Justice Talking an NPR show
in which Lynne Stewart will
be debating "town hall style"
Joseph Aronica an attorney
and former federal prosecutor
on Tuesday, June 7th at
7:30 p.m. in Philadelphia, PA -
click below for details
and to sign up:
Justice Talking
http://www.justicetalking.org/joinaudience.asp
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BAUAW MEETING SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 11:30 A.M.
474 VALENCIA STREET (BETWEEN 15TH & 16TH STREETS, S.F.)
(415) 824-8730
We will have a short meeting until 12:30 p.m., then
go to 16th & Mission to pick up petitions and head out
to locations around the city. We should be sure to send
a group of petitioners (and supporters!) to the following:
Sat,June 4th, Rally at City Hall, 11 a.m.,
for Environmental Justice
Sun, June 5th, 'Everyone Loves a Parade!'
12 Noon at City Hall.
At our meeting this Saturday we will schedule a lengthier
meeting where we can discuss, more thoroughly, the important
issues facing the antiwar movement today.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
The Children's Crusade
Military programs move into middle schools to fish for future soldiers
By Jennifer Wedekind
IN THESE TIMES
June 3, 2005
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/print/2136/
This article is permanently archived at:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2136/
Tarsha Moore stands as tall as her 4-foot 8-inch frame will allow.
Staring straight ahead, she yells out an order to a squad of peers
lined up in three perfect columns next to her. Having been in the
military program for six years, Tarsha has earned the rank of captain
and is in charge of the 28 boys and girls in her squad. This is
Lavizzo Elementary School. Tarsha is 14.
The Middle School Cadet Corps (MSCC) program at the K-8 school
is part of a growing trend to militarize middle schools. Students
at Lavizzo are among the more than 850 Chicago students who
have enlisted in one of the city's 26 MSCC programs. At Madero
Middle School, the MSCC has evolved into a full-time military
academy for kids 11 to 14 years old.
Chicago public schools are home to the largest Junior Reserve
Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program, which oversees the
MSCC, in the country. When moving up to high school,
Chicago's graduating eighth-graders can choose from
45 JROTC programs, including three full-time Army military
academies, five "school-within-a-school" Army JROTC
academies and one JROTC Naval academy.
Proponents of the programs tout leadership training and
character development. But critics quote former Defense
Secretary Gen. William Cohen, who described JROTC as
"one of the best recruiting services that we could have."
Rick Mills, the director of Military Schools and JROTC for
the Chicago Public School system, dismisses these concerns.
"These kinds of programs would not be in schools if there
weren't kids who wanted it, parents who supported it
and administrators who facilitated it," he says.
The elementary school cadet corps is a voluntary after-
school program that meets two or three times a week.
Programs differ from school to school, but MSCC students
generally learn first-aid, civics, "citizenship" and character
development. They also learn military history and take
field trips to local military bases. Once a week, students
wear their uniforms to school for inspections. Tarsha
describes buffing her uniform shoes in preparation
for inspection days. "Everything has to be perfect,"
she says. During drill practices they learn how to
stand, turn and salute in synchronization. When they
disobey an order, they do pushups. "Only 10," says
one administrator.
Joanne Young, a sixth-grade teacher at Goethe School
in Chicago, recently wrote a letter to the local school
council protesting the implementation of the cadet
corps in her school. "I was told that it is not a military
program, yet every aspect of it is military," she wrote.
"This program is training our students, as young as
11-years old, to march in formation and carry guns.
... Students could be suspended for bringing something
that appears to be a weapon to our school, yet we are
handing them fake guns for this program." Young, like
many other teachers, feels that leadership and discipline
could easily be taught in other types of after-school
programs.
Herman Barnett, director of Lavizzo's award-winning
MSCC program, asks the public to give the students the
benefit of the doubt. "They don't look at it as getting
ready for the army," he says. "They're just doing it for
entertainment and fun."
In 2002 the Bush administration passed the No Child
Left Behind Act with a small, unpublicized provision:
Section 9528, "Armed Forces Recruiter Access to Students
and Student Recruiting Information," requires high
schools to give all student contact information to the
military. Most students aren't aware they can opt out
by filling out a form.
Ranjit Bhagwat, an organizer for Chicago's Southwest
Youth Collaborative, has worked with students at Kelly
High School in Chicago to inform their classmates
about the provision and how to opt out. The Kelly
group, founded in January, has already convinced
more than 10 percent of the school's population to
sign the opt-out petition. Bhagwat says the group
targeted military recruitment because the students
felt the military's presence in their school was an
issue that needed to be addressed. "They had
a problem with the fact that there were a lot of
lies the military told," he says.
The MSCC and JROTC programs are funded by the
Defense Department, which has a $3 billion annual
recruitment budget. Recruitment officers roam high
schools promoting the image of a secure military
career and enticing students with promises of
money for college.
The "lies" mentioned by Bhagwat include the reality
that, on average, two-thirds of recruits never receive
college funding and only 15 percent graduate with
a four-year degree. As for a "secure" career, the
unemployment rate for veterans is three times
higher than non-veterans.
Opponents of the JROTC program also cite ethnic
profiling, arguing that the military targets students
from minority and low-income areas. The Chicago
Public School system is 49.8 percent African American
and 38 percent Latino. Students coming from low-income
families make up 85.2 percent of Chicago's student
population. JROTC director Mills is correct when he
says the racial and socioeconomic status of those in
Chicago's JROTC program reflects the school system
as a whole, but only five schools in all of the more
affluent Chicago suburbs have JROTC programs.
Military recruiters are known for their flashy tactics:
television ads, omnipresent brochures, recruiting ships,
trucks and vans, and even a free Army video game kids
can download off the Internet. Yet, the Army hasn't met
its recruitment goals in three months. The Marines
haven't met their quotas since January. Suspicious
recruitment tactics are in the headlines and Army
recruiters took off May 20 to retrain in the ethics
and laws of recruitment.
Meanwhile, Mills insists the military does not look
to JROTC groups for students to boost its numbers.
"I get absolutely no pressure from any of the services,"
he says. "None."
Only 18 percent of graduating JROTC seniors are
considering joining the service, says Mills. He does
not have statistics on how many of the 71 percent
that go on to post-secondary school stay with the
ROTC program. Lavizzo's Barnett also says that not
all of his middle school students move on to JROTC
programs in high school. Tarsha, however, has already
signed up. While she wants to be a lawyer and is not
planning on joining the armed forces when she
graduates, the 14-year-old says, "If I were to join
the military, I would be ready for it."
Please consider subscribing to the print edition
and supporting independent media:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/subscribe/
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Is Unity Possible?
This email includes three parts to contribute to the
discussion around unity in the antiwar movement
on September 24. They are:
1) An Invitation to a Discussion on Unity and Strategy on June 11
2) The May 26 Unity Call from the Troops Out Now Coalition
3) UFPJ's email to its member organizations
An Invitation to a Discussion on Unity and Strategy
SATURDAY JUNE 11
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The New School Lang Center
55 W 13th St New York, NY
GETTING U.S. TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ NOW!
THE WORLD DEMANDS IT - WHAT ARE WE GOING
TO DO ABOUT IT?
Sisters and brothers,
Since the Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) added its views to
the discussion about uniting the antiwar movement prompted by
a unity call circulated by USLAW, September 24 has been set as
the date for an antiwar march on Washington. We believe that
September 24 should be embraced by all as a critical opportunity
to revive a determined and popular struggle to shut this war
down. The road to that end is not paved yet. The ANSWER
coalition and then UPFJ have both called for marches on
Washington DC on Saturday Sept. 24. ANSWER has asked for
a united event on this date with UFPJ. In a letter announcing
it's Sept. 24 plans, UPFJ says it will not have a united event
on this date with either the Troops Out Now Coalition or ANSWER,
citing as their reasons the anti-imperialist politics of TONC
and ANSWER, and past difficulties working with these coalitions.
At its meeting on May 26, TONC decided to also issue a call
for a full mobilization to Washington DC on Sept. 24. We do
not envision 3 separate events in Washington DC on Sept. 24.
We propose that the 3 coalitions and other forces come together
to plan a strong united effort for Sept.24.
We appeal to UFPJ to reverse their rejection of a united
mobilization with ANSWER and TONC and others on Sept 24.
We believe that all should put aside anything that will create
obstacles to realizing the potential of Sept. 24.
We propose that the unifying demand for Sept 24 should be
the complete, unconditional and immediate withdrawal of all
U.S. occupation troops from Iraq. Beyond that, we propose
that each coalition raise the additional demands, and political
views that they choose to. We intend to demand money for jobs,
healthcare, education and housing, not war, and at the very
same time call for an end to Washington and Wall St.'s war
against Palestine, Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, Afghanistan,
Haiti, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, and other countries that are
on imperialism's hit list.
We have not found our anti-imperialist positions to be
a hindrance. To the contrary, we have found them to be
essential to relating to people in this country as well
as people all over the world.
TONC also takes the Millions More Movement's march on
Wash. DC on October 15 very seriously and we are already
beginning to strategize as to how we can best unite the
struggle against the war with that effort. We don't want
the two dates, October 15, and Sept. 24, just three weeks
apart, to compete with each other. Central to TONC's strategy
will be to utilize Sept. 24 to build the Millions More
Movement events in mid Oct.
