Activists shame Iraqi Governing Council minister, derail Iraq business forum in Manila

MANILA : Filipino anti-war activists disrupted the presentation of a
visiting Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) minister in a business forum, calling
her a "collaborator" and an "illegitimate" representative of the Iraqi
people.

The forum, entitled "Rebuilding Iraq: Challenges and Opportunities for
Business," was organized by the Asian Institute of Management, a graduate
school for business, and the German foundation Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. It
was attended mostly by academics and businessmen.

As IGC minister for municipalities and public works Nesreen Berwari stood up
to approach the rostrum, four women members of the newly formed coalition
anti-occupation coalition Iraq Solidarity Campaign - Philippines held up
placards saying "IGC Illegitimate" and "IGC = American Puppets."

Two other members tried to unfurl a banner that read "Collaborators Not
Welcome in Manila" but they were quickly accosted by the hotel’s security
personnel. The placards were also confiscated. The activists then stood up
and filed out of the room, chanting "IGC illegitimate, US puppets."

They were chased out of the room by the security personnel then joined
around 150 other members of the coalition who had massed up outside the
conference venue to denounce the the IGC ministers’ visit.

Panelists, which included former Philippine finance secretary Roberto de
Ocampo, were visibly surprised and flustered. Senatorial candidate Amina
Rasul, an AIM fellow who was directly responsible for inviting Berwari,
dismissed the protesters as "fringe elements," even as past surveys showed
that majority of Filipinos opposed the invasion of Iraq.

Berwari’s visit came in the wake of the death of a Filipino worker in Iraq,
the first casualty among the 3,000 workers based there.

"Ms Berwari has no right to speak on behalf of the Iraqis because she was
chosen by the United States, not by her people," said Rasti Deliso, one of
the organizers of the action.

"More importantly, she has no right talking about business opportunities in
Iraq because legitimate economic policies still have to be put in place by a
sovereign and independent Iraqi government."

"We Filipinos, like the Iraqis, are very hospitable and gracious hosts,"
said Milette Morante, one of the women who disrupted the meeting. "But like
the Iraqis who do not welcome the occupying forces, we Filipinos do not
welcome collaborators in our country."

The IGC is the body established by the United States as the temporary
governing entity of Iraq. Its 24 members were all chosen by the United
States.

Herbert Docena, a researcher who just came back from a one-month stay in
Baghdad working with the Iraq International Occupation Watch Center,
underscored the illegitimacy of the Iraqi Governing Council. "When I was in
Iraq, many of the Iraqis I spoke with think of the IGC as a big joke," said
Docena.

"This has been confirmed by a Gallup survey saying that 75% of Iraqis
believe that the IGC’s merely follow the dictates of the United States, as
well as by a BBC survey saying that Iraqis trust the hated Saddam regime
more than they trusted some IGC members."

"The Philippine should therefore have nothing to do with this body and
should refuse to recognize any Iraqi government not chosen by the Iraqis
themselves," Docena said.

Even as the protesters were driven out of the conference room, Berwari
continued to be hounded by questions during the open forum.

Referring to Berwari’s assurance that power will be transferred to Iraqis on
June 30, Joseph Purugganan from Focus on the Global South asked, "What kind
of power will be transferred when all of the laws enacted by the occupation
forces will remain binding on the next government and when the coalition
soldiers will stay on indefinitely in permanent military bases?"

Because of the disruption and the type of questions from the floor, the
minister failed to touch on business opportunities in Iraq — the intended
focus of the event.

The Iraqi Solidarity Campaign was formally formed as an alliance of
political blocs and organizations after the outbreak of widespread uprising
in Iraq at the beginning of April. It calls for the ending of the US-led
occupation and the withdrawal and evacuation of Philippine troops and
workers from Iraq.# (ISC)

[FOR MORE INFORMATON ABOUT THE IRAQ SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN - PHILIPPINES,
CONTACT CORA FABROS at nonukes@tri-isys.com]