The other “Afghanistan Report”

Whose stories are we telling about the war in Afghanistan?   On the day following the White House report on the war in Afghanistan that names the war as a qualified success and calls for the U.S. to “stay the course,” we must lift up the alternative stories and reports of this near-decade of occupation, including yesterday’s Veterans for Peace action at the White House. The other “Afghanistan Report”: The U.S.-led occupation has done nothing to improve the conditions for people in Afghanistan. Lives also continue to be lost in Pakistan largely as a result of unmanned aerial drone attacks in the undeclared U.S. war in the country. Hundreds of Afghan civilians continue to be killed by coalition forces each year under the occupation: According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the 2009 civilian death toll, close to 2,412 civilian deaths, was the highest of any year since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, and an increase of 24% from 2008. There has been a general increase in violence and civilian deaths because of occupation. The current Afghan government is implicated in widespread human rights abuses: A Human Rights Watch Press Alert in 2005 stated that up to 60% of law makers in the lower house of Afghanistan’s newly elected parliament are directly or indirectly connected to human rights abuses. The air-war in Afghanistan has more than tripled since General David Petraeus assumed command over U.S. and NATO troops last summer. Drones strikes in Pakistan have doubled since 2009, with over 100 this year, and lists of drone targets in Pakistan have been expanded. These strikes have killed close to 500 civilians since the rules identifying targets were loosened in 2008. Through the end of November 2010, 455 US troops have died in Afghanistan. The US is spending $120 billion per year on the war, money that is urgently needed at home in our communities and only being used to undermine Afghan democracy and usurp resources that belong to the people of Afghanistan. From the South Asia Solidarity Initiative: “The Afghan people are capable of creating their own democratic future. Progressive groups and democratic parties in Afghanistan are fighting to reconstruct the peace and safety of their country, and more often than not, are forced underground for fear of their safety…It is from these forces that a larger progressive movement will emerge that could play a role in bringing real democracy to Afghanistan. If the United States continues the occupation, the space for progressive forces becomes increasingly limited.” Veterans’ Action for Peace: At the same time that President Obama was announcing the qualified “success” of the war in Afghanistan, hundreds rallied with Veterans For Peace (VFP) at the White House calling on the  administration to “Stop These Wars.” 135 people were arrested, including five Board members from VFP, Daniel Ellsberg, Ray McGovern, Collen Rowley, and Chris Hedges. Check out stopthesewars.org and the VFP website for more information. “We have killed over a million innocent people in these wars and made millions more homeless,” said the former Navy hospital corpsman and VFP President Mike Ferner, adding “Millions of Americans are out of work and literally out in the cold. Clearly, our war economy values empire and death over jobs and real security. We are taking a stand for peace. The troops, mercenaries and drones must come home now!” To find out more about organizing with WRL, contact WRL Organizing Coordinator Kimber Heinz at kimber@warresisters.org.

Join the Online Demonstration for Peace in Korea -Wed 12/1

President Obama is sending the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (carrying 75 warplanes and a crew of over 6000) and other warships for additional war-games with the South Korean military
beginning Sunday, November 28. 

This only escalates the already tense situation on the Korean peninsula and brings us dangerously closer to an all-out war.

And the blogosphere is already full of hate-mongering rhetoric calling
for “retaliation” after the tragic incident on Yeonpyong Island earlier this week.

Two civilians and two South Korean soldiers have died.  We say NO MORE LOST LIVES.

We need all those who stand for peace to call for de-escalation on the Korean peninsula and an immediate end to the U.S.-South Korean war games.

Join the National Campaign to End the Korean War (www.endthekoreanwar.org) in a coordinated “online demonstration”

1. Barrage the White House and State Department with emails and urge
President Obama and State Secretary Clinton to immediately stop the
joint U.S.-South Korean war maneuvers, and sign a Peace Treaty to end
the state of war that has existed for sixty years on the Korean
peninsula-
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
http://contact-us.state.gov

2. Post replies on online media sites and blogs where they are
discussing the issue and beat back the war-mongering rhetoric with
calls for de-escalation and a peaceful resolution.  Refer to the
attached factsheet for talking points.  Some suggested sites are-

www.cnn.com
www.nytimes.com
www.washingtonpost.com
www.huffingtonpost.com
www.npr.org
www.bbc.co.uk
www.news.yahoo.com
www.voanews.com
www.abcnews.go.com
www.foreignpolicy.com

3.  Post links to articles calling for diplomacy on listserves, blogs, facebook-

•       “North Korea’s Consistent Message to the U.S.”
By former President Jimmy Carter in the Washington Post, November 24, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/23/AR2010112305808.html

•       “Retaliation, Retaliation”
by Paul Liem of the Korea Policy Institute, Nov 25, 2010
http://www.kpolicy.org

•       “Crisis in Korea?”
by John Feffer, Co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus in the
Huffington Post, Nov 23,2010
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-feffer/crisis-in-korea_b_787639.html

•       Tim Shorrock
Posted on the Daily Beast.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-11-24/korea-standoff-barack-obama-only-has-one-choice/?cid=hp:mainpromo1

•       Tim Shorrock
on Democracy Now
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/24/tim_shorrock_direct_talks_with_north

•       “A Return Trip to North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Complex”
By Siegfried S. Hecker
http://www.nautilus.org/publications/essays/napsnet/reports/a-return-trip-to-north-korea2019s-yongbyon-nuclear-complex

•       “Review U.S. Policy toward North Korea”
Bob Carlin and John Lewis
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/21/AR2010112102276.html

One Year after Fort Hood: The Missing Story of Muslim Peacemaking

Today, November 5, 2010, marks the one-year anniversary of the Fort Hood shooting, in which former Army psychiatrist Major Nadal Halik Hasan shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, wounding 42 others. As U.S. servicemembers and the families of the victims of this shooting grieved for those who were killed and Americans mourned the loss of life, reports on these crimes riveted the mainstream media. The shootings were certainly newsworthy. The problem is that almost the only time Muslims are featured in the U.S. news media is when a Muslim engages in an act of violence. A one-sided focus on violence committed by some Muslims fuels the racist narrative that “Islam is a religion of violence”—which underwrites the so-called “Global War on Terror.”

