Brasscheck: Striking back at the empire (finally)
Michael Richardson
San Francisco March To
Demand Congressional
Inquiry Of 911
From Carol Brouillet
cbrou...@igc.org
650-857-0927
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
###
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 wart...@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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