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David Swanson: No Iraqi Oil Law! Days Of Action

Published: Thu 21 Feb 2008 10:23 AM
NO IRAQI OIL LAW! INTERNATIONAL DAYS OF ACTION
By David Swanson
www.afterdowningstreet.org
Stop the Theft of Iraq’s Future – Iraqi Oil for the Iraqi People
Stand up for Iraqi Labor Rights and Sovereignty this Friday. Roll oil barrels from Exxon to the White House-- and drop “oily” black footprints along the way!
Friday, Feb 22 – Washington, DC
12pm: Press conference at the Exxon Mobil Office, 2000 K St NW
Speakers: Gene Bruskin, US Labor Against the War
Adam Kokesh, Iraq Veterans Against the War
Trina Zahller, Oil Change International
12:30pm: March with us to the White House
SIGN UP @ http://tinyurl.com/yvjguq
For a full list of actions in the US, UK, and Iraq, visit: http://priceofoil.org/iraqoillawactions.
Join us in solidarity with the people of Iraq-- demand an end to the military and economic occupation. Make the connection between oil and state, and profit and war!
This Friday, Feb 22, marks one year since the US managed to pressure the Iraqi cabinet to pass an oil law that the US concocted to allow foreign multinational oil corporations unprecedented and undue control over Iraqi oil for the next 30 years. With international support, and with the Iraq Federation of Oil Unions leading the way, the parliament has so far resisted passing the law. But we need to keep the pressure on!
Workers in Iraq still have no labor law and unions are illegal. The government has used this fact to tell the Oil Workers Union they do not exist and they will not recognize their leadership in the protest against the oil law. Worse, Iraqi union leaders have been killed and threatened with arrest in their fight for labor rights and to keep their oil under their control.
In Iraq, the on-going war and occupation has led to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths, widespread devastation, relentless insecurity and crippling poverty. Foreign oil companies are scrambling to use this opportunity to secure access to massive profits from Iraq’s large untapped oil reserves at the expense of the Iraqi people.
The occupation of Iraq serves to protect these interests while US military bases are built nearby to guard the oil fields. As well, the Bush Administration has tried to push the Iraqi Parliament to pass a law that would give foreign oil companies unprecedented control over Iraq’s oil resources. The Iraqi cabinet, under pressure from the US, passed this law one year ago on February 23, 2007. The Iraqi Parliament has so far resisted pressure to pass this oil law, but the pressure is by no means over.
The U.S. should have no role in pressuring Iraqis to privatize control of their oil while occupying their country. The Iraqi people are held in a military occupation by over 160,000 foreign troops. We support the Iraqis in their call for resisting the oil law and foreign contracts while under occupation!
Endorsing Organizations: Oil Change International, US Labor Against the War, No War No Warming, Code Pink, VotersForPeace, After Downing Street, Grassroots America, Hands Off Iraqi Oil, War on Want, Platform, ConsumersForPeace
ENDS
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David Swanson is an organizer of the www.AfterDowningStreet.org coalition.

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