IRAQ US policy on Iraq has been defined by different and sometimes obscure aims. Some of those proposed include a desire for control over Iraqi oil and an excuse to divert funds into companies with strong ties with the Bush administration. More ominously, the war with Iraq may be seen as a formal attack on the authority of the UN and the system of international law. With the documents and links we offer here, we hope to throw some light onto these issues. Please e-mail us with other useful documents and links.

State of Exception | Law | USDS | UN | EU | Hussein Trial | Cultural Heritage | Articles | News | Links

War on Iraq and Global State of Exception
by Equipo Nizkor

State of Exception

The Bush administration appears to be following the model set out by Nazi political philosopher Carl Schmitt of setting out a national emergency (the blurry fear of terrorist attacks) that is addressed by the progressive elimination of civil liberties, under the principle of "estate of exception" or Ausnahmezustand. Its ultimate aim is the destruction of the liberal political system, including democratic institutions. The aim of the War on Iraq is to declare a global state of exception that does away with the United Nations system. Statement on the War on Irak, Nizkor Team, EU 22Mar03. Thank God for the death of the UN. Its abject failure gave us only anarchy. The world needs order. By Richard Perle, chairman of the defence policy board, an advisory panel to the Pentagon. 21Mar03 See also:: Carl Schmitt - by Generation Online The State of Emergency - by Giorgio Agamben

Legal Context

London Agreement of August 8th 1945 Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. United States Printing Office. Washington, 1946. Charter of the Nürnberg International Military Tribunal. London, August 8, 1945 Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. United States Printing Office. Washington, 1946. International Military Trials Nürnberg. Opinion and Judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Trial of German Major War Criminals. (Full Text) Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression. United States Government. Printing Office. Washington, 1947 Principles of International Law Recognized in the Charter of the Nürnberg Tribunal and in the Judgment of the Tribunal. Text adopted by the International Law Commission at its second session, in 1950, and submitted to the General Assembly as a part of the Commission's report covering the work of that session. The report, which also contains commentaries on the principles, appears in: ILC Report, A/1316 (A/5/12), 1950, part III, paras. 95-127, Yearbook of the International Law Commission, 1950, vol. II.

US State Department

Remarks by deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz at the University of Georgetown. Department Defense Briefing, Federal News Service, Washington, 30Oct03 U.S. National Security Strategy Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's statements

United Nations

UN News Service: Iraq U.S. Should Give U.N. "Real Authority," Former CIA Chief Says. By Steve Hirsch, U.N. Wire, 09Oct03 Iraq needs $36 Billion for reconsruction for 2004-2007. UN News Service, NY, 03Oct03 US blocks UN resolution on protecting aid workers over ICC reference. Agence France Presse, 25Aug03 Security council calls on member states to help enhance un role in establishing justice, rule of law in post-conflict states. Security Council, 4833rd Meeting* (AM), 24sep03 UN nuclear chief slams US for double standards. The Hindustan Times, AFP, 27Aug03 Security Council adopts resolution to boost security of UN personnel. Xinhua General News Service, Pekin, 26Aug03 Security Council unanimously approves resolution aimed at protecting U.N. staff and humanitarian workers. The Associated Press, 26Aug03 Protection of United Nations personnel, associated personnel and humanitarian personnel in conflict zones. S/RES/1502 (2003), Security Council, NY, 26aug03 Former UN chief: bomb was payback for collusion with US. By Neil Mackay, The Sunday Herald, Scotland, 24Aug03 Annan to return to New York following funeral in Rio for slain Iraq envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. U.N. News Service, New York, 24Aug03 E.U., Reino Unido consideran nueva resolución de ONU sobre Iraq. Departamento de Estado, Usa, 23ago03 Annan arrives in Rio to mourn death of slain Iraq envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. UN News Service, NY, aug03 Tributes pour in for slain UN envoy as world body vows to pursue its mission. UN News Service, NY, 20aug03 Top UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello killed in terrorist blast in Baghdad. UN News Service, NY, 19aug03 At Least 20 Die in U.N. HQ Blast in Iraq. Associated Press, August 19, 2003 Statement by France. Security Council meeting on the situation in Iraq. 19 March 2003. (Declaración del Representante de Francia ante el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU en la reunión que el Consejo de Seguridad celebró sobre Iraq el 19mar03. [RAM file. Real Player or Windows Media Player required] Version originale en français [RAM file. Real Player or Windows Media Player required] Will the Security Council live up to its responsibility? By Kofi A. Annan. Statements on Iraq by UN Secretary-General Disarming Iraq. Statements and briefings delivered by UN weapons inspector Hans Blix (October 1, 2002 - Up to present). Full text of statement by Blix (March 7, 2003). Full text of statement by Mohamed ElBaradei. [PDF file] UN Resolutions United Nations General Assembly Resolution 377, "Uniting For Peace" 03noc1950

European Union

Blair waged war illegally, say leading lawyers. By Severin Carrell, The Independent, London, UK, 02Nov03 Blair sabotages French plan for EU army. By Rosemary Bennett, Deputy Political Editor, The Times, London, UK, 25Aug03 Statement on Iraq European Council, Brussels 20 March 2003. The EU's relations with Iraq General Affairs & External Relations Council (GAERC). Extracts from successive General Affairs & External Relations Councils. Situation in Iraq

The Trial of Saddam Hussein

Rumsfeld says US military trial of Saddam unlikely. Reuters, Washington, Us, 14Jan04 Iraqis Concerned Over Saddam's POW Status. Reuters, NY, 10Jan03 Saddam is a POW, says Pentagon. UPI, Washington, 08Jan04 Some fear Iraqi judges don't grasp complexity of war crime trials. Scheherezade Faramarzi, Associated Press Writer, Teheran, 04Jan04 The Trial of Hussein: Choosing the Evidence Prosecution Likely to Focus on Few Incidents. By Peter Slevin, Washington Post Staff Writer, 02Jan04 The Pitfalls of trying Hussein. Christian Science Monitor, Boston, USA, 31Dec03 Hooded Men Executing Saddam Officials. Robert Fisk by Independent Digital, London, UK, 28Dec03 Rumsfeld and his 'old friend' Saddam. Asia Times, IPS, Hong Kong, 17Dec03

Impact on Cultural Heritage

Dr Francis Deblauwe's website. Uptades on the 2003 Iraq War & Archaelogy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, april 2003 This site lists and maintains meaningful information regarding the Iraq War and its impact on archaeological-historical sites, monuments, artifacts. Archaeological Institute of America See Open Declaration on Cultural Heritage at Risk in Iraq, March 2003 MELCOM Deplores the Destruction and Theft of Iraqui Libraries and Archives. The European Association of Middle East Librarians, Beirut, 28may03 Troops 'vandalize' ancient city of Ur. Ed Vulliamy, The Observer, 18may03 Iraqis have sworn not to return missing artifacts until Americans leave, investigator says. Pauline Jelinek, Associated Press Writer, Washington, 16May03 Museum, memory and mankind. By Gulshan Dietl, The Hindu, 3May03 Iraq and ruin. By Neal Ascherson, The Guardian, London, 01May03 Takeaway antiquities: art dealers may have 'ordered' looting. Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 29Apr03 Burn a Country's Past and You Torch Its Future. By Robert Darton, The Washington Post, 20Apr03 Troops were told to guard treasures. The Washington Times, 20Apr03 UNESCO calls for worldwide emergency steps to recover Iraq's looted heritage. UN News Centre, 17apr03 Raiders of the Lost Art Why didn't we protect the National Museum and Library in Baghdad? By Meghan O'Rourke is a Slate senior editor, Aprin 17, 2003 - [ENG/ING][ESP/SPA]. Method to Madness in Museum Looting. By Eleanor Robson, Los Angeles Times, April 17, 2003 "Missing in Action". Por Benjamin R. Foster y Karen Polinger Foster, NYT, 17abr03 The trashing of civilisation. The Age, Melbourne, 15apr03 Libraries and Archives must be protected as essential parts of the rich heritage of Iraq. By Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO, 15 April 2003 Bomb Before You Buy. What is being planned in Iraq is not reconstruction but robbery. By Naomi Klein, The Guardian, London, 14apr03 Americans Defend Two Untouchable Ministries From The Hordes of Looters. By Robert Fisk in Baghdad, The Independent, London, 14Apr03 Was it coincidence that troops were sent to defend the Oil Ministry and not the National Museum of Antiquities? Joe Conason's Journal, 14apr03 Pillage du patrimoine culturel irakien. The International Council of Musem, 14avr03 Baghdad Library In Flames, Oil Stations 'Safe'. IslamOnline.net & News Agencies, Baghdad, 14apr03 US blamed for failure to stop sacking of museum. The Independent, London, 14apr03 A civilisation torn to pieces. By Robert Fisk, The Independent, London, 13Apr03 The Director-General of UNESCO calls for all measures to be taken to ensure the protection and surveillance of Iraqi cultural heritage. UNESCO, 13Apr03 Chaos in the Capital. By Peter Beaumont, The Observer, London, 13apr03

