Letter from Fallujah to Kofi Annan
The people of Al- Fallujah
His Excellency Kofi Annan
The Secretary General of the United Nations
New York
Al- Fallujah 14/01/2005
Excellency
The people of Fallujah as well as the majority of the Iraqi people were touched by your warnings that the invasion of Al-Fallujah city will create a lot of dangerous consequences on the Iraqi political environment. We were of the hope that the United Nation will take clear measure to prevent invading and destruction of the city and displacing its inhabitants.
With our utter surprise to what was happening to our people in Fallujah, we has the honor to submit to you and through you the International Community two reports; the first one is stating major crimes that the U.S. forces had done between 7th November up to the end of December 2004. The second one is focusing on the humanitarian situation of the Fallujah refugees. We hope that the United Nations and the whole world be aware of the reality that war crimes and civilians massacres were perpetrated by the US forces in Fallujah and surroundings areas. The committing of these crimes became widely known, but what we would like from your Excellency is to record officially all these crimes. We also hope that your Excellency will take, in accordance to your authority and responsibilities as stated in the Charter and the International law, clear practical procedures to protect the right of the victims, and held the criminals accountable for their international crimes.
Excellency
All what are mentioned in these two reports is honestly being stated and typical to eyewitnesses and affirmation of doctors, members of local and International humanitarian Organizations and even journalists who were embedded with the American forces who were being able to be in the city during the above mentioned period, in addition to evidences that we could authenticate.
We are sure that the International Organizations have a lot of evidences on these violations and crimes, but what astonished us the dubious silence. Therefore we demand through your Excellency all international organizations to disclose and release all reports they posses in order to fulfill its responsibilities as entrusted to by the international community. To be silent in regards of such crimes and grave violations will be seen as a participation in it, and also a misleading to the international community with regards what happened in Al- Fallujah and all over Iraq.
At the end, we request, your Excellency, to consider this letter and all its enclosures as an official document of the United Nations and to be distributed to all members of the Security Council. It is the simplest right for the city which being and still being slaughtered by the American invaders.
For the people of Al- Fallujah
Studies Center of Human Rights & Democracy
The Islamic Clerics Committee- General Center
The Tribes Council of Al Fallujah.
Al- Shura Council of Al- Fallujah.
Engineers Association – Al Fallujah
The National Front of Iraqi Intellectuals-General Center
Teachers Union – Al- Fallujah.
Bar Association – Al –Fallujah Branch
Center of preservation the Environment and the Protectorates- Fallujah
The Secretariat of al-Fatwa and Religious Education-Fallujah
Center for Human Rights and Democracy in FALLUJA
Unofficial translation
It is almost impossible to describe all what had happened in Fallujah during the last two months, but in brief; the deliberate destruction of the whole city by the American forces, torturing its civilians, preventing food and medicine, and killing injures, represent the most horrible crime of the recent history against innocent civilians, grave violations of international humanitarian law.
The examples cited in this report are a clear- cut evidence of the political and moral defeat of the United State of America and its ally Great Britain who practiced the worst ugly crimes against humanity. It is worst shameful that those who alleged to represent the civilized world had done such crimes and yet they are vaunting falsely with the principles of human rights and democracy.
A briefed report on American Crimes in AL-Fallujah For the period of November 7 to December 25, 2004
This report is focusing on some examples of the grave violations committed by the U.S. forces in Fallujah on which testimonies of many eyewitnesses, doctors as well as members of humanitarian organizations who happened to be in the city during the above mentioned period, are all confirming the committing of these crimes.
1 - On the 7th of November, 2004, the U.S forces accompanied by so called (the Iraqi National Guards), took control of Fallujah hospital using all military means, capturing the doctors, tying their hands knocking them down to ground in addition of beating them by theirs shoes. In the meantime they had robbed the hospital equipment and destroyed the apparatuses that they could not carry. Besides they have arrested all the patients, preventing the sick people of receiving medical treatments, whilst the city was under comparing by all weapon means. Taking into consideration it is the only hospital available in the city.
2 - A few days later, the besieged medical staff opened an alternative hospital but the U.S. jets had bombarded it, killing every person who was in that humble hospital including all sick persons, doctors, nurses and injuries. Then, the so called (Iraqi National Guards) destroyed, with the help of U.S. soldiers, the sole private hospital in Fallujah, steeling all what they can from its medical equipment, leaving the city without any functioning medical unit.
