Several Iraqi Union Leaders Kidnapped; Oil Activist Murdered

[struggle4progress]

By Harry Kelber, ILCA Associate Member

Iraq is an increasingly dangerous place for trade unionists, said the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), as it condemned the latest murder of the Iraqi labor leader, Ali Hassan Abd.

The unionist, a prominent and outspoken member of the Oil and Gas Union, was murdered on his way home, close to the Al Dorah Oil Refinery in Baghdad.

Ali Hassan Abd was one of the first activists to organize trade unions in the oil industry, encouraging a union presence in a post-Saddam Iraq as early as April; 2003, only a few weeks after the U.S. military occupied Iraq. <snip>

The ICFTU is deeply concerned about the wave of kidnappings of Iraqi union leaders. Moaid Hamed, general secretary of the Mosul branch of the IFTU, is the most recent leader to be kidnapped, on Feb. 11. This followed the kidnap and subsequent release of other senior union representatives. <snip>

http://www.ilcaonline.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2051&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

[Mich Otter]

1. Union Leaders Murdered

Does anyone have info about the Ba'ath Party murdering labor leaders?

[struggle4progress]

2. Depending on exactly what you're looking for, one place to start ...

... looking might be standard human rights sources, such as

http://www.hrw.org/doc?t=mideast&c=iraq

<edit: typo>

[Mich Otter]

3. I am looking for connections between the U.S. government, Nazis, and the B

[Mich Otter]

4. Follow-up post

that was suppose to read..."the U.S., Nazis, and the Ba'ath Party.
How much help did the U.S. government give to Iraq in the effort to stop Communism from getting strength in Iraq? How many labor leaders died as a direct result of the U.S. governments involvement?