As we said in our unity call, unity does not mean uniformity.
Our challenge as a movement is to think big and act big so
that we can really help to set back the Empire's designs
on the rest of the Middle East, and the world.
Bush has already lost the war abroad. It's up to us to make
sure that he loses it at home. If our movement can seriously
dedicate itself to this goal, we will be helping all of the
peoples of the world who are struggling against the empire.
All are welcome to participate in TONC's Strategy Meeting
on Saturday June 11 at the New School For Social Research,
55 West 13 street, from 11:AM to 5:PM in New York City,
where we will be devoting a session of the meeting to
a continuation of the unity discussion.
The Troops Out Now Coalition
Endorse the CALL for UNITY online
Unity Call to the Anti-War Movement from the Troops Out
Now Coalition
The Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) wholeheartedly and
unreservedly joins the activists and groups who are calling
for a united mobilization against the war in the fall.
The absence of such unity amongst the anti-war coalitions
only serves to demoralize rank and file anti-war activists
and local forces across the country. The grassroots of the
movement are looking to those of us who make decisions
to put our differences aside in the interests of the
struggle to get the U.S. the hell out of Iraq.
Achieving unity isn't easy but the power of unity is the
thing that will give everyone the confidence to do what
needs to be done. Moreover, the people of Iraq and throughout
the Middle East need the movement in this country to unite.
The whole world is looking to us to do it. TONC welcomes
the sentiments of all who have signed on to the unity
statement that is being circulated by USLAW. TONC would
add to that call that the movement needs to reach out in
a more serious way not only to trade unionists that are
active in the anti-war movement, but also to working people
and people of color. In the Million Worker March Movement
you have trade unionists that are people of color at the helm.
These trade unionists are leading the way in helping to
bring the workers movement and the anti-war movement together.
Let us make sure that our appeal extends to them as well as
others including immigrants who are all too often under-
represented.
An important part of forging any meaningful unity will, of
necessity, require that the anti-war movement both acknowledges
and unites with the struggle of people of color and the events
that carry their message. The call for a "Millions More March"
on the tenth anniversary of the "Million Man March" has gone
out far and wide. The Millions More March will extend over
3 days next fall, October 14, 15 and 16, including a massive
march on Washington DC. It goes without saying that many of
us will be pre-occupied with this important mobilization.
This is something that needs to be respected.
TONC believes that the time has come for all of us to unite
around the demand to bring the troops home immediately. This
in no way means that other demands should not be put forth.
We absolutely must talk about the war budget and how it's
robbing workers and poor people.
We must talk about the prospect of the draft being revived.
We must find ways of reaching out to resisters inside the
military.
Moreover, we don't believe that uniting must mean censoring,
silencing or excluding the positions of those who are
participating in that unity.
The antiwar movement must not turn its back on the Palestinian
people and their struggle. In addition, the position that the
Iraqi people have a right to resis t occupation by whatever
means they choose cannot be censored or excluded.
We don't think that it helps us to make no mention of the
threats against Venezuela or Cuba or Iran or North Korea and
simply pretend that these problems don't exist. We believe
that the movement must address the ongoing occupation of Haiti
and Afghanistan; the imperialist designs on Zimbabwe, the
Philippines, Colombia and all the peoples of Asia, the Middle
East, Africa, Caribbean and Latin America. Others may have
different priorities. The anti-war movement must ensure that
all oppressed communities have an equal place at the table,
where their issues and concerns are represented.
Unity does not mean uniformity--the main thing is for the
basis of unity to be clear.
It's not necessary for us to ask of each other that we
forget neither our differences nor the unpleasantness of
past conflicts. All that is required is that we not let
any of that get in the way of joining hands to grasp the
opportunities that only unity makes possible.
There is a high road. On that road, questions are answered,
problems are solved and the means and methods necessary to
move forward are found.
Nothing is more important at this moment than for all to
walk together on the high road to unity. We believe that
what we all do will be decisive. We must and we can stop
the war and get every U.S. soldier out of Iraq.
It is up to all of us to do whatever is necessary for our
movement to rise to this challenge.
TONC is holding a regional meeting on Saturday, JUNE 11.
A special session of this meeting will be devoted to
continuing the discussion on unity and we will be extending
invitations to groups to participate in that discussion.
You can help! Endorse this call. Pass it on to others.
Endorsers include: (The updated complete list of more than
600 endorsers is available online. )
Action 21, Jersey City, NJ
Al-Awda, NY
Artists and Activists United for Peace
BAYAN-USA
Code Pink, Bremerton, WA
Cuba Solidarity New York
Fanmi Lavalas
F.I.S.T. - Fight Imperialism, Stand Together!
Guerrero Azteca Project, Escondido, CA
Harlem Tenants Council
International Action Center
Korea Truth Commission
Millions for Mumia
Movement in Motion
Network in Solidarity with the People of the
Philippines - NISPOP
New Jersey Solidarity - Activists for the
Liberation of Palestine
NY Committee to Defend Palestine
North Carolina Free Speech League, Winston Salem, NC
NYC Labor Against the War
Phil Berigan Institute for Nonviolence, Reading, PA
Queers For Peace And Justice, New York, NY
Tejanos For Truth, Austin, TX
USWA Local 8751, Boston School Bus Drivers, Boston, MA
Veterans for Peace, Chapter 099, Waynesville, NC
Womens Fightback Network, Boston, MA
Michael Berg Wilmington, DE
Jack Dalton, columnist, Project for the Old
American Century.org*,
Portland, OR
Rev. Arthur Donart, PhD., Prince of Peace Catholic Parish*,
Clinton, IA
Beatrice Einhorn, UFT (AFL-CIO)*, New York, NY
Leslie Feinberg, National Steering Committee, National
Writers' Union/UAW*, Jersey City, NJ
Stephen Funk, Conscientious Objector, US Marines*,
San Francisco, CA
Steve Gillis, President, USWA Local 8751 Boston School
Bus Drivers*, Boston, MA
Teresa Gutierrez, NYC Coordinator, Committee to Free the
Cuban 5*, New York, NY
Isolt Lea, MFSO, GI Rights Hotline*, Gainesville, Florida
Siu Hin Lee, Peace No War Network, South Pasadena, CA
Ardeshir Ommani, Coordinator, American-Iranian Friendship
Committe, Armonk, NY
Andre' Powell, Executive Board, AFSCME Local 112, Maryland*,
Baltimore, MD
Minnie Bruce Pratt, lesbian writer, National Writers Union*,
Jersey City, New Jersey
Sharon Smith, National Organizer, International Socialist
Organization, Chicago, IL
Fernando Suarez del Solar, Guerrero Azteca Project,
Escondido, Ca
*=for identification only
*=for identification only
How You Can Help:
Forward this email
Endorsethe CALL for UNITY online
Forma local organizing center
Donate to helpwith organizing expenses
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
LETTER FROM UFPJ ON THE ANTIWAR MOBILIZATION
IN WASHINGTON DC - SEPT 24- 26
Dear UFPJ Member Groups:
We're writing to update you on a major change in our coalition's
plans: the national steering committee of UFPJ has decided to
shift the anti-war mobilization planned for September 10 in New
York City to a September 24-26 mobilization in Washington, D.C.
We are excited about the new plans and will soon be circulating
our call to action. But first we want to make sure all of the
UFPJ member groups understand the decision. Please take a moment
to read this memo and then share it with others in your group.
At the UFPJ National Assembly in February, there was tremendous
support for organizing a major anti-war demonstration this fall.
More specifically, the Assembly agreed that UFPJ should organize
a demonstration in New York City on September 10, which would be
right before heads of state come to the United Nations for the
Millennium+5 Review.
Soon after the Assembly, we learned that there were serious
problems with that date. The Central Labor Council of NYC will
be holding its annual Labor Day parade on September 10, a parade
that usually includes upwards of 100,000 trade union members.
It would be both impractical and politically unwise for us to call
for some other major action that same day. In addition, a large
international coalition of groups that work on global debt and
poverty issues have targeted September 10 as a day they will be
issuing a call for action. While we can see a clear connection
between the hundreds of billions of dollars poured into the war
in Iraq and the urgent need to re-order global economic
priorities in order to eradicate hunger and poverty, we do
not wish in any way to compete with those groups' desire to
keep the public spotlight squarely on their issues that weekend.
The decision to change the date and location was not made
lightly: these issues were discussed at several steering
committee meetings as well as within the administrative
committee. The UFPJ National Steering Committee took into
account the range of other political priorities set by the
National Assembly, and particularly the clearly stated desire
for the peace and justice movement to increase the pressure on
pro-war politicians in Congress.
Therefore, United for Peace and Justice has decided to
organize a weekend of action - Sept. 24 - 26 - in Washington,
DC against the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq:
Saturday, Sept. 24: massive march, rally, and festival Sunday,
Sept. 25: interfaith religious service; trainings in direct
action and grassroots lobbying Monday, Sept. 26: lobby day and
mass nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience These
three days of actions will send a clear message to the White
House and to Congress: this immoral and illegal war must end.
Our demands will call for a new direction: Bring the troops
home now, leave no bases behind; stop bankrupting our
communities with war appropriations, and get military
recruiters out of our schools.
