- Title: UK: New comic book takes on foreign corporations operating in Iraq
- Date: 21st November 2007
- Summary: (MER1) LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (RECENT) (REUTERS) COMIC BOOK WRITER SEAN MICHAEL WILSON WALKING ALONG STREET/ ENTERS "GOSH" SHOP SELLING GRAPHIC NOVELS
- Embargoed: 6th December 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations,Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVACXU4DBZEEEH83L8COBR6ZMRCM
- Story Text: A new graphic novel, or comic book, entitled "Iraq: Operation Corporate Takeover," criticises private U.S. and foreign firms operating in post war Iraq.
A new cutting edge graphic novel, or comic book, entitled 'Iraq: Operation Corporate Takeover' which has been released in collaboration with British anti-poverty charity War on Want, takes a swipe at foreign corporations operating in Iraq, alleging that they are profiting from the situation created by the U.S.-led invasion of the country. The book was unveiled earlier this month at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) during the London International Comic Convention.
The comic, which was written by Sean Michael Wilson and illustrated by Lee O'Connor, alleges that amid the daily violence suffered by Iraqis, western contractors and the U.S. and British governments are taking advantage of Iraq's weakness to secure long term control of the country's resources, which include the world's third-largest oil reserves.
The comic book singles out Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) and claims that they are making large profits in Iraq while remaining unaccountable for human rights abuses and the deaths of unarmed civilians.
"It is not about the war, it's not criticising the Americans or British for being there. It is about the companies that are following in the wake of the military presence," says Wilson, who believes the release of the comic could not be more timely, with the media's current focus on private security firms operating in Iraq.
A September shooting involving private U.S. firm Blackwater in which 17 Iraqis were killed prompted the Iraqi government to approve a draft law on Tuesday (November 20) to end a 2004 decree by former U.S. administrators that gave security contractors immunity from prosecution. That draft law must still be passed by parliament.
Many Iraqis regard foreign security guards as little more than private armies which act with impunity.
Blackwater says it acted lawfully in the September shooting but the incident sparked a flurry of investigations and strained relations between Washington and Iraq. The Pentagon and U.S. State Department have since agreed to tighten rules for private security contractors.
Iraq says there are more than 180 mainly U.S. and European security firms in the country, and the number of private security guards is estimated at between 25,000 and 48,000.
War on Want, which published the comic with Boychild Productions, says it is stepping up pressure on the British government to regulate British firms operating in Iraq and in other countries.
"They are not just a charity, they are an activist group that want to try to educate people to do something about it. So I thought they might be a good partner to do the book with and they liked the idea and so they backed me up with their extensive research," says Wilson about why he decided to approach War on Want with his idea for "Iraq: Operation Corporate Takeover".
'Iraq: Operation Corporate Takeover' follows the story of a young Iraqi man, Nazem, who after studying medicine in London, returns to his home city of Basra, to find it torn apart by war and littered with foreign firms looking to make a profit from the U.S-led occupation of Iraq.
Wilson believes that the comic book genre is ideal for tackling serious subject matter and says it is a common misconception that comics are an adolescent art form.
"The problem we have in Britain is that comic books are still considered to be a bit of an adolescent art form for children, which is completely wrong," he says.
"The reason why they are good for putting over these kind of issues is that with the mixture of the words and the illustrations, difficult information becomes more accessible and easier to take in, especially for young readers who don't want to go through text heavy books unfortunately anymore. If you put it in a comic book format, it is much more accessible," he adds. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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