US FORCES RAID ON IRAQI FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS HEADQUARTERS

Early day motion 250, tabled 9 December 2003 by Harry Barnes (Labour). Signed by 32 members.

That this House notes with alarm the raid by the US occupying forces, using armoured cars and soldiers, on the temporary headquarters of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions in Baghdad on the morning of Saturday 6th December in which eight leading trade union officials were arrested; is further disturbed to hear that US soldiers ransacked and destroyed the federation's possessions, including banners and posters condemning acts of terror, and smashed windows, without reason or explanation; notes that the new independent trade union movement in Iraq opposed Saddam Hussein's regime, and opposes terrorism by remnants of that regime and others; and calls upon the British Government to make urgent representations to the US Administration to discover why this raid took place and seek a swift apology and compensation for this appalling incident.

Signatures by party: Labour 30, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.