Workers Resistance

Category: Antiwar Movement

  • Imperialism and War: Syria and the Middle East

    Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech given by Joe Iosbaker to the Sept. 29 Chicago conference against drone warfare. Iosbaker, a member of the Chicago Anti-War Committee, was one of the main organizers of the massive march on the NATO Summit. He is also one of the anti-war and international solidarity activist raided by the FBI in 2010. 

    Introduction 

    At the start of this month, the whole world was tense as the U.S. proclaimed it was going to start missile strikes against Syria. It seemed likely that the U.S. wouldn’t stop after a few days of war, but would continue to attack Syria and cause as many deaths as the puppet FSA [Free Syrian Army] had caused in two and a half years.

    Then Russia proposed a diplomatic solution to take Syria’s chemical weapons and, to the surprise of all, President Obama accepted it. 

    But then John Kerry said that the U.S. would only go along with putting Syrian’s weapons under international control if there was the threat of force in a UN resolution. Then this Friday, the U.S. had to back down on that in the United Nations Security Council resolution on eliminating Syrian chemical weapons. They had to drop the threat of force if Syria doesn’t comply.

    Stepping back, we can see that for two and a half years, the U.S. has funded and directed forces to intervene, with the Gulf Cooperation Council, NATO and Israel playing roles; on the other hand, the U.S. has refused direct military action [such as]bombing, invasion. 

    What explains this contradiction? Why couldn’t the U.S., the most powerful military might on earth, carry out war on this small nation?

    There other developments about the U.S. intervention in Syria that seem contradictory:

    The U.S. has spent two and a half years funding and helping to direct an armed attack on the Syria’s government and the people of Syria. They intervened during the Arab Spring, the moment there was a mass protest movement there against unpopular policies of opening the economy to investment and then the resulting austerity measures.

    They armed the only forces they found, including forces aligned with the Salafist movement, Al Nusra Front and other Al Qaeda linked groups.

    On Sept. 26, we learned that the most significant of the ‘moderate’ armies fighting the Syrian government have quit the U.S. puppet FSA and joined forces with Al Nusra. They have called for an Islamic front, instead. 

    But in the Sept. 26 issue of Foreign Policy magazine, the most influential publication on the topic in D.C., they put out that they think Assad will go and be replaced by former Defense Minister, Ali Habib. The article reflects thinking in the White House about how to resolve the Syrian conflict, as well as the worries in Washington and Israel that the sectarian, foreign-led and dominated armies aligned with Al Qaeda would come to power if the U.S./Israel succeed in forcing out Assad. 

    How come the U.S. says that its main mission on earth is to fight Al Qaeda, but then it arms Al Qaeda against countries that have never attacked the U.S. Isn’t this a contradiction, too?

    Let’s answer that by looking at some general questions: What is the status of U.S. power in the world today? What factors is the U.S. dealing with? And what determines U.S. policy in a particular country?

    U.S. is weaker and there’s a rising trend toward independence from their control

    The world has changed since the days after 9/11. The camp of resistance is growing and U.S. influence is in decline. 

    The economic crisis gets part of the credit for that. Although the capitalists don’t suffer like we do when there’s a crisis, it has weakened the power and prestige of the rich countries and the corporations.

    But even before that, Bush’s invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the Cheney/Rumsfeld plan to go after “Iraq, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia and Sudan” had all been an effort by the U.S. to turn back the hands of time, to put the U.S. back on top of the world they had ruled in the 1950s and 1960s.

    The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ended in defeat and stalemate. One clear consequence: the U.S. can’t use the method of massive invasions any more.

    And the role of Russia in the struggle over Syria shows that the U.S. has to deal with rising powers, like the BRIC nations. Russia and China made it clear the U.S. wouldn’t get a United Nations Security Council vote for this war.

    The people of the U.S., Britain and the other members of the NATO are sick of war and they’re sick of being lied to. When the U.S. upped the ante on Syria, things came to a head. President Obama found himself isolated on the world stage and domestically.

    So the sudden changes in U.S. plans around Syria are a result of contradictions: first, the U.S. puppet army is losing to Syria’s army and militia; second, there’s a contradiction between the U.S. and Russia, which is no longer standing aside while the U.S. wages war; and third there’s a contradiction between the U.S. and it’s NATO allied governments and the peoples of those countries.