3 - U.S. forces detained and arrested a great proportion of civilians (especially men and youth) who remained in the city with their families. After arresting those detainees, who are estimated by more than three thousand civilian, they put them in a very humiliating cages, then they used, in a flagrant violation to the principles of human rights, some of them, were forced to work in cleaning the city in order to erase all the evidence of the American crimes. On the other hand, U.S. forces shifted a quite large number of them to Abu Gharib and Basra (Boukah) prisons whilst another number of them died because of inhuman environment in those two bad reputations prison camps.
4 - Affirmation of many witnesses the group killings of unarmed civilians after arresting them inside their houses and in mosques. Also many were shot to death after tying their hand backwards and others by exploding their houses over their heads to wipe out the criminal actions they had done.
5 - Although there is no fixed number for the causalities among civilians but indeed they are by thousands. On 25th and 26th of December 2004, the emergency teams of Fallujah hospital had lifted 700 dead bodies from six residential quarters only - Fallujah is consisted of 28 residential quarters- among those bodies 504 were of children and women the remaining belong to old men and mid-aged people, all are Iraqis. An Iraqi doctor declared that these bodies were found on the streets, buildings roofs, gardens, and under the wreckage. The doctor ascertained that number of civilians had been killed repulsively and burned their bodies with chemicals, whilst others were killed with spears; they found a woman tabbed by a spear in her thighs, chest, waists and head. The American forces itself announced that there are more that 1200 bodies kept in one of refrigerated stores. This is indicating how huge and massive were the killing of civilians in al Fallujah battle.
6 - There are clear evidence that U.S. forces had used chemical weapons in Fallujah. Eyewitnesses confirm that in both Al Golan and Al Shuhada' residential quarters, the U.S. forces had used such weapons. In al-Askary residential quarter 24 bodies were found burnt to ash and their bones were appearing burnt and black. U.S soldiers were seen while coming in that area wearing masks designed to protect themselves from the chemical weapons. In addition, volunteers who buried the bodies noticed some of the dead people died while they were laying on their beds without being shot or stabbed or burned. There is no any doubt that the U.S. forces were widely using cluster bombs on the residential areas in Fallujah. More than 25 cluster bombs were dropped on the city daily.
7 - Most of the founded bodies were for civilians and what is noticeable these civilians where in certain places that confirm they were practicing their normal life in heir houses. It is clear that the U.S. soldiers sentenced them to death by attacking their houses. Among the dead was a man with his tow children and two young girls were found killed by shooting on the heads. In another place a body of an old man was found setting on a chair holding his walking stick.
8- Some of the citizens stressed that while they were fleeing with their families, U.S. snipers sniped to death many old men, women and children. This is were ascertained by some journalists who were embedded with the occupation forces and reported that orders were given to shoot on any moving thing during breaking through the city.
9 - Eye witnesses also confirmed that U.S. tanks used to crush the dead bodies and any alive wounded persons and some of the witness also confirmed that the tanks had crush wounded persons by rolling over them without any mercy or sympathy. Just my of the medical teams and organization who were allowed to enter the city confirmed they did not find any injured person despite the intensive bombing and what was thrown on the city will wipe off any city on the earth from existence. The question is where had the injuries gone? The answer: of course all had been killed or crushed by the tank's chains or burnt to death.
10 - Although of the emergency teams continuous work, yet not all the corpses under the wreckage were lifted, nor they could reach all the city parts to rescue or lift away the deteriorated and disintegrated bodies. Thus the nast smells could reach more far than the outskirts of the city. This proves what the citizens had asserted that the American soldiers had sentenced many families to death while invading the city. Civilian bodies were found shot to death inside houses especially in the area between the two bridges and of all different ages -men, women, youths, olds, children males and females. Moreover, tow bodies were found killed and cut off their heads and stuck both heads on both bodies. It is important to mention that U.S. soldiers did not allow any one to take away the bodies despite demanding that by the citizens.
11 - The scenes of martyrs' bodies eaten by dogs on the streets of Fallujah became widely known through the media. It is a clear evidence of another crime committed by the U.S forces that had carelessly left the bodies lying on streets and in the opened houses without interment. This is an incisive proof of the grave violation to all human rights laws and values. This dreadful sight provokes any one who has a human conscience, but didn't touch Bush, Blair and Allawi and all the blood suckers of the same category.
12 - Until the date of this report, more that 36 mosques were distracted completely and another 24 mosques were partially destroyed. This proves how much the aversion they hold against religion and the values of any civilized nation and their blind hates again religion symbols at Fallujah. Over and above the breach of the international law and human right laws.
13 - In a flagrant attempt by the U.S forces to suppress their war crimes in Fallujah, some of the volunteers, who came to bury the bodies, asserted that some of the journalists embedded with U.S. forces refrained from taking photos to some bodies who were found killed in their beads and some places that will raise questions why they were killed. They took photos only after putting these bodies in big sacks.
