IRAQ WILL DOMINATE US ATTITUDE TO AFRICA IN DANGEROUS COLD WAR REPLAY
U.S. policy toward Africa in 2003 will be driven almost exclusively by geopolitical considerations related to Washington's war plans against Iraq, and by its geostrategic interests in African oil, says Africa Policy Outlook for 2003 published on the Foreign Policy in Focus web site (http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/papers/africa2003.html). "In a dangerous replay of the cold war, the U.S. is likely to ignore Africa's priorities, placing military base rights above human rights," says the report. In contrast the war against AIDS, by far the most important global war effort and an urgent priority especially for Africa, will continue to suffer from a lack of resources. African development would also suffer as a result of the negative impact a war would have on the global economy. African interests in building multilateral approaches to issues like international trade rules and peace peacekeeping was likely to be at odds with US unilateralism. The link below contains a list of resources to help you take action against the war on Iraq, and the latest news and commentary on the situation in the Middle East.
TAKE ACTION – WHAT YOU CAN DO
* PROTEST THE WAR - TAKE TO THE STREETS
With the war now having begun, United for Peace & Justice calls on you and other groups to join in protest. However you choose to express your opposition to war - from solemn vigils to loud marches to nonviolent direct action - get out on the streets immediately and join with millions around the world in demanding an end to the bloodshed. See the United for Peace & Justice call for emergency actions for ideas about what you can do.
http://enos.realimpact.net/
* DON’T LET WORLD OPINION BE IGNORED
More than 30 million people have been out in the streets to say "No" to this war. More than half the Security Council, given a chance, would say "No" to this war, as would the overwhelming majority of the UN General Assembly. But the Security Council has failed us. It's time for the General Assembly of the United Nations, which more thoroughly represents the voice of this world's people, to rise up and demand that Iraq be disarmed peacefully, without slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Please, urgently, write to your Ambassador at the United Nations and ask that the Uniting for Peace resolution be invoked to stop this war. The voice of world opinion has been ignored. Don't let it continue to be ignored. http://act.greenpeace.org/aas/e?a=ufp&s=amb_s
* WHAT YOU CAN DO BEFORE OR AS THE WAR BEGINS
1) Write to the Pope via his UN mission and ask him to go to Iraq now. The website of the Papal UN mission is www.holyseemission.org, there you a find a "Contact Us" link, providing this E-mail address: [email protected]
2) Write to politicians and shame them for standing by while innocent people are being killed and will be killed. Use http://cflweb.org/congress_merge_.htm
3) Write to the media (local, national, international)and demand they hear and publish/publicize the voices of the people. For tips on media issues, please see http://www.commondreams.org/
http://www.fair.org/media-contact-list.html
http://www.MrSmithMedia.com/MrSmithNewspaper.html
http://al-awda.org/media http://pmwatch.org/
Also see these sites for additional Iraq information:
http://www.healthsentinel.com/Essays/101IraqWarQuestions.htmhttp://leb… http://www.iraqconflict.org/
http://epic-usa.org/
http://www.indymedia.org.il/imc/israel/webcast/48386.html
http://www.observer.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,882526,00.html
4) Stop buying! Stay with the necessities of food and shelter. Save your money for good causes and let us make corporations pay for their wars. Simplify your life. This consumer society is what drives the military industrial complex.
* STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ
Your voice and solidarity is crucial in stopping the war on Iraq. At the following page you can access free downloads to assist in your campaign. http://www.indiadisasters.org/iraq/
* THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
Visit this link to find out about anti-war movements worldwide how you can join the protest against the war in Iraq.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/subsection/0,12809,884056,00.html
* POETS AGAINST THE WAR
The bombs have begun falling on Baghdad. Despite the disapproval of the vast majority of citizens of the world, in defiance of the advice of its own intelligence agencies, and contrary to both common sense and fundamental notions of morality, the Bush administration has launched war against Iraq. Over the past two months, more than 12,000 poets worldwide have submitted poems or personal statements to register their opposition to this war. In doing so, they honor a long and rich tradition of thoughtful and moral opposition by poets and other artists to senseless and murderous policies, including those of our own government. At no time in history have so many poets spoken in such a large chorus. Poets Against the War calls upon poets everywhere to transform March 21, World Poetry Day, into a day of poetry against the war, to organize readings of poetry against the war in cities, towns, villages, and homes, and to present the 13,000 poems that have been published on the poetsagainstthewar.org web site to governments everywhere.
http://www.poetsagainstthewar.org/
NEWS AND COMMENTARY
A WILFUL BLINDNESS
George Monbiot
http://www.obv.org.uk/reports/2003/rpt20030311a.html
Those of us who oppose the impending conquest of Iraq must recognise that
there's a possibility that, if it goes according to plan, it could improve
the lives of many Iraqi people. But to pretend that this battle begins and
ends in Iraq requires a wilful denial of the context in which it occurs.
That context is a blunt attempt by the superpower to reshape the world to
suit itself.
DISOBEY
John Pilger
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=41&ItemID=3232
How have we got to this point, where two western governments take
us into an illegal and immoral war against a stricken nation with
whom we have no quarrel and who offer us no threat: an act of
aggression opposed by almost everybody and whose charade is
transparent?
NO TO WAR
Noam Chomsky
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=3247
The most powerful state in history has proclaimed that it intends to control the world by force, the dimension in which it reigns supreme. President Bush and his cohorts evidently believe that the means of violence in their hands are so extraordinary that they can dismiss anyone who stands in their way.
The consequences could be catastrophic in Iraq and around the world. The United States may reap a whirlwind of terrorist retaliation -- and step up the possibility of nuclear Armageddon.
THE TWENTY LIES OF GEORGE W. BUSH
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/mar2003/bush-m20.shtml
GROUPS FEAR WAR WOULD SIDETRACK GLOBAL RELIEF EFFORTS
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=655&ncid=655&e=2&u=/on…
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: COUNTRIES JOIN COALITION FORCES
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=32914
SOUTH AFRICA: WAR A ‘BLOW TO MULTILATERALISM’ SAYS MBEKI
http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?a=11&o=17380
SOUTH AFRICA: HUMAN SHIELDS ARRIVE IN BAGHDAD
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&art_id=qw104815296058B262&se…
SOUTH AFRICA: PROTEST AT US EMBASSY IN JHB
http://iafrica.com/news/sa/220970.htm
KENYA: US WARNS OF MISSILE ATTACKS
http://allafrica.com/stories/200303190484.html
AFRICA: SOUTH AFRICA/NIGERIA LEAD OPPOSITION TO WAR
http://allafrica.com/stories/200303190303.html
AFRICA: WAR WILL PUT AFRICA ON THE BACKBURNER
http://allafrica.com/stories/200303181034.html
ENDS