SATURDAY 14 JUNE: Visiting Chamoru activists Lisa Natividad and Julian Aguon inspired over fifty participants at an Melbourne workshop on the expansion of US bases in Guam, and the creation of new bases in Okinawa. See the Events column for details of further Australian meetings.

Participants heard of the health and social effects of the US bases in both countries, and of Australia's close links with military operations in Guam and Okinawa.

The workshop was part of a national tour to publicise the Guam's campaign against an extra 50,000 US military personnel due to arrive on their tiny island. Lisa and Julian are visiting Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane and Canberra.

• MAPW is helping organise the tour in several states: the speakers come highly recommended by those who have already heard them.

INDIA, 10 JUNE 2008. Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) - MAPW's sister organisation and fellow affiliate of IPPNWi - have issued a press release welcoming Australia's decision not to sell uranium to India, and Prime Minister Rudd's announcement of a new international Commission to advance nuclear disarmament,

The Press Release reads:
In a statement released here today Dr.Livar Singh Chawla – Vice President IPPNW & President IDPD and Dr.Arun Mitra – General Secretary IDPD welcomed the statement of Australian Prime Minister Mr.Kevin Rudd not to sell Uranium to India.

The Uranium is directly linked to the production of nuclear weapons and its supplies to India could increase the nuclear arms race in the already fragile region of South Asia.

A delegation of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) had met Mr.Murray Harris, Counsellor (Political) and Head, Public Affairs, Australian High Commission, New Delhi on 15th May 2008 and submitted through him the view point of IDPD in this regard. IDPD has carried out a study on the Health Effects of Uranium Mining on people living around Jadugoda Uranium Mines and found alarming results. T

he IDPD further welcomes the statement of Mr.Rudd to create a nuclear non proliferation and disarmament commission which could be step forward for nuclear disarmament.

IDPD also welcomed the statement of Dr.Manmohan Singh – Prime Minister of India impressing upon the need to implement Rajiv Gandhi Action Plan for global nuclear disarmament and hoped like minded countries could come forward to meet this challenge.

 Dr Arun Mitra
General Secretary
Indian Doctors For Peace and Development (IDPD)
139-E, Kitchlu Nagar,
Ludhiana - 141001
Punjab (India)
Phone: +91 161 2300252, 2304360
Mobile: +91 94170 00360
 

IRAQ, 14 APRIL 2008: Doctors for Iraq has issued a media release after receiving reports from the Imam Ali hospital in Sadar City, Baghdad, of dozens of civilian casualties following US military air strikes. Read the full release.

Doctors say 13 bodies were brought to the hospital after a US missile attack on the densely populated neighbourhood east of Baghdad, including a number of children. Eyewitnesses in report that the US military launched two attacks on the area on 12 April following intense fighting.

Hospital Director Dr Al Mdallal, told Doctors for Iraq that the hospital was in short supply of fuel to power generators, and lacking basic medical supplies such as bandages, surgical cotton, yarn and other materials that are used in surgery.

  Doctors for Iraq is calling for:

• An independent investigation into the death of civilians caused by indiscriminate military attacks in the densely populated civilian area.
• The immediate lifting of the military siege on the neighbourhood so medical and humanitarian aid can be delivered to the area.

Five days of intense fighting between the Mehdi army militia and the Iraqi military, together with coalition bombing in early April left hospitals in Iraq overwhelmed with the number of casualties. Doctors for Iraq's network across the country reported that hospitals were lacking many medical supplies and resources to treat the injured.

Doctors for Iraq issued a press release in early April which says that there was no clear emergency preparedness plan even after six years of crisis. The release notes reports that the Iraqi army and coalition forces denied access to humanitarian convoys to enter the worse affected areas.