- Preface: Pinochet and Bush - The Troubles Facing War
Criminals
-
- Learning a lesson from the trials and tribulations of
the dictator Augusto Pinochet, who was indicted for crimes against humanity
when he traveled outside of Chile, George W. Bush arranged for his being
granted "diplomatic immunity" by Chilean president Lagos as a
precondition for Bush's trip to Chile for the Asia-Pacific Economic
Conference.
-
- The Los Angeles Times of Nov. 18 reports, "President
Richard Lagos's government took the unusual step yesterday of announcing
that Bush would have diplomatic immunity during his visit.
-
- The declaration was made after some activists filed a
criminal complaint against Bush in court, claiming that he and other U.S.
officials were guilty of war crimes in Iraq."
-
- "Diplomatic immunity" didn't stop thousands
of people taking to the streets in Chile in massive demonstrations against
Bush. All around the world people are in the streets protesting the
criminal
conduct of the Bush administration. January 20 will be another big step
in building this movement.
-
- Over 4,000 have already endorsed ANSWER's call for a
mass demonstration on January 20, 2005, at the site of the Bush
inauguration.
This is a legally permitted demonstration. The Bush administration, fully
exposed for its destruction of Fallujah and fearing the embarrassment of
a mass demonstration at the Inaugural route, is now following the usual
script to intimidate the people: publicly announcing that there is an
unprecedented
security threat on January 20 and that the government is mobilizing 4,000
army combat soldiers to be in the streets of DC that today.
-
- There has never been a more important time for the people
of the United States to take a clear and powerful stand. The events of
the past two weeks again unmasked the criminal nature of the
administration.
The government asserts that more than 1,200 "insurgents" have
been killed in the last week alone. How many are really civilians? Donald
Rumsfeld insists at his press conferences that civilians in Fallujah had
only themselves to blame for not fleeing their homes but the truth is that
Bush and Rumsfeld blocked people from leaving.
-
- According to Robert Reid's AP dispatch of November 12,
"Troops have cut off all roads and bridges leading out of Fallujah
and have turned back hundreds of men trying to flee the city during the
assault. Only women, children and the elderly can leave. The military says
keeping men aged 15 to 55 from leaving is key to the mission's success.
" Family after family had to decide whether they would all return
together to the city or to separate from the boys and their fathers.
-
- The International Red Cross estimates that more than
800 civilians were killed in Fallujah in just one horrifying week. That
is likely to be a conservative estimate. But just imagine 800 civilians
- in just one week in one city of 250,000.
-
- The U.S. military strategy and its rules of engagement
in Fallujah constitute a crime against humanity and war crimes as
recognized
by the Nuremberg Trial and the Geneva Convention. Targeting hospitals,
clinics and ambulances, the U.S. forces tried to destroy everything. A
report collated by the UN testifies to the U.S. air strike on one clinic
where 20 doctors were killed.
-
- The western part of Fallujah was declared a "weapons
free zone" - meaning that U.S. troops could fire at anything that
moved in that area.
-
- War at Home - War Abroad
-
- While Bush and Congress are spending nearly $300 million
each day to kill poor people in Iraq, working class and poor communities
are taking a beating at home. Last week the press announced that Detroit
was laying off 4,000 teachers and other school workers and closing as many
as 40 schools because of a deficit of $198 million. That amount equals
less than what is spent every 16 hours for the occupation and war in Iraq.
Of course, Halliburton and the other corporate and banking entities don't
make super-profits from public education in Detroit.
-
- We cannot pause for a moment in building a mass movement
opposed to war at home and in support of social, civil and workers rights
at home. People are coming together once again.
-
- Help support the January 20 Counter-Inaugural
Demonstration
-
- On January 20, 2005, thousands will be lining the
inaugural
route in mass protest. There will be simultaneous protests in San
Francisco,
Los Angeles and other cities on January 20. At an international conference
in solidarity with the people of Cuba held in Luxembourg last weekend,
a resolution was adopted calling for coordinated demonstrations to take
place on January 20 throughout Europe.
-
- Our demonstrations will be a powerful statement in
solidarity
with all those who are under attack by the Bush administration - from Cuba
to Palestine to Haiti to the Philippines to Iran and elsewhere.
-
- Pledge now to support the January 20 demonstration
against
the war.
-
- Click here to endorse and say Bring the Troops Home
Now!
-
- If you are planning to organize buses, vans or car
caravans
to be in Washington DC, San Francisco or Los Angeles on January 20, fill
out the Transportation Form to help spread the word.
-
- Help spread the word about January 20.
-
- Click here for downloadable flyers.
-
- We hope you will join us in Washington DC on January
20 or if you can't come help us cover the many expenses for this huge
undertaking
including transportation to bring people to DC. Funds are urgently needed
for this effort. You can make a donation online through a secure server
by clicking here. Credit card donations made online are not tax deductible.
To make a tax deductible credit card donation, call 202-544-3389. You can
also make a tax deductible donation by writing a check to ANSWER/AGJ and
sending it to
-
- ANSWER 1247 E St. SE,
- Washington DC 20003
-
- A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
- Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
- http://www.ANSWERcoalition.org
- info@internationalanswer.org
-
- National Office in Washington DC: 202-544-3389
- New York City: 212-533-0417
- Los Angeles: 323-464-1636
- San Francisco: 415-821-6545
- For media inquiries, call 202-544-3389.
|
