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UN must protect people of Darfur Saturday September 16, 2006. Guardian letter We are a group of writers who have blogged at the Guardians Comment Is Free site on the conflict in Darfur. Some of us have argued with each other intensely about different aspects of the conflict; all of us agree that there is a major humanitarian disaster taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan right now and that the United Nations must be supported in every way possible to bring it to an end and to reconstruct the region. Tomorrow we will be united in supporting the … Continue reading Support Day for Darfur

Dave Anderson MP, joint President of Labour Friends of Iraq told delegates at the TUC fringe meeting on Iraq of a meeting he had with an Iraqi MP Adnan Pachachi who was Iraqi Foreign Secretary before Saddam Hussein took power. “Adnan painted a bleak picture of major problems facing Iraq, particularly the weakness of its security forces which have been massively infiltrated by insurgents and are not yet up to scratch. He said that more foreign military support not less was needed and suggested that Iraq needed a UN military force made up of Arab and European armies. It’s also … Continue reading Dave Anderson at the TUC

Margaret Beckett delivered a wide-ranging speech to the TUC in which she praised TUC support for Iraqi unions. In particular, she said that The TUC itself has at its very core a belief in those fundamental human rights and freedoms that empower individuals and which are the bedrock of true democracy. And just last week in Iraq I was hearing about the work that the TUC is doing in supporting and training the General Federation of Iraqi Workers: work which is as brave as it is vital. People across the world have more freedom to meet, to speak their mind, … Continue reading Beckett praises TUC role in assisting Iraqi unions

TUC Congress 2006 Question and answer session with the Foreign Secretary Sue Rogers of the NASUWT who was a key member of the LFIQ delegation to Iraq earlier this year raised the independence of the Iraqi labour movement with Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett at the TUC Mrs Beckett replied in a very helpful manner She said: I share your regret and concern that at present we are not seeing as free a role in operation for trade unions in Iraq as we would like to. It is an issue that we raise with the now elected Iraqi government, it is … Continue reading Beckett backs independent unions in Iraq

The GFIW/IWF is honoured to be part of this solidarity week. Iraq is battling for its national unity, its sovereignty and integrity. And is fighting to consolidate its representative parliamentary political system to create a federal Iraq where the people of Iraqi Kurdistan may enjoy federal autonomy, peace and democracy. But in this Iraqis are hindered by the legacy of 4 long decades of Saddam’s fascist-type dictatorship, by the current onslaught of terrorists, and by the impact of the 2003 war. Heinous crimes are committed against the people of Iraq by extreme religious fundamentalists and extreme nationalists. Their simple yet … Continue reading Comment by Abdullah Muhsin to Iraq Solidarity Week

The Trades Union Congress, which represents people at work in Great Britain, expresses its solidarity with the working people of Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, and especially with their free, independent and democratic trade unions. The main victims of terrorism and violence are ordinary people, wherever they are, and we have expressed our outrage at and sympathy with the victims of terrorism in Iraq, and our concern that so much terrorism is focused on people at work and their trade union representatives. We were particularly grateful that one of the earliest messages of support the TUC received when London was attacked … Continue reading Statement by Brendan Barber to Iraqi Solidarity meeting

Mick Hartley reports A gesture of defiance by Iraqi women against the sectarians: Roba al-Asaly fingers the sliver of gold on her necklace and explains that it reminds her of a place that is not there anymore. The gold is shaped like the map of Iraq, and at a time when sectarian violence has fanned fears of civil war, it has become a gesture of defiance and of yearning for national unity. Hat Tip Normblog

The Mesopotanian echoing an earlier post from Iraq The Model, considers it likely that the Iraqi security forces are starting to inflict a series of defeats on Al Qaeda, thus heralding the possibility of an American withdrawal. (David Spector)

Omar the editor of Iraq The Model recounts a story which appears to be replicated in numerous other Iraqi regions. He concludes that what I see in this case is that the majority is not interested in being involved in this kind of conflict but, at the same time action and reaction from gangs that do not represent the majority are capable of finding a rift among the lines of what normally is a peaceful community. (David Spector)

Peter Tatchell reveals the targeted execution of gay Iraqis by Islamist death squads.