- Tuesday, January 8th, 2002, at noon at Justin Herman
Plaza, people will gather to march up Market Street to the office of Senator
Feinstein (at Post St.) where a delegation will meet with the Senator's
staff to raise their concerns over the "War on Terrorism." They
will demand that the Senate launch an inquiry or hearings of the events
of 9-11, and the U.S. government's international and domestic response.
-
- The 9-11 disaster has been used to justify a "War
on Terrorism" which endangers the lives and liberties of millions
of people everywhere. The U.S. bombing of Afghanistan has killed thousands
of civilians; millions of Afghans have been displaced and face starvation
this winter. The administration has condoned massive Israeli assaults on
Palestine, and threatens to attack Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, and other countries.
Recent legislation is an attack on constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties,
especially those of immigrants and people of color. The laws are mirrored
in other countries which are outlawing dissent and increasing political
repression. The administration has institutionalized racial profiling and
is secretly rounding up thousands of Arab Americans and other people of
Middle Eastern background. At the same time, it is giving billions to the
military, offering huge bailouts and tax incentives to corporations and
the wealthy, while ignoring the hundreds of thousands of laid off workers,
and cutting social services. This appears to be part of a long-range strategy
to turn the clock back on the hard earned gains of the civil rights', womens',
and environmental movements, to consolidate U.S. global domination, and
to serve the interests of transnational corporations.
-
- The delegates come from many organizations concerned
about peace, justice, human rights, civil rights and the environment.
Included among them are Kevin Danaher- Global Exchange, Carmen Hartono
- Women's International Peace Imperative, Riva Enteen - National Lawyer's
Guild, Ed Rippy- East Bay Peace Action, Cecile Pineda- East Bay Coalition
Against the War, Carol Brouillet- Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom, a representative of Veteran's for Peace.
-
- "The media and Congress have failed to question
the most basic White House' statements concerning the events of September
11th and the Bush administration's response. While the attacks are used
to justify the bombing of Afghanistan, the administration is clearly more
interested in controlling the oil resources of Central Asia than in "ridding
the world of terrorism or terrorists" which it has funded, trained,
and used for decades through the C.I.A.. We have to hold the U.S. government
accountable for its role in creating terrorists and using terrorism against
other countries. "True security can't be purchased or bought with
guards and weapons; it lies in healthy, equitable, social relationships
and is dependent upon an intact ecosystem. War begets war, and threatens
the viability of life on Earth. Renouncing a doomed foreign policy and
shifting our resources towards rescuing people and planet is our hope for
'a future.'" said organizer, Carol Brouillet of Women's international
League for Peace and Freedom.
-
-
-
- The delegation will demand that these questions (and
others) be raised and answered publicly-
-
- Who created, trained and funded the Al Qaeda Network?
What is the relationship between Bin Laden, his family and the Bush family
and the Carlyle Group? Why were no fighter planes dispatched to intercept
the four hijacked planes on September 11h , in violation of standard procedures?
Who actually was in control of the "hijacked planes"? What is
the U.S. relationship with Pakistan, and especially with its intelligence
service, the ISI? Why did the then director of the ISI have $100,000 transferred
to the man whom the FBI now calls the ringleader of the Sept. 11th attacks,
and why does the U.S. not pursue this question? Did the CIA have foreknowledge
of the attack, who tried to profit with put options on American, United,
Merrill Lynch stock just before the attack? Why were the FBI told to not
investigate the Bin Laden family links in the US? If the CIA met with Bin
Laden last July, why didn't they try to arrest him? If the US is serious
about ridding the world of terrorism, why do we continue to fund and train
terrorists? Why are we bombing Afghanistan, when none of the alleged bombers
actually came from there, could there be another reason for our presence
in that region, like oil? Is the war against Afghanistan illegal? What
are Bush's, Cheney's and Rice's connections to the oil industry? What are
Bush's and Cheney's connections to the drug industry? Why is the evidence
being destroyed when an investigation of the World Trade Center collapse
is needed? Why seal Presidential records? Why intimidate professors from
speaking out against this war? Why has the U.S. military been establishing
working relations with the Uzbek military for several years? What other
military involvement does the U.S. have in the Central Asian Republics?
