AP: "The mother of a soldier killed in Iraq summoned news outlets to photograph her son's flag-draped casket arriving at Sacramento International Airport to protest a Pentagon policy banning media coverage of America's war dead. Nearly a dozen reporters, photographers and television crews watched as the coffin of Army Sgt. Patrick McCaffrey, 34, was transferred to a hearse outside an airport cargo terminal shortly before midnight Sunday, officials said. 'I don't care what President Bush wants,' his mother, Nadia McCaffrey, told the Los Angeles Times. Patrick 'did not die for nothing ... The way he lived needs to be talked about. Patrick was not a fighter, he was a peacemaker.' McCaffrey said she planned to continue speaking out against the war. 'This is enough,' she said. 'We have to react.' "

"United for Peace and Justice is calling for the month of May to be a month of action focused on opening the debate over withdrawal within Congress. Now is the time to get members of Congress who are willing to challenge the Bush administration to speak out and to put serious pressure on those who back Bush's occupation. May is the month to contact all of your representatives, no matter where they stand, to tell them where YOU stand. We hope that by making a massive, nationwide push on Congress we can influence the war dialogue as it intensifies with the upcoming June 30th 'transfer.' (1) Gather signatures for UFPJ's Congressional petition drive. (2) Call your representatives at least once a week during the month of May. (3) Schedule a district meeting with your Representative during the last week of May. (4) Get your Congressperson to sign a 'Dear Colleague' letter calling for withdrawal. (5) Starting planning to make Memorial Day a day of awareness."

"March 20, 2004 - the one-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq - witnessed a massive Global Day of Action against War and Occupation. In more than 575 cities around the world, people took to the streets to say YES to peace and NO to pre-emptive war and occupation. Together, we called for an end to the occupation of Iraq and Bush's militaristic foreign policies, in one of the largest-ever outpourings of grassroots action for peace. In the US, notable protests included a 100,000-person march and rally in NYC, and a similar event in San Francisco attended by more than 50,000. In Crawford, Texas, where Bush owns a ranch and often vacations, 1000 protesters converged to repudiate his militaristic policies and call for a diversion of the billions of dollars that are being spent on war to domestic programs like schools, health clinics, and unemployment benefits. Military families and veterans led a protest that drew 1500 to Fayetteville, NC, outside the Fort Bragg military base."

Anti-war activists from Texas and beyond will descend on Crawford on Saturday, using President Bush's vacation retreat as a base for one of several rallies worldwide marking the first anniversary of the start of the Iraq war..."We want people to know that all Texans do not support Bush," said Marian Avelos of North Texas for Justice and Peace, which is organizing the event. "We want the world to know that."

"Hundreds of protesters, many of them relatives of US soldiers killed in Iraq... or currently on duty in the region, marched outside the Dover Air Force Base in the northeastern state of Delaware to protest the US war in Iraq...According to the groups, the government of President George W. Bush 'refuses to acknowledge the toll of this war -- including those who are killed and wounded... We call on this administration to start telling the truth, and stop hiding the toll," Military Families Speak Out said in a statement...A similar protest is scheduled for Monday outside the Walter Reed Army Hospital in the US capital, to be followed by a protest march outside the White House. The protests are being held to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the US-led attack on Saddam Hussein.

From TVNewsLies.org: "Under the gathering war clouds, early in 2002, the protests began. At first, they were small, and those who came were viewed as the 'usual suspects' -- the radical left, the anti Bush sore losers, the Vietnam hippie wannabes. And then, as the rumblings of the warmongers in Washington became louder and more determined, the protests grew. Before long, - to the amazement of many, the voices of peace and reason began an unprecedented journey across the Internet to organize, to mobilize and to plead for sanity. By the time the intentions of the Bush/PNAC war planners had become absolutely clear, people from every corner of the globe were linked in a common cause, and there was hope."

"Anti-war groups are planning their largest demonstrations since after the start of the war in Iraq, with thousands expected at rallies Saturday in Washington and San Francisco. Protesters are expected from 140 cities in the US and Canada. They hope to raise public pressure that will force the withdrawal of U.S. troops. 'Now more than ever it is critical that we stand united in our effort to turn this all around,' said Leslie Cagan of United for Peace and Justice. The protests in Washington are scheduled at 11 a.m. EDT at the Washington Monument, followed by a march to the White House and Justice Department at 1:30 p.m. Speakers will include former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Martin Luther King III, Bob Edgar, president of the National Council of Churches, and Fernando Suarez del Solar, the father of a Marine who was killed in Iraq. In San Francisco, organizers are expecting thousands of protesters to participate in a 2 p.m. EDT rally followed by a march through downtown."

"Thousands of protesters demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq took to the streets Saturday in London, Athens, Paris and other cities around the world, chanting slogans against the US and Britain. The protests, the first major demonstrations since Saddam Hussein was ousted earlier this year, come as the US tries to gain international help in rebuilding Iraq. The demonstrations were organized in each country by local activist groups that have informal contacts with each other. London's was the biggest protest, drawing 20,000 people. Demonstrators turned out in a dozen other countries, including South Korea and Egypt. 'No more war. No more lies' proclaimed a banner pinned to the pedestal of Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Square. People of all ages, from gray-haired couples to toddlers in strollers, joined the orderly stream of protesters marching from Hyde Park. Some young marchers chanted, 'George Bush, Uncle Sam, Iraq will be your Vietnam!'"

"The seismic shifts in public opinion rocking Tony Blair's administration again shook Whitehall on Saturday, as up to 100,000 anti-war protestors paraded through London calling for the prime minister to resign. The suspended Labour MP and anti-war campaigner George Galloway summed up the mood of the demonstrators when he told Aljazeera.net: 'Britain is on the march here today, and I believe Tony Blair is on his way out.' With new opinion polls indicating that more than half the British public - and a quarter of backbench Labour MPs - now want Blair to resign immediately, the storm clouds are gathering ahead of the Labour party's Bournemouth conference next week. 'Tony Blair should be forced to resign and pay for his crimes,' said Talaat, who had travelled more than 300km from Drumfield, near Sheffield to attend the protest."

"The Wheels of Justice Tour is rolling through Nebraska en route to Colorado for a week and a half. Thus far we've done protests, rallies, speaking events and freestyle raps and rhymes from Green Bay to Pine Ridge. As election season starts gearing up a bit more, we find more people in this country turning to their neighbors and neighborhoods for community-building. We see military families becoming more outspoken against the war and occupation in Iraq, and we see many people even less satisfied with politics and policy that call for the occupation of Iraq and the further destruction of Palestine. Most of all, we see people challenging not only the spin but the silence. The coming month or two will take us through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Nevada and California. We'll exit California in mid-January to head eastward through Nevada, Arizona, etc...visit www.justicewheels.org for schedule, speaker bios, etc...see you soon."

"One North Carolina man has gone to unusual lengths to protest the war in Iraq. Donald Sullivan of Hampstead, a 23-year-veteran of the Army and Air Force, sued the U.S. government, Bush and several members of Congress to stop what he termed an 'illegal war.' The civil lawsuit, filed in March in U.S. District Court in Wilmington, sought a temporary restraining order. Judge James C. Fox quickly dismissed the lawsuit, and Sullivan has appealed. Sullivan, who represents himself, said he would pursue the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. 'It's difficult for a citizen to get standing to petition the federal government for redress, even though that's our constitutional right,' Sullivan said.... 'The reason that I'm filing the case is that I've watched this country for so many years jump into wars that are illegal,' Donald Sullivan said. 'This time, my nephew was activated for the Iraq war, so it became a personal issue and I decided to do something about it.'"

"There are times when a progressive demonstration, even a large activity, is little more than a symbolic protest. There are other times when a mass demonstration can function as a catalyst, a trigger unleashing new political energy; or serve as a vivid expression of a new genuine grassroots movement capable of stirring the country and changing the political landscape. On Saturday October 25, hundreds of thousands of people will be back in the streets in Washington DC and in cities of other countries to demand, 'End the occupation of Iraq.' The shout 'Bring the Troops Home Now!' will echo throughout Washington that day. No politician nor the mass media will be able to deny that the antiwar sentiment in this country is not only 'not dead' but is instead growing. Coming as it does on the second anniversary of the passage so-called Patriot Act, the demonstration will be part of the massive campaign...against the administration's assault on civil rights and civil liberties."

"Our troops are embroiled in a regional quagmire largely of our own government's making. These military actions are not perceived as liberations, but as occupations, and our troops are now subject to daily attacks. Meanwhile, without a clear mission, they are living in conditions of relentless austerity and hardship. At home, their families are forced to endure extended separations and ongoing uncertainty. Without just cause for war, we say bring the troops home now! Not one more troop killed in action. Not one more troop wounded in action. Not one more troop psychologically damaged by the act of terrifying, humiliating, injuring or killing innocent people. Not one more troop spending one more day inhaling depleted uranium. Not one more troop separated from spouse and children. This is the only way to truly support these troops, and the families who are just as much part of the military as they are." Sign the petition!

IHT reports: "Thousands of Shiite and Sunni Muslims marched peacefully through Baghdad on Monday in a religious rally that turned into a largely political protest against the American military presence and its plans for a future Iraqi government... The demonstration was one of several signs to emerge Monday of how far the American administration in Baghdad has to go to end looting and lawlessness, restore a degree of normality in services and commerce, and gain broader public backing."

AP reports, "The director of the local hospital said 13 people were killed and 75 injured" when "American soldiers opened fire on Iraqi protesters" Monday night in Fallujah, a town west of Baghdad. Dr. Ahmed Ghanim al-Ali, director of Fallujah General Hospital, said the dead included "three boys under 11 years old. He said his medical crews were shot at when they went to retrieve the injured...US troops in the town were headquartered in a schoolhouse. Local Iraqis said an anti-American demonstration took place Monday by students between the ages of 5 and 20 to get the soldiers to leave the school so classes could resume Tuesday." Col. Arnold Bray of the 82nd Airborne Division "said the soldiers had been shot at by someone in the crowd. The al-Jazeera television station, quoting local residents, said the US troops opened fire after someone threw a rock at the school. Residents said the shooting continued for at least 30 minutes."

Kieran Murray writes for Reuters: "The love affair between U.S. troops and Iraqi children is turning sour. As the invading troops pushed north towards Baghdad in the first weeks of the war, it was always the children in every town that came out first to smile, wave, give the thumbs-up and shout the same greeting: 'Good, good, good!' Happy to see a friendly face, the soldiers waved back and many handed out candies from their field rations. But this correspondent, who has traveled with U.S. troops since the start of the war, has seen more and more of the encounters ending with some children, usually the older ones in their early teens, hurling stones at the soldiers."

Reuters reports: "Many Iraqi civilians were believed killed on Saturday when an arms dump exploded outside Baghdad sending rockets scything into nearby housing, and residents blamed US troops for the tragedy. American soldiers said unidentified attackers fired flares into the munitions store, at Zaafaraniya in the capital's southern outskirts, setting off a string of explosions. But local people turned their anger on the Americans, shooting at soldiers who tried to join relief efforts. Some soldiers were wounded, an army sergeant-major said. Later, anti-American protests broke out in the capital... Zaafaraniya residents said US forces had been packing cars with Iraqi weapons over the last three days and detonating them. Kalaal, the man who lost 14 relatives when his house was destroyed, had no doubt who was to blame for the tragedy. 'Those Americans did this,' he said, shaking his finger in rage."

Bob Edgar writes: "Bush has given us his vision....of America as the world's Sheriff. We live in a town of outlaws, with unscrupulous gunslingers on all sides. We must shoot them before they shoot us. We can trust virtually no one. Perhaps the British can help watch our back in the Global Wild West, but ultimately we must rely on one thing and one thing only: our unrivaled military power, which gives us the ability to rain down 'shock and awe' on our adversaries. In an interdependent world, we need to work with others to reach solutions to the many challenges we face. We need to mobilize and invest our tremendous resources as a nation on behalf of conflict prevention, rather than conflict reaction. We must adopt a foreign policy based on a civil and faithful respect for multilateral institutions, for human rights and for a fair and sustainable global economy."