The steering committee's discussions about this started at
its first in-person meeting over the April 9-10 weekend.
In the six weeks since then there have been several steering
committee and administrative committee conference calls. On
the May 2nd steering committee conference call there was
agreement to explore both the Sept. 17th and the Sept. 24th
weekends, with the intention of trying to decide on a date
as quickly as possible.
As our discussions took place other developments were unfolding,
which we want to be sure our member groups are fully informed
about. Several weeks ago US Labor Against War (USLAW), a member
group of UFPJ with representation on our National Steering
Committee, initiated a public process aimed at pulling
together UFPJ, ANSWER and the Troops Out Now Coalition
(led by the International Action Center) for a meeting to
discuss the possibility of a joint demonstration this fall.
In light of past problems working with these groups, the
UFPJ National Steering Committee expressed serious reservations
about such a joint action, but agreed to participate in such
a discussion, should USLAW convene it. The UFPJ co-chairs
and national coordinator had several conversations with USLAW
leadership expressing concerns about their process and
relaying the decisions of the steering committee, including
our willingness to take part in such a meeting.
In the meantime, while our steering and administrative committees
were engaged in discussions about the feasibility of organizing
a September 17 or 24 action in D.C., ANSWER, on the morning of
May 12, issued a public call for a national march on Washington
on Saturday, September. 24. Their call to action has these major
demands: Stop the War in Iraq; End Colonial Occupation from Iraq
to Palestine to Haiti. Other demands in their call are: Support
the Palestinian People's Right of Return; Stop the Threats Against
Venezuela, Cuba, Iran & amp; North Korea; U.S. out of the
Philippines; Bring all the Troops Home Now; Stop the Racist,
Anti-Immigrant and Anti-Labor Offensive at Home, Defend
Civil Rights.
In the evening of that same day the leadership of ANSWER sent
an email to UFPJ that proposed what they called "a united front
between our two coalitions" to jointly organize a Washington, DC
demonstration on September 24. It should be noted that the ANSWER
memo to UFPJ came well after their call to action had already been
released. As has happened in the past, ANSWER publicly announced
the political platform of the action and then called for "unity"
around their demands. Members of the UFPJ steering committee were
troubled about this process and there was further discussion about
how to proceed. On May 16th, the Troops Out Now Coalition then
issued their letter supporting the ANSWER call, adding their
view that, "the Iraqi people have a right to resist occupation
by whatever means they choose cannot be censored or excluded."
On the most recent conference call of the UFPJ steering committee
(May 18), a decision was made to proceed with our plans as
outlined above. This means that while we applaud all efforts
and activities to end the war and occupation in Iraq, UFPJ will
not join with ANSWER (or the Troops Out Now Coalition) in the
planning and organizing of the September 24-26 mobilization in
Washington, DC. We will organize a massive march, rally, and
festival on September 24; ANSWER may well decide to have a separate
event in Washington on that day. We want to be clear. Our call
will be an open invitation to groups who want to end the war and
bring our troops home now, and who agree with our demands, to
join us in the streets. We welcome everyone, including ANSWER
and the Troops Out Now Coalition, to organize contingents or
feeder marches into our demonstration that day. Our steering
committee agreed that should USLAW still decide to convene the
meeting described a bove that UFPJ will participate, but only
to discuss logistical concerns for that weekend.
This was not an easy decision. The UFPJ Steering Committee
recognizes that there is widespread interest in seeing many
antiwar forces working together. But based on our past two
and a half years experience, it will not be possible to work
with ANSWER or the Troops Out Now Coalition on a joint action
this fall. We believe any efforts to work together must begin
with developing common, jointly agreed upon political demands
and be based upon a style of organizing grounded in mutual
respect. We take very seriously the mandate of the UFPJ National
Assembly to build the broadest, most diverse anti-war movement
possible as a key strategy for bringing an end to this war.
Our primary commitment is building this movement, including
the fall mobilization, in a way that makes it possible for the
largest and widest array of people to come together in opposition
to the war, including military families, Iraq war veterans and
other veterans, and the labor movement. This commitment has an
impact on everything we do: from the nature of the program, to
the articulation of our demands, to the ways we do our organizing.
UFPJ is also committed to building a movement culture based on
trust, respect, principled action, democratic decision-making,
and good-faith communication. Both the national coalition and
a number of our regional remember groups have had extremely
negative experiences on all these grounds throughout our
history of working with ANSWER or the International Action
Center. While professing to desire unity, ANSWER and the IAC
have repeatedly misrepresented the positions of, attacked, and
attempted to isolate and split UFPJ and other antiwar groups,
even when we were supposedly in alliances. Now, they once again
have announced a political platform and a date for a demonstration
without any consultation with us, while on the other hand calling
for unity.
Every day the war in Iraq rages on and people are killed
and maimed, lives are ruined, and a once sovereign nation
is under the military occupation and corporate control of
the United States. We must stay focused on our priorities:
building the strongest movement possible in order to end
this war, bring our troops home and prevent future wars!
We ask all UFPJ member groups to join in the effort to
ensure the most successful September mobilization possible.
In the coming weeks you will be getting more information
about the plans for the Sept. 24-26 weekend, including specific
ways your group can get involved. But there is no need to delay:
we encourage you to start convening local and/or regional
meetings of UFPJ member groups and others to beginning your
organizing for the fall mobilization. We look forward to working
with you in the coming months.
Leslie Cagan, national coordinator
(lesliecagan@igc.org)
George Friday, national co-chair
(george.friday@parksandpeople.org)
Judith LeBlanc, national co-chair
( jleblanc@cpusa.org)
George Martin, national co-chair
(gmartin8@wi.rr.com)
Discussion on Unity and Strategy
SATURDAY JUNE 11
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The New School Lang Center
55 W 13th St New York, NY
www.TroopsOutNow.org
Anyone can subscribe.
Send an email request to
Action.News-subscribe@organizerweb.com
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Washington DC Press Conference
Announces Plans for
September 24 Mass March in Washington DC
See below for video, press coverage & photos
Today (Wednesday, June 1), a diverse group of antiwar, civil
rights, religious and community leaders held a press conference
at the National Press Club in Washington DC to announce plans
for the September 24, 2005, Mass March in Washington DC announced
on May 12 by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.
Speakers at the press conference included Mara Verheyden-Hilliard,
attorney and co-founder, Partnership for Civil Justice; Mahdi Bray,
Executive Director, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation;
Rev. Graylan Hagler, Senior Minister, Plymouth Congregational
Church; Brian Becker, National Coordinator, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition;
Vanessa Dixon, DC Healthcare Coalition; Macrina Cardenas, Mexico
Solidarity Network; Chuck Kaufman, Nicaragua Network; and Sarah
Sloan, National Staff Coordinator, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.
Messages of support were sent from Ramsey Clark, former U.S.
attorney general; Michael Berg, father of Nicholas Berg; Ben
Dupuy, General Secretary, National Popular Party of Haiti (PPN);
and Kathy Boylan, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in Washington DC.
See below for the Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Associated Press
(AP) articles.
From AFP - Agence France-Presse
US anti-war group vows sea
of demonstrators at White House
June 1, 2005
WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US anti-war group vowed to surround the
White House in a sea of demonstrators during coordinated
protests scheduled to take place in Washington, as well as
Los Angeles and San Francisco on September 24.
The ANSWER Coalition expects more than 100,000 people, from
families of US soldiers to trade unions and diverse religious
groups, to take part in the demonstrations against the war
in Iraq.
This "will be the largest anti-war demonstrations to take place
since the second election, or selection, of George W. Bush" in
November, Brian Becker, ANSWER's national coordinator, said at
a news conference.
"This will be representative of a changed mood inside the United
States," Becker said. "At this point we believe the majority
sentiment in the country not only disapproves to George Bush's
handling of the White House but has turned decisively against
the war in Iraq."
"We will, on September 24, surround the White House with a sea
of anti-war demonstrators," he said.
"And this will be a graphic demonstration ... that the White
House is surrounded by opposition all around the country and
this opposition grows day in and day out."
The demonstrations will also demand an end to US "threats"
against North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Cuba and an to the
"colonial-style occupation in Palestine and in Haiti,"
the group said.
From the Associated Press
Anti-War Coalition Planning Major Protests
June 1, 2005
By Siobhan McDonough, Associated Press Writer
Anti-war activists upset by the continuing violence in Iraq
are planning demonstrations in Washington, Los Angeles and
San Francisco this fall to urge the administration to bring
U.S. troops home.
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) has seen turnout
in its demonstrations wane as the war has dragged on. The group
hopes a long lead-up to the Sept. 24 protests will generate more
interest.
Brian Becker is national coordinator of the Washington-based
coalition, which has more than 500 anti-war groups as members.
He said the public is growing weary of the war.
"It seems as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel,"
he said.
Becker pointed to opinion polls showing growing dissatisfaction
with the war and with President Bush. An Associated Press-Ipsos
poll released last month had Bush's job approval at 47 percent,
with support on areas such as his handling of Iraq, the economy
and assorted domestic issues in the low 40s.
The Bush administration has not set a timetable for withdrawing
U.S. troops, although Vice President Dick Cheney predicted last
weekend that fighting in Iraq will end before the Bush
administration leaves office in 2009.
