** Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches **
** http://dahrjamailiraq.com **
26 June 2005
IRAQI HOSPITALS ATTACKED AND DAMAGED BY US FORCES
Urgent request for help from the west of Iraq
An urgent humanitarian crisis is unfolding in occupied west Iraq. The
Doctors for Iraq Society is calling on you to act NOW.
US occupation soldiers have conducted simultaneous military operations
in cities across the west of Iraq. Between May- June 2005, the heaviest
of these attacks took place in the cities of Haditha and Al-Qa?im. These
cities and surrounding villages are home to an estimated 300,000 people.
Eyewitness and medical personnel in the area have described how US
soldiers prevented food and medication reaching Haditha and Al-Qa?im and
targeted the cities two main hospitals, medical staff and ambulances.
US soldiers violated the Geneva Convention and international law by
preventing civilians from accessing healthcare. Eyewitnesses reported at
least one patient being shot dead in his bed on a hospital ward. Doctors
were prevented from assisting patients and civilians in need. A number
of doctors and medical personnel were killed in the attack and
others were arrested by US forces in the hospital. They were later
released, along with the hospital manager who was detained for two days.
The huge military operations in the area have caused widespread damage
and an unknown number of civilians were killed and injured during the
attack.
Video footage shot by doctors shows a badly damage medical store in the
Haditha hospital and damaged surgical theatres. The medical store
contained medicine and equipment for all hospitals and medical centers
in the west of Iraq. Staff and patients say
the damage was carried out by ?by violent and barbaric US soldiers.?
The Doctors for Iraq Society and other Iraqi organizations working in
the area are asking for urgent assistance from outside Iraq to help
equip the hospital with medication and other essential supplies.
Medical staff need basis such as medicines, surgical sets, laundry unit,
laboratory equipment and surgical sets.
Staff and patients also need urgent protection from the ongoing brutal
actions of US occupation forces who continue to violate international
law by carrying out attacks on patients and medical staff in Iraq.
The Doctors for Iraq Society is calling on human rights organizations to
conduct an urgent investigation into what happened in Haditha and
Al-Qa?im, and to take testimonies from eyewitnesses and medical staff in
the area.
For more information contact about the attack and
the specific of the hospital contact Doctors for
Iraq Society at : [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Or / Dr. Salam Ismael at : [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
For media enquiries contact
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Dr. Salam T. Ismael
General secretary
Doctors for Iraq Society
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
UK Phone : 0044 (0) 2085209489
UK Mobile : 0044 (0) 7891022381
Baghdad phone No. : 00964 1 4437512
Baghdad Mobile : 00964 7901 963 257
_______________________________________________
More writing, photos and commentary at http://dahrjamailiraq.com
You are subscribed to the Dahr Jamail's email Iraq Dispatches because you
requested a subscription at some point.
You can visit http://dahrjamailiraq.com/email_list/ to subscribe or unsubscribe to the
email list.
Or, you can unsubscribe by sending an email to
[log in to unmask] and write unsubscribe in the subject or
the body of the email.
(c)2004, 2005 Dahr Jamail.
All images and text are protected by United States and international copyright law. If
you would like to reprint Dahr's Dispatches on the web, you need to include this
copyright notice and a prominent link to the DahrJamailIraq.com website. Any other
use of images and text including, but not limited to, reproduction, use on another
website, copying and printing requires the permission of Dahr Jamail. Of course, feel
free to forward Dahr's dispatches via email.
Iraq_Dispatches mailing list
http://lists.dahrjamailiraq.com/mailman/listinfo/iraq_dispatches
--
Whatever you Wanadoo:
http://www.wanadoo.co.uk/time/
This email has been checked for most known viruses - find out more at: http://www.wanadoo.co.uk/help/id/7098.htm
|
