Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from people in Peterborough who are concerned about the people of Iraq.
Whereas ongoing UN sanctions against Iraq regarded as the most stringent ever imposed by the United Nations have devastated the Iraq economy and resulted in the deaths of over one million civilians, many of them children, and whereas article 2 of the United Nations charter states that “all member states shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace, security, and justice, are not endangered”, the petitioners call upon the Parliament of Canada to strongly appeal to the United Nations, to the United States and to Britain for a rejection of any further military action against Iraq.
They call for a serious attempt at peace negotiation with Iraq and its neighbours. Further, in order to build a stable and sustainable society in Iraq, excluding an embargo on military materials, they request that all other sanctions be lifted.