Iraq War: Report Calls on UN to End “Complicity of Silence”

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/14/1878/

Published on Thursday, June 14, 2007 by Inter Press Service
Iraq War: Report Calls on UN to End “Complicity of Silence”
by Mithre J. Sandrasagra

UNITED NATIONS - The U.S. Coalition is the principal cause of Iraq’s current woes, charges a report released Wednesday by the Global Policy Forum (GPF), a New York-based watchdog group.

Since the March 2003 invasion, the U.S.-British occupation of Iraq has “utterly failed to bring peace, prosperity and democracy, as originally advertised,” says the report, entitled “War and Occupation in Iraq”.

“The United Nations and the international community must end the complicity of silence and they must vigorously address the Iraq crisis,” it says.

Produced by GPF and 29 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the report was released to coincide with U.N. Security Council consultations on the Iraq problem. The 117-page report assesses conditions in the country, especially the responsibility of the U.S.-led Coalition, for violations of international law and concludes with recommendations for action, including a speedy withdrawal of Coalition forces.

It covers areas such as destruction of cultural heritage, unlawful detention, killing and torture of civilians, displacement, corruption and fraud, attacks on cities and long-term military bases.

“This is ongoing, is not under control, and is something the Coalition is saying it is doing under mandate of the U.N. Security Council,” James Paul, GPF’s executive director, told reporters Wednesday.

“It’s time for a new approach,” Paul stressed. “The Security Council has done virtually nothing on this subject; (it) has to take its head out of the sand.”

[IndyOp]

1. K&R. America does not deserve forgiveness for this horror. (n/t)

[babylonsister]

2. Agreed; the world needs to know how the UN feels, too. nt