Reuters reports: "Unfurling banners that declared 'Leave our country,' tens of thousands of Baghdad protesters demanded on Friday that the United States get out of Iraq while leaders of the oil-rich nation's neighbors meeting in Saudi Arabia also called for a speedy U.S. departure."

Bush thinks the world will now see Iraq as a "triumph," but he couldn't be further from the truth. Europeans angered by the war are now even angrier, thanks to his posturing against Syria. Thursday at a EU summit where Tony Blair appeared, "Thousands of anti-war demonstrators crowded the streets," Online.ie reports, "clashing with police who fired tear gas to keep them away from where the leaders were gathered. The violence came after a group of protesters marching with about 3,000 demonstrators threw petrol bombs and red paint at riot squads, injuring one police officer. They also set fire to a bank. After throwing rocks at the British embassy, some demonstrators tore up paving stones and hurled them at officers guarding the building." Doesn't sound like they see Iraq as a "triumph," does it?

Wearing a twin American and Iraqi flag pin, Retired Lt. Gen. and munitions profiteer Jay Garner celebrated his 65th birthday on Tuesday by assuming the leadership of Iraq. AP reports, "Under a white-and-gold tent at the biblical birthplace of Abraham, the United States assembled Iraqi factions and told them it has 'absolutely no interest' in ruling Iraq. Thousands of Shiite Muslims--Iraq's most populous religious group--demonstrated nearby, shouting: 'No to America and no to Saddam!' Many Iraqis boycotted the meeting to protest U.S. plans to install Garner atop an interim administration."

"On Mar. 27, [Yale Sophomore] Katherine Lo was huddled in her bedroom in terror... Lo knew that the voices were coming for her-and the U.S. flag hanging upside-down out of her window. Lo had hoped the flag would serve as 'symbolic distress signal' in response to the war in Iraq... 'I really don't think I've ever been so frightened in my life. I was thinking about how quickly people turn to violence and intimidation to make their points.' Lo locked her door and stayed in her room as the intruders attempted to jimmy the lock. Eventually the intruders-one of whom wielded a 2x4-gave up. But they left a menacing note on Lo's door: 'I love kicking the Muslims ass bitches ass! They should all die with Mohammad. We as Americans should destroy them and launch so many missiles their mothers don't produce healthy offspring. F*ck Iraqi Saddam following f*cks. I hate you, GO AMERICA.' Lo, who is Asian American but not Muslim, was so shaken by the intrusion and message that she moved off campus."

"Thirty thousand demonstrators marched in Washington, DC against the invasion and occupation of Iraq by US and British forces, according to the DC police. The demonstration called by the International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, coincided with coordinated anti-war actions in the capital cities of more than 60 countries around the world. D.C. police forces carried out a series of unprovoked attacks against the demonstrators, using clubs and pepper spray as they assaulted people who were chanting 'Stop the US War Machine, from Iraq to Korea to the Philippines.' 'Tens of thousands of people in Iraq have been killed or maimed in the onslaught carried out by the US and British forces since March 19. The US corporate media has portrayed the military actions as the liberation of Iraq. We know that the real motivation the White House and the Pentagon was to conquer Iraq and to put into place a US military dictatorship followed by a proxy or puppet regime in Baghdad,' stated Larry Holmes."

Around the world, boycotts are underway against the most visible US brands: Coke, Pepsi, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, Chevrolet, Tesco Lotus, Caltex and Monsanto. "In Mexico, a group of students and professors used street theatre to get spread the boycott message at a Wal Mart store in Mexico City on Mar 25. They blocked the cash registers for a half-hour by filling shopping carts with U.S. products but then said they would not pay 'because every foreign item we buy is a bullet fired against an Iraqi civilian... In Brazil, anti-war protesters are using the Internet to get their message out, showing a photo of Iraqi women crying over a dead child, alongside the logos of U.S.-based corporations, accompanied by a text. 'Remember these children and these crying mothers every time you drink a coke, or eat the poison of McDonald's, or fill your car's gas tank at Shell, Esso or Texaco. They paid for the death and destruction of the Iraqi people," says the text.

"About 2,000 people marched, shouted, danced, skipped and even cartwheeled through downtown on Saturday to protest the war with Iraq and what they say is an erosion of civil liberties under the USA Patriot Act. Around 2 p.m, about 400 people stopped at the steps in front of Multnomah County's Central Library. Kathleen Juerguns strummed her guitar and sang a song titled 'Patriot Act Blues' into a megaphone. The audience clapped to the beat while children threw paper airplanes and several people wearing pink tie-dye shirts waltzed down the sidewalk. Some people let out loud cheers, but one man fell asleep on the grass, snoring. After a poetry reading, several protesters checked out books that, according to several activists, the government might not want them to see. The Patriot Act, the anti-terrorist legislation passed by Congress soon after the Sept. 11 attacks, allows the government to ask libraries to turn over their records, and has expanded telephone and computer wiretaps."

Chicago Tribune reports, "Anti-war protesters filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging Chicago police violated their constitutional rights by detaining and arresting hundreds of them without legal justification during a massive rally a day after the start of the Iraq war. The class-action lawsuit charged the police herded thousands of peaceful demonstrators onto Chicago Avenue between Michigan Avenue and inner Lake Shore Drive and then blockaded them there illegally for two to three hours on March 20. By the time buses could be brought to the scene, police arrested more than 800 people without probable cause, sometimes using excessive force, charged attorneys for the National Lawyers Guild, which brought the suit on behalf of 14 named plaintiffs... Among those arrested were numerous individuals who hadn't taken part in the protest but got caught up in the blockade on Chicago Avenue as they tried to return to hotels, exited restaurants or buses or simply looked on, the suit alleged."

PentaPost reports, "Antiwar activists will rally at Freedom Plaza and supporters of U.S. policy on Iraq will converge on the Mall [Saturday], and anti-globalization demonstrators will make their return to Washington on Sunday in rallies and marches that will close several downtown streets.... [Saturday's] rally will start at noon at Freedom Plaza, followed by a march to the Justice Dept, to the offices of Bechtel Group Inc. and other corporations that activists say stand to profit from the war and to media outlets such as Fox News and The Washington Post, which organizers criticize for their coverage of the war. With the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime in Baghdad, organizers said the focus of the antiwar demonstration would shift from stopping the war to ending the military occupation. 'It violates the Iraqi people's basic right to self-determination and constitutes a new form of colonialism,' said ANSWER organizer Brian Becker. 'It's a brutal occupation. It's not liberation.'"

Susan Davis writes, "It's a great error to consider the movement thus far a failure. We have done something remarkable. We have built an international movement that has made it much harder than it might have been for the Bush administration to act militarily. We built a prewar, anti-war movement... in spite of insistent mass media celebration -- on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, to name only television -- that for fully six months made war seem inevitable. It is true that the attack on Iraq had been planned long before Sept. 11, 2001, but it was never inevitable. Popular pressure from below delayed and delayed the attack, forced more and more spin-doctoring and manufactured evidence, and brow -beating and arm-twisting. As a result, the shifting and specious arguments for the war became more and more implausible, and the war's real, if mixed rationale became more naked... It may very well have held back, and may still hold back, a further push into Iran."

"Thunderous chants of 'Shame! Shame! Shame!' filled the Oakland City Council chamber Tuesday night, and residents and labor leaders called for an investigation into police tactics that left dozens of anti-war protesters injured after a rally Monday... 'I would just like to say this is a very sad time for the city of Oakland. What I experienced yesterday was a pre-emptive attack,' said Berkeley resident James Harris. 'The actions of the police brought shame to people of Oakland.'... Sri Louise, who was struck in the face at the protest by a wooden bullet, as captured in a picture widely seen in newspapers across the country Tuesday, told council members they had a responsibility to investigate police conduct. 'I for one will not settle for anything less than an absolutely thorough investigation in what happened,' she said. Referring to the large welt on her cheek, she said, 'You might have seen it; it's been all over the world. The entire world is watching what Oakland will do.'"

"There are two superpowers today: the USA and the people opposing the war. Let's get organised effectively. By buying US products today consumers contribute their money for the bombs and bullets which hit Iraq and its people. A dictator has the power he receives from the people. This is so for Saddam and for Bush. Also US companies have the power they receive from the consumer. Some examples: Coca Cola donated $610,000 and PepsiCo $720,000 for the campaign of George W. Bush. Other donors? Philip Morris (also Marlboro) donated $2,900,000 while Exxon Mobil backed Bush with $1,200,000 and Chevron Texaco with $800,000. The global call for boycott is not an action against America, nor pro-Saddam. So please, stop giving your money to the war and stop buying US products. You can participate every day in this non-violent action and use your power as a consumer to stop the war."

Geov Parrish writes, "But taxation isn't inevitable at all. Since the days of Henry David Thoreau, tax resistance has had a storied history in this country, a refusal often linked to the costs of immoral wars. War tax resistance got a further boost during the Vietnam Era, and it appears to be making a resurgence again. The National War Tax Resistance Committee (NWTRCC), the national body that serves to coordinate local war tax resistance groups and counselors around the country, is now circulating a 'Statement of Support for Those who Refuse to Pay for an Escalated War against Iraq,' signed by such left luminaries as Grace Paley, Daniel Berrigan, and many others. Kathi Kelly, whose Voice in the Wilderness group has been defying economic sanctions to bring food and medicine to Iraqis for the last decade, has also issued a tax resistance call. At both NWTRCC and local groups around the country, the phone is ringing off the hook."

"A former ACT employee says her supervisor fired her last week for refusing to remove an antiwar button from her shirt in the workplace. Sarah Townsend said supervisor Chris McPherren terminated her employment and escorted her from the building after she defied a company policy that prohibits political statements about the war on Iraq in the workplace but allows displaying the American flag... 'People who don't say, 'Rah, rah, support the war' are told they have to shut up,' said Townsend, 25. 'It was obvious in that environment that a pro-war attitude was acceptable, while a pro-peace mindset was not.' Two ACT employees confirmed Monday that Townsend was fired for not removing the button."

NW Arkansas Times reports, "A Fayetteville man was arrested for criminal trespass Saturday at the Northwest Arkansas Mall when he and other members of a U. of Arkansas student group attempted to enter the facility wearing T-shirts emblazoned with antiwar slogans. Daniel Vaught, 22, a member of the university's Progressive Student Association, said he tried to enter the mall's north entrance after he and his fellow PSA members had been demonstrating around Fayetteville. 'Some of us had been demonstrating down on College and Dickson,' Vaught said. 'We just went to the mall for some lunch, but security wouldn't let us in.' The group members ' shirts bore the slogans 'Support the troops, not war or Bu$h.' 'They met us at the curb and said we weren't welcome,' he said. 'They told us our shirts were the reason.' Vaught said mall security officers quickly called the Fayetteville Police at about 2 p.m. [and Vaught was arrested]." Complain to Alice_Church@macerich.com, Terry_Page@macerich.com

"Angelica Amaya stands her ground, tears rolling down her cheeks and her entire body shaking in the cold wind that pounds in off the Ohio River. 'I'm scared,' the 33-year-old office worker admits. 'But I have to do this.' She has come, one person out of 1,000 or more, to the banks of the Ohio to raise her hand against the war in Iraq. The others have come -- many of them veterans wearing their original uniforms -- to raise the flag, sing the national anthem, pray to God for swift victory, listen to politicians wrap themselves in the story of Jessica Lynch... One family in a minivan plastered with praise for Resident George W. Bush and a bumper sticker that says 'If 90% of you are for military strikes, the other 10% should be tried for treason.' Angelica Amaya carries a simple homemade sign that says 'I love my country but ... ' She has pasted a photograph of a young Iraqi woman on the sign and written below: 'Are you willing to kill her to get to Saddam?'"