In spite of ongoing efforts by many in the Muslim religious community and Muslim-American organizations, the long and vital history of Muslim peacemaking has been lost in the avalanche of reports on Muslims where the mainstream media connects them only with violent extremism. The lack of acknowledgment and recognition in the U.S. of Muslim peacemakers continues to have grave effects on Muslims all over the world as well as those at home in the U.S. In addition, the ongoing hyper-focus by the U.S. state and mainstream media on Islamic militants to the exclusion of those Muslims whose peacemaking efforts oppose militarism of all kinds continues to prop up and justify ongoing U.S.-backed military occupations, including those of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine.

Private First Class Naser Abdo, a 20-year-old Muslim servicemember currently serving in the U.S. Army and seeking Conscientious Objector (C.O.) status on the grounds of Islam, is a Muslim peacemaker. He states, “As I studied Islam and Islam’s commitment to peace, I developed an entirely new perspective on war and conscience… That’s when I realized my conscience would not allow me to deploy.” Pfc. Abdo’s C.O. case still awaits an Army recommendation of discharge from the military based on moral, ethical, and religious objection to all wars. Abdo is facing possible deployment to Afghanistan in spite of his C.O. claim, though Army commanders decided to delay his deployment after he went public with his case. Speaking out as a Muslim, Abdo is against war and has been working with nonviolent antiwar organizations including the War Resisters League and Quaker House in Fayetteville, NC on building public support for his objection to war on the grounds of Islam.

Several Muslim-American organizations in the U.S., such as the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, have been key supporters of Pfc. Abdo’s claim for Conscientious Objector status based on the principles of Islam. In a statement released by this organization in support of Pfc. Abdo, long-time Muslim peacemaker and antimilitarist Ibrahim Ramey states, “We believe that his position is not a product of personal cowardice or disloyalty to his nation, but rather, a coherent expression of his faith and his personal belief in the tenets and laws of the religion of Islam.” In a separate statement, Ramey further underscores the U.S. government and mainstream media blackout of Muslim opposition to militarism: “Major Muslim efforts for peace-making in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other conflict spots are virtually unknown to U.S. news consumers, and even to policy makers. In my opinion, this phenomenon plays into the hands of institutions that seek to permanently militarize the U.S. economy by creating the illusion that Muslims are ‘the enemy’ and must therefore be controlled or eliminated for the sake of ‘democracy.’”

Many other Muslim organizations also attest to the importance of U.S. recognition of Muslim peacemaking efforts. In “An Open Letter to President Obama” sent on the eve of his visit to Egypt to address the Muslim World in May 2009, 1,600 American-Muslim and non-Muslim scholars on the Middle East called on the U.S. government to recognize nonviolent Muslim leaders: “For too long, American policy in the Middle East has been paralyzed by fear of Islamist parties coming to power…However, most mainstream Islamist groups in the region are nonviolent and respect the democratic process.” This letter further urges the U.S. to discontinue its support for violent political regimes in Central Asia and support democracy through peaceful policies: “The United States, for half a century, has frequently supported repressive regimes that routinely violate human rights, and that torture and imprison those who dare criticize them and prevent their citizens from participation in peaceful civic and political activities…There is no doubt that the people of the Middle East long for greater freedom and democracy…What they need from your administration is a commitment to encourage political reform not through wars, threats, or imposition, but through peaceful policies that reward governments that take active and measurable steps towards genuine democratic reforms.”

Despite the ongoing work of Muslim peacemakers and antimilitarists, Muslims living both inside and outside of the U.S. continue to feel the deeply negative effects of the dominant culture’s association of Muslims with terrorism and violence, often referred to as “Islamophobia.” In the U.S. military, Pfc. Abdo experienced a great deal of harassment and discrimination from his fellow servicemembers: “Early in basic training… one soldier repeatedly insulted me and Islam saying, ‘Go pray to your god that doesn’t exist or your pedophile prophet.’…During the training cycle I persistently reassured my comrades that my religion did not make me an enemy of theirs or an enemy of the state. The climax of this harassment occurred when my comrades all made a concerted effort to get me an unwanted discharge because I was not welcome in their ranks.”

These acts mirror the broader U.S. climate of discrimination against Muslims, as evidenced in the media craze surrounding the “Ground Zero Mosque,” otherwise known as the proposed construction of the Park 51 Muslim Community Center in Lower Manhattan. The association of Islam with terror also served to spark the “International Burn-a-Quran Day” controversy out of Gainesville, Florida, which made national headlines on the ninth anniversary of the September 11^th attacks. Just a few short weeks ago, a white New York City passenger named Michael Enright shouted, “Asalamualaykum, consider this a checkpoint!” prior to slashing the throat of Ahmad Sharif, the Muslim cab driver.

Furthermore, U.S.-backed war and occupation has been disastrous for Muslims living all over the world. The Iraq War Logs, which include close to 400,000 classified U.S. Army intelligence documents, were recently released by Wikileaks and include accounts of the violent deaths of 66,081 Iraqi civilians, along with reports by the military that confirm widespread killing and abuse of Iraqi civilians by U.S. military forces and U.S. contractors. The documents also reveal U.S. military instructions from high up the chain of command to ignore detainee abuse by Iraqi authorities. In the U.S.-led counter-insurgency war in Afghanistan, there has been 31% increase in Afghan civilian deaths and a staggering 55% increase in child casualties so far this year as a result of the war, according to the latest statistics from the United Nations. The U.S. is also conducting air strikes and Special Forces operations in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia and is slated to send $3 billion in military aid to Israel for FY2011 in support of its military occupation of Palestine.

