News Release

Iraq: From Tyranny to What?

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AS’AD ABUKHALIL
AbuKhalil, professor of political science at California State University at Stanislaus, is closely following events in the Arabic-language as well as English-language media and can address changes in Iraq and the region. He is author of the book Bin Ladin, Islam and America’s New “War on Terrorism.”

LAMIS ANDONI
An independent journalist and analyst who has covered the Mideast for over two decades, Andoni is also monitoring the Arabic-language media. She knew Tareq Ayub, the Al Jazeera correspondent who was killed yesterday by the U.S. military. [The web page http://english.aljazeera.net is back up after being hacked.] Andoni said today: “As much as Arab people want dictators to go, they don’t want more U.S.-installed regimes or more occupations. The U.N. should not allow the U.S. to be installing regimes.”

ROGER NORMAND
Executive director of the Center for Economic and Social Rights, Normand said today: “Scenes of Iraqi jubilation at the end of Saddam Hussein’s oppressive rule come as no surprise to human rights groups that have documented the Iraqi government’s crimes for over two decades. But this reaction should not be manipulated by U.S. war planners to justify replacing an indigenous dictatorship with a foreign military occupation designed to channel Iraq’s oil wealth to western companies like Halliburton. As an occupying power under the Geneva Conventions, the U.S. now assumes two primary legal obligations: first, to end the occupation as soon as possible without installing either U.S. military rule or a U.S. puppet over the country; and second, to allow independent humanitarian relief agencies unimpeded access (not subject to Pentagon command) to address the grave humanitarian crisis caused by war and sanctions.”
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ROBERT MÉNARD
Secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders, Ménard said about Tuesday’s killings of several journalists: “The U.S. Army deliberately and without warning targeted journalists.”
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NORMAN SOLOMON
Co-author of Target Iraq, Solomon visited Baghdad three times last fall and winter. He said today: “The killing of journalists at the Palestine Hotel is a reflection of Pentagon priorities — civilians are readily expendable if they get in the way. And the U.S. attack that killed a journalist at the Al Jazeera office reflects a ‘might makes right’ approach. We should condemn any regime that endeavors to kill journalists because of their reporting. Clearly the Bush administration falls into that category.” Solomon is executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy.
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ROBERT JENSEN
Journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the book Writing Dissent, Jensen noted that while there is a focus on some images — like Hussein’s statue going down — others, like Iraqi civilian deaths, are downplayed. [The new web page www.RegularEverydayPeople.com shows realities of war and terror.] More Information

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167