Mercury News reports Monday's Port of Oakland anti-war protest turned violent, "When Oakland Police opened fire with wooden dowels, 'sting balls,' concussion grenades, tear gas and other non-lethal weapons. At least a dozen demonstrators and nine longshoremen standing nearby were injured... The demonstrations were planned with the quiet support of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Many members of ILWU Local 10 oppose the war with Iraq. The mayhem came as a shock to veteran activists and Oakland leaders alike. Oakland was one of the first cities to pass a resolution condemning the war... public officials even turned out to participate in the early morning protest. 'I got hit a few times with rubber bullets,' said Dan Siegel, an attorney and member of the Oakland School Board. 'It was over the top.' Joel Tena, constituent liaison for Vice Mayor Nancy Nadel, said, 'I was there from 5 a.m. on, and the only violence that I saw was from the police.'"

"Bush who flew into Northern Ireland for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday was greeted near Belfast by up to 1,000 anti-war protestors. Chanting anti-Bush slogans, the protesters -- who came from both sides of the Irish border -- marched towards the village of Hillsborough where the summit will be held... Organisers accused Bush and Blair of deciding to hold the summit away from any major centre in a bid to avoid a large anti-war demonstration... The summit comes amid intense debate between world leaders over who should lead rebuilding efforts in Iraq on the political, humanitarian and economic levels. Britain, Washington's staunchest ally, has found itself on common ground with the fiercest opponents of the war -- France, Germany and Russia -- in pushing for a significant role for the United Nations when fighting ends."

1972 Democratic Presidential candidate George McGovern writes, "Thanks to the most crudely partisan decision in the history of the Supreme Court, the nation has been given a President of painfully limited wisdom and compassion and lacking any sense of the nation's true greatness. Appearing to enjoy his role as Commander in Chief of the armed forces above all other functions of his office, and unchecked by a seemingly timid Congress, a compliant Supreme Court, a largely subservient press and a corrupt corporate plutocracy, George W. Bush has set the nation on a course for one-man rule. He treads carelessly on the Bill of Rights, the United Nations and international law while creating a costly but largely useless new federal bureaucracy loosely called 'Homeland Security'... The invasion of Iraq and other costly wars now being planned in secret are fattening the ever-growing military-industrial complex of which President Eisenhower warned in his great farewell address."

Indymedia reports, "At 8:40 this morning, approximately 19 protesters were arrested for blocking the entrance to an office building at 712 5th Avenue in protest against the Carlyle Group for promoting and exploiting the war against Iraq for profit. Soon after, a double row of riot police quickly surrounded a group of approximately 100 protesters and bystanders as they stood on the sidewalk across the street, gave no order to disperse, and arrested them. Attorney Karen Moulding [said], 'Pedestrians were able to get by without any impediment. Police gave no warnings to disperse. I've been a legal observer for many demonstrations for years and I've never seen anything like it. Police behavior seemed calculated to silence or deters peaceful demonstration... [Witness] Jennifer Jaeger said, 'I noticed one man thrown to the ground and another bystander was cuffed so tightly that she started to cry. The police were brutal and its obvious their actions were meant to stifle protests.'"

Reuters reports, "Oakland police fired rubber bullets to disperse about 750 anti-war demonstrators on Monday in what was believed to be the first use of the projectiles against U.S. protesters since the American-led war on Iraq began. Several people suffered minor injuries and demonstrators complained that police overreacted because protesters had simply blocked access to a firm they claimed was profiting from the war in Iraq when police shot rubber bullets and wooden pellets into the crowd. One man lifted up his shirt to show a welt about the size of a baseball, and several were hit as they were moving from the scene, as evidenced by large bruises on their backs... Leone Reinbold, a spokeswoman for Direct Action to Stop the War which organized the protest, said, 'We set up a peaceful picket line. The worst injury was to the long, tried-and-true tradition in this country of picketing.'" Meanwhile 2,000 protesters were arrested in San Francisco, and two dozen in New York.

AP reports, "Police opened fire with non-lethal bullets at an anti-war protest at the Port of Oakland Monday morning, injuring several longshoremen standing nearby. Police were trying to clear protesters from an entrance to the docks when they opened fire and the longshoremen apparently were caught in the line of fire. Six longshoremen were treated by paramedics and at least one was expected to be taken to a hospital. It was unclear if any of the protesters was injured. "I was standing as far back as I could," said longshoreman Kevin Wilson. 'It was very scary. All of that force wasn't necessary.' Police used non-lethal bullets, sandbags and concussion grenades to try to break up about 500 protesters." At least one company at the Port of Oakland handles war supplies.

National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee writes, "Refusal to pay taxes used to finance unjust wars, along with refusal by soldiers to fight in them, is a direct and potentially effective form of citizen noncooperation, and one that governments cannot ignore. War tax refusal has a long and honorable tradition among religious and secular opponents of war. The U.S. government's ability to threaten and coerce other nations is a direct result of the unprecedented size of our military arsenal, which is far larger than that of all our allies and 'enemies' combined. The maintenance of this arsenal depends upon the willingness of the American people, through their federal tax payments, to finance it... We, the undersigned individuals, believing that war tax refusal under the present circumstances is fully justified on moral and ethical grounds, publicly declare our encouragement of, and willingness to lend support to, those persons of conscience who choose to take this step."

The visit of Bush and Blair to Ireland is being met with angry protests even before they arrive, including Belfast, where the two are bound. Beneath "The Welcome to Derry" sign, someone has written, in big letters, "BUSH NOT WELCOME!" Meanwhile, country-wide protests are planned for Monday, with the biggest likely in Belfast.

Reuters reports, "Thousands of protesters roared their approval of Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) at a downtown gathering here on Saturday, interrupting her anti-war remarks with spontaneous chants of 'Impeach Bush.' 'We cannot waste our resources on a war that is wrong, that is illegal,' said Lee, who was thrust into the spotlight last year when she cast the lone House vote against going to war with Iraq [correction: she cast the only vote against giving Bush overly broad powers for his War on Terrorism back in Sept. 2001] . 'Peace is patriotic,' Lee told the crowd, urging them to continue speaking out against the war and to vote. It was the most passionate and largest of a series of protests in several major U.S. cities on Saturday. In Chicago, roughly 1,000 people - and about as many police - gathered in bitter near-freezing weather in the city's federal plaza, while about 100 people in Washington D.C. attended a peace vigil on the National Mall.'"

Bill Hartung writes, "What should the peace movement do now? First and foremost, we shouldn't give up. We should maintain all the energy and creativity that has resulted in the mass mobilizations, the vigils, the mass faxes and phone calls to Congress, the growing civil disobedience against the war, the campus teach-ins and the whole rich festival of democratic activity that has gotten us this far. And we should make sure that every protester (and all of our friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances) registers and votes against Bush and his circle of new-age warmongers in November 2004. No dabbling with the Green Party, no sitting out the elections because the Democratic candidate isn't the second coming of Martin Luther King Jr. It's time for the peace movement to play political hardball, just as the NRA and the Christian Coalition have been doing for decades."

AP reports, "A German satirical magazine could be to blame for a smelly package of bones received last week by a Florida congresswoman who proposed exhuming the remains of American veterans buried in France and Belgium and shipping them home. More might be on the way to the offices of U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, thanks to a 'Bones for Peace' campaign by the German magazine Titanic. The monthly encouraged readers to mail bones to Brown-Waite in response to her proposal. She filed the American Heroes Repatriation Act last month because France wouldn't support war with Iraq... On Friday, Brown-Waite's office received a small package with a strong odor. A bomb technician X-rayed the package, postmarked from Germany, and saw what appeared to be chicken bones. Titanic's website lists the address of Brown-Waite's office and encourages readers to send the bones with the message: 'The boys are coming home.'"

25 Rabbis delivered a public rebuke to the Bush Administration on 3-27-03 before the Einstein Center in Washington D.C.: Excerpt: "For needlessly endangering the lives of our brave military personnel before expending every effort to avoid war, thereby destroying many of their lives and affecting those whose loved ones are killed or maimed or scarred by the terrors of war... For lacking vision and a plan for the unprecedented and mammoth task of taking over an entire country and rebuilding it without the maximum international legitimacy and allies required for it... For precipitating a major humanitarian crisis without ensuring the resources to protect water, food, and ecosystems, For claiming to stand against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction while provoking that very proliferation, in Iran, North Korea, and around the world."

Reuters reports, "Arab envoys decided on Monday to seek an emergency session of the 191-nation U.N. General Assembly to revive their campaign for an immediate end to the war in Iraq... Unlike the 15-nation Security Council, whose resolutions can be binding under international law, the General Assembly can make only political statements expressing the sense of the international community. But an assembly resolution critical of the U.S.-led war would nonetheless be highly embarrassing to both Washington and London... Arab diplomats said they were seeking the assembly meeting on orders from Arab foreign ministers, who adopted a declaration in Cairo last week 'affirming (their) solidarity with Baghdad' and condemning 'the American-British aggression against Iraq.' ... The United States has been aggressively lobbying governments around the world for the past two weeks to help head off an emergency assembly session on Iraq." - one more diplomatic failure for BushWell.

Austin American-Statesman reports, "Nothing about Chris Hedges' physical appearance suggests that he's been through almost 20 years of war.... As a longtime war correspondent for The Dallas Morning News and The NY Times, Hedges, 46, saw a few lifetimes' worth of death, brutality and sorrow. He lost his best friend and colleague to war. He watched Palestinian children being gunned down in a refugee camp in Gaza. He was taken prisoner by the Iraqi Republican Guard during the 1991 Gulf War. And he kept going back. 'War is addictive,' Hedges said. 'I believe it is the most powerful narcotic invented by mankind.'... His recent book, 'War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning,' discusses his career and defends his condemnation of war, which he describes as a 'poison,' and 'nothing like the myth I had been peddled.' His position on the current situation in Iraq is clear. 'We are going to pay for every single bomb we drop on Iraq,' he said. 'And frankly, we deserve it.'"

Santa Cruz Sentinel reports, "Activist Thomas Leavitt thinks it's about time people stop trashing France for its vocal opposition to the U.S. war on Iraq. And he's putting his fromage where his mouth is with a new Web site, www.buyfrenchnow.com, an alternative to offerings such as www.francesucks.com, featuring Uncle Sam waving the middle finger at Mr. Chirac. Leavitt thinks people should stop putting down Paris and start snarfing down imported cheeses. His site has been popular since its launch Monday night, just in time to trump www.franceblows.com, a site still under construction. The site - designed by his wife, Gunilla Leavitt- is a 'j'accuse' to France-bashers with its nod to French products, French literature and its image of the Statue of Liberty clutching a baguette. Lady Liberty, Leavitt is quick to point out, is une francaise."

Former UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook quit Blair's cabinet before the W-ar. He now writes: "I have already had my fill of this bloody and unnecessary war. I want our troops home and I want them home before more of them are killed. It is OK for Bush to say the war will go on for as long as it takes. He is sitting pretty in the comfort of Camp David protected by scores of security men to keep him safe. It is easy to show you are resolute when you are not one of the poor guys stuck in a sandstorm peering around for snipers... We were told that the local population would welcome their invaders as liberators. Paul Wolfowitz, No.2 at the Pentagon, promised that our tanks would be greeted 'with an explosion of joy and relief'. Personally I would like to volunteer Rumsfeld, Cheney and Wolfowitz to be 'embedded' alongside the journalists with the forward units. That would give them a chance to hear what the troops fighting for every bridge over the Euphrates think about their promises."

International Answer writes, "On Saturday, April 12, join the tens of thousands of people of conscience who will surround the White House. The whole world is watching to see if the people of the United States can intensify the power of the anti-war movement at the moment that the Bush Administration is intending to slaughter tens of thousands of Iraqi people and occupy their country. We urge every anti-war organizer and concerned person to bring your friends, neighbors and family members to this all-important mobilization on April 12... The world has entered a new phase. The Bush Administration is hell bent on world domination. The war on Iraq was meant to signal that the U.S. use of raw military power will be the means to create a new era of Empire."

