IFC Statement regarding the Kadhimya Bridge catastrophe

More than 1000 people were killed among them hundreds of children as a result of a mass stampede on 31^st of August 2005 during a religious festival in Baghdad. It is another calamity added to the series of accidents and crimes taking place in Iraq in which many civilians are the main victims. What is happening states clearly the absence of the state authorities, deterioration of security, and the lack of social services. In addition, a climate of fear and horror is being dominating for more than two years leaving the people hopeless getting any chances of change in the near future.

The Jafary-Talabany government tried to give the incident a sectarian face. It is another maneuver to escalate the sectarian conflict from one end and hiding their failure of bringing about basic needs on the other.

The Shiite political Islamic gangs stood behind what happened in Baghdad and in particular Kadhimya Bridge disaster. A massive number of people participated in the religious festivals do not share those gangs their views and platforms.

Creating jobs, improving the living conditions, providing social services are the priorities that the current government should focus on instead of benefiting from these kinds of occasions to bring as many people as they can using the state run media that is under their own control to show off their power.

As IFC, shares with the victims' families the sadness and grief, it also calls on the people not to believe the prime minister and his assistants' allegations who said recently that a sectarian hate is motivating this crime. It is an attempt to misinform us and not to let us see the reality of what the occupation brought, and to prolong their time in power. They endeavor to disclaim their responsibility of the death of more than 1000 innocent civilians.

IFC calls on the people to intervene and dissolve this government who proved nonentity in the real life. Moreover, to establish a non-ethnic and non-religious government, who is able to provide bread, security, and freedom. IFC is the resource to achieve these goals.

Iraq Freedom Congress

September 1^st 2005