Many progressive organizations have gone on record about the horror of September 11 and the political and military aftermath. Among them are the following:
1. Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
2. Appeal from Arab-American Family Support Center
3. Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
4. Arab Women's Solidarity Association
5. National Council of German Women's Organizations
6. Statement from National NOW President Kim Gandy
7. Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti Imperialist
8. New Afrikan People's Organization
9. School of the Americas Watch
10. Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program, Hampshire College
11. Anti-War, Anti-Imperialist Demonstration in Athens Greece
12. Japanese American Citizens League
13. Center for Democracy & Technology
14. United Studenets Against Sweatshops
15. American Indian Movement Of Florida
16. Women in Black, New York
17. Médecins Sans Frontières
18. Nodutdol for Korean Community Development
19. Jews for Racial & Economic Justice
20. War Resisters League
21. American Civil Liberties Union
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Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
Statement on the terrorist attacks in the US
September 14, 2001
The people of Afghanistan have nothing to do with Osama and his accomplices
On September 11, 2001 the world was stunned with the horrific terrorist attacks on the United States. RAWA stands with the rest of the world in expressing our sorrow and condemnation for this barbaric act of violence and terror. RAWA had already warned that the United States should not support the most treacherous, most criminal, most anti-democracy and anti-women Islamic fundamentalist parties because after both the Jehadi and the Taliban have committed every possible type of heinous crimes against our people, they would feel no shame in committing such crimes against the American people whom they consider "infidel". In order to gain and maintain their power, these barbaric criminals are ready to turn easily to any criminal force.
But unfortunately we must say that it was the government of the United States who supported Pakistani dictator Gen. Zia-ul Haq in creating thousands of religious schools from which the germs of Taliban emerged. In the similar way, as is clear to all, Osama Bin Laden has been the blue-eyed boy of CIA. But what is more painful is that American politicians have not drawn a lesson from their pro-fundamentalist policies in our country and are still supporting this or that fundamentalist band or leader. In our opinion any kind of support to the fundamentalist Taliban and Jehadies is actually trampling democratic, women's rights and human rights values.
If it is established that the suspects of the terrorist attacks are outside the US, our constant claim that fundamentalist terrorists would devour their creators, is proved once more.
The US government should consider the root cause of this terrible event, which has not been the first and will not be the last one too. The US should stop supporting Afghan terrorists and their supporters once and for all.
Now that the Taliban and Osama are the prime suspects by the US officials after the criminal attacks, will the US subject Afghanistan to a military attack similar to the one in 1998 and kill thousands of innocent Afghans for the crimes committed by the Taliban and Osama? Does the US think that through such attacks, with thousands of deprived, poor and innocent people of Afghanistan as its victims, will be able to wipe out the root-cause of terrorism, or will it spread terrorism even to a larger scale?
From our point of view a vast and indiscriminate military attacks on a country that has been facing permanent disasters for more than two decades will not be a matter of pride. We don't think such an attack would be the expression of the will of the American people.
The US government and people should know that there is a vast difference between the poor and devastated people of Afghanistan and the terrorist Jehadi and Taliban criminals.
While we once again announce our solidarity and deep sorrow with the people of the US, we also believe that attacking Afghanistan and killing its most ruined and destitute people will not in any way decrease the grief of the American people. We sincerely hope that the great American people could DIFFERENTIATE between the people of Afghanistan and a handful of fundamentalist terrorists. Our hearts go out to the people of the US.
Down with terrorism!
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
http://www.rawa.org
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Arab-American Family Support Center Needs Help
September 14, 2001
Dear friends,
We are really swamped here at the Arab-American Family Support Center. We have kids scared to go to school, mothers to scared to leave their homes to buy food for their families. People are being attacked, Arab children have reported this afternoon, teachers who attacked them verbally.
There are now 4 reported attacks in Bay Ridge. Families are contacting us because they are to scared to talk to the American police. Children are at home scared. The media is calling us from all over the world every minute. Please help.This is what we need:
- volunteers to escort women to go buy food and to walk kids to and from school. If you can help, please send me your phone number, name, and the neighborhood you live in and work in.
- I need a list of Arab professionals and intellectuals and university students that I can give to all the media who keep calling. If you can speak to the media, please send me your name, number, and profession, major etc.
Thanks!
Emily
(To help, Contact artists group):
16 Beaver Group
16 Beaver Street, 5th fl.
New York, NY 10004
phone: 212.509-2800
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The Horrors That Come From This Horrible System
September 14, 2001
September 11, 2001. USA. Shock. Mountains of steel and concrete falling, crushing. Loss. Lives shattered in a moment. Searching for loved ones buried under mountains of debris. Horror from the sky.
A brown skinned woman stands at the Red Cross line holding a picture of her missing husband. Her eyes scan the scene as if looking hard will bring him back. A young blue eyed man waits nervously for news of his lover. Hope turns to the realization that partners, friends and colleagues are gone. Snatched away by a conflict that has brutally intruded into daily life from the heavens.
In an instant New York City reminds us of Baghdad, Belgrade, Sudan, the West Bank, Vietnam, Panama, Indonesia, Hiroshima, Vieques.
The images flood our minds. Mothers running through the streets of Baghdad with their children as U.S. bombs fall like rain. Iraqi women watching their children die because U.S. bombs and sanctions have deliberately poisoned the water they need to live. Families carrying the coffins of sons taken out by made-in-U.S.A. rockets on the West Bank.
Workers at a medicine factory picking through the rubble in Sudan left by U.S. cruise missiles. Scrambling for cover in Belgrade as U.S. bombs strike from the air. Looking through the stadium in Chile where thousands of former lovers, sons, and daughters lay -- stilled forever by a coup made in Washington. Gasping with horror as the firing squads of the Indonesian army, with CIA lists of political opponents in their pockets, massacre hundreds of thousands, filling the rivers with the dead.
Hiroshima, Vietnam, Baghdad. The war has come home. Even if the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were symbols of the financial and military power of U.S. imperialism, the reality is that many innocent people were killed as a result.
And who is responsible? Who has put the masses in the U.S. in harms way?
The U.S. power structure points the finger to the Middle East. But the answer lies on U.S. soil. These imperialists--who have perpetrated countless crimes and rained havoc on the people of the world through their relentless global exploitation and their military actions -- have created a situation where millions of people all around the world hate the government of the United States.
* * * * *
As the dust clears from our eyes, the people in the most powerful country in the world find ourselves held hostage to the inevitable repercussions of the actions of this U.S. power structure and their bloody military machine. Now, besides the horrors that they have perpetuated against the people around the world -? horrors that multiply the tears shed in NY and Washington a thousand times -- these cold-hearted imperialists have called forth the same kind of devastation in the belly of their own beast.
