[antiwar-van] FW: Release of Italian and Iraqi Hostages]

[harsha at resist.ca]

From: Andrea Schmidt
>To: act-mtl at masses.tao.ca
>Subject: (act-mtl) Appeal for the Release of Italian and Iraqi Hostages
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2004 17:29:32 -0400
>
>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 Ra?ad 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 government?s 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 Bridges? in-country operations, Simona
Turreta has been supervising projects to rehabilitate Iraq?s decrepit
water
>infrastructure and to repair school buildings. Among other things, Simona
Pari was organizing educational programs for Iraq?s traumatized children.
Ra?ad is an Iraqi engineer who took charge of Bridges? 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 ?interim
government forces? mounted their offensive in Najaf, Bridges was also
there, providing aid and assistance to Iraqis caught in the crossfire.
>
>Simona, Simona, Ra?d 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
>
>
>
>(To sign this appeal, please send an e-mail with your name, organization,
country, contact details, to free-our-friends at focusweb.org. Please
indicate if you wish to sign as an organization or as an individual.
Contact:  Herbert
>Docena +9613164370)
>
>