Peace Perspectives
August 24th, 2010
Operation New Dawn
In the week since the much publicized withdrawal of "combat" troops from Iraq it has become more evident that the Iraq War continues under a new name: "Operation New Dawn."
The first confusion came from the Department of Defense. Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said shortly after the "end" of the war, "I don't think anybody has declared the end of the war as far as I know. Counter-terrorism will still be part of their mission." He said the more than 50,000 remaining troops will be well armed and that among their responsibilities will be counter-terrorism which will mean taking on Islamist militants in combat situations. The former head of the Central Command who had been in charge of military operations in Iraq echoed the Pentagon sentiments when Petraeus told CBS News, "We're not leaving" Iraq and that the troops remaining behind will have "an enormous capability."
To make matters worse, General Ray Odierno said it was possible that U.S. combat troops would return to Iraq if the security situation worsened. Odierno also said that he was certain the U.S. would consider staying in Iraq after 2011 if invited. There is more talk of the U.S. staying beyond the 2011 deadline for withdrawal of all troops. Iraq's top military officer said last week that American forces may be needed for another decade, something to which Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the U.S. is open.
And sadly, the war's "end" does not mean an end to deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. An American soldier was killed in a rocket attack in southern Iraq on Sunday, the U.S. military said, marking the first American fatality since the last "combat" unit in Iraq pulled out of the country. The military did not provide a lot of information on what the soldier was doing but said he was conducting operations in Iraq's southern province of Basra.
It also does not mean an end to deployments of new troops to Iraq. Five peace activists blockaded six buses carrying Fort Hood Soldiers deploying to Iraq. The buses were slowed to a halt; while police made no arrests, they forced the activists out of the street using automatic weapons and police dogs so the deploying soldiers could proceed.
In addition to soldiers remaining in Iraq, the country remains in miserable condition. Foreign Policy in Focus reports: "Iraq has between 25 and 50 percent unemployment, a dysfunctional parliament, rampant disease, an epidemic of mental illness, and sprawling slums. The killing of innocent people has become part of daily life." They also report that half the urban residents in Iraq live in slums, up from 20% before the U.S. invasion.
But the deception continues. President Obama is planning a speech on Iraq when he returns from summer vacation. Reportedly the speech will highlight Obama keeping his promise to end the war.
Please join me in writing President Obama and urging him to level with the American people. Tell him the disaster Iraq continues to be and that more than 100,000 U.S. troops and mercenaries remain, continuing to engage in combat and continuing to die. Let him know that Americans can handle the truth and do not want to be lied to. You can send a letter by clicking here.
August 18th, 2010
Join Peace Events Nationwide
President Obama is claiming an end to the war in Iraq. His end will mean 50,000 troops remaining and at least that many private troops, mercenaries. While the troops are no longer engaged in "combat" they will be "fighting terrorism." And, there is more and more talk of U.S. troops remaining much longer. As you can see the end of the war seems to mean the continuation of it. The peace movement is coming together to point out the incomplete truth of the end of the Iraq War. The U.S. media is reporting on the claims by the White House without any criticism or commentary that it is not really an end to the war, but the continuation of it under new rhetoric.
You can see a list of events occurring around the country on the website of our colleagues at CODE PINK. Click here to see list. Please let us know if you are planning a local event so it can be added to the list. And, if you can participate in any of the events listed, please do so. It is important for the peace movement to get out the word - the Iraq War is not ending, more than 100,000 U.S. troops and mercenaries are still in Iraq, still fighting the war.
August 3rd, 2010
Peace Activists Rally in Quantico Base to Support Whistleblower Bradley Manning
It is important for peace advocates to stand with military whistle blower Bradley Manning. I wrote about the importance of this here: http://votersforpeace.us/press/index.php?itemid=4522
Our allies at Code Pink are planning a rally to support Manning who is not being held at the Quantico Marine Corps base. More details are below. Please join them and show your support.
Contact: Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK 415-235-6517
medea[at]globalexchange[dot]org
Peace Activists Rally in Quantico Base to Support Whistleblower Bradley Manning
Manning held in Quantico Brig, facing 52 years in prison, for exposing war crimes
What: Rally in Support of Whistleblower Bradley Manning
When: Sunday, August 8, noon
Where: Quantico Marine Corps Base where Manning is being held in pre-trial confinement; we will meet at the Amtrak station in Quantico
Private First Class Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old intelligence analyst stationed in Iraq, stands accused of disclosing a classified video depicting American troops in Iraq shooting civilians from an Apache helicopter in 2007. Eleven people were killed, including two Reuters employees, and two children were critically injured. No charges have been filed against the soldiers who did the killing.
News sources have also speculated about Manning's involvement in the leak of over 90,000 secret documents (collectively known as the Afghanistan "war logs") made public by WikiLeaks on July 25.
