Student Unions [in Iraq] Call for Withdrawal of Occupation Troops

Baghdad - Abdel-Wahed Tohmeh - Al-Hayat, June 24, 2005

11 Student Unions approved the call made on al-Jaafari's Government to
set a timetable for the withdrawal of multinational forces and
considered that the request made [by the Government at the UN] for the
extension of their presence is "an infringement on Parliament's
prerogatives."

The 11 Unions issued yesterday a statement, of which Al-Hayat got a
copy, supporting the members of the Independent National Bloc and other
MPs [see the article by the same author dated June 20] and calling on
"al-Jaafari's Government, the United Nations and its Security Council to
adopt these demands." The statement also said: "We have taken part in
the election and voted, risking our lives going to the polling stations,
only for one essential issue that the electoral slates adopted and put
in their political programs, and that is the demand for the withdrawal
of occupation troops from Iraq."

The Unions called on the lists that won the election "to remain faithful
to their promise and put their political programs into practise so that
the people could respect them." Their statement also called on the
Government "not to adopt crucial decisions without referring to the
representatives of the people in the National Assembly." The statement
also expressed bewilderment at "al-Jaafari's and his Government's
support for maintaining occupation troops at a time when the US Congress
is asking for their withdrawal."

The statement was signed by the Student Unions at the Universities of
Baghdad, Mustansariyya, Kufa, Qadissiyya, Basra, Diali, Ramadi, Mosul,
the Technological University, the Islamic University and the Organism of
Technical Education.

The president of the Student Union of the University of Baghdad, Mustafa
Shabar, said that "the students of Iraq are resolute to get the
Government and the National Assembly to abide by anti-occupation
demands."

Moreover, 18 students representing Iraq's 18 governorates ended a sit-in
at al-Firdous Square in the center of Baghdad, meant as a protest
against the Government's decision to extend the presence of
multinational forces. Shabar said that "the choice of al-Firdous Square
for our sit-in came as a result of the refusal of the Government to let
the sit-in be held in front of the Parliament building." Member of
Parliament Falah Hassan Shneishel added that "a big rally will take
place today at Kadhimiyya with the participation of tribes which came to
Baghdad from all Iraqi governorates in support of the demand by the MPs
to the Government to put a timetable for the withdrawal of occupation
troops." '