Becker wants the troops home much sooner, even at the risk
of further destabilizing the Iraqi government.
"I think the Iraqi government will collapse anyway," he said.
"Any Iraqi political entity has to be able to stand on its own
to have any legitimacy in Iraq."
ANSWER is reaching out to churches, mosques, youth and student
organizations and others, providing them with logistical
information on the demonstrations. It will hold teach-ins
this summer that aim to bring together organizers, religious
and academic leaders, and elected officials to discuss U.S.
foreign policy in the Middle East.
DVDs of the
press conference
are available!
This approximately 75 minute video can serve as an exciting
tool to build for the demonstration, including opening statements
by each speaker, a question and answer period, and several
one-on-one interviews.
Order the DVD today to show at an organizing meeting, in
a classroom, at a house party, or on public access television.
To place your order, email info@internationalanswer.org with "
Sept. 24 DVD" as your subject line. Please include your name,
address, phone number and the number of DVDs you would like
in the message. You can also place your order by calling
202-544-3389.
DVDs are free, though a donation is requested to cover the
cost of the reproduction and mailing.
For details on the September 24 Mass March in Washington DC,
and coordinated actions in San Francisco and Los Angeles –
including the Call to Action, the demands of the demonstration,
an endorsers list and endorsement form, a form to list
transportation plans from around the country, downloadable
flyers and more >>> click here!
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
http://www.ANSWERcoalition.org http://www.actionsf.org
National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389
New York City: 212-533-0417
Los Angeles: 323-464-1636
San Francisco: 415-821-6545
For media inquiries, call 415-821-6545 or 202-544-3389.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT:
Carah Ong
Advocacy and Research Director,
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Cell: (202) 378-3334
Email: cong@napf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
60 Years After Creation of the Atomic Bomb, Hard Answers are Easy to Find
New Web Partnership Brings Nuclear Information to Citizens, Educators
July 2005 marks the 60th anniversary of the dawn of the Atomic Age.
For six decades, nuclear weapons have figured prominently in the
plans and fears of nations and individuals alike. Recent events
have brought concern over nuclear issues back to a level not seen
since the end of the Cold War.
For people looking to form an educated opinion and to gauge a better
understanding of the complexity of nuclear issues and the actions of
their government, information can be hard to come by and, when
found, even harder to understand.
How is a nuclear weapon made? What are the international policies
about nuclear arms currently in place? How does nuclear power factor
into the discussion? What can be done with nuclear byproducts?
How did all of this begin? Is nuclear terrorism a real threat? Why
are North Korea and Iran pursuing nuclear programs? The answers
to these questions, and literally thousands of others, are answered
through the newly created online collaboration, Nuclear Pathways,
http://nuclearpathways.org.
Launched as a nuclear information clearing house, Nuclear Pathways
currently integrates four sites, each with its own specialization
and mission. The content of each site complements that of the
others, providing access to comprehensive, and comprehensible
information covering issues from the scientific to the philosophical,
from the political to the historical to the ethical, and myriad other
topics in between.
The project is a component of the National Science Digital Library
(http://nsdl.org), funded by the Division of Undergraduate Education
of the National Science Foundation, and includes the following
affiliated websites:
Alsos.wlu.edu
The Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues is an annotated,
searchable bibliography for the study of nuclear issues. The
collection includes annotations of over 1,600 books, articles, films,
CD-ROMs, and websites, all of which have been reviewed by members
of the library's prestigious National Advisory Board. It is the site’s
mission to make the history and current status of nuclear issues more
accessible and comprehensible to the general public as well as to
students and educators in the many fields influenced by the forces
of the nuclear age. Based at Washington and Lee University, the
site provides specific bibliographies for the other three Nuclear
Pathways sites.
AtomicArchive.com
A companion to the award-winning CD-ROM, Atomic Archive:
Enhanced Edition, this site explores the science, history and
consequences of the atomic age. The site describes how nuclear
weapons work, the science behind them and the effects of their
use. The history section chronicles the important discoveries
and decisions leading up to the development of the first atomic
bomb, up through recent events in today's post Cold War era. The
site allows users to enrich their understanding of the people and
events of the nuclear age by perusing an archive of compelling
materials including photos, film clips, and primary source
documents—some recently declassified—and a comprehensive
timeline that marks milestones in nuclear history. The website
has been acknowledged by National Science Teachers Association
and Scientific America as one of the top science and historical
education websites.
ChemCases.com
ChemCases.com, based at Kennesaw State University and supported
by the National Science Foundation, is a collection of 13 case studies
linking decision making and policy with basic chemical sciences.
The site’s nuclear chemistry unit, prepared by Prof. Frank Settle of
Washington and Lee University, provides the fundamental physical
and chemical basis for applying, analyzing and evaluating today's
issues of nuclear power, waste and weapons. ChemCases.com has
been cited by AAAS (through SCIENCE) and by Scientific American
as one of the top science education sites on the web. Visitors have
opened more than 3 million ChemCases.com pages since 2001.
NuclearFiles.org
From nuclear proliferation to nuclear testing, Nuclear Files provides
access to primary source documents, historical and background
information and analysis, data and graphs on everything from
Hiroshima to North Korea. The site also offers biographies of key
individuals, as well as a media gallery with photos, video and audio
clips. The site connects educators from various disciplines, offering
a resource section with study guides and sample syllabi for various
courses. Nuclear Files also features a timeline of the history of the
Nuclear Age, as well as the latest developments in nuclear issues.
Nuclear Files.org is a project of Nuclear Age Peace Foundation,
a non-profit, non-partisan international organization with
consultative status to the United Nations.
The Nuclear Pathways sites bring together every aspect of one of
the most crucial issues of our time to the people who need the
information the most – ordinary citizens, educators and students.
For more information visit http://nuclearpathways.org or contact
Jane Stewart in the news office at Washington and Lee University:
540-458-8235; jcstewart@wlu.edu.
###
Carah Ong
Advocacy and Research Director
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation DC Office
322 Fourth Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: (202) 543-4100 ext. 105
Cell: (202) 378-3334
Fax: (202) 546-5142
www.wagingpeace.org
www.nuclearfiles.org
* To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ufpj-disarm/
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
*Reverend Billy and
The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir in No. California
June 1-6*
http://www.revbilly.com/
Yes, Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir return to the
Bay Area.
Join us on our WHO WILL SURVIVE THE SHOPOCALYPSE? tour
at the Victoria Theater in San Francisco June 4th and 5th at 8pm
(box office details at revbilly.com).
Please fwd. this news to your affiliates.
To tell us how we may join your listserve, please write:
< stopshoppingchoir@earthlink.net >
The Reverend comments: "We're here now, hours before the Shopocalypse
Tour,
with services at the Victoria Theatre looming for Saturday and Sunday.
We'll perform for brave activists in Wal-Mart parking lots [during a]
week of contesting space, violating my court-imposed ban from coming
within 250 yards of Starbucks . . . we're about to roll the bus through
a thousand scenes and our only defense is to sing and shout."
June 1 - Wal-Mart action in Vallejo, details TBA!
June 2 - UC Santa Cruz at 2 pm, Guerilla Drive-In at 8 pm
June 3 - San Francisco City Hall steps with Global Exchange 11AM
Bolinas Community Center 7:30 PM
June 4 - Victoria Theatre 8PM
June 5 - Victoria Theatre 8PM
June 7 - City Lights Bookstore - Reverend Billy reading
June 11 - Harmony Festival in Sebastopol, opening blessing for George
Clinton http://www.revbilly.com/
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Antiwar.com always has an epigram on its home page. Today's is
from Simone Weil:
Quotable
The great error of nearly all studies of war... has been to
consider war as an episode in foreign policies, when it is an
act of interior politics... ---- Simone Weil
This surprising and profound statement is as true of the war in
Iraq and the war on terror as it has been true of other wars in
the past, if not more so. It is also an aspect of the war that
has been woefully neglected--that is, that the war in Iraq is
part of the class war by the American elite against American
working people and is waged primarily as a means of social
control of American workers, providing the opportunity for
transforming American society into a military and police
state through such measures as the Patriot Act, airport
searches, the suspension of habeas corpus at Guantanamo and
in the case of Jose Padilla and more than 1,000 persons
detained in the US after 9/11 without charges or due process,
and for the unprecedented attack on pensions and retirement
and other aspects of working people's livelihoods. The ruling
class could never get away with these things in the absence
of a war, which had to be created for the purpose.
War has long been the ultimate social control. Aristotle wrote
2400 years ago, "The tyrant wages war to deprive his subjects
of leisure and to create the need for a strong leader." Steve
Lopez wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "There's a dirty secret
[behind this war] no one has told you, and here it is: This war
is not about changing Iraq, it's about changing America....
The whole idea is to train you to expect less and to feel
patriotic about it."
We can only build an effective movement against the war if we
challenge it as part of the class war on working people here
and around the world. The only force strong enough to end the
warmaking regime of global capitalism is the international
solidarity of workers of all countries--American and Iraqi,
German and French and Chinese, Palestinian and Israeli--bound
together in a revolutionary movement determined to transform
the world in the opposite direction from the course on which
we are headed: from inequality to equality, from competition
to solidarity, from capitalist dictatorship to real democracy,
from permanent war to lasting peace.