Reuters reports, "Police arrested about 75 monks, priests, rabbis and other clergy in San Francisco on Friday while a dozen other protesters linked together with plastic piping were arrested near the White House in Washington D.C. The arrests were the latest of several thousand detentions nationwide since Bush began a war on Iraq aimed at disarming the country and toppling Saddam Hussein. In San Francisco, home to perhaps the most active U.S. anti-war movement, nuns, priests, Buddhist monks, rabbis and others gathered at the city's federal building. 'We are here as Jews, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists to proclaim that the world can be healed,' Rabbi Michael Lerner said at an earlier interfaith service. Witnesses at the scene estimated that about 75 people were arrested. 'This is an extremely broad movement against the war, a movement that transcends all religions,' said Kevin Lynema, who was offering legal assistance to the demonstrators."

Jonathan Schell writes, "As the war began, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld promised a 'campaign unlike any other in history.' What he did not plan or expect, however, was that the peoples of earth--what some are calling 'the other superpower'--would launch an opposing campaign destined to be even less like any other in history. Indeed, Rumsfeld's campaign, a military attack, was in all its essential elements as old as history. The other campaign--the one opposing the war--meanwhile, was authentically novel. In the pages that follow, The Nation gives a snapshot of it in fourteen countries. If news has anything to do with what is new, then this campaign's birth and activity are the real news. What emerges is a portrait of a world in resistance. "

"ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit in federal court against Dearborn High School for violating the First Amendment rights of their students. Bretton Barber, a junior, wore a T-shirt to school on Feb. 17 which displayed a photograph of George W. Bush with the caption 'International Terrorist.' School administrators told Barber to turn the shirt inside out or go home; Barber went home for the day... 'The school administration could have chosen to use the safe environment of an educational institution for debate and discussion and to create an opportunity to talk about the issue. Unfortunately, they chose to ban political speech,' said Kary Moss, ACLU of Michigan Executive Director. 'The Supreme Court has made clear that students don't lose their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gates,' Moss added. The school's principal claimed that the shirt promoted terrorism and would cause a disruption, Local 4 reported."

AFP reports, "A small but increasingly vocal contingent of Democratic lawmakers opposed to the US-led invasion of Iraq accused the White House of stifling dissent by those who oppose the war. 'What we're beginning to see is a concerted attempt to attack anyone who dissents,' Sam Farr (D-CA) said... [He] added that he saw a certain irony in the alleged White House pressure tactics, noting 'our troops are fighting for (Iraq) to be able to have freedom of speech.' Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), said alleged efforts by US leaders to hush the voices of dissenters extend even to [allies like] Mexico and Canada... With respect to street demonstrations in this country, Jackson Lee said: 'We are doing a great disservice by maligning and disrespecting and accusing protesters of being filled with communist ideas.' Dennis Kucinich (D-OH_, [who] organized the press conference, is a longstanding opponent to the war which he described to reporters as 'unjustified.' "

NYC activists took to the streets of Manhattan to stop the war through civil disobedience. Here are their reports from around the city.

"A brave member of Code Pink this morning disrupted the calm of AEI's Iraq war briefing this morning. During a talk by Richard Perle, Michael Ledeen and James Woolsey, a question came up about casualties. Suddenly the Code Pink activist stood up and started shouting at Perle, 'here's what casualties look like' and tried to hand him a leaflet. People in the room yelled 'get her out.' The chairperson, Danielle Pletka, who earlier was very friendly and all smiles, stiffened, and kept repeating 'get out, get out.' The Code Pink lady was hustled out of the room by AEI security. Perle said 'I think she disagrees with us.' 'Get out' Pletka yelled again. 'Great engineering, you're not making us safer,' replied Code Pink. 'Get out' shouted Pletka again. Once the disruption was over, Pletka asked 'anyone else? The next one will be escorted out by the police.'"

AP reports, "Two Nobel Peace Prize winners, two bishops and Vietnam War activist Daniel Ellsberg were among those arrested near the White House in antiwar protests Wednesday. More than 100 demonstrators in Florida denounced Bush during his trip to the state... Those arrested included Nobel laureates Mairead Corrigan Maguire of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement and Jody Williams of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, as well as Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of the Detroit archdiocese; Bishop C. Joseph Sprague of the United Methodist Church in the Chicago area; Dave Robinson, national coordinator of Pax Christi USA, the Catholic peace movement, and Ellsberg."

Guardian reports, "Phew. If there was an Oscar for most outspoken acceptance speech at time of war, Michael Moore would have another statuette to place alongside his award for best documentary. The maker of Bowling for Columbine, the film about gun violence in the US, came out blasting with both barrels in Hollywood last night after the announcement of his prize had brought the audience in the Kodak theatre to their feet. Referring to the non-fiction category he had just won, he said, 'we live in a time when we have fictitious election results that elect a fictitious president. We live in a time when we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons - whether it's the fiction of duct tape or the fiction of orange alerts. We are against this war, Mr Bush. Shame on you, Mr Bush, shame on you. And any time you got the Pope and the Dixie Chicks against you, your time is up.' His broadside... was greeted with cheers, applause and boos."

UnitingForPeace.com writes that as the UN debates Iraq in Emergency Session, "We are sending faxes to ten Security Council members who are not in 'the coalition of the coerced,' asking them to vote to transfer the Iraq crisis to the General Assembly, under the Uniting for Peace Resolution. The meeting may go on into Thursday. It's an open meeting, all U.N. members may participate, so you might want to email or fax blast to all 191 members of the UN. AP wire story Suggested Points: Security Council could not do anything because of US-UK veto power, still can't, making it a case for Uniting for Peace and the General Assembly; Humanitarian crisis requires neutral intervention; UNMOVIC (disarmament inspectors) must return now, accompanied by peacekeeping troops to prevent the Bush regime carrying on its policy of faking evidence by planting - and then using - biochemicals. You may address the message to 'Permanent Representative to the United Nations.'"

Jan Barry writes, "Taking a petition to Washington signed by more than 2,000 veterans opposed to a preemptive war in Iraq is one thing. Getting someone to accept it is much more difficult. 'We cannot accept anything,' said a police officer at the White House. 'Put it in the mail.' As bombs exploded in Baghdad and battles erupted across Iraq, more than 400 military veterans and family members demonstrated Sunday in the nation's capital demanding the safe return of our troops... A determined group of veterans and family members gathered near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at noon to deliver a sobering message. Wearing black armbands in mourning for casualties of this brand-new war, attired in military hats and shirts adorned with military ribbons and medals, and carrying American flags and protest signs, the veterans' group was nearly encircled by television camera crews and mounted police."

AP reports, "The vast antiwar movement in the world shows that a 'large part of humanity' has rejected the idea of war as a means of resolving conflicts between nations, Pope John Paul II said in a message released Tuesday. The pope, a staunch opponent of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, sent his message to Roman Catholic military chaplains attending a Vatican-organized course on humanitarian law. He cited the 'vast contemporary movement in favor of peace' around the world and said he took 'comfort and hope' from the efforts for peace by various religions."

"In the face of intense opposition at home and abroad, the US government is determined to fight a war that will be felt around the world. It's a slap in the face to democracy, a cold shoulder to liberty - and it's time to make a visible statement against American power gone wrong. Here is the one and only rule for the Brand America Boycott: this action belongs to you. You decide what brands and products stand as symbols of America's new empire-building project, and you decide how you'll make your statement... Some people are planning a total Made-in-America boycott. Some will boycott oil for the duration of the war. Others are planning public activism against the greatest symbols of the Brand America warriors: McDonald's, Philip Morris, Exxon Mobil, Texaco, the automakers, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Starbucks, Nike, Disneyland, Hollywood. Media activists can launch TV Turnoff campaigns against Fox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and MTV. The limits to your participation are the limits of imagination!"

Cincinatti Enquirer reports, "A truck driver from South Fairmount was arrested after he drove toward a group of anti-war protesters with his tractor-trailer rig. 'It stopped about 10 feet from the nearest protester,' Larry Schartman, one of the about 40 people who were participating in a 'Peace in Iraq' rally, said. 'Thank God nobody got hurt.' Police charged James Watters, 49, with aggravated menacing, inducing panic and reckless operation... 'It was an antiwar demonstration. We were holding up signs so the people on the interstate could see them,' said Mary Ann Reese. 'There were 30 or 40 of us standing there holding our signs and I turned around and he was on the sidewalk coming towards us leaning on his horn. The general prevailing sentiment was that some of us were going to get hit. One person was in a wheelchair, so he really had to scatter. It was frightening.' Protesters said the driver appeared to be making an obscene gesture" - and was no doubt listening to Rush.

Cheryl Guttman writes, "An Emergency Session of the Security Council has been called at the UN set for Wed, March 26th. They will invite testimony from all UN 191 members, and could vote on a resolution demanding immediate withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq. Please write something in your own words, no matter how brief, about the urgent need for invoking Resolution 377 (the Uniting for Peace Resolution), and for a UN peacekeeping action in Iraq. If the Security Council cannot maintain international peace where there is a 'threat to the peace or act of aggression,' the General Assembly can then take a vote or as the resolution states 'shall consider the matter immediately.' The General Assembly can meet within 24 hours to consider such a matter, and can recommend collective measures to U.N. members, including the use of armed forces to 'maintain or restore international peace and security.' Cut and paste these addresses, with the Subject: Please vote for Peace Res 377. "

"Dozens of bars and restaurants in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Bonn and other German cities are telling patrons, ''Sorry, Coca-Cola is not available any more due to the current political situation.''  The boycotts appear to be part of a nascent worldwide movement. One Web site, www.consumers-against-war.de, calls for boycotts of 27 top American firms from Microsoft to Kodak while another, www.adbusters.org, urges the ''millions of people against the war'' to ''Boycott Brand America.'' Anti-American sentiment has even reached provinces in Russia, where some rural eateries put up signs telling Americans they were unwelcome, according to an Izvestia newspaper report. A German bicycle manufacturer, Riese und Mueller GmbH, cancelled all business deals with its American suppliers. ''Americans only pay attention when money is on the line,'' said the co. chief, whose firm buys $300,000 worth of supplies from half a dozen American firms each year. "

"A new, more insidious bit of 'propaganda magic' is gaining favor - I like it the 'mysterious microphone' ploy, because it is a mystery how what the ear hears live and the network microphones transmit up can be so different! During the speeches given during the massive protest in Washington, D.C. before the war was declared, to hear C-SPAN 's audio coverage, there was often barely a ripple of response by the audience to the speakers....When Michael Moore delivered his blast of the Bush Reich at the Oscars, he was, in reality, given a standing ovation and hearty applause. But, to hear the soundbyte presented on the network news, you'd never know it. All you can hear are boos...which, in fact, came from about five people, from eyewitness accounts." Latest from Cheryl Seal Reports.

Dick Polman writes, "Gulf War II is in full swing on the home front. In the latest manifestation of the 200-year-old struggle over what it means to be patriotic, the war dissidents are taking a beating. The Dixie Chicks' music has been banned on certain radio stations. Former President Jimmy Carter has been told by Republican Sen. John McCain to 'shut up.' Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle has similarly been told by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to fermez la bouche; he also has been tagged 'the senator from France' - which these days is apparently deemed the mother of all insults. Thirteen prominent actors and musicians have been listed by the New York Post as 'Saddam Lovers' whose work should be boycotted. Eric Foner, a prominent historian, has been labeled 'an ornament of Columbia University's Marxist firmament.' The other night, a rodeo fan in Texas was spat on when he stayed in his seat during the playing of Lee Greenwood's 'Proud to Be an American.'"

PentaPost reports, "As part of a noontime protest north of Lafayette Square across from the White House, about 20 activists ran into the intersection of 16th and H streets NW and lay down on the pavement, as police encircled them and kept nearly 200 chanting supporters on the sidewalk... Officers blocked traffic while members of the group were taken one by one to a police van, watched by dozens of journalists, office workers and tourists. Some onlookers jeered protesters; others applauded them. About 20 other activists, including some high school and college students, split from the main protest and staged similar blockades at two intersections on 16th Street and another on 17th Street. They returned to 16th and H, and six of them were arrested. 'The whole point is to show that this is a little bit of the chaos that must be going on in Baghdad,' said Josh Healey, 18, a University of Wisconsin student on spring break." No mention of the Blackhawk helicopters roaring overhead...

