Enlaces relacionados
Memo from the Spanish Campaign
against the Occupation and for the Sovereignty of Iraq
IraqSolidaridad (www.iraqsolidaridad.org), May 29, 2010
“CEOSI deplores the change of attitude of the Spanish government, which will complicate or delay what would have been an invaluable contribution to the success of a negotiated, democratic and binding solution in Iraq. The meetings organized in Spain encompass the participation of the highest representatives of the currents in the anti-occupation camp, along with Iraqi intellectuals and activists, international personalities and representatives of European and U.S. organizations. The rough draft of the final communiqué, which would be signed and presented in Gijón, would have been a remarkable contribution to this objective, as it would display for the first time a united and public commitment to a democratic reconstruction of Iraq and condemnation of terrorism.”
Today, on May 28, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Cooperation has informed the Spanish Campaign against the Occupation
and for the Sovereignty of Iraq (CEOSI) of “the impossibility of
its giving support of any type” to the activities planned in
Gijón and Madrid between June 18 and 21 within the framework of the International
Conference of the Iraqi Political Resistance: Iraq, sovereignty and democratic
reconstruction [1]. CEOSI believes that with this unexpected
decision, the Spanish Government is preventing (in fact, prohibiting)
the two activities from being carried out as initially programmed [2],
and is unexpectedly failing to fulfill commitments agreed upon with the
activities’ organizers.
In relation to this, CEOSI makes the following statement:
1. CEOSI denounces the breach in the agreement reached between CEOSI and
the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in relation
to this initiative, which included the commitment of the Spanish authorities
to facilitate the presentation of visas to the Iraqis participating in
the planned activities.
Since the month of September, in their repeated contacts with the responsible
officials in the Ministry, CEOSI’s collaborators have informed to
the Spanish government, without any ambiguity, of the reasoning and the
objectives of the initiative, as well as of providing in detail the affiliations
of each and every one of the Iraqi participants. At the request of the
Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the CEOSI agreed
to postpone the Conference —from the original March 12-14—
to the dates now planned for June, thus confirming the Ministry’s
commitment to have the Spanish embassies in Amman, Damascus and Baghdad
issue the visas CEOSI had requested.
During these months on CEOSI’s part there has been absolutely no
attempt to conceal, change or manipulate any of the content or objectives
of the meeting in Gijón or the later activities in Madrid. In accordance
with the Ministry’s request, CEOSI proceeded on March 7 to request
that the aforementioned Spanish embassies issue visas to the Iraqi participants;
some of the visas were granted immediately.
For that reason it is difficult to comprehend how the Ministry of a government
and a sovereign country could suddenly change its position less than a
month from the scheduled activities, unless it has bowed to external pressures.
CEOSI had learned of this change of attitude this past Friday, May 21,
through a telephone call from the General Subdivision of Near East of
the Ministry, confirmed today through a succinct letter.
2. CEOSI deplores the change of attitude of the Spanish government, which
will complicate or delay what would have been an invaluable contribution
to the success of a negotiated, democratic and binding solution in Iraq.
The meetings organized in Spain encompass the participation of the highest
representatives of the currents in the anti-occupation camp, along with
Iraqi intellectuals and activists, international personalities and representatives
of European and U.S. organizations. The rough draft of the final communiqué,
which would be signed and presented in Gijón, would have been a remarkable
contribution to this objective, as it would display for the first time
a united and public commitment to a democratic reconstruction of Iraq
and condemnation of terrorism.
The Spanish government is preventing the entrance into Spain of those
who are an indispensable part of the solution of the serious crisis that
Iraq is experiencing. They express the genuine aspirations of the majority
of Iraqi society for the recovery of Iraq’s total sovereignty and
the end of the sectarian and reactionary system deriving from the 2003
occupation; their exclusion from Iraq’s future will only generate
more frustration and violence. With their decision, the responsible Ministerial
officials deny the evidence of Iraq’s current trend and reiterate
their commitment to a regime that is beating international records for
corruption and the violation of human rights, submits to the regional
interests of third countries, and was established through regressive sectarian
criteria and sustained by sectarian violence; under those conditions a
sovereign and democratic reconstruction of Iraq could never be built.
3. CEOSI reiterates its demand that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Cooperation first explicitly clarify if those who already obtained their
visa of entrance in Spain may travel to our country with total guarantees
for their security; second, that it demand the de facto government of
Iraq rectify its accusations against the Iraqi participants in the Conference,
in particular the one that claims they “lend support and financing
of violence.” [3] Such accusations place the Spanish government
in a compromised position, since a good number of the Iraqi citizens who
received visas to travel to our country in June had previously obtained
entrance visas for Spain since 2005, some of them on repeated occasions.
Regarding other cases this involves public officials representing recognized
regional institutions or communities.
At a time when paramilitary forces are being reactivated in Iraq, CEOSI
expresses its concern for the security of its invitees, particularly those
who reside in Iraq, and asks the Spanish Government to demand from the
interim Government of Nuri al-Maliki total guarantees with respect to
their safety and security.
CEOSI reiterates its commitment to hold its initiative and will evaluate
with its Iraqi, European and U.S. partners the situation created by the
decision of the Spanish Government, studying the possible alternatives
with the collaborating institutions of the Principality of the Government
of Asturias and City Council of Gijón.
Notes:
1. See at Iraqsolidaridad: International
Conference of the Iraqi Political Resistance: Gijón (Spain), June 18-20,
2010
2. See at Iraqsolidaridad: Public
Activities Program: Gijón (Spain), June 18-20, 2010
3. See at Iraqsolidaridad: The
Iraqi Government Demands that Spain Block the Conference Scheduled for
Gijon and Madrid
مؤتمر دولي حول المقاومة
السياسية العراقية
El
Consejo Político de la Resistencia Iraquí participará en el encuentro
Conferencia pública en
Gijón 18-20 de junio
برنامج المؤتمر
Acto público en Madrid, lunes 21 de junio