IVAW Reparations Committee Objectives FY 2011

Background

Oil & Gas Legislation and Economic Sovereignty

Heading into 2011, the newly formed Iraqi government will be expected to pass long-awaited oil and gas legislation governing foreign investment in its industry.  Passage of this legislation was a precondition set by Paris Club (US and EU) nations in exchange for their forgiveness of Iraqi debts incurred under Saddam Hussein’s regime.  Although such legislation could have a positive effect on Iraq’s economy, job growth and political stability, the most current draft available contained no clauses on parliamentary oversight of contracts.  The absence of such legislative safeguards and transparency raises the danger of foreign co-option of unaccountable Iraqi executive officials and consequent political instability.

The draft oil and gas legislation also does not contain any hard requirements for local labor content.  Therefore, foreign oil companies will be expected but not necessarily obligated to hire Iraqi workers to managerial and technical positions in the industry.  The lack of local content stipulations could result in de facto foreign control of Iraq’s oil industry.  Given the soft language of the draft legislation, individual contracts with ExxonMobil and Occidental- the two American companies to secure Iraq oil contracts –will have to be examined in detail and closely followed as they are implemented.

Human Rights

Iraq still has no labor law to conform to ILO standards and numerous incidents of Iraqi government harassment of unions- whose very existence is technically illegal –have been recorded from 2003-present. The Iraqi government has frozen union bank accounts, seized union assets, punitively transferred union leaders to disrupt organizing efforts, and prohibited union leaders from traveling abroad without government authorization.  U.S. State Department officials continue to press the Iraqi government to adopt legislation to open its markets but have been unresponsive to IVAW and USLAW requests that they publicly promote labor legislation with equal vigor.   

Private Security Contractors

As the U.S. military continues its withdrawal from Iraq, which it is currently legally bound to do by the end of 2011, the State Department will begin to transition into the lead role, augmented by a surge of private security contractors.   These contractors will reportedly be responsible for everything from Iraqi security forces training and static security to convoy operations.  It remains unclear whether they will be authorized to participate in military operations of an offensive nature.  It also remains unclear how their chain-of-command is delineated and what legal jurisdiction they fall under, whether U.S. civilian or military courts.

Economic Development and Refugee Relief

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees remain in neighboring countries such as Jordan and Syria, while millions of internally displaced persons have yet to be resettled within Iraq.  The United States has a moral responsibility to provide immediate economic relief as well as long term financial aid to Iraq to stimulate job creation and resettlement of these victims of war and military occupation.  Addressing the refugee situation in Iraq and in neighboring countries is also a security imperative.  

Depleted Uranium

Media sources continue to report ongoing concerns of abnormally high birth defects in areas of Iraq contaminated by depleted uranium rounds.  The United States government has a moral obligation to commission an independent investigation into this matter and pay for environmental remediation of contaminated sites.

Research, FOIA Litigation and Advocacy for Investigations of Bush Administration Officials

Many documents have yet to be declassified on the Bush administration policies on pre- and post-invasion Iraq, particularly foreign investment in Iraq’s oil industry.  These documents could help build a strong public case against high-level political officials in the Bush White House and the Pentagon.  The public record currently contains enough evidence to support an indictment; however, there is insufficient political will to pressure Attorney General Eric Holder to make what would be a tremendously costly decision for the Obama administration given Republicans willingness and ability to retaliate against such a move. 

Strategic Objectives

Economic Sovereignty & Human Rights

• Track and report on Iraqi budget deficit, foreign debts, and IMF loans to Iraq and accompanying political expectations, with particular focus on oil legislation

• Monitor and report on role of State Department and private security contractors in Iraq, with specific focus on FID mission and potential use of PSCs and subcontractors to conduct paramilitary operations

• Monitor labor rights situation in Iraq and provide direct financial support to local advocacy initiatives, with a primary focus on the oil sector

• Formulate policy positions and lobbying/public advocacy plans around these issues

Economic Development & Humanitarian Aid

• Identify microfinance institutions operating in Iraq that IVAW can support through promotion on our website, public advocacy, and member/supporter donations

• Identify organizations, avenues and opportunities IVAW members can engage in to directly provide humanitarian relief to Iraqi citizens

• Track and report on U.S. foreign operations budget line allocated toward refugee relief, job creation and resettlement as well as expenditures and quantifiable outcomes

• Formulate policy positions and lobbying/public advocacy plans around potential expansion of these federal budget allocations and critical areas of needed improvement

Environmental Remediation & Public Health

• Track and report on areas of depleted uranium contamination in Iraq and develop policy positions and lobbying/public advocacy plans around U.S. financial obligations related to environmental remediation and medical treatment of affected Iraqi communities

Legal Research

• Partner with historical research organizations to advocate/litigate for declassification of documents concerning Iraq pre-war intelligence and economic planning as well as violations of U.S. and international law related to Iraq, with primary focus on senior political officials
•  

Operational Objectives

Economic Sovereignty & Human Rights

• Work with USLAW to raise $500/month in sustaining donations to support production of Iraqi oil union newspaper

• Build member and supporter base in DC to engage in direct actions targeting specific agencies and legislators responsible for overseeing them, with a focus on the IMF, U.S. Treasury and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Economic Development & Humanitarian Aid

• Organize and fund documentary film team to cover Iraqi refugee situation in Jordan and/or Syria and produce film to support lobbying and public advocacy work

Environmental Remediation & Public Health

• Engage with organizations holding subject area expertise on depleted uranium contamination in Iraq in order to establish an informed position for lobbying and public advocacy work

Legal Research

• Establish contact with organizations interested in working to declassify and analyze Bush administration Iraq policy documents; cultivate partnership to engage jointly in this work

Personnel and Infrastructure

• Establish team leaders for each of the branches listed above

• Coordinate with webmaster to create web pages for each of the branches listed; include promotional links and electronic copies of reports, policy papers, talking points and background documents for internal and external education, lobbying and advocacy

• Acquire funding for at least one part-time or stipended DC-based lobbyist to engage with members of Congress on issues of concern to the committee

Internal Communications and Participation

• Engage at least 20% of the membership over next 6 months in committee programs under the four branches listed above

• Coordinate with webmaster to make Reparations page live on website

• Utilize social media outlets such as Facebook to engage members and supporters

 External Communications

• Establish IVAW as a professional, credible and influential and formidable voice on matters of economic sovereignty, security, human rights environment, and international law related to Iraq

• Coordinate with webmaster to establish public Reparations page on website

• Utilize social media outlets such as Facebook to engage members and supporters

 Fundraising

• Leverage $40,000 to fund research, lobbying and public advocacy activities as described above