Exeter university, UK
- Dr. Mousa Al-Hussaini: Writer and journalist, UK
- Dr. Usama Al-Shabibi: Pharmacist-Pharmacologist, UK
- Dr. Ali Assam: Computer expert: UK
- Yasar Mohammed Salman Hasan: computer expert, UK
- Dr. Mahboub Al-Chalabi, Petroleum expert, UK
- Dr Subhi Toma: Social studies researcher, Paris
- Jafar Al-Samarrai: Computer expert
- Dr. Ali Al-Shahwani: Engineer
- Zaid Numan, Chartered building Surveyor, UK
- Hani Lazim, Computer expert: UK
- Mohammed Aref: Science writer, UK
- Fenik Adham: Councellor: UK
- Mahmoud Al-Bayaty: Novelist, Sweden
For further information contact:
--
******************
Sami Ramadani,
Department of Applied Social Sciences,
London Metropolitan University, City Campus,
Calcutta House,
Old Castle Street,
London, E1 7NT
Tel: 020 7320 1280
Fax: 020 7320 1034
Email: Sami.Ramadani@londonmet.ac.uk
London Guildhall University and the University of North London merged on 1st August 2002 to form London Metropolitan University
I do take issue with condition #2 - confining occupation forces to barracks is sure to make them sitting ducks for those who do not abide by the pre-conditions.
Also, note that all of the signers reside outside of Iraq.