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I am writing from Manchester Coalition Against Sanctions and Bombing of Iraq, known for short as Coalition On Iraq Coalition on Iraq Press Release A campaign has been set up in Manchester to highlight the plight of Iraqi suffering, particularly amongst children, as a result of the use of depleted uranium and an international military blockade. Campaigners are organising a rally for September 18th to End the Blockade and stop the Bombings of Iraq and Kurdish areas. The rally, addressed by Kurdish human rights campaigner Kerim Yildiz of the Kurdish Human Rights Project, will be in Picadilly Gardens from 12.00 noon until 1.00 p.m. Saturday the 18th. A disturbing feature of the bombing of Iraq is the use of uranium tipped missiles. The effects of uranium on children in Iraq and Gulf War veterans has recently been highlighted by Trevor McDonald's TONIGHT programme and a series of articles in the Daily Express. Campaigners point to a three fold increase in childhood cancers in Iraq which now has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world due to increased cancers and malnutrition, yet, because of the blockade, much needed anti-cancer drugs cannot get through in sufficient numbers. Iraq, under the sanctions, can only have a small amount of aid in exchange for oil. As a result 5000-6000 children die every month in Iraq and over a million have died since 1991- more than 5% of the population. The former UN Assistant Secretary General Denis Halliday who was in charge of the oil for food programme resigned over this issue, saying, "We are in the process of destroying an entire society. It is as simple and as terrifying as that. It is genocide." Campaigners say they want to see a lifting of international sanctions, or blockade as they put it. " 'Sanctions' makes it sound not too threatening," says campaigner Jason Travis, "but these sanctions are enforced by naval and air power. They are an act of war using starvation of a population for political and economic reasons. That is defined as a war crime under the Geneva Convention but that is precisely what the British and US governments are doing." Campaigners meet every Saturday on Market St outside Tesco Metro in Manchester where they are collecting petition signatures to end the sanctions and money for the Mariam Appeal to take anti-cancer drugs into Iraq on a bus driven by George Galloway MP. A course of leukaemia treatment costs only £20 in Iraq but many children are dying as their families are too poor to afford this small amount. Campaigners are therefore asking for public generosity in a humanitarian appeal. The money will be used to take medical supplies into Iraq. The bus leaves Glasgow on September 7th to arrive in Baghdad in early November. The campaign is supported by several trade unionists, including official backing from OLDHAM National Union of Teachers who are concerned that the long term effects of poverty and disease are blighting the life chances of Iraq's future, their children. For more information on the campaign and how to get involved please ring 0161 881 7774 or 0161 834 8301. J Travis 3 Higson Avenue Chorlton M21 9EP e-mail jtravis@cwcom.net -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Please do not sent emails with attached files to the list *** Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html ***