Originally published August 8, 2014 by The Rojava Report At least three thousand people have been killed in massacres committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) since it began its attack on the Sinjar (Kurdish: Şengal) region on August 3rd according to a report from ANF. Five thousand people are also reported
The post Three Thousand Dead in Sinjar, Thousands More Kidnapped appeared first on revolution-news.com.
Thousands of migrant workers from South Asia are stuck in Iraq, without work but unable to return home. Many of the workers want to flee the renewed sectarian fighting, but their employers withhold their passports. In at least one case, migrant construction workers went on strike in the city of Hilla to demand that their employer return their passports so they could travel back to India.
Miami, FL – Over two dozen activists gathered at the Torch of Friendship in downtown here, June 21, to rally against U.S. intervention in Iraq. As the news comes out that the Obama administration is considering military action in Iraq, south Florida anti-war activists sent a message that the people of this country are opposed to endless war.
On June 16, the U.S. announced plans to deploy 275 troops to Iraq and U.S. officials announced the potential of military strikes. Military action by the U.S. destroyed the country of Iraq, killing hundreds of thousands and will not bring about peace now. The rally demanded that the U.S. not seek an intervention in Iraq, that no U.S. troops get sent overseas and that no airstrikes or drone strikes take place.
Cars honked to show support and passersby joined to listen to the speeches and chant “No justice! No peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!” and “Money for jobs and education, not for wars and occupation!” The banner that read “U.S. hands off Iraq” waved alongside signs that said “Not then, not now! U.S. out of Iraq!” and “First Bush, then Obama, different party, same drama!”
People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism (POWIR) organized the protest, with Occupy Miami, Progressive Democrats of America-Miami, CODEPINK Miami, Miami-Dade Green Party, Veterans for Peace Miami and SOA Watch coming together to say “Hands off Iraq!” Members of different organizations gave speeches and recounted the timeline of the U.S. war and occupation in Iraq.
Cecelia O’Brien, lead organizer for POWIR, opened the rally by narrating the history of U.S. military aggression in Iraq. President George Bush Sr. launched the first U.S. war on Iraq in 1990. Then when Clinton was in office, the U.S. used murderous sanctions and committed Operation Desert Fox, a four-day bombing campaign against Iraqi targets. Under George W. Bush, the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 and spent over $1 trillion. It appears that Obama is now following the pattern. “No matter what party has been in power for the past 20 years, we have been at war with Iraq. Is Obama truly an anti-war president? He has significantly expanded the drone campaign in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. He has not yet shut down Guantanamo Bay. And this week he sent armed troops to Iraq.”
“Many of us were here back in 2003 and protested when we invaded Iraq. During that time hundreds responded and we held weekly vigils for many years,” said Ray Del Papa, an organizer with SOA Watch who was involved with the Broward Anti-War Coalition during the years that Bush was in office.
O’Brien said, “It is urgent for the American people to take action now and not allow another war to be waged against Iraq. This protest is part of actions taking place across the country because of the potential threat of another war. The organizers of POWIR are announcing that when the U.S. strikes Iraq, we will respond with an emergency action at the Torch of Friendship the next day at 5:00 p.m.
Chicago, IL – 150 people protested President Obama’s threat of a new war on Iraq. Called by the ANSWER Coalition, and involving a number of other groups, including the Anti-War Committee-Chicago, the June 20 protest showed that there is a lot of opposition to U.S. plans.
The current U.S. military plan is to send in 300 military advisors, who are mainly special forces. On June 18, Obama stated, “And going forward, we will be prepared to take targeted and precise military action if and when we determine that the situation on the ground requires it.” Groups like the Anti-War Committee (AWC) – Chicago, think that when Obama says “targeted and precise military action,” he means drone strikes.
At Chicago’s protest, Kait McIntyre of AWC spoke. She said, “When I first got involved in the anti-war movement in 2007, there were many signs that said troops out now. It is now our duty to expand that demand. We must demand no U.S. drones, no U.S. military advisors, no special forces, no new U.S. war with Iraq! Hands off Iraq!”
