Verklaring Europese Groenen over Irak

• 2003-03-21

(21/03/03) De partijleiders van de Groene Europese partijen veroordelen de beslissing van de VS en Groot-Brittannië om, samen met Spanje, een oorlog te beginnen in Irak. Duitsland, Frankrijk en België daarentegen krijgen een schouderklopje voor hun houding in het conflict. De Groenen benadrukken dat hun negatief oordeel over deze oorlog niet betekent dat ze het regime van Saddam Hoessein steunen.

Declaration of the Green Party Leaders

1. We strongly condemn the decision of President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair in coalition with Aznar to wage war on Iraq. This act of unilateral aggression stands in opposition to the beliefs of the overwhelming majority of UN members.

2. We welcome the massive protests of millions of citizens in Europe and all over the world and we stress the importance for this protest to keep its momentum. We stand united with the popular majority in the UK and in Spain as well as with the millions of US citizens who are increasingly criticising the course of their governments. We express at the same time our concern about anti-islamic and anti-semitic reactions that the conflict is triggering.

3. The attack on Iraq is illegal and illegitimate and represents an unprecedented backlash in multilateral efforts of peaceful conflict resolution. Pre-emptive strikes recently included in the US National Security Strategy infringe upon international right. This doctrine represents a serious threat to international peace and stability and will possibly lead to further terrorism. Our principal demand remains an immediate halt to the war, and we call on all member states of the UN to convene a special session of the General Assembly.

4. Our immediate concern is the suffering of the population in Iraq including the international peace activists and humanitarian aid workers. We are extremely concerned about the weapons, which might be used. We call on the warring fractions to restrain from any use of arms with indiscriminate effect on civilians, in particular with regard to depleted uranium, the MOAB bomb, cluster bombs, anti-personal mines, chemical and biological weapons, which also have long-lasting and irreversible effects on the environment. They must ensure strict adherence to international law in the conduct of war. We call on the European Council to underline that the attacking parties will be held responsible for their acts. The security and the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people have to be met.

5.We are concerned about the fate of the mainly Kurdish citizens of the Northern provinces of Iraq. We call on the international Community to guanrantee their well being and the existing autonomy. Any pressure from Turkey to weaken the autonomy of the Iraqi Kurds must be prevented.

6. The objective of disarming Iraq which had been unanimously agreed in Security Council resolution 1441 made considerable progress and could have been fully accomplished through forceful continuation on the successful path of UN weapons inspections.

7. Our strong opposition to the war does not mean support for the Iraqi dictatorship. We reiterate our unequivocal belief in the universal validity of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Iraqi government is to be held responsible for its crimes under international law.

8. We are convinced that through the continuation of the weapon inspections, combined with massive international pressure, sooner or later a regime change would have been achieved.

9. We support the democratic forces in Iran and the other neighbouring countries of Iraq. We see in particular the evolution of the Iranian opposition forces as a positive development, and we are convinced that the increasing participation of the Irani population in political and cultural life could bring about positive changes and represents a fruitful example for a transition to democracy in the region. We call on Iran to opt for a strategy of safeguarding their security without relying on weapons of mass destruction

10. We applaud the governments of France, Germany and Belgium among others for their efforts of peaceful conflict resolution. We call on all European Union and Enlargement countries to respect the rule of law in international relations as the guiding principle of their foreign policy. We draw attention to Article 19 of the EU Treaties, which obliges EU members of the UN Security Council to up-hold common positions in this assembly. The military attack on Iraq is in clear contradiction to the common EU position as laid down in Council declaration of 17 February. In the context of the Convention, Greens call for decisive steps in favour of a real Common Foreign and Security Policy in co-decision with the European Parliament. We reiterate our demand for one seat of the European Union in the Security Council.

11. The decision of the majority of UN members and the Security Council to up-hold the principle of UN monopoly for the use of force has shown more than ever the importance of this organisation. We call on all EU member states and accession countries to do all what is in their hands for the enforcement of the conflict resolution capacities of the UN.

12. The Iraq crisis shows ones again that there is an urgent need to change the patterns of our energy policies based on oil and nuclear energy. The EU should take the lead in a policy oriented to diminish our dependence from oil by reducing energy consumption and promoting renewable energies.

13. We call on the EU and the Enlargement Countries not to give any support to military operations in connection with the war in Iraq.

14. The 'Roadmap' for the Middle East adopted by the Quartet should be immediately and fully implemented by all parties, leading to the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state and guaranteeing the integrity of Israel, as well as the right of both states to live in save and secure borders. All efforts should be made in order to alleviate the desperate situation of the Palestinian population and to put an end to Israeli repression in the Occupied Territories. Suicide attacks must stop, as well as extra-judicial killings.

15. The territorial integrity of Iraq and the ownership of Iraq's natural resources by its population are not up for negotiation. We demand the return of the UN agencies to Iraq as soon as the security conditions allow and to completely reconsider the 'Oil for Food' Programme. Any decision on the political future of Iraq, including reconstruction plans, has to be taken within the UN framework.

16. We call on the EU Member States and accession countries to contribute to post war UN peace-keeping missions in Iraq, making clear to the USA that a commitment is needed by the American administration to give up its strategy of "pre-emptive strikes".

17. Transatlantic dialogue is more important than ever. All efforts should be made to bring the most burning problems of our planet back into focus, namely poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. We hope to build on the recently established dialogue between Green and other MEPs and anti-war members of US Congress.

18.European Greens support the goal to develop a New World Order based on multilateral cooperation and the international rule of law instead of unilateral domination through military strength.

19. We strongly support the proposal of an international conference on security and stability in the region, addressing in particular the issue of weapons of mass destruction.