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by Sharon Grimes, W A M M
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Minneapolis Council Endorses Najaf as Sister City
The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously (10 to 0; one member was absent) July 31 to endorse the Sister City resolution between Minneapolis and Najaf, Iraq. Signing document details for Sister City International and preparations for the first delegate visits in September are under way. Kathy McKay and other WAMM members on the Iraq American Reconciliation Project were key players in helping to make this happen. (7/31/09)
Historic First
Sonia Sotomayor made history/herstory when she became the first Hispanic person and only the third woman to become a Supreme Court Justice.
Army Colonel Says It’s Time to Go
“It’s time for the U.S. to declare victory and go home,” Army colonel Timothy R. Reese, a U.S. adviser to the Iraqi military command, wrote in a recent memo. He said the United States should declare victory in Iraq and get out next summer. He says that staying longer than August 2010 is not going to make the Iraqis better prepared and, that despite shortcomings, they are “good enough for Iraq in 2009.” Unfortunately, his view is not widely shared. (Associated Press, 7/31/09)
But, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the United States might be able to speed up the troop withdrawal from Iraq depending upon conditions on the ground. After visiting Baghdad at the end of July, he said another brigade (5,000) might leave by the end of December in addition to the two brigades already scheduled to leave. (Star Tribune, 7/30/09)
Happy Birthday Pete!
At the recent celebration of activist Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday, Bruce Springsteen paid tribute, saying that Seeger has the “audacity and courage to speak in the voice of the people. . . . He has a stubborn, defiant, and nasty optimism. . . . Inside he carries a steely toughness that belies his grandfatherly looks. It won’t let him step back from the things he believes in.” (May 2009)
Mayor Calls for Arms Ban
A global nuclear arms ban has been called for by the mayor of Nagasaki, Japan, at a ceremony commemorating the 64th anniversary of the bombing of his city by U.S. forces during World War II. The attack killed about 74,000 people. He said that some progress has been made and cited an April speech by President Obama urging the world to get rid of atomic weapons. But he also mentioned that North Korea has recently set off a nuclear test. (Star Tribune, 8/10/09)
Peace Agreement Reached
Rivals in Madagascar signed a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending months of violence set off by a coup in March. They will form a 15-month interim government and plan to hold new elections. (Star Tribune, 8/10/09)
F-22 Fighter Jets to be Phased Out
On July 21, the Senate voted 58 to 41 to end production of the F-22 fighter jet. President Obama had threatened to veto any bill that included the F-22. Senator John McCain had moved to eliminate $1.75 billion from the defense budget for seven more fighter jets. In addition, on August 10, House Democrats said they will not push the Pentagon to buy four new passenger jets used to transport senior government officials. They have been criticized for adding $330 million to the Air Force’s 2010 budget to buy the jets even though the Pentagon didn’t ask for the money. (Star Tribune, 7/14/09, 8/11/09)
Detainees Allowed into Ireland
Ireland has agreed to take two detainees from the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by the end of September. They are part of a group of 50 no longer considered to be a security threat, but who cannot return to their home countries. (Star Tribune, 7/30/09)
Aung San Suu Kyi Receives Highest Honor
Aung San Suu Kyi, long detained by the Burmese government for her prodemocracy leadership, received Amnesty International’s highest honor, the Ambassador of Conscience Award. (Star Tribune, 7/28/09) |
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© 2009 Women Against Military Madness. All rights reserved.
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Complete September 2009 Index - click here
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