As McIntyre further stated, “It is horrific and despicable that the U.S. government has apparently forgotten the death and devastation it left behind in Iraq.” Speaking about the tasks of the anti-war movement, she concluded, “We must remember this and remember what we as a movement are capable of. Just two years ago, Chicago had over 15,000 in the streets to protest NATO. We are a force to be reckoned with.”
Minneapolis, MN – Speaking out against a new U.S. war in Iraq was the task of over 50 people who joined an anti-war protest here, June 21, along the sidewalks at Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street, one of the most visible locations in the city on a Saturday afternoon.
The protest comes after the June 19 announcement by President Obama that 300 U.S. special forces troops will be sent to Iraq as ‘advisers.’ Obama also stated that targets are being sought for bombing or drone strikes.
Participants held signs and banners against a new war.
The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) initiated the call for the Saturday, June 21 event.
During the weekend, protests were held in cities around the U.S. – Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere – to speak out against new military intervention in Iraq.
MPAC issued a statement that says in part, “As of now the Obama administration and the Pentagon have launched a new round of military intervention in Iraq. This will not end well for the people of Iraq or the people of the U.S.”
“It was the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq that destroyed the country and brought about the current crisis. There is nothing the Pentagon can do with more air strikes and destruction to undo that or to bring about peace. The people of Iraq must determine their own future,” the MPAC statement continues.
“No one knows how this will end, but when people hear ‘military advisers’ are being sent, one should remember how the Vietnam war started, with small numbers of advisers,” the MPAC statement concludes.
Speaking at the protest, Jess Sundin of the Anti-War Committee said, “When the president talks about bombing or sending advisors or any other kind of military aid, we know that will only bring more destruction to Iraq. The people of Iraq don’t benefit from air strikes any more than we do here, and that’s why we come out to the streets again and again, any time there are threats of war against our sisters and brothers in Iraq.”
The June 21 protest was the second event in the Twin Cities to speak out on the new war crisis. On June 18 over 80 people joined a weekly peace vigil sponsored by Women Against Military Madness and Twin Cities Peace Campaign. The groups urged to people to join the weekly peace vigil on an emergency basis due to the new war crisis.
The June 21 protest was endorsed by AFSCME Local 3800, Anti-War Committee, Coalition for Palestinian Rights, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Mayday Books, Minnesota Cuba Committee, St. Joan of Arc WAMM/Peacemakers, Socialist Action, Southside Pride newspaper, Students for a Democratic Society UMN, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Veterans for Peace, Women Against Military Madness, Workers International League and others.
Guest post by SABA SHARMA From the crisis in Iraq, a story is emerging of 40 construction workers in Mosul who have gone missing, some reports claim because they were trying to escape from the city and were captured by militants in the process. Many of these workers, feared kidnapped by ISIS, refused both their […]
Washington D.C. – According to widespread media reports, the U.S. is sending Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones to the government of Iraq. The arms shipments come amidst growing turmoil in Iraq.
In an odd, but related, development, the U.S. State Department issued a statement Dec. 26 praising U.S. efforts to destroy conventional weapons in Iraq. The State Department describes the destroyed weapons as “ranging from pistols to 120mm mortars.” While some of the destroyed weapons are landmines, the State Department claimed credit for destroying “more than 135,430 pieces of unexploded ordnance and abandoned or otherwise at-risk munitions.”
Increased arms shipments and the efforts to destroy weapons come in the context of the weakening of Iraq’s central government as areas of the country slip beyond its control.
In 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq, removed the independent government of Saddam Hussein from power, and established a puppet regime. Deeply unpopular, U.S. influence and that of its supporters is declining. The result is that more weapons are finding their way into the hands of opponents of Iraq’s regime. The U.S. is trying to combat them by speeding up arms shipments to Iraq’s central government.