And now they call on the people to support their retribution. They speak of war and justice. No.
These hegemonic dominators do not have the right to continue on their warpath. They are the source of so much pain and suffering around the world. And their current moves to war and military actions -- against yet unnamed countries and targets -- must be actively opposed.
Through the shock we seek the truth: Global exploiters and mass murderers have no right to retribution and they can only bring more destruction and injustice. To join forces with them, to seek their protection, will only encourage them to commit more crimes against the people of our planet.
They show us pictures of Arab youth cheering in the streets of occupied territory and ask us to be horrified and seek revenge. But we need to ask why are people in the Middle East and other parts of the world celebrating the events of September 11: not because innocent lives were lost, but because an arrogant power that has been getting away with murder and boasting of its invincibility has been shown to be vulnerable.
* * * * *
The rulers capitalize on our pain and ask the people to pray with them. But as the people remember our dead, what is the power structure doing? Unleashing more war and police state repression. Preying on the people of the world.
They talk of protecting the people but all the while they are drawing up lists of names, carrying out raids, and putting vast new Big Brother measures into place.
They talk of ending terror, through war, and ready their armed forces to bring about great horrors.
They want us to unite with them and wave their flag. No.
In the tension of the present, we remember the lessons of history. While they talk of another Pearl Harbor, we are reminded of how the U.S. government played on peopleís fear for their own safety to rally support for rounding up the Japanese-Americans, confiscating their property and putting them in concentration camps. We remember how they tried to paint anyone who opposed them as giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
And remembering these crimes strengthens our resolve to prevent such things from happening again. We cannot be intimidated by the official and unofficial pressure to line up behind their war moves and their flag. We can see the logic of this poison in the ugly threats and beatings coming down on Arab people.
As people mourn lost loved ones, as we put our arms around each other, all who seriously want justice need to reach out to the people of the world ? to stand together against the crimes of this system, to strengthen our resistance against every act of war and repression.
And, as we build our resistance, we need to be crystal clear on the nature of these oppressors who are hurtling towards a new war: these arrogant lying creatures do not rule in the interests of the people of this country or the world. As long as they continue in power the horrors that come from their system will continue to rain from the sky.
Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
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Arab Women's Solidarity Association: Condemns Attacks, Urges Tolerance and Opposes Retaliatory Military Strikes
September 14, 2001
The Arab Women's Solidarity Association stands together with others in condemning the horrible terrorist attacks committed Tuesday, and in mourning the tragic loss of so many lives, including those related to our own members. Our hearts and our prayers go out to all the victims of the attacks in New York and Washington. Many people have lost family members and friends. Families and communities have been devastated by these attacks. We send our deepest condolences to all those who have lost loved ones and we send our heartfelt sympathy to all those who have been injured.
We also stand together in urging all people of conscience to resist any curtailing of our civil liberties, and any anti-Arab American and anti-Muslim American actions. Along with being among the victims who have died and been injured, Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans are also bearing the brunt of these attacks in the form of hate crimes, witch-hunts, and multiple forms of racist violence. Past attacks on the U.S. have resulted in assaults on communities, such as Japanese Americans, who were victimized for no reason other than the color of their skin or their national origin or their mode of worship. We hope that all people of conscience will stand with Arab and Muslim Americans, and all others who may be targeted or defamed because of what happened, and stand together, in human solidarity, with all people who have been victimized by violence, loss and ongoing injustice.
We are saddened hearing the calls for revenge and the talk of war. We declare our opposition to retaliatory military strikes in response to the attacks. Under international law, there is no recognized right of retaliation or vengeance. The U.S. should endeavor to bring those responsible for attacks to justice in the courts. However, the U.S. should refrain from any retaliatory attack on any country or community it believes to have been responsible, since those attacks will undoubtedly result in the further loss of innocent lives. We are also concerned that the Bush administration and the Israeli leaders are taking advantage of the loss of innocent lives to heighten their policies of increased militarization, occupation, and war. We are confident that there is no value in attacks that are destined to result in an even greater loss of innocent lives. We hope that we will use words and take actions that will heal and support each other and try to maintain our calm and humanity in the face of incalculable suffering and sadness.
We view Tuesday's terrorist attacks as part of a growing culture of violence linked to increased militarization and war that are devastating communities across the globe. We believe that all forms of violence against civilians and the murder of innocent people are intolerable, whether enacted against the September 11th victims, federal employees of Oklahoma City, Iraqi children, Sudanese pharmaceutical plant workers or those who might be targets of the Bush administration's plans for retaliation.
We believe that the road to peace and justice must begin with implementation of peace and justice, both at home and abroad.
Arab Women's Solidarity Association National Chapter
email: awsa-sc@yahoogroups.com
Raleigh/Chapel Hill Chapter, North Carolina Chapter Tel: 919.847.4395
San Francisco, California Chapter Tel: 415.861.3848
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National Council of German Women's Organizations
To Women's Organizations in the USA
J U S T I C E - N O T R E V E N G E
Berlin, September 18, 2001
Dear sisters,
The "National Council of German Women's Organizations", linking more than a hundred organizations with a total of 11 million members, sends its heartfelt sympathy to the American citizens in this time of great grief. Our thoughts are with you, and your tragedy has touched all our lives. We can understand that people feel outraged and at the same time we are deeply concerned that this rage might turn into revenge. Whilst the perpetrators must be sought and brought to justice, it is of the utmost importance that the innocent be protected. We are already seeing violence against Muslim women, children and men who have nothing to do with terrorists.
Our vision of the world is one of mutual respect for all people of the earth. In our minds and hearts we believe that this vision can be realized through the acceptance of diversity, dialogue and true democracy. We should use all our energies to prevent a war, a "crusade", which would target only those not responsible and leave the criminal actors untouched. We wish to share our concerns with you, our sisters in the USA, and hope very much that you feel strengthened by our support towards creating a peaceful world.
Yours sincerely,
Inge v. Bnninghausen
President
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Official Statement from National NOW President Kim Gandy
September, 14 2001
On behalf of the members of the National Organization for Women, I extend NOW's heartfelt sympathies to the victims of Tuesday's terrorist attacks, and their families, and our profound gratitude to the thousands who have made heroic sacrifices to protect and aid the survivors.
These horrifying attacks, reportedly born of extremist religious zealotry, must awaken our country and the world to the terrible costs of hate. Women and girls around the globe have long suffered brutality and oppression in the name of religion. The Taliban government of Afghanistan, believed to be harboring suspect Osama bin Laden, subjugates women and girls, and deprives them of the most basic human rights - including education, medicine and jobs.
