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To: Allies for Humanitarian Legal Action for Iraq
Please see Embargoed Press Statement, Petition, with Title page ADD. on
Attachment.
Thank you for any help or advise to support this legal action to stop
the massacre and breeches of Geneva Conventions in Falluja and elsewhere
in Iraq. This petition, a legal complaint, is the beginning, emergency
needed action. The hospital and medical aide petition is first emergency
need and includes possible exposure to 'DU' weapons used on hospital and
clinic bombing. The petition will also include soldiers who are
suffering irreparable harm under order to commit these violations.
Los Angeles-based Humanitarian Law Project/International Educational
Development (HLP/IED and San Francisco-based Association of Humanitarian
Lawyers (AHL), who filed petition have solid evidence, including photos,
of breeches of International Law that govern members of The Organization
of American States, of which USA is a member.
Karen Parker JD, attorney for petitioners is the Humanitarian Lawyer who
successfully sued the USA on behalf of the people of Grenada. She is the
foremost International Legal Expert on Weaponry and Humanitarian law.
We believe this is the right action to take that can halt these
atrocities and war crimes in Iraq.
Final Press Release Wording Attached and Letterhead which will be added
for press copy.
We are hoping to have support from Physicians for Social Responsibility,
Interfaith Groups, Peace and Justice Groups, Amnesty International,
Unions, Universities, Child Advocacy Groups, Human Rights Groups, Public
Officials, Allies in the Press and Citizens. Many of you have already
come on board and we thank you.
We request our Trusted Congressional Representatives support to speak
out to stop U.S. War Crimes and that Jay Inslee and Dennis Kucinich will
be prepared to speak out. Congressman Jim McDermott's office is standing
by to help.
There will be financial help needed for legal work. Emergency Filing
expense was $5,000. paid out of AHL that was saved for 'DU' Petition.
The 'DU' Petition will be $10,000. to file, should you know of any
resources, emergency grants, etc., for help to aide needed legal
actions.
Please be ready to ask public officials and organizations to speak out
against the war crimes and ask all press to report this. We hope to have
media advisory out by tomorrow, the 22nd.
If you can help: please, we still need someone to do US National Media
List Send as my computer is not set up with program to do it. Europe is
covered, Latin-American countries will also need a press send. Please
contact me.
In hope to protect the innocents suffering in Iraq,
Kären Ahern 206-842-8381
_________________________________________________________________________________________
PRESS STATEMENT:
Embargoed until Monday, November 22, 2004.
Contact: Karen Parker
415.668.2752
415.533.1066
HUMANITARIAN LAW GROUPS FILE RIGHTS PETITION AT OAS AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES FOR ATTACKS ON HOSPITALS, CLINICS IN FALLUJA
Los Angeles-based Humanitarian Law Project/International Educational
Development (HLP/IED and San Francisco-based Association of Humanitarian
Lawyers (AHL), submitted a petition to the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights of the Organization of American States on behalf of
"unnamed, unnumbered patients and medical staff both living and dead" at
the medical facilities in Falluja. The Commission had authority to
investigate human rights violations committed by a member State of the
OAS and to seek remedies for victims.
"Attacks on hospitals and medical personnel are truly shocking. We hope
that this will result in the immediate improvement of the situation of
the patients and staff, to additional remedies for these victims, and an
end to the United States violations of human rights and the Geneva
Conventions in Iraq," stated Lydia Brazon, Executive Director of the
United Nations credentialed HLP/IED.
The Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on any medical facility or
medical personnel, whether civilian or military. "Imagine the outrage if
the opposition in Iraq attacked one of the medical facilities for
American wounded. There would be calls for war crimes tribunals," stated
Karen Parker, the attorney in this action. "Rather than being "quaint"
as administration Attorney-General nominee Gonzales has said, the Geneva
Conventions and human rights agreements are meant to prevent acts of
barbarity in war. Besides preventing atrocities, they are meant to
protect GIs from the psychological damage that afflicts people who carry
out this type of action."
In addition to the evidence already attached to their document, the
Petitioners will submit New York Times photographer Shawn Baldwin’s
photograph of patients lying on the floor with their hands tied behind
their backs, and a number of other photos and stories about the tragedy.
They also informed the Commission that weapons containing depleted
uranium, declared illegal weapons by a United Nations human rights body,
might have been used near the hospitals, placing the victims at further
risk of serious harm.
The Petition was filed under the Commission’s emergency provisions,
enabling the Commission to order the United States to undertake measures
to prevent "irreparable harm" to victims. The Petitioners also requested
the Commission to visit Falluja for a first-hand assessment.
Petition
Additional Petition
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