Iraq is not America's to sell - Bremer's actions illegal

[donsu]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1079575,00.html

International law is unequivocal - Paul Bremer's economic reforms are illegal

-snip-

Any movement serious about Iraqi self-determination must call not only for an end to Iraq's military occupation, but to its economic colonisation as well. That means reversing the shock therapy reforms that US occupation chief Paul Bremer has fraudulently passed off as "reconstruction", and cancelling all privatisation contracts that are flowing from these reforms.

How can such an ambitious goal be achieved? Easy: by showing that Bremer's reforms were illegal to begin with. They clearly violate the international convention governing the behaviour of occupying forces, the Hague regulations of 1907 (the companion to the 1949 Geneva conventions, both ratified by the United States), as well as the US army's own code of war.

The Hague regulations state that an occupying power must respect "unless absolutely prevented, the laws in force in the country". The coalition provisional authority has shredded that simple rule with gleeful defiance. Iraq's constitution outlaws the privatisation of key state assets, and it bars foreigners from owning Iraqi firms. No plausible argument can be made that the CPA was "absolutely prevented" from respecting those laws, and yet two months ago, the CPA overturned them unilaterally.

On September 19, Bremer enacted the now infamous Order 39. It announced that 200 Iraqi state companies would be privatised; decreed that foreign firms can retain 100% ownership of Iraqi banks, mines and factories; and allowed these firms to move 100% of their profits out of Iraq. The Economist declared the new rules a "capitalist dream".
-snip-
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the article ends by saying:

"It's not too late to cancel the contracts and ditch the deals."

[PVnRT]

1. International treaties haven't stood in Bush's way yet

Why would he let this one do so? International law be damned, he has to make sure all his rich buddies get even richer raping Iraq.

[G_j]

2. some good points

to consider, of course being in defiance of international law doesn't seem to be a problem to the admin.

[LittleApple81]

3. Ha! Where does a 1000 lb gorilla sit? Wherever he wants! n/t

[dweller]

4. I feel

'usufructed'. or is that 'usufruckt'?

dp

[RichM]

5. It's "oh-so-fuckted"

usu·fruct: the legal right of using and enjoying the fruits or profits of something belonging to another :-)

[DuctapeFatwa]

6. "Legal" is defined by how many guns you have and how big they are

compared to the person who says it's "illegal."