The abuse and killing of Muslims isn’t an accidental byproduct of the U.S. military pursuit of a select group of Muslim extremists. It is the direct result and the intended effect of the U.S. government decision to go to war in pursuit of military-backed power in Central and South Asia. When the mainstream media in the US focuses solely on Muslims as violent extremists, it acts to provide a justification for these wars. The direct link made between Islam and terror also provides cover for waging war against a people, not simply targeting a few individuals, because according to this narrative, any Muslim could be a terrorist.

It is for this reason that we as people living in the U.S. must work to undo the deeply harmful effects of this narrative on the lives of Muslims living both in the U.S. and abroad and construct new narratives not premised on the logic of war and imperialism. We must lift up the stories and ongoing work of Muslim peacemakers like Naser Abdo. We must continue to make the connections between the over-amplification of violent acts committed by small groups of Islamic militants and the ongoing need for the U.S. government to attempt to justify unjust war and occupation. In a statement in a press conference earlier last month, Pfc. Abdo was clear in making this connection:

“In reference to ‘Islamophobia’ as it pertains to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan there is much that I have come to understand as a Muslim Conscientious Objector. As a Conscientious Objector, I am morally disinclined to associate terror with Islam as is often the case during routine training exercises…To a soldier, the association of terror and Islam serves the purpose of falsely justifying ones actions in combat by stripping Muslims of their humanity. The association of terror and Islam is what we now refer to as ‘Islamophobia.’…It is as if the U.S. public is just recently following a trend that has been rampant in the military for years. Only when the military and America can disassociate Muslims from terror can we move onto a brighter future of religious collaboration and dialogue that defines America and makes me proud to be an American.”

For more information on Naser Abdo’s case, go to www.freenasserabdo.org.

Also, check out this article that will appear in the Fall issue of Fellowship magazine by Ibrahim Ramey:

http://forusa.org/race-religion-reaction-islam-struggle-american-religious-freedom-equality

For more info on Muslim peacemaking, see also Rabia Harris’s piece “On Islamic Nonviolence” in Fellowship:

http://forusa.org/content/islamic-nonviolence

WRL supports G.I. statement on the Iraq War Logs

Join WRL in supporting Iraq Veterans against the War’s official statement on the release of the Iraq War Logs. The voices and leadership of veterans and servicemembers is crucial for building up nonviolent resistance movements to war and occupation.The main point that the War Logs release delivers loud and clear was that the war in Iraq had nothing to do with building up the voices and participation of the Iraqi people in their government, but rather about systematically denying Iraqis the possibly of participation of any kind through U.S.-backed government repression no different from that suffered under Hussein.

To become a civilian ally supporter of IVAW’s campaign work, check out the Operation Recovery webpage at http://www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery.

IVAW Statement on the Iraq War Logs – A Call for Accountability

The recent Wikileaks release–The Iraq War Logs–has shed important light on the high rate of civilian death and widespread atrocities, including torture, that are endemic to the war in Iraq. As veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are outraged that the U.S. government sought to hide this information from the U.S. public, instead presenting a sanitized and deceptive version of war, and we think it is vital for this and further information to get out. Members of IVAW have experienced firsthand the realities of war on the ground, and since our inception we have spoken out about similar atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are asking the U.S. public to join us in calling on our government to end the occupations and bring our brothers and sisters home.

The U.S. government has been claiming for years that they do not keep count of civilian death tolls, yet the recent releases show that they do, in fact, keep count. Between 2004 and 2009, according to these newly disclosed records, at least 109,032 Iraqis died, 66,081 of whom were civilians. The Guardian reports that the Iraq War Logs show that the U.S. military and government gave de facto approval for hundreds of reports of abuse, torture, rape, and murder by Iraqi soldiers and police officers. These recent revelations, along with the Afghan War Diaries and Collateral Murder footage, weave a picture of wars in which the rules of engagement allow for excessive violence, woven into the fabric of daily life with the U.S. military presence acting as a destabilizing and brutalizing force. The Iraq War Logs, while crucial, are reports produced in real time and themselves may be slanted to minimize the culpability of U.S. forces. Still, they represent an important part of evidence in assessing the reality of the Iraq war, evidence that can only be improved by the further release of documents and information and corroboration by individuals involved. To this end, our members are reviewing both Wikileaks’ Afghanistan War Diaries and the Iraq War Logs to identify incidents we were part of and to shed more light on what really happened.

IVAW has been speaking out about these atrocities and abuses since our inception. Our organization is comprised of over 2,000 veterans and active duty troops who have served since September 11, 2001. We demand immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, reparations for the people of those countries, and full benefits for returning veterans, including mental healthcare. At our March 2008 Winter Soldier hearings in Maryland, more than fifty veterans and active-duty service members publicly testified about the orders they were told to carry out in these countries, sharing stories of excessive violence, trauma, and abuse.

Josh Stieber and Ethan McCord, two IVAW members who were in the unit captured in the Wikileaks “Collateral Murder” video, have spoken out about how the incidents caught on film are not isolated cases of ‘a few bad soldiers’ but rather, part of the nature of these wars. “There has been little accountability in the wars that my friends and I once thought represented everything that was noble about our country,” wrote Stieber in anticipation of the Iraq War Logs. In an open letter, Stieber calls for policy makers to “take accountability for these wars and the full truth about them.” 

As veterans, we know that the violence documented in the Iraq War Logs traumatizes the people living under occupation. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also have been marked by staggering rates of military trauma and suicide among the troops tasked with carrying out these orders. Last year, 239 soldiers killed themselves and 1,713 soldiers survived suicide attempts; 146 soldiers died from high-risk activities, including 74 drug overdoses. A third of returning troops report mental health problems, and 18.5 percent of all returning service members are battling either Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or depression, according to a study by the Rand Corporation. Our Operation Recovery campaign, launched on October 7, seeks to end the cruel and inhumane practice of redeploying troops suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military Sexual Trauma, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other mental and physical wounds–a practice that underlies the continued occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Critics attacking Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s character are attempting to use ad hominem arguments to detract from the real issues and divert public attention from the content of the Iraq War Logs. We urge honest and thorough discussion of the content of these documents, and we think this discussion must not be sidelined. Furthermore, with past Wikileaks revelations, U.S. administration and military authorities were quick to vilify Army Specialist Bradley Manning who is being accused of leaking these documents to the public. Yet we insist that it is the right of the U.S. public to have accurate information about wars that are being fought in our name and funded by our tax dollars, and we support the public sharing of this information. Exposing war crimes is not a crime.

