PressInfo 2003

There is an agreement over the Iraqi war. It seems as if everybody prefers virtual to real reality: it applies equally to military experts, politicians and even the public! It is said that truth is the first victim of every war, but I am wondering why it has to be the case in Macedonia nowadays. Why do people prefer not to hear the truth? Is it possible that the majority can calmly consent to the deceit and misinformation about this war in which Macedonia is an “honourable member of the Alliance of the Willing”? How is it possible in a country whose population recently declared over 80 percent disagreement with the war in all public opinion polls? Are people honest only in their protected anonymity, or are there very few who dare say something which is not politically correct and desirable, or maybe even risky? Or perhaps our petty souls...

Yesterday Washington “recommended” that the inspectors from IAEA and UNMOVIC as well as all UN humanitarian staff, UNOHCI, leave Iraq as soon as possible. The UN mission in the demilitarised zone on the border between Kuwait and Iraq (UNIKOM) was already evacuating. These missions are UN missions. They are in Iraq because of a Security Council decision. They are there to help bring about peace by peaceful means and to help the citizens of Iraq. After a short Security Council meeting behind closed doors, Secretary-General Kofi Annan informs the world that these missions have been ordered to evacuate. Thus, it seems that one member issues an ultimatum “recommendation” and the UN obeys and leaves the Iraqi people behind to be intimidated, humiliated, killed, wounded and, in a few weeks, starve. Article 99 of the UN Charter states that the S-G “may bring to the attention of the Security Council any...

I write with a heavy heart. Our cause has shifted from trying to prevent a needless war to seeking to end an illegal war. The audacity of the Bush administration takes one’s breath away.  The United States is bombing Baghdad, engaged in its “shock and awe” strategy. Shock yes, but there is no awe. To suggest awe reflects only the arrogance of the Bush militarists. US attacks on Iraq are shocking and awful.  Shocking that we are at war in violation of international law and our Constitution.  Shocking that our government is committing aggressive warfare, which is a crime. Shocking that a large majority of the US Congress has been so compliant and cowardly, handing over their responsibility to declare war to the president. By giving up their Constitutional powers, Congress is putting the future of our Republic in jeopardy.   Shocking that Bush has demonstrated contempt for the strongly held...

, in the wake of the Gulf War, the Security Council decided about inspections and sanctions it must have suffered from some kind of hubris. Iraq should be punished for the invasion of Kuwait – and it did invade and it was foolish and illegal to do so. Sanctions should put pressure on the regime and, it was hoped, turn the people against the leadership. Hard as the sanctions were, they were designed to last for a short time, the time it was assumed to take to find and disarm Iraq’s weapons of mass-destruction. The winners of the war dictated the conditions. Iraq, the loser, had to obey unconditionally. Lifting the sanctions was made dependent upon the delivery of an inspection report to the Security Council that would state that all that could be used in the production of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons had been found and destroyed and...

Perhaps it is not the most well-known peace mission of the UN, but you will be sure to hear more about it soon as it is situated on the border between Iraq and Kuwait. Its name is UNIKOM (UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission), http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unikom/index.html. It was established by Security Council Resolution 687 in 1991. During TFF’s fact-finding mission to Iraq in January this year, we visited the UN mission there. Reports from the last few days tell that armed US Marines and vehicles have entered this demilitarised zone, DMZ, between Iraq and Kuwait. On the Kuwaiti side, they have cut down fences and set up 7 gates, presumably in preparation of an invasion and occupation of Iraq. We, the authors, are not experts in international law and shall not judge whether this is a breach of the Security Council Resolution and/or other parts of international law, or whether there is some fine...

Måske er det ikke FNs mest kendte fredsmission, men vi kan være sikre på snart at høre mere om den, idet den befinder sig på grænsen mellem Irak og Kuwait. Navnet er UNIKOM (UN Irak-Kuwait Observation Mission), http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unikom/index.html. Den blev etableret ved FNs Sikkerhedsråds-resolution 687, i 1991. Da TFF var på analyserejse i Irak i januar i år, besøgte vi denne FN-mission på pladsen. Rapporter fra de seneste dage fortæller at bevæbnede USA-marinesoldater er gået ind i denne demilitariserede zone, DMZ, mellem Irak og Kuwait. På Kuwait-siden er indhegningen blevet skåret op og 7 porte sat ind, tilsyneladende for at forberede en invasion og besætelse af Irak. Vi, forfatterne, er ikke eksperter i folkeret og kan ikke bedømme om dette er et brud på en Sikkerhedsrådsbestemmelse og/eller andre internationale love, eller om der et eller andet sted med småt står noget, der kan legitimere dette under visse betingelser. Men vi betvivler...

Some time ago, CBS’s Dan Rather interviewed President Saddam Hussein who at one point suggests that he and President Bush ought to have a televised dialogue to avoid war and to give their frank views so people could judge their arguments and views. This is how it was stated and how Rather reacted (excerpts): What makes this so interesting, so revealing? Dan Rather has worked with the spoken and written word for more than 50 years. At first, it seems that he is surprised and needs to clarify the President’s proposal, not sure that he has understood what he hears. When it is explained again to him, he hints that it could be a joke – or perhaps recognises that what he thought may have been a joke was not a joke. Then, patiently, the Iraqi President explains why it is not a joke and why people should be able...

Det kanske inte är den mest kända av FNs fredsmissioner, men vi kommer säkerligen att få höra mer om den inom kort eftersom den är placerad pågränsen mellan Kuwait och Irak. Dess namn är UNIKOM (UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission), Läs om den här. UNIKOM etablerades 1991 av Säkerhetsrådets resolution 687. Under TFF’s analys-resa till Irak i januari i år besökte vi denna FN-mission. Enligt de senaste dagarnas rapporter i pressen har USAs Marinkår och amerikanska fordon gått in i denna demilitariserade zon (DMZ) mellan Irak och Kuwait. På Kuwaits sida har stängsel tagits ned och 7 grindar satts upp, förmodligen förberedelser inför en invasion och ockupation av Irak. Vi, artikelförfattarna, är inga experter på internationell lag och skall inte bedöma huruvida detta är en kränkning av Säkerhetsrådets resolution och/eller delar av annan internationell lag, eller om det finns något finstilt skrivet någonstans som legitimerar detta under speciella omständigheter. Dock betvivlar vi...

Put together five things: 1. Modern technology, in this case aeroplanes, e-mail, phones and Internet 2. The recognition that every human being can be a peace movement 3. The idea of dialogue between civilisations and religions 4. Art in general and music in particular 5. Add a dose of creativity, or vision – and here is an example of what you get! Connecting Tokyo and Baghdad & the UN and music & Buddhism and Islam During TFF’s mission to Iraq last month, Christian Harleman and I met the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, Mr. Francis Dubois. We knew from an earlier visit that UNDP – like so many UN organisations in Iraq – do a fantastic job for (and with) Iraqi citizens. We knew that this mission like so many other UN missions around the world is the real UN, not New York. We quickly recognised that Francis...