    U.S. objectives remain

    Of course, the changes in military form haven’t changed the underlying content of U.S. objectives: this place is an empire. The rulers want cheap labor and control of natural resources in other lands. They are like vampires – they have to have it.

    On the one hand, the U.S. is weaker and unable to get what they want; on the other hand, they are compelled to keep trying. Rumsfeld’s vision of invading Syria is gone, at least for now. 

    But the arming of Al Qaeda armies is not a contradiction. U.S. imperialism will back whoever and whatever serves its interests. In one country, Al Qaeda linked is the worst threat to humanity; in the next country, they are recipients of arms and intelligence to fight a government that the U.S. has determined must go.

    New focus on Iran

    These losses have made the U.S. focus more on Iran. A new president in Iran doesn’t change that. The U.S. has adopted the stand toward Iran that they won’t accept an independent power in the Middle East. Syria is aligned with Iran, and so the fate of the two countries is tied together in the view of the empire.

    The Arab Spring: A threat, then an opportunity

    But right now the U.S. can’t handle a war of a similar or greater scale than Iraq. That’s why the U.S. was both anxious and excited by the Arab Spring. They used the dissatisfaction throughout the region, which was aimed squarely at U.S. puppets in Tunisia, Egypt and Bahrain, to go after governments with a history of independence from the U.S.: Libya and Syria. The U.S. maneuvered to take control of the situation and develop contradictions in their favor in Libya. With the success of their operation there, they felt they were in a much better position step up their attempts to topple the government of Syria.

    As in Libya, they offered support to the Islamists, even though supporting them in Libya resulted in ‘blowback,’ in the attacks on Western oil installation in Algeria and the U.S. embassy. 

    Summation

    The U.S. seems to be acting in a contradictory way in Syria, but something unites their decisions in every action they take: is it in the interests of U.S. imperialism?

    They want to go to war with Syria and Iran, but they don’t have the support or the resources for an invasion. 

    They want to bomb Syria, but they can’t get support at home or in Britain and more countries are standing up to them.

    They are willing to back any force against Assad, even though they worry about Israel, for example,being attacked by the mercenary armies they have created.

    New Tactics

    Invasions aren’t popular, and the U.S. can’t rely on an Arab Spring to emerge everywhere.

    If you can’t invade, how does an empire achieve its objectives of punishing independent people or rebellious populations? The answers: proxy armies, drone warfare and special operations. Proxy armies are being used in Syria and before that Libya. Drone warfare first emerged in use against Pakistan, because the Pashtun people that have been the main base of the national resistance live on both sides of the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. The Obama administration then has taken the technology to Yemen, Somalia, Mali and Iran. We know that they intend to use it even more in the future because one growth area in the Pentagon’s otherwise shrinking budget is the budget for drones.

    Conclusion

    In our work against U.S. wars, we have to stand against threats to arm puppet armies; to assassinate or back coups; to carry out bombing and missile attacks; and we have to oppose drone warfare, as it is the most popular form of their undeclared wars.

  • People from across Midwest march on Boeing, say ‘No to drones’

    Chicago, IL – 200 people marched against Boeing Company on Sept 28. Many participants and organizers from that march met for a conference the following day to share skills, experiences and knowledge that will help strengthen the movement against drone warfare.

    50 of the protesters came from other states around the Midwest, from groups like the Wisconsin Coalition to Ground the Drones & End the Wars, the Minnesota-based groups Anti-War Committee, Women Against Military Madness and the Brainerd Area Coalition for Peace as well as others from Michigan, Indiana and Missouri. The Anti-War Committee-Chicago (AWC) had called for the march and the groups were joined by the ANSWER Coalition, the Syrian American Forum, U.S. Palestinian Community Network and other Chicago organizations.

    The Boeing headquarters was the destination for the marchers. Boeing has been targeted by the AWC because they are vying for a Pentagon contract to build a new combat drone. Boeing is the second largest arms manufacturer in the U.S.

    Combat drones have become controversial in the past two years in part because the Obama administration has sent drones to assassinate American citizens in Yemen. According to Medea Benjamin, founder of the anti-war group Code Pink, the majority of drone victims in Pakistan are not ‘high level Al Qaeda’ leaders but civilians, including many children. Benjamin, who has organized delegations to Pakistan and Yemen, was the keynote speaker at the conference and protest.