The smoldering remains of the World Trade Center are a stark reminder that when such extremism is allowed to flourish anywhere in the world, none of us are safe.
On Wednesday, statements from U.S. fundamentalist ministers reminded us that religious intolerance is not isolated to any one region of the world. Messages of shock and dismay continue to come in from women and men who are outraged that extremists in our own country are blaming organizations like NOW, by name, for this national tragedy.
Rev. Jerry Falwell said on the 700 Club television show, and Rev. Pat Robertson agreed, "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians . . . . I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen'." NOW calls on religious groups everywhere to denounce this kind of hate-filled rhetoric and the bigotry that such comments represent.
This must be a time of unity and support, not divisive finger pointing. We must do more than simply condemn these brutal acts of terror. We must also commit ourselves to embrace and advance fundamental human rights for all.
Above all, we cannot allow the terrorists to goad us into terrorizing others -- like those who are reportedly lashing out in misplaced anger against neighbors and co-workers because of their perceived national origin or religion. In our national response to these brutal acts, let us have the strength of character to remain true to the ideals we hold most precious: our commitment to tolerance, religious liberty and equality for each of us, in all of our diversity. Let us leave hatred behind as we rebuild our community together.
Kim A. Gandy
President
National Organization for Women
733 15th St. NW, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 628-8NOW
www.now.org
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Statement by Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti-Imperialist on September 11, 2001
Hijacked Planes Crashed into World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania
Our hearts go out to the innocent people who lost their lives and loved ones in the most recent events in NYC, DC and PA. It is shocking to see New York City smoking and forever altered. The thousands of volunteers and blood donors are staggering and proof of the goodness of the people.
At the same time we are sickened and outraged at the calls to "exact revenge." Comparisons to Pearl Harbor remind us of the beginning of WW2 when the U.S. rounded up Japanese Americans by the thousands and locked them in concentration camp-like "internment" camps. They were stripped of their rights and their property was stolen. Countless acts of cruelty were justified as retaliation for the acts of "their country". THE U.S. DROPPED ATOMIC BOMBS ON JAPAN IN RESPONSE!
NO U.S. War
The media, military, politicians and pundits are shoving so-called patriotism down our throats. They are busily trying to convince people the only way to properly respect these victims and to unite is to go to war. They want us to be blindly patriotic. As vets we must bear witness to the truth of what imperialist war means.
The U.S. has been murdering, brutalizing, bombing, and terrorizing people around the world for centuries. And with the their globalization efforts they have ratcheted up the stakes considerably. Most government fingers are pointing at Bin Ladin. Truth be told, the United States has been at war with the Middle East for decades. The fact that the U.S. has so many enemies who would act against us is telling. We have to ask the question why? Was this gruesome act in retaliation for one of many atrocities the U.S. has committed around the world?
o For the slow and painful murder of one million Iraqi's (mostly children) since the Gulf War from the sanctions the U.S. refuses to lift?
o Was it for the U.S. / NATO bombing of a retreating convoy of Albanian refugees in 1999?
o In 1998 when U.S. cruise missiles destroyed the Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan, and launched 75 Tomahawk cruise missiles from warships against Afghanistan and Sudan?
o Was it for 1991 in Iraq for the Highway of Death - the strip of roadway the Iraqi's were using to flee the bombing raids on Baghdad - where U.S. Air Force described the moving vehicles as "like shooting fish in a barrel"? Or the Amariyah bomb shelter where during the Gulf War people gathered for a religious service only to have the exit doors sealed shut by U.S. bombs and some 400 parished?
o Or did it go even further back to the 1989 US invasion of Panama, for the door to door house burnings in El Chorillo, the leveling of Panama city, or the thousands left in mass graves in the U.S. military's wake?
o Nicaragua where the U.S. was responsible for the deaths of over 30,000?
o Lest we forget 'Nam or the Atomic Bomb.
The only thing NEW about this kind of Terror is that it happened HERE! American lives are not worth more, and the rest of the world's people worth less. We must stand with the people of the world against all of these criminal, vengeful, hateful acts. We are one human family. We must differentiate between the acts of a government or organization and the acts of a people. And at the same time take responsibility for opposing our government when it threatens war.
War at Home
They will be using this attack to take away more of our civil liberties. One government official was quoted; "We may have to tell our grand children we knew of a time in the United States when there were not officers with automatic weapons on every street corner." They tell us that "for our own protection" we must wrap ourselves in chains.
To those GIs who are being called to join any military attack we call on you to resist and will support your right to refuse and honor you as the Real Heroes-the anti-warriors.
As veterans of the U.S. military, ex-members of the largest terrorist group in the world, we can say with unshakable certainty that in order to rid the world of terrorism we are going to first have to rid the world of imperialism and with that the #1 terrorist - the USA.
No U.S. War-The World Knows Who the REAL Terrorists Are
No Attacks on Immigrants or Arab Americans
No Police State
Vietnam Veterans Against the War Anti Imperialist
VVAW AI / StormWarning!
P.O. Box 21604
Seattle, WA 98111-3604
(206) 374-2215
_________________
Statement of the New Afrikan People's Organization
on the September 11, 2001 Attacks
From: Dr. Makungu M. Akinyela
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 3:33 PM
It is with grief and sorrow that the New Afrikan People's Organization joins with the people of the world in mourning the tremendous loss of human life in the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC.
We condemn these attacks on civilians and any attacks on civilians that are intended to create the greatest sense of terror and horror amongst the people. This kind of terror war is outside of the moral and ethical bounds of every righteous society. The only end of these attacks is that they create profound grief and horror among civilian communities.
We are clear that the United States Government itself must bear a major responsibility for the over five thousand deaths in the September 11th attacks. While the American government attempts to whip up war hysteria and a phony patriotism, we want to remind our people and other truth loving people of the world that this so-called terrorist monster is one created by the United States government, which like the mythical Frankenstein's monster has turned on it's own maker.
The United States government claims that the source of the September 11th attack arises from various groups in the Middle East. If American government allegations and investigations are accurate (and most often they are not) the origin of this problem is the United States government itself. It is the United States government that trained people like Manuel Noriega in Panama, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan to murder and terrorize innocent civilians. These and other so-called terrorists were trained and used by the American government to do its dirty work around the world. After these American trained people no longer submit to American demands the response has been the indiscriminate bombing of cities and towns by American military forces in places like Panama, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and the Sudan in order to punish them while killing the civilians of those countries.
American bombs have also murdered millions of innocent civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Libya, Vietnam, the Sudan and various other places in Africa and Latin America. Millions have mourned and continue to mourn these atrocities. They like us have been "victims of Americanism". The people around the world who hate what the USA stands for do not hate this country for it's so-called freedoms. America is hated because of the death and destruction that the American Government has condoned and perpetrated against the poor and working people of the world. And now the "Chickens have come home to roost" as Malcolm X taught us.
