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> Thur. Mar. 6, 2003
Pacifica's Peace Watch
Today's Stories:
Turkey
China, France and Russia to Veto 2nd Resolution
Ministers in Baghdad Walter Fauntroy
Commentary By Historian Howard Zinn
Lobbying on the Hill By Code Pink
Students Walkout
Labor
Daniel Ellsberg on Past and Present Nuclear Threats
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Many nations and legal experts would see a U.S.-led war
against Iraq launched without United Nations authorization
as a violation of international law.
That is one of several reasons the United States is working
so hard to secure a new U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing
a war. However President Bush has made it clear he would feel
free to launch the war anyway if it proves impossible to win
such a vote.
A recent article in the Independent, a mainstream British
newspaper states that the U.S. is preparing to use toxic gases
in Iraq. According to the Independent, the Pentagon is preparing
to use toxic riot control agents, CS gas and pepper spray
- - - use of such agents would be in violation of the Chemical
Weapons Convention, which bans these agents due to the risk
of triggering an escalation of full chemical warfare.
The ban in warfare applies even though the gases can be
used in civil disturbances at home. Last year 120 hostages
in a Moscow theatre siege were killed with calmative gas similar
to those that may be employed by the U.S. in Iraq. The Independent
newspaper reports that the U.S. Marine Corps confirmed two
weeks ago that CS gas and pepper spray had already been shipped
off to the gulf.
Story: Turkey
US troops are reportedly deploying in Ankara.
Tape: Peacewatch correspondent Aaron Glantz in Ankara, Turkey
[top]
Story: China, France and Russia to Veto 2nd Resolution
According to the Associated Press, China is now prepared
to veto any resolution submitted by the US calling for force
against Iraq. China joins other permanent members France and
Russia in calling for the US and Britain to allow the weapons
inspections to continue. PeaceWatch spoke to political activist
and former Texas governor candidate Rahul Mahajan about the
probability of a France or Russian veto of a second UN resolution.
Tape: Rahul Mahajan, author of the New Crusade: America’s
War on Terrorism and the forthcoming book: US War on Iraq
[top]
Story: Ministers in Baghdad Walter Fauntroy
Papal Representative Cardinal Pio Laghi met with President
Bush at the White House yesterday to express the Pope's strong
opposition to a US-led war against Iraq. During an Ash Wednesday
meeting at the Oval Office, Bush discounted the Vatican's
plea, and argued that foregoing a war would actually be immoral
at this stage of the game. Meanwhile, multiracial, interfaith
church leaders are taking part in a prayer pilgrimage for
peace to Baghdad.
Tape: Walter Fauntroy pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church
and former Congressional Representative for the District of
Columbia
[top]
Story: Commentary By Historian Howard Zinn
As the Bush administration moves this nation closer and
closer to war author and historian Howard Zinn offers this
glimmer or hope.
Tape: Howard Zinn author of “the People’s History
of the United States
[top]
Story: Lobbying on the Hill By Code Pink
Members of the woman’s activist group “Code
Pink” took part in a day of lobbying today, visiting
the offices of congressional representatives.
Tape: Medea Benjamin, organizer of Code Pink
[top]
Story: Students Walkout
Students from San Diego to Maine participated in strikes,
walkouts, and boycotts of class yesterday to resist the Bush
Administration’s war in Iraq and called for shifting
priorities from exporting war abroad to increasing domestic
education funding. Organizers estimate that the list of participating
campuses will top 400 once the counting is finished. Organizers
had expected between 200 and 300 campuses to participate.
As tallies came in on Wednesday evening, the list grew well
past 300 and is still being tabulated.
Wisconsin and Vermont students marched into their state
capitol buildings and demanded to meet with the Governor to
press the issue. “Our massive national strike, the growing
peace movement, and the international efforts to curb US unilateral
military action have been successful and have given the world
hope that we can stop this war before it starts,” said
spokesperson Ben Waxman.
Despite the icy weather in much of the country, and threats
of expulsion and suspension from high school administrators,
turnout at various student rallies were largely higher than
expected: New York City-1200 at Union Square and Hunter College;
Philadelphia-700; Penn St.-1500 at walkout; Seattle Central
Community College-1000 plus a “die-in,” Chicago
DT rally-5, 000, Los Angeles-40-50 schools with avg. participation
rate at 15-20%, University of Arkansas-1000-1200 walkout,
University of Michigan-2000 students boycotted class.
Student went on strike in Canada, Spain, Australia, the
UK, France, Bulgaria, Greece, Switzerland, and elsewhere abroad.
Australia had the largest turnout with 10,000 students demonstrating
in Sydney, and about 30,000 nationwide.
KPFK's Fidel Rodriguez spoke with students at Garfield and
Alhambra High Schools in East LA, who discuss their reasons
for walking out of school against the War in Iraq as well
as an adult that participated in the 1968 walkouts against
the War in Vietnam....
[top]
Story: Labor
US labor unions have not historically been part of the anti-war
movement. During the Vietnam War era, when pictures of construction
workers in hard-hats attacking anti-war demonstrators appeared
in newspapers around the country, the AFL-CIO responded by
vigorously supporting the US invasion of Southeast Asia. But
as John Hamilton reports, labor’s opposition to an Iraq
war among overseas workers has been joined by a newfound anti-war
sentiment among many unions here in the United States.
Tape: John Hamilton
[top]
Story: Daniel Ellsberg on Past and Present Nuclear
Threats
President Bush received a National Security Council briefing
this week on options for an imminent attack on Iraq. Some
peace activists are concerned about the administration’s
policy of reserving the right to use tactical nuclear weapons
in the event of unexpected battlefield developments. Pentagon
Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, a former Pentagon analyst,
discussed past and present nuclear threats during a recent
speech at Rice University in Houston
Tape: Daniel Ellsberg, speaking recently at Rice University.
Thanks to Robert Knight and Pacifica Radio’s "Flashpoints"
for production assistance with that piece.
Credits
[top]
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