Senator Paul Wellstone voted against the Iraq war resolution. For that vote
and for all his other good work he will be missed.
"Greens thanked the minority of Representatives and Senators who voted
nay, including Senators Robert Byrd (D.-WV), Edward Kennedy (D.-MA), Paul
Wellstone (D.-MN), and Lincoln Chafee (R.-RI). Rep. Barbara Lee (D.-CA)
fearlessly led antiwar dissenters in the House, including Dennis Kucinich
(D.-OH), Cynthia McKinney (D.-GA), and Jim Leach (R.-IA)."
Tom
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Subj: [Iowa-wk] Iowa Green Party News & Views-PLEASE FORWARD
Date: 02-10-14 09:08:42 EDT
From: [log in to unmask] (Robert j Schultes)
Sender: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Volume 1, Number 15
October 13, 2002
Editor: Bob Schultes
A Newsletter By & For Greens
Deadline for next issue: October 18, 2002
CONTENTS
1. Tim Harthan, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate responds to Senator
Harkin and Rep. Ganske votes for war with Iraq
2. 350 march to show opposition to war resolution
3. "No further reason to vote for Democrats and Republicans who voted to
hand power to declare war on Iraq to Bush," say Greens
4. Iowa at war with Iraq
1. TIM HARTHAN, GREEN PARTY CANDIDATE FOR U.S. SENATE RESPONDS TO
SENATOR HARKIN AND REPRESENTATIVE GANSKE VOTES FOR WAR WITH IRAQ
Iowan's now have a true choice between parties. I along with the Green
Party have continually opposed the growing possibility of war. My two
opponents have shown their true colors by adopting a resolution that is
dedicated to the interests of the fossil fuels and arms contractors'
industries. The Democrats and Republicans are merely two factions of a
single party that believe in the establishment of the U.S. as a global
empire. Our leaders believe in the globalization of the world which will
benefit the wealthy elite while hurting ordinary workers in the U.S. and
around the world. I oppose this war and all the atrocities it will bring
from all sides. Are we prepared to watch our young people die in another
attempt by our leaders to force their will on other cultures and
societies?
I say no and urge our president to rethink his cowboy antics.
Tim Harthan
Green Party candidate for The U.S. Senate
2002 7th St.
Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536
Home 712-852-2684
Cell 712-363-4103
Email [log in to unmask]
Web site www.timharthan.com
www.robinson-hart.org
2. 350 MARCH TO SHOW OPPOSITION TO WAR RESOLUTION
350 Iowa City-area citizens from a variety of religious and social
organizations, joined forces on Wednesday evening at the Iowa City
Pentacrest and College Green Park to protest the upcoming war resolution.
High school and college students, children and elders, professors and
community leaders, church groups and members of Christian, Jewish, and
Muslim faiths put aside the "small stuff" to stand together in protest of
war.
"What was so exciting about this rally was the diversity of people that
attended," says Diane Kenney Handler, a rally organizer. "I hope we can
continue to grow and expand from this group--those of you who attended,
consider yourselves warriors of peace,and share your message with family,
friends,and community members."
"Keep up the momentum, friends!" says Carol DeProsse of Citizens Opposed
to War with Iraq. "This is just the beginning. Let us continue to build
on last night's rally and the tireless work of the many Iowa peace
organizations. Contact your elected officials. We can make a
difference."
Local activist Karen Kubby, Green Party member, Bruce Nestor of the
National Lawyers Guild, and Matt Blizek, head of Campus Greens and
student Vice-President, and others spoke at last night's rally. Joe
Brisben led the group in antiwar songs and literature and petitions were
distributed.
"I urge everyone to use their talents to create a better society," says
Ms. Kenney Handler. "It CAN be done!"
The New York Times featured the Iowa City rally in an article today with
a picture of Matt Blizek.
2."NO FURTHER REASON TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED TO
HAND POWER TO DECLARE WAR ON IRAQ TO BUSH," SAY GREENS
A dark day for democracy: Congress undermines its own constitutional
authority to declare war, drops plans for an independent investigation of
September 11
WASHINGTON, DC -- Candidates of the Green Party of the United States
reacted angrily to Congress's bipartisan approval yesterday of the
resolution to surrender its constitutionally mandated authority to
declare war to President
Bush.
"Most leading Democrats, going against the majority of their own party,
joined Republicans in handing Bush his blank check for an invasion of
Iraq," said Rahul Mahajan, Green candidate for governor of Texas. "They
have acted together as faithful factions of a single War Party, dedicated
to the interests of the fossil fuel and arms contractor lobbies and to
the establishment of the United States as a global empire. This decision
may benefit elites, but it hurts ordinary working people in the United
States and Iraq. Those who voted against the resolution should be
applauded, but there can be no further reason for anyone to vote for the
Democrats who supported this resolution."
Greens also criticized Congress for dropping plans for an independent
investigation of the September 11 attacks, after negotiations in the
House Intelligence Committee fell apart.
Democratic Congress members who voted for the war resolution include
'liberal' Senators John Kerry (MA), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Dick Gephardt
(MO), and Hillary Clinton (NY), even after news this week that C.I.A.
officials had called Saddam Hussein unlikely to launch any kind of
attack, but warned that Saddam would become "much less constrained" if
the U.S. invades. Greens found especially chilling Sen. Clinton's
statement today that she is willing to cede to President Bush and future
presidents the power to wage war at their own discretion.
