<html>
<body>
<font size=3><br>
<br>
</font><font face="arial" size=2>===========================================<br>
</font><font size=3>*EMERGENCY IRAQ PROTESTS*<br><br>
SAN FRANCISCO<br>
Saturday, April 10<br>
12 noon<br>
UN Plaza (Market St. between 7th St. and Hyde. Civic <br>
Center BART)<br>
415-821-6545<br><br>
To demand:<br>
- U.S. OUT OF IRAQ<br>
- Bring the Troops Home Now<br>
- Money for jobs, education and healthcare - Not for wars <br>
of aggression<br><br>
*Call initiated by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition*<br><br>
<br><br>
* * * * *<br><br>
IRAQ AT THE BOILING POINT<br><br>
The Iraqi revolt against occupation is spreading in <br>
qualitative developments. The Pentagon is reacting with a <br>
murderous iron fist that is making the popular Iraqi <br>
position increasingly clear to the world: that the <br>
occupation forces are indeed an enemy - not liberators.<br><br>
In the last 72 hours, as the colonial force attempts to <br>
hold the country in a tight grip, the number of casualties <br>
has mounted, as Iraqi cities are besieged and bombed by <br>
missiles and tanks. Street fighting is raging throughout <br>
the country.<br><br>
In a classic demonstration of colonial practices, the U.S. <br>
is conducting a widespread reign of terror. In fact, the <br>
U.S. and its allies are now conducting military operations <br>
in Ramadi, Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Sadr, Adamiya, Kufa, <br>
Kut, Karabla, Amarah, Kirkuk, Mosul, Nasiriyah, Shula, and <br>
other cities and towns. The city of Fallujah has been <br>
exceptionally targeted. This is the same city where in the <br>
first weeks of the occupation U.S. troops took over a <br>
local school and killed 15 residents who were protesting <br>
the takeover of the facility.<br><br>
Yet, this is not exactly George W. Bush's Vietnam. During <br>
Vietnam it took years for the majority of the people and <br>
most soldiers to turn against the war. This time, the <br>
people of the United States have learned within the span <br>
of only one year that the war against Iraq is not only <br>
based on outright fabrications and lies. One year after <br>
the occupation, and even before, the people of this <br>
country and the world are and have been turning against <br>
the occupation and the warmakers.<br><br>
Although an allegation has been made that this is isolated <br>
"trouble" within a "Sunni Triangle," the revolt is in
<br>
reality over an entire Iraqi rectangle encompassing nearly <br>
all areas - from north to south. Over the past three days, <br>
the previously simmering rejection of foreign occupation <br>
has evolved into a near full-scale revolt that has spread <br>
to many cities in the south of Iraq. All while the U.S. <br>
has implemented collective punishment against the people <br>
of Fallujah and other cities in the central part of the <br>
country.<br><br>
In a predictable attempt at molding public opinion, the <br>
U.S. media continues to use racist stereotyping to <br>
characterize those who are resisting. The constant <br>
designation of the Iraqi people as "Sunnis" or
"Shiites" <br>
is carefully calculated language designed to conceal the <br>
single most important fact: that the Iraqi people (Sunni <br>
and Shiite) believe that their country has been seized by <br>
foreign imperialist occupying forces and that they - as <br>
one people - are fighting to evict them.<br><br>
If the analogy with Vietnam has validity, it is this: U.S. <br>
political leaders, again emboldened by arrogance and drunk <br>
with power, falsely believe that their possession of high <br>
tech weapons is sufficient to subdue small Third World <br>
countries seeking independence and sovereignty. The words <br>
associated with Vietnam - "debacle," "quagmire," etc.
- <br>
are certainly apt for Bush's war and the occupation of <br>
Iraq.<br><br>
But there are fundamental differences between the war in <br>
Vietnam and Iraq. The most important one being that the <br>
United States could, at the end of the day, disengage from <br>
Southeast Asia and withdraw from Vietnam. The policy <br>
planners and decision makers for the U.S. imperial <br>
establishment know full well that the United States <br>
military, political and economic structures will never <br>
voluntarily withdraw from Western Asia and Northern <br>
Africa, also known as the Middle East.<br><br>
This is where the oil is. Not just in Iraq, but also <br>
throughout the Gulf region where two-thirds of the world's <br>
known petroleum reserves are located. This region is also <br>
the gateway to the rapidly expanding economies of East and <br>
Southeast Asia, the northern entrance to the African <br>
continent from Europe, and the where several strategic <br>
waterways are located: the Suez Canal, Gibraltar Strait, <br>
the Red Sea, and the Gulf. The Arab portion of that region <br>
is also simmering with a popular notion of unity and <br>
desire for full sovereignty spanning northern Africa and <br>
western Asia. It is where the Palestinian struggle anchors <br>
a populist anti-colonial sentiment, and where imposed <br>
proxy regimes are dependent in their existence directly on <br>
the U.S. In the heart of that region, there is Israel, the <br>
U.S.'s most important ally and power broker, functioning <br>
as a spearhead that simultaneously requires a political, <br>
economic and diplomatic cover and support from the U.S.<br><br>
Absolute control - military control - over these highly <br>
strategic resources is the key to the exercise of hegemony <br>
in the world capitalist economy. If the United States were <br>
to leave, Japan, Germany, Britain, France would be quick <br>
to attempt to fill the void. Therefore, Bush does not <br>
