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Sharon Grimes, W A M M
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Hundreds of Thousands March in DC to End War
Antiwar protests were held in cities across the country on Saturday, September 24. In Washington, D.C., as many as 300,000 activists rallied demanding that the United States end the war and occupation in Iraq and bring home our troops. In St. Paul at least 1,000 people joined WAMM, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Veterans for Peace, Friends for a Non-Violent World, and neighborhood peace groups to hear speakers and sign postcards calling for an end to the war.
Algerians Vote for Peace
Algerian voters approved the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation by a 97 percent margin, according to interior minister Yazid Zerhouni. The peace plan, presented by President Abdelaziz Boutleflik, aims to end years of violence that left more than 100,000 dead.
DU Testing for Returning Soldiers
For the first time, state-of-the-art radiation testing to check for depleted uranium (DU) contamination will be offered to U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq. DU is thought by some to be linked to cancer and birth defects. Although the Pentagon refuses to take contamination risks seriously, state legislatures are passing laws to provide testing for their returning National Guard troops.
Deptarment of Peace Bill Introduced
Senator Mark Dayton introduced a bill to establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence. The Senate bill is the counterpart to House legislation introduced by Representative Dennis Kucinich and cosponsored by 59 others.
St. Patrick’s Four Activists Acquitted
Four Catholic peace activists, known as the St. Patrick’s Four, were acquitted of a felony charge by a federal jury in Binghamton, New York, on September 26. In March 2003, before the United States went to war in Iraq, they poured their blood on the walls of a military recruiting center in Ithaca. They refused to leave and were charged with conspiracy to impede an officer using force. This was the first such case since the Vietnam War and the acquittal is considered a setback for the Bush Administration.
Pinochet Loses – Justice Wins
Augusto Pinochet has lost his bid for legal immunity and can be tried for his alleged role in killing
dissidents when he was dictator of Chile from 1973 through 1990.
Arab-American Woman Wins Civil Rights Award
Mary Rose Oakar, president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, received the American and Chaldean Council (ACC) 2005 Civil Rights Award for her work and dedication to civil rights.
Music to the Ears
In July the 2005 Convention of the American Federation of Musicians passed a resolution declaring its opposition to the occupation of Iraq and demanding the immediate return of U.S. troops. They also pledged to advocate for returning veterans.
Last MX Missile Phased Out
The last MX missile was phased out at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, September 19. The country’s biggest intercontinental ballistic missile, the MX was equipped with ten nuclear warheads and was the centerpiece of the “peace through strength” program in the late 1970s and ’80s. The phaseout began four years ago.
IRA Destroys Weapons
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) said it had destroyed all of its weapons, and on September 26, the International Decommissioning body confirmed the action. The disarmament, promised in July by the IRA, ends more than 30 years of religious and political violence in Northern Ireland.
Army Misses 2005 Recruitment Goal
The Army missed its 80,000 recruiting goal by about 6,800 for the year ending September 30. This is the first shortfall since 1999. According to vice chief of staff, Gen. Richard Cody, the Army will have trouble meeting its 2006 goal of 80,000 as well.
El Baradei Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
The International Atomic Energy Agency and its director, Mohamed ElBaradei, won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way.” Among other criteria the Peace Prize is awarded to whoever has done most to abolish or reduce standing armies. The Nobel Committee “has concentrated on the struggle to diminish the significance of nuclear arms in international politics, with a view to their abolition. That the world has achieved little in this respect makes active opposition to nuclear arms all the more important today.” |
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© 2005 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete November 2005 Index - click here
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