14 - The destruction that had been falling on the City is enormous and tremendous, and yet the U.S. forces persisting to pose and practice its collective punishments against the citizens of Fallujah. i.e. the deliberate destruction of vacant residential houses whom their owners had took refuge outside the city.
15- Since the beginning of the invasion until now the occupation forces had disarmed the police departments' and staff in all units within al-Fallujah, as well as from any communication equipment and their personal cars. This is an obvious implication of encouraging spoilage and rifling as well as an endeavor to eliminate the role of the Judicial and security units from preserving law and order, it is also a clear attempt to give the U.S. occupation forces the excuse to remain in the city on the pretext of lacking security.
16 - Eyewitnesses had confirmed that the so called (Iraqi National Guards) had stolen, robbed houses and stores using their official cars. And they sold the robbed items in surrounding areas and in different places at Baghdad, this was done with the knowledge and approval of U.S. forces and the Iraqi authoritie as if it is a reward or a war gift granted to them.
17 - As it is announced, the U.S. forces are applying criminality plan against who are willing to return to the city from its citizens to check out what had happened to their homes. After the long waiting in the open air and the very cold weather, in addition to threatening actions and torture, a long process of finger prints for both hands fingers and retina scans of any returnees, and then they will get a special identification card defining where he or she lives according to the residential area. Therefore, the city will be turned to be a wide prison for its resident. This is an advanced step toward democracy and freedom and toward respecting the human rights that U.S.A is alleging!!
18 - After all, it had been obvious that U.S. forces is intending to use those citizens who returned home as human shields after the continuation of skirmishes and battles in several parts of the city, as these forces is not controlling on the city as they are claiming.
19 - The U.S forces are distributing advertisements and some posters saying a mortal power is (allowed) inside the city, citizen must be aware of being close to coalition forces, and any person carries a weapon will expose himself to be killed!.
20 - The U.S. forces sources said that they are going to give 500 U.S. dollars to each family upon their return to the city. In the same time, the Iraqi governmental sources said that they are going to compensate each family had lost their house by 4000 dollars, while each house cost not less than USD 50 thousand; this is not including the furniture and other properties. This an extreme deeds of humiliations to the Fallujah citizens. The compensations are not to be assessed by the aggressors and the traitors, but this is to be conducted by neutral parties; the compensation should be enough for restoring things to its previous condition.
21 - Upon counting the graves numbers, they are not more that 300 tombs, whereas the U.S forces itself announced that it had killed 1600 (fighters) during the battles in Fallujah. This will affirm that there are mass graves were hidden, that is to efface any evidence on the crimes committed by the Americans forces.
22 - Continuation of devastating residential houses in the city, burning some. Eyewitnesses asserted that, after the battle, numbers of returnees from al- Andalus residential area found their houses intact, but when they left the city and returned back three days later; they found that these houses were destroyed recently without any reason. As witnesses also affirmed that the U.S. forces is making a film now in Fallujah showing the performing of their forces in al- Fallujah battle, and how the advanced into the city. For the sack of this Hollywood film, they raids and bombard several areas already under the control of their forces, destroying empty houses just to show how (brave) and (humane) there solders were. In this connection they set ablaze 20 houses in one night, in one area, it was al- Shurta.
The unjustified flimsy reasons, that the criminals are defending their crimes do not give any international body or regional organization, the pretext to avoid the fulfillment of their responsibilities toward the grave violations and the crimes against humanity that happened in Fallujah and happening now. People of Fallujah, appealing to all international organizations, especially the Red Cross and the high commissioner for human rights and all the Governments who sought justice and peace and call upon all peace loving people in the world to practice their humanitarian roles to press on both Americans and Britain Administrations to stop these massacres and non-humanitarian action and to reject the hireling government installed by U.S. and Britain.
In this regard they demand the followings:
First: to withdraw the Occupation and the so called (National Guards) from the city immediately since they have committed war crimes against the civilians in Fallujah, to remain will cause tension and continuous disputes to revenge from them, therefore, violence will increase. Instead, the subrogation should be the Iraqi police and the civil defense forces from the City inhabitants or the surrounding areas.It become more important than ever before that the U.N and the International Organizations to take measure according to its obligations and responsibilities to expose and disclose apparently all these crimes that the U.S. forces had done at Fallujah and be far from bargaining between the executioner and the victim.
Second: To set free and release all the detained and arrested people of Fallujah Citizens immediately who are innocent and there are no legal evidences convicting them and this should be under the supervision of the United Nation and the high commission of human rights.