Government deception is inexcusable. Authorities have kept this information secret in the name of ‘national security,’ but what they really are afraid of is public opinion, which they know will turn against them if the truth about these wars gets out in the mainstream. An accurate count of Iraqi dead, acknowledgment of torture, and full disclosure of the role of private contractors are facts that should be made public in a democracy. We believe that real national security is created where government transparency and accountability, free press, and an end to spending on illegal wars and occupations are the norm. Continued silence and secrecy is a grave threat to the security of the Iraqi and Afghan people, and we demand openness, accountability, and real discussion of these revelations.

We grieve for the Iraqi and Afghan lives that were lost and destroyed in these wars. We also grieve for our brothers and sisters in arms, who have been lost to battle or suicide. The Iraq War Logs bring home part of the harsh reality of these wars, a reality that we–as veterans–live with everyday. We demand a real end to both wars, including immediate withdrawal of the 50,000 “non-combat” troops who remain in the Iraq. The Iraq War Logs underscore the urgent need for peace, healing, and reparations for all who have been harmed by these wars. The first step is to bring our brothers and sisters home. 

In Solidarity, 

Iraq Veterans Against the War

NYC Press Conference–9 Years of Occupation and War in Afghanistan

NINE YEARS INTO AFGHAN WAR, U.S. VETERANS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND GLOBAL JUSTICE ACTIVISTS SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Photos available for reproduction at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54613299@N03/sets/72157625115412508/

Listen to the Free Speech Radio News: Activists outline renewed strategy to end nine-year Afghan war

Washington Square News: Protesters rally against war in Afghanistan

Speakers included:

1. Prachi Patankar — South Asia Solidarity Initiative

2. Malalai Joya — elected to National Assembly of Afghanistan in 2005; the “bravest woman in Afghanistan”; chosen for the 2010 “TIME 100“  (audio statement recorded in Canada the day before)

3. David Wildman — United Methodist Church’s Board of Global Ministries; co-author of the book “Ending the U.S. War in Afghanistan“

4. Kimber Heinz — National Organizing Coordinator of War Resisters League

5. Madiha Tahir – journalist reporting from Pakistan; South Asia Solidarity Initiative; Action for a Progressive Pakistan

6. Roger Wareham — Freedom Party of New York State

7. Fatima Hindi — Iraqi refugee organizer based in Chicago

8. Maritza Bravo — Vamos Unidos organizing Latino youth and street vendors

9. Fitzroy Searles — organizer with One Nation Working Together, which mobilized many tens of thousands to Washington DC on Oct 2.

10. Nasser Abdo — U.S. Army Private First Class, and Conscientious Objector [written statement]

11. Selena Coppa — Iraq Veterans Against the War

12. Charles Barron — City Council Member from Brooklyn; candidate for governor, Freedom Party of New York State

13. Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid — Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in Harlem

October 7, 2010, New York, NY —On Thursday morning on the ninth anniversary of the U.S.-NATO invasion of Afghanistan, a cross-section of veterans, community groups, and global justice organizations held a press conference in support of the united message that the ongoing U.S. military presence in Afghanistan is “bad for Afghan people of all genders, bad for U.S. soldiers, and bad for the people of the U.S.”

Former Afghan parliamentarian Malalai Joya issued a statement about the Obama administration’s policy in Afghanistan, citing it as a major cause of the dire situation faced by Afghan women: “During Obama’s [time in] office the death toll increased by 24% as compared to the Bush administration. Their policies are a mirror image of each other. Democracy never comes by occupation forces…by cluster bombs or by white phosphorous. Under the banner of women’s rights, human rights, and democracy they occupied Afghanistan. Today’s situation of women is as catastrophic as it was under the domination of Taliban. Rape cases, acid attacks, killing of women is increasing rapidly.”

Members of the veterans organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) spoke on the day of the national launch of their Operation Recovery campaign, which calls for the right of current servicemembers who are experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Military Sexual Trauma (MST), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or other forms of trauma caused by past or current deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan to refuse future deployments. Published medical studies in 2008 and 2010 estimate that 20-50% of all service members deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan have likely suffered from PTSD. IVAW member and organizer Selena Coppa stated, “Veterans are sick and tired of the never-ending occupations. The U.S. military is strained. We are launching a new campaign defending our traumatized brothers and sisters’ right to heal without being deployed [for another tour].”

IVAW organizers also read a statement from current U.S. servicemember and Conscientious Objector Naser Abdo about Islamophobia in the U.S. that has followed the attacks on 9/11 and its connections to war from the perspective of a Muslim C.O.: “To a soldier, the association of terror and Islam serves the purpose of falsely justifying ones actions in combat by stripping Muslims of their humanity. The association of terror and Islam is what we now refer to as Islamaphobia…it is as if the US public is just recently following a trend that has been rampant in the military for years. Only when the military and America can disassociate Muslims with terror can we move onto a brighter future of the religious collaboration and dialogue that defines America and makes me proud to be an American.”

Madiha Tahir with Action for Progressive Pakistan and the South Asia Solidarity Initiative, spoke as a journalist about her recent trip to Pakistan: “What has gone unacknowledged in the war on what is referred to as ‘Af-Pak’ is that there is a war in Pakistan and that it is a separate war than the war going on in Afghanistan. This war goes unacknowledged here [in the U.S.] but there are very real human costs of it in Pakistan…If the concern of the U.S…is democracy in Pakistan, then it must work with the democratic forces in Pakistan—that means elected representatives and democracy movements.”