Why are U.S. military personnel or material assistance going to the Philippines,
Indonesia, and Colombia as well? What relationship did various U.S. agencies
and their contractors have with the Taliban, either directly or through
Pakistani or Saudi agencies or contractors? Why does the U.S. overlook
Pakistani drug lords who refine and export half to two-thirds of the world,s
heroin despite its avowed determination to rid the world of drugs? Why
has the Dept. of Justice stopped its investigation of the Bank of Credit
and Commerce International despite its admitted heavy involvement in laundering
drug money?
-
- Some of the questions are answered in part in articles
posted on the internet, which have been compiled and printed out for Senator
Feinstein and her staff , links to the questions and answers are posted
at http://www.communitycurrency.org/9-11.html
-
-
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- ###
-
-
- PLEASE FREELY DISTRIBUTE AND POST
-
- January 3, 2002
-
- Prospectus
-
- WAR TIMES (working title) A New, Biweekly, Tabloid Newspaper
Opposing the "War on Terrorism"
-
- The terrorist attacks of September 11 marked the beginning
of a new and frightening period in our history. Thousands of people died
that day, and their families along with the country as a whole are still
struggling to recover. But President Bush's response of "permanent
war against terrorism at home and abroad" has further endangered the
lives and liberties of millions of people everywhere.
-
- The world's most powerful nation has mercilessly bombed
Afghanistan and is installing a neo-colonial government of its own choosing,
although that country has never attacked the U.S. Millions of Afghans have
been displaced and face starvation this winter. The administration has
also green-lighted massive Israeli assaults on Palestine, and it threatens
to attack Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, and other countries. The agenda seems
clear: to remake the world in the rightwing image with little regard for
human consequences.
-
- At home, we are seeing a wholesale attack on constitutionally
guaranteed civil liberties, especially those of immigrants and other people
of color. The administration has institutionalized racial profiling and
is secretly rounding up thousands of Arab Americans and other people of
Middle Eastern background. At the same time, it is giving billions to the
military, offering huge bailouts and tax incentives to corporations and
the wealthy while ignoring the hundreds of thousands of laid off workers,
and cutting social services. All in all, we face a second, different kind
of war, a domestic war, in which longstanding racism and inequity are multiplying.
Both form part of a long-range strategy to turn the clock back on past
gains and consolidate U.S. global domination.
-
- Peace, safety, and justice at home are more than ever
linked to peace and justice abroad. To end the "permanent war,"
we need to build a mass movement against U.S. interventions abroad and
link to it the struggles for social justice. The security and livelihood
of people across the globe depend on success in this fight.
-
- AN EDUCATIONAL MOMENT
-
- Such a movement must be constructed step-by-step. After
initial emergency actions in the wake of the first bombing of Afghanistan,
we are all struggling to strategize how to build the movement, how to dig
in for the long haul yet still prepare for emergencies. We are becoming
aware of the twists and turns that this war may take, and trying to come
up with successful responses.
-
- The majority of people in the U.S. appear to back the
"war on terrorism" at this time. There is some opposition to
some of the most extreme domestic measures, especially the military tribunals.
Pro-war sentiment among African Americans is known to be less than solid.
But overall Bush has won support and is currently eyeing new targets.
-
- The mainstream media in the U.S. have largely capitulated
to the war drive, filtering their presentation of the news through "patriotism."
Important stories and information are ignored, buried, or presented in
a pro-war context. Some of the progressive press is doing a heroic job,
especially over the Internet, but little of it is geared for outreach to
new audiences.
-
- On the positive side, pockets of opposition have appeared
across the country. There are signs of discontent over the economic effects
of intensified militarism which are hurting a wide range of people here,
from airport workers to students. And there are unusual openings for progressives
to join the public discussion of U.S. foreign and national policy. This
is an "educational moment," and the proposed new publication
is aimed at maximizing our ability to take advantage of it.
-
- THE NEW PUBLICATION: A Voice of and for the Movement
-
- To broaden and deepen the fight against the Bush program
requires compiling information and analysis, and putting them into the
hands of large numbers of readers. To help meet this challenge, we propose
the publication of a free, mass produced, biweekly, and nationally distributed
tabloid. It will be a valuable outreach and education tool for organizers
on the ground and an entryway for new people into the peace and justice
movement. It will complement existing publications and be backed by a modest
Internet operation that would introduce people to the already developed
anti-war Web presence.
-
- Content: The tabloid will present a view of the world
that makes opposition to Bush's program urgent, vivid, and logical. To
do so, it will be designed with an artistic sense, using photos, cartoons,
and other graphic elements throughout. Overall, it must be popular, attractive,
have flair, and utilize humor and poetry as well as information and analysis.