NY1 reports, "An estimated 200,000 anti-war demonstrators marched down Broadway this afternoon in what was estimated to be the largest anti-war rally the city has seen since the situation with Iraq first escalated. The protest stretched more than 30 city blocks and filled Broadway from sidewalk to sidewalk. While the rally was largely a peaceful one, at least 10 people were arrested in Washington Square Park as police attempted to disperse the crowd at the scheduled end of the rally. 'I was trying to disperse, you couldn't get through because of a line of helmeted riot police,' said a woman who participated in the protest. 'They started making a line and pushing the crowd back so you could not exit. They're squeezing in people like rats because there's no place to go and the police are provoking what's going to be violent.' Amid the sea of people, many were holding signs and chanting anti-war sentiments. 'I'm against the war,' said a protester. 'This is going to cause more problems.'"

"One of the first American casualties in the war against Iraq is a Baltimore man, and his family shared their feelings about the war Friday... He is identified as Marine Staff Sgt. Kendall Waters-Bey, 29, (pictured, right), of northeast Baltimore. He is based out of Camp Pendleton in California and leaves behind four younger sisters and a 10-year-old son who lives in Baltimore... WBAL-TV 11 NEWS reporter Noel Tucker spoke with the Marine's father who lives in northeast Baltimore where friends and neighbors were seen sobbing in the streets, sharing their grief with the family. The family spoke with WBAL-TV 11 NEWS Friday afternoon and shared their feelings against the war. As he held a picture of his son, Waters-Bey's father, Michael, (pictured, left), said: 'I want Bush to get a good look at this, really good look here. This is the only son I had, only son.' He then walked away in tears, with his family behind him. Kenneth, the Marine's only son, was with the family."

LA Times reports, "Only a month ago, John Brady Kiesling was a senior embassy officer in Athens, reading classified cables and defending U.S. policy on Iraq to Greek and European leaders. Today, as missiles thunder down on Baghdad, the 45-year-old Californian is touring college campuses - including the U.S. Military Academy, Harvard and, on Thursday, UC Berkeley - speaking out against the same Bush administration policy. Dismayed by what he describes as the 'arrogance and blindness' of the Bush doctrine, Kiesling resigned last month after 20 years in the foreign service, which included postings in Morocco and Israel. He was joined last week by another veteran diplomat, John H. Brown and, on Wednesday, by foreign envoy Mary Wright, who said in a resignation letter to Colin Powell that U.S. foreign policies will make the world 'more dangerous, not safer.' Kiesling has gone a step further in recent weeks, emerging as a subdued but influential voice in the American antiwar movement."

Greenpeace International writes, "In the last 3 days, more than 27 thousand people from 119 countries have sent letters to their UN ambassadors asking them to support a 'Uniting for Peace' resolution in the UN General Assembly to make clear the world's opposition to a devastating and illegal war in Iraq waged by the United States and a small group of allies. The Uniting for Peace resolution has stopped wars before, even after they've broken out. The United Nations should not accept being relegated to a strictly humanitarian role when it could still play a powerful role in stopping this conflict. Take action now by sending a letter to the UN. If you've already done that, send an E-card to your friends, families, fellow students and colleagues asking them to take action too. "

Jeremy Brecher writes, "All over the world, governments and civil society groups are proposing to take the US-led attack on Iraq to the UN General Assembly under a procedure known as 'Uniting for Peace.' The US is so alarmed that it has launched a preemptive attack with a letter to all countries in the world which 'demands' that they avoid 'calls for an emergency session of the General Assembly [which] will not change the path that we are on, but will increase tensions, make divisions deeper and could provoke more damage to the UN.'" Chile, Barbados, and Jamaica acknowledged receiving the high-pressure letter. But Russia's lower House of Parliament approved 226 to 101 a resolution calling on the Russian president to seek a UN General Assembly emergency session. Additional support came from Indonesian president Megawati, Brazilian president Lula da Silva, Malaysian prime minister Badawi, and groups like Greenpeace.

Bahrain's Gulf Daily News reports, "Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the Middle East yesterday, demonstrating against military strikes on Iraq and calling on Muslims to wage a holy war against the US and its allies. In Cairo, around 100 demonstrators and policemen were injured when around 1,000 people, many of them students at the American University in Cairo, rallied in defiance of an emergency law that bans street demonstrations... Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority issued fierce denunciations of the US-led attacks, while the Egyptian government daily Al Ahram warned it marked 'the beginning of an era of US colonisation that will benefit only Israel'. Protests against the action aimed at toppling Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were held in cities across Libya, Egypt and Lebanon, as well as in Amman, Damascus and the Gaza Strip."

CNN reports, "A group representing family members of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks Thursday condemned the U.S. strikes against Iraq. Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the group - called the 'September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows' - described the attacks as 'illegal, immoral, and unjustified' in a statement sent to the media and families of September 11 victims. The group said it was speaking out because members know how it feels to experience 'shock and awe,' and it does not want 'other innocent families to suffer the trauma and grief that we have endured.' The United States has promised its punishing early airstrikes on Baghdad will instill 'shock and awe,' a war plan with roots in a new doctrine called 'rapid dominance,' introduced in the military theory book 'Shock and Awe' and embraced by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The group also condemned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime, and expressed support and concern for American troops."

NY1 reports, "With the U.S.-led military action against Iraq now underway, anti-war held two protests in Manhattan Thursday, the largest a rally in Times Square that was attended by thousands. Several anti-war groups, including A.N.S.W.E.R., which stands for "Act Now to Stop War and End Racism," helped organize what they called an 'emergency convergence" at Union Square at noon. Hundreds of demonstrators, including labor leaders, students, religious leaders and regular New Yorkers, turned out for the rally. "Our message is that this war is wrong," said Michael Letwin of New York City Labor Against the War. "It was wrong to attack a country that has not attacked us, and it is working people that will pay the price." Organizers said as many as 20,000 demonstrators then attended an evening rally in Times Square that began at 5 p.m."

SF Chronicle reports, "Waves of anti-war protesters made good on their promise to disrupt downtown San Francisco this morning, as they occupied intersections throughout the Financial District, South of Market and Civic Center, preventing buses and cars from navigating the streets. Demonstrations began with sunrise and heated up rapidly after 7 a.m., as groups of protesters fanned out to locations they had selected over the previous several weeks. By late morning, demonstrators were still moving from intersection to intersection, and large portions of Market Street, Van Ness Avenue and other thoroughfares were blocked off. 'We don't want to alienate people. I hope people realize that political murder merits action that inconveniences them,' said Quinn Miller, 32, who took the day off from his job for a banking company and said he expected to be arrested for the first time in his life."

Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. said that "the decision by a three judge court of appeals panel yesterday in Boston completely abdicated its responsibility to uphold the integrity of our Constitution and the rule of law... Article 1, Section 8 of our Constitution is unambiguous: Congress, and Congress alone - not the President - has the power to declare war. The October resolution in Congress was not a declaration of war... In my judgment, this decision was very irresponsible in light of the failure of Bush to secure United Nation's Security Council support - only four out of fifteen members of the Security Council agreed with Bush; and it was especially irresponsible because of the President's introduction of a totally new military doctrine, `preemption,' with respect to Iraq. The idea of preemption is totally outside any recognized U.S., UN or international law and is legally unprecedented."

Joseph Stalin explained how governments could get away with mass murder with his famous quote: "One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic." With Bush planning mass murder with a "shock and awe" attack on Baghdad, a group of researchers led by Hamit Dardagan and John Sloboda are challenging mental numbness by maintaining a detailed list of all civilian deaths in Iraq resulting directly from military actions by the USA and its allies in 2003. Webmasters can promote this effort by putting a real-time counter on their own sites.

Jakarta Post reports, "The Indonesian government on Thursday deplores the U.S. attack against Iraq as an action of aggression which violates international law. 'The government and the people of Indonesia strongly criticize the unilateral action by the U.S. and its allies who decided to wage war against Iraq,' said President Megawati Sukarnoputri, as quoted by AFP. 'Indonesia regrets that the multilateral process through the UN has been abandoned. Indonesia is of the opinion that the use of military action against Iraq is an act of aggression which is against international law,' Megawati asserted in a radio address after a cabinet meeting. [Megawati] urged the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to try to halt the war. If it failed, 'then Indonesia urges the General Assembly of the UN to hold an emergency assembly in the framework of the resolution of united action for peace,' she said." The US media is scrubbing her message - demand full reporting on UN peacemaking!

Reuters reports, "A wave of anti-war protests began to roll across Europe and the Middle East on Thursday after the opening salvos of the war against Iraq sparked angry demonstrations in Asia and Australia. Barely three hours after the first U.S. missiles struck Baghdad, a crowd that organizers put at 40,000 and which police said numbered 'tens of thousands' brought Australia's second largest city, Melbourne, to a standstill. In Germany, 50,000 school students marched from Berlin's central Alexanderplatz past the guarded U.S. embassy and through the Brandenburg Gate. The crowd whistled and chanted and carried banners saying 'Stop the Bush fire,' 'George W. Hitler,' 'No blood for oil.' 'The war is illegal and it should be resolved by the United Nations,' said 18-year-old David Stassek, carrying a banner that read: 'Stop U.S. imperialism.' Bigger demonstrations were planned for later on Thursday in the capital and in dozens of other towns and cities."

CNN reports, "Anti-war protesters blocked morning rush-hour traffic in Washington and San Francisco and chanted 'no blood for oil' outside the White House on Thursday in reaction to U.S. military strikes against Iraq. As many as 150 demonstrators temporarily shut down the inbound travel lanes of one of the Potomac River crossings, snarling DC rush-hour traffic. Some 50 demonstrators bicycled through downtown Washington carrying signs that said, 'Bikes not Bombs.' Three people were arrested... Outside the White House, about 50 anti-war protesters gathered in the chilly rain, shouting 'no blood for oil!' Police blocked the approach to Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House to protesters and pedestrians. In San Francisco, dozens of protesters were arrested after blocking streets in the city's financial district, snarling traffic... The call for protests, walkouts and marches Thursday followed a day of intense anti-war rallying."

"Time has run out to prevent this war, but we can still call for the Bush administration to stop it. Concerned citizens and Working Assets have pitched in the tens of thousands of dollars necessary to place the message 'Support our Troops. Bring them home NOW' on billboards in California, New York, and Texas. Now that war has begun, it's vital that we get these billboards up in other high-impact media markets, including Washington, D.C.... Among our most popular antiwar signs have been those that both support our troops and oppose this preemptive war, so we want to make sure that millions of people see them who have not yet attended a peace rally or march. The billboards will remain up for at least a month -- and will keep the pressure on the Bush administration to stop the war and bring our troops home after the bombing begins."

MSNBC's Michael Savage posted this on his Web site: "The Sedition Act - Time to Act. Time to Arrest the Leaders of the Anti-War Movement, Once we Go To War? We Must Protect Our Troops!" As Bill Berkowitz points out, the U.S. Sedition Act of 1918 made it a crime to "willfully utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States, or the Constitution of the United States." According to The Columbia Encyclopedia, these laws were "vaguely worded and broadly interpreted, [and] they resulted in over 2,000 prosecutions, mostly against radicals and the radical press." Eugene Victor Debs, president of the American Railway Union and founder of the American Socialist Party, was arrested in 1918 for opposing World War I. He was convicted under the Sedition Act.Debs said: "I look upon the Espionage Law as a despotic enactment in flagrant conflict with democratic principles and with the spirit of free institutions."

The Nation writes, "If we are present at the creation of a new American empire, we are also present at the creation of another superpower--the largest, most broadly based peace and justice movement in history, a movement that has engaged millions of people here and around the globe. In America, in the weeks and years ahead, this movement confronts several historic challenges. In the long term it must build an alternative foreign policy and sustain its dedication to a nonimperial future. In the short term it must organize to remove the Bush Administration from office and elect new leaders dedicated to international cooperation and peace."