contemplate withdrawing from Iraq as an option, nor would <br>
it be a considered option if Kerry replaces Bush in <br>
November.<br><br>
The Bush gang opted to use naked military force as a means <br>
of further consolidating an existing U.S. dictatorship <br>
over the region. The project in Iraq was designed not only <br>
to crush the Iraqi government, it was seen as a means to a <br>
larger end. The plan was to build large-scale U.S. <br>
military bases in Iraq, establish in Baghdad the largest <br>
U.S. embassy (more than 3,000 personnel) in the world, and <br>
use Iraq as the launching pad for regime change throughout <br>
the region - the imposition of a true Pax Americana. <br>
Earlier U.S. governments, including the Clinton <br>
administration, also declared regime change in Iraq as the <br>
top priority in U.S-Iraq relations. The Bush <br>
administration, however, saw Iraq in a different light: <br>
that the conquest and takeover of Iraq would be used as a <br>
strategic pivot for the long-term reorganization and <br>
globalization of this region under U.S. authority.<br><br>
This was not the first time the U.S. has utilized Iraq for <br>
this purpose. In 1955, the Baghdad Pact was orchestrated <br>
by Britain and the U.S. as a response to the emergence of <br>
the non-aligned movement that was established in Bandung, <br>
Indonesia by decolonizing movements and nations. The Iraqi <br>
people have never accepted that they should be pawns in <br>
someone else's geo-strategic chess board. They have always <br>
resisted colonialism.<br><br>
Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died already as their <br>
country was invaded and occupied. It is clear from the <br>
events of the recent days that so many Iraqis are enraged <br>
and disgusted with the occupation of their country that <br>
thousands and thousands of people are prepared to give <br>
their life rather than accept foreign domination.<br><br>
The Iraqis are paying with their lives rather than be <br>
colonial subjects. Meanwhile, the young men and women of <br>
the foreign occupying forces, including U.S. troops, <br>
really just want to go home. They and their families know <br>
that contrary to the assertions of Rumsfeld, the U.S. <br>
forces are not considered liberators by the people. This <br>
is the classic equation for an unwinnable imperialist war. <br>
In this sense too, the conflict resembles Vietnam. The <br>
Vietnamese people were prepared to endure immeasurable <br>
sacrifice to reclaim control over the country against <br>
foreign occupying forces that, in turn, only wanted only <br>
to return to their families in one piece.<br><br>
In the recent days, the U.S. media establishment has been <br>
filled with analysis and stories reflecting the grave <br>
concern within the political establishment that Bush's <br>
Iraq design may be creating the biggest crisis for U.S. <br>
imperialism since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The <br>
actions of Bush and Rumsfeld have catalyzed a revolt that <br>
is moving from an embryonic stage to a potential <br>
full-scale rebellion. Unable to prevent the spread of the <br>
rebellion by other means, the U.S. military is carrying <br>
out more murderous repression against the people, which in <br>
turn will inflame the situation in Iraq and throughout the <br>
region. Under these conditions, there is no actual exit or <br>
withdrawal strategy in site. Even should the U.S. succeed <br>
in outsourcing the occupation authority from Paul Bremmer <br>
to his hand picked Iraqi proxies, there will be no actual <br>
exit of U.S. military forces from Iraq.<br><br>
Even the phony exit strategy is collapsing as the Pentagon <br>
brass ponders the current need, like General Westmoreland <br>
did 1967, to send thousands of additional troops to crush <br>
a rebellion that has its roots in the anti-colonial <br>
yearnings of an occupied people. Rumsfeld has said <br>
publicly that he is considering sending additional troops <br>
to Iraq. The Pentagon has relied not only on the <br>
120,000-plus U.S. military forces but, according to <br>
Nightline on April 6, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 "guns <br>
for hire" - U.S., British and South African mercenaries - <br>
that are now fighting in Iraq under the euphemistic label <br>
"private contractors."<br><br>
The people of the world, including the people of the U.S., <br>
created an unprecedented mass movement in the last 18 <br>
months opposing Bush's war and subsequent occupation of <br>
Iraq. At this critical time it is urgent to take to the <br>
streets in emergency mobilizations to demand: U.S. Out of <br>
Iraq; Bring the Troops Home Now; Money for jobs, education <br>
and healthcare - Not for wars of aggression.<br><br>
From Friday April 9 through Monday April 12 there will be <br>
nationally-coordinated emergency local demonstrations in <br>
cities and towns throughout the country. Organize an <br>
action in your local area. To list your local action on <br>
the website and in future emails, fill out the easy-to-use <br>
form at <br>
<a href="http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/a10/event.html">http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/a10/event.html<br><br>
</a>FOR MORE INFORMATION:<br>
<a href="http://www.InternationalANSWER.org">http://www.InternationalANSWER.org</a><br>
<a href="mailto:info@internationalanswer.org">info@internationalanswer.org</a><br>
New York 212-633-6646<br>
Washington 202-544-3389<br>
Los Angeles 213-487-2368<br>
San Francisco 415-821-6545<br><br>
<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3><a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
</html>