    Thousands of people watched and dozens took videos as the march, complete with a band, puppets and several banners, went through a park and a shopping district on its way to Boeing headquarters. Upon reaching its destination, the group placed child-sized coffins on Boeing’s property. Kait McIntyre, an organizer with Anti-War Committee-Chicago, explained, “The child-sized coffins we placed at Boeing’s doorstep represent over 178 children that have been killed as a result of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen and the countless more whose blood will be on Boeing’s hands if it wins this military drone contract.”

  • Minnesota anti-war activists join Midwest Action Against Drones in Chicago

    Minneapolis, MN – Activists from the Twin Cities will be joining people from six Midwest states in Chicago this weekend to protest drone warfare at the headquarters of Boeing Company. Boeing is the second largest weapons manufacturer in the country.

    Minnesota’s Anti-War Committee and Women Against Military Madness worked together to organize transportation to the protest from the Twin Cities to Chicago. In Chicago, the Minnesota contingent will march under the banner, “We’re not just Minnesota nice, we’re MAD (Minnesotans Against Drones).”

    Organizer Meredith Aby-Keirstead, explained, “Drone strikes, especially in Pakistan and Yemen, have killed hundreds of civilians, many of them children. This protest will bring our voices directly to the company that has helped kill so many people. Boeing makes surveillance drones and is competing for a Pentagon contract to make the Phantom Ray, a new combat drone. The Phantom Ray would travel much further and carry more missiles than the Navy’s current combat drone, the Reaper.”

    According to Kait McIntyre of the Anti-War Committee – Chicago, “It’s time to end the drone wars, not prepare to build another generation of deadly weapons.”

    The protest on Sept. 28 will be followed by an organizing conference on Sept. 29.

  • Medea Benjamin will join Midwest protest to say, ‘No killer drone for Boeing!”

    Chicago, IL – Anti-war activists from six Midwest states are gathering in Chicago, Sept. 28 to oppose drone warfare. Their target: Boeing Company.

    “Boeing is vying for a contract with the Navy for a new combat drone – a contract that they say they must win to stay competitive among arms manufacturers,” said Kait McIntyre of the Anti-War Committee – Chicago (AWC). “It’s time to end the drone wars, not prepare to build another generation of deadly weapons.”

    AWC has been campaigning against Boeing’s new drone since 2012. The Navy is accepting bids for a carrier launched combat drone which will be the size of a fighter plane, able to travel much farther than the Reaper, the combat drone currently in use, and carry a larger number of missiles.

    AWC has been joined by a number of anti-war groups in Chicago, including U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the Syrian American Forum, ANSWER Coalition and many others. They’ll also be joined by groups that have been protesting outside drone command centers, such as Camp Ripley in Minnesota and Camp Williams in Wisconsin.

    Helping to lead the march and headlining a conference being held the following day will be Medea Benjamin, a national spokesperson for the anti-war and anti-drone movements. The world watched as Benjamin and her organization, Code Pink, disrupted both President Obama’s speech justifying drone warfare in May and Secretary of State John Kerry’s saber rattling remarks against Syria in early September.

    AWC is against the drone wars being waged in Pakistan and Yemen. “Unbiased sources estimate 800 civilians, including almost 200 children, have been killed by U.S. drone strikes,” explained McIntyre.

    According to member Joe Iosbaker, the AWC also opposes Boeing’s new drone for economic justice reasons. “The city of Chicago gave Boeing $63 million in taxpayers’ money to move to Chicago. That was supposed to create jobs, not to be used for building a deadlier killer drone.”

    More local groups are starting to take a stand against drone warfare and other new wars, such as in Syria. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2858, adopted a resolution this month against war on Syria. That statement read in part, “… the enormous financial costs of bombing and war could be better spent on public services such as healthcare, education, jobs, safety for our children or to feed the hungry…”

    The Chicago protest will start at 3:00 p.m., on the northwest corner of Monroe Street and Columbus Drive.

  • Medea Benjamin will join Midwest protest to say, ‘No killer drone for Boeing!”

    Chicago, IL – Anti-war activists from six Midwest states are gathering in Chicago, Sept. 28 to oppose drone warfare. Their target: Boeing Company.