Our people know this type of terror because it has been ongoing for us under the thumb of American colonialism. It is the terror felt in the Black communities of the United States when American military forces and civilians murdered thousands of Blacks in airplane firebomb attacks on the Black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. It is the kind of terror that our people felt when the Philadelphia Police Department firebombed a Black community, destroying countless homes and murdering the Black children, women and men of the MOVE Organization in 1985. It is the terror that our people have felt as we have lost world leaders like Martin Luther King, and El Hajj Malik El Shabazz Malcolm X to state assisted assassination. It is the terror and grief we have felt as scores of young black freedom fighters like George Jackson, Mtayari Shabaka Sundiata and others of the Black Liberation Movement have been murdered by police, FBI and other American state agencies.
We call on New Afrikans and all people of goodwill to oppose George W. Bush's so-called war on terrorism and all military adventures of the United States Government. We believe that we are obligated to separate from and resist evil, brutal and oppressive acts of any Government or organization that perpetrates terrorism and the victimization of working and poor people. The blood of our people, the Native American peoples, the Mexican people and the peoples of Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands soaks the ground of America as a result of this type of American sponsored terrorism.
The attacks in Texas, New York and other places on Muslims, Arabs, Pakistanis and other immigrants is an example of the settler colonial racism that supports America's red, white and blue "patriotism". The New Afrikan People know the horror of racism and white supremacy and we must all stand against it in support of the human right to self-defense. We call on New Afrikans and all people who love freedom to refuse to participate in the racist attacks on Muslim, Arab and other immigrant communities around the United States. We reassert our support of the just struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination, freedom and peace in their own land. Even in the midst of mourning we are clear that our fight is with our own oppressors here in the United States of America.
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Statement from School of the Americas Watch
September 28, 2001
Since the tragic events of September 11, we at SOA Watch have struggled with our sorrow, as well as with our response to these senseless acts. We unite with people everywhere in mourning the devastating loss of life. We extend our deepest sympathies to those who have lost friends and family members.
SOA Watch, an organization fully committed to nonviolence, condemns these deplorable acts, and all acts of terror. The recognition that some of the alleged perpetrators of these crimes were recipients of military training by US forces or with U.S. aid grieves us deeply. This type of military training is embodied by the SOA.
During this time, we are mindful of our sisters and brothers in Latin America. We have seen the economic policies of the U.S.- backed World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank force people into abject poverty and an inescapable cycle of oppression. These policies are largely enforced by the 60,000 Latin American soldiers trained at the SOA, many of whom have received extensive training in civilian-targeted warfare.
This genocidal warfare has left a trail of blood and suffering across Latin America including the death or disappearance of 200,000 people in Guatemala, the displacement of 2,000,000 in Colombia, and thousands of survivors tormented daily by the lingering effects of the torture they were subjected to.
We call on the United States government to break the cycle of violence. We call on the people of the United States to expose our government¹s role in perpetuating the violence and to hold the government accountable.
As George W. Bush calls for an all-out war against "Terrorism," we wonder why he hasn¹t closed the SOA, where millions of taxpayer dollars are being used to fund a training school for terrorists in our own backyard.
It is now more important than ever to put a stop to the military training at the SOA. We are determined to live out our vision of peace with justice, and to stand in solidarity with the people of Latin America as well as all victims of violence and civilian-targeted warfare. We are called to be a voice for the voiceless.
Therefore, it is with reverence and solemnity that we continue with our plans to hold our annual event at the gates of Ft. Benning this November. We call for a unified nonviolent presence that exerts our civil liberties, while remembering those whose liberties have been taken away.
As in previous years, we will hold vigils on both Saturday and Sunday. Nonviolence training will be available throughout the weekend. In addition to this presence, we call for a reverent funeral procession to the SOA. While aware of the opposition we may meet and the greater risks this year¹s action may entail, we remain steadfast.
We envision a gathering that will stand as a beacon amidst the violence. We invite our sister organizations and nonviolent affinity groups to join us in this unified presence.
Please routinely visit www.soaw.org for updates.
_________________
Speaking Out Against Terrorism And War
Statement On The Events Of September 11th, 2001
September 26, 2001
We at the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program and the Population and Development Program would like to express our sorrow about the deaths from the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Our hearts are with all of those who have lost loved ones in the U.S. and with all people around the world who are living with violence and the constant threat of terrorism.
The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are an opportunty for U.S. citizens and leaders to reflect upon the U.S. government's role in supporting terrorism and militarism globally. Many people are currently living in poverty, under the threat of attack, and unable to move freely, in part because of U.S. support of terrorist forces and military regimes as well as a global economic system that intensifies social inequality. Last week's events compel us to take a stand against militarism and foreign policies that violate human rights. We must also oppose any attempts to undermine basic civil liberties.
Cries for revenge and war are ringing loudly right now. We must be diligent in protecting the safety and freedom of those who might be targeted and scapegoated in the fervor of nationalism, particularly Muslims and Americans of Middle Eastern and South Asian origin. The tragedy of Tuesday the 11th does not justify hate crimes or state-sanctioned harassment of any group of people. Nor should it be used in any part of the world as a justification for further victimization or displacement of the Arab and Muslim peoples. We see such violence as an unacceptable breach of human rights.
If we truly wish to be a model for freedom and justice, we must be committed to U.S. domestic and foreign policies that promote the peace and well-being of all citizens of the U.S. and the world. We join those around the world who condemn violence, racism and scapegoating, and who support human rights, peace and justice. The Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program and the Population and Development Program urge U.S. citizens and leaders to consider peace and due process as the only viable road to justice. We offer our support, mourning, and commitment to peace to all victims of terrorism.
The Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program (CLPP), a national program located at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, acts as a resource to the academic community and the reproductive rights movement and makes links between the two.
CLPP's goals include: promoting the leadership and agenda of young women; presenting a broad vision of reproductive freedom; developing strategies that are national in scope and impact and yet grassroots in implementation. CLPP accomplishes these goals through organizing initiatives and coalition work with other national organizations.
CLPP offers courses, publishes materials and videos, organizes From Abortion Rights to Social Justice: Building a Movement for Reproductive Freedom (an annual conference for student and community activists), coordinates the annual National Young Women's Day of Action, and provides internships through the Reproductive Rights Activist Service Corp.
The Population and Development Program, CLPP's companion program, focuses on reproductive rights, women's health, environment, population and development from an international perspective. This program provides support for an international network, the Committee on Women, Population and the Environment (CWPE).
Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program
Hampshire College
Amherst, MA 01002-5001
Phone: 413-559-5416
Fax: 413-559-6045
clpp@hampshire.edu
_________________
S27: ANTI-WAR, ANTI-IMPERIALIST DEMONSTRATION AT ATHENS GREECE
On September 29 a large number of left political and social associations organise an anti-war, anti-imperialist demonstration at Athens Greece. The demonstrators demand the cease of all western military activities. They also demand from the greek goverment not to participate in the war and not to give any political or technical support to US. Finally they condemn "antiterrorist hysteria" and racism against moslems. In general greek public opinion is very negative towards the imminent war. Attached you will find the poster that was published by the Greek Committee for the International Demonstration of Genova.
email message received 9/26/01
_________________
200 Call for Solidarity and End to Hate-Motivated Violence:
40+ Organizations Stand Together
September 19, 2001
[WASHINGTON] 'We will not allow the brutal attacks of September 11 to divide our nation with hate and bigotry' was the message delivered at lunchtime rally at The National Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism in an event organized by a small grassroots group of South Asian and Asian Pacific American men and women.
Following a moment of silence in respect for the victims of last week's attack, Amber Khan addressed the rally, delivering a message of sorrow and solidarity.
"We stand here together because we will not allow the perpetrators of violence to hijack our trust and faith in each other, we will not allow them to hijack our commitment to the principles and values that make our nation, a land of immigrants strong - tolerance for difference, belief in the inalienable human dignity and worth of each person, passion for creating a more justice society, and an unwavering commitment to liberty and freedom," said Amber Khan a Muslim activist of South Asian descent from Montgomery County, Maryland.
Over 200 diverse community leaders, federal employees, grassroots activists, veterans and other concerned Americans stood shoulder to shoulder to call for unity in this time of great sorrow and to not allow bigotry and hate to tear the fabric of our society. The crowd, reflecting the diversity of America, included Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, African Americans, South Asians, Christian leaders and many others.
Invoking the lessons of history from World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Karen Narasaki, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and whose parents were interned, spoke passionately about the need for us to learn from history.
"Standing here today, while we grieve the terrible loss of life and the awful toll on the families of the victims of Tuesday's terrorist attacks, let us take to heart the lessons of World War II when my parents and hundreds of other Japanese American families were herded behind barbed wire simply because they happened to look like the enemy," said Narasaki.
Sharing stories of fear and the isolation experienced by the Muslim, Arab and Sikh communities, Sharifa Al-Khateeb of the North American Council for Muslim Women, James Zogby of the Arab American Institute and Tejpal Singh Chawla expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support by the larger community and urged fellow Americans to remain united and vigilant against ethnic-scapegoating by speaking out against all forms of bigotry.
This theme was echoed by all speakers. "In the wake of the tragedy that occurred last week, I urge you - community leaders, parents, teachers, the media and our elected officials - to send the message that as Americans, we cannot and should not afford to condone or tolerate any incidence of discrimination or bias against anyone. Such acts go against the grain of the ideals of freedom and equality on which our country thrives and threaten our civil and human rights as Americans," said Deepa Iyer, board member of the South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow.
The event concluded with the powerful image of Japanese American and Filipino American Veterans of World War II leading the rally in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
For press statements from the event please see contact information below.
Organizations represented at today's event included:
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Humanist Association
American Muslim Council (AMC)
Arab American Institute (AAI)
Asian American Student Association, University of Maryland, College Park
Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Asian/Pacific Islander-Domestic Violence Resource Project (A/PI-DVRP)
Bharti Association of Montgomery County Maryland
Bridge 2050
Coordinating Council of American Muslim Organizations
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Democratic National Committee
Hmong National Development, Inc. (HND)
Human Rights Campaign
Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA)
Iranian Student Association, U of MD, College Park
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Japanese American Veterans Association
Korean American Coalition (KAC)
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
NAACP
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC)
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans
National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
National Japanese American Memorial Foundation
Network of South Asian Professionals
North American Council for Muslim Women (NACMW)
Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA)
People For the American Way Project
IMPACT
Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART)
South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT)
South Asian Bar Association (SABA)
South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
The Interfaith Alliance (TIA)
United Jain and Hindu Temple Association of Metro Washington
White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Young Muslim Professional Women, Inc.
Contact: Amber Khan at 301-602-6713 or Christine Chen at 202-223-5500 or
Kristine Minami, Director of Public Affairs, Japanese American Citizens League
Phone: 202-223-1240 Email: dc@jacl.org
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Preserving Demoratic Freedoms In Times Of Peril
September 14, 2001
CDT joins the nation in grief and anger over the devastating loss of life resulting from the terrorist hijackings and attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the plane crash in Pennsylvania. Thousands lost their lives in a brutal assault on the American people and the American form of government.
Responding to these attacks and the threat of future ones will test our collective resolve to maintain the freedom, openness and diversity that defines and enriches our society. CDT believes that
surrendering freedom will not purchase security, democratic values are strengths, not weaknesses, open communications networks are a positive force in the fight against violence and intolerance.
If we give up the constitutional freedoms fundamental to our democratic way of life, then the terrorists will have won.
We strongly support the statements by our nation's leaders who, in reaction to this unparalleled assault, have promised to preserve the liberties that have made this nation great.
We welcome, in particular, the statements of President Bush when he told the nation that "America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining." Further, the President said, "Those in authority should take appropriate precautions to protect our citizens. But we will not allow this enemy to win the war by changing our way of life or restricting our freedoms."
As Rep. Bob Goodlatte said, "When the President talks about fighting back to protect our freedom, that includes freedom from intrusion into innocent people's lives."
Similarly, Attorney General John Ashcroft pledged that, "the determination of these terrorists will not deter the determination of the American people. We are survivors, and freedom is a survivor. A free American people will not be intimidated, nor will we be defeated."
We urge Congress and the President to keep to this course of restraint and the defense of civil liberties. In the days ahead, we need to consider calmly and deliberately any proposals to improve security, with a determination not to erode the liberties and freedoms that are at the core of the American way of life. As Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said, any reassessment of current capabilities should be undertaken only "when the facts are in and the facts are clear" and must be "consistent with constitutional freedoms at the core of our national ideals." We should resist the temptation to change laws quickly while passions are understandably high or enact proposals in the mistaken belief that anything that may be called anti-terrorist will necessarily provide greater security.
There is clearly much that can be done to continue improving the government's technological sophistication to fight terrorism. But it would be wrong to overreact. The wiretap laws already give the law enforcement and intelligence agencies wide latitude. Indeed, it has been recognized for some time that the laws need to be updated in light of technological changes to provide more protection for privacy, not less.
