Moroccan parliament to hold special session on Iraq, more condemnations of raids

The Moroccan House of Representatives will hold next Monday a plenary session in solidarity with the Iraqi people, as more reactions condemning the US-British raids continue to be expressed by various political parties, associations and students all over Morocco.

The ruling coalition National Istiqlal Party (PI) renewed its condemnation of the attack, describing it "an aggression against Arab and Islamic states and against all peace-loving countries and peoples."

For the PI, the "coward war waged against a peaceful people, upon a decision of two aggressor countries and without referring to the UN Security Council" is "a violation of United Nations principles and all international laws, and constitutes an escalation of the policy hostile to peace in the world." The party further called on the Arab League to hold an emergency summit and on Moroccans to denounce this new aggression and express their solidarity with the Iraqis.

Another party represented in the government "National Popular Movement" (MNP), which held an emergency meeting on Friday, expressed "total and unconditional solidarity with the Iraqi people already suffering from an eight-year long embargo." The party also hailed the resistance of the Iraqi people and calls the international community to take a firm stance against the aggression, which is killing innocent victims.

For the leftist "Democratic Forces Front" (FFD), the military attack should be ceased immediately and the anti-Iraq sanctions should be lifted. The party stated that the attacks which target the destruction of Iraq's economic facilities and worsen the tragedy of Iraqis are a blatant violation of international law, as the UN Security Council did not adopt any resolution calling for the use of force against Iraq and at a time at which the UN secretary general is carrying on efforts to settle the crisis.

The "Moroccan Human Rights Organization" (OMDH) also strongly condemned the aggression and expressed solidarity with the families of victims and with the Iraqi people. The organization also denounced US policy, which it described as "double standard" and asked all European and American non-governmental organizations to condemn the aggression.

In Casablanca, attorneys protested and denounced the US-British raids, which they said challenge the international community, while university students held a sit-in to condemn the aggression.

On Thursday the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation voiced "great concern" and called for restraint and for giving a chance to "international peaceful mediation."

The Moroccan political class promptly voiced negative reactions to these attacks and accused US President Bill Clinton of bombing Baghdad to divert attention from the impending impeachment vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Six opposition parties held a joint meeting of their leaders and condemned the bombing as "a serious precedent in contradiction with UN Security Council laws."

University and high school students, supported by teachers, in several cities staged rallies to express support with the Iraqi people and denounce the raids as a "violation of international laws and conventions."

For the socialist lawyers affiliated to the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, whose leader Abderrahmane Youssoufi is heading Morocco's coalition government, governments of Arab and Islamic countries should interfere to face this "insolent terrorism," by unilaterally lifting the sanctions facing Iraq. They called the US-British raids "an odious crime against humanity" and said US President Bill Clinton is only trying to hide his personal scandals. They further argued that, "The one that deserves international punishment for defying international law is the Zionist entity which owns nuclear, chemical and criminal weapons."

The "CDT," a trade union close to the "USFP," called its regional and local sections to hold sit-ins, terming the strikes "aggression acts against the Arab and Islamic nation" and "a barbarous crime against humanity."

A group of politicians, intellectuals and trade unionists gathered in the Moroccan committee of support to Iraq, expressed total support to Iraq in this hardship and invited Arab countries to adopt "a firm position against the aggression" and "proclaim an economic boycott against the aggressors."

Moroccan papers all agreed that the timing of the raid is not fortuitous, as the US House of Representatives was getting ready to vote on the impeachment of Clinton. A leftist daily, "Liberation," warned that the USA is igniting "fanaticism" and "pouring on the planet a torrent of injustice, despair and hatred."

Thousands of Moroccans participated in 1991 in a march to support the Iraqi people, led by leaders of the then-opposition parties.