FW: Anti-war demonstrations condemn U.S. bombing of Iraq
Magne Haagen Flatval (magne@exchange.kvalito.no)
Fri, 12 Mar 1999 13:12:40 +0100
> -----Original Message-----
> From: International Action Center [SMTP:iacenter@iacenter.org]
> Sent: Friday, March 12, 1999 1:27 AM
> To: iacenter@iacenter.org
> Subject: Anti-war demonstrations condemn U.S. bombing of Iraq
>
> International Action Center
> 39 West 14th St., #206 New York, NY 10011
> (212) 633-6646 fax: (212) 633-2889
> http://www.iacenter.org email: iacenter@iacenter.org
>
> Attention Assignment Editor
> Press Contacts: Sarah Sloan, Kadouri Al Kaysi,
> Deirdre Sinnott 212-633-6646
> For Immediate release
>
> March 11, 1999
>
> Anti-war demonstrations March 11 condemn U.S. bombing of Iraq
>
> Demonstrators marched in New York City, San Francisco, Minneapolis,
> St. Louis, Ann Arbor, and in other cities today protesting the ongoing
> bombing campaign of Iraq. The demonstrations were initiated by the
> International Action Center (IAC), founded in 1992 by former U.S.
> Attorney General Ramsey Clark. The same group has been leading a
> nationwide movement against the U.S./UN economic sanctions on Iraq
> since 1991.
>
> "Since the U.S. began the massive bombing in so-called Operation
> Desert Fox (Dec. 16-19), thousands of people have died, hospitals have
> been damaged or destroyed, rice and grain warehouses have been
> obliterated, domestic oil facilities damaged, and residential housing
> have been hit. This bombing is a violation of U.S. and international
> law, and is an act of imperialist aggression against a Third World
> country whose real crime in the eyes of the Washington establishment
> that wants only client regimes in this oil-rich region," said Brian
> Becker, Co-Director of the International Action Center. He said the
> bombing was part of a concerted U.S.-sponsored strategy to destabilize
> and overthrow the Iraqi government.
>
> During the Dec. 16-19 bombing, the International Action Center
> organized protests of 5,000 people in New York City, 2,000 in San
> Francisco, and large protests in Los Angeles and other cities. "In
> order to counteract the large and angry protests that swept the Middle
> East during the December bombing, and which found an expression in the
> cities inside the United States, the Clinton Administration has opted
> for a change in tactics. Instead of dropping 1,000 bombs in four days
> which make front page headlines, the Pentagon drops a few bombs each
> day. But by now, more bombs and missiles have been dropped on Iraq
> since the Dec. 16-19 bombing in which the Pentagon admits to having
> sent 1,000 bombs and missiles into Iraq.
>
> "Each cruise missile costs one million dollars. The Pentagon has
> spent in excess of four billion dollars since Dec. 16 in an effort
> that has killed ordinary Iraqis and made life for the already
> suffering civilian population that much worse. What kind of
> government is it that can spend so much money destroying health care
> and other civilian facilities thousands of miles away and yet be
> unable to afford health care services for 43 million uninsured working
> class people at home?" Becker continued.
>
> According to UN statistics, more than 1.6 million Iraqis have died as
> a consequence of malnutrition and disease related to economic
> sanctions in the last eight years.
>
> --30--