The Internet is the people's voice. As demonstrated in the last few days, it was the open Internet that allowed people to contact and reassure their loved ones and to give vent to their feelings. Those are positive benefits of the openness and innovation of modern communications technologies. Moreover, building government surveillance features into communications networks can reduce security and create new risks of vulnerability. Nor is there anything to be gained by limiting freedom of expression. Pushing dissenting voices off the Internet does not increase security.
History teaches us that when we sacrifice liberty in times of crisis we later come to regret it, from the Alien Sedition Act to the internment of Japanese Americans to the FBI surveillance of anti-Vietnam war demonstrators and civil rights leaders.
In future weeks, as anti-terrorism proposals are made, CDT will be issuing analyses of their civil liberties implications, working with other organizations.
Center for Democracy & Technology
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United Studenets Against Sweatshops (USAS) Statement on Attacks
September 14, 2001
Tuesday's tragedies have jolted every fiber of our country. United Students Against Sweatshops mourns the victims in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, as well as victims of terrorism all over the world, and vehemently condemns the people and organizations that perpetrate such acts. Our hearts and thoughts are with those people who lost their lives, as well as the people who grieve for them. Our greatest measure of respect is with the working class heroes who have labored tirelessly in rescue and recovery efforts. It is time for compassion and unity to be paramount to all of us.
We have witnessed and are deeply saddened by the racist actions which have been perpetrated against sisters and brothers in our campuses and communities. USAS is an actively anti-racist organization that stands in solidarity with all members of our communities. We urge all of our allies and affiliates to take a stand against the scapegoating of and violence towards Muslims, Arab Americans, and all other individuals and communities victimized by hate. We recognize our responsibility to show support to all affected communities and call on all people to be especially vigilant at this time so that more tragedies do not occur from the xenophobic and racist aspects of the aftermath of the recent tragedy.
USAS calls on all students to work locally on anti-racist and peace-oriented events to help see each other through this difficult time. Now is the time to talk to the folks in our neighborhoods, find out where people are coming from, share thoughts, and show love and compassion to our sisters and brothers.
We stand firmly against sentiments of military retaliation. We are an organization that promotes peace and justice and we urge all Americans, especially our leadership, to show compassion and exercise restraint in the coming weeks. Moreover, we call on the media to play a more balanced and responsible role in its coverage of the unfolding events. It will be increasingly important to stand for peace internationally and to recognize that our hearts are not made lighter by the harming of any more innocent women, men and children.
United Students Against Sweatshops, with our strongest allies, has decided to cancel all involvement in the previously scheduled protests against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank meetings scheduled for the end of this month. We are making this decision out of respect and compassion for the victims of the September 11 tragedy and those, including ourselves, who will be grieving for some time to come. While our opposition to policies of these international financial institutions does not waiver, we realize that this month in DC is neither the time nor the place to gather in opposition.
We realize that there is a great deal of work and healing ahead of us, and hope to move forward from this moment to build a more just and inclusive place.
In peace, justice and solidarity,
The USAS Coordinating Committee and Staff
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." -- Mahatma Gandhi
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Florida Aim Joins Peace And Justice Coalition
October 3, 2001
Saint Petersburg, FL - The American Indian Movement of Florida (Florida AIM) joined the Peace and Justice Coalition of Saint Petersburg, FL and joined their opposition to the unmeasured responses of the United States government to the heinous attacks of September 11, 2001 upon the World Trade Center in New York City, New York.
Florida AIM is the state chapter of the international Indigenous peoples civil, human, treaty, and sovereignty rights movement founded by Clyde Bellecourt, Dennis Banks, George Mitchell, Eddie Benton Banai, Patricia Bellanger, Mary Jane Wilson and others in Minneapolis, MN - where AIM has maintained its National offices since.
Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, and we mourn with them the loss of their loved ones. As a people who have historically suffered similar crimes against humanity perpetrated against peaceful Indian villages in the North America, and continuing today against Indian civilians in several countries of North, Central and South America, we nonetheless at this time grieve and join our prayers and spirits with the families of the innocent victims of these acts of violence in New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.
Florida AIM condemns and opposes all acts of terrorism and opposes the initiation of violence. We believe this must include the attacks of September 11th, but also the actions of the infamous School of the America's, Central Intelligence Agency and the United States government against Indigenous peoples throughout the Western Hemisphere and many other people in the so-called "third world". We applaud United States President George Bush's pledge to "root out terrorism". We wish we could believe him, but the first act to root out terrorism would be to denounce US inspired terrorism and bring it to a halt. Instead we see efforts by congressional and governmental leaders to increase US inspired terrorism throughout the world by authorizing US operatives to assassinate governmental and non-governmental leaders. Florida AIM calls on the United States to act sincerely in opposing all forms of terrorism and bring to an end US inspired terrorism by closing the School of America's and similar terrorist training grounds as well as bringing to an end US intelligence terror operations-such as the ones that trained Osama Bin Laden in the first place.
The acts of September 11, 2001 were not acts of "war". War is defined as "a state or period of armed conflict between nations". Calling such a reprehensible act an act of war brings to it a level of justification that is not warranted. What occurred on September 11th was instead a crime, a violation of both United States and international law. Florida AIM supports and joins the call of several nations and non-governmental organizations that the perpetrators of this crime, after evidence is gathered and presented, be apprehended and tried before an international court. A militaristic response resulting in the deaths of more innocent people will neither serve the cause of justice nor prevent future attacks against the United States of America by other terrorist groups or individuals.
Florida AIM is deeply concerned by actions and proposed actions by the United States government that will deeply impact the constitutional and civil rights of both United States citizens, and those legally residing within the United States. While there is unquestionably a desire to impose more rigorous security at a variety of locations, these measures need not extend to areas which will infringe upon the civil and human rights of both citizens and legal residents of the United States.
As both an Indigenous rights organization and simply as an organization working for human rights, the American Indian Movement of Florida has a responsibility to oppose terrorism against human beings in all its forms and to speak out to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples and all human beings. We therefore must stand opposed to any US response which results in the unwarranted deaths of innocent people, and to measures which will infringe upon the human and civil rights of people living in this great Turtle Island.
-30-
AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT OF FLORIDA, 136 4th Street North Suite 308, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701. Phone 727-826-6960 email: AIMFL@aol.com
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Women & War & Peace
by Women in Black, New York
September 22, 2001
Women in Black will hold vigils every Wednesday at 5:30 pm in front of the New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 41 Street.
In the aftermath of the terrible attack on New York and Washington on September 11, we urgently call on all those with responsibility and authority, in our national governments and international institutions, to step back from war.
Our hearts go out to those people who have lost family and friends, and our deep sympathy to those injured. Those who perpetrated the violence must be brought to justice under international law.
