| DENVER
- February 18 - Representatives of more than 60 peace-and-justice groups from
around the United States have formed a new group to resist U.S. policy on
Iraq -- the National Network to End the War against Iraq.
The 150 participants in the 2nd National Conference on Iraq gathered Feb.
16-17 in Denver to coordinate grassroots efforts to resist not only the
bombings but also the 10 years of economic sanctions that have killed at
least 1 million Iraqis, according to United Nations studies.
"There are activists all around the country who have been resisting U.S.
aggression against Iraq for years, and this network signals a new level of
effort and commitment," said Paul George, a member of the network's newly
elected Coordinating Committee. "The latest bombings by the Bush
administration only hint at the enormity of an ongoing political and
humanitarian disaster."
The network voted unanimously to sponsor "National Days of Outrage" on
April 26-28, during which groups around the country will coordinate actions
to highlight the suffering of the Iraqi people at the hands of U.S. policy.
"U.S. policy toward Iraq is illegal and immoral," said George. "The only
people suffering are ordinary Iraqis, especially the children and the sick."
Along with the public actions, other committees set up at the conference
will work on public education, outreach and lobbying.
Opposition to the crippling sanctions on Iraq has grown around the world in
the past year, as the evidence of the effects of the embargo on the
civilian population has moved governments and activist groups to resist
U.S. policy. Even traditional allies, such as Egypt and Turkey, condemned
the Feb. 16 bombing, signaling an increasing isolation of the United States.
"The no-fly zones are not authorized by any international body, which makes
the U.S. attack blatantly illegal, and several former high-ranking U.N.
officials have stated the sanctions violate the letter and the spirit of
the U.N. Charter," said George. "For the sake of the Iraqi people, it is
time for the American people to act."
###
|
