Break the Sanctions on Iraq

On November 6, 2002, the US Treasury office in charge of sanctions (Office of Foreign Assets Control-OFAC) sent a letter to Voices in the Wilderness (VitW) and co-founder Kathy Kelly imposing a fine of $20,000 for delivering medicine without a permit to Iraq on two occasions in 1998.

OFAC simultaneously sent a letter to activist Dan Handelman of Portland, Oregon, imposing a fine of $10,000 for his part in a November, 1997 VitW delegation to deliver medicine to Iraq. This notice was similar to ones received in May and June of 2002 by other members of that delegation, Bert Sacks, a retired engineer, and Rev. Randall Mullins, both of Seattle, Washington. Both Bert and Randall refused to pay their fines, and instead raised money for more medicine, which was delivered to Iraq in September.

Since 1996, VitW members have broken sanctions with over fifty delegations to Iraq. They stand with hundreds of others who have traveled on humanitarian, fact-finding and rebuilding missions, and who refuse to see the people of Iraq as enemies.

Responding to the OFAC notice, members of VitW are reaffirming their commitment to bring medicine and basic necessities to Iraqi children and families in need. VitW is committed to ending the U.S./U.N. embargo on Iraq, an embargo that has contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. They will be asking people to join them in again breaking the sanctions.

They will also explain why VitW cannot ask for a government license, why they will not pay the fines, and why, instead, Voices in the Wilderness will immediately begin raising $30,000 toward humanitarian and peacemaking efforts in Iraq as an alternative to paying penalties to the Office of Foreign Assets Control.



We ask you to join our efforts:


(a) sign on to our response letter to the Treasury Department in solidarity with Voices in the Wilderness

(b) make a financial donation

(c) send children’s vitamins, medical journals on CD, or iron tablets to Iraq through Voices in the Wilderness.

Please contact us directly for specific requirements for donating medicine. ( 773 784 8065/info [at] vitw.org)

Any contribution you can make is significant. Please mark on your check, money order, or package of medicine, “Break the Sanctions.” Your donation—unless you ask for it to be anonymous—will add your name to the growing list of those who have brought or sent medicines to Iraq without requesting government approval to do so. A full list will be running on http://www.vitw.org.




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Sign on to ‘Break the Sanctions’

We stand with Voices in the Wilderness to end sanctions on Iraq by breaking these unjust and immoral laws. We are taking nonviolent direct action to protest US policies that endanger the lives of Americans and Iraqis. We will continue to work and act towards peaceful relations with our neighbors in Iraq and throughout the world.

Signature

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We would appreciate knowing the following:

Your name (please print):

E-mail:

City and state:


The spirit of nonviolence is the spirit of satyagraha, Gandhi's truth force. It is our shared work to make known the truth of US sanctions policy on Iraq, the dangers of war, and alternatives to violence. Thank you for sharing in this work. For information about additional actions you can take, please contact Voices in the Wilderness for local contacts and more information.


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Voices in the Wilderness 1460 West Carmen Avenue Chicago, IL 60640
Tel: (773) 784-8065 Fax: (773) 784-8837 | e-mail: info [at] vitw.org
Web: vitw.org or iraqpeaceteam.org