November 2002: No War on Iraq!

The Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC) has long been involved in movements in opposition to indiscriminate killing and in support of self-determination for all people (for instance, Afghanistan, Palestine, Central America, and Bosnia). Therefore, the PRC, as an organization with a long history of struggling for peace with justice, is outraged by the zeal with which the U.S. government, led by George W. Bush, is pursuing another war with Iraq.

Upon reflecting on the Gulf War, the attacks of Sept. 11, and the events that followed, we believe it is crucial to call upon the people of the U.S. and the world community to oppose any military action against Iraq, or any country, in the name of the U.S. government's "war on terrorism."

FACTS. President Bush has claimed that we must have a pre-emptive strike against Iraq to ensure national security. Bush claims that Saddam Hussain is a serious threat and has weapons of mass destruction. It is true that Iraq has been in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 687 for failing to allow inspectors into Iraq to examine their weapon capabilities. However, when on Sept. 12, 2002 Bush demanded from Iraq that inspectors be allowed into the country, Saddam Hussain complied. Despite this agreement, Bush is still pursuing military action in Iraq, even if the U.N. Security Council does not support military action at this point. The U.S. will be in violation of international law, U.N. articles 41 and 42, if we attack Iraq without the approval and cooperation of the other members of the Security Council. Further the U.S. has consistently refused to comply with weapons inspections and has a fortified arsenal of various chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. The U.S. government also claims that Iraq has connections to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, although they have yet to reveal any evidence to verify this.

The U.S. involvement in Iraq has a long history of military actions and sanctions. In 1991, the U.S. began the Gulf War to end Saddamís invasion of Kuwait. Today Iraq is no longer an immediate threat to its neighbors; they recently signed an agreement with Kuwait that calls on Saddam to stay out of Kuwait and respect their self-determination. Sporadic bombing of Iraq has continued since the Gulf War. In December of 1998 under Operation Desert Fox, the U.S. fiercely bombed Iraq for several days, coinciding with the beginning of the Muslim holiday Ramadan. President Clinton ordered the air raids without the approval of Congress, or the U.N., making the action illegal by U.S. and international laws. In addition to these military actions, the U.S. has imposed harsh sanctions on Iraq that have had severe impacts on the people in Iraq. An astounding two hundred fifty people die every day in Iraq because of these sanctions (reported by UNICEF). Five thousand of the deaths due to sanctions each month in Iraq are children 5 years of age and younger. Sanctions limit the food supply, medical supply, and equipment necessary for maintaining the health and livelihood of Iraqis. The U.S. role in Iraq has only diminished the living conditions for Iraqi civilians and will be dramatically worsened if the U.S. attacks Iraq.

FULL DISCLOSURE. The U.S. government has failed to provide the world with evidence to support their claims that Iraq has 1) strong links to Al-Qaeda and 2) weapons of mass destruction. U.S. President George W. Bush and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair both have made these claims as the essential reasons for a pre-emptive strike on Iraq. Yet neither of them have substantiated these claims at all to the public. As seen in last yearís war with Afghanistan, U.S. government officials expect citizens to support military action without the disclosure of the ìevidenceî used in justifying military action. Government officials claim the need to protect the evidence and sources for security reasons. However, we cannot in good faith support a war without having access to all of the information.

APPROVAL. Another key problem with Bushís push to go to war is that he does not have popular consent and support of the people. The latest polls of the American public show that about only 50% of the people support going to war in Iraq. In addition, an overwhelming majority of countries have taken an anti-war stance. The nations in the Arab League passed a resolution discouraging the U.S. from waging war. The House of Commons in the U.K. does not even support this war, despite Prime Minister Blairís blind support of Bush. The countries composing the U.N. Security Council are also hesitant about the possible U.S. invasion of Iraq. Scholars, professors, and military personnel alike have spoken out against President Bush. Scott Ritter, a former U.S. Marine and U.N. weapons inspector, has publicly criticized the U.S. government because his expertise and first-hand experience as a weapons inspector in Iraq has shown him that Iraq is not a threat to the U.S., unlike what our government would like us to believe. This propaganda makes it easier to support the war, but is solely built upon fallacies. Most importantly, people across the country and around the world have joined in to protest any military action in Iraq. On October 6, 2002 alone - the eve of the one year anniversary of the attack on Afghanistan - millions of people rallied against military action with the attendance of 3,000 people in Chicago; 8,000 in Seattle; 10,000 in San Francisco; 11,000 in Portland; 25,000 people in New York City; and 1.5 million people throughout Italy!

WORK FOR PEACE. The solution to combating terrorism in our world is an increased commitment to understanding the history of the U.S.'s responsibility in perpetuating political, social, racial, and economic injustices and inequities and a commitment to working for peace. War is not the answer! Peace is not attainable if the cycle of violence is never broken. Violence cannot be responded to with violence. While terrorism is morally reprehensible regardless of the motives of the perpetrators, nature of its targets, or identity of its victims, it is also true that terrorism is bred in a certain social and political environment. For instance, the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - symbols of American economic and military power - appear to have been inspired by opposition to U.S. global domination and exploitation. While we mourn for the innocent victims of this tragedy, we must also remember the victims of international terrorism supported by the U.S. For instance, the U.S. exports more weapons than any other country. Our School of the Americas has trained terrorists, interrogators, and death squads in South and Central America. In the last century alone, we have imposed military and economic violence in, among other places, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In each instance, untold numbers of innocent people lost their lives. It is our duty to ask why. Why is it significant that the United States is culpable in the killing of innocent people? How should this historical reality inform our present response to terrorist attacks? It is significant because the history of aggression and war demonstrates that responding to violence with violence resolves nothing and only brings greater misery to the multitude of innocent suffering people around the world. In order to not create more victims like the ones we mourn the U.S. needs to use its leadership to end the cycle of violence.

TAKE ACTION. With the violence and injustices we live in, we are reminded of the wisdom of Mother Jones' words, "Remember the dead and fight like hell for the living." In this spirit, the PRC calls on all people of conscience to:

Oppose any and all military retaliations initiated by the U.S. government againt Iraq another other Middle Eastern countries. We must uphold the dignity and human rights of civilian populations by denouncing the indiscriminate use of force against targets where destruction of civilian life and social infrastructure (e.g. hospitals, roads, sewers, etc.) is sure and certain.

But the struggle does not end here. The PRC also calls on you to:

Actively speak out against the irrational and racist scape-goating of Muslim, Arab, and Arab American people.

Endeavor to understand the roots of international violence and struggle to work for peace with social justice.

Make your voice heard by joining with others in collective action to promote peace and justice. One way to get involved is to join the PRC for an anti-war panel entitled ìAttack on Iraq: Implications for Peace and Justice in the Middle Eastî on Saturday, November 2, 2002 at 2pm at the Illinois Disciples Foundation (NW corner of Springfield and Wright in Champaign).

The Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC) is a multi-issue, multi-tactical activist organization committed to struggling for peace with social justice. The PRC is a program of the Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF). For more information about the PRC, call (217) 352-8721 or email prc@prairienet.org. For more anti-war resources, visit the PRC website at www.prairienet.org/prc.