[IMC-bristol] Two Americans Arrested at Houston British Consulate/Open Letter to the Consulate-General

[Jon Frederick]

Two Americans refused to leave the Houston British Consulate building and
were arrested Monday, after the Consulate-General declined to respond to
this open letter. They were charged with class B misdemeanor trespassing
and released on $500 bond each, after serving about 12 hours in the
Houston City Jail. One of them is still experiencing numbness in his left
thumb, complaining that the arresting officer overtightened the handcuffs
after he surrendered peacefully.

Contact: Jon Frederick, Ph.D.	713-500-3464	<smiile-at-psynet.net>


--------------------
Iain R. Murray, H M Consul General
British Consulate-General
Wells Fargo Plaza, 19th Floor
1000 Louisiana, Suite 1900
Houston, TX 77002

March 17, 2003

Dear Mr. Murray,

We are writing today in support of the citizens of your country, who
overwhelming oppose Tony Blair's stated intention to invade Iraq without a
UN Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force. The Harris
County Green Party, Houston Coalition for Justice Not War, Houston Global
Awareness Coalition, Houston NotInOurName, and the Progressive Workers
Organizing Committee have all endorsed a demonstration outside your office
today, to demand that Tony Blair's government listen and obey the will of
your citizens.

UN Secretary General Kofi Anan recently stated that an attack on Iraq
without Security Council approval would be a violation of the UN Charter,
a solemn treaty obligation legally ratified by Great Britain and the
United States. A pre-emptive war in violation of the UN Charter is a crime
against peace. The World Health Organization has estimated that as many as
500,000 Iraqi casualties will result from the initial stages of a U.S.
invasion of Iraq. Millions more are totally dependent on government
rations under the Oil-for-Food program which will suspended in the event
of war. The current plan of attack calls for over 3000 bombs-- more than
the entire amount used in the first Gulf War-- to be dropped on Baghdad
during the first 48 hours of a war. Military officials are openly
comparing this strategy, known as "shock and awe," to the U.S. nuclear
attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Such indiscriminate attacks on civilian
populations are crimes against humanity. We remind Tony Blair that Great
Britain is subject to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal
Court, and he will be held accountable.

Russia, France, Germany and China have stated that weapons inspections are
working, and that a preemptive war would be unjustified, and set a
dangerous precedent. Hans Blix has said that the inspections could succeed
in disarming Iraq even without active cooperation of the Iraqi government.
We demand that Tony Blair stop coddling George Bush as he wantonly
destroys international agreements and institutions. Listen to will of the
United Nations and to the people of the world. Stop this war before it
starts.

We are delivering this letter today to make a specific request from you.
We ask that you issue a press release to all the major media in Houston
and in London, stating that you oppose Tony Blair's intent to invade Iraq
without a UN Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force. We
hope you can appreciate the urgency of this request, and that some of us
are unwilling to leave your office if you are unable to comply.

(signed by Jon Frederick, Mark Waller, and several others)