"'Today I weep for my country,' said Sen. Robert Byrd. 'No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. ... Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned. 'We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance,' Byrd said, adding: 'After war has ended the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe.' A number of people in the visitor's gallery rose and applauded before they were admonished to be quiet. 'The case this administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence,' Byrd said. Despite administration suggestions to the contrary, Byrd said, 'There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11.' The senator said, 'We cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice.'"

"The Win Without War coalition announced an internationally coordinated, three-pronged plan of action: Support for US troops - An effort to generate national opposition to the Bush administration's proposal to slash funding for veteran services; a call for members and supporters to communicate directly with our men and women in uniform to express our support. The coalition is urging its members to do so through 'Operation Dear Abby'. A call for worldwide candlelight vigils beginning at 7PM on the day the invasion begins. Launch of a 'Citizens' Declaration' to express the near unanimity of worldwide public opposition to a US led invasion and occupation of Iraq and the Bush 'First Strike Doctrine.'"

"Here, amid a dearth of justice, human kindness is overflowing. Martin Edwards, who recently joined our team, quickly recognized that our emergency preparations hadn't included procuring equipment to dig ourselves or others out of rubble. Setting out on a shopping expediton, Martin reached a sidestreet lined with hardware stores. The shopkeepers were shutting down and had already moved many of their wares into storage areas, lest looting break out if war begins. Martin tried to explain what he was looking for, then gave them a copy of our document that describes why we are here. Within minutes, several merchants dispatched runners to fetch items they thought Martin would need. After loading him up with crow bars, pliers, a shovel, plastic safety construction helmets, and buckets, they insisted 'No, Mister, no need to pay money.'" On the eve of war, Kathy Kelly writes from Baghdad.

Iraq Pledge of Resistance writes, "Nonviolent CD actions planned in Philadelphia (PA), Pittsburgh (PA), Erie (PA), Charlotte (NC), Durham (NC), Hartford (CT), Athens (OH), St. Louis (MO), Austin (TX) with dozens of cities to follow in mass national noncooperation In the past 5 days, nonviolent civil disobedience actions opposing war have taken place in 12 different cities, with hundreds arrested. In response to Bush's 48 hour deadline for war, the Iraq Pledge of Resistance network of 55 cities has been activated - nine are responding with immediate actions, with dozens more to follow in the coming days."

Moveon writes, "Around the world, thousands of us are putting lights in our windows to keep the light of reason and hope burning, to let others know that they are not alone, and to show the way home to the young men and women who are on their way to Iraq. Join us in sending this message of hope and peace by signing below."

From Reuters: "The only way left to avoid war in Iraq is for Pope John Paul II to rush to Baghdad to be 'the protector of humanity's values,' a French parliamentary deputy said on Monday. Didier Julia, a maverick conservative who has visited Iraq twice in the past six months, noted the Pope would be a suitable 'human shield' because he has spoken out forcefully against war. 'Right now, only one thing seems useful to me now, and that's that the Pope goes at the last minute to block aggression against Iraq,' he told France's i-television. 'I would really like the Pope to serve as the protector of humanity's values,' he said. The Pope issued a passionate plea for peace on Sunday, saying he had lived through World War Two and felt obliged to tell the world: 'Never again war.'" (See http://www.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=12429 - for info on how to contact the Pope in support of a papal mission to Baghdad!)

"Operation Bush Empire I" has begun - find the protest nearest you. If the main site is overloaded, try this secondary site: http://www.legitgov.org/emergencyresponse.html

Robert Jensen writes, "This fear I feel is not just of power-run-amok but of an empire with the most destructive military capacity that has ever existed - an empire with thermobaric bombs and cruise missiles, cluster bombs and nuclear 'bunker busters.' No matter how hard the government works to try to keep us from seeing the results of those weapons - and no matter how much the news media cooperate in that project - we understand how many civilians could die under the onslaught of these horrific weapons. They can censor the pictures, but not our imaginations. This fear I feel is not just of the unchecked power of the United States but of the fact that Bush and his advisers seem to think they understand their own power and can control it. It is the arrogance of virtually unlimited power married to lifelong privilege. It is hubris, and in a nuclear world there is no sin that is potentially more deadly... If we can confront our fears, we can confront this empire. "

"They call it Day X, Trigger Day, The Day Of, or The Day After. Anti-war activists are using varying shorthand for an outbreak of war with Iraq -- and they are designing a wide menu of protest strategies, from provocation to prayer...They vow to block federal buildings, military compounds and streets in a rash of peaceful civil disobedience. They will walk out of college classes, picket outside city halls and state capitols, and recite prayers of mourning... Many groups intend to carry out die-ins, where activists lie on the ground to symbolize war victims and to block passers-by...In Columbia, S.C., activists hope to serve up satire [by] plastering a federal building with duct tape and plastic sheeting... Eight opponents of a war were arrested Monday in Traverse City, Mich., when they tried to block an Army Reserve convoy... In San Francisco, anti-war protesters shrouded themselves in body bags Monday in front of the British consulate, chanting 'no killing civilians in our name.''

Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. said, "Bush tonight announced that he is staging a 'high noon' shootout at the Iraq corral in 48 hours...Bush has ordered Saddam Hussein to 'get out of Dodge.' Without some of our closest allies, the former owner of the Texas Rangers is now acting as the Lone Ranger. Unlike his father's success at building a United Nation's 'coalition of the willing' in 1991, this [Bush's] failure to get a UN resolution means he is going to war with a 'coalition of the wanting.' His actions also shred Secretary of State Colin Powell's military doctrine... Each question posed by Colin Powell, when applied to Iraq, renders a negative answer - which means Bush has shredded the Powell Doctrine. The Powell Doctrine is dead!...Our lawyers have gone back into the Federal Court of Appeals in Boston to challenge the [Bush's] authority to wage war without a declaration from Congress."

AP reports, "U.S. invasion of Iraq would destroy the UN, former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite said, [adding] a U.S. invasion would plunge this country into financial chaos... 'We have shown arrogance, almost an egotism, in our conduct of foreign policy so that we have alienated most of our former allies in the world,' Cronkite said. 'I think (it) is going to get us in very serious trouble.' The 86-year-old Cronkite, who was the anchor of the CBS Evening News from 1962-81, asked why American troops couldn't remain on Iraq's doorstep. They would be ready to respond instantly if Saddam showed evidence of atomic, biological or chemical weapons, he said. Cronkite also warned that the cost of the war and its aftermath, coupled with Bush's proposed tax cuts, would leave a national debt 'that our grandchildren's grandchildren will be paying for. That's a terrible legacy for any generation to leave.'"

International ANSWER writes, "The DAY a new U.S. war on Iraq starts - EMERGENCY PROTEST at a central location - in DC at the White House, in NYC at Times Square, in SF at Powell and Market - to protest the war followed by a march through city neighborhoods beginning at 5 p.m. (the next day at 5 p.m. of the bombing begins at night). THE MORNING AFTER THE WAR STARTS -- WALK OUT/STAYAWAY! ORGANIZE WALK OUTS from school, work, leave your home. Spend the morning leafleting for people to join the anti-war movement. A.N.S.W.E.R. offices and organizing centers around the country will be open in the morning to pick up leaflets and head out with others into your community. Converge mid-day at noon at city centers - in Washington, D.C., in NYC at Union Square, in SF at Civic Center Plaza to engage in protest actions against the war. Use the form below to list your city's Emergency Response Mobilization plan."

AP reports, "Dozens of anti-war protesters were arrested Monday outside the Capitol in the continuation of what promises to be a week of demonstrations against a war in Iraq . Holding signs and singing 'we shall overcome,' more than a hundred people peacefully marched from a church in southeast Washington to Capitol Hill. Arrested for crossing police lines were 54 people, among them relatives of people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. The protesters are planning other nonviolent acts of civil disobedience this week to make their views known to lawmakers. Nadine Block, whose shopping cart contained a large puppet of a woman with a sign reading 'Another mother for peace,' criticized members of Congress who had not voiced opposition to war. 'They need to stand up and have backbone,' she said. Police said the protesters would be released upon paying a $50 fine." UnitedForPeace.org is leading a week of non-violent direct action.

Sacramento Bee reports, "The California Democratic Party overwhelmingly opposed an attack on Iraq in an official resolution Sunday... The near-unanimous vote came on the closing day of the the party's yearly convention in Sacramento... Just as Bush announced from a summit in the Azores Islands that he would make one final attempt today to win support for the war, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich took the stage in California to decry it. [He] bowed his head slightly and began to softly sing phrases from a trio of patriotic songs before delivering a rousing speech decrying what he called a war 'all in the name of eliminating phantom weapons of mass destruction.' 'Let us support the troops, but not the administration,' Kucinich said. 'Let us support the troops by bringing them home alive and healthy.' Asked if he would temper his cries against the war once American troops were in battle, Kucinich replied that 'it is a moral imperative to speak out.'" You Go, Dennis!

Cheryl Guttman writes, "If the US threatens or attacks Iraq without support of a deadlocked UN Security Council, the General Assembly can demand an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal under a procedure called 'Uniting for Peace.'" Here is a sample letter you can e-mail or fax, including all of the e-mail addresses and fax numbers for the UN General Assembly.

CNN reports, "Warning of the potential for more terrorist attacks and a 'tarnished reputation' for the United States, 74 former members of Congress sent a letter to the White House Friday urging the Bush administration to 'hold off' on any war plans with Iraq. The signatories, all but four of them Democrats, urged the administration to give U.N. weapons inspectors more time to do their job... The former lawmakers said they believed a war against Iraq would kill innocent people, precipitate terrorist attacks, weaken the United Nations, exacerbate conflicts throughout the Middle East and hurt the U.S. standing as a 'world citizen.' ... 'The doctrine of pre-emption, the Japanese used it against us. It was called Pearl Harbor,' said Democrat Elizabeth Holtzman, who represented New York City in the House. The letter campaign was organized by former Maine congressman Tom Andrews, who started the Win Without War coalition, which is organizing candlelight vigils for Sunday."

Martin Sheen is under tremendous pressure from NBC to stop denouncing W-ar - or face cancellation of the West Wing. But Sheen ignored the corporate threats and delivered a passionate prayer for peace at the San Francisco rally on 3-15-03. (Note: this huge 12MB MP3 file is primarily for broadband users).

ANSWER reports, "Well over a quarter of a million people demonstrated in the U.S. against a U.S. war with Iraq. 100,000 demonstrated in Washington, 100,000 came out in San Francisco, and 50,000 people braved the driving rain in Los Angeles in massive emergency mobilizations called on short notice by the ANSWER coalition... Demonstrations also took place in Lansing, MI; Columbus OH, Lexington, KY, Tucson, AZ; Albuquerque, NM, and scores of other cities [30-50,000 in Portland, OR]. With cities around the world responding to the call for emergency actions, March 15 was an urgent and critical day of global anti-war protest, as millions of people turned out to demonstrate against Washington's rush to war. CNN reported that protests took place today in an amazing 2,000 cities in 98 countries. Turnouts were dramatic: Millions marched in Spain and Italy, two countries whose governments have supported the U.S. war. 100,000 came out in Berlin; 150,000 in France; 40,000 marched in Brussels."

Laurie Manis reports, "Nancy Lessin, co-founder of Military Families Speak Out and three other peace activists were arrested at the Capitol Building Thursday during the kick off of a massive non-violent civil disobedience campaign. Ms. Lessin is the mother of a marine on active Persian Gulf Duty. She also is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Bush that seeks to prevent him from invading Iraq without a formal declaration of war by Congress, as is required by the Constitution. Twelve Congressmen, soldiers and families of other military personnel, including Ms. Lessin's husband join her as plaintiffs in this lawsuit. 'Now is the time to take action, we believe we CAN still stop the war, and we ask people of conscience to come to Washington DC to join us in non-violent civil disobedience on March 17th. Don't wait until the bombs start falling to do everything you can for peace,' cried Ms. Lessin, as she held up a body bag as a reminder of what war would mean for many families in her group."