Dave Stratman
Editor, New Democracy
newdemocracyworld.org
20 Moraine Street
Boston, MA 02130
617-524-4073
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Opposition to U.S. Makes Chávez
a Hero to Many
By JUAN FORERO
June 1, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/01/international/americas/
01letter.html?ex=1118376000&en=b3ce1db053855fa4&ei=5070&emc=eta1
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
H.R. 1528 - the Spy On Your Family For The War On Drugs Bill
2005-Jun-02
From our friend Guy Herron
Folks,
It's time we started calling this crap what it is. Representative
Sensenbrenner (see article below) has come up with yet another
ironically named attack on our freedoms the "Defending America's
Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child
Protection Act of 2005" (H.R. 1528) This act would require you
to report any of the following examples to the police or face
a two year jail sentence.
_ You see someone you know pass a joint to a 20-year old
college student.
_ Your cousin mentions that he bought Ecstasy for some of
his college friends.
_ You find out that your brother, who has kids, recently
bought a small amount of marijuana to share with his wife.
_ Your substance-abusing daughter recently begged her
boyfriend to find her some drugs even though they're both
in drug treatment.
_ You can also be forced to go under cover in order to
trap your friends or relations into giving the police
enough evidence to prosecute them -- do it or go to
jail yourself.
We have just finished observing Memorial Day in which
we honor the soldiers who gave their lives defending this
countries' freedoms. The kind of law that Sensenbrenner
is proposing would be perfectly fitting in Hitler's Nazi
Germany. How many people died in order to prevent Hitler
from imposing this kind of government on the rest of the
world? Sensenbrenner's H. R. 1528 is Fascism, so let us
call it what it is. We show a fine sense of gratitude to
our heroic dead when we sheepishly allow miscreants like
Sensenbrenner impose the Fascism that they fought against
on us.
Memorial Day is a good time to assess our country and our
citizenship in it. I think, though, that a second opinion
would be useful. Let us use our imaginations to call up
the ghosts of our countries dead defenders and ask them
what they think. Perhaps we can ask the spirit of one of
the corpses bobbing in the surf of Normandy beach on D-day
what he thinks of Sensenbrenner and his legislation. What
do you think he'd say? And perhaps we can call up the
ghost of an Eighth Air Force air crewman, who, too badly
wounded to bail out of his B-17, rode it down to it's
fiery death on the soil of Germany, as many hundreds of
them did. What would he think of the USA Patriot Act which
undermines American freedom in a way that would have made
Hitler proud? What would he think of the people that wrote
it? Or the people that voted for it?
And finally, can we face these imaginary dead and justify
our citizenship to them? Are we letting freedoms' enemies
within do to us what freedoms' enemies without could not?
I think we are, I think that America is failing on our watch
and if it goes down it will be our fault. What do you think?
What would freedom's fallen defenders think?
Guy Herron
Murray, Utah USA
cc Representative Jim Matheson, Just about every activist I know.
####
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
You've Been Drafted: Uncle Sam Wants You for the War on Drugs
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/051805sensen.cfm
"I want to thank the over 4,400 people who have sent emails to
their Representatives opposing Congressman Sensenbrenner's
draconian mandatory minimum sentencing bill. This bill is now
garnering national attention.
This bill would have serious consequences for our democracy,
requiring you to spy on all your neighbors, including going
undercover and wearing a wire if needed. Refusing to become
a spy for the government would be punishable by a mandatory
prison sentence of at least two years.
We need your help to fight this bill, including your ideas.
We alerted you last week to the bill, entitled "Defending
America's Most Vulnerable: Safe Access to Drug Treatment and
Child Protection Act of 2005" (H.R. 1528). Thousands of you
have faxed Congress in opposition to the bill and we've
already raised $2,000 online to fight it. Thank you!
We already told you about many of the terrible provisions
in this legislation, but we are especially concerned about
a section of the bill that turns every American into an
agent of the state. Here's how it works:
If you "witness" certain drug offenses taking place or "learn"
that they took place you would have to report the offense to
law enforcement within 24 hours and provide "full assistance"
in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the
people involved. Failure to do so would be a crime punishable
by a mandatory two year prison sentence.
Here are some examples of offenses you would have to report
to the police within 24 hours:
_ You see someone you know pass a joint to a 20-year old
college student.
_ Your cousin mentions that he bought Ecstasy for some of
his college friends.
_ You find out that your brother, who has kids, recently
bought a small amount of marijuana to share with his wife.
_ Your substance-abusing daughter recently begged her
boyfriend to find her some drugs even though they're both
in drug treatment.
In each of these cases you face jail time if you don't call
the police within 24 hours. It doesn't matter if the offender
is your friend or relative. It also doesn't matter if you
need 48 hours to think about it. You have to report the
person to the government within 24 hours or go to jail.
You also have to assist the government in every way,
including wearing a wire if needed. Refusing to cooperate
would cost you at least two years in prison (possibly up
to ten). In addition to turning family member against
family member, the legislation could also put many
Americans into dangerous situations by forcing them
to go undercover to gain evidence against strangers.
This is what we're up against in Congress and, as I told
you last week, it's not going to be easy. Sensenbrenner,
the chair of the powerful Judiciary Committee, usually
gets what he wants. Lots of people are afraid to challenge
him. But we have a duty to our children to stop our
country from turning into a police state. I'm sure you
feel this duty, as well."
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Bush, Cheney Attack Amnesty International
by Jim Lobe
Published on Wednesday, June 1, 2005 by the Inter Press Service
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0601-01.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Amnesty Defends 'Gulag,' Urges Guantánamo Access
Reuters
Thursday 02 June 2005
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/060205X.shtml
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
What Indians And Palestinians Share
by Justine McCabe
May 31, 2005
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=7983
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Pentagon delays release of May recruiting data
01 Jun 2005 19:39:22 GMT
Source: Reuters
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N01399250.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
US puppet government announces state of siege in Baghdad
By Barry Grey
27 May 2005
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/may2005/iraq-m27.shtml
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
COLLEGE NOT COMBAT (CNC) PETITION DRIVE REPORT:
Firstly, thanks to all those who came out to the Saturday launch of the
signature drive for the College Not Combat initiative. Your participation
was crucial to making this a successful event. The kick-off rally was
attended by 100+ people, and included inspiring speakers from various
anti-war groups, trade unions, military families and local politicians. We
also received a fair amount of positive media coverage from local stations.
After the initial rally, about 80 people from a hand-full of organizations
fanned out to various locations throughout the city to gather signatures. We
were met with a lot of enthusiasm from people on the street, and were able
to gather 3,000 signatures in one afternoon. We also had a number of people
sign-up to volunteer for the campaign. It's clear from our experience on
Saturday that the people of San Francisco do not want the military
recruiting in our schools, and want more money spent on education, not war.
However, in order to make our goal of 15,000 signatures by July 11th, we
will need the help of many more organizations and volunteers. We have gotten
an overwhelmingly positive response from people supporting the initiative.
Now we have to turn that into real bodies on the streets.
Our next big push will be Saturday, June 4th. We will meet at the 16th
street BART station & then go out and gather signatures for a couple of
hours. Then we will have a brief assessment meeting at 4pm at Haymarket
Books (110 Capp St. @ 16th) to plan our next steps.
It is very important that all endorsing organizations send at least a person
or two (more would be great!) for the signature gathering AND for the
assessment meeting. Your participation is crucial to ensuring that we reach
our goals, and continue to build a democratic, vibrant anti-war movement.
In solidarity,
Ragina Johnson
College Not Combat
America's Recruiting Dilemma
By Robert Novak
May 26, 2005
http://realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-5_26_05_RN.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
PLEASE POST WIDELY
Stand in Solidarity with the people of Palestine –
Sunday, June 5th
Protest Racism - Stand in solidarity with the people
of Palestine.
SAVE THE DATE: SUNDAY JUNE 5TH, 12 NOON
Local Zionists are celebrating „Israeli
Independence Day‰ in San Francisco
at Yerba Buena Gardens. But Israel‚s
independence has meant the destruction
of the Palestinian people and their
society. Over 800,000 Palestinians were
forcibly dispossessed to create „the
Jewish state‰ in 1948, and they and
their descendants (who number more than
5 million people today) remain
in exile in refugee camps, despite
countless UN Resolutions demanding
their return.
We say NO to celebrating ethnic cleansing
We say NO to celebrating occupation
We say NO to celebrating Israel apartheid
We say YES to a Free Palestine
We say YES to Self-determination
We say YES to the Right of Return of
Palestinian refugees
We say YES to boycotting Israeli goods
We say YES to stopping all aid to Israel
This is not a day to celebrate but a day to
protest and raise our voices
with our allies in struggle for a Free Palestine.
Meet in front of Office Depot on 3rd Street,
between Market and Mission
for more information info@justiceinpalestine.net
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bayareapalestine/
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Hands Off Venezuela!
Come to the next meeting of the
San Francisco Bay Area Hands Off Venezuela!
7:00 PM, Thursday, June 9, at Centro del
Pueblo in the auditorium, 474 Valencia St. SF. Call
Adam Richmond at 415 864 3537 for more info or to
arrange a speaker to talk about the inspiring events
in Venezuela and the need to protect it from US
attack.
