The Bush administration is rushing towards war. The time to act is now. The people of the United States can stop this madness.
World public opinion and almost every government opposes Bush's planned war of aggression. But it will take a mass peoples' movement--in the streets, workplaces, communities, campuses and high schools--to stop the coming war.
On Saturday, October 26, 2002 -- the first anniversary of the signing of the so-called Patriot Act -- anti-war, civil rights, labor, student and other forces are joining together to launch a massive international mobilization in opposition to a new war against the people of Iraq. Mass marches and rallies will be held in Washington DC and San Francisco in the U.S., and in many other countries.
As the Bush administration violates international law it has been systematically engaged in a campaign of division and repression in the United States including a wholesale assault on the Bill of Rights, institutionalization of racial profiling, and aggregation of near dictatorial powers to the Executive branch.
In articulating the so-called doctrine of preemptive war, the Bush administration is preparing to violate all existing international law and the UN charter which forbids countries to carry out war except in the case of self-defense. Preemption is merely a slogan to justify a foreign policy of armed aggression and military adventure.
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and company are planning to send tens of thousands of young GIs to kill and be killed in another war for Big Oil. Simultaneously, the Bush Administration is diverting billions of dollars to feed military conquest and away from jobs, education, healthcare, childcare and housing.
The so-called debate that is opening now to public view from within the political establishment presents a necessity for all anti-war forces to become a major factor in generating an authentic opposition to U.S. war plans in the Middle East. The October 26 National March in Washington DC and joint action in San Francisco come just one week before midterm Congressional elections.
There won't be a real national debate on a planned invasion of Iraq until the people are in the streets. We can't leave it to the military establishment to decide when and how they will go to war and to define the debate. We must tell Bush and his corporate and Big Oil patrons that we will not allow this to happen.
This war can be stopped. Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz and company can be stopped. But the essential element must be the mobilization of a massive new anti-war movement in the streets. We call for civilians and soldiers alike to exercise their political right to speak out against an illegal war. On October 26, there will be a National March in Washington DC, a West Coast march in San Francisco, and protests around the world.
ONLY THE PEOPLE CAN STOP THE WAR!
JOIN US ON OCTOBER 26, 2002!
*INITIATORS*
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation
National Lawyers Guild
Dr. Hans Christof von Sponek, former director of the UN Oil for Food Program Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Auxillary Bishop,
Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
Rev. Graylan Hagler, Senior Minister,
Plymouth Congregational Church
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
Muslim Student Association
Partnership for Civil Justice - LDEF
IFCO/Pastors for Peace
Free Palestine Alliance
Mexico Solidarity Network
Nicaragua Network
Korea Truth Commission
International Action Center
Kensington Welfare Rights Union
Middle East Children's Alliance
Bayan USA-International
To see a list of endorsers go to:
http://www.internationalanswer.org/campaigns/o26/endorsers.html International A.N.S.W.E.R.
(Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)
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39 W. 14 St., #206, NY, NY 10011
(212) 633-6646
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