arab human development report 2003 - Palestine Remembered

Occupation posed toIraqis a new challengeof a different order,one which they willonly be able to meet ifthey are empoweredto determine theirown future.that prevailed in the US during the GreatDepression. The decline in GNP in thePalestinian territories is also significantlygreater than the GNP decline during that period.Insecurity and desperation are among theunquantifiable, yet profound, human costs ofoccupation. Through affinity, empathy and intensemedia coverage, the Arab public identifieswith the suffering. Furthermore, itwitnesses, daily, the dwindling credibility ofIsraeli claims to respect for democracy andhuman rights.THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQAt the first draft stage of this report, a coalitionled by the USA was preparing to wagewar on Iraq ostensibly aimed at ridding thecountry of weapons of mass destruction thatthe coalition claimed Iraq possessed, as well asreplacing a totalitarian regime by a democraticone. As the report was being completed, Iraqfell under Anglo-American occupation, followinga war led by the United States, GreatBritain and other partners.This war against Iraq was waged without amandate from the Security Council of theUnited Nations. Answering questions at apress conference in the Hague on March 11,2003 the UN Secretary-General observed that:"If the US and others were to go outside theCouncil and take military action, it would notbe in conformity with the Charter". In theevent, the war was conducted in the face ofstrong popular opposition not only in Arabcountries but also across the world, includingin member countries of the coalition.Although the full impacts of this war werenot clear at the time of writing, the initialphase of military operations and the entry ofoccupation forces into Iraqi cities, includingBaghdad, had had severe adverse effects onIraq and its people.Undoubtedly, the heaviest losses sustainedby Iraq were the killing, injury and displacementof its citizens. Attack strategies and ammunition,including cluster bombs that didnot distinguish between civilian and militarytargets, led to the killing, mutilation and dismembermentof a large number of Iraqis, includingmany children, who will carry disabilitiesand disfigurements for life. Shrapnel coveredlarge areas; parts of some bombs have notyet exploded and continue to threaten Iraqicivilians, particularly children. On 19 March2003, Human Rights Watch urged the UnitedStates Secretary of State and the BritishForeign Secretary to refrain from deployingcluster bombs in civilian areas, because of theunexploded ordnance they leave behind,which continues to threaten civilians well afterhostilities cease. 10While the physical destruction has beenenormous, it is the cultural destruction thathas been particularly dismaying. The pillageand plunder of the Iraqi museum, the libraryand the Centre for Iraqi Arts under the gaze ofoccupying forces is a violation of the firstGeneva protocol which stipulates the responsibilityof occupying forces for the protectionof cultural objects and religious places in orderto preserve the cultural heritage of people whoare subjects of occupation. Also the persecutionof Iraqi scientists raises fears about its impacton scientific research and technologicaldevelopment in Iraq and more widely in theArab region. These fears are underlined by theunprecedented restrictions imposed on someArab scientists and students in Western universities.This war has overthrown a totalitarianregime that oppressed the Iraqi people and deprivedthem of a wide spectrum of rights andfreedoms. This regime had inflicted on Iraqisall manner of persecution and torture news ofwhich was only whispered about before, whilethe aftermath of such acts is now revealeddaily. The excesses of the previous regime didnot stop at Iraq’s borders; the attack onKuwait in 1990 threatened Arab national securityand caused harm to Arab collective action.The invasion and occupation of Iraq and theconsequent destruction were not restricted tophysical structures but also extended to the institutionalinfrastructure of services and security.Chaos spread and large numbers of Iraqislost both livelihoods and security. This has,posed to Iraqis a new challenge of a differentorder, one which they will only be able to meetif they are empowered to determine their ownfuture in accordance with international law; if10Human Rights Watch, A letter to the United States and its allies on compliance with the laws of war, 19 March 200326 ARAB HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2003