- 10 Mar 2003 03:27
#1611
A Message to Our American Friends
From Members of the European Parliament who visited Iraq
Who is a friend? Someone who follows you without asking questions when you are on a dangerous course? No. A friend is someone who warns you and tries everything to prevent you from making serious mistakes. Old Europe is a friend of the American people. Our hearts are with September 11 families. We are united in the fight against terrorist actions.
Some days ago, in Europe as well as many other countries including the United States, millions of people took to the streets expressing their resistance to a military solution of the Iraq crisis. 'War is not the answer' was their message. Old Europe knows about the costs of war: innocent civilian victims women, children, humanitarian catastrophe, fueling hate and possibly years and years of unstable political situations all over the region, not to mention billions of dollars for humanitarian aid and reconstruction. Don't we possess other means to solve a crisis in the 21st century?
The international community is united behind the goal to disarm Saddam Hussein's regime. The UN gave to the weapons inspectors the necessary rights and material conditions to verify Iraq's compliance or non-compliance with the UN resolutions, and to destroy prohibited weapons. As long as the UN inspectors are in the country, Iraq cannot produce, acquire, deliver or use weapons of mass destruction. The costs of the inspections are paid through the 'Oil for Food' program. Why wouldn't we give the inspectors the time, the hardware and manpower they need to fulfill their task?
Europe has learned the hard way: Conflicts won't be solved through military aggression or what is now termed a pre-emptive military strike. Use of force produces use of force. The victims are always innocent people on both sides. We know that many in the U.S. have learned similar lessons.Every day we can see this in the Middle East. It's time to learn from this experience.
For the last 25 years, Iraqis have lived under conditions of war and sanctions. When you visit the country, you see poverty, destruction, misery, diseases, and above all a feeling of humiliation. Twelve years of sanctions have destroyed what was not destroyed during years of war. A whole generation has never experienced a normal life. People are dependent on food rations. Fifty percent of Iraqi children are undernourished. The majority of pregnant woman are anemic. 5 million people have no access to clean water. 20% of basic medicines are on the embargo list. Hospitals and schools are in a state of dilapidation. Imagine what a war means under such circumstances!
In January, the European Parliament adopted a resolution opposing a pre-emptive strike against Iraq. In February, 31 members of the European Parliament went to Iraq. We talked to the weapons inspectors, the UN organizations and the NGO's operating there. Earlier this week, we also met with representatives of the UN Security Council, with Dr. Hans Blix and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Now, we are in Washington to discuss with our American counterparts.
Please listen to the message from old Europe: disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, stabilization of regions in conflict are our common goals. But we don't believe that there is a military solution. We are concerned about the unforeseeable consequences of a military action. There are other peaceful ways to solve the Iraqi crisis. Let's sit together and discuss how we can do it.
Signed by MEP's Paul Lannoye (Green/EFA Group), Francis Wurtz (GUE/NGL Group), Proinsias De Rossa, (PSE Group) and Ulla Sandbaek (EDD Group) on behalf of a cross-party delegation of 20 Members of the European Parliament from 11 EU Member States.
From Members of the European Parliament who visited Iraq
Who is a friend? Someone who follows you without asking questions when you are on a dangerous course? No. A friend is someone who warns you and tries everything to prevent you from making serious mistakes. Old Europe is a friend of the American people. Our hearts are with September 11 families. We are united in the fight against terrorist actions.
Some days ago, in Europe as well as many other countries including the United States, millions of people took to the streets expressing their resistance to a military solution of the Iraq crisis. 'War is not the answer' was their message. Old Europe knows about the costs of war: innocent civilian victims women, children, humanitarian catastrophe, fueling hate and possibly years and years of unstable political situations all over the region, not to mention billions of dollars for humanitarian aid and reconstruction. Don't we possess other means to solve a crisis in the 21st century?
The international community is united behind the goal to disarm Saddam Hussein's regime. The UN gave to the weapons inspectors the necessary rights and material conditions to verify Iraq's compliance or non-compliance with the UN resolutions, and to destroy prohibited weapons. As long as the UN inspectors are in the country, Iraq cannot produce, acquire, deliver or use weapons of mass destruction. The costs of the inspections are paid through the 'Oil for Food' program. Why wouldn't we give the inspectors the time, the hardware and manpower they need to fulfill their task?
Europe has learned the hard way: Conflicts won't be solved through military aggression or what is now termed a pre-emptive military strike. Use of force produces use of force. The victims are always innocent people on both sides. We know that many in the U.S. have learned similar lessons.Every day we can see this in the Middle East. It's time to learn from this experience.
For the last 25 years, Iraqis have lived under conditions of war and sanctions. When you visit the country, you see poverty, destruction, misery, diseases, and above all a feeling of humiliation. Twelve years of sanctions have destroyed what was not destroyed during years of war. A whole generation has never experienced a normal life. People are dependent on food rations. Fifty percent of Iraqi children are undernourished. The majority of pregnant woman are anemic. 5 million people have no access to clean water. 20% of basic medicines are on the embargo list. Hospitals and schools are in a state of dilapidation. Imagine what a war means under such circumstances!
In January, the European Parliament adopted a resolution opposing a pre-emptive strike against Iraq. In February, 31 members of the European Parliament went to Iraq. We talked to the weapons inspectors, the UN organizations and the NGO's operating there. Earlier this week, we also met with representatives of the UN Security Council, with Dr. Hans Blix and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Now, we are in Washington to discuss with our American counterparts.
Please listen to the message from old Europe: disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, stabilization of regions in conflict are our common goals. But we don't believe that there is a military solution. We are concerned about the unforeseeable consequences of a military action. There are other peaceful ways to solve the Iraqi crisis. Let's sit together and discuss how we can do it.
Signed by MEP's Paul Lannoye (Green/EFA Group), Francis Wurtz (GUE/NGL Group), Proinsias De Rossa, (PSE Group) and Ulla Sandbaek (EDD Group) on behalf of a cross-party delegation of 20 Members of the European Parliament from 11 EU Member States.
- By FiveofSwords
- By Rancid