Join fall protests against war abroad & repression at home!

Scan page 1

Antiwar groups around the United States have designated the weekend of Oct. 5-7, the 11th anniversary of the launch of the U.S. war on Afghanistan, as a time for public demonstrations and major educational events. The United National Antiwar Coalition hosted an Aug. 29 national phone organizing meeting attended by 49 representatives from peace groups wishing to partici­ pate in 19 states. The Veterans for Peace national convention, held in mid-August in Florida, ratified the UNAC call.

UNAC-associated actions for which planning is already underway will take place in New York City, Chicago, Minne­ apolis, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

6-13, with activities in Maine, Massa­ chusetts, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, England, India, and Sweden, is including demands to End the Afghanistan War, expansion.

tion, organized out of the First Inter­ national Drone Summit held in April in Washington, D.C., will be making its way to Pakistan to meet with victims on the humanitarian impact of the un­ the low level of mobilization that elec­ tion years bring, and despite the disori­ entation that Washington’s shift from promoting massive troop deployments to secretive drone warfare and special In New York City, the effort is being led operations has wrought, the antiwar by the Islamic Leadership Council, the movement will be visible this fall. Muslim Peace Coalition, Black is Back, and Desis Rising Up and Moving, all back in the news, and the unpopular groups especially interested in high­ nature of the U.S. occupation has been lighting the relationship between the driven home once again. On Sept. 1, the war abroad and increasing repression Washington Post reported that the U.S. against communities of color at home. government is reacting to the recent In San Francisco, civil liberties are to be escalation of “green-on-blue,” or “in­ the major theme of a large teach-in at sider,” attacks on U.S. troops by Afghan Laney College. trainees by halting the training of Af­ Rising violence in Afghanistan, con­ ghan troops until a new system of back­ tinued civilian casualties from drone ground checks can be implemented. On attacks in Pakistan, rising expenditures Sept. 2, The New York Times reported for weapons of war, and fears of U.S./ that U.S. troops have been ordered to NATO/Israeli attacks on Iran or Syria carry weapons at all times, including on are motivating activists from one end of supposedly secure U.S. bases. the country to another.

A “Keep Space for Peace Week,” Oct. noted that the mainstream media re­ sponse to this glitch in the official nar­ rative, the scenario in which the United States hands over most fighting duties to Afghan troops by 2014, has been to Stop the Drones, and Say No to NATO begin floating the idea that the U.S. just might not really be able to get out any­ Meanwhile, a Code Pink Peace Delega­ time soon.

In this they concur with the assess­ ment of former Afghan member of par­ liament Malalai Joya, who said at the May 13-14 Chicago People’s Summit: of drone attacks and prepare reports “Obama and Karzai claim the war will end in 2014, while on the other hand, ending U.S. war in the region. Despite they say that U.S. troops will remain in some capacity until 2024. My friends, when 2024 comes closer, they will say they plan to remain in Afghanistan un­ til 2034. The reality is that the U.S. and their NATO allies plan to dominate Af­ ghanistan and the larger region militar­ ily for the next generation...”

In part, this is because Afghanistan is As one of the longest running wars in U.S. history, Afghanistan, and the ac­ companying drone war in Pakistan, are well understood by the movement and will be a focus in the October actions.

The level of U.S. involvement in the rest of the region needs to be the subject of continuing and broad education if the movement is to be able to mobilize ef­ fective numbers in the street.

Since the U.S. withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq in 2011, antiwar ac­ tivists have been debating its meaning.

Was the redeployment of U.S. troops to regional bases a historic turning point Political columnist Tom Engelhardt regarding the dominance of U.S. imperi­ (continued on page 11, in “The un-taxed $21 trillion”)

S. AFRICA

Scan page 2

Photos this page: Brian Jackson / Chicago Sun Times

----- pull-quotes -----

Chicago teachers — 2 Fracking, a toxic threat — 3 Youth & economic crisis — 4 Repression against Muslims — 5

Shorten the workweek! — 6 Mexico / Quebec — 8 Canada news — 9 Untaxed trillions / Movies — 10