Two years ago, the United States government organized
an unsuccessful military coup against the
democratically elected government of Venezuela, headed
by President Hugo Chavez. Many US representatives,
first and foremost Condoleezza Rice, has called Chavez
a "negative force" in the region. Since the attempted
coup, the US government has been beating the war drums
while making preparations for war against Venezuela.
The underlying motivation of the US government is
clear: the Chavez government has been shifting the
benefits from the country's oil wealth from the rich
giant corporations to the vast majority of the
population by providing food, housing, health care and
education. Moreover, Hugo Chavez has recently spoken
out against US "free market" policies that
overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy few. He has
nationalized some industries and has declared
Venezuela's right to institute democratic socialism to
further this development. He also opposes the U.S. war
in Iraq. The stakes are high. Therefore, we believe it
is vitally necessary for all those in the US and
around the world to affirm Venezuela's right to
determine its own destiny by joining forces to forge a
resistance to the US government's aggressive aims.
The Hands Off Venezuela Campaign has started meeting
in San Francisco to try and raise awareness about the
inspiring events in Venezuela and to organize against
the threats against them from the US government. A
report on recent developments by Sonia Zerpa , a
resident of Caracas, Venezuela will be presented at
the meeting.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
GUILTY: CORBY JAILED FOR 20 YEARS
By Lindsay Murdoch and AAP
May 27, 2005 - 8:44PM
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/05/27/1117129870467.html?oneclick=true
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
100 Companies Receiving The Largest Dollar Volume Of Prime
Contract Awards - Fiscal Year 2004
FOREWORD
http://web1.whs.osd.mil/peidhome/procstat/P01/fy2004/top100.htm
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Ottawa negotiating to keep secret base in UAE
By PAUL KORING
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Washington - Ottawa is secretly negotiating a long-term agreement
with the United Arab Emirates to allow hundreds of Canadian
soldiers to remain deployed in the Persian Gulf country for
years in support of military operations in Afghanistan.
The location of Camp Mirage - on a desert air base near Dubai,
the UAE's second-largest city - is classified. Official
references in government documents and websites refer to
it only obliquely, or more frequently as "location undisclosed."
But it is one of Ottawa's worst-kept secrets. Thousands of
Canadian soldiers have passed through the base. Governor-General
Adrienne Clarkson has visited it.
Senior army officers have publicly referred to Dubai as its home,
and its whereabouts has been inadvertently revealed on the Internet.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050521.wxsofa21/
BNStory/National/
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
Presenter: Major General Michael D. Rochelle, U.S. Army
Recruiting Commander
Friday, May 20, 2005 1:32 p.m. EDT
Army Recruiting Commander Briefing
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/05/mil-050520-
dod01.htm
http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2005/tr20050520-2881.html
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Sketchy Details
** Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches **
** http://dahrjamailiraq.com **
May 27, 2005
Yesterday Iraq‚s Minister of Defense, Sadoun al-Dulaimi, announced that starting
Saturday 40,000 Iraqi troops will seal Baghdad and begin to „hunt down
insurgents and their weapons.‰ Baghdad will be divided into two main sections,
east and west, and within each section there will be smaller areas of control.
There will be at least 675 checkpoints and al-Dulaimi said this is the first
phase of a security crackdown that will eventually cover all of Iraq.
Keep in mind that most of Iraq has remained in a „state of emergency‰ since the
beginning of the siege of Fallujah, on November 8th.
„We will also impose a concrete blockade around Baghdad, like a bracelet around
an arm, God willing, and God be with us in our crackdown on the terrorists‚
infrastructure.‰
Also at the press conference was Bayan Jabor, the Minister of Interior who
added, „These operations will aim at turning the government's role from
defensive to offensive.‰
This is really, really bad news.
The Iraqi security forces already have an extremely bad name throughout much of
Baghdad. I‚ve had three Iraqi doctors tell me, in different hospitals at
different times, that they call the Iraqi National Guard the „dogs of the
Americans.‰
Another close friend of mine in Baghdad, also a doctor, wrote me recently to
say;
„Iraqi forces now have what they call „liwaa al deeb,‰ which means the Wolf
Brigade. This is a very American name, and is an ugly name which gives the
impression of violence. In the past the Iraqi troops held names of some famous
Muslim and Arabic symbols which were more accepted. Anyway, the name wouldn‚t
matter if their behavior was straight∑.they now practice a kind of state
sponsored terrorism.‰
He went on to give an example of their not-so-straight behavior∑
„Eyewitnesses in Al-Saydia area to the south of Baghdad told me that recently
when a car bomb detonated and destroyed the area nearby, people were astonished
to see the so-called police looting a destroyed mobile phone store that was
nearby! The police now are a bunch of thieves. Many of then are already
criminals who were released from Abu Ghraib prison before the war.‰
When I was in Baghdad in January, I was shot at by Iraqi Police on two different
occasions simply because our car drove too close to them.
Hence, out of concern for his family, Abu Talat has returned to Baghdad. He
fears that his two youngest sons will be detained simply because they are of
„military age,‰ according to the US military.
Even now in Haditha, where the US military is engaged in an operation called
„Operation New Market,‰ (where do they get these names?) somewhat similar to
the recent attack on Al-Qa‚im, where around 1,000 troops are raiding homes.
They have set up sniper positions, and according to an Iraqi doctor I spoke
with today that has colleagues in Haditha, „The Americans are detaining so many
people there, any man between the ages of 16 and 25 years is being immediately
detained without question.‰
So Abu Talat is back into the fire∑needless to say, I support his decision to go
back to look after his family, but not without deep concern and sadness.
„What else can I do, habibi,‰ he asks me while holding up his hands today.
So we say goodbye yet again, which in this situation is always a difficult thing
to do. Will I see him again? Will his family be alright? What if∑?
Life in occupied Iraq. On any given day, anything can happen. It‚s a numbers
game.
He or any of my other friends there could end up like the three civilians who
were shot dead by US soldiers yesterday while they were traveling in a minibus
in al-Dora, Baghdad.
Lieutenant Jamie Davis, a spokesman for the US military, said of the slaughter,
„The details are sketchy and we don‚t know who was involved.‰
According to AFP, the bus driver who survived the incident said US troops opened
fire after he pulled over to get out of their way.
Now with over 675 checkpoints to be manned by the „dogs of the Americans,‰ we‚ll
all have to get used to countless more civilian deaths where „the details are
sketchy.‰
You can visit http://dahrjamailiraq.com/email_list/ to subscribe or unsubscribe to the
email list.
Iraq_Dispatches mailing list
http://lists.dahrjamailiraq.com/mailman/listinfo/iraq_dispatches
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
The Lure of Opium Wealth Is a Potent Force in Afghanistan
Western officials warn of a nascent narco state as drug traffickers
act with impunity, some allegedly with the support of top officials
By Paul Watson
Times Staff Writer
May 28, 2005
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-
drugs29may29,0,3324290.story?coll=la-home-headlines
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CALIFORNIANS UNITED FOR A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET (CURB)
AND TEACHERS 4 SOCIAL JUSTICE
invite you to...
A 'Reverse Ribbon Cutting' to Protest the Opening of
the Delano II Prison
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2005, 3:30pm
Golden Gate Elementary
1601 Turk St. (between Scott and Divisadero)
Speakers: Eric Mar (SFUSD Board President,
Dennis Kelly (President of United Educators of
San Francisco, Mark Sanchez (SfUSD Board Commissioner),
Jeremiah Jeffries (Public School Teacher & Coordinator
Teachers 4 Change)
Despite massive budget shortfalls and poll after poll
showing that Californians want cuts to prison spending
and favor rehabilitation over more prisons, California
will open its 33rd state prison on June 1: the $750
million boondoggle, Delano II. At the same time, we
are closing schools, hospitals and libraries.
Come protest the opening of the Delano II prison and
the closing of public institutions that truly build
safe communities.
For more information and to download posters to carry
at the June 1st event, visit http://www.curbprisonspending.org
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: "mesha Monge-Irizarry"
Date:Sat May 28, 2005 3:14 pm
Subject:Welcome to Justice4Everado ! idrissstelle...
Offline
Send Email Remove Author |Ban Author
Dear members of the press and social justice activists,
Thank you for your prior coverage of the killing of Everado Torres by
Madera PD officer Maricela AKA Marcie Noriega on 10-27-02!
As you may know, Eddie Cochran's legal team is defending the Torres
family, and their case will be heard in Federal Court in Fresno 8-9-05
Please logon to our website (still under construction), to stay afloat
w/ upcoming events. It may be time for a press update!
You can call
* Idriss Stelley Foundation at (415) 595-8251
* Noel Hernandez (Grupo aztequa) at (559) 393-1644
* Melchor Torres (father of Everado) at (559) 673-9620
* Hermandad Mejicana Latino-Americana in LA, Nativo Lopez
(714)423-4808
* Atty Carr A. Douglas (310) 277-9595
IDRISS STELLEY FOUNDATION (ISF)
ISF is a nonprofit organization created
through the settlement of Idriss Stelley's vs. City &County and SFPD case
and its allocation to his mother mesha Monge-Irizarry.
Her only child, 23 African American was killed by SFPD at the Sony
Metreon Theater
on June 13, 2001, 48 shots, 9 officers, as he stood alone in an empty
theater.
ISF provides free, confidential services to Bay Area
biological and extended families
whose loved ones have been disabled or killed by law enforcement.
* Know your rights workshop
* Victory oVer Violence (support group)
* Support counseling
* Community altar
* 24-HR Trilingual
Spanish/French/English crisis line
* Family outreach training program
* Monitoring of SFPD / input in SFPD
training's
* Police Reform (prop H) implementation
* Police Commission hearing weekly
attendance
* Participation in Police Academy
Citizen Training
* Volunteer and undergraduate program
* (Pending grant: funeral benefits)
* Free E-mail &Internet access to
Families &Youth affected by law
misconduct
* (formerly)No Pigs in DA Hood"
Sundays 6 P.M. on 103.3 FM, talk show on law
enforcement accountability, Bayview
Hunters Point Community Radio,
upcoming webcast "BVHP Village
Voice". Upcoming Webcast "SF Bayview
Village Voice"
* Member of Bay Area Network Against
Police Brutality
* Bayview Youth Mural Dream Project
* CEDP (Campaign to End the Death Penalty) SF
Bayview Chapter
* Save Kevin Cooper and Stan Tookie
Williams Campaign member
The primary focus of ISF, justified by casualty statistics is:
To serve the Bay Area African American community and families of color,
although no one will be turned down. Home visits can be scheduled if
needed.
We are seeking volunteers and interns to staff
our upcoming bilingual 24-HR crisis line, teach basic computer skills,
provide confidential support counseling, staff special events
and help with fundraising as well as outreach &quilt making.
Idriss Stelley Foundation depends on the community in terms of donations
Checks can be made out to:
ISF, 4921 3rd St, SF, CA 94124
For an appointment, leave a message to
(Nominated "Local Heroes of the Year" Sandra Juanita Cooper,
Co-Founde and former Co-Director,
and mesha Monge-Irizarry, Grass Root Organizer
by the San Francisco Bay Guardian,
"Best of 2004" edition, July 28/04)
mesha Monge-Irizarry (415) 595-8251 / 24-HR Crisis Line
iolmisha@cs.com
* PEACE * COURAGE * SOLIDARITY *
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Burning crosses signal return of Ku Klux Klan
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington
28 May 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=642006
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SHAME OF THE CITIES:
Gentrification in the New Urban America
by Kari Lydersen
03.15.99
http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featlydersen_7_p.htm
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In Rising Numbers, Lawyers Head for
Guantánamo Bay
By NEIL A. LEWIS
WASHINGTON, May 29
May 30, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/politics/30detain.html?
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Rebels Strike Town as Iraqi Forces
Continue Baghdad Offensive
By JOHN F. BURNS
Published: May 30, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/international/middleeast/30cnd-
iraq.html?hp&ex=1117512000&en=479fb27c224303f5&ei=5094&partner=homepag
e
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Facing Chaos, Iraqi Doctors
Are Quitting
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 29
Published: May 30, 2005
"In the early years of Saddam Hussein, the health care system in Iraq
was a showcase, with most Iraqis receiving excellent, inexpensive care.
Iraqi doctors often studied in England, and Iraq's medical schools, based
at hospitals, had high standards. But Mr. Hussein let the economic
penalties of the 1990's bite deeply into medical care and used the
damage to the increasingly worn system to try to persuade the world
to ease economic pressure on Iraq."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/international/middleeast/30doctor.html
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The Death Spiral of the Volunteer Army
May 29, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/opinion/29sun1.html
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld likes to talk about
transforming America's military. But the main transformation
he may leave behind is a catastrophic falloff in recruitment
for the country's vital ground fighting forces: the Army and
the Marine Corps. The recruitment chain that has given the
United States highly qualified, highly skilled and highly
motivated ground forces for the three decades since the government
abandoned the draft has started to break down.
This is astonishing, even allowing for the administration's
failure to prepare Americans honestly for how long and difficult
the occupation of Iraq would be. There are over 60 million
American men and women between 18 and 35, the age group sought
by Army recruiters. Getting the 80,000 or so new volunteers the
Army needs to enlist each year ought not to be such a daunting
challenge. There are obvious attractions to joining the world's
most powerful, prestigious and best-equipped ground fighting
forces, and in so doing qualifying for valuable benefits like
college tuition aid.
But Army recruitment is now regularly falling short of the
necessary targets. Recruiters are having even more trouble
persuading people to sign up for Army National Guard and Reserve
units. The Marine Corps has been missing its much smaller monthly
quotas as well. Unless there is a sharp change later this year,
both forces will soon start feeling the pinch as too few trainees
are processed to meet both forces' operational needs.
Why this is happening is no mystery. Two years of hearing about
too few troops on the ground, inadequate armor, extended tours
of duty and accelerated rotations back into combat have taken
their toll, discouraging potential enlistees and their parents.
The citizen-soldiers of the Guard and Reserves have suddenly
become full-time warriors. Nor has it helped that when abuse
scandals have erupted, the Pentagon has seemed quicker to punish
lower-ranking soldiers than top commanders and policy makers.
This negative cycle now threatens to feed on itself. Fewer
recruits will mean more stress on those now in uniform and more
grim reports reaching hometowns across America.
The results can now be seen at every Army and Marine recruiting
office. (The Air Force and Navy, which have not been subjected
to the same stresses and dangers as the ground forces, are
meeting their recruiting quotas.) Missed quotas have translated
into intense pressure to lower standards and recruit people who
should not be in uniform. Earlier this month the Army required
all of its recruiters to go through a one-day review of basic
recruiting ethics.
Things might have been different if Mr. Rumsfeld had heeded the
judgment of Gen. Eric Shinseki, then the Army chief of staff,
in the months before the United States invaded Iraq and planned
for a substantially larger occupation force. A larger force
might have kept the insurgency smaller and more manageable.
It would have been better able to defend itself without resorting
to the kind of indiscriminate firepower that kills civilians,
destroys homes and inflames Iraqi opinion. Individual combat
brigades would not have been under such constant operational
stress. But Mr. Rumsfeld rejected General Shinseki's sound
advice. The Pentagon now says it gives field commanders as many
troops as they ask for. But those commanders are aware of
Mr. Rumsfeld's doctrinaire commitment to holding down troop
numbers and of the diminished career prospects that could result
from challenging him.
The Pentagon now hopes that next month's high school graduations
will help it catch up to its recruiting goals. Besides crossing
its fingers, the military should open more combat roles to women,
end its senseless discrimination against gays and reach out to
immigrants with promises of citizenship after completion of
service. There should be no thought of reinstating the draft,
which would be militarily foolish and politically explosive.
But expanding the potential recruiting pool can be only a partial
answer. Young people and their parents are reacting rationally
to a regrettable and unnecessary transformation in how the
United States government treats its ground troops. That is
what needs to be changed.
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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TROOPS OUT NOW COALITION
STRATEGY MEETING
SATURDAY JUNE 11,
FROM 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
THE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
66 WEST 12TH ST
NEW YORK, NY
GETTING U.S. TROOPS
T H E H E L L
OUT OF IRAQ NOW!
THE WORLD DEMANDS IT - WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
11 am - opening presentations
1 to 3 pm - workshops
* It's a war against the workers and the poor
* GI resistance
* From Latin America, to Asia and Africa, to Palestine, the
connections
3 to 6 pm - unity in the antiwar movement - a discussion
Come to the Strategy Meeting!
For more information, go to http://www.troopsoutnow.org
or call or contact Troops Out Now Coalition at 39 W. 14th St.
#206, New York, NY 10011, phone 212-633-6646
Endorse the Troops Out Now Coalition Call for Unity in
the Anti-War Movement at
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/unityendorse.html
Read the call below, and get a list of endorsers at http://www.troopsoutnow.org/
unitycall.html
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/unityendorsers.html
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/unitycall.html%20
http://www.troopsoutnow.org/unityendorsers.html
UNITY CALL TO THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT FROM TROOPS
OUT NOW COALITION
The Troops Out Now Coalition (TONC) wholeheartedly and
unreservedly joins the activists and groups who are
calling for a united mobilization against the war in
the fall. The absence of such unity amongst the anti-war
coalitions only serves to demoralize rank and file anti-war
activists and local forces across the country. The grassroots
of the movement are looking to those of us who make decisions
to put our differences aside in the interests of the struggle
to get the U.S. the hell out of Iraq.
Achieving unity isn't easy but the power of unity is the
thing that will give everyone the confidence to do what
needs to be done. Moreover, the people of Iraq and
throughout the Middle East need the movement in this
country to unite. The whole world is looking to us to do
it. TONC welcomes the sentiments of all who have signed
on to the unity statement that is being circulated by USLAW.
TONC would add to that call that the movement needs to
reach out in a more serious way not only to trade unionists
that are active in the anti-war movement, but also to working
people and people of color. In the Million Worker March
Movement you have trade unionists that are people of color
at the helm.
These trade unionists are leading the way in helping to bring
the workers movement and the anti-war movement together. Let
us make sure that our appeal extends to them as well as others
including immigrants who are all too often under-represented.
An important part of forging any meaningful unity will, of
necessity, require that the anti-war movement both acknowledges
and unites with the struggle of people of color and the events
that carry their message.
