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Dr. Abdul Razak

President of Peace & Friendship Society
Parts of speech given in Baghdad on October 7, 2000


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As far as our part is concerned. I'm sure in the streets of Baghdad you didn't experience any kind of hate from the Iraqi people - knowing the fact that you are American.
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The U.S. as a government what doing to Iraq is beyond any kind of imagination. So why the Iraqi people are not reflecting this kind of attitude in their behavior towards anything American? And especially those Americans visiting Iraq? The answer is very simple. Number one, Iraqi's are very well informed. Iraqi's are educated. Iraqi's are civilized. They understand that you are an individual - so - what is the use of blaming you personally for something your government is doing?
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Unfortunately sometimes this attitude of the Iraqi people towards you is being interpreted by some of those journalists that come to Iraq as "You see there is nobody hating Americans in Baghdad's streets - so - everybody loves America and loves the U.S. government". And this is the big mistake. The truth is they hate what the U.S. government is doing to the deepest hate that everybody can imagine. But because of they are civilized people they don't show that towards you as an individual in the streets of Baghdad.
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When there is a general attitude of the American people to hate the Iraqi people it is something information, the media, plays a very important role in that effect because ok, you know, there are thousands of miles between us - i never met him - why he hates me - what did i do? Well, the media shows me to him as a monster and this goes on and on and on - so - after a while especially those visiting Iraq they leave Iraq with a completely different attitude, knowing the fact seeing is believing. What they see, what they practice is completely different situation as the media in the U.S. want you to know about Iraq.
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I respect your privilege as a patriotic American to hate those doing harm to the American interests in the U.S. If you don't do that you are not a good American. ... Me as an Iraqi love Iraq and defend Iraq I respect you as an American to love America and defend America. But the hate that comes with no reason this is something that we should stop and question.
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Iraq is a rich country. Why the children of Iraq are dying? And the government and the country and the resources in the country can make a better life for those children. Ok, who is responsible? You read in the news media that the government of Iraq is responsible for the suffering of the Iraqi people. ... Whatever they say - the Iraqi government is responsible. And they neglect the fact that today there are about 2,000 contracts of materiels needed for the Iraqi people sitting in New York in the committee 661 with the amount about $3.5 bio. And all that is Iraqi money. Not being approved by whom? By the American and British representatives in the committee 661. Ok, who is responsible for the suffering of the Iraqi people? Is the government of Iraq responsible? The government of Iraq signed these contracts. The country, the government that these companies belongs to, gave the export license to these companies. For example, a French company signed a contract with Iraq. The French government gave the export license. When the French government gave the export license that means the contract is not in contradiction with the resolutions of the S.C. Otherwise export license would not have been given. Almost 2,000 contracts, the export license is being given by all governments these companies belong to. So, that means all these contracts are not in contradiction with the resolutions of the S.C. But the American and British representatives say either no or hold. Why? They call it 'dual use'. Ok, in the world of today show me a materiel that doesn't have a dual use! Even this pencil is of a 'dual use'. You can write a poem with it, you can write a letter with it, at the same time you can write an atomic bomb equation with it.
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So what is happening is punishing a nation. Collective punishment of a nation. And this collective punishment comes as a result of a blackmailing being practiced and being done by late former President Bush. In 1992 officially President Bush on television told the Iraqi people "Change your governement or the sanctions will continue." He told that the Iraqi people and every Iraqi heard that.
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Iraq sold oil from December 1996, when the oil-for-food program was implemented, till July 2000 ... Iraq sold about $30 bio of oil. $30 bio, when we hear $30 bio - for a country like Iraq - in three years - by God, that is a lot of money - why the suffering is there? Why the people are dying? Where this money goes? Kofi Annan report goes - out of this $30 bio in this last 3½ years only $6.4 bio reached Iraq in contracts and commodities. So, less than 25% of the oil amount only reach iraq for the humanitarian resources.
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