No to war on Iraq

20 September 2002

The Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), India, categorically opposes the US plans to attack Iraq. This would violate international law and all norms of civilized behaviour besides causing further suffering to the Iraqi people, of whom 1.7 million (including 500,000 children) are estimated to have died as a result of the brutal sanctions regime. It would also throw the region and the world into greater political turmoil and instability. The fate of the repressive Saddam Hussein regime is for the people of Iraq, not Washington, to decide.

The claim that Iraq is preparing weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, does not stand serious scrutiny and is simply the excuse to justify intervention by the US, which may now manipulate the UN into imposing such stringent conditions for inspections as would be unacceptable to Baghdad. In any case, there can be no double standards or selectivity in such matters. India and Pakistan have acquired nuclear weapons while it is an open secret that Israel has amassed a significant stockpile. Moreover, among all the nuclear weapons states that together are primarily responsible for casting the global shadow of a nuclear holocaust, the US has itself been the most criminally irresponsible. It is the only country to use such weapons on civilian populations for which it remains unapologetic. It is now aiming to nuclearize/militarize space as well as developing new kinds of mini- and micro-nukes.

The CNDP calls on the Indian government to come out clearly and unequivocally against the planned US action against Iraq regardless of whether or not this receives UN endorsement.

Admiral Ramdas, Achin Vanaik, Praful Bidwai, Prabir Purukayastha, J. Sriraman, Kamal Chenoy,
Chris Fonseca

Action Alerts	PMA's newsletter	What's on where	Peace links	Help PMA grow	How PMA can help you	Petition Forms	Site Map