Maritza Bravo, with the youth project of Vamos Unidos, a Latino immigrant street vendors organization, spoke about the DREAM act, a proposed piece of legislation that would grant undocumented youth the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning, as a reinforcing the militarization of young people in the U.S. and the escalation of war abroad: “We, the Vamos Unidos youth, do not support the DREAM Act due to the military component. The DREAM Act is a de facto military draft, forcing undocumented youth to fight in unjust wars in exchange for the recognition as human beings, a Green Card.”

City Councilmember Charles Barron and Roger Wareham from the Freedom Party of NY State spoke to the effects of the war in the U.S. and to the value of social movements against war. Wareham stated that much of our resources at home “are being squandered in Afghanistan and Iraq, resources that need to be put back into this economy for the welfare of the majority of the population.” Councilmember Barron stated,”We are living in the richest city in the world yet we have the number one impoverished district in the country. Enough is enough–people need to rise up and say ‘no’ to war, ‘no’ to any forms of invading the privacy of anti-war activists by way of the FBI, [and ‘no’ to] any forms of that suppression of the right of people to rise up in dissent against an unjust and immoral war.”

Fitzroy Searles, youth and Brooklyn-area organizer for the October 2 One Nation Working Together rally in Washington D.C. also pointed to the costs of the war at home from his perspective as an organizer working closely with labor unions in the run-up to October 2: “We all want to see an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only do they cost us in human lives, but they also cost us in valuable resources that could be used here to improve our economy.”

David Wildman, Executive Secretary, Human Rights & Racial Justice, with the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Global Ministries referred to the longer history of U.S. involvement in Afghan politics, linking it to military spending and the current U.S. presence in the country: “The U.S. will devote this year over 100 billion dollars [to Afghanistan]. Almost all of it will go to warfare.  The question that we need to ask today to public officials and the world is–what is that money doing to help the well-being of Afghans? Afghanistan has had thirty years of warfare and, sadly, the United States has contributed almost only weapons in that thirty years.”

Other speakers referred to the official end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq as of September 1, saying that there is still much suffering in Iraq due the past and current presence of U.S. forces. Kimber Heinz, National Organizing Coordinator of the War Resisters League said, “In preparation for next month’s elections, the Obama administration has been trying to turn over a number of new leaves– and to convince the American public that the Iraq war is over and the war in Afghanistan is winnable. Neither is the case…The Obama administration has continued to uphold the U.S. government project of global interventionism and endless war that was brought to a fever pitch during the Bush era.”

Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid, religious and spiritual leader of The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in Harlem, NYC connected the ongoing organizing efforts against the war in Afghanistan to the outcry and demonstrations against the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003: “The antiwar demonstrations that erupted globally before the Iraq war started was the greatest public demonstration of that type in human history. We knew how bad this was going to be.”

Iraqi refugee and Chicago-based organizer Fatima Hindi spoke about her experience as a refugee of U.S. war: “Since the US occupation of Iraq in 2003 the country has been devastated. Millions of refugees have been left without homes, mothers and fathers. I am one of those refugees.”

Many of the groups and individuals who spoke at the press conference gathered later that evening in NYC for a dinner and bridge-building event in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.

Latino Youth Defines DREAM Act as a DeFacto Military Draft

By VAMOS Unidos Youth

We write this statement to raise our voices as Latino youth working and living in the Bronx, New York in opposition to the DREAM ACT as it stands. We demand that we return to our original DREAM ACT that had a community service option instead of a military one. The military has been losing their numbers due to the multiple wars the US has begun. The DREAM ACT would hand us over on a platter to fight these unjust wars. The DREAM ACT has been warped over the years to draft Latino youth into the military, as they need more and more soldiers to fight their wars.

We have been living under harsh conditions. Our communities have been historically underprivileged, with militarized streets, schools that seem more like jails than educational institutions, and poverty that pushes people to desperation and sadness. We have grown up with the trauma of having our family members and friends detained, jailed, and deported. But we are strong and determined, so we keep onwards. We have stood next to our parents as they worked as street vendors, as they were ticketed, arrested, and sometimes assaulted by police for trying to make a living. We, as youth, have also been ticketed and arrested alongside our parents. We have come to understand what it is to be humiliated and then stand and fight for what is right, what is principled, what is just. Our parents’ unrelenting strength to fight for us and their rights have taught us to always stand up for what is right and never sell out.

We have asked ourselves “Is the DREAM ACT an advantage or disadvantage for us as immigrant youth?” Many of us were excited about the possibility of getting documents and finally being able to be recognized as human beings, be able to get a job, an education, and help our families. Along with our teachers and mentors we delved into community organizing and becoming politically conscious. We began learning about our history and our people’s resistance. We then expanded to other cultures and histories and began to appreciate them. We marched side by side with youth from all over the world including South Asia and the Middle East. We saw that within our hearts there was no difference, and enjoyed each other’s company and diversity. Our spirits were momentarily paralyzed when we began learning about the effects of war and how their families and communities had been destroyed. We began to ask ourselves “How can we stop these wars, how can we help?” Our political education allowed us to see through the military propaganda and the army recruiters in our blocks and schools. Speaking to our peers we saw how the military was using them to fight wars that didn’t concern us and killed our friends. This forced us to look at the DREAM ACT a lot closer.

THE DREAM ACT REVEALED

In order to qualify for the DREAM ACT you have to have migrated before the age of 16 and have proof of residence in the United States for five consecutive years since the date of arrival. Also, you have to have graduated from high school or have a GED. This would eliminate many of our older youth, those that did not finish high school, and recent arrivals. You must then complete the following:

1. Serve two years in the military, or;

2. Finish two years of bachelor’s program or higher degree in the US.

What happened to the community service option that the original DREAM ACT contained? Why did our supposed advocates allow for the removal of the community service option? Was it because it became in this form the DREAM ACT became winnable? At what expense?

