At 8am this morning a Greenpeace hot air balloon delivered an anti-war message to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, from where US B52 planes will be launching bombing raids against Iraq.
The balloon featuring the message 'NO WAR' over-flew the site and, echoing leaflet drops over Iraq, dropped leaflets down to personnel in the base.
The leaflets feature a picture of a child victim from the first Gulf conflict and an image of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meeting Saddam Hussein in 1983, after Saddam had used chemical weapons during his invasion of Iran. They highlight the consequences of war on the innocent civilians in Iraq and US and UK 'double standards' in selling lethal weapons to Iraq then bombing them in order to get rid of them.
The B52's, that are capable of flying 8,000 miles without having to refuel, can drop up to 30 tons of bombs and missiles, including cruise missiles.
Speaking from the balloon John Sauven, Campaign Director of Greenpeace UK said:
"Greenpeace deplores this illegal and unilateral war on Iraq and calls for an immediate cease-fire and for negotiations for peace and disarmament to be resumed".
"This attack is a huge step backwards for international peace and security and heralds the start of a dangerous 'New World order' founded on force and not legality. War is not the solution, it is part of the problem".
He concluded,
"Unilateral military action by the US and UK is not the way to solve the problem of states possessing weapons of mass destruction, especially states that have been armed in the first place by the US and UK governments".
Greenpeace fears this war could have devastating human and environmental consequences. We will continue to do whatever is in our power to convince the international community that war is not the path to global security. This attack is a wake-up call to all who support peace, democracy and the rule of international law.
We call upon all people, governments and international bodies to redouble their opposition to this illegal war.
Notes to Editors:
1) See:http://nowar.greenpeace.org/downloads/warcrimesr1.pdf
Full text of leaflets dropped into the base:
"When bombs are dropped on Iraq, innocent civilians are inevitably caught up in the blast even though that was not your intention. During the last war against Iraq, when the photograph overleaf was taken, President George Bush Senior said: "We do not seek the destruction of Iraq. Nor do we seek to punish the Iraqi people for the decisions and policies of their leaders."
The problem is that both the US and UK Governments helped to give Saddam Hussein his weapons of mass destruction. As Robin Cook, the former leader of the House of Commons said in his resignation speech on Monday: "Saddam probably does still have biological toxins and battlefield chemical munitions. But it has had them since the 1980s when the US sold Saddam the anthrax agents and the then British government built his chemical and munitions factories."
It is clear that these double standards are being applied because it was in the strategic interest of the US to support Saddam Hussein when he launched a war against then arch-enemy Iran. Now that the US has fallen out with the dictator it armed, you have to go to war with Iraq. A power game played out as chess is one thing, but in real life, when innocent people's lives and well-being are at risk from your bombs, it is totally unacceptable.
Caption:
Donald Rumsfield, current US Defence Secretary, 'normalising' relations with Saddam Hussein after he invaded Iran.
Front Iraq child
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255
