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by Sharon Grimes, W A M M
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Finally, A War Funding Bill is Defeated
The latest war funding bill was defeated May 15 by a group of 131 House Republicans who voted “present,” and antiwar Democrats on May 15. The $162.5 billion proposal would have continued funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it would also have included measures demanding troop withdrawals, banning torture, and expanding education benefits for returning veterans. Republicans say they voted present because they were angry, saying the legislation was drafted in secret and they were expected to go along with it. The Senate, however, was expected to take up the legislation the following week and restore war funding. (washingtonpost.com, 5/16/08)
Ship of Weapons Turned Back
A Chinese ship loaded with weapons bound for Zimbabwe was turned around in April when dockworkers and police in the port of Durban, South Africa, refused to off load the ship. South African customs had cleared the shipment, which was to be sent overland to Robert Mugabe’s government. It included 3 million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades, and more than 3,000 mortar rounds and launchers. South Africa is seen as the one country that could pressure Mugabe to accept the results of the March election. Some say the ship’s retreat could be the turning point in the struggle to end Mugabe’s 29-year rule. (Sunday Journal, 4/19/08)
Bangor Six Activists Found “Not Guilty”
The Bangor Six peace activists were found not guilty of criminal trespass in April after a two-day trial. Part of their defense included that they knew they had a “right, privilege, or license” to be at the Margaret Chase Smith Federal Building even though the police had repeatedly ordered them to leave. The defendants spoke passionately about their belief that they had moral and political reasons to be there. The Penobscot County district attorney said the jury’s verdict likely reflected the disgust of Maine’s citizens toward the continued Iraq war and how they are fed up with the way Senators Collins and Snowe have handled “the debacle.” (Pax Christi Maine, 5/1/08; www.paxchristiusa.org)
Standing up to General Dynamics
On May 1, activists locked themselves together in the lobby of weapons manufacturer General Dynamics in Burlington, Vermont. They demanded that “General Dynamics stop giving campaign contributions to the politicians responsible for regulating it, stop making Gatling guns, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction, and give back the $3.6 million in Vermont tax breaks General Dynamics received in 2007.” (www.democracynow.org 5/5/08)
Corporate Tax Evaders Investigated
Congress is finally investigating defense contractors who use offshore shell companies to avoid paying payroll taxes, and the House has voted to stop another common abuse by denying future government contracts to companies that fail to pay corporate taxes. Congressional investigators went to the Cayman Islands, one of the prime tax refuges, to find out how much the Treasury is being shorted. A prime offender, KBR, has used two shell companies to avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in payroll, Medicare, and unemployment taxes. (The New York Times, 5/9/08)
Japanese Working for Peace
Citizens of Japan and Italy are angry about the presence of U.S. military bases in their countries. On the island of Hokkaido, the Japanese government pressured farmers to sell their land in 1962 to establish a U.S. artillery range known as Yausubetsu. Three families refused to sell, and built three structures where 100 activists protest year round against the base. On the roof of one building, an 82-year-old farmer painted the text of Article 9 from the Japanese Constitution. (Truthout, 5/11/08)
Privatization of Oil Opposed in Mexico
Mexicans who oppose privatization of Mexico’s oil industry, PEMEX, occupied the Mexican Senate chamber in April. And in La Paz, Bolivia, at the second Continental Workers Conference citizens of Mexico and eight other countries reported on their struggles and desire for peace. (Speech given by Cynthia McKinney at Cal State, Northridge, 4/15/08)
Fox 9 Exposes Recruiters
Four Army recruiters in the Twin Cities were suspended after an undercover investigation and story by Fox 9. YAWR (Youth Against War and Racism) has charged that recruiters lie to convince kids to enlist, and Fox decided to investigate to find out if it was true. They found that recruiters routinely lie about the money enlistees will make, about the college money and jobs that will be available, and whether enlistees will be sent to Iraq. (YAWR e-mail and Fox News, 5/13/08) |
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© 2008 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete June 2008 Index - click here
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