    “Boeing is vying for a contract with the Navy for a new combat drone – a contract that they say they must win to stay competitive among arms manufacturers,” said Kait McIntyre of the Anti-War Committee – Chicago (AWC). “It’s time to end the drone wars, not prepare to build another generation of deadly weapons.”

    AWC has been campaigning against Boeing’s new drone since 2012. The Navy is accepting bids for a carrier launched combat drone which will be the size of a fighter plane, able to travel much farther than the Reaper, the combat drone currently in use, and carry a larger number of missiles.

    AWC has been joined by a number of anti-war groups in Chicago, including U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the Syrian American Forum, ANSWER Coalition and many others. They’ll also be joined by groups that have been protesting outside drone command centers, such as Camp Ripley in Minnesota and Camp Williams in Wisconsin.

    Helping to lead the march and headlining a conference being held the following day will be Medea Benjamin, a national spokesperson for the anti-war and anti-drone movements. The world watched as Benjamin and her organization, Code Pink, disrupted both President Obama’s speech justifying drone warfare in May and Secretary of State John Kerry’s saber rattling remarks against Syria in early September.

    AWC is against the drone wars being waged in Pakistan and Yemen. “Unbiased sources estimate 800 civilians, including almost 200 children, have been killed by U.S. drone strikes,” explained McIntyre.

    According to member Joe Iosbaker, the AWC also opposes Boeing’s new drone for economic justice reasons. “The city of Chicago gave Boeing $63 million in taxpayers’ money to move to Chicago. That was supposed to create jobs, not to be used for building a deadlier killer drone.”

    More local groups are starting to take a stand against drone warfare and other new wars, such as in Syria. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2858, adopted a resolution this month against war on Syria. That statement read in part, “… the enormous financial costs of bombing and war could be better spent on public services such as healthcare, education, jobs, safety for our children or to feed the hungry…”

    The Chicago protest will start at 3:00 p.m., on the northwest corner of Monroe Street and Columbus Drive.

  • Jacksonville protesters take over Senator Nelson’s office, demand ‘Hands off Syria’

    Jacksonville, FL – Over 60 protesters stormed U.S. Senator Bill Nelson’s Jacksonville office on Sept. 12, demanding that the senator renounce his support for President Barack Obama’s proposed military strike on Syria. Nelson says he will vote yes for a U.S. war on Syria.

    The protest, called by Jacksonville Against the War on Syria (JAWS), was lively with many Syrian and Arab-Americans taking part. Dave Schneider, an organizer with JAWS, explained, “Bill Nelson built a career for himself criticizing Bush for starting the war in Iraq and he’s happy to take money from progressives and the anti-war movement. But now that Obama is in office, he supports war and occupation. Senator Nelson is now a warmonger. It’s hypocritical, it’s disgusting, it’s flat-out wrong, and we’re demanding he vote no on U.S. war.”

    The protesters assembled outside of Nelson’s office on the 20th floor of Riverside Tower. Carrying signs that read, “Say no to U.S. military intervention” and “Hands off Syria,” the group stood in front of the building and caught the attention of drivers in rush hour traffic. They chanted, “USA, stay away!” and “U.S., NATO, hands off Syria,” before marching inside the complex.

    The protest included members from JAWS, the Friends of the Syrian American Forum, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition, the New Jim Crow Movement, Occupy Jacksonville, several churches in the area, and students from the University of North Florida. Many of the protesters were Syrian American, for whom the threat of war is especially terrifying and personal.

    “I am a Syrian,” said Sandy Flaieh, a Syrian American resident in Jacksonville, who lost a cousin to the U.S. and Saudi-backed rebels. “I can’t see America going to bomb my country and family and friends and my whole memories, and stay quiet. That’s hard. We can’t fight there but we are going to do anything we can here to help. It’s not easy to see your families killed.”

    Once inside the building, the protesters ignored the requests of security guards to put away their megaphones, with one person saying, “We’re just here to speak with our senator.” As the crowd rode the escalators to the tower lobby, they continued chanting, “Senator Nelson, hands off Syria,” and “Obama, it’s not your business.”

    The crowd filled into five elevators and reached Nelson’s office, continuing to loudly chant and make noise. Nelson’s staff left moments before the protesters arrived, leaving the crowd with no way to directly voice their demands.

    With no one from Nelson’s office to talk with, protesters began posting up their rally signs and small cards that read, “I don’t support Obama’s strike on Syria, and neither should you, Bill Nelson,” which every person signed. Within minutes, rally signs and cards covered the entirety of Senator Nelson’s office door.