Reuters reports, "Hundreds of thousands of anti-war protesters worldwide took to the streets on Saturday in the biggest such demonstration since millions of people joined a global march for peace last month. As the wave of protest began in Asia, organizers in Spain were hoping to draw crowds of more than a million in one of Europe's biggest marches later in the day, matching the number seen in Spain during the global protests on February 15. Spain's Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has been a staunch supporter of [W-ar]... Kick-starting Saturday's protests, around 10,000 marched in Tokyo and 3,000 in Bangkok, where pigeons were released into the skies over the Thai capital as a peace symbol. Protests were also reported in Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. People burnt effigies of Bush in Calcutta, India, while demonstrators chanted: 'Raise your hands against U.S. imperialism.' Others held up placards depicting Bush as Hitler."

PentaPost reports, "Today's protests coincide with antiwar events in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles and demonstrations around the world. Hannah Shatz, 23, of Greenville, Mich., is one of 56 people with the Coalition Against War who traveled overnight by bus from Ann Arbor, Mich., to attend today's protest. 'I'm here today in W's hometown because the person I love is in the Army, and I don't want him to go to war,' she said, adding that her husband is a helicopter mechanic in the Army. 'Saddam Hussein is a threat to his own people. Something has to be done but not war.' said Shatz, wearing a navy blue T-shirt that shows a mushroom cloud with the words 'That's all folks.'"

George Packer writes, "You can find America's new antiwar movement in a bright yellow room four floors above the traffic of West 57th Street -- a room so small that its occupant burns himself on the heat pipe when he turns over in bed and can commute to his office without touching the floor. Eli Pariser, 22, tall, bearded, spends long hours every day at his desk hunched over a laptop, plotting strategy and directing the electronic traffic of an instantaneous movement that was partly assembled in his computer. During the past three months it has gathered the numbers that took three years to build during Vietnam. It may be the fastest-growing protest movement in American history" - thanks to Al Gore's internet!

"In a letter delivered to Bush, U.S. war veterans questioned the wisdom of invading Iraq now and sought a meeting with the White House to discuss their concerns. Initiated by the Washington-based veterans' group Veterans for Common Sense, the letter was e-mailed to veterans this weekend and quickly gathered nearly 1,000 signatories, including high-ranking officers and Kris Kristofferson. The letter 'strongly question[s] the need for war at this time,' noting signatories are 'not convinced that coercive containment has failed, or that war has become necessary.' It argues that unlike 1991's desert campaign to liberate Kuwait, invading Iraq now would likely entail 'protracted siege warfare, chaotic street-to-street fighting in Baghdad, and Iraqi civil conflict,' raising fears of 'casualties not witnessed since Vietnam.'"

From March 22-24, veterans who oppose Bush's W-ar will gather in DC for several important events: TEACH-IN & SPEAKOUT - Saturday, at American University, Anderson Hall, from 1-5 PM. DEMONSTRATION - Sunday, assemble at Constitution Gardens on Mall at 12 noon. A solemn procession to Vietnam, Korea, WW II Memorials, march to VA and White House with rally on the Ellipse. LOBBYING - Monday, meetings with Senators & Representatives. Briefing at the offices of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, 245 2nd Ave. NE (corner of C St., NE), at 9AM. All military veterans, active-duty GI's, reservists, and family members are encouraged to attend. Veterans and active-duty personnel should wear medals, ribbons, uniforms, etc., and all need to bring American flags, banners, and protest signs. And remember, endorse our Statement below, get other veterans and family members to endorse the Statement, which we will deliver to the White House and Congress during Operation Dire Distress.

"The arrest came shortly after the Observer newspaper in London revealed a top-secret memo from the U.S. National Security Agency outlining plans for spying on U.N. delegates, part of U.S. efforts to gain approval for a new Security Council resolution on Iraq. Daniel Ellsberg, who authored the new book 'Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers,' said today: 'This leak is potentially more significant than the release of the Pentagon Papers, since it is extraordinarily timely. More officials who know -- as I did in 1964-65 -- that the president [sic] , and their bosses, are lying us into a wrongful, reckless, unnecessary war should consider doing right now, before the bombs are falling, what I wish I had done at a comparable point, in the months before the onset of the Rolling Thunder bombing: going to Congress and the press with documents that undercut official lies. There is still time to avert this invasion with sufficiently comprehensive truth-telling."

"The Beastie Boys have been driven out of hiding by the need to comment on the scary state of the world. In the middle of a New York writing and rhyming session for their next album, MCA, Ad-Rock and Mike D hammered out a song called 'In a World Gone Mad' which you can download [at the below link or beastieboys.com]. The up-tempo song, which features a simple rhythm and rudimentary samples, has the old-school feel of a Run-DMC track. The buoyancy of the beats contrasts with the lyrics, which criticize the Bush administration's eagerness to attack Iraq: 'You build more bombs as you get more bold/ As your mid-life crisis war unfolds/ All you wanna do is take control/ Now put that Axis of Evil bullsh-t on hold' - they felt like Bush was turning a deaf ear to the screaming voices of anti-war protesters, but they said they were also motivated after hearing rumors that artists were discouraged from mentioning the Middle East conflict during the Grammy Awards." CALL IN THOSE RADIO REQUESTS!

"'Conventional wisdom' concluded that the war on Iraq would have taken place months ago but such 'wisdom' has been thrown out the window by the unprecedented anti-war uprising of the people of the world. Bush and Blair, unable to contend with world-wide opposition to their war plans, are scrambling at the United Nations to find support and cover for their plans to attack Iraq. They can still be stopped. We must take advantage of every moment left to intensify the pressure... Luckily the weather forecast calls for a balmy 58 under partly sunny skies in DC. The following is a list of transportation centers that have been organized in more than 100 cities. Dedicated volunteers have spent their time, energy, and resources to arrange the transportation so that people from all over the country can descend on Washington this Saturday. This is one of those rare historical moments where all of our efforts can make a difference."

United for Peace writes, "Millions around the world have said 'No!' to war on Iraq - and still Bush won't turn back. We have written letters, sent email, made phone calls, participated in delegations, rallied, marched, walked out - and still the Congress refuses to uphold their constitutional duty to decide on matters of war as representatives of the people. Resources for human needs are being cut, our rights are under attack, and our democracy is being betrayed. We have no choice but to RAISE THE BAR OF OUR RESISTANCE and rise up to the challenge of reclaiming our democracy and defending the promise of freedom from tyranny - including the greatest tyranny of all: WAR. We must take action to demand that our elected officials represent our interests and vote no to war. The time has come to bring the new voices of democracy to the Congress: if they won't uphold the Constitution and represent the people, WE WILL."

Boston Globe reports, "Boston Veterans for Peace faxed in an application to march with other veterans in South Boston's annual parade celebrating the neighborhood's Irish heritage and honoring the men and women serving in the armed forces... But on Friday afternoon, the parade's chief organizer, John 'Wacko' Hurley, consulted with members of the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council... and all were in favor of barring Boston Veterans for Peace from the march. 'I don't want our marvelous men and women going over there and fighting, but you still have to go along with the leaders in Washington,' said Hurley, 72 [who must have slept through the Nuremberg Trials]... 'I was more shocked than anything else,' said John Redue, 32, who served in the Air Force from 1990 to 1999. 'People apparently don't think you can be for peace and support the troops at the same time. I think questioning policies... is the duty of patriots.'"

Moveon writes, "It appears that the Bush administration will fail to win Security Council support for war, and world public opinion has been a key part of this. Help keep up the pressure by attending, or scheduling, a candlelight vigil on Sunday in your area. MoveOn.org and the Win Without War coalition, together with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and many faith-based organizations, are calling for this global vigil -- and we need your help. Beginning in New Zealand, this will be a rolling wave of candlelight gatherings that will quickly cross the globe. It's up to you to make this happen. Today we are asking individuals, like you, to organize a vigil in each community. We're hoping that thousands of small groups around the world will be inspired to come together and stand for peace. It's time for the world to come together in this moment of darkness and rekindle the light of reason -- and of hope. It's time to renew our commitment to building a positive world for our children. "

WSJ reports, "Ron Paul is a political iconoclast who takes his libertarian ideology seriously. He's a cheerful advocate of all sorts of unpopular causes like abolishing the federal minimum wage and returning to the gold standard... But on an Iraq war Mr. Paul is finding plenty of allies, especially at the other end of the political spectrum. Unlike his fellow Texas Republican in the White House, the retired obstetrician believes Saddam poses no direct threat to Americans and wants the U.S. to mind its own business. A fiscal conservative, he also believes the country can't afford the war's potentially staggering cost... Mr. Paul's aggressive stand... hasn't hurt him with his southeast Texas constituents -- in fact, he is more popular than ever. In November, weeks after joining just five other Republicans voting against giving Mr. Bush authority to go to war, Mr. Paul was re-elected with 68% of the vote." Urge Ron Paul to challenge Bush in the GOP primaries for President! (202) 225-2831

Roll Call reports, "Acting with surprising speed, a federal appeals court in Boston has revived a lawsuit seeking to block Bush from launching an attack against Iraq without a formal declaration of war approved by Congress. The constitutional challenge - filed by a dozen House Democrats and a number of military members and their families - was dismissed Feb. 24 by a lower-court judge. But in a rare move that signaled heightened interest in the matter, a three-judge panel of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency motion to hear an appeal of the lower-court ruling with an expedited argument and briefing schedule. An emergency hearing was held last week and the panel asked for both sides to submit briefs in the case by Tuesday, indicating that it would issue a ruling quickly. 'Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is quite clear that Congress, and only Congress, shall have the power to declare war. Bush is not a king,' attorney John Bonifaz said."

Tom Englehardt writes, "Yes, we're at the edge of a desperately unwanted war and that in itself could lead to despair. But the global movement that has sprung to life in these scant months should give us cause for modest optimism as well. Harriet Barlow, a long-time organizer, suggests -- quite correctly, I believe -- that, unlike at the onset of Gulf War I, this movement will not simply die away in the face of a well-orchestrated (as well as sometimes perfectly genuine) patriotic reaction to wartime. In fact, it could well be that the Bush administration will 'win' in Iraq and manage to lose the world in the process. What strikes me about the movement, as it has developed here and elsewhere, is what Barlow calls its 'joy,' its festive, theatrical, creative, and generative component which in itself inspires, attracts, and offers hope."

CLG's Lori Price writes, "The whackjobs at the Pentagon need a name for their impending slaughter in Iraq! The names for U.S. military operations over the years have been poetic, moralizing and in one case so forgettable that leaders of that mission forgot it. There are all sorts of rules for coming up with a name, involving many Pentagon offices. In the end, though, it always has been more art than science... Send your ideas to: clg_news@legitgov.org, and I will compile a list of the best suggestions and disseminate to the media." How about "Operation Bushit"?

Tom Englehardt writes, "Is there another small global trend developing, a tiny cresting of what may one day become quite a different kind of oppositional wave -- from defecting insiders? There was only one Daniel Ellsberg during the Vietnam War. What if it turns out that there are bushels of Ellsbergs in the coming years -- leakers, refusniks, resigners, opposers -- all on the inside demanding out? Yesterday, a possible leaker of a secret NSA memo calling for a heightened American spying campaign against various UN delegations was arrested in England. She works inside British intelligence. This leak has hardly been covered in our press, but it may indicate more widespread opposition within the U.S. and British intelligence services... What if they gave a war and nobody came? It won't happen this time, but nothing could be scarier to this administration than defections from within -- whether within its system of alliances, its intelligence services, its military, or even the media."

Democrats.com member Leah Faerstein reports, "The celebrities had a press conference at the Crown Plaza (Jessica Lange, Ethan Hawke, Steve Buscemi). After the conference, we joined them in a march to the US mission - surrounded by cameras. Once we got there, we got word that the boxes (of one million signatures) would be accepted. We applauded and left. More interestingly, earlier on the Moveon delegation was received there at 8:30 with the petition. A dozen of Moveon members went and were allowed to make short statements to a very nasty belligerent mission rep (who according to them sounded very much like Bush 'yada-yada-yada Saddam must go'). One statement in particular infuriated him - when a daughter of missionaries mentioned God. Bush's man became aggressive: 'How dare you insult Bush's personal God?' Anyway, the others UNSC missions also received the one million signatures (12 boxes)."