It will be bilingual at least in part, beginning with Spanish.
-
- The tabloid is intended to track the development of the
war at home and abroad, spotlighting the dire consequences of Bush's program
for human beings and the earth. It will provide backgrounders, facts, and
clear, readable analysis. It will report on the work of the developing
peace and justice movement as well as anti-racist struggles, thus providing
an important representation of the possibility, vitality, and importance
of opposition. Articles will be based on reliable and widely accepted information
sources, both domestic and international.
-
- Audience: Its audience will be those most open to criticism
of the government's actions but not yet part of the movement against Bush's
program of "permanent war." Currently this includes many peoples
of color, students, women, and religious folk. The tabloid will work to
reach more workers and labor movement people. It will change and grow over
time, and link up with new communities. At the same time, the publication
will keep the anti-war movement itself abreast of new developments, including
news about movement activities around the country.
-
- Distribution: The tabloid will be free so that it can
be widely distributed through drops, by organizations and individuals,
and by bundle agents. The lead site for the project will be Northern California,
but it will be distributed nationally. A pilot issue, scheduled to be published
in February, will be used to launch the base for distribution as well as
to build support.
-
- Finances: We estimate the first year's budget as just
over $500,000 for a bimonthly publication. We will seek foundation funding
but expect most of the money to come from individuals and organizations.
-
- YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED
-
- The project is in its early stages and needs input at
every level. To date, we have formed an initial group in the Bay Area to
organize the project. We have begun to get input from different people
and have some initial fundraising commitments. Ultimately the paper will
need thousands of people and organizations that are willing to financially
support, contribute to, and distribute the publication. You can help in
these ways:
-
- *Give feedback on the concept, including the name, War
Times *Fundraise and make a donation (checks may be written to EBC/War
Times) *Distribute copies to your networks *Volunteer your writing, editing,
photographic, or design skills *Pass this prospectus on or introduce us
to others who can help
-
- For further information contact us at wartimes@attbi.com,
EBC/War Times, 1230 Market Street, PMB 409, San Francisco, CA 94102, 510-869-5156.
-
- Organizing Committee (organizations listed for identification
purposes only):
-
- Jan Adams, former associate director, Applied Research
Center
- Linda Burnham, executive director, Women of Color Resource
Center
- Max Elbaum, former managing editor, CrossRoads magazine
- Adam Gold, STORM
- Rebecca Gordon, Seminarians for Peace
- Felicia Gustin, co-director, Speak Out
- Van Jones, national executive director, Ella Baker Center
for Human Rights
- Elizabeth (Betita) Martinez, director, Institute for
MultiRacial Justice
- Steve Williams, executive director, POWER
- Bob Wing, former executive editor, ColorLines magazine
-
- Initial SF Bay Area Endorsers (organizations listed
for identification
- purposes only). National endorsers list in formation:
-
- American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee-San Francisco
Chapter
- Frances Beal, national secretary, Black Radical Congress
- Robert Chlala, Students for Justice in Palestine
- Jung-hee Choi, Women of Color Resource Center
- Malkia Cyril, We Interrupt This Message
- Gary Delgado, executive director, Applied Research Center
- Antonio Diaz, executive director, PODER
- Hari Dillon, president, Vanguard Foundation
- Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Indigenous World
- Michael Eisenscher, Labor Committee for Peace and Justice
- Arnoldo Garcia, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee
Rights
- Fred Goff, Data Center
- Francisco Herrera, singer and activist
- Phil Hutchings, racial justice activist
- Yuri Kochiyama, activist
- Gerald Lenoir, board member, HIV Education and Prevention
Project of
- Alameda County
- Yolanda Lopez, visual artist
- Miriam Ching Louie, activist and author of Sweatshop
Warriors
- Barbara Lubin, executive director, Middle East Childrens
Alliance
- Sharon Martinas, Challenging White Supremacy Workshops
- Gus Newport, former Mayor of Berkeley
- Peter Olney, Institute for Labor and Employment
- Eric Quezada, Mission District organizer
- Colin Rajah, executive director, Just Act
- Adrienne Rich, poet
- Wilson Riles, former City Councilperson and progressive
Oakland Mayoral
- candidate
- Helen Zia, author
-
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