نص قرار مجلس النواب الامريكي حول احداث الموصل ومصير مسيحيي العراق
تقرير خاص من مجلس النواب الامريكي وقرار حول حقوق الانسان في العراق واحداث الموصل وكوردستان العراق - نضعه امامكم دون رتوش وكما وصلنا قبل قليل
وصلنا التقرير التالي توا (باللغة الانكليزية ) من وكالة نانا للانباء (خاص) ننشره نصا دون رتوش لكي تتطلعوا عليه وتضعوا بصماتكم وافكاركم وتحللوا بموضوعية ما جاء فيه والاستفادة القصوى منه لصالح العراق وكوردستان والمسيحيين بشكل اخص
هذا التقرير كنا ننتظره بفارغ الصبر وقد نوهنا له واشرنا اليه في حقوقيات) ليوم امس حول وجود قرار من مجلس النواب الامريكي لصالح مسيحيي الموصل قدمته النائبة نانا وتبنه المجلس ورفعه الى الرئيس الامريكي اوباما للتوقيع عليه ويعتبر عندما نافذاً اي يطبق على ارض الواقع
نكرر : تقديم شكرنا وتقديرنا العاليين كل من ساهم وضحى بوقته وماله من شخصيات ومنظمات حقوقية ومجتمع مدني واحزاب سياسية مؤثرة على الساحة الامريكية والدولية بما هو لصالح حقوق العراق والعراقيين والكورد وشعبنا الاصيل وخاصة المسيحيين منهم
اليكم نص التقرير دون رتوش باللغة الانكليزية / وننتظر تعليقاتكم الموضوعية واقتراحاتكم لتطبيقه عمليا
شبكة حقوق الانسان في الشرق الاوسط
03/08/14
NINA NEWES
001 08/02/2014 US House Passes Resolution on Protecting Religious Minorities in Iraq
002 08/02/2014 Islamic State's Persecution Of Christians Is A 'Crime Against Humanity'
003 08/02/2014 ISIS Looted 8 Million Dollars From Assyrian Farms Near Mosul
004 08/02/2014 Human Rights in Iraq - Terrorism or State Terror?
005 08/02/2014 Assyrians Demonstrate Worldwide Against ISIS Persecution
006 08/02/2014 Kurdish Leader: We Are No Longer Able to Help Iraq
007 08/02/2014 Iraq Exodus Leaves Nation Divided
008 08/02/2014 77 Killed in Clashes Between Kurdish Forces and ISIS
009 08/02/2014 Tribesmen Force ISIS Out of Eastern Syrian Villages
010 08/02/2014 Lebanon to Address Growing Presence of Christian Refugees
AINA News Digest
001 08/02/2014 US House Passes Resolution on Protecting Religious Minorities in Iraq
(AINA) -- A resolution in the United States House of Representatives calling for the protection of minorities was passed today. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA-51) on July 24, 2014. The resolution expresses "the sense of the House of Representatives on the current situation in Iraq and the urgent need to protect religious minorities from persecution from the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) as it expands its control over areas in northwestern Iraq."
The Congressional Research Service summarized the resolution as follows:
Reaffirms the commitments of the House of Representatives to promoting and protecting religious freedom around the world and providing relief to minority groups facing persecution.
Calls on the Department of State to work with the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Iraqi central government, neighboring countries, the diaspora community in the United States, the United Nations (U.N.) High Commissioner for Refugees, and other key stakeholders to help secure safe havens for those claiming amnesty in Iraq.
Requests the addition of a Special Representative for Religious Minorities to be included in Prime Minister al-Maliki's newly reconstructed government.
Here is the full text of the resolution:
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 24, 2014
Mr. Vargas submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the current situation in Iraq and the urgent need to protect religious minorities from persecution from the Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) as it expands its control over areas in northwestern Iraq.
Whereas Iraq is currently embroiled in a political and religious insurrection stemming from an Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL)-led offensive that began in the Anbar province and has spread to key locations such as Mosul, Tikrit, and Samarra and continues to engulf the region in violence and instability;
Whereas ISIL is a transnational Sunni insurgency whose ideological and organizational roots lie in both al Qaeda in Iraq and the Syria-based Jabhat al Nursa and has a stated mission of establishing an Islamic state and a caliphate across the Levant through violence against Shiites, non-Muslims, and unsupportive Sunnis;
Whereas Iraq's population is approximately 31,300,000 with 97 percent identifying themselves as Muslim and the approximately 3 percent of religious minorities groups comprising of Christians, Yezidis, Sabean-Mandaeans, Bahais, Shabaks, Kakais, and Jews;
Whereas the Iraqi Christian population is estimated to be between 400,000 and 850,000 with two-thirds being Chaldean, one-fifth Assyrian, and the remainder consisting of Syriacs, Protestants, Armenians, and Anglicans;
Whereas the Iraqi constitution provides for religious freedom by stating--
(1) "no law may be enacted that contradicts the principles of democracy";
(2) "no law may be enacted that contradicts the rights and basic freedoms stipulated in this Constitution"; and
(3) "[This Constitution] guarantees the full religious rights to freedom of religious belief and practice of all individuals such as Christians, Yazidis, and Mandean Sabeans";
Whereas over 500,000 people have been displaced by the current situation in Iraq and reports have surfaced of targeted harassment, persecution, and killings of Iraqi religious minorities by ISIL with little to no protection from the Iraqi Government and other security forces;
Whereas the fall of Mosul in particular has sparked enough anxiety among the Christian population that for the first time in 1,600 years there was no Mass in the city;
Whereas over 50 percent of Iraq's Christian population has fled since the fall of Saddam Hussein, 1,100,000 people of diverse religious backgrounds remain internally displaced and the government under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has not upheld its commitment to protect the rights of religious minorities;
Whereas the United States has provided over $73,000,000 of cumulative assistance to Iraq's minority populations since 2003 through economic development, humanitarian services, and capacity development;
Whereas 84,902 Iraqis have resettled to the United States between 2007 and 2013 and over 300,000 Chaldean and Assyrians currently reside throughout the country, particularly in Michigan, California, Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio; and
Whereas President Barack Obama recently declared on Religious Freedom Day, "Foremost among the rights Americans hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose ... we also remember that religious liberty is not just an American right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know lasting peace": Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms its commitments to promoting and protecting religious freedom around the world and providing relief to minority groups facing persecution;
(2) calls on the United States Department of State to work with the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Iraqi central government, neighboring countries, the diaspora community in the United States, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and other key stakeholders to help secure safe havens for those claiming amnesty in Iraq; and
(3) respectfully requests the addition of a Special Representative for Religious Minorities to be included in Prime Minister al-Maliki's newly reconstructed government.
002 08/02/2014 Islamic State's Persecution Of Christians Is A 'Crime Against Humanity'
In this Saturday, July 19, 2014 photo, displaced Christians who fled the violence in Mosul, pray at Mar Aframa church in the town of Qaraqoush on the outskirts of Mosul (AP Photo).Iraq's Christians are begging the world for help. Is anybody listening?
Since capturing the country's second largest city of Mosul in early June, the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, has ordered Christians to convert to Islam, pay taxes levied on non-Muslims, or die. The extremist Sunni group is also persecuting and murdering Turkmen and Shabaks, both Muslim religious minorities.
Human rights lawyer Nina Shea described the horror in Mosul to me: "(The Islamic State) took the Christians' houses, took the cars they were driving to leave. They took all their money. One old woman had her life savings of $40,000, and she said, 'Can I please have 100 dollars?', and they said no. They took wedding rings off fingers, chopping off fingers if they couldn't get the ring off."
"We now have 5,000 destitute, homeless people with no future," Shea said. "This is a crime against humanity."
For the first time in 2,000 years, Mosul is devoid of Christians. "This is ancient Nineveh we are talking about," Shea explained. "They took down all the crosses. They blew up the tomb of the prophet Jonah. An orthodox Cathedral has been turned into a mosque. ... They are uprooting every vestige of Christianity." University of Mosul professor Mahmoud Al 'Asali, a Muslim, bravely spoke out against the Islamic State's purging of Christians and was executed.
Lebanon-based Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younnan, who heads the Syrian Catholic Church, called the crisis "religious cleansing" in an interview. "I want to tell American Christians to stand up, wake up and no longer be a silent majority. American-elected representatives need to stand up for their principles on which the U.S. has been founded: the defense of religious freedom ... and respect for human rights."
Mosul's Christians have fled to Kurdistan, which is providing refuge. Going back to Mosul is not an option: The Islamic State has given their houses and businesses away. There is nothing to go back to even if the Islamic State left.
Virginia Republican Rep. Frank Wolf has taken to the House floor three times in the past week to plead for action from the U.S. and world community.
Wolf told me, "The Kurds have done a good job, but they are bearing the burden. President Obama should thank and encourage the Kurds for protecting the Christians. He also needs to provide (humanitarian aid), including funds for water and food."
Though many Iraq War boosters have claimed that keeping U.S. troops there would have avoided this atrocity, Shea pointed out that a million Christians left Iraq in the decade before the Islamic State's purge campaign. The U.S. invasion "did not benefit the Christians at all. Back in 2007, jihadists moved into Baghdad's Christian Dora neighborhood and did just what they are doing in Mosul now. We had 100,000 troops on the ground and we pushed them out, but the Christians never got back their property."
Patriarch Younan concurred, telling me, "Christians used to live (peacefully) and get educated. But since the invasion in 2003, there is...no safety."
003 08/02/2014 ISIS Looted 8 Million Dollars From Assyrian Farms Near Mosul
(AINA) -- Two weeks after capturing Mosul, when nearly all 50,000 Assyrian inhabitants of Baghdede (Qaraqosh) had fled the city (AINA 2014-06-26), ISIS systematically looted all of the poultry farms that were owned by Assyrians, and that were abandoned after the Assyrians had fled. ISIS looted 8 million dollars (USD) worth of livestock and equipment from the Assyrian farmers.
Read Timeline of ISIS in Mosul
AINA Has compiled a comprehensive list of the farms, their owners, the items looted and the total value of the looted items.
Owner Items Looted Value
(Iraqi Dinars) Subtotals Total Dollars
($1=ID 1166)
1 Mousa Majeed Shitu 1 - Poultry halls + plant feed + Fish Lake with all the requirements for the operation of the troughs and fountains and devices 350,000,000 300172
2 - Chicken number 16000 full bird 100,000,000 85763
3 - Two Kia Trucks 25,000,000 21441
4 - 30 tons of barley 12,000,000 10292
5 - Harvester New Holland 80,000,000 68611
6 - Equipment + generator + 2 large Khnzirat not belong to the field 10,000,000 8576
577,000,000 494854
2 Noel Yousif Tooma 1 - Poultry field + Barns for breeding calves 200,000,000 171527
2 - Agricultural Equipment 10,000,000 8576
3 - wheat intended for Marketing 150 tons 105,000,000 90051
4 - barley intended for marketing 65 tons 30,000,000 25729
5 - turkey 3000 30,000,000 25729
375,000,000 321612
3 Jawad Habib Skaria 1 - two Poultry halls + plant feed + Barns 300,000,000 257290
2 - wheat intended for marketing 60 tons 42,000,000 36021
3 - the amount of 50 tons of barley 25,000,000 21441
4 - turkey number 5000 full weight ready for marketing 250,000,000 214408
5 - hatchery for eggs for hatching 50,000,000 42882
667,000,000 572041
4 Sabah Zoara Skaria 1 - two halls + factory + Extension 350,000,000 300172
2 - 21 thousand chickens egg producer 147,000,000 126072
3 - 100 tons of feed 70,000,000 60034
567,000,000 486278
5 Hazem Aboosh Saqat 1 - two halls + plant feed 350,000,000 300172
2 - 12 thousand chickens 40,000,000 34305
3 - 40 tons of feed 28,000,000 24014
4 - wheat intended for marketing 50 tons 35,000,000 30017
5 - barley intended for marketing 20 tons 8,000,000 6861
461,000,000 395369
6 Tawfiq Aboosh Saqat 1 - Poultry Hall + Cow Barns 250,000,000 214408
2 - 40 fattening calves 40,000,000 34305
3 - wheat intended for marketing 40 tons 28,000,000 24014
4 - barley for fattening 30 tons 12,000,000 10292
5 - 30 tons of yellow corn 9,000,000 7719
339,000,000 290738
7 Firas Behnam Shemo 1 - a small hall for breeding 25,000,000 21441
2 - 5 thousand chicks 15,000,000 12864
3 - wheat intended for marketing 20 tons 14,000,000 12007
4 - barley intended for marketing 10 tons 4,000,000 3431
5 - 10 tons of feed 7,000,000 6003
65,000,000 55746
8 Hani Habib Jallow 1 - Poultry Hall + factory + Barns 150,000,000 128645
2 - 5 thousand poultry 25,000,000 21441
3 - Harvester Forxin 30,000,000 25729
4 - wheat 20 tons and barley 50 tons intended for marketing 40,000,000 34305
245,000,000 210120
9 Sami Habib Jallow 1 - 3 Halls Poultry + Barns + 2 factory feed 400,000,000 343053
2 - 10 thousand chickens 50,000,000 42882
3 - wheat intended for marketing 70 tons 49,000,000 42024
4 - barley intended for marketing 60 tons 24,000,000 20583
5 - 10 tons of feed 7,000,000 6003
530,000,000 454545
10 Raaed Bahnam Shitu 1 - Two Poultry halls + Brick factory 500,000,000 500,000,000 428816
11 Ayoub 1 - Hall + factory feed 200,000,000 171527
2 - grain intended for Marketing 100 tons 70,000,000 60034
270,000,000 231561
12 Khalil Mikho 1 - Two Poultry halls + Brick factory 600,000,000 514580
2 - wheat intended for marketing 50 tons 35,000,000 30017
3 - barley intended for marketing 20 tons 8,000,000 6861
643,000,000 551458
13 Fahd Tooma Bahnam 1 - Two complete Poultry halls 250,000,000 250,000,000 214408
14 Badr 1 - Poultry hatchery 250,000,000 214408
2 - Damaged eggs and chicks dead 30,000,000 25729
280,000,000 240137
15 Najib Marzeena Shitu 1 - Two Poultry halls 250,000,000 250,000,000 214408
16 Elias Jameel 1 - Poultry Hall 150,000,000 150,000,000 128645
17 Joaza Ayoub 1 - Three Poultry halls 350,000,000 350,000,000 300172
18 Dhiya Saqat 1 - Two Poultry halls 250,000,000 250,000,000 214408
19 Abdullah Jamil 1 - Two Poultry halls + factory feed 300,000,000 300,000,000 257290
20 Ibrahim Rafo 1 - Poultry Hall 150,000,000 150,000,000 128645
21 Salim Hadaya 1 - Poultry Hall 150,000,000 150,000,000 128645
22 Nimrod Babawi 1 - 4 hall with poultry feed factory 450,000,000 385935
2 - 30 thousand chickens 140,000,000 120069
590,000,000 506003
23 Saad Estaypho 1 - Poultry Hall + factory feed 200,000,000 200,000,000 171527
24 Farouk Baqtar 1 - Poultry Hall 150,000,000 128645
2 - 8 thousand Chicken 30,000,000 25729
3 - 10 tons of feed 7,000,000 6003
187,000,000 160377
25 Sharbel Kacho 1 - Poultry Hall 150,000,000 150,000,000 128645
26 Karoomy Eeso 1 - Poultry Hall 150,000,000 150,000,000 128645
27 Patrus Bayoon Estaypho 1 - Two Poultry halls + factory feed 300,000,000 257290
2 - Sheep 50,000,000 42882
3 - Grains 35,000,000 30017
385,000,000 330189
28 Faraj Tamas 1 - Poultry Hall 150,000,000 128645
2 - Cows 100,000,000 85763
250,000,000 214408
GRAND TOTAL 9,281,000,000 9,281,000,000 $7,959,691
004 08/02/2014 Human Rights in Iraq - Terrorism or State Terror?
On the 19th of June 2014, Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) held an urgent side-event during the 26th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to discuss the current crisis unfolding in Iraq.
The meeting moderated by Julius Lee from the Malaysian Law Students Union of the United Kingdom & Eire featured as speakers Ahmed Quraishi, Senior Research Fellow at Project For Pakistan and Career investigative journalist, Daniela Donges, Senior Human Rights Researcher, Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ), Karen Parker, International Educational Organisation, Former Chief Delegate of Humanitarian Law Project, and United Nations Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order.
The panel agreed that the brutal sanctions, unjustified war and Anglo-American occupation have not only led to the current crisis, it has pushed Iraq towards the brink of destruction. The panel also condemned Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki's sectarian policies and the atrocious and unnecessary military support from the United States of America to further wage his sectarian war against his political oppositions; whom he claims are "terrorists". Further violence will not end the suffering; it will only prolong it, the panel agreed and in this regard, all forms of military aid to the Iraqi government must end immediately.
Ahmed Quraishi
Senior Research Fellow at Project For Pakistan, Career investigative journalist (full-time investigative journalist and observer of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003)
In addressing the floor, Quraishi mentioned that it is important to note that the current crisis in Iraq should no longer be solely attributable to the uprisings of ISIS. This is a full-blown misrepresentation of the deeper issues plaguing the State and region. The current crisis, which is widely acknowledged as the "Iraqi Revolution" amongst several Iraqis, is a popular uprising steered by several "tribal groups" led by both civilians and militants (this even includes the General Military Council of Iraqi Revolutionaries).
Most of these tribal groups, as explained in an Al Jazeera interview held with General Mizher Al Qaissi of the General Military Council of Iraqi Revolutionaries, have "no coordinations or cohesion with ISIS". ISIS only comprises a small faction of rebels that currently enjoys basking in the limelight of the media and garnering all the attention.
Quraishi explained that the only point where ISIS are dominant is in their media strategy, which seems to be welcomed by both Western media and governments that, according to several experts, makes the (1) ISIS story and analysis a simplified version of the crisis; and (2) helps provide accessible and readable content to the international community (which unfortunately also undermines the complexity of the current issue).
It is very important that we remind our readers that the vast majority of the armed people who are now fighting are the same ones that we supported in the past: first as forces of the Iraqi resistance against US occupation; and then as the pacific uprisings from 2011 and again in December 2012. These forces were backed by a popular base.
Even if the Military Council of Iraqi Revolutionaries decides not to fight them until Bagdad is liberated, Quraishi argued that it is likely that ISIS will be expelled from Iraq by Iraqis themselves once a fully-functioning democracy is restored.
This point was confirmed shortly thereafter when the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq, in the same week, asserted that (1) ISIS extremism has no place in Iraqi society; and that (2) they are not in control of the States in Iraq as portrayed by the international media. This can further corraborated by the statement of General Mizher Al Qaissi of the General Military Council of Iraqi Revolutionaries the following day (20th June 2014):
"It is not possible for revolutionary movements to continue militarily without political solutions, and arms will be put down once their aim is realized. We wanted to realize this aim with the least possible losses but we were forced to bear arms. We are not alone and I emphasize this now - there is a nation behind us that authorized us to bear arms.
[W]e have repeatedly emphasized we are not warmongers; we do not wish to shed blood but on the contrary any blood that is shed on Iraq's soil, no matter what part it emanates from, is blood that is too dear to us."
In ending his statement, Quraishi reminded the floor that unless Maliki's sectarian and brutal policies are halted, the uprisings of further tribal groups, which include extremists such as ISIS, would continue to grow. Most of these groups that are inspired to exploit the present chaotic situation under the weak leadership of Nouri Al Maliki will continue to persist unless they are given more democratic platforms for dissent.
Daniela Donges
Senior Human Rights Researcher, Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)
In continuing Quraishi's argument, Daniela agreed that Maliki's sectarian policies and the prolonged psychological build-up has led to the current crisis; not ISIS. It is a shame that the international media has failed to mention, or has seemed to have forgotten, about Maliki's indiscriminate shooting, shelling and bombing of innocent civilians in cities which he claims harbours "terrorists"; most of which are pursued on sectarian-inspired lines.
Under his watch, Maliki is well-known towards labelling and targeting all his political opponents as "terrorists". Most of the bombed and shelled cities such as Fallujah, Ramadi and Al-Anbar, have indeed housed famous political opponents of Maliki's brutal regime.
Since December 2012, the peaceful protests by Iraqi civilians seeking political reform and the appointment of a "unity" government were constantly responded with violent crackdowns that have resulted in the deaths of approximately 400 innocent civilians (the total deaths during the war and occupation amounted to more than a million civilians; the crisis in June alone has led to the deaths of 2,500 civilians; whereas hundreds of thousands of Iraqis remain displaced). The current offensives we are witnessing remains one of the last few options of Iraqis seeking to further their plight towards ending the injustices and impunity under Maliki's sectarian regime.
The statement given by General Mizher Al Qaissi again emphasised on this point:
"[W]e ask that they look at the legitimacy of our demands with humanity. Maliki has killed us, violated our sanctities, arrested the women, and commits every atrocity, exposed our areas to annihilation, committed massacres, and we have no one but God -- we raise our palms to the sky because we have no champion, we have spoken loudly and asked for help but no one answered us, and we appreciate this, because we do not want to burden them with more than their powers.
We want a new Iraq, whose people enjoy its wealth; a democratic Iraq with its people enjoying democracy; governed by a government they choose that governs them with justice and with its people coexisting with love for each other maintaining Iraq's unity.
Daniela also played a video showing the recent statement on Iraq delivered by Stuart Stephenson in his capacity as President for European Conservatives and Reformists Group, which must be noted by the international community:
"Tens of thousand of people of have protested on the streets, week after week, regarding the oppression, sectarianism and brutality of the assassinations and bombings of the Maliki regime on predominantly Sunni populations. He continues to launch indiscriminate major offensives as seen in the Al-Anbar region. Even the hospitals in Fallujah were destroyed, schools have been attacked, and mosques have been demolished.
This is almost a genocidal war against the Sunni population by Nouri Al Maliki. But yet he has persuaded the West that this is a "war on terror", and he has been so successful with this propaganda that they have been supplying him with weaponry including helicopters, jets, drones, rockets, missiles and others which he has been using to kill innocent civilians".
Karen Parker
International Educational Organisation, Former Chief Delegate of Humanitarian Law Project
In her capacity as one of the leading experts in the evolving fields of international law, particularly in the fields of economic sanctions, weaponry and environmental law, Karen emphasised that what most not be forgotten by the international community alongside the current crisis is the devastating legacy left by the Iraq war and occupation on the jurisprudential development of international legal order. The media's attention on ISIS today seems to be an absolute diversion from the impact of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In citing an example, she held that the gross and blatant violations of the UN Charter has left a damaging impact on the enforceability of its provisions as perceived by ratified States. Under Article 2(4):
"All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations."
This rule was "enshrined in the United Nations Charter in 1945 for a good reason: to prevent states from using force as they felt so inclined", said Louise Doswald-Beck, Secretary-General International Commission of Jurists.
As ratified members of the Charter, USA and its coalition allies during the invasion in ignoring this provision, coupled with the silence of the international community in halting this violation, has left us to wonder whether the UN Charter (or any other provision in international law for that matter) will be regarded with equal respect, recognition and compliance.
Karen also noted that it was equally important to remember the hastiness of the Anglo-American coalition in "rushing to war" in 2003 which, in their legitimate viewpoint was to prevent further threats of Iraq's nuclear program and links with Al-Qaeda under the Saddam regime; only to lead to the "dodgy dossier" shortly thereafter revealing that no such links/threats exist.
During this period, the requirement to obtain a second UN Security Council resolution to invade Iraq in 2003, as provided for under Article 39 of the UN Charter, was not and cannot be deemed "authorised" by the previous resolutions relating to the 1991 Gulf War (which the Western coalition deemed was sufficient). With the absence of any armed attack by the targeted State, any legal use of force, or any legal threat of the use of force, had to be supported by a UN Security Council resolution authorizing Member States to use such force against Iraq. None of these provisions were complied with.
Regrettably, the fact that this was blatantly ignored by the international community has elusively placed the USA and UK into an "unprecedented" position in international legal order; which defies our common and mutual stand in international law.
The war crimes committed have also violated countless jus cogen norms that the international community strongly condemns; particularly the widespread human rights abuses such as extrajudicial killings, rape and many forms of torture. Violations of these norms on such a wide scale, along with such impunity, was a direct implication to the international community that evolving jus cogen norms can somehow be overlooked.
In her closing remarks, Karen emphasised that the enforceability of international law, as many other academics, theorists and empiricists have argued, is moot unless the international community (1) acts in unity in condemning such violations; (2) consolidates the shaming and shunning of such aggressors/such acts of aggression (which was lacking during this period); and (3) promotes the need for accountability to hold such violators responsible. The Iraq war and occupation not only saw a failure of the international community to prevent these acts; it was a devastating blow towards the role of the international community in preventing such atrocities.
Dr Alfred De Zayas
United Nations Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order
In addressing the floor in his capacity as Professor of International Law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Dr Alfred De Zayas spoke about the legacy left behind by the invaders and occupiers of Iraq.
He held that when discussing about Iraq's crisis today, we should begin by acknowledging that the invasion, war and occupation were the greatest travesties of our time. Throw in whatever "intellectually dishonest" arguments to justify them -- the result remains that not only was the war illegal, Iraq is in no better position today than it was before the invasion. In fact, the sectarian conflict we are witnessing is peaking towards an irreconcilable conflict with no viable solution in sight.
Somehow all forms of "rational discourse" to stabilise the region has, according to Zayas, ballooned into weighing-out further scaremongering tactics such as possible airstrikes, military armament and deployment of drones. We have fallen into a fallacious "logical" pit assuming that the precise tools that have stripped away the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who wanted no part, and played no part, in any of Saddam's political game will be the exact tools that would end the war against terror.
On top of this, he emphasised that for a long time the international community has remained strongly silent towards human rights violations in Iraq, as no forms of protest were made despite there being some of the most extreme and blatant violations of such laws. This precisely being the legacy left behind by the American occupiers, the dismantling of the Iraqi judiciary system, military forces, governing institutions and even educational facilities, have led Iraq into a disastrous societal vacuum that enabled the chaotic, anarchical situation we are witnessing today.
This landscape, particularly during the years of American occupation, paved an environment that is ripe for extreme forms of human rights violations to be committed with impunity; an unfortunate legacy that remains with Iraq's successive "democratic" governments.
Dr Zayas illustrated that just as the American occupiers utilised the "sectarian divide" to break-up the resistance during the occupation, today Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki is prolonging that legacy to retain his power. What we are witnessing today under his regime has cornered much of Iraq's innocent population to bear arms in response to Maliki's violent crackdowns against them.
The sudden amnesia that has gripped the international community undoubtedly makes ISIS an easy target to be classified as the "real problem". The particulars permeating through discourses today, which mostly revolve around Mosul, Tikrit, Syraq, the oil refinery in Baija, undermines the devastating damage that has resulted through the illegal war and occupation of the Anglo-American forces in Iraq.
He further held that just as history has proven that Iraq barely posed a legitimate threat to both USA and UK under Saddam, today the same arguments are resurfacing with the need to contain ISIS. Dr Alfred emphasised that these tactics and guises have been well adopted by Nouri Al-Maliki to contain his political opponents.
It is dreadful, according to him, that some have even coined the idea that further military invasion could help stabilise the State and region. To begin with, the complexity surrounding the Sunni-Shia communities and religious-sectarian differences that are now sowed are intricate issues that no foreign invader could simply disregard as "unessential". These communities have rarely erupted into a full-scale, violent conflict in Iraq for centuries before the 2003 war begun -- although they differed on religious viewpoints. The international community needs to stop being deluded into assuming that deep-rooted sectarian tensions, that they themselves have created, are resolvable by allegedly greater foreign "democratic seed-planting" invasions; especially into a nation and region they have no "knowledge" about.
The lasting legacy that the Anglo-Americans have left, both of whom now so eagerly want to "wash their hands off" has led Iraq to one of its darkest moments in history. Regurgitating arguments such as "further military intervention", in an attempt to further justify the moral legitimacy of destroying a land that does not belong to anyone but Iraqis, is not only a violation of international law but also an affront to the dignity of all mankind. Iraqi civilians have been unjustly and tremendously wronged at the expense of our miscalculated and vague political interests.
In his final few minutes, Dr Zayas agreed with Karen Parker that the international community must stand with the Iraqi people instead of opting for political sides and justifying hazy, political interests. Our ultimate interests must lie with the lives and dignity of millions of innocent Iraqis who want no further part in this. The international community must also accept that we have wronged Iraqis in failing to prevent this humanitarian crisis -- we owe them our compassion, sympathy and support in resolving this undeserving catastrophe.
We also have to accept that Iraqis will never feel at peace until the world's greatest war criminals face their trials - as it is a betrayal of the international community to abandon Iraq at the hands of our mutual political interests, leaving them in tatters to rebuild themselves from scratch.
Conclusion
At the end, the panel as whole agreed that ISIS may be the ultimate trigger that encouraged the world to suddenly refocus on Iraq, but they urged the floor not to ignore the preceding circumstances that led to the build-up of this crisis. It is important that we understand these issues deeply and profoundly before we attempt to resolve them ourselves.
They argued that if we stand firm with the principles of international solidarity and mutual responsibility, then Iraq should be on our priority of countries that requires our immediate assistance. Military deployment and the trade of weapons have to end immediately, foreign intervention needs to be halted, and Iraq now needs a new and inclusive, democratic leader to reform their country.
Will the Human Rights Council address the situation in Iraq?
On the 25th of June 2014, the High Commissioner has informed, for the first time since 2003, that the UN Human Rights Council must address the human rights abuses in Iraq in a Special Session.
Deputy High Commissioner, Falvia Pansieri, delivered a statement at the 26th Session of the Council on behalf of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights addressing the escalation of violence in Iraq.
In this statement, she held:
"The High Commissioner has expressed extreme alarm at the deterioration of the human rights situation [in Iraq]. She called for the immediate cessation of acts of violence and abuses committed against civilians in violation of applicable international human rights and humanitarian laws".
She added that "violations of international human rights law continue to occur in complete impunity, including unlawful killing, gender-based violence, attacks on civilians and attacks on protected buildings such as medical units".
In this regard, the High Commissioner has called on the Iraqi Security forces to exercise restraint in their ongoing military operations, and to take measures to ensure that civilians are protected from violence. She has also urged Iraq's political leaders to urgently seek a sustainable resolution to the crisis, including by promoting an inclusive government of national reconciliation, with equal treatment and representation for all communities.
In her closing remarks, Ms Falvia expressed that "this Office is following the situation very closely, in particular though its presence within the integrated mission. OHCHR stand ready to report on the matter as early as possible, either during an urgent gathering-should the Council be willing to reconvene after this session- or during the Council's September session."
This is the first time in 11 years that the Office has called for a Special Session on Iraq, which must and should be welcomed by the international community. Ever since the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003, GICJ and many other NGOs have been demanding for a Special Session on Iraq. We are delighted that this announcement has finally been made.
GICJ is now working closely with the United Nations and NGOs in helping ensure that this session in the nearst future. We are also working closely with several experts, politicians and diplomats around the world in finding ways to help resolve the current crisis.
005 08/02/2014 Assyrians Demonstrate Worldwide Against ISIS Persecution
Demonstration in Sydney.(AINA) -- Thousands of Assyrians held demonstration in major world cities today to support the Assyrians Christians of Mosul, who have been completely driven from the city by the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). Demonstrations were held in Sydney, London, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Jonkoping (Sweden) and other cities.
In all the demonstrations, the people wore a white shirt emblazoned with a red Arabic letter "noon", which stands for the Arabic word for Christian (nasrani). Two weeks ago ISIS marked all Christian homes and institutions in Mosul with this letter to identify them as Christian, and wrote "property of the Islamic State" on most of them (AINA 2014-07-19).
In Sydney over 6000 thousand people attended the demonstration.
In London 150 people joined the demonstration
In San Francisco more than 1,000 people turned out.
In New York 200 people attended.
The demonstrations were a result of a grassroots effort by Assyrians throughout the world and were organized and coordinated using social media.
The Islamic State captured the city of Mosul, Iraq on June 10. Almost immediately thereafter it began to drive Assyrians out of Mosul and destroy Christian and non-Sunni institutions (AINA 2014-07-29).
The Arabic letter "n" (inside red circle), signifying "Nasrani" (Christian), on a Christian home in Mosul.
Demonstration in Los Angeles. Demonstration in Los Angeles. Demonstration in Los Angeles. Demonstration in Los Angeles. Demonstration in Los Angeles. Demonstration in Los Angeles.
Demonstration in San Francisco. Demonstration in San Francisco. Demonstration in San Francisco. Demonstration at the United Nations. Demonstration in New York. Demonstration in London. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney. Demonstration in Sydney.
006 08/02/2014 Kurdish Leader: We Are No Longer Able to Help Iraq
The president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, renewed his demands to exercise the right to self-determination, affirming that Kurdistan is "no longer able to do anything for Iraq and will not wait for an unknown fate."
In a statement issued by the presidency of Kurdistan, on the side-lines of his visit to the sites of the Peshmerga forces in Jalawla, Saadia and Ckramaan, Barzani hailed the Peshmerga forces for their sacrifices and service to the people; stressing that Kurdistan's survival was dependent on their presence.
He added that the Peshmerga's situation will improve and that it will be provided with advanced weapons and technology. He stressed, "We must be ready."
The Kurdistani president pointed to statements by a number of officials in Baghdad who oppose the deployment of Peshmerga in these areas: "What would be the fate of these areas if the Peshmerga were not there? Who would be controlling them now?" he asked.
Barzani pointed out that, following the ouster of Saddam Hussein's regime, his region "made concerted efforts to build a democratic Iraq and to preserve its territorial integrity." Now, however, he says: "We are no longer capable of doing anything. We offered everything we could for the sake of Iraq, but we should not keep waiting for an unknown fate."
He added that Kurdistan is currently pursuing two goals: "assisting the political process in Iraq, and working towards attaining the right to self-determination."
007 08/02/2014 Iraq Exodus Leaves Nation Divided
The detritus that littered the floor included a broken television, shoes and school textbooks.
Everything with a cash value, though, was gone, right down to the doors and windows. The tomatoes left scattered outside were just starting to turn bad in the sun.
The exodus was evidently recent. Al-Bider is one of dozens of villages in northeastern Iraq that have been deserted by their inhabitants since the peshmerga, the Kurdish army, moved into the area six weeks ago.
The peshmerga arrived to fill the security vacuum left by the collapse of the Iraqi armed forces in the face of the onslaught from Sunni extremists, who have set up a self-styled caliphate in northern Iraq and northern Syria, named the Islamic State.
The village is several kilometres behind the Kurdish frontline and well secured by the peshmerga. Its residents have fled to the government-controlled south, however, pushed out by uncertainty over what may happen to them if their land becomes part of an independent Kurdish state, rather than the threat of Islamic State.
Pictures plastered on the walls inside one of the abandoned homes reveal that the family who used to live here was Shia Muslim.
The peshmerga have occupied the grandest building in Al-Bider, a domed limestone hall that used to be the villagers' meeting place. They say by the time they moved in 10 days ago, the residents had already started to leave.
"We believe they have gone to Baghdad," said the sergeant- major, a cheerful character whose cheeks dimpled when he smiled. "We have tried to make friends with them, so we were surprised to see them leaving."
The explanation for this huge exodus lies in the country's turbulent past. The Turkmen Shia have lived in Al-Bider only since the late 1980s, when they were forcibly moved there by Saddam Hussein to replace the Kurdish population that the late president had slaughtered and driven out.
However, after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, many Kurds moved back to these areas, living alongside the Arabs and Turkmen. Now, with Baghdad's control having all but vanished, the issue of an independent Kurdish state may have been settled.
Last week the Kurdistan regional parliament voted to start integrating the disputed areas into its political sphere of influence. Throughout the areas, people who once lived alongside each other in multicultural Iraq are now being forced to choose to which state -- Kurdish or Iraqi -- they would rather belong.
008 08/02/2014 77 Killed in Clashes Between Kurdish Forces and ISIS
BAGHDAD (DPA) -- At least 77 people were killed on Saturday in fierce clashes between Kurdish forces and ISIS rebels near northern Iraq, Kurdish officials said.
The fighting erupted when militants from ISIS attempted to seize the mostly Kurdish town of Zamar, north of Mosul, which has been controlled by insurgents since June, said a Kurdish official.
Forces from the Peshmerga - the military troops of the Kurdish region - battled ISIS insurgents and killed 62 of them, the official told on condition of anonymity.
The fighting also left 25 Peshmerga soldiers dead, according to the official. The violence triggered an exodus of civilians from the area.
ISIS - an al-Qaeda breakaway group - has made territorial gains in northern and western Iraq since early June, when it launched an offensive focused on the country's Sunni heartland.
Peshmerga troops have since captured several areas at the centre of a long territorial dispute with the central Iraqi government.
The takeovers have further strained ties with Baghdad.
Iraq has been wracked by violence over the past year, much of it blamed on ISIS- and aimed at security forces and civilians.
According to the United Nations, 1,186 civilians and 551 security personnel were killed in Iraq's violence in July.
009 08/02/2014 Tribesmen Force ISIS Out of Eastern Syrian Villages
BEIRUT (AP) -- Activists say tribesmen have risen up against the extremist Islamic State group in eastern Syria, forcing it to withdraw from some villages.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Turkey-based activist Mustafa Osso on Saturday said the group was forced to bring in reinforcements from neighboring Iraq.
They said members of the Shueitat tribe in Syria's oil-rich eastern province of Deir el-Zour forced jihadi fighters to withdraw from the villages of Kishkiyeh, Abu Hamam and Granij.
They said fighting first broke out Wednesday after jihadis detained three tribesmen.
The al-Qaida breakaway Islamic State took over large swaths of western and northern Iraq in June. The group has declared a self-styled caliphate in territory it controls in Iraq and Syria, imposing a harsh interpretation of Islamic law.
010 08/02/2014 Lebanon to Address Growing Presence of Christian Refugees
Roman Catholic Cardinal Philippe Barbarin speaks to Iraqi Christian's at a church during a visit in support of displaced Christians in the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk on July 31, 2014 (photo: AFP/Marwan Ibrahim).BEIRUT -- Lebanon's ministries will address the growing presence of Iraqi Christians fleeing persecution by the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas said in remarks published Saturday.
"There are no exceptional measures taken with regards to Iraqi Christian refugees given the fact that their situation is different than Syrian refugees," he told Ash-Sharq al-Awsat.
"The issue will be discussed next Wednesday during a meeting with the Health and Interior ministries."
He said churches and non-governmental organizations were following up on the situation of the Christian refugees and that "some church and political organizations are exerting efforts to shelter the Christians offer them aid."
Although the government has not yet issued an official statement about the number of Christian refugees, the spokesperson for the Chaldean Church in Lebanon said some 50 families had recently arrived from Iraq.
Speaking to the pan-Arab daily, Mira Qasarji said the largest number of families had arrived in the past few days and were taking refuge in the Beirut suburb of Burj Hammoud.
Lebanon's Christian leaders have been outspoken about the situation of Christians in Iraq's Mosul, where Islamists have forced hundreds to flee their homes. Residents of the historic northern city were given an ultimatum: convert, pay a religious tax or face death.
Meanwhile, the issue of Christians in Iraq has deepened existing divisions between Lebanon's main rival Christian parties, with the Lebanese Forces Saturday criticizing the Free Patriotic Movement for taking advantage of such a plight.
"Does the movement of intimidation of Christians with ISIS recognize that they are instilling unjustified panic in the Lebanese Christian society in order to have them forget their courageous Eastern history," LF MP Fadi Karam said on his Twitter feed, referring to the Free Patriotic Movement.
He noted that such campaign was aimed at reviving repressive regimes.
FPM member and MP Simon Abi Ramia said ISIS had become a reality and posed a great danger to Lebanon's social fabric.
"Everyone who had tried to escape the reality of extremists has reached a compelling truth that they are now on Lebanese borders and are a great danger to our society," he told LBCI.
The FPM is allied with Hezbollah, which has justified its military role in Syria by saying it sent fighters to the war-torn country to prevent the infiltration of what it described as radical "takfiri group
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