Sun-Sentinel reports, "National Guard reservist Bryan Alarcon said 'no' when his sergeant called looking for volunteers to go to Turkey as part of the U.S. military ramp-up to war. If he's ordered to go, Alarcon says, he'll refuse - even if his decision lands him in jail. The 25-year-old West Palm Beach, Fla., resident is among a small group of military personnel who have joined another fight - the one building locally and across the country against war. Alarcon said he'd rather risk going to jail than participate in a conflict he considers immoral... and joined thousands of other Americans for the Jan. 18 peace rally in Washington, D.C. It's uncertain how many service people share Alarcon's beliefs. But as war talk heated up in January, the anti-war G.I. Rights Hotline fielded a record number of calls, mostly from military personnel and families seeking advice on conscientious-objector and other discharges. The 3,582 calls were twice the normal monthly call volume."

Laura Johnson Manis writes, "I am one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent President Bush from launching a military invasion of Iraq without Congressional declaration of war because to do so would be in direct violation of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which states 'Congress shall have Power ... [t]o declare War. The 'October Resolution' did not declare war and unlawfully ceded to the President the decision of whether or not to send this nation into war... My late husband served in Nam during the Tet Offensive... He was never the same... My question to President Bush, who didn't even fulfill his National Guard obligations, is 'How dare you? How dare you send another generation of our fine young people to fight in a war of dubious necessity that hasn't been declared by Congress? How dare you?'"

On 3-8-03, Jack Walters wrote an impassioned resignation letter. "The coming mass slaughter of innocents, the harm our own troops are being placed in, and the potential for wars on several fronts have brought home to me the sobering realization that by remaining Boone County Republican Chair, I would be giving tacit approval to this imminent war, and tacit approval to the belligerent and reckless language coming from the White House. The safety and integrity of our country outweighs politics... I only sought the position of Chairman originally in the hope that I could recruit God-fearing, thinking, pro-life believers in our Constitution to stand for office. I grieve for our nation, and the untold suffering that will be wrought. As history has shown, you can possess the greatest armaments in the world, but if your cause and motives are not right, only catastrophe will result." This is a letter ALL Republicans should read and endorse. Urge every Republican you know to sign the petition!

John Leonard writes, "Please send an E-mail to the UN in your own words, asking the General Assembly to use its power to send a peacekeeping force to Iraq. There may be no other way to prevent another campaign of airborne genocide on these helpless people. I have sent the example message below to around 200 Permanent and Observer Missions to the UN (list below). Please write something in your own words, no matter how brief, about the urgent need for a Uniting for Peace Resolution, and a UN peacekeeping action in Iraq, and send it to all the Missions. Uniting for Peace provides that if the Security Council cannot maintain international peace where there is a 'threat to the peace or act of aggression,' the General Assembly 'shall consider the matter immediately.' The General Assembly can meet within 24 hours to consider such a matter, and can recommend collective measures to U.N. members, including the use of armed forces to 'maintain or restore international peace and security.'"

"Join and support the tens of thousands of people who are holding an Emergency March on the White House Saturday, March 15 and conducting solidarity Stop the War actions all around the world. On March 15, workers in Italy are staging an anti-war General Strike. In Spain, Greece, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, and in Los Angeles, San Francisco and cities around the world people are coming together in Emergency Mass Action on March 15 to stop the U.S./UK war against the people of Iraq. Bush and Blair have announced a March 17 deadline for war and demanded the international community's ratification. They are paving the path to war by racing to convince the world that war is inevitable and that they answer to no one except George W. Bush... But the warmakers can still be stopped, and they know it. If it hadn't been for the worldwide uprising against the war the carnage would have started months ago. We can and must intensify the mobilization for March 15."

NY Times reports, "Several thousand protesters, most of them women, rallied near the White House today to protest Bush's policy on Iraq. About 25 people were arrested. The protesters, many wearing pink as a symbol of opposition among women to a war, carried placards and sang and chanted slogans in a low-key demonstration organized by a group called Code Pink, a play on the national color-coded security alert system. Most of the protesters listened to speeches at a rally some distance from the White House, with relatively few making the march to President Bush's residence. Among the protesters were family members of victims from the Sept. 11 attacks, along with some relatives of military members who have gone overseas in preparation for a possible war... Among those arrested were several well-known writers, including Alice Walker, Terry Tempest Williams, Maxine Hong Kingston and Susan Griffin, as well as Amy Goodman, a host on Pacifica Radio."

President Carter writes, "Profound changes have been taking place in American foreign policy, reversing consistent bipartisan commitments that for more than two centuries have earned our nation greatness. These commitments have been predicated on basic religious principles, respect for international law, and alliances that resulted in wise decisions and mutual restraint. Our apparent determination to launch a war against Iraq, without international support, is a violation of these premises. As a Christian and as a president who was severely provoked by international crises, I became thoroughly familiar with the principles of a just war, and it is clear that a substantially unilateral attack on Iraq does not meet these standards," which he clearly explains.

Here at Democrats.com, we've been "saying no to war" in Iraq since the Busheviks began beating the war drums last summer on the front page of the NY Times. Nearly a year later, the Times editors have finally acknowledged there is no legitimate justification for W-ar, and the first casualty will be the United Nations and the international rule of law. But if the Times is genuinely concerned about these issues, they are going to have to stop whispering and start taking a stand. They could start by quoting Jimmy Carter or Pope John Paul II, who have declared Bush's W-ar both immoral and illegal.

"Acclaimed authors Alice Walker and Maxine Hong Kingston were among a group of 23 women arrested in front of the White House on Saturday as they protested against what they called a misguided march toward war, protest organizers said. 'They were in front of the White House, registering their discontent with the war and the war plans and were arrested by Park Police simply for standing in front of the White House and saying 'no' to war,' said a spokesman for CodePink which organized the rally. 'The resident may pretend that he doesn't want to hear us, he doesn't see us, but believe me eventually he will see us and he will hear us,' Walker, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983 for 'The Color Purple,' told CNN before her arrest. CodePink, whose name is a play on the administration's system of terror threat warning levels, said Medea Benjamin, who founded the group with Evans, and Amy Goodman, the host of the program 'Democracy Now,' were also arrested."

John Nichols writes, "'When we look at the world community, we see that they had a debate in the Parliament of Turkey. They had a debate in the Parliament of Great Britain. They are having serious debates in legislative bodies all over the world, and yet there is no debate in Congress,' says Nancy Lessin, the mother of a 25-year-old Marine who has been dispatched to the Persian Gulf. Lessin and other parents of troops serving in the Gulf have joined US soldiers and a dozen members of Congress as plaintiffs in a lawsuit that seeks to bar Bush from ordering an attack on Iraq without a Congressional declaration of war... Tuesday's appearance before [the US Court of Appeals] saw this argument treated with respect and a reasonable level of interest by at least two of the jurists. 'Clearly the court understands the gravity of the issues being put before it,' said Bonifaz. 'I think we have strong arguments and I think the judges want to hear them.'"

Carol DeMare writes for the Times Union: "About 100 people marched through Crossgates Mall at noon today to protest the arrest Monday of a man who wore a peace T-shirt while he shopped. 'We just want to know what the policy is and why it's being randomly enforced,' said Erin O'Brien, an organizer of the rally. No arrests were reported, and protest leaders were scheduled to meet with the mall's manager after the rally. In Monday's incident, an attorney for the state was arrested and hauled into court after refusing to take off a T-shirt that said 'Give Peace a Chance' while shopping at the mall. This is at least the second time in recent months that mall security asked people wearing T-shirts with peace slogans to leave."

Capitol Hill Blue reports: "Pope John Paul II has a strong message for Resident George W. Bush: God is not on your side if you invade Iraq. But the Resident told the pope's envoy the leader of the world's Catholics is wrong...The Resident met with Cardinal Pio Laghi, a former Vatican ambassador to the United States and a Bush family friend, on Ash Wednesday...Laghi came bearing the pope's message: A war would be a 'defeat for humanity' and would be neither morally nor legally justified. The Pope also questioned the Resident's statements invoking God's name as justification for the invasion. 'God is a neutral observer in the affairs of man,' the Pope said. 'Man cannot march into war and assume God will be at his side.' In Rome, the pope called for 'common efforts to spare humanity another dramatic conflict.' The Vatican stands by its view that a pre-emptive strike on Iraq is immoral unless backed by the United Nations, Laghi said."

BeTheCause writes, "We are beginning a global boycott of companies that make significant financial contributions to this administration. Criteria for selecting corporations: - Donated at least $400,000 to the Republican Election Campaign in 1999-2000 - Donations to the Republican Election Campaign of 1999-2000 constituted at least 70% of total contributions - Operate in the Business-to-Consumer sector Kraft: Parent Company Phillip Morris (new name: Altria Group, Inc) made a contribution of $3,094,237 which represents 82% of their total contributions. Exxon Mobil: $1,226,331 which represents 89% of their total contributions. Pepsico Inc: $749,494 which represents 84% of their total contributions. United Parcel Service: $2,072,468 which represents 71% of their total contributions. Wal-Mart Stores: $610,748 which represents 88% of their total contributions. Please keep us informed of your participation via email (boycott@bethecause.org)"

"Cherie Blair's legal chambers dealt an embarrassing blow to the government yesterday after lawyers said military action with Iraq would be a clear violation of international law. Lawyers from Matrix Chambers, where the prime minister's wife practises under her professional name, Cherie Booth QC, said a second UN resolution proposed by the US, the UK, and Spain would not authorise war on Iraq, even if opposition from France, Germany, and Russia were overcome... Phil Shiner, of Public Interest Lawyers, a campaigning group specialising in international law, said: 'The Security Council can adopt any number of resolutions, but unless these resolutions state clearly that force is authorised, the US and the UK will not have a mandate from the UN to attack Iraq. 'It is vitally important that the public are aware that if the government go to war following the adoption of this draft resolution by the security council they will be acting in violation of international law.'"

As people around the world are finding ways to express themselves against the Iraq war, artists are opening visual and verbal dialogues about both war and peace. Images Against War brings together 216 photographers both online at www.imagesagainstwar.com and in their gallery in Cologne, Germany. Three images from democrats.com member Mirana Comstock's series "Anti-War Stories, NYC 2/15" are displayed on the site.

NY1 reports, "Students ditched school and gathered for rallies in Washington Square Park and Union Square Wednesday afternoon, with a march uptown to a larger demonstration at Hunter College planned later in the afternoon. The city Dept of Education warned that the rallies were not an excuse to cut class, but students poured out of Beacon, Bronx Science, Stuyvesant and other high schools to join older students from such colleges as Fordham, Hunter and NYU. The students said they oppose an invasion of Iraq on both moral and practical grounds, worrying that too many innocent civilians would be killed and believing that the billions of dollars a war would likely cost would be better spent on education and other domestic needs. 'I don't believe in this war or any war,' said one student. 'I think war is a crime against humanity.'... The walkout is part of a nationwide demonstration by some 300 schools, and similar rallies took place around the world, as far away as Australia."

"For months the international community has been living in great apprehension on account of the danger of a war that might upset the whole Middle East region and aggravate the tensions that, unfortunately, are already present at the beginning of the third millennium. It is a duty for believers, regardless of the religion they belong to, to proclaim that we can never be happy if we are against one another, the future of humanity can never be assured by terrorism and the logic of war. We Christians, especially, are called to be sentinels of peace wherever we live and work. We are asked to watch out so that consciences may not yield to the temptation to egoism, lying and violence. Therefore, I invite all Catholics to dedicate with special intensity next 5 March, Ash Wednesday, to prayer and fasting for the cause of peace, especially in the Middle East. Above all, let us ask God for the conversion of hearts..."

WashPