-----Original Message-----
  From: Voices in the Wilderness [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
  Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2000 5:23 PM
  To: [log in to unmask]
  Subject: Third U.N. official in Iraq to resign in protest!


  Hello Friends--

  By now, most of you may have heard about the great success of yesterday's
demonstration at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.  Between 250-300
attended the demonstration and 86 were arrested and reporters from Time
magazine, CNN, AP, Fox, ABC, and UPI were on hand to cover the events.
Below you'll find links to the media coverage.

  Many of the reports of the protest piggy-backed news that the top United
Nations official in Iraq, Hans Von Sponeck, decided to resign.  Mr. von
Sponeck is the second Humanitarian Cordinator in Iraq to resign in protest
of the sanctions (Denis Halliday was the first).

  Now we have gotten word that Jutta Burghardt, the head of the U.N.'s World
Food Program in Iraq has just resigned her post, also in protest.

  We are asking.....actually, begging you to take this rare and important
opportunity to write and call your local newspaper editors or any reporters
you think would write an article or op-ed about this story.  Give them our
office number (773-784-8065) and we can supply updated information on the
resignations. Links to the AP and Reuters reports on the resignations are
also listed below.

  Please help us assure that this story is not ignored.  Grass roots efforts
helped publicize Dennis Halliday's resignation and enabled him to speak out
against the sanctions across the US and Europe.  We're not sure how much
speaking Mr. von Sponeck and Dr. Burghardt will be prepared to undertake,
but it seems wise to encourage US Congresspeople to seek hearings and invite
testimony from each of these courageous diplomats.

  Should you find that the links below aren't helpful, let us know and we'll
send you the actual text of these any documents you can use.  Let us know
also what successes you have.

  Thank you and Good luck!

  Jeff Guntzel and Kathy Kelly, for Voices in the Wilderness


  Links:

  AP coverage of Monday's protests at the UN and von Sponeck's resognation:
  http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/i/AP-UN-Iraq-Sanctions.html

  AP report on Hans von Sponeck from 1-13-99:
  http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000213/wl/iraq_un_9.html

  Backround on Hans von Sponeck from our website:
  http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw/pages/80.htm

  AP on the resignation of Jutta Burghardt of the WFP:
  http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000215/wl/iraq_un_10.html

  Reuters on the Resignation of Jutta Burghardt of the WFP:
  http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000215/wl/iraq_un_5.html