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Before Christmas, Robert Taylor argued for troops out of Iraq and his article included the following paragraph: “It will be argued an Anglo-American evacuation from Iraq could not be done overnight. But a strict timetable of June or July next year could be set for the process to end. There is a precedent, although admittedly not one that suggests such a departure would be trouble-free. The exit from India and that country’s partition in 1947 cost the lives of millions but it was a cruel necessity. The same can be said for Iraq.” Tribune has published the following from Councillor … Continue reading Tribune letter criticises breathtaking view

The American journalist and frequent commentator on Iraqi labour movement matters David Bacon has a fascinating photodocumentary project which shows people at work on the rigs in the refineries and the ports, their unions and leaders, and their life at home with their families.

Former arts minister Mark Fisher writes in the Guardian that the cradle of civilisation is still being looted. He asks: How important is this? For the Iraqis, the damage strikes at the heart of their culture and history. Although the Iraq National Museum was founded only in 1923, it was an institution around which all Iraqis, regardless of religion, could attempt to create some shared national identity. There is also considerable significance for the rest of the world: in these sites are buried the roots of western civilisation. A line of influence (philosophical, scientific, artistic, aesthetic) runs from Mesopotamia through … Continue reading Tomb raiders

LFIQ Chair Dave Anderson MP has tabled a Commons motion in support of the Books to Iraq Appeal with cross-party support from, so far, members of 4 parties. George Galloway is not one but we understand that he is otherwise engaged. The Commons Motion reads: That this House believes that Iraq has given the world a great legacy of pharmaceutical and medical knowledge; notes that in addition to the recent conflict and continuing violence, two wars and 12 years of sanctions have had a crippling effect on Iraq’s pharmacy education and practice, severely affected access to information resources such as … Continue reading Commons backing for Books to Iraq initiative

The Iraqi economy has been severely affected by decades of sanctions, wars and occupation. The Iraqi trade unions and federations believe in the capacity of the country with all its oil and mineral resources to provide a decent living standard for Iraqis. The federations and unions consider that the wars and occupation have caused a dramatic decrease in the living and social standards of Iraqis and especially of workers. The federations and unions stress the importance of complete sovereignty for Iraq over its petroleum and natural resources so as to develop them in a way that assures a complete reconstruction … Continue reading Iraqi Trade Unions unite for economic sovereignty

Learning from Precedent: the prospects for democratic consolidation in Iraq, lessons from other cases Saturday 7th January 2006 (1pm-6pm please note revised start time) The Board Room Town House 102 Kingston University Penrhyn Road Campus Kingston Upon Thames (Directions at bottom of this email) In the aftermath of the Iraqi election the debate on the prospects for democratic consolidation in Iraq will be more intense than ever. The Helen Bamber Centre, the Labour Friends of Iraq, the UK Iraqi Community Association and the Centre for Federal Studies,University of Kent, have combined to arrange an afternoons discussion on theme of democratic … Continue reading LFIQ backs conference on democratic consolidation in Iraq

The following letter appears in the Guardian. As a London-based Iraqi currently visiting family and friends all over Iraq, I cannot help but notice the sense of hope surging through this devastated country. The Iraqi people have been summoned to the ballot three times within one year and on all three occasions have responded in their masses, all eager to have a say in the new democratic Iraq. It’s a shame, therefore, that despite the optimism within Iraq, the western media continues to portray the situation in Iraq in a negative light – particularly the recent elections. We should not … Continue reading Terrorists will not win over the resilience of the Iraqi people

Blaydon MP Dave Anderson chaired a briefing in the Commons, on Tuesday, on the new unified Iraqi TUC – the Iraqi Workers Federation – with senior trade union leaders, party activists and Foreign Office and Iraqi officials. These included Kevin Curran from the International Foodworkers’ Union, Tim Lezard, President of the NUJ and Joni McDougall, the International Secretary of the GMB. The meeting was addressed by the Iraqi labour movement’s international representative Abdullah Muhsin who stressed the importance of the free unions as part of Iraq’s new non-sectarian civil society. Dave Anderson, who is Chair of the Labour Friends of … Continue reading Briefing on Iraqi labour movement held in the Commons

Books for Iraq can be found here. The new web site explains its purpose. In addition to the recent conflict and the continuing violence, two wars and twelve years of sanctions have had a crippling effect on Iraq’s pharmacy education and practice. These events have severely affected access to information resources such as books and journals, and imposed a total isolation from the scientific community. Iraq has an important position in the history of pharmacy. Baghdad was a prominent centre for science and culture; enlightened Caliphs created an atmosphere where Arab, Jewish, Alexandrian and Indian scholars could all contribute to … Continue reading Please support Books to Iraq, launched today

Blogger Salam Pax has a fascinating piece in the Guardian on the run-up to the Iraqi election in which he says we go to vote again hoping that we will not be blown to pieces. And I really believe that we Iraqis do deserve a bit of credit for having done that twice now. I don’t think there is a better demonstration of the will to get this political process rolling and keeping it rolling than participating under the threat of violent death. I know I make fun of it all the time but this is not to be mistaken … Continue reading Purple fingers crossed for elections