|
|
|
|
|
|
Sharon Grimes, W A M M
|
Downing Street Memo Confirms Deception, Vindicates Critics of War
The truth will out. With the publication of the Downing Street Memo, citizens no longer have any excuse for not knowing that the Bush administration lied about its intent and reasons for going to war in Iraq. The memo, dated July 23, 2002, eight months before the Iraq invasion, said that President Bush had not only already decided to go to war, but also was “fixing” intelligence to support the decision. Might this be Bush’s Watergate?
Students Shut Down Four Recruiting Offices
More schools and parents across the country are taking action to protest military recruiting tactics and the war in Iraq. In May, students blocked the entrances to four recruiting offices in Seattle, Washington, shutting them down. A November 2004 Department of Defense survey showed that only 25 percent of parents would recommend military service to their children, down from 42 percent in August 2003.
More Latinos say “Gracias, No” to Military Service
The deaths of 215 Latino soldiers serving in the U.S. military in Iraq have led to fewer people of Latin American descent signing up for military service, according to antiwar activists. In 2004, 9,477 foreign-born U.S. residents signed up, 2,352 fewer than in 2003, according to official Bush administration statistics. Nicaraguan-born Camilo Mejía, a former U.S. army staff sergeant, refused to return to his unit in Iraq after being stationed there for five months in 2005. Although he said he was a conscientious objector, the United States considered him a deserter and sent him to prison for nine months. “I’m glad that the army is no longer able to recruit as many soldiers, and that more people are raising their voices against this criminal invasion,” said Mejía.
Mayors Embrace Action on Kyoto Protocol
The U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously passed a resolution Monday requiring their cities to try to meet or surpass emissions standards set by the Kyoto Protocol, the international global-warming treaty ratified earlier this year without the United States. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels urged the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which represents 1,183 cities, to support the Kyoto Protocol goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The Kyoto treaty was signed by 141 countries, but the Bush administration refused to sign. So far, 161 cities in 37 states have signed a pledge to cut emissions.
Scientists Oppose Weapons in Space
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) warned the United States not to pursue putting weapons in space, saying it would be cost-prohibitive and would set off another arms race. The Bush administration has called for a review of U.S. space policy, saying that new threats to satellites have emerged since the last policy review in 1996. UCS wants the United Nations to draft a treaty that would ban interfering with unarmed satellites, thus eliminating the justification for putting weapons in space to protect the satellites.
Carter Calls for Closing Guantanamo
Former President Jimmy Carter has called for the closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba to show that the United States is committed to protecting human rights. He says the U.S. “continues to suffer terrible embarrassment and a blow to our reputation” because of reports of prisoner abuse.
President’s Approval Rating Plummets
Surveys reveal that Bush’s approval rating has dropped to an all-time low and the military continues to fall short of its recruiting goals, despite lowering its quotas and qualification standards. More than half of people surveyed, 52 percent, disapprove of how Bush is handling his job, the highest disapproval rating of his presidency. Nearly 75 percent say the number of casualties in Iraq is unacceptable; 66 percent say the U.S. military is bogged down in Iraq; nearly 60 percent say the war was not worth fighting. All three numbers match or exceed the highest levels of pessimism yet recorded about the war.
Minnesota Representative votes against School of the Americas
Responding to a letter from a constituent, Minnesota Rep. Jim Ramstad says that he has “been a longtime supporter of efforts to eliminate funding for the School of the Americas and its successor, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC).” He has voted consistently for amendments to cut funding for “this ill-advised program” and supports its elimination.
Citgo Gas Buy-cott: Support Venezuela!
Join the Buy-cott. A recent Common Dreams article urges drivers to buy their gas from Citgo, a U.S. refining and marketing firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is attempting to fight his country’s poverty by using oil revenue to provide health care, literacy programs, education, and subsidized food for the majority of Venezuelans. In 2002, the Bush administration supported an attempted military coup seeking to overthrow Chavez. To find one of the 14,000 Citgo stations in the United States check online.
|
|
|
|
© 2005 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
|
 |
|
Complete July/August 2005 Index - click here
|
|
 |
|
|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
