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Daily Fact & Act #08
Friday, 27 September 1991*
From Harlem
LMNOP - Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace
http://lmno4p.org
*This is 1991, right? Recession, war on Iraq, lower markets, low employment, low job creation, weak dollar, a "president" who is out of touch-- "It's the economy stupid" --with the people, lies and rumors being touted by politicians and the press as truth, government actions causing mass protests in the streets.
Analysis
Well, it's here. WWWIII.
Headlines in the past 48 hours:
INTERNATIONAL
Israel confirmed... an Israeli airstrike... wounded 35 bystanders, including 15 children
U.S. Says Jets Hit Iraq Targets South of Baghdad
U.S. Hits Iraqi Radar, Ukraine Denies Radar Sale
Iraq Condemns Strike on Airport
U.S., Britain Lobby for Iraq Resolution
Hamas Chief Hurt, Two Dead in Israel Missile Hit
French Troops Reach Battle-Torn Ivory Coast City
Troops Storm Indian Temple, Backlash Feared
India Troops Seek to Prevent Riot
Gunmen Kill 7 in Pakistan
Israel Unmoved by U.S. Plea to End Arafat Siege
U.N. Security Council Calls for End to Siege of Arafat
Israel Destroys 3 Palestinian Homes
US Adding Patriots to Defend Kuwait Bases
Russia, Germany Unmoved as U.S. Makes Case on Iraq
World Hawks and Doves Face Showdown over Iraq
DOMESTIC
Bush, Democrats at Odds on Iraq
Daschle Denounces Bush Remarks on Iraq as Partisan
Daschle Condemns Bush on Iraq Debate
Bush Condemns Senate Homeland Plan
Daschle Defends Democrats' Stand on Security
Daschle Demands Apology for Bush Comments
Ex-WorldCom Executive Pleads Guilty
500 Protesters Arrested in Capital
MARKETS
Dow Down 121 in Midday Trading
Blue Chips Set for 5th Straight Down Week
IMF Reveals Precarious Global Economic Prospects
Stocks Slump, Dow at 4-Year Low
Number of People Living in Poverty Increases in U.S.
Recession Cut Incomes and Swelled Poverty Rolls, U.S. Says
The stock market is in a free-fall (now at 7600-8000 down from 12000 in 2001 1.5 years ago, a 38% loss in 18 months. That's not a bubble bursting, that's the loss of liquidity as money gets sucked up by a small sector: Defense, Oil, Prisons. Money is fast drying up in all other sectors including research and development (the stuff that brought you the internet).
THE EVER-GROWING LIST OF WE WHO DON'T WANT THE WAR:
The CIA does not Want this War.
Saddam Hussein's apparent policy of not resorting to terrorist attacks against the United States could change if he concludes a U.S.-led attack against him was inevitable, CIA Director George Tenet said.
Bush Iraq Plan Hits Snag in Senate
The American People do not Want this War.
1). Protesters Voice Opposition to Possible War. Police Arrest 6 Demonstrators
2). The Silenced Majority
The International Community does not Want this War.
Where the world stands on Iraq
The 22 Nation Member Arab League does not Want this War.
Arab League seeks Iraq solution
The British People do not Want this War.
Guardian (London) News poll shows 86% Against the war, 12% for, 1% undecided.
The Markets do not Want this War.
Markets Continue Slide Under Threat of War
LMNOP DAILY FACT & ACTS YOU MAY FIND USEFUL
Intelligent Arguments
Dishonesty In and Of the Press<
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Lies and Propaganda
What is this War About?
http://lmno4p.org/fa/FA06.htm
http://lmno4p.org/fa/FA18.htm
American Freedoms Lost
Iraqi Compliance | UNSCOM Spying
Action
1). CALL. Call your Congressional Representatives now. Let them know you have reservations about the sudden rush to war and would like Congress to debate the issue more thoroughly.
If you are so inclined, tell your REPRESENTATIVE you are vehemently against this unsupported and uniltateral attack by the US on a soveriegn state, prohibited by International Law.
If the US breaks international law, there is no international law.
http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm
http://congress.org/
2). VISIT. When you've made your calls consider meeting at at least one of your Congressional Rep's local or DC offices whether they support the war or not. Take your lunch and show up even for a moment. Your being at a Rep's office counts more than email, more than a letter, more than a call. Some offices count a physical body as reflecting the will of 100 of their constituents.
Our anti-war numbers are very important as the Congress may vote soon. We need to find out who is voting with their constituents and who is not. November elections will reflect.
There is an Emergency Lobbying Day Against the War on Monday, 30 September. But any day you can visit will count. Please go.
Addresses of local offices:
http://www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm
http://congress.org/
3). EMAIL. Email through a web-based form mail at your representative's personal site is the fastest way to get your email counted. LMNOP's Fact & Act strongly suggests you declare your position in the TITLE of the form mail if available; for example, NO TO WAR WITH IRAQ, or IRAQ WAR: AGAINST!
http://congress.org/
Enter your zip code.
Click "Info" under Rep's photo.
Look for "Web site."
At their site look for "Contact Us," or similar.
