The jury of conscience has just released it’s recommendations after the culminating session of the World Tribunal on Iraq came to its conclusion. I’ll post the news story I wrote on this later, which will provide more details.

I will add now, as a preface to a letter I received just now from an Iraqi who asked me to pass it on to the American people, that the jury made the following recommendations:

“The recommendations made by the jury included the demand for an immediate, unconditional withdraw of all occupation forces, the governments of the coalition to pay full compensation to Iraqis for any and all damages, and that all laws, contracts, treaties and institutions created under the occupation that Iraqi people deem harmful or un-useful to them be banished.

Other recommendations included immediate investigations of crimes against humanity for Mr. George Bush, Tony Blair, and every other president of countries belonging to the coalition. In addition, the jury called for a process of accountability to begin to bring justice to journalists and media outlets that lied and promoted the violence against Iraq, as well as including corporations who have profited from the war.”

Here is the letter from my friend:

From an Iraqi citizen to the American people:

We always have thought that you are citizens; away from the savageness which controls
many people in the world because you suffered from the injustice of your own occupation
more than two hundred and fifty years ago. Therefore, you picked up weapons against the occupiers until you forced him to go out of your state which was a great victory for you.

Naturally, this occupier was giving unreasonable justifications for his stay in your country. Like any occupation, no country ever admit that they occupy some land but always says that they are a liberator of the people who are then unable to govern themselves and so on…

Such reasons cannot change the origin of occupation.

Nowadays, your army is occupying our homeland, destroying our homes and killing our men, women, and our children. The occupation is leaving this country full of chaos to the point we are now facing so many disasters, including suffering from looting and robbery.

Sudden attacks and cruel murders have been perpetrated by your army who then prevent all people from submitting judicial complaints. This encourages all soldiers to kill thoughtlessly without any threat of trial.

We have seen our Holy Quran desecrated by soldiers, but you continue to say your soldiers do not do what the Mogul and Barbarians did in the lands they occupied.

Your soldiers did many immoral acts but your government leaders have done even more.

We, the Iraqi people, do not put the responsibility of this on your shoulders because you are a people and not your government. But when the people have a decision in the fate of their country and decide to go in a direction which only benefits the government, this means that the people are satisfied with their governments’ actions.

When you elected Mr. Bush for the second time, this was a declaration from you of being satisfied with all his acts in violation of the holiness of a state which shares a place with yours in the United Nations Security Council

Has the age of occupation returned back to a place where agreements and treaties and international laws which forbid aggression are useless? When the people who chose to defend their land and reject the occupier are then described by your government as a terrorist? How long have you heard that an occupation which continues will have no resistance against it? Do you refer to the patriots of your own country as terrorists in your history books?

Have you ever heard that there is a peaceful occupation? One that ended in victory for the occupier?

American people, please remember the land of Iraq and remember the Iraqi people and think of yourselves as if you were in our place. In this way you will realize what Iraqis suffer.

I am an Iraqi who bears no grudge against any person all over the world. We simply wish that other people may realize our suffering now, especially the people who do not support their thoughtless governments and their aggressive acts. For the people who support these corrupted governments will be responsible for them, and history will hold them responsible for allowing this tragedy to have occurred.

This will be a shame on their ancestors who will not be able to hide this black page of history.

Thank to the American people for listening attentively, and I am wishing you reasonableness and the ability to comprehend the truth.