[Vision2020] World Tribunal on War Crimes in Iraq

[Tbertruss at aol.com]

Institute for Public Accuracy 
915 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045 
(202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa at accuracy.org 
___________________________________________________ 

Friday, June 17, 2005 

World Tribunal on War Crimes in Iraq 

TOLGA TEMUGE, tolga.temuge at worldtribunal.org, http://worldtribunal.org 
     Temuge is the international media coordinator for the World Tribunal on 
Iraq modeled on the Bertrand Russell Vietnam War Tribunal of the late 1960s. 
Participants in the tribunal, which will take place in Istanbul from June 
24-27, include Arundhati Roy, Richard Falk, Dennis Halliday, Hans von Sponeck, 
Walden Bello, Dahr Jamail, and Barbara Olshansky, as well as numerous witnesses 
from Iraq. [Deep Dish TV will provide live coverage; see below.] 

BRENDAN SMITH, smithb at lawnet.ucla.edu, 
http://www.fpif.org/papers/0506haltbush.html 
     Brendan Smith is a lawyer and co-editor of the forthcoming book "In The 
Name Of Democracy: American War Crimes in Iraq and Beyond." He said today: "On 
May 17 a legal summons was delivered to U.S. and UK embassies in capitals 
around the world on behalf of the World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI). The summons 
requested the attendance of President Bush and Prime Minister Blair to defend 
charges that they are in 'violation of common values of humanity, international 
treaties, and international law' for waging war in Iraq. The Istanbul session to 
which Bush and Blair are invited is the culminating tribunal of WTI's held in 
Paris, Tokyo, New York, and elsewhere around the world. While the summons was 
signed by leading international figures, including international legal scholar 
Richard Falk and former UN Assistant Secretary General Dennis Halliday, 
President Bush's attendance is not anticipated." 
     Smith added: "In 1967, the British philosopher Bertrand Russell convened 
the International War Crimes Tribunal. The Tribunal was charged with 
conducting 'a solemn and historic investigation' of U.S. war crimes in Vietnam in 
order to 'prevent the crime of silence.' Drawing on this tradition, the WTI -- 
composed of lawyers, former parliamentarians and judges, journalists, artists, 
and victims of U.S. aggression -- has held people's tribunals on multiple 
continents in order to compile 'a moral, political, and judicial record that 
contributes to build[ing] a world of peace and justice.'" 

ELLEN BRAUNE, ellenbraune at yahoo.com, http://www.deepdishtv.org 
     Deep Dish TV will provide live coverage of the World Tribunal on Iraq 
from Istanbul via a global satellite uplink June 24-27, 2005. Deep Dish will 
uplink a one hour daily program from Istanbul featuring key presentations and 
evidence as well as in-depth interviews with the witnesses and presenters. The 
broadcast will be available for free downlink by radio and television stations 
throughout the world at 2100 to 2200 hours GMT (5-6 PM U.S. Eastern Time). The 
programs will also be broadcast on Free Speech TV (Dish Network 9415) at 8 PM 
June 24th through the 27th. 

DAVID MILLER, davidmiller at strath.ac.uk 
     Miller is the editor of "Tell Me Lies: Propaganda and Media Distortion 
in the Attack on Iraq" and a member of the Stirling Media Research Institute. 
He will be testifying before the Tribunal. 

DAVID BARSAMIAN,barsamian at riseup.net, http://www.alternativeradio.org 
     Co-author of "Terrorism: Theirs & Ours" (interviews with Eqbal Ahmad) 
and "Culture and Resistance" (interviews with Edward Said), Barsamian said 
today: "The tribunal is an important moral and legal judgement on Iraq. These 
initiatives cannot be underestimated in their impact. Ripples are set in motion 
that later become waves." Barsamian will be testifying before the Tribunal. 

SAUL LANDAU, slandau at csupomona.edu 
     Landau is a fellow of the Institute of Policy Studies and director of 
the film "Syria: Between Iraq and a Hard Place." He will be testifying before 
the Tribunal. 

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

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V2020 Post by Ted Moffett
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