    The crowd reassembled downstairs in front of the tower. Many of the Syrian Americans sang the Syrian national anthem and led several Arabic chants against U.S. intervention.

    Organizers announced several call-in days to Senator Nelson’s office. After marching to a nearby park, participants drew up plans for a meeting and forum on future actions.

    After the rally, Schneider commented on their protest, “Just two days after we marched on Congressman Crenshaw’s office, he came out vocally against any U.S. military strike on Syria.”

    Jacksonville Congressman Ander Crenshaw said he would vote no on authorizing war on Syria. Protesters targeted Crenshaw earlier this month by plastering his front office door with rally signs, news articles, letters and petitions. Crenshaw specifically cited the actions of his constituents as a reason for his change from “undecided” to a “no” on U.S. war with Syria.

  • Minneapolis protest demands: No U.S. Military Intervention in Syria!

    Minneapolis, MN – More than 100 people rallied and marched here, Sept. 14, under the call of “No New Wars – No U.S. Military Intervention in Syria.” Protesters gathered in the busy Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue area. Carrying signs and banners opposing an attack on Syria, they marched along Lake Street. There were many honks of support from passing cars.

    Margaret Sarfehjooy of Women Against Military Madness stated, “We are here to say no more. No more wars. Not one more death in Syria in my name paid for with my tax dollars. Hands off Syria.”

    The demonstration was initiated by Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and endorsed by Anti-War Committee, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Veterans for Peace, Women Against Military Madness, Students for a Democratic Society and others.

    Jess Sundin of the Anti War Committee told the crowd shortly before the march, “Syria and Russia called the White House’s bluff early this week and agreed to Secretary of State John Kerry’s demand that Syria turn over any chemical weapons to the international community. Syria is joining the Chemical Weapons Convention, and Russia is working on UN oversight.”

    Sundin continued, “In spite of this progress, President Obama spoke to the country on Tuesday, and announced that U.S. warships would not withdraw. He told us all that they remain ready, waiting for his order to attack. If he honestly cared about chemical weapons, Obama might have used Tuesday’s speech to take credit for some fine diplomacy and maybe extended his commitment to rid the world of these weapons – starting with the Pentagon’s stockpiles, and then maybe moving onto Israel. Of course, that is not what happened.”

    Speaking at the end of the protest Alan Dale, a member of the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, said, “The U.S. has been at war continuously for the past 12 years: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, the drone wars in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia. And now the Obama administration is proposing yet another military intervention. The people of the U.S. and people around the world say enough, enough, enough! No new wars! People need funds for jobs and housing, not another war.”

    Organizers also announced plans for a protest in Minneapolis set for Oct. 5 that will mark 12 years of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The protest is being organized to demand “U.S. Troops and Drones Out of Afghanistan – No New Wars – No Military Intervention in Syria.”

  • Miami protest at Senator Nelson’s office slams war on Syria

    Miami, FL – Over 25 people gathered outside of Senator Bill Nelson’s Miami office here on Sept. 12 to demand that the U.S. Senator from Florida vote against any military authorization bill that comes his way.

    The rally began at 6:45 p.m. in front of Nelson’s office, which is located in Coral Gables. Protesters held Syrian flags and anti-war signs with slogans such as, “Hands off Syria,” and “I don’t want my tax dollars supporting Al-Qaeda.”

    On Sept. 10, President Obama addressed the nation stating that the U.S. would postpone any immediate strikes against Syria, as well as the vote for Congressional approval. According to a POWIR (People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism) statement released the following day, the protest itself was not postponed because the military option is still not off the table and a vote could still happen at any moment.

    Sandy Davies, of Progressive Democrats of America (Miami-Dade), gave the first speech at the protest in which he told the crowd that this was the first time in history that popular resistance against a war actually succeeded in deterring the U.S. from attacking another country.

    “We must continue to resist the media’s narrative that Assad gassed his own people. It has never been proven true,” Davies said. “We must also resist any new red lines that the government puts forth to try ad justify attacking Syria. No new red line!”

    Camilo Mejia of Veterans for Peace also spoke to the crowd. He said the U.S. remains the “world’s number one bully and the world’s number one war criminal,” and continued by saying that the U.S. has been using biological and chemical weapons since the extermination of Native Americans.