"With Thursday's House and Senate votes, we saw a stake driven through
the heart of the U.S. Constitution," said Steve Greenfield, Green
candidate for Congress in New York's 22nd District, "as Congress
relinquished its power to
declare war to the executive branch. And we're about to see the parallel
violation of the U.N. charter and international laws against invasion,
including the 'preemptive' incursion that Bush's warlords are planning."
"The world is aghast," said Gregg Stevens, Green Party candidate for
Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, "and so are a lot of American
citizens. So are we. The Green Party stands with all Americans who saw
through Bush's misinformation, exaggerations, and cheap appeals to
patriotism, and who urged Congress to vote no. We urge
everyone outraged by Thursday's vote to continue speaking out, to protest
civilly and en masse against the impending war."
Greens thanked the minority of Representatives and Senators who voted
nay, including Senators Robert Byrd (D.-WV), Edward Kennedy (D.-MA), Paul
Wellstone (D.-MN), and Lincoln Chafee (R.-RI). Rep. Barbara Lee (D.-CA)
fearlessly led antiwar dissenters in the House, including Dennis Kucinich
(D.-OH), Cynthia McKinney (D.-GA), and Jim Leach (R.-IA).
"These Congress members are at odds with their own party leadership,"
said Holly Hart, Green candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, who
noted that the Green Party of the United States issued a statement on
September 19 opposing an invasion. "The Green Party is now the leading
party of peace and adherence to U.S. constitutional and international
law."
"We know it will be children of the poor, black and brown, who will die
in this war so rich white men who escaped military service when they were
young can assert U.S. dominance throughout the world," said Donna J.
Warren, California Green Candidate for Lieutenant Governor. "We must
send a message on November 5th. Vote the candidates of the Green Party
into office, stop the war, and throw the warmongers out.
The Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
National office: 1314 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN
4.IOWA AT WAR WITH IRAQ!
132nd Fighter Wing, Iowa Air National Guard
Returns to Illegal War
While the debate rages over whether or not the United States should or
should not attack Iraq, with or without United Nations approval, with or
without the consent of Congress and as parties, parliaments, conferences
and religious bodies around the world all publish statements and papers
(almost exclusively condemnatory) about Mr. Bush's clamor for war, the
Iowa Air National Guard quietly prepares to return to the skies of Iraq.
Since the supposed end of the Gulf War in 1991, American and British war
planes have daily violated the airspace of Iraq and, since 1998, these
planes have dropped bombs or fired missiles on Iraqi targets at least
once every week, killing hundreds of Iraqis. The Iowa Air National
Guard's 132nd Fighter Wing has been, with other Guard units from around
the country, an active participant in this war, participating in regular
30 day rotations. In August of 1999, it was reported that the 132nd's
F-16s fired on and destroyed a mosque, injuring three people. Secretary
of Defense Donald Rumsfeld continues to tell the lie perpetrated by his
predecessors of the past two administrations, that these flights over
what he calls "no fly" zones are mandated by the United Nations and that
they are supported by a "coalition." No UN resolutions mention these
zones or limit Iraq's sovereignty over its airspace and most nations,
including, to name a few, France, Italy,
China, the Vatican, and Russia, reject and condemn these flights and
attacks of the British and Americans as provocative and illegal. The
Iowa Guard will be based, as it has been before, at Incirlik Air Base in
Turkey. While the protection of Iraqi's Kurdish minority is a reported
objective of the "no fly" zone enforcement, Incirlik is also a base of
Turkish operations against the Kurds, those living in Iraq as well as
those in Turkey. US and British flights to "protect" the Kurds are
reported by Guard members to be routed so as not to conflict with Turkish
F-16 missions to bomb Kurdish villages in Iraq. (Washington Post,
10/25/00)
Who is the Aggressor?
Secretary Rumsfeld complains that Iraqi air defenses are getting more
"aggressive," daring to track intruding aircraft and sometimes even
firing at them "the idea that our planes go out and get shot at with
impunity bothers me." In August of 2001, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral
Craig Quigley similarly protested that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein "is
trying his darnedest to bring down a coalition aircraft.... they are
being fired on nearly every day." How much of a threat, one may wonder,
is the Iraqi military which, trying its "darnedest" to shoot down enemy
aircraft
over years of aggression, cannot shoot down a single plane over its own
territory?
A Call to Resist!
The Iowa Committee to End War Crimes Against Iraq has responded to
previous involvement of Iowa's Guard in the war with Iraq by nonviolent
direct action at the 132nd Fighter Wing base on the North end of the Des
Moines International Airport. In this most crucial time many believe
that protest and civil disobedience is a commensurate response to the
gathering madness and we invite such to join us at the air base,
11o'clock Saturday , October 26, to act to stop the war. The ion at the
base will include a legal vigil to which all are welcome. There will be
nonviolence training required for those contemplating action that will
likely result in arrest. Please call me, 515-255-8114, for more
information
Brian Terrell
Executive Director, Catholic Peace Ministry
4211 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50312
(515) 255-8114 or (641) 785-2321
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