"No top-level officials in the Bush and Obama administrations have been held accountable for their roles in dragging us into the Iraq war on the basis of lies or for potential war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. But whistleblower Bradley Manning sits in jail in Quantico, facing up to 52 years in prison," says Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK: Women for Peace. "It's totally unjust and that's why we're going to Quantico to call for Manley's release."
The whistleblower behind the Vietnam era's Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, has called Mr. Manning a hero. "I admire the courage of Bradley Manning for sacrificing himself to make the public aware of the futility of the war in Afghanistan," says Ellsberg.
"Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime," says former Marine Corporal Jeff Paterson of Courage to Resist, a group raising funds for Manning's legal fees.
July 22nd, 2010
Stand With Military Whistleblower Bradley Manning
By Kevin Zeese, Executive Director
The news from Afghanistan and Iraq is not good. Americans are not even told all the news - especially when it concerns abuses and war crimes committed by the U.S. military.
Those who oppose war and militarism need to stand with people like Bradley Manning, the 22-year old Army private who believed he saw war crimes being committed by the U.S. military. He shared the information so the American public could know what the U.S. military was doing. The most famous leak from Manning was the "Collateral Murder" video shared on the Wikileaks.org website. The video he reportedly leaked showed a U.S. military Apache helicopter attack killing a dozen civilians and wounding two children.
Manning allegedly leaked hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and emails that have yet to be published. He said that the documents showed horrible "crimes." His goal in releasing them was to "hopefully [spark] worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms; if not . . . we're doomed as a species." His goal was for "people to see the truth
regardless of who they are
because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public."
Now Manning is being held in custody in a prison in Kuwait, without access to private legal counsel and facing 52 years in prison. The video he allegedly released started a much-needed discussion about the horrible truth about the killings that U.S. wars entail. He is a national hero similar to whistle blowers like Daniel Ellsberg who exposed the truth of the Vietnam War. He deserves our support.
Take action now to write President Barack Obama with copies to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates calling for the release of Private Manning and allowing him access to civilian legal counsel. We need to remind President Obama that he promised transparency in government and prosecuting whistleblowers is the opposite of what he promised. Recently President Obama highlighted civilian control of the military when he fired General McChrystal, but civilian control in a democracy means an informed electorate that knows what its government is doing and can hold elected officials accountable. Civilian control of the military means the people control the military in a representative democracy. Click here to write the President.
These wars, fought with corporate mercenaries, are killing civilians at very high levels and undermining U.S. security. Secrecy allows illegal actions to continue in our name. The importance of citizens like Manning and organizations like Wikileaks becomes more evident when the behavior of the corporate media is noted. For example, the Washington Post's David Finkel reportedly had possession of the Apache helicopter video two years ago but never released it to the public. Wars are able to hide behind the protection of a media that is too willing to not report their crimes. This is one example of many of corporate media cover-up that show the need for others to force transparency so the public knows what is being done in its name.
Join us in calling for the release of Bradley Manning. And, if you want to take additional action, please visit www.BradleyManning.org.
July 14th, 2010
U.S. Peace Movement to Meet in Albany
You're invited! Hundreds of people will be gathering in Albany, N.Y., July 23-25 to decide how best to strengthen the movement to end the carnage and destruction resulting from wars and occupations. Learn more and register http://www.nationalpeaceconference.org
June 29th, 2010
All-out against war funding!
The Afghan War is becoming less and less popular with only 37% of Americans supporting the war. More are seeing the war as a quagmire that is ineffective in stabilizing Afghanistan, fails to protect U.S. security and drains massive resources that the U.S. does not have. The House leadership hopes to rush $33 billion in new war funding through by this weekend.
In the midst of the firing of General Stanley McChrystal, reports of a war going badly, and an economy in collapse, the House of Representatives is considering giving $33 billion more for war. The leadership of the Democrats hopes to approve the funding by the July 4th recess. There are growing concerns among many in Congress about deficit spending and about the direction of the war, so while approval of this funding is likely, it is not a sure thing. If the war funding is combined with an unemployment and jobs bill, as is one possibility, the democrats will need near unanimous support to push the war funding through.
Please take action today to write and call your representative. Click here to send an email to your Representative in the House. The Capitol Hill switchboard is (202) 224-3121. Please call and email today.
The Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to determine whether to go to war and whether war should be funded. This constitutional responsibility gives Congress the power to end the war. Urge your Representative to stop war funding. The quagmire of Afghanistan can be ended by the House of Representatives taking their responsibility seriously, looking at the facts, and recognizing that U.S. involvement in Afghanistan is doing more harm than good. Tell Congress to represent the people - a majority of whom oppose the Afghanistan War.
The Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, David Obey, has the power to single-handedly block funding to escalate the war in Afghanistan. Currently he is doing so by refusing to advance the funding unless schools and jobs are funded. Call him every day to thank him and ask him to reject war escalation funding even if jobs and teachers are funded. Rep. Obey's number is (202) 225-3365.
No doubt it is an uphill battle to stop war funding. The process of building opposition is critical to our success. Americans need to consistently let their representatives know that funding war, especially at a time when so many domestic necessities are unfunded, is opposed by the voters. Opposition to the Afghanistan War is growing and will continue to grow. Elected officials consistently hear from those in the military industrial complex who support war; they need to hear from us as well.
Consistent, ongoing, and informed citizen action is an essential ingredient to challenging the continuation of the Afghanistan War. Please use this opportunity to write and call your representative now.
Thanks for your continued support (click here to donate now).
June 4th, 2010
While Protests Against Israel Continue, It Is Time to Urge Positive Change
The Israeli interception of a flotilla bringing food and medicine to Gaza has created a firestorm of protest and analysis. The situation has the potential to escalate as the Irish ship, Rachel Corrie (named after a U.S. citizen killed while protesting the destruction of a Palestinian home by bulldozers), is heading toward Gaza with an expected conflict with Israel on Friday. And, more boat shipment of aid are being planned.
Protests are occurring throughout the world, but more and more people are hoping this crisis leads to a renewed effort for peace. I am writing to you today to urge you to push the United States to advocate peace in the Middle East by making a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict a top priority.
While the people of Gaza are suffering under the blockade with independent reports of increased poverty and other challenges, the people of Israel feel threatened by rockets from Gaza. The ongoing efforts to bring aid to Gaza will not solve the crisis in that area, but it does highlight the serious problems both the people of Gaza and Israel face.
President Obama needs to use this crisis as an opportunity to push both sides to the table and forge a real peace for the Palestinians and Israelis. Making this a priority and accomplishing peace between the Palestinians and Israelis will fulfill the hope of the peace prize he was awarded last year. Write President Obama and urge him to push for peace.
We're not providing a form letter as for many this is too personal an issue for us to speak for you. We hope you will use your own words, your own emotional reaction to this crisis, to urge real solutions to the underlying problems. Even a brief letter of one or two sentences makes a difference. Please use your voice to push for peace.
June 4th, 2010
Ongoing Emergency Protests Over Israel Attack on Gaza Humanitarian Mission
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF EMERGENCY PROTESTS
May 31, 2010
Waking up to the horrible story from Israel about the attack on a flotilla of civilians bringing aid to Gaza was a depressing way to begin Memorial Day.
I've read statements criticizing the attack from many governments and many Jewish organizations. The only good that can come out of this tragedy is the hot spotlight of public opinion on Israel's actions -- not only last night but their ongoing actions against the people of Gaza, their illegal settlements and other actions that continue the occupation of Palestinian territories. Hopefully, public opinion around the world and within Israel will lead to major change in Israeli policy and real efforts in making peace between Israel and Palestine, including a viable Palestinian state and secure Israel.
Below is a statement from one of the voices I tend to agree with on matters related to Israel -- Jewish Voice for Peace. It announces emergency demonstrations around the country and deplores the actions of Israel.
Kevin Zeese
Executive Director
Jewish Voice for Peace condemns Israel's attack and killing of members of the Freedom Flotilla aiming to bring much needed aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Before the flotilla was attacked, Yigal Palmor, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, said,
"If we let them throw egg at us, we appear stupid with egg on our face. If we try to prevent them by force, we appear as brutes."
Israel has more than egg on its face. Israel has blood on its hands. At least 10 passengers have been killed by Israel and about 30 wounded in international waters. This is just another deadly escalation of Israel's harsh repression of nonviolent protests against the occupation, paid with American tax-dollars.
The White House has stated that it "deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained, and is currently working to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragedy." This is not enough.
We should not lose sight of the original intent of the flotilla: to bring aid and relief to the Gaza Strip, still under siege.
Join local activist in your area
CLICK HERE FOR LIST OF EMERGENCY PROTESTS
May 12th, 2010
Call-in week on Afghanistan
'When we understand that slide, we'll have won the war:' US generals given baffling PowerPoint
presentation to try to explain Afghanistan mess - Mail Online
This month, Congress will decide whether to fund continued escalation of the war when they consider a $33 billion appropriation, even as confidence in the Obama administration strategy in Afghanistan diminishes.
I urge you to be part of national call-in days being organized by a coalition of anti-war organizations. Please call your senators and representative in the House and ask them to vote against escalating the Afghanistan war. Call 202-224-3121. Tell them it is time to reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan, not increase them. It is time to stop pouring billions of borrowed dollars into a failed and unnecessary war - dollars the U.S. needs to borrow at a time of record debt.
