Condemnation of the Iraq War
International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility
Appeal to the international Peace and Academic community
Although the US-led coalition transferred authority to an interim Iraqi authority on June 28, 2004, the military occupation of Iraq continues as do the consequences of the war against Iraq.
INES sought to contribute to averting this war by issuing an appeal in Paris on February 1, 2003, calling upon scientists, engineers and academics throughout the world to work in solidarity to prevent this war in both their personal and professional capacities. But the US government and some of its allies, relying on their military might, chose the path of war in defiance of international law, without authorization of the Security Council, and against the will of the people all over the world as manifested in protests by millions in demonstrations against war.
The argument of weapons of mass destruction given by the US and the UK to justify the war has proven to be false. The atrocious and barbaric images of torture of arrested Iraqi citizens by American and British soldiers in Iraqi prisons have eroded any moral justifications of the US that the war was undertaken to “liberate” and “democratize” the Iraqi people and to give an example to be followed in the Arab region. These atrocities are simply the tip of the iceberg of what the whole Iraqi nation is suffering. The occupation is an ongoing crime, that violates the honour and freedom of the Iraqi people.
INES now looks with great concern to the grave consequences of the Iraq War and continuing military occupation. These consequences include inside Iraq:
The deaths, injuries and suffering of Iraqi citizens and international aid workers as well as those of the occupation forces;
The destruction of Iraqi infrastructure, damage to its cultural heritage, deficits in meeting basic needs of its people, collapse of the standard of living and increasing violence contributing to a decline in security;
On a global scale, the consequences of the increased adherence to the “might over right” principle as manifested by the US-led war include:
Weakening of UN authority as a result of the US proceeding to war without a mandate from the Security Council.
Undermining of the spirit of dialogue among nations/cultures;
Growth of anti-democratic, militaristic attitudes and cultural antagonism throughout the world.
For the United States, the results of the war include:
Loss of prestige as a source of ethical standards and inspiration for humane values, especially in countries formerly viewing the US as an ideal of a free democratic modern nation;
Growth of opposition to and mistrust of American policies throughout the world, especially in the Arab countries, which view the US-led occupation of Iraq as an act of extreme violence against all of them. INES condemns the US-led war and occupation of Iraq and expresses concern for the present and future of the Iraqi people and the stability of the Middle East.
We call upon scientists, engineers and other intellectuals, as well as Universities and other scientific and technical institutions throughout the world to engage in all forms of peaceful protest against the war and continuing occupation of Iraq and exert all possible peaceful pressure, to achieve the following objectives:
Withdrawal of the US-led military forces from the territory of Iraq and their replacement by multi-national forces, acceptable to the Iraqi people, under a UN mandate;
Support of all measures necessary for the guarantee of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Iraq, including full control of national resources, and the safety, security and health of its people;
Release of all individuals being held in prison or under arrest in Iraq without cause, since 90% of all prisoners were arrested by mistake during the occupation, as revealed by the Red Cross;
Restoration of the cultural heritage and return of the treasures of Iraq, which have been subjected to robbery, damage or loss due to the invasion; as a second option, provision of full compensation for these losses by the occupying countries. (The occupation forces had the responsibility for protecting this cultural heritage according to the Geneva Conventions);
Support, by all possible means, of the engineers and scientists of Iraq, who are suffering insecurity, persecution, hindrance of their professional activities and loss of their means of livelihood due to consequences of war and occupation;
Provision of all necessary measures to bring to justice the leaders of occupation forces and other parties responsible for deaths and injuries of civilians and torture of prisoners, and appropriate compensation to the victims;
Encouragement of the creation of an open, democratic society built by the Iraqi people.
Sopron, Hungary, July 2004
This appeal was launched by the INES Council Meeting and seminar held in Spron, Hungary, July 3-7, 2004. INES, the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility, is the 'mother' organization of INESAP. For more information on INES activities, see www.inesglobal.com.
