Iraqi Foreign Minister warns of catastrophic consequences

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has forecast catastrophic consequences if London and Washington decide prematurely to withdraw their troops from Iraq: a bloodbath as the country breaks up, neighbours sucked into a regional conflict, an oil crisis and a new terrorist haven far deadlier than Afghanistan.

Iraqi Association slates Sinjar massacre

The death toll in a horrific quadruple bombing in an area of mud and clay houses in Sinjar onTuesday reached 250, and 350 wounded, this may rise sharply.

The simultaneous attack in north western Iraq on Yazidi Kurds is the latest indiscriminate barbarism against defenceless civilians, and those who suffer the most are women and children.

Rescuers used bare hands and shovels to claw through clay houses shattered by an onslaught of suicide bombings that killed hundreds of Yazidi Kurds.

Women and children were buried as clay and mud houses collapsed.“The people of the area are appealing now to governmental and non-governmental organizations to help them with medicines, food, water and tents.”

Said Jabbar Hasan. We urge Iraqi leaders to set aside their political and religious differences to work together toprotect civilians and help families of the victims, and the injured people of the frequent sadistic attacks of evil murderers.

1. Iraqi Association is an independent non sectarian organisation.

2. Every year Iraqi Association deals with more than 10,000 cases of integration needs.

3. Iraqi Association operate IraqChild Appeal, to provide emergency aid in Iraq. You can donate online using our secure website www.iraqiassociation.org

241 King Street London W6 9LPTelephone: 020 8741 5491

Iraqi Oil Minister revives Saddams anti-union Law

Statement issued by the General Union of Oil Workers and Technicians (GUOWT), a GFIW affiliated union.

The oil workers unions sent a delegation to meet up with oil minister on the 6 August to discuss the current crisis but the minister refused to meet them.

The GUOWT issued a statement on the 2 August and again on the 7 August deploring the approach taken by the Oil Minister and called on him to withdraw the memo sent and signed by his legal adviser Mr Laith abd al Hussein, on 18 July 2007 under his personal instruction to the Iraqi oil companies in Baghdad, Bejy, Kirkuk and Basra ordering them not to deal with oil unions members, and instructed them not to allow oil unions members to be part of any committee formed at the work place.

On 6 August the GUOWT sent a delegation to meet the Oil Minister that sought to explain the union position on this issue, to persuade the minister to withdraw his memo and to inform the ministry that it is human right violation to deny Iraqi oil workers the right to organize and collective bargaining and it is a breach of ILO Convention 98 that Iraq has ratified.

The Oil Minister refused to meet the leadership of the GUOWT and sent the General Director of Information Bureau of the Oil Ministry to inform the oil workers delegation that the Oil Minister will not meet with people that represent unions in the oil sector for he said that there are no workers here but state employees. In this he is wittingly or unwittingly relying on Saddam's decree of 150 that banned workers from organizing in the public sector.

The oil union delegation told the ministry's officials that the GUOWT will not bow to such pressure and its recent history since it reformation in 2003 has been one of proud struggle in the defence of workers rights, the protection of Iraqi national assets (Oil and Gas) from looting, stealing and corruption. The union endeavoured to strengthen and progress in the production of oil and had very good relationships with so many state oil officials.

Baghdad 7 August 2007

Dave Anderson raises IraqChild appeal in the Commons

Mr. David Anderson (Blaydon) (Lab): May I draw the attention of the Leader of the House to early-motion 2009?

That this House fully supports the IraqChild appeal launched by the UK-based Iraqi Association to raise £250,000 for emergency protection for children through the Andalus Medical Clinic in Baghdad; notes that children in Baghdad will suffer disproportionately this summer through sweltering heat, electricity shortages and lack of air conditioning in addition to the violence and sectarian strife which has led to the displacement of thousands of children and many orphans having to fend for themselves; further notes that terrorists are using children as decoys for sadistic killings, that one in eight Iraqi children died of disease or violence before reaching their fifth birthday in 2005, and that there are worryingly high levels of malnourishment; believes that this non-sectarian project, which was developed through a lengthy consultation process with concerned medical personnel in Baghdad and local non-governmental organizations, is credible; points out that, for example, £22 can buy a child’s clothing pack, £48 can treat a child for diarrhoea and ear infection, £60 can pay for a qualified nurse to care for 10 children every week, £650 can pay for a medical doctor for a month to visit 10 families with children every week, and £1,580 can maintain running a children’s clinic for a month for eight children everyday; and urges widespread moral and material assistance for this vital humanitarian initiative.

It refers to the appeal for the children of Baghdad, wherein the Iraqi Association in this country is launching an appeal for £250,000 to raise money to develop a clinic in Baghdad to help with the one in eight children who will die this summer. I would ask that this be debated at the next sitting of the House, but there will not be a sitting over the summer and thousands of children will die. Can the Minister ensure that this motion gets to the relevant Departments, to see whether they can help to pay?

Ms Harman: I thank my hon. Friend for bringing the appeal to my attention. I know that he has worked alongside the trade union movement in Iraq and he raises another very good cause, which I will bring to the attention of my ministerial colleagues.