Voices in the Wilderness Ordered to Pay $20K for Bringing Aid to Iraq

Over the past several years, the White House and some powerful Congressional Republicans have aggressively investigated what they refer to as the "United Nations Oil for Food Scandal," alleging that UN officials and others took kickbacks from Saddam Hussein's government or otherwise benefited from the UN program. While there have been some cases of fraud or profiteering uncovered involving individual UN employees and others, it has hardly proved the scandal that some in Washington would like to have the public believe. Moreover, many of the central figures profiting from the sanctions on Iraq - among them some powerful US corporations - have faced almost no consequences for their corruption.

Beyond this, some of the most experienced Iraq activists say that the real scandal is the ongoing devastation caused by more than a decade of US-led United Nations sanctions against Iraq. This month marks the 15 year anniversary of those sanctions and this past weekend, the US Treasury Department took action against the organization that made its life's work ending those sanctions against Iraq: the Chicago-based Voices in the Wilderness. A decade ago, they began openly violating the sanctions, bringing in symbolic amounts of medical, educational and humanitarian aid on a regular basis. They stated publicly and repeatedly that in the long tradition of nonviolent, direct action, they were breaking what they believe to be unjust laws. This past weekend, a federal judge ordered Voices in the Wilderness to pay a $20,000 fine. The U.S. Treasury Department initially imposed the fine in 2002, days after Voices participated in international actions to oppose the U.S. buildup for war against Iraq. At that time, the group was holding demonstrations urging the US Congress not to give Bush the authority to attack Iraq.

Here is the group's founder, Kathy Kelly outside of the UN compound in Baghdad in October 2002.

* Kathy Kelly, speaking in Baghdad, October 26, 2002.

Voices in the Wilderness released a statement in response to Saturday's ruling, saying that they will not pay "a penny of this fine."

Their statement said: "The economic sanctions regime imposed brutal and lethal punishment on Iraqi people. The U.S. government would not allow Iraq to rebuild its water treatment system after the U.S. military deliberately destroyed it in 1991. The U.S. government denied Iraq the ability to purchase blood bags, medical needles and medicine in adequate supplies - destroying Iraq's health care system. "We chose to travel to Iraq in order to openly challenge our country's war against the Iraqi people. We fully understood that our acts could result in criminal or civil charges. We acted because when our country's government is committing a grievous, criminal act, it is incumbent upon each of us to challenge in every nonviolent manner possible the acts of the government. "We continue to oppose the U.S. occupation of Iraq, which continues the devastation of the Iraqi people."

* Kathy Kelly, founder of Voices in the Wilderness. Her new book is called "Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison"

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