MADRE Statements

The Seven-Year Anniversary of an Illegal War

Posted on: Friday, March 19, 2010

Keywords: Iraq, Middle East, Peace Building, US Foreign Policy, Obama Administration

Today, March 19, 2010 marks the 7th anniversary of the launch of the Iraq war.

Since the very beginning, MADRE has been part of the movement against the war. Together with our partner, the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), we have been working to combat a sharp rise in violence against women that has gripped Iraq since the US invasion of 2003.

Read background information on Iraq.

Learn more about our work in Iraq:

Iraq: An Underground Railroad for Iraqi Women

Iraq: Art Action for Peace

Learn more about our partner, the Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq.

Read MADRE's Report on Gender-Based Violence in Iraq

News & Views from MADRE about Iraq:

It may be months before we know the final tally of Iraq’s March 7 parliamentary elections. But one thing is already clear. As he New York Times editorial page put it, “Beyond the closeness of the race, the new results—disappointingly—show Iraqis once again voted mainly along sectarian and ethnic lines.” You would never guess from the Times piece that sectarianism in Iraq, whether expressed in voting or in violence, is a direct outcome of US policy.

Read more »

Earlier this month, MADRE joined other progressive organizations in calling on President Obama to reaffirm his commitment to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by August 31, 2010.

If you haven’t thought about the Iraq War as a story of US allies systematically torturing and executing women, you’re not alone. Likewise, if you were under the impression that Iraqi women were somehow better off under their new, US-sponsored government.

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