Third: The international humanitarian organizations under the supervision of the United Nation should take further effective and comprehensive measures to treat the situation of the Fallujah refugees who are more that 350000 and to provide them with essential life means, and medical treatment until their return is secured safely to the City, in particular the areas which are suffering sever shortage of such services, i.e. medical, drinkable water and humanitarian needs. In the same connection, to immediately carry out a vaccination campaign especially for the children.
Four: To call psychotherapy doctors to treat victims suffering mental pain and anguish and to find solution to the problems of many families who lost their supporter or lost their children and other members, if such problems remain without solutions a violent reaction will take place and revenges will also be spread over as per the tradition of this City.
Five: The return of the refugees should be supervised and organized by the United Nation, Red Cross and Iraqi Red Crescent, and to guarantee no new crimes will be committed against them. This should be preceded by a comprehensive campaign to remove the wreckage and eliminate of the pollution in order to secure health protection for all civilians.
Six: To establish a special fund determined for rebuilding the City, this should be supervised by the specialized International institution agencies belong to United Nation and should be funded by interior and external donators. Full and adequate compensations for the Fallujah citizens should be paid by U.S. government to cover all the damages and losses occurred as a result of its invasion and occupation to the City.
Seven: To speed up the formulation of independent international investigating committees without having any links with the occupation authorities and the provisional Iraqi Government, to investigate with other international organizations in what had been committed in Fallujah of crimes, and searching for the missing persons and to find where about the bodies of the death, this should be co-operated with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Eight: All those who committed war crimes in Fallujah must be referred to international criminal courts in accordance with the International Law.
Nine: To prorogate the election which are going to be held to be processed after the occupation withdrawal to guarantee its legitimacy. The fabulous endurance of Fallujah is a magnificent humanistic example, the results of which will go beyond Iraq and it will serve the humanity at large. We are sure that all the honest, decent people in the world and in the United States itself, will support our demands, to put an end to such kind of crimes and violations. Otherwise, silence and looking over these acts will help to repeat it in other parts of the world.
We invite the International community also to demand from the International Organizations - mainly the Red Cross - to announce and reveal out all reports they possess regarding the aforesaid crimes. The transparency requires making available those reports to the international community not only to be shared with the executioner.
Finally we do hope, from all honest people to distribute these reports widely in order to expose these crimes to the international community. It is the simplest right for the City which being and still being slaughtered by the American invaders.
Studies Center of Human Rights & Democracy
For/ The Civil Network Organizations at Al-Fallujah City
For/ The Civil Network Organizations at Al-Fallujah City
Al- Fallujah 14/01/2005
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Studies Center of Democracy & Rights Human
Unofficial translation
The Humanitarian and Tragic situation of the Refugees of Al –Fallujah
This is a brief review for some realities and events related to sufferings of refugees of Al Fallujah City due to the American invasion. We forward this report to UN Secretary General, the International committee of Red Cross, High Commissioner of Human Rights and all concerned International Organizations to exercise their responsibilities in this regard.
The numbers of refugees at this very moment reach to about 35000, most of them living areas near Al- Fallujah, such as Al- Saqlawiya, Al -Habbaniya Tourist city, Al- A’meriya complex, Al-Habbaniya Camp, Al- Khldiyah, Al-karma, Khan Dhari and some other places surrounding Al-Fallujah while many others immigrated to the nearby Al-Anbar province and Baghdad.
The refugees had been placed at random in places which were unfit to for refugees. As a matter of fact there were 6000 family inhabited in Al-Karma area and 2500 family at Al- A’meriya complex in a density of 25-30 persons in one flat.
Here are two examples of the real situation of the refugees:
First: Al Saqlawiya Area:
More that 4500 families consisting of more than 18000 refugees (few of them living with their relatives) are living now in schools, camps, some Governmental establishment, police stations and poultry farms. 60 families are living in Al-Saqlawiya Secondary School, 34 in a nearby camp of tents, 25 in a kindergarten, 7 in the police station of Al- Saqlawiya and 35 families in Al- Shuhada’a Area.
Summary of the situation:
1 - Mass immigration movements were started at the very beginning of Fallujah besiege and heavy bombardment of Al-Fallujah in early November, 2004. When the invasion started on 8/11/2004, U.S. troops closed all the roads surrounding the area and placed the city under strict besiege, a move that create a very tragic and dangerous situation due to depletion of foodstuff and rocketed prices of food high in the sky. In the meantime food supplies donated by Al-Saqlawiya residents and other organizations were not enough to meet refugees’ needs but 40% of them only.