Articles

I believe in conspiracies. By John Laughland, The Spectator, London, UK, 17Jan04 How three threats interlock. International Herald Tribune, Camberra, 29Dec03. The Specter of Sectarian and Ethnic Unrest in Iraq. Nicholas Blanford by Merip.org, The Middle East Research and Information Project, 07Jan04 Slaves of the Foreigners. By Bernhard Zand, Der Spiegel by NYT, NY, 06oct03 Who's Sordid Now? By Paul Krugman, The New York Times, Editorial Desk, 30Sep03 Wmds were just a pretext for planned war on Iraq. By John Pilger, The Mirror, London, UK, 22Sept03 Bush's Saudi Connections. By Michael Steinberger, The American Prospect, 19Sep03 to truthout.org Mistakes of Vietnam repeated with Iraq. By Max Cleland, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 18Sep03 Was the Iraq war illegal? By Alex Wade, The Guardian, UK, 16Sep03 In less than 3 years, Bush & Co. have turned a $230 billion surplus into a deficit of $525 billion U.S. By Jennifer Wells, The Toronto Star Sun, 14Sept03 The Price of Not Keeping the Peace. By Arthur Hertzberg, NY Times, 27Aug03 US Mired in a Mess of Its Own Making. By Eric Margolis, Schonried, Switzerland and The Toronto Sun, 24Aug03 Former UN Chief: Bomb was Payback for Collusion with US. By Neil MacKay, by The Sunday Herald, Scotland, 24Aug03 From Schwarzenegger to Baghdad, this is not a "silly season" By Norman Solomon, The Hindustan Times, 23Aug03 Bush's Crumbling Authority in Iraq -Now No One is Safe. By Robert Fisk, by The Independent Digital UK, 20Aug03 Violente Response: The U.S. Army in Al-Falluja. Human Rights Watch Publications, May03

