A joint press release from US Labor Against the War [2] and Oil Change International [3], Feb. 15:
Stop the Theft of Iraq’s Future – Iraqi Oil for the Iraqi People
In Iraq, the on-going war and occupation has led to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi deaths, widespread devastation, relentless insecurity and crippling poverty. Foreign oil companies are scrambling to use this opportunity to secure access to massive profits from Iraq’s large untapped oil reserves at the expense of the Iraqi people.
The occupation of Iraq serves to protect these interests while US military bases are built nearby to guard the oil fields. As well, the Bush Administration has tried to push the Iraqi Parliament to pass a law that would give foreign oil companies unprecedented control over Iraq’s oil resources. The Iraqi cabinet, under pressure from the US, passed this law one year ago on February 23, 2007. The Iraqi Parliament has so far resisted pressure to pass this oil law, but the pressure is by no means over.
In response to this pressure, the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions is mobilizing an international day of action and will be holding protests in Basra and elsewhere against the ongoing occupation, oil law and privatization contracts. Solidarity actions will be held internationally in the UK, Italy, and the US, including in Washington, DC, Texas, New York and Indiana.
The solidarity actions maintain that the US government and corporations should have no role in pressuring Iraqis to privatize control of their oil while occupying their country. The Iraqi people are held in a military occupation by over 160,000 foreign troops. Iraqi workers are denied basic internationally recognized labor rights. We support the Iraqis in their call for resisting the oil law and foreign contracts while under occupation. We also support worker demands for the rights to organize and bargain.
WHEN: Feb 22, 2008; 12:00 PM rally, 12:30 PM march
WHAT: Media event and theatrical linking of the Oil Industry and the White House, commemorating one year of opposition to the Iraq Oil Law on the International Day of Solidarity with the Iraqi People.
WHERE: Outside the Exxon Mobile Office, 2000 K St NW
12:00 PM: Press event and rally at Exxon office
12:30 PM: March with us as we mark the oily trail leading to the White House!
Endorsing Organizations as of Feb. 14:
Oil Change International, www.priceofoil.org [4]
US Labor Against the War, www.uslaboragainstwar.org [5]
No War No Warming, www.nowarnowarming.org [6]
Code Pink, www.codepinkalert.org [7]
DC Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), www.ivaw.org [8]
United for Peace and Justice, www.unitedforpeace.org [9]
VotersForPeace, www.votersforpeace.org [10]
After Downing Street, www.afterdowningstreet.org [11]
Grassroots America, www.grassrootsamerica4us.org [12]
Hands Off Iraqi Oil, www.handsoffiraqioil.org [13]
Platform UK, www.platformlondon.org [14]
War on Want, www.waronwant.org [15]
Consumers For Peace, www.consumersforpeace.org [16]
See our last posts on Iraq and the struggle for the oil [17], the civil resistance [18], the labor struggle [19], and the anti-war effort [20].