But we strongly believe the urge to vengeance must be resisted. A war waged by the US and its allies will cause the death of many innocent people, will de-stabilize many governments and societies, and its longterm effects on relations between countries and regions of the world will be disastrous.
Terrorism cannot be defeated by such means. We have to ask why so many people around the world have felt mixed feelings in response to the suffering of the USA. While poverty and hunger, injustice and exploitation, are experienced by so many, and the policies of the rich countries are seen as contributing to them, genuine despair will sometimes turn to desperation, and will fuel terrorism.
We urge all political and military authorities, national and international, to turn away from strategies of war and combine their efforts in seeking strategies for an inclusive, just and equal global society. Without that, we will never see peace.
Signed by
Women in Black, London
Women in Black, Edinburgh, Scotland
WLUML, Women Living under the Muslim Law, France
Women in Black, New York
Women In Black, Mendocino, California
Women in Black, San Francisco, California
Women for Peace Switzerland and the group from Basle, Switzerland
Grupos de Mujeres, Zaragoza, Spain
Peace Group, Denmark
Inizjamed (Mediterranean Cultural Initiative), Malta
Women in Black, Toronto, Canada
Mujeres de Negro, Seville, Spain
Mujeres de Negro, Madrid, Spain
Donne in Nero, Bologna, Italy
Sabrang Communication, Mumbai, India
Women in Black, an International Network of Women opposed to War and Militarism, indira@balkansnet.org 718-784-9121
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MSF refuses notion of coalition between humanitarian aid and military strikes
by Médecins Sans Frontières
Dropping a few cases of drugs and food in the middle of the night during air raids... is virtually useless and may even be dangerous.
Paris, Oct 8, 2001 - Yesterday the American and British forces launched air strikes on Afghanistan following the massacre of 6,000 people in New York and Washington on September 11th. This attack was accompanied by what is described as a 'humanitarian' operation, designed to gain public support for these bombings.
This is not a humanitarian operation. It is part of a military campaign designed to gather international approval of the attacks led by the United States.
Dropping a few cases of drugs and food in the middle of the night during air raids, without knowing who is going to collect them, is virtually useless and may even be dangerous. What sense is there in shooting with one hand and distributing medicines with the other?
How will the Afghan population know in the future if an offer of humanitarian aid does not hide a military operation? Furthermore, the confusion between military and humanitarian operations only increases the danger for already complicated humanitarian action, limiting even further the possibilities of intervention.
Médecins Sans Frontières therefore rejects the idea of a humanitarian coalition alongside the military coalition, as requested by president Bush and Prime Minister Blair, and calls for the imperative necessity of independent humanitarian action.
Médecins Sans Frontières - aka Doctors Without Borders - was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1999.
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Nodutdol for Korean Community Development Statement on September 11 Events and War
September 25, 2001
We mourn the tremendous suffering and loss of life that resulted from the September 11 events, including the many people of color, immigrants, and the working poor who died that day. We especially wish to acknowledge the deaths of undocumented immigrants who were working in the World Trade Center.
We do not want to see more people die and strongly oppose all attacks on civilian lives.
Military retaliation will only exacerbate the anger and despair many feel towards the U.S. and further escalate a cycle of violence and revenge. We therefore call on the U.S. government to become a positive force in this world by seeking a peaceful resolution to this terrible situation rather than destroying more precious lives and plunging more hearts into suffering and despair.
The Korean people remember all too well the heartbreak of losing our loved ones to war. We know the suffering that war brings to neighborhoods, villages, and cities filled with our parents, grandparents, children, spouses, partners, brothers, sisters, and friends ó people who work hard every day, love their families dearly, and cherish the beauty of our homeland in times of peace.
We cannot change what has happened in the past, but we can come together to make a new future for ourselves, and leave a more just world to the next generation.
Futhermore, we condemn the increase of inflammatory rhetoric and acts of violence - even murder - against Arabs, Muslims, South Asians, and other people of color. As Koreans living in the U.S., we stand in solidarity with targeted communities and call for an end to this racist violence.
Finally, we are deeply disturbed by the use of this tragedy to justify increased government surveillance and policing, which have in the past unjustly targeted immigrants and people of color.
We urge you to resist the call to war. Lives are at stake and we stake our lives on true security and real justice for all.
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Progressive Jewish Organization Condemns WTC Attack
Speaks Out Against Coming Retaliation and Hate
For immediate release,
September 13, 2001
Contact: Andrew Stettner, 212.647.8966
http://www.jfrej.org/
Jews for Racial & Economic Justice strongly condemns the horrific attacks which occurred on September 11th, killing as many as thousands of civilians.
Words cannot express the feelings of grief and shock that we share with all New Yorkers. We send our condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and our thanks to everyone who has mobilized to care for the emotionally and physically wounded. We fervently hope that more survivors will be found alive.
Even as we mourn this attack that touched many in our community personally, we feel compelled to speak out now to ensure that Tuesday's tragedy is not used to further repression or hate.
First, many commentators have chosen to describe the attacks as an extension of conflicts in the Middle East. We instead urge everyone in our city and country to remember that immediately following the bombings, many Muslim and Arab nations, leaders and domestic organizations came out with strongly worded statements condemning the attacks. Muslim and Arab Americans lined up to donate blood along with the rest of us-perhaps in higher numbers. Yet there have already been disturbing attacks on mosques and Arab, Asian and Muslim individuals in Chicago, Philadelphia, Texas, and New York City itself.
We strongly condemn these attacks. As Jews, we utterly reject "guilt by racial association" as well as any form of harassment it may engender-whether the looting of businesses or witch-hunting against Arabs in our communities. We urge our elected officials, the FAA, the INS and other federal agencies to make public statements against profiling based on race, religion, or immigration status in the name of "security." We call members of our community to stand up to racial profiling or harassment of Arabs or Muslims wherever we witness it.
Second, we insist that under no circumstance must we must abdicate our civil rights-whether our right to free speech, to assembly, or to due process. Our gatherings in support of social, economic, or racial justice-or, in the days to come, against violence on the part of the U.S. government-must not be suppressed in the name of "democracy."
Third, we are concerned that the US government will seize on this opportunity to call for war and vengeance. We are firm in our belief that violence should not lead to more violence. We must not confuse collective punishment with justice. We must instead, out of the terrible experience of being on the receiving end of an ideologically motivated attack, nurture a heightened sensitivity to what it is like for a civilian population to be bombed. Afghani, Iraqi, Syrian, Pakistani and other civilian lives have equal value to American lives.
The best Jewish values teach us to heal the world, not to call for vengeance. We urge all members of the Jewish community to take leadership in calling for peaceful diplomacy, and fellowship with our Arab and Muslim neighbors.