Two Years of College

The first option on the DREAM ACT is to go to school for at least two years; this is great for people who can afford the high tuition rates. But what about those of us who do not have enough money for the tuition, the books, and personal expenses? Also let’s not forget about our families who have more than one undocumented child who needs to go to school to get their papers.

DREAM ACT proponents say that most people will not go to the military, that they can afford school if we work. Unfortunately those folks are distanced from our realities and don’t understand our economic hardships. We broke down the cost of each year in school without the aid of Pell Grants or Financial Aid for attending two years of a four years University; our calculations were the following for a university in Ohio, which does not allow in-state tuition for undocumented students:

Cleveland State University: Out of State

* 12 Credit Hours – $7,884.00 X 2 = 1 Year = $15,768.00 X 2 years = $31,536.00

* Expenses for Students Living at Home with their Parents = $6,568.00 X 2 years = 13,136.00

* GRAND TOTAL = $44,672.00

Only 10 states allow for undocumented students to pay for in-state tuition. The majority of undocumented youth would have to pay amounts as stated in the example above. We are lucky to be in New York as it is one of the states that allow undocumented youth to apply for in-state tuition. At the same time we understand that by accepting the terms under the DREAM ACT most youth would not have the same opportunity we do here in New York. Undocumented youth in states like North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, New Mexico would be forced to take the military option in large numbers as they would not be able to pay the high prices of education. For this reason we do not support the DREAM ACT.

Two Years of Military Requirement

We, the VAMOS UNIDOS YOUTH, do not support the DREAM ACT due to the military component. The fact that it has been introduced as a defense appropriation bill adds insult to injury. The DREAM ACT is a de facto military draft, forcing undocumented youth to fight in unjust wars in exchange for the recognition as human beings, a Green Card. This is a trick by the politicians, Democratic Party, and DC immigration advocates. The same way many supposed “advocates” for immigrant rights sold out the community with Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR), they now sell us out with the DREAM ACT. We stand against any militarization- whether it is of the border, our communities, or our status. We will not kill innocent people in exchange for Green Cards.

Our parents have firmly stated in their fight for immigration reform, “We will not accept papers tainted with the blood of our people still crossing the border and dying,” in regards to CIR and it’s militarization of the border component. We say the same “We will not be used for the wars of the corporations and the rich in any part of the world in exchange of blood-stained immigration papers.”

We make a call out to all community organizations and allies to stand firmly on what is principled, against the DREAM ACT if it contains the military provision. Our fight will not be won in one or two years. We are prepared to organize our communities and struggle for many years. We cannot negotiate out our lives, our dignity, and the lives of others. We must rethink our strategies and take control away from the DC immigration advocates which have shown us they don’t have our interest. They have watered down good legislation at a very high cost to the community. Our communities need to decide and take control. We stand with our brothers and sisters affected by wars; we feel their pain and desperation. We will not be used to decimate other countries and their people. Thus, we stand together against the DREAM ACT with the militarization component and fight for what is principled, even if it takes us a very long time.

In Solidarity, VAMOS UNIDOS YOUTH

vamosunidos@gmail.com

VAMOS Unidos: Vendedores Ambulantes Movilizando y Organizando en Solidaridad (Street Vendors Mobilizing and Organizing in Solidarity), is a Bronx, NY, community-based social justice organization founded by low-income Latina/Latino immigrant street vendors.

March for Justice on October 2!

What: One Nation Working Together
Who: A broad-based national coalition of labor, racial and economic justice groups, community organizations, and antiwar organizations.
Where: Washington D.C. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
When: Saturday, October 2

Dear fellow War Resisters,

As the U.S. expenditure on war is at an all-time high of over $700 billion per year, the people of the U.S. are enduring the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. This is having a devastating  effect on our communities, with half of our tax dollars going to support wars and not human needs, and increased militarism at home and at our borders. It is clear that these wars are not good for anyone–not the people living in the countries we’re occupying, not the troops who are fighting these imperialist wars, and not the people of the U.S.

War Resisters League and other antiwar groups are organizing important new partnerships to end war and slash the bloated and immoral U.S. military budget. One Nation Working Together is a historic coming together of movements for peace and justice, initiated by groups including the NAACP, 1199 SEIU, the National Council of La Raza, Green for All, Center for Community Change, and the United States Student Association. We need your support to strengthen our movement and bring peace activists to the October 2nd One Nation Working Together demonstration.

On October 2, peace activists will march on Washington D.C., joining civil rights, labor, immigrant justice, environmental and other progressive organizations to demand:

• Jobs and economic recovery
• Cuts in military spending to fund human needs
• Peace abroad and renewable energy at home

War Resisters League is a member organization of the Peace Table for October 2, bringing local and national peace organizations to this massive demonstration to counter racist, classist, and anti-immigrant attacks from the right and to unify a majority of the people of the U.S. around an inspiring vision of our nation based on principles of peace and social justice.

Members of the War Resisters League are headed to Washington D.C. on October 2nd. Will you be there?

Join WRL along with peace and social justice organizations from all over the country and stand with the rest of the people around the world in calling for justice, not just for the people of the U.S., but for all people, an end to U.S. wars and occupations, and the defunding of the military budget.

If you plan on going, please let us know! WRL members will be joining with many other antiwar groups that day to march in solidarity with those most affected by militarism. We would love for you to march with us! Send an email to kimber@warresisters.org or call 212-228-0450 Ext. 12.

Check out the completely redesigned website of the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee at www.nwtrcc.org

Now it’s easier than ever to…
· Find answers to questions about how to refuse to pay for war and the consequences
· Discover personal stories of those who have stood up to the IRS and said “NO!”
· Locate a resistance counselor in your area
· Order resources online that assist you in keeping your taxes away from the Pentagon
· Find notices of upcoming gatherings or workshops
· Uncover articles, radio, video stories of war tax resisters from the media

You’ll also find dates for screenings of the film Death and Taxes.

Check it out today – www.nwtrcc.org

International Days of Action in Solidarity with Bradley Manning, September 16-19th

Support Bradley Manning!

