For the tenth consecutive day, the Iraqi city of Talafar is being subject to air and land siege by the U.S. occupation forces that are committing the ugliest forms of military operations against this city.

Information received indicate a human disaster that the residents of this city are facing as a result of the one-week siege imposed on them. This siege is coupled with a fierce military operation that has resulted in countelss civilian deaths while also destroying the city. Dozens of martyrs have fallen as a result of this military operation in addition to hundreds wounded, including women and children. Houses and infrastructure are being destroyed and electricity and water has been cut. Occupation forces are preventing any food and medical assistance to enter the city, foreboding an even worse human disaster.

The Arab Committee for the Support of Iraq condemns this terrorist action that is targeting the steadfast city of Talafar and its heroic residents. It also regards this monstrous aggression as yet another chapter of organised U.S. terrorism against the steadfast Iraqi people. The violations and aggressions against the Iraqi people, particularly what is happening now in Talafar, is taking place amid suspicious silence from the international community, the United Nations and the official Arab regimes.

The Arab Committee urges the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Conferences and all political and religious leaders to take action to stop the terrorist American aggression against the city of Talafar and to lift the inhuman siege imposed on it.

The Arab Committee also calls upon Arab and Islamic organisations, parties and popular movements to urge for popular action across the Arab nation in support of the heroic Iraqi people and our people in the steadfast city of Talafar in the face of the American aggression.

The Arab Committee also calls for September 24 (the day of large street action in Washington and other American cities calling for the withdrawal of U.S. occupation of Iraq) to be an Arab and international day so that it becomes the biggest popular procession against U.S. occupation and terrorism in Iraq.

A salute to the resistant Iraqi people and our steadfast people in al-Qaim, Najaf, Fallujah and all resistant Iraqi cities and a salute to the spirits of the martyrs that fell in al-Qaim, al-A’ima Bridge, Talafar and all Iraqi cities.

Beirut

September 9, 2005

Basra Network

(Translated and distributed by the BRussells Tribunal)