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice is a New York City-based social justice organization that recently launched a campaign against anti-Arab racism, with a public forum in June 2001.
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War Is the Problem, Not the Solution:
War Resisters League Statement on Attacks on Afghanistan
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Chris Ney, 212-228-0450
October 12, 2001
On Sunday, October 7, without a declaration of war from Congress, George W. Bush took the United States to war, sending out bombs and missiles against Afghanistan, a country that had not attacked us. Those acts demand sober reflection and a careful examination of the facts and of the courses open to a more responsible administration than the one nominally headed by Bush.
There remain serious unanswered questions about the criminal attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that took thousands of lives. We do not want to engage in legalisms, but it is outrageous that the U.S. public finds itself at war without knowing the facts.
! How was it possible for the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA to have no advance knowledge of such well-coordinated attacks on U.S. targets? And why, even after the first jet rammed into the World Trade Center, did Bush continue to chat with school children in Florida while the Pentagon sat and waited until another jet struck it?
! If Osama Bin Laden is guilty of plotting the attacks (and certainly others are guilty in addition to the actual perpetrators, now dead), we demand that the evidence be presented to the U.S. public and the Congress of the United States, rather than to a British Prime Minister.
But, even if Osama Bin Laden is guilty, why resort to war in a situation where the attacks can do little except kill more noncombatants and deepen the Afghani refugee crisis? This military action is far too blunt to be effective.
We also call attention to the causes of the present tragedy, which go back to the Gulf War, to the U.S. support of the Taliban while it was fighting Soviet forces, and to other decisions made by current and past administrations. Bombing now only postpones a much-needed examination of U.S. foreign policy, which has been designed to serve the corporate interests of this country, not our own people or those of other nations. (In that light, we protest the cynicism of the meager release of food packages over Afghanistan. Five million Afghanis were fed by U.N. relief forces in the month before September 11; can 37,000 packages of Army rations dropped along with the bombs make a dent in the hunger of a people who were starving before the bombs began to fall?)
Finally, we point out that there were and still are other channels open for those who believe bin Laden is guilty. There are a range of international agreements and treaties that the U.S. government has signed that bind it to bring the charges before international tribunals rather than resorting to war (and others that so bind other nations but not this one, which has refused to sign them). The United States has once more rushed to war rather than seeking a peaceful resolution.
This war is being carried on without our consent. We encourage members of the armed forces to consider carefully their own role in a war which, despite its wide popular support at the moment, is a violation of our own constitution and of the charter of the United Nations. For our part, the War Resisters League will continue to protest and to educate, to rally this country to a thoughtful examination of the roots of this crisis and the alternatives to the bombing of a distant nation already in ruins from more than ten years of relentless military conflict. Our pain is not an excuse for war. The crime of the World Trade Center bombing is not a justification for the crime of taking civilians lives in a distant land. It is war which created Osama Bin Laden, and it is war which will win more recruits to the fanatic and reactionary positions held by his followers. War is not the solution; it is the problem.
We call upon the Congress of the United States to retake its rights and responsibilities, to place sharp and immediate limits on the powers of the Executive to conduct the present war, and to take the following steps toward a long-term solution of the crisis that faces us. There is no simple or quick answer to end terrorism, but over time the following strategies will be effective:
* Stop the bombing.
* Eliminate the roots of terrorism. The United States must change its foreign policy from that of supplying military equipment and supporting authoritarian regimes to one of investing (without strings) in the basic needs for food, shelter, health and education of the people of the world.
* Consistently condemn all terrorism, whether perpetrated by an individual or a state, by U.S. "enemies" or allies.
* Isolate the criminals. Terrorism depends on a supporting population and feeds on secrecy, whether theirs or ours. Rather than sending in the military, we need to undercut terrorism by exposing the lies terrorists spread and put them on open and fair trials. We must oppose calls for revenge, even against those who attacked the World Trade Center. Gaining the trust of the supporting populations in other countries will take time.
* End the arms trade. The United States is the worldís Number One arms merchant. Countries that should be investing in development for their people spend precious resources on weapons and end up in a cycle of debt to this country and other arms merchants. U.S. soldiers often find themselves fighting people armed with weapons stamped ìMade in the USA.î
* Promote alternative energy and conservation. Reduce U.S. dependence upon foreign oil. Control of resources is at the center of the misguided U.S. policies in the Middle East.
* Stop the Star Wars missile defense program. Reduce the military. Stop spying. Being the worldís only superpower did not prevent the horrific attacks of September 11. If the U.S. government truly wants to promote peace, it must invest in peace, not war.
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Statement of Laura W. Murphy, Director of the American Civil Liberties Union Washington National Office
November 14, 2001
The American Civil Liberties Union is deeply disturbed by President Bush's executive order allowing special military tribunals to try non-citizens charged with terrorism. The tribunals would even reach non-citizens in the United States, including lawful permanent residents.
To our knowledge, the move to establish a military tribunal when Congress has not declared war is unprecedented.
We do not believe that the Administration has shown that the constitutional jury trial system does not allow for the prosecution of those accused of terrorist activities. Absent such a compelling justification, the President's decision is further evidence that the Administration is totally unwilling to abide by the checks and balances that are so central to our democracy.
The use of military tribunals would apparently authorize secret trials without a jury and without the requirement of a unanimous verdict and would limit a defendant's opportunities to confront the evidence against him and choose his own lawyer. What's worse, these important legal protections would be removed in a situation where defendants may very well be facing the death penalty.
It is difficult to understand how the Administration can justify the use of a tribunal when the United States has successfully tried in our courts non-citizens accused of terrorist acts, organized crime, and others in situations where the safety of jurors and the disclosure of government intelligence methods were at issue.
As the prosecutions of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers and Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh demonstrate, the government has managed to protect the safety and identity of jurors while achieving convictions in terrorism cases. And there is already a system established to handle classified information in the course of a trial; it is called the Classified Information Procedures Act. For decades, CIPA has adequately balanced national security and due process concerns. The government has made no showing that CIPA procedures would not be adequate in these circumstances as well.
Further, it would be hypocritical of the United States to impose such a tribunal when we have repeatedly protested the use of such courts against U.S. citizens abroad.
Congress has already given the Administration and the Justice Department virtually everything they asked for to fight terrorism. This latest move, combined with the Justice Department's announced intentions to eavesdrop on attorney conversations with inmates and to begin interviewing foreign visitors to the United States, demonstrates the government's increasing willingness to circumvent the requirements of the Bill of Rights.
We call on Congress to exercise its oversight powers before the Bill of Rights in America is distorted beyond recognition.
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[updated 11/28/01]
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