Oakland, California, USA

Thursday, September 16th, 7-9pm

Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street, Oakland CA (Between Telegraph and Broadway)

Speakers:

DANIEL ELLSBERG, Pentagon Papers whistle-blower
COL. ANN WRIGHT (ret.), former US diplomat
RAY MCGOVERN, former CIA analyst
AIMEE ALLISON, author and KPFA Morning Show Host

Wikileaks “Collateral Murder” video screening

This event will be webcast live and made available at michaelmoore.com.

Presented by Courage to Resist, with the help of National Lawyers Guild Bay Area Military Law Panel, Veterans for Peace-Bay Area Chapter, CodePink, War Resisters League-West, Iraq Veterans Against the War-Bay Area, and BAY-Peace.

The Bradley Manning defense fund is hosted by Courage to Resist in collaboration with the Bradley Manning Support Network. $5 requested donation at the door for event expenses, with a pitch during the event for the Bradley Manning defense effort.

Wheelchair accessible via the 411 28th Street entrance. For more info, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Courage to Resist at +1 510-488-3559 or courage(at)riseup.net

New York, New York

September 26th, 7pm

Where: St. Mary’s Church (521 West 126th Street)

What: Screening of Collateral Murder

Speakers: Ethan McCord (Member of “Collateral Murder” Unit)

and Matthis Chiroux (Iraq War resister)

Contact: debra@worldcantwait.net

Elaine Brower – (917) 520-0767

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Sunday, September 18th at 4pm

What: Rally for Bradley Manning! Sponsored in part by Veterans for Peace

Where: In front of 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA (MIT building with the dome.)
More info:   t.ben. thompson@ gmail. com

Corvallis, Oregon

Where: Benton Country Courthouse, Corvallis, OR, 97330
When: Friday September 17, 2010 at 5 PM
What: Rally for Bradley Manning! Supported by Veterans for Peace
More info: leahbolger. comcast. net

Keene, New Hampshire

Where: Keene town commons
When: 11:00am, Saturday September 18th

NH Peace Action, in conjunction with the Keene weekly vigil and organizers from the Free State Project are organizing a state-wide vigil.

Featured speaker: Jim Chappelow
Jim Chappelow served as an infantryman in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace. Jim moved to New Hampshire in 2007 as part of the Free State Project.

More information: will@ nhpeaceaction. org

Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Where: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
When: September 16th
More info: aessif@ utk.edu

Los Angeles, California, USA

Where: Top of the Santa Monica Pier (Palisades Park, just north of the pier at the cannon)
When: Sunday, September 19th, 1pm-3pm
More info: tulipsmalloy@aol.com

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Global Days of Action in Support of Bradley Manning
Twin Cities Rally & Public Screening of Collateral Murder

Friday, September 17th
Rally: 4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Collateral Murder Video Screening: 5-6 p.m. (Indoors)
Location: Mayday Bookstore – 301 Cedar Avenue – Minneapolis

Join us on Friday, September 17th for a rally to urge the United States government to drop the charges against Bradley Manning. Along with the rally, we will also be hosting a public showing of the WikiLeaks classic, Collateral Murder. We have reserved the bookstore from 5-6 p.m. for indoor viewings of Collateral Murder and short statements from local anti-war activists and groups. For those who prefer to stay outside the entire time, we will have signs, petitions to sign, and literature to pass out from 4:30 onwards at the nearby plaza.

Are you a local peace activist or organization? If you would like to sign on or issue your own statement in support of Bradley Manning, let us know. Email: smilyus@msn.com

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

When: Friday September 17, 2010, 4 PM
Where: 59 Elm Street, New Haven, CT 06510. In front of Rosa DeLauro’s office.
What: War Moratorium Vigil in honor of Bradley Manning, sponsored by the Greater New Haven Peace Council
More info: grnhpeacecouncil2@gmail.com

Norfolk, Virginia, USA

When:  Friday, September 17, 2010, 11:30am-1pm
Where: Granby St. & City Hall Ave., Norfolk, VA
What: Vigil for Bradley Manning!  Holding signs, pass out flyers and blow whistles calling for charges to be dropped against Manning, and to support his exposing of war crimes. Sponsored by the Norfolk Catholic Worker
More info: willbaggs2002@yahoo. com

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Sponsor: Oklahoma Center for Conscience (centerforconscience.org). Friday, September 17 from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Location: SE Corner of S. 59th and Western Avenue, Oklahoma City

We will be doing a(nother) demo for Bradley in Oklahoma City. The third Friday is our regular day for our monthly peace vigil, but we will dedicate this one to awareness and calls for freedom for Bradley. We hope to again have some old friends of Bradley’s from Crescent join us. (Contact: Rena at Center for Conscience)

After the demo, some of us will go to the nearby Mexican restaurant, Cocino de Mino.

Quantico, Virginia, USA

Sunday, September 19, 2010

11:30 a.m., Town of Quantico Municipal Park (River Road and 4th Avenue). Drivers will need to present valid drivers license, and we do have a permit for the rally from the mayor Quantico.

IVAW, Code Pink, and other area activists will have a rally, anti-war veterans will speak. We have Bradley manning whistles — so you can be a whistleblower, too!

Details: There will be a fundraiser/social Sept. 16th, 6:30 p.m., at the Mott House located at Maryland Avenue and First Street NE for those wishing to engage in the door-to-door peace mission. Carpooling will be organized, and the Amtrak also goes to Quantico. To sign up for carpooling and/or know about future Quantico events, contact Pete Perry, pete4peace (at) gmail  (dot) com

Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Date: Thursday September 16th, 2010
Time: 5 PM
Location: South Broadway & 2nd Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55902
Details: Peace Happening in Support of Bradley Manning! Sponsored by the Southeastern Minnesota Peace Makers
Learn more: www.semnap.org

San Diego, California, USA

San Diego event poster

Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010
Location: Horton Plaza, 4th & Broadway (See: http://westfield.com/hortonplaza/)
Rally: 12 PM-2PM
Will include a screening of Collateral Murder
Sponsored by: Activist San Diego, San Diego Peace and Justice Coalition, (Contact: Gabe C.)