The call for a "Millions More March" on the tenth anniversary
of the "Million Man March" has gone out far and wide. The
Millions More March will extend over
3 days next fall, October 14, 15 and 16, including a massive
march on Washington DC. It goes without saying that many of
us will be pre-occupied with this important mobilization.
This is something that needs to be respected.
TONC believes that the time has come for all of us to unite
around the demand to bring the troops home immediately. This
in no way means that other demands should not be put forth.
We absolutely must talk about the war budget and how it's
robbing workers and poor people.
We must talk about the prospect of the draft being revived.
We must find ways of reaching out to resisters inside the
military.
Moreover, we don't believe that uniting must mean censoring,
silencing or excluding the positions of those who are
participating in that unity.
The antiwar movement must not turn its back on the Palestinian
people and their struggle. In addition, the position that the
Iraqi people have a right to resis t occupation by whatever
means they choose cannot be censored or excluded.
We don't think that it helps us to make no mention of the
threats against Venezuela or Cuba or Iran or North Korea and
simply pretend that these problems don't exist. We believe
that the movement must address the ongoing occupation of Haiti
and Afghanistan; the imperialist designs on Zimbabwe, the
Philippines, Colombia and all the peoples of Asia, the Middle
East, Africa, Caribbean and Latin America. Others may have
different priorities.
The anti-war movement must ensure that all oppressed communities
have an equal place at the table, where their issues and concerns
are represented.
Unity does not mean uniformity--the main thing is for the basis
of unity to be clear.
It's not necessary for us to ask of each other that we forget
neither our differences nor the unpleasantness of past conflicts.
All that is required is that we not let any of that get in the
way of joining hands to grasp the opportunities that only unity
makes possible.
There is a high road. On that road, questions are answered,
problems are solved and the means and methods necessary to
move forward are found.
Nothing is more important at this moment than for all to walk
together on the high road to unity. We believe that what we
all do will be decisive. We must and we can stop the war and
get every U.S. soldier out of Iraq.
It is up to all of us to do whatever is necessary for our
movement to rise to this challenge.
TONC is holding a regional meeting on June 11. A special
session of this meeting will be devoted to continuing the
discussion on unity and we will be extending invitations
to groups to participate in that discussion.
Subscribing and unsubscribing can also be done on the Web at
http://www.organizerweb.com/mailman/listinfo/action.news
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
Thom Hartmann's 26 May 2005 exclusive
interview with British MP George Galloway.
http://www.thomhartmann.com/Galloway_Interview.html
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C.I.A. Expanding Terror Battle Under
Guise of Charter Flights
By SCOTT SHANE, STEPHEN GREY and MARGOT WILLIAMS
This article was reported by Scott Shane, Stephen Grey
and Margot Williams and written by Mr. Shane.
May 31, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/31/national/31planes.html?hp
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Electronic Iraq - May 30, 2005
http://electroniciraq.net/news/1984.shtml
"Things are getting worse by the day"
By Dahr Jamail
The mayhem continues in Iraq, with today at least 40 people dead,
including five US soldiers in Diyala province as the meltdown of the
failed US-led occupation continues.
Two suicide bombers detonated themselves after walking into a crowd
of police officers in Hilla, south of Baghdad. The policemen were
demonstrating outside the mayor's office to protest a government
decision to disband their Special Forces unit.
In yet another horrible PR move (or attempt to raise sectarian
tensions?) by the US military the head of Iraq's largest Sunni
political party, Mohsen Abdul Hamid was detained from his home early
this morning in western Baghdad. Of course his head was promptly
bagged and his hands tied before he was taken away to be
interrogated. His three sons were also detained with him. Stun bombs
and bullets were said to be used during the raid, according to his
wife.
It just so happens that his party, the Islamic Party, opposes the
new US-backed security operation now engulfing Baghdad because they
believe the security forces will disregard the rights of innocent
Iraqis.
Later today he was released and the military admitted it made a
mistake.
The military statement concerning the matter said, "Coalition forces
regret any inconvenience and acknowledge (Abdul-Hamid's) cooperation
in resolving this matter."
Abdul Hamid refused their apology in the Arab media, and stated that
he was humiliated when US soldiers held their boots on his head for
20 minutes. It was also stated that he accused American soldiers of
removing items from his home, including a computer. This is standard
operating procedure with home raids-I can't tell you how many Iraqis
I've interviewed after their homes were raided who complained of
money, jewelry and other belongings being looted by American
soldiers. The Islamic Party released a statement after the release
of Abdul Hamid which said, "The U.S. administration claims it is
interested in drawing Sunnis into the political process but it seems
that their way of doing so is by raids, arrests and violating human
rights."
At least 740 Iraqis have been killed since the new "government" took
power in late April, and with the ongoing operations sparking more
attacks each day, it doesn't look like there is an end in sight.
Keep in mind, the vast majority of the Iraqi security forces are
either Shia or Kurdish battling against a primarily Sunni resistance
(for now). It can easily be argued that we are witnessing a
US-backed Iraqi government who is deliberating using its power to
wage a civil war.
On that note, today Major General Ahmed al-Barazanchi, a Kurdish man
who was the director of internal affairs of Kirkuk province died
this morning after being shot yesterday.
My sources in Baghdad also said there have been fierce clashes today
in the al-Amiriya district of Baghdad between resistance fighters
and Iraqi and US soldiers. "Open gun battles in the streets," as one
friend told me, "And as soon as the Iraqi and US soldiers leave the
area, the resistance takes it back over."
Keep in mind that all of this is against the backdrop of well over
50% unemployment, horrendous traffic jams, and an infrastructure in
shambles that continues to degrade with next to no reconstruction
occurring in Baghdad.
"Electricity shut offs drive us crazy in this hot summer," one of my
friends wrote me recently, "Even we can't read at night because of
long hours of electricity cuts and because the outside generators
can't withstand running these long hours and we have to turn these
generators off for some time to cool them!"
He continues, "Two years of occupation...for God sake where is the
rebuilding, where the hell are these billions donated to Iraq? Even
not 1% improvement in services and electricity! They say again and
again the terrorists are to blame and I would accept this, but why
they do not protect these facilities? Do the American camps have
cuts of electricity? No, no, and nobody will allow this to
happen...but poor Iraqis, nobody would be sorry for them if they
burn with the hell of summer, small kids and old men they get
dehydrated because no electricity, no cold water, etc. Have you
heard about the tea that is mixed with iron particles? It is real in
our life. People have to make sure their tea is not mixed with iron
by use of magnets."
He concluded his email with, "Things are getting worse day by day.
Iraq has become a country not for its people, every day thoughts
jump into the mind that sooner or later we have to leave this
country, searching for another. And there is a saying, "your home is
where you sleep safe," but this is not true in Iraq anymore."
He sent me that email three days ago.
Yesterday the Iraqi government announced that it may decrease
subsidies for fuel and electricity, despite a severe shortage of
both in the country, according to the electricity minister who
warned Iraqis to prepare for more blackouts this summer.
Ongoing fuel, electricity and drinking water shortages persist, and
only 37% of Iraqis have a working sewage system.
As so many of my Iraqi friends continue to say, "This is the freedom
and democracy that America has brought us."
(c)2004, 2005 Dahr Jamail. More writing, photos and commentary at
dahrjamailiraq.com.
---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*
EMERGENCY GRAND JURY TEACH-IN
Tuesday May 31st @7pm
3030-B 16th Street near Mission
please forward far and wide. thanks!
At least seven local activists have been subpoenaed in the
last week to appear before a federal grand jury convened in
SF. In recent decades, the federal government has
increasingly used the grand jury to intimidate and harass
activists pushing for social justice.
Do you know your rights? Learn what you can do to protect
yourself and your community, and why you should know how
to resist this unjust process.
Speakers:
Mark Vermeulen ˆThe National Lawyers Guild
Claude Marks ˆFreedom Archives
Anita Carswell -Former grand jury resister
& Local activists with grand jury experience
ACTIVISTS ARE ORGANIZING RESISTANCE
COME SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY!
Check indybay.org for upcoming demonstrations.
Modern-Day Witch Hunts Must End!
As government repression in general increases, so does the
use of the federal grand jury to intimidate, incarcerate
and render impotent
activists across social movements. In recent years,
pressure on the animal rights, environmental justice,
anti-war and anarchist movements has increased
exponentially. At a recent hearing before the Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works, John E. Lewis,
Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division
of the FBI, testified that,
„Investigating and preventing animal rights extremism and
eco-terrorism is one of the FBI‚s highest domestic
terrorism priorities.‰
Links for more information about grand juries:
Just Cause Law Collective:
www.lawcollective.org Go to the „grand juries‰ section.
http://www.lawcollective.org/article.php?id=46
No Compromise: www.nocompromise.org
Go to „Issue Archive‰ #22 fall 2003
http://www.nocompromise.org/issues/22grandjury.html
http://www.nocompromise.org/issues/22gj-lindsay.html
The National Lawyers Guild
http://www.nlg.org 212-679-5100 ext.12
Bay Area phone# 415-285-1041
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Hundreds gather to denounce cross burnings
5/27/2005 9:18 AM
By: Shelvia Dancy & Web Staff
http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=69845&SecID=2
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