    After the speeches, the group marched from Senator Nelson’s office to Ponce De Leon Park, chanting, “No Justice to peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!” Cars honked in support and onlookers raised fists in solidarity.

    Upon arriving to the park, members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Green Party and POWIR delivered speeches opposing any new imperialist wars and actions overseas.

    Kim Miller, an organizer with POWIR said, “All anti-imperialist and peace-loving people around the world should oppose all U.S. policies used to intimidate and bully independent nationalist governments!”

    The event ended at 8:00 in the evening. This protest was part of a statewide call to action put out by POWIR for the week of Sept. 8. Cities across Florida held call-ins and protests urging representatives and senators to vote no on war with Syria. People and organizations in Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami and Gainesville all took part in the week of action.

  • Miami protest at Senator Nelson’s office slams war on Syria

    Miami, FL – Over 25 people gathered outside of Senator Bill Nelson’s Miami office here on Sept. 12 to demand that the U.S. Senator from Florida vote against any military authorization bill that comes his way.

    The rally began at 6:45 p.m. in front of Nelson’s office, which is located in Coral Gables. Protesters held Syrian flags and anti-war signs with slogans such as, “Hands off Syria,” and “I don’t want my tax dollars supporting Al-Qaeda.”

    On Sept. 10, President Obama addressed the nation stating that the U.S. would postpone any immediate strikes against Syria, as well as the vote for Congressional approval. According to a POWIR (People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism) statement released the following day, the protest itself was not postponed because the military option is still not off the table and a vote could still happen at any moment.

    Sandy Davies, of Progressive Democrats of America (Miami-Dade), gave the first speech at the protest in which he told the crowd that this was the first time in history that popular resistance against a war actually succeeded in deterring the U.S. from attacking another country.

    “We must continue to resist the media’s narrative that Assad gassed his own people. It has never been proven true,” Davies said. “We must also resist any new red lines that the government puts forth to try ad justify attacking Syria. No new red line!”

    Camilo Mejia of Veterans for Peace also spoke to the crowd. He said the U.S. remains the “world’s number one bully and the world’s number one war criminal,” and continued by saying that the U.S. has been using biological and chemical weapons since the extermination of Native Americans.

    After the speeches, the group marched from Senator Nelson’s office to Ponce De Leon Park, chanting, “No Justice to peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!” Cars honked in support and onlookers raised fists in solidarity.

    Upon arriving to the park, members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Green Party and POWIR delivered speeches opposing any new imperialist wars and actions overseas.

    Kim Miller, an organizer with POWIR said, “All anti-imperialist and peace-loving people around the world should oppose all U.S. policies used to intimidate and bully independent nationalist governments!”

    The event ended at 8:00 in the evening. This protest was part of a statewide call to action put out by POWIR for the week of Sept. 8. Cities across Florida held call-ins and protests urging representatives and senators to vote no on war with Syria. People and organizations in Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami and Gainesville all took part in the week of action.

  • Chicago protest says ‘No war for the 1%’

    Chicago, IL – Chanting, “Bombs won’t bring peace, U.S. Out of the Middle East,” 30 people gathered on a downtown street corner here, Sept. 12, to keep the pressure on the Obama White House. According to Hatem Abudayyeh of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network – Chicago, “Although President Obama said on Tuesday that the U.S. will now take the diplomatic plan developed by Russia, we believe that the U.S. drive to war has not ended, and our response remains the same: No war on Syria.”

    The activists, which included the Syrian American Forum and the ANSWER Coalition of Chicago, also hit at the role of the military industrial complex in pushing for war in Syria. Joe Iosbaker of the Anti-War Committee (AWC)-Chicago said, “Who would benefit from this war? Weapons manufacturers like Raytheon, which makes the Tomahawk missile. The value of their stock has soared in recent weeks, because the war could include 200 to 400 of these cruise missiles.”

    In recent months, the AWC has campaigned against Chicago’s own weapons manufacturer, the Boeing Company. Iosbaker points out, “The White House is planning to use Boeing’s long range bombers to attack Syria. Those bombers will be loaded with “smart bombs”, made by Boeing as well.”

    The protest ended with Kait McIntyre of AWC calling for everyone to attend the Midwest regional protest against war on Syria and against drone warfare on Sept. 28 in Chicago.