San Francisco, California, USA

San Francisco event flyer

Date: Saturday, September 18, 2pm.
Time: 2pm rally, 3pm march. 4pm end at Union Square.
Location: in front of the SF War Memorial Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California.
Details: March and rally: Free Bradley Manning. Blowing the whistle on war crimes is not a crime!

Organized by Courage to Resist, Veterans for Peace-SF Bay Area, ANSWER Coalition, Bay Area United for Peace and Justice, and CodePink.

More info: 510-488-3559,  couragetoresist.org

Seattle/Fort Lewis, Washington, USA

Date: Saturday, September 18, 2010. Time: 2-4 pm
Location: “Freedom Bridge” and gate area at I-5 exit 122 (Madigan Hospital exit).
More information: projectsafehaven [at] hotmail [dot] com

Details: Greater Seattle Veterans For Peace (VFP 92) is organizing a Bradley Manning support rally at Fort Lewis, Washington for Saturday, September 18. VFP members and friends from around the region will show up blowing whistles and carrying signs that say “Blow the Whistle on War Crimes.” We will be reaching out to the GI’s, giving them “goody bags” with cookies, copies of Sir, No Sir!, and stickers that say “Whistle While You Work,” and give links to VFP and IVAW websites. We want the GI’s to know it is their duty to expose war crimes, and that we will back them up when they do.

Spokane, Washington, USA

Date: Thursday, September 16, 12:00 noon
Location: Corner of Wellesley and Division
What: Rally
More information: Cindy, quest2108 [at gmail [dot] com

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Contact: Charlotte S.)

Date: Sunday, September 19, 2010. Time: 12:00 noon.
Location: US Consulate, University Avenue
More information: Charlotte S., +1 416-253-6784

Protest nuclear warhead test launch tomorrow!

Protest September 14, 11:55 pm (midnight) missile launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base:

NOTE 09/14/10: THIS LAUNCH AND PROTEST HAVE BEEN CANCELED– More info to come!

Join the protest of the test launch of a Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) thermo-nuclear warhead delivery system from Vandenberg Air Force Base Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Uphold the good faith of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty!

Come to the front gate of Vandenberg Space Command / Air Force Base (across from Vandenberg Middle School, six miles north of Lompoc on Highway 1 in Santa Barbara County, CA )

See  www.vandenbergwitness.org or  www.macgregoreddy.com or call 831 206 5043 for details, or email macgregoreddy@gmail.com

Sponsored by

War Resisters League

United for Peace and Justice: Disarmament Working Group,

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom,

Western State Legal Foundation,

Nevada Desert Experience and many others.

From Nor. Cal. Charter bus !  Comfortable Green Tortoise  round trip available from Oakland with stops in San Jose and Salinas down and back.

Students, you can sleep on the bus!

Also check out Democracy Now’s coverage of the 14 antiwar activists who held a ten-day vigil outside of the Creech Air Force base in Indian Springs, Nevada last year:

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/9/13/activists_go_on_trial_in_nevada

For  more info on the pre-trial rally and support for those going to trial, contact WRL member Jim Haber at 415-828-2506 or read about it on the website of Nevada Desert Experience or Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

IVAW Women’s Retreat this weekend!

Dear Supporters,

My name is Joyce Wagner. I am a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and I am a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. This Labor Day, IVAW women will hold our first ever retreat in support of women veterans.

Your donation today will help us make this important gathering happen. (Write in Women’s Retreat in the Designation Code area.)

You have heard about the realities for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan – the physical injuries sustained, the psychological trauma endured, the pressure of being separated from your family, the nagging weight on your conscience that you are part of a large and grave injustice.

Now imagine that you are a woman soldier.

In addition to these realities, if you are a woman service member, you are very likely to have been raped or faced continued sexual harassment by men in your unit. You likely have been passed over for promotion. As you risk your life in the line of duty, you may be ridiculed, insulted, or continually made to deny your woman-ness. You must constantly prove that you are not weak, that you deserve to have your back watched (by those same peers who may be sexually harassing you). And you may grow to distrust other women, just to fit into the hyper-masculine culture of the military.

The women in IVAW have faced these realities, and we are coming together to share our stories, heal from our experiences, and become powerful leaders to help women veterans end the wars. Together, we will explore the sexism and misogyny at the root of war and militarism, and we will begin to explore practical solidarity with the women of Iraq and Afghanistan, with whom we share a common humanity.

Your donation to support this retreat will help pay for food, lodging, and travel expenses for a woman veteran to attend. To donate now, click here, and write Women’s Retreat in the field marked “Designation code.”

I deployed to Iraq twice and took part in the April 2004 assault on Fallujah in which we used white phosphorus on civilians. I joined IVAW because I believe I have a responsibility to help create solutions for the damages I have caused others. It has been a long road toward regaining my humanity, and the women in IVAW have been my greatest support in my personal healing and my development as a grassroots leader. Today I am a mother, graduate student, and chapter president of Pittsburgh IVAW who is hosting this retreat.

Since IVAW’s founding, women have been organizing in the trenches and playing critical leadership roles within IVAW, but we are often the only woman in our chapter. It is time for us to come together to support each other’s leadership as IVAW prepares this fall to launch our first strategic campaign. We know that strengthening women’s leadership within IVAW will strengthen our GI and veteran’s resistance movement.

So far, we have raised one-third of the $10,500 needed to get all of our women to the retreat. Will you help us by donating today?  $350 will provide full sponsorship for a woman member to attend. But any amount helps, so please give whatever you can afford.

Please give today.

Thank you.

Joyce Wagner
Marine Corps Veteran, Mom, President of IVAW Pittsburgh

P.S. Don’t forget to write in “Women’s Retreat” as the Designation code when you make your gift.