Also ask your elected representatives to support H.R. 5015, Redeployment of U.S. Troops from Afghanistan, and its sister bill in the Senate, S. 3197. These bills would require the President to provide a plan and timetable for "the safe, orderly, and expeditious redeployment of US troops from Afghanistan."
We want this war to end as soon as possible. These bills are critical first steps for the U.S. withdrawal effort. Sen. Russ Feingold and Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) are leading this legislative effort. You can see the list of co-sponsors, now more than 80 in the House, by clicking here.
President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan will be in Washington May 10-13. He seeks U.S. permission to negotiate with the Taliban and other armed participants in the war. When you talk with the staff members of your elected representatives, urge them to support negotiations to end the war now.
This summer the U.S. plans to fight in Kandahar, a city of one million people. This will be a deadly attack that will result in the loss of both American and Afghani lives. The administration is hoping to put itself in a stronger negotiating position with this attack. In fact, it will create more enemies in Afghanistan just as similar attacks in other parts of the country have done.
Please take action today and call your elected representatives in Washington. Call 202-224-3121.
Thanks for all you do and if you can support our efforts with a donation, please do so by clicking here now.
April 27th, 2010
April 29 Teach-in on Capitol Hill
Before our representatives dump another $33 billion into escalating a war in Afghanistan, we think they should know what they're doing. Therefore, there will be a . . .
TEACH IN ON CAPITOL HILL
WHAT CONGRESS MUST DO TO END U.S. WARS AND HELP SECURE A PEACEFUL MIDDLE EAST
DESCRIPTION: Educational briefing on the U. S. agenda in the Middle East, its consequences and development of a strategy/plan to withdraw. Emphasis will be on constructive, interactive dialogue among panelists and attendees.
MODERATOR: Representative Dennis J. Kucinich (D - Ohio)
PANELISTS: Chris Hedges, Jeremy Scahill, David Swanson, Ann Wright
DATE: Thursday, April 29, 2010
TIME: 1:45 PM - 4:00 PM
PLACE: Gold Room (2168), Rayburn House Office Building, Independence Ave and C Street SW, Washington, D.C.
ADMISSION: Free and open to the public, the media, members of Congress, and staff
Chris Hedges is a senior fellow at The Nation Institute. He spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has reported from more than 50 countries and has worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The Dallas Morning News, and The New York Times, for which he was a foreign correspondent for 15 years. He has taught at Columbia University, New York University, and Princeton University. He left the Times after being issued a formal reprimand for denouncing the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq. He has written nine books, including "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle," and "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning."
Jeremy Scahill is the author of the international best-seller "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army." He is a frequent contributor to The Nation magazine and a correspondent for the national radio and TV program Democracy Now! He is currently a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute. Scahill has won numerous awards for his reporting, including the prestigious George Polk Award, which he won twice. While a correspondent for Democracy Now!, Scahill reported extensively from Iraq through both the Clinton and Bush administrations. He has appeared on ABC World News, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, CNN, MSNBC, PBS's The NewsHour, Bill Moyers Journal and is a frequent guest on other radio and TV programs nationwide.
David Swanson is the author of "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union." He is a member of the Project Board of Voters for Peace. He holds a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson is Co-Founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ProsecuteBushCheney.org, and Washington Director of Democrats.com, a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, Voters for Peace, and the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, and chair of the Robert Jackson Steering Committee. AfterDowningStreet was named Most Valuable Progressive by the Nation Magazine in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Ann Wright spent thirteen years in the U.S. Army and sixteen additional years in the Army Reserves, retiring as a Colonel. In 1987, she joined the Foreign Service and served as U.S. Deputy Ambassador in Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Afghanistan, and Mongolia. She is a member of the Project Board of Voters for Peace. She received the State Department's Award for Heroism for her actions during the evacuation of 2,500 people from the civil war in Sierra Leone, the largest evacuation since Saigon. She was on the first State Department team to go to Afghanistan and helped reopen the Embassy there in December 2001. On March 19, 2003, the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Wright cabled a letter of resignation to Secretary of State Colin Powell, stating that without the authorization of the UN Security Council, the invasion and occupation of a Muslim, Arab, oil-rich country would be a disaster. She is a member of Veterans for Peace and is the co-author of "Dissent: Voices of Conscience."
SPONSORS: EndUSWars.org, AfterDowningStreet.org, Code Pink: Women for Peace, Democrats.com, Progressive Democrats of America, the Nation, Gray Panthers of Metro Washington, Washington Peace Center, United for Peace and Justice, Office & Professional Employees International Union Local 2, U.S. Labor Against the War, Civilain Soldier Alliance, Seacoast Peace Response, Voters for Peace
CONTACT: Herb Hoffman, 207-646-5431 or pala[at]maine.rr[dot]com
