Monday, June 16, 2014

 
 
Within days or hours, the U.S. may be bombing Iraq again.  John Kerry predicts drone strikes on Iraq. Democracy Now says today, "The U.S.S. George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier has recently arrived in the Persian Gulf. The carrier is accompanied by the U.S.S. Philippine Sea guided-missile cruiser and the U.S.S. Truxtun guided-missile destroyer, both of which carry Tomahawk missiles that can reach Iraq."

It's time to be in the streets in protest, demanding NO further war on Iraq.

President Obama will appear Tuesday evening in Manhattan, where he will see us. Other protests, including tonight at The White House at 5:00 pm, will happen across the country this week.  We urge you to join in.

Some quick and basic reminders to many of you who have been working to stop US attacks for decades, and to some who weren't even alive when this first began:

The U.S. has been overtly trying to control Iraq since 1990 and is responsible for uncounted deaths from bombs, sanctions, occupation, and destruction of the environment by the use of depleted uranium and other toxic weapons. "Kinetic strikes" have always killed mainly civilians.
The current problem is NOT that the U.S. finally withdrew military forces in 2012, but its illegitimate invasions in 1990 and 2003, and its 20+ year aggressive war of sanctions and occupation against a country which never attacked the U.S."The US invasions under both Bushes and the continued occupations under Democrats, both Bill Clinton and Obama, have spawned the sectarian fighting and truly massive suffering in Iraq. Now Obama is trying to drum up support for escalating the U.S.'s war on the Iraqi people in response to the violence that the U.S.'s invasion and occupation have themselves caused." See more in "Iraq: A Point of Orientation" by Dennis Loo, editor of Impeach the President: The Case Against Bush & Cheney
No party in this fight, not the "insurgents," not the Maliki government--paid for by the U.S.--and certainly not the U.S. itself, has "right" on its side.  In reference to ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIL—the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), one of the insurgent groups fighting the Iraqi government (which has been supported by the U.S. for years), Revolution newspaper reported, "This is a reactionary force. In the sizable areas they control, they ban music, force women to wear the niqab—a covering with only a small opening to see through—and terrorize other Muslim sects and non-believers. There are reports coming out of Iraq that ISIS massacred Iraqi soldiers taken prisoner." Read more
We in the U.S. need to make a statement to the world that we oppose any U.S. intervention or military attacks in Iraq.  By exposing and standing against the lies and crimes of the U.S. government in Iraq, led first by Bush and now by Obama, we can make a difference in how people see what's going on.
See Raed Jarrar today on Democracy Now, who says that, whatever you name it, from the Iraqi perspective, U.S. military strikes on Iraq will not bring a solution.  He says that almost everyone fighting in the country is an Iraqi, and "The U.S. has historically been part of the problem" and U.S. intervention will only bring more violence.
Debra Sweet will be on Fight Back! radio tonight, June 16, at 8:30 pm EST with Bob Fitrakis, editor of the Columbus Free Press and Executive Director of the Institute for Contemporary Journalism. Listen and call in at 877 932 9766.
executive director of the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism and editor of the Columbus Free Press. - See more at: http://talktainmentradio.com/shows/fightback.html#sthash.wCamwSXg.dpuf
executive director of the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism and editor of the Columbus Free Press. - See more at: http://talktainmentradio.com/shows/fightback.html#sthash.wCamwSXg.dpuf

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World Can't Wait Conversation

This Thursday, June 19
10pm Eastern / 7pm Pacific

Topic for discussion: Iraq, Syria -- What is going on? What are the "interests of the United States" as defined by Obama, and what are our interests in this situation? 

Register for dial-in info.
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— CALENDAR —

Monday June 16 5:00 pm
Washington DC
Protest against possible U.S. bombing of Iraq.  Sponsored by Code Pink.  The White House

Tuesday June 17 5:30 pm New York City Protest against possible US bombing of Iraq when President Obama appears at Democratic Party fund-raiser.  Gotham Hall 1356 Broadway between 36th/37th.

Thursday June 19 7:00 pm
New York City An Evening for Chelsea Manning. TheaterLab (357 W 36th St, 3rd Floor, NYC)

Join OR Books and Chelsea Manning's supporters to mark one year since she went on trial for leaking the Iraq and Afghanistan war logs to WikiLeaks. Journalists, activists and artists who attended the trial will read from a new graphic book, "The United States vs Private Chelsea Manning: A Graphic Account From Inside the Courtroom"   Facebook event
More protests against ongoing US War on Iraq, Thursday, June 19-Saturday, June 21.  See Emergency Actions Nationwide
Washington DC Sat., June 21, 1PMWhite House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Los Angeles, CA Sat., June 21, 1PM
Pershing Square (Corner of 5th & Hill) Downtown LA
San Francisco, CA Sat., June 21, 12noonCorner of Powell and Market Sts
Sacramento, CA Sat., June 21, 1PM
16th & J Streets
Eureka, CA Sat. June 21, 12 Noon
County Courthouse, 5th & I St.
Fresno, CA Saturday, June 21st, 10am - 1pm
Peace Corner - Blackstone & Shaw
Tallahassee, FL Sat., June 21, 12:30PM
Florida State Capitol 400 South Monroe Street
Chicago, IL Fri., June 20, 5PM, Water Tower
(N. Michigan Ave & Pearson St)
Twin Cities, MN Wednesday, June 18, 5pm
Lake Street/Marshall Ave. bridge between Minneapolis & St. Paul

Albuquerque, NM Fri., June 20, 6PM
UNM Bookstore (intersection of Central & Cornell)
New York, NYTuesday, June 17, 5:30 pm. Outside Democratic Party where Obama is speaking. Gotham Hall 1356 Broadway between 36th and 37th Streets Initiated by World Can't Wait 
Friday, June 20, 6pm Harlem Armed Forces Recruitment Center 76 W. 125th St (2/3 trains)
Philadelphia, PA Thursday, June 19, 4:30pm
15th and Market St.

Debra Sweet, Director, The World Can't Wait

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