4). FAX ONLINE
http://www.truemajority.com/index.asp?action=2174&ms=irqpeace
5). ONLINE PETITIONS:
Iraq Peace Pledge
http://www.peacepledge.org/
National Iranian-American Council Oppose US attack
http://capwiz.com/niacouncil/mail/compose/
Friends Committee on National Legislation Action Alert Oppose Expanded War with Iraq
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=454751&type=CO
Common Cause" Petition Calling for Congressional Debate on the Use of Force in Iraq.
http://www.commoncause.org/iraq/
Vote No on Congressional War Blank Check
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?ItemId=13827&afccode=IRQ002
No War on Iraq!
http://www.moveon.org/nowar/
Stop The Rush To War
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=13739&afccode=IRQ001
Fact
The "Dossier"
If these pages of trickery are based on "probably" and "if", we have no business going to war. If they are all true, we murdered half a million Iraqi children. How's that for a war crime?
Robert Fisk: The dishonesty of this so-called dossier
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=336404
"The document is a damp squib. It really consists of a reworking of information that was already public. It seems more like a PR stunt than a serious attempt to bring new information forward. Tony Blair will have to do better than this if he wants to convince the British public to go to war."
Diane Abbott, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington
"It does not produce any convincing evidence, or any 'killer fact', that says that Saddam Hussein has to be taken out straight away. What it does do is produce very convincing evidence that the weapons inspectors have to be pushed back into Iraq very quickly ... It is a very clever document. Everybody expected it to outline the case for war on Iraq, but it doesn't even attempt to do that. I think it is designed to be the start of a rolling campaign which will involve trying to get the weapons inspectors back in. Then, if Saddam doesn't allow them in, George Bush and Tony Blair will have the ammunition to do what they consider necessary to disarm Iraq."
Major Charles Heyman, editor of Jane's World Armies
This dossier will require close scrutiny. At first glance, this dossier does not appear to show clear evidence of an immediate and imminent threat from Iraq. Nothing in this document should divert us from dealing with these matters through the United Nations."
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell
"Nothing staggering, is it? It firms up a lot of what is already known. A lot of this ground was covered in the report by the International Institute of Strategic Studies ... It shows Saddam has the means to threaten his neighbours, and this is probably Blair's best shot at selling his plans to the country. I don't think he will get a better chance than this."
Thomas Withington, an analyst with King's College, London
Political Reaction to Iraq Dossier
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,798046,00.html
+=+=+=+=+
"Tony Blair was warned yesterday the 53 Labour MPs who rebelled over Iraq on Tuesday were only "the tip of the iceberg" and he faces a much bigger revolt when the Commons debates the issue again.
As the Government dismissed this week's protest vote as "pointless posturing", it emerged Mr Blair narrowly avoided a much more damaging rebellion. It is believed that another 80 Labour MPs were ready to abstain if the Government had mobilised its "payroll vote" in Tuesday's division to crush the anti-war rebels."
Eighty more Labour MPs ready to rebel, Blair is warned
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=336700
British dossier is scorned as 'propaganda'
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=336701
100-300,000 protestors expected in the streets of London tomorrow, Sat, 27 Sep. Tony Blair is isolated in Britain on this issue.
Sources
Democracy Now! Radio/TV 25 Sept 02 http://www.democracynow.org
Leaders Yet to be Convinced by Dossier
Fed Holds Firm on Rates. Markets Continue Slide Under Threat of War
Books
Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today's UN
Phyllis Bennis, Erskine Childers, 4/2000
9-11
Noam Chomsky, 11/2001
Preventing Violence (Prospects for Tomorrow)
James Gilligan, 7/2001
Environment
Is anyone in the US aware of the abandoned Italian oil tanker that has run aground and is cracked on both sides and leaking oil onto some of the most beautiful beaches in the world in South Africa near the UNESCO-recognized St. Lucia Wetlands Park sanctuary?
"Oil continues to wash up on the beaches from the stricken cargo ship MV Jolly Rubino, upper right, lying off St Lucia, 150 miles north-east of Durban, South Africa, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2002. All hope has been abandoned of pulling the ship off the rocks after it ran aground Sept. 12 on reefs off the UNESCO World Heritage Site of St. Lucia on South Africa's east coast. Instead, workers will focus on pumping oil off the ship in an effort to protect an ecologically sensitive estuary nearby before the ship breaks up."
Photo 1: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020919/168/2a9iw.html
Photo 2: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020917/168/29r51.html
Photo 3: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020917/170/29p0a.html
Photo 4: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020915/168/29at6.html
SMIT Salvage, which earlier abandoned efforts to refloat the Jolly Rubino, said it would try again Thursday to pump fuel from the Italian-flagged vessel.
The ship is beached some five miles south of the entrance to the UNESCO -recognized St. Lucia Wetlands Park, cracked on both sides and leaking oil.
The vast coastal area of lagoon, swamp, dune and beach is home to an array of rare plants, animals and birds and is a magnet to ecologists, divers and tourists.
Conservationists say the park's fragile ecosystem would be ruined if oil found its way into the wetlands.
But the salvage company said water levels in the stricken ship had risen, pushing oil up into the cargo holds, fueling the fire.
"The fuel is burning off, so the threat to the environment is greatly reduced," SMIT spokeswoman Clare Gomes told Reuters.
She said it was hard to tell how much fuel remained on board the container vessel, which has been on fire for eight days.
Salvage workers had attempted to reach the ship's engine room Wednesday to gain access to the systems that would allow them to pump out the some 800 tons of fuel then estimated to be on board.
But thick smoke and high temperatures made this "extremely unsafe," Gomes said, adding: "We will reassess Thursday."
Officials said a five-mile long slick had formed in the sea near the vessel, but wind and tide were carrying it south, and not threatening the estuary leading to the park.
Some oil had washed up on other beaches near the ship.
S.Africa Salvage Team Evacuated from Burning Ship
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020918/sc_nm/safrica_ship_dc_4
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