[asia-apec 983] Amnesty International - Iraq

[jkellock at amnesty.org]

                                                   News Service: 249/98
AI INDEX: MDE 14/07/98
17 DECEMBER 1998

Amnesty International says governments must protect civilian life

Amnesty International is gravely concerned at the potential indiscriminate
killings of civilians in Iraq, in the context of the present military
operations by the US and UK forces.

          According to reports, around 30 people were killed and 100 others
wounded, some seriously, during the attack on Baghdad which started on
Wednesday at 2200 GMT. Last night 10 missiles are reported to have fallen
on residential areas of the city, destroying a number of houses. Iran said
that a US missile struck the city of Khoramshahr, near the border with
Iraq, early on Thursday. No casualties were reported.

     In June 1997, a US General Accounting Office report entitled
“Operation Desert Storm - evaluation of the air campaign” stated that “many
of the Department of Defence’s and Manufacturers’ postwar claims about
weapon system performance - particularly the F117, Tomahawk land attack
missile and laser guided bombs -- were overstated, misleading, inconsistent
with the best available data, or unverifiable.”

     “The experience of previous armed interventions in the Gulf has shown
that, all too often, civilians become the acceptable casualties of war”,
Amnesty International said, adding that on 16 December the organization
warned that “imminent military attacks by US and UK forces could lead to
indiscriminate or disproportionate killings of civilians”.

     Noting reports that a wheat storage house in Tekrit, north of Baghdad,
is said to have been burnt by missiles, the human rights organization has
reminded the US and UK governements of the general prohibition in
international humanitarian law to attack objects indispensable to the
survival of the civilian population.

     Amnesty International is also concerned about the closure by Jordan,
Syria and Turkey of their border with Iraq which would prevent people
fleeing the attacks from seeking safety in these countries. Amnesty
International calls on all neighbouring countries to guarantee the right to
protection in another country for refugees fleeing when their life, safety
and security are at risk.

     The human rights organization reiterates that the international
community has an obligation to provide all necessary assistance to ensure
that the responsibility of dealing with refugees is shared by all states
and does not fall disproportionately on those geographically close to Iraq.
ENDS.../

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                                              News Service:247/98
AI INDEX: MDE 14/06/98
16 December 1998.

Amnesty International appeals to the US and UK governments over fear of
indiscriminate killings of civilians in Iraq

Amnesty International launched today urgent worldwide appeals to the US and
UK governments reminding them that life, safety and security of civilians
must be paramount in any action taken to resolve the new crisis over Iraq.

   “Imminent military attacks by US and UK forces could lead to
indiscriminate or disproportionate killings of civilians. The experience of
previous armed intervention in the Gulf has shown that, all too often,
civilians become the acceptable casualties of war. All governments have an
obligation to respect and protect civilian life”, Amnesty International
said.

   In November 1998, Amnesty International wrote to the US and UK
governments urging that life, safety and security of civilians must be the
paramount consideration in any action taken to resolve conflicts and to
insure the protection of civilians in accordance with international
humanitarian law. Amnesty International also wrote to the Iraqi government
and urged that all necessary measures be taken to protect the civilian
population in Iraq.

   During the Gulf War in 1991 thousands of civilians in Iraq were killed
in aerial bombardment of Baghdad and other cities by US and allied forces.
In one such incident, more than 300 civilians were killed in the ‘Amariya
air raid shelter in Baghdad.

   Amnesty International’s fear of imminent attacks comes in the light of
the report by the head of the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) to the UN
Security Council on 15 December about Iraq’s reported lack of full
cooperation with UN weapons inspectors and the sudden evacuation from Iraq
of UN staff, including UN humanitarian workers.

   Last month, US and UK forces narrowly aborted a military attack against
Iraq after it had announced on 14 November that it would resume full
cooperation with UN weapons inspectors. However, both the US and UK
governments have since repeatedly indicated that military action against
Iraq will be taken immediately, without a UN Security Council resolution,
should it fail to cooperate with UN weapons inspectors in the future. The
threat of military attacks against Iraq came after its decision on 31
October to end all cooperation with UN weapons inspectors.

   Amnesty International’s fears for the safety of the civilian population
in Iraq have been heightened by reports which appeared in November in the
US press. On 16 November 1998 the US newspaper, the Washington Post,
reported that President Clinton had been warned by the Pentagon that the
initial attack plan would result in by far the most deadly military
undertaking of his presidency, possibly killing 10,000 Iraqis.
   On 17 November 1998, another US newspaper, the New York Times, wrote:
"Aides to Mr. Clinton said that in making his decision, he was troubled by
Pentagon estimates that several thousand Iraqis, including civilians, would
be killed in the air strikes, a death toll far greater than any other
American military strike since the Persian Gulf war in 1991.”

   Amnesty International has so far received no confirmation from US
officials as to the accuracy of these newspaper reports. On 13 November the
organization publicly expressed concern that civilians might be
indiscriminately killed in the event of a military action against Iraq.


ENDS.../