[permalink] The Chicago-based peace organization Voices in the Wilderness received an order last week from a federal judge demanding payment of a $20,000 fine for delivering humanitarian aid to Iraq and violating economic sanctions as a result.

Voices in the Wilderness unequivocally rejected complying with the order: "Voices will not pay a penny of this fine. The economic sanctions regime imposed brutal and lethal punishment on Iraqi people. The U.S. government would not allow Iraq to rebuild its water treatment system after the U.S. military deliberately destroyed it in 1991. The U.S. government denied Iraq the ability to purchase blood bags, medical needles and medicine in adequate supplies-destroying Iraq's health care system.

"We chose to travel to Iraq in order to openly challenge our country's war against the Iraqi people. We fully understood that our acts could result in criminal or civil charges. We acted because when our country's government is committing a grievous, criminal act, it is incumbent upon each of us to challenge in every nonviolent manner possible the acts of the government." Read more

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