2 - With a full astonishment, Trade ministry did not convey the refugees their monthly quota of foodstuff, despite the fact that all of them being officially registered in the program of the Ministry. Since then, they did not receive their right of foodstuff quota for the months of September, October and November. The Ministry had distributed the quotas of Al-Saqlawiya inhabitants, but not the refugees of Fallujah who are living either with them or in the nearby.
3 - According to doctors in the area, Health Ministry did not agree to provide medical care to the huge number of refugees. This led to a humanitarian catastrophe which caused the death for many of refugees who did not find the simplest necessary medical treatment, even though such services were always very humble and weak. Besides, the existing medical team is insufficient to deal with daily needs of Al Saqlawiya inhabitants themselves, not talking about the new comers of refugees. As a result, epidemics were spread over which is forming a very grave situation.
4 - Diseases such as: diarrhea, skin sickness, scabies and infections (inflammations) asthma and other chronic diseases, had been spread over. Besides there are no working hospitals in the area where the refugees had immigrated live. Other hospitals are far away by more than 50 Km towards Baghdad or Al-Ramadi the capital of Al Anbar Province.
5 - The huge number of separated refugees’ centers, lack of fuel and disruption of transportation had negatively affected the activities of the medical services.
Second: The situation in Al -Habbaniya Tourist city:
More that 1553 immigrated families consisting more than 12.500 persons out of them about 5000 child below 5 years were in urgent need for milk. Most of them are living in the City installations and even in unsuitable places which do not adapted for human being such as: garages, stores, small tents and other unhealthy places. The town of AL-Habbaniya consists of 580 houses, which became as an open jail no one could go to any alternative place.
Sufferings of refugees can be summarized as follows:
1 - Because of the lack of sufficient places, indeed we found 3-4 families live in the same place; as a rate, more than 13 persons are lodging in one room, or 5 persons live in one small tent, there is un urgent need to 150 - 200 tents more.
2 - Neither the Human Organizations nor the Governmental departments offered support parallel to the required volume, but only the committee of the Red Cross had installed a small water refinery to secure drinking water; before that people used to drink salty water from the neighboring lake.
3 - Cold weather which registered degrees below zero combined with bad and polluted nutrition, caused many diseases especially among children.
4 - Fuel scarcity (equity for each family is half a litter a day) and the chilly weather led to raise fuel prices high in the sky, for example the price for the black oil reached to 750 Iraqi Dinar, which mean twenty folds more than ordinary prices.
5 - Most of the people are jobless since three months; their reserve had been exhausted; many of them started to sell personal belongs to buy food. Not a single governmental establishment offered aids, nor an international or local organization had granted any help. This is really suppressing.
6 - Scarcity of humanitarian aids, especially foodstuff, had obliged the citizens or the refugees to buy food in very high prices.
7 - Not a single governmental official had visited the refugees nor the Ministry of Trade offered them any equity for the last 3 successive months nor it offer them any support to enabling them to survive.
8 - The Ministry of Health did not offer any medical aids, this is evidenced by doctors who asserted that the Health Minister did interfere personally to impede and prevent such aids to reach the refugees. Only few aids had reached which could not meet the essential needs of the refugees. Even the required injections were not completely available, so they were obliged to transport sick persons to Baghdad which far away by 55 Km. As a result, some elderly sick were died on the way. It is needless to say that polluted food and water besides the lack of medical services will increase death rates. According to a report from the Iraqi Red Crescent, this organization is suffering 70% diminution in the logistic medical items.
Proposals
Due to the huge destruction that inflected the Iraqi infrastructure and to most of refugees' houses at Fallujah City, so a large number of them will remain as refugees for along time to come. Actually, many of them were obliged to return back to the places originally immigrated to after seeing (24/12/2004) the huge destruction inflicted to their houses by U.S. forces. Every one now saying it is impossible to live at Fallujah for the time being. This catastrophic situation requires urgent procedures to resolve.
Among these solutions:
1 - To send urgently large quantities of foodstuff aids, milk and medicines enough to meet the needs of this number of refugees.:: Article nr. 9922 sent on 24-feb-2005 00:26 ECT
2 - To prepare suitable residential lodgings and subsidize equipped with essential requirements such as installing water refineries, potable water and to establish clinics for health care.
3 - To oblige or concluding an agreement with the Trade & Commerce Ministry to provide the monthly foodstuff equities for every family deprived from it.
4 - To establish liaisons stations for the International Organizations within the areas that refugees are living, to stop U.S. troops' provocations to the refugees.
5 - To establish mobile field hospitals including halls to operate surgeries, start vaccination campaign to prevent the spread out of contagious and transmissible diseases and launch integral vaccinations for children of all age categories.
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