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of Iraq: Illegal and Immoral by Antonia Juhasz at International Forum on Globalization Testimony to the World Tribunal onIraq New York, NY May 8, 2004”. The Bush Administration is using the military invasion and occupation of Iraq to advancea corporate globalization agenda that is illegal under international law, has not been chosen by the Iraqi people and mayultimately prove to be even more devastating than twelve years of economic sanctions, two U.S.-led wars and oneoccupation. The Administration's ultimate goal is to take the agenda to the entire region. In direct conflict with itsobligations under international law, the Bush Administration is fundamentally altering Iraq's economic laws to U.S.corporate advantage and is not adequately restoring and providing Iraqis with fundamental necessities such as water andelectricity. Fortunately, clear alternatives exist to ensure that the U.S. adheres to its obligations and that Iraq'sreconstruction is achieved. These policies are provided at the end of this testimony (as for Afghanistan, it’s aboutcontrolling China, energy pipelines and reviving the multi-billion dollar drug trade which the Taliban had eradicated). Thegoal of the Bush Administration, as stated in the economic orders already enacted in Iraq is to, "transition [Iraq] from a ...centrally planned economy to a market economy." This goal is explained even more clearly by BearingPoint, Inc. ‚ theVirginia based corporation that has received the $250 million contract to facilitate this transition. The contract states: "Itshould be clearly understood that the efforts undertaken will be designed to establish the basic legal framework for afunctioning market economy; taking appropriate advantage of the unique opportunity for rapid progress in this areapresented by the current configuration of political circumstances... Reforms are envisioned in the areas of fiscal reform,financial sector reform, trade, legal and regulatory, and privatization."Transformation of an occupied country's fundamental laws is illegal under international law. It directly violates theinternational convention governing the behavior of occupying forces, the Hague regulations of 1907 (the companion to the1949 Geneva conventions, both ratified by the United States), as well as the U.S. Army's own code of war ‚ as stated inthe Army field manual "The Law of Land Warfare." Article 43 of the Hague Regulations requires that an occupying power"re-establish and insure, as far as possible, public order and safety, while respecting, unless absolutely prevented, thelaws in force in the country." Resolution 1483 of the UN Security Council issued in May 2003, specifically instructs theoccupying powers to follow the Hague Regulations and the Geneva Convention in Iraq. Indeed, in a leaked memo writtenon March 26, 2003, the British attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, warned Tony Blair that "the imposition of majorstructural economic reforms would not be authorized by international law." In other words, the occupying power is like atemporary guardian. It is supposed to restore order and protect the population but still apply the laws in place when itarrived. As Naomi Klein has written, "bombing something does not give you the right to sell it," yet this is precisely whatthe Bush Administration is doing.Changing Iraq's LawsIn direct conflict with U.S. government obligations under international law, the Bush Administration has begunfundamentally altering the economic laws of Iraq. For example, the provision in Iraq's Constitution outlawing privatizationof key state assets has been over-ridden, as has the law barring foreigners ‚ other than citizens of Arab countries ‚ fromowning property or investing in Iraqi businesses. Both the tax code and the banking laws have been changed. Otherchanges outlined in the BearingPoint contract include the near elimination of the guaranteed food program and"reestablishing" property rights to agricultural land and housing. Iraqi law provides for subsidized housing, cheap energyand free food. The food program uses 300 government warehouses and more than 60,000 workers to deliver a billionpounds of groceries every month ‚ a basket of rations guaranteed to every citizen, rich or poor. BearingPoint plans tophase out this program to all but the neediest Iraqis, while transitioning the agricultural sector to a market-basedindustrial model with an emphasis on export trade and luxury crops. BearingPoint explains that "now may be the time tolook beyond traditional patterns and explore new market potential with new products such as high valued fruits andvegetables, flowers, seed export and other possibilities."The exhaustively well-documented devastating impacts of export-led industrial agriculture ‚ particularly based on luxurycrops ‚ on countries around the World as implemented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, WorldTrade Organization (WTO), North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other institutions and agreements,demonstrates the danger that these proposed changes pose to Iraq. Those who have been made landless, jobless andimpoverished by them are increasingly raising their voices in opposition. One of the most dramatic demonstrations ofwhich occurred at the most recent WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico with the protest-suicide of South Koreanfarmer Lee Kyung Hae. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that conflicts over these same policies have led to thecollapse of talks at both the WTO and the Free Trade Area of Americas in the last year alone. Clearly, there is nointernational consensus that such policies will aid Iraq's reconstruction. The Bush Administration's proposed changes forIraqi law go even further, with a special focus on Iraq's oil. BearingPoint describes how current Iraqi commercial law is"woefully deficient in terms of establishing a market-friendly legal and regulatory environment for business formation andoperation." Changes to those laws will therefore be necessary "to assure an appropriate legal and regulatory frameworkfor major utilities such as gas, oil, water, and power." The contract includes every sector of the Iraqi economy, frompublic services, media, banking, investment, taxes, agriculture and the oil sector ‚ implementing "private-sectorinvolvement in strategic sectors, including privatization, asset sales, concessions, leases and management contracts,especially those in the oil and supporting industries." The Bremer Orders have changed Iraq's laws are being replaced andthe BearingPoint contract implemented by L. Paul Bremer, Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) inIraq. The Bremer Orders most relevant to this discussion are detailed below.The Hidden History Of Money & New World Order Usury Secrets Revealed at last! Page 485