Follow-up: War on Iraq

News on Iraq from the USA Watch blog Blair faces new "war crimes" accusation. By Severin Carrell, Independent, London, UK, 18Jan04 Bush designates Kuwait major non-NATO ally. The Hindu, Press Trust Of India, 14Jan04 US Treasury to probe O'Neill book. BBC, London, UK, 13ene04 Group Accuses U.S. of War Crimes in Iraq. NY Times Online, NY, Us, 13Jan04 U.S. Firm to Run Iraqi TV Harris Corp. Also to Operate National Newspaper. By Walter Pincus, Washington Post Staff Writer, 12Jan04 Bush Sought Way To Invade Iraq? CBS News, NY, Usa, 11Jan04 Bush's Plans to Invade Iraq began days after inauguration. CBS News, NY, 10Jan04 Bush planned Iraqi invasion before sept. 11-Report. Reuters, NY, Usa, 10Jan04 Blair promises to quit if Kelly report shows he lied to MPs. Daily Telegraph, London, UK, 08Jan04 New Contract for Controversial Bechtel Worth Billions. Emad Mekay by IPS ,Washington, 07Jan04 War Critics Astonished as US Hawk Admits Invasion Was Illegal. The Guardian, London, UK, 20nov03 Up to 15,000 people killed in invasion, claims thinktank. he Guardian, by Project on Defence Alternatives Research, London, UK, 29oct03 Group Faults U.S. Tactics Against Civilians in Iraq. By Karl Vick, Washington Post Foreign Service, 21oct03 Iraqui Combatant and Noncombatant Fatalities in the 2003 Conflict Project on Defense Alternatives Research Monograph, Carl Conetta, 20oct03 Marines Press Charges Against 8 Over the Death of an Iraqi Prisoner. The New York Times, NY, 19Oct03 Antiwar activists to revisist district. Washington Post Staff Writer, 19Oct03 NATO launches elite global force. The Scotsman, 16Oct03 La OTAN inaugura su nueva fuerza de intervención rápida. La Estrella Digital, Madrid, Esp, 16oct03 Spoils of war. The Guardian, UK, 13Oct03 Turkish troops will guard Iraq's toughest areas. By Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor, The Times, London. 11Oct03 Secret exercise exposes Nato's weaknesses. The Straits Times, Singapore, 10Oct03 Spanish military intelligence officer gunned down in Baghdad. Agence France-Presse, 10Oct03 Kurds Ready to Declare War on Turkey. Rosbalt, Russia, 09Oct03 Turkish soldiers set to join coalition. By Amberin Zaman in Ankara, Daily Telegraph, 07Oct03 Motion on Dispatch of Soldiers to Iraq was Signed by Cabinet Members. Turkish Press, Anadolu Agency, Ankara, 06Oct03 Turkish govt wants troop dispatch to Iraq. Agence France-Presse, Ankara, Tur, 6Oct03 US asks Turkey, Pakistan, S Korea asked for troops. The Times Of India, 20Sep03 Bush and Schröder Back on Speaking Terms Soon to be buddies again? Deutsche Welle, 20Sep03 US weapons hunters find no evidence Iraq had smallpox. Hindus Times, Delhi, Ind, 19Sep03 Scientists hunted futilely in Iraq for signs of smallpox. The Baltimore Sun, 19sep03 Kennedy Says Iraq War Case a 'Fraud'. The Associated Pres, Boston, 18sep03 Blix says Iraq war unjustified, threat "over-interpreted". Agence France-Presse, 18Sep03 Exercise demonstrates NATO's maritime and amphibious capabilities. NATO International, 17Sep03 Pentagon urged to divert troops from Balkans. By Peter Spiegel in London by The Financial Times, London, UK, 17Sep03 $87 billion funding bid being led by Cheney Believes banned weapons will be found in Iraq. The Toronto Star, Mon, 15Sept03 Iraq weapons report shelved. By David Leppard, Sunday Times, London, UK, 14Sep03 Aid agencies evacuate their workers. Julian Borger in Washington by The Guardian, London, UK, 27Aug03 US abandoning 'defence posture'. Australian Broadcasting Company, 26Aug03 US asks Israel to explore the reopening of an oil pipeline from Iraq. Margaret Neighbour, The Scotsman, 26Aug03 Protection of United Nations personnel, associated personnel and humanitarian personnel in conflict zones. S/RES/1502 (2003), Security Council, NY, 26aug03 Bomb Targets Key Iraqi Shiite Cleric. By Steven R. Hurst, Associated Press Writer, Baghdad, Iraq, 24Aug03 Powell's call for more troops and money falls on deaf ears. By Evelyn Leopold, NY by The Age, Australia, 23Aug0 UK embassy in Iraq evacuated after 'credible threat'. Australian Broadcasting Company, Reuters, 23Aug03 Bye bye, Iraq, Businessmen take flight in wake of bomb. he Straits Times, Singapore, 23Aug03 Annan arrives in Rio to mourn death of slain Iraq envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. UN News Service, NY, aug03 US troops may stay in Iraq indefinitely. Financial Times, 21Aug03 Tributes pour in for slain UN envoy as world body vows to pursue its mission. UN News Service, NY, 20aug03 Top UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello killed in terrorist blast in Baghdad. UN News Service, NY, 19aug03 At Least 20 Die in U.N. HQ Blast in Iraq. Associated Press, August 19, 2003 US Admits Cameraman Was Shot Dead at Close Range. The Independent, UK, 19aug03 America's gulag for Iraq's VIP prisoners. By Gordon Thomas, Globe-Intel, 15aug03 Journalists accuse US of "cynical whitewash" over report into Baghdad Hotel media killings. IFJ, 14Aug03 A Pattern of Aggression. By Kate Hudson, The Guardian, 14aug03 [ENG/ING] Marines dropped devices similar to Napalm on Iraqi troops. The Associated Press, San Diego, 05Aug03 US Moves to Close Down Al-Jazeera TV. By Robert Fisk, CounterPunch site, 01Aug03 Greek lawyers accuse Britain of 22 illegal attacks on Iraqi civilians. France Press via ClariNet, 29jul03 Ex-Inspector's Book Attacks Bush, U.N. By Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press, ONU, 15Jul03 Memo for the President Bush. By Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, CommonDreams.org, 14jul03 20 Lies About the War By Glen Rangwala and Raymond Whitaker, The Independent Digital, UK, 13jul07 Angry Mandela attacks Warmonger Blair. The Mirror, London, 11Jul03 World council of churches condemns US military action in Iraq. Russian Information Agency (Novosti), Moscow, 9Jul03 Iraqi papers deemed forgeries. UPI, Boston, 19Jun03 The right to resist. Armed opposition to the occupation of Iraq will continue until the US and Britain withdraw. By Seumas Milne, The Guardian, London, UK, 18Jun03 Civilian deaths in Iraq could be as high as 10,000 and final body count could be biggest since Vietnam war. Ian Bruce, The Herald (Scotland), 23May03 - America's weapons evidence flawed, say spies. By Tim Reid, The Times Online, 07may03 Prewar Views of Iraq Threat Are Under Review by C.I.A. By James Risen, The New York Times, 22may03 The Truth Will Emerge. By Senator Robert C. Byrd, Senate Floor Remarks, 21may03 - Mandela slams Western action in Kosovo, Iraq. Reuters, Dublin, 13apr03 "Recent events in Baghdad do not mean the war is over" Russian Information Agency (Novosti), 10abr03 Softly, Softly: War in Black, White, and Grey. The Economist, 10abr03 Bush is presiding over the ruin of US foreign policy. Jeffrey Sachs, The Financial Times, 09abr03 Dyncorp Rent-a-Cops May Head to Post-Saddam Iraq. Corp Watch, 9abr03 Incident with attack on RF diplomats in Iraq "not closed". Y. Pankratyeva, FM ITAR-TASS, 09abr03 Iraq at risk of cholera epidemic. AFP, Paris, 07abr03 The weird men behind George W Bush's war. Michael Lind by The New Statesman, 7abr03 Pentagon Defends Use of Civilian Clothes. Pauline Jelinek, APR, Washington, 04abr03 Ex-CIA director, James Woolsey: U.S. faces 'World War IV'. CNN, 3apr03 Stop this war now. Statement of Congressman Kucinich in Congress, 2apr03 From Gunboat Diplomacy to Gunpoint Democracy. Statement by Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., 28mar03 US Forces´ Use of Depleted Uranium Weapons is íllegal´. Neil MacKay, Investigation Editor by The Sunday Herald. Keeping Hope Alive. Hartung, The Nation, 25mar03 The president's real goal in Iraq. By Jay Bookman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 29sep02 American Servicemembers' Protection Act - ASPA. H.R.4775.ENR, 24Jul02. The House and the Senate approved on July 2002 the 'Supplemental Appropriations Act for Further Recovery from the Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States', which contains the American Servicemembers' Protection Act (ASPA) prohibiting U.S. cooperation with the International Criminal Court. On August 2, 2002, President George W. Bush signed H.R. 4775. The American Servicemembers' Protection Act became U.S. law.

Links

Electronic Iraq The International Committee of the Red Cross The Middle East Research and Information Project Merip.org - Middle East Report Online Iraqui Combatant and Noncombatant Fatalities in the 2003 Conflict Project on Defense Alternatives Research Monograph, Carl Conetta, 20oct03 Hearts and Minds: Post-war Civilian Deaths in Baghdad Caused by U.S. Forces. Human Rights Watch Publications, Oct03 Shaking Hands with Saddam Hussein: The U.S. Tilts toward Iraq, 1980-1984 National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 82, Edited by Joyce Battle, February 25, 2003 Dr Francis Deblauwe's website. Uptades on the 2003 Iraq War & Archaelogy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, april 2003

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USA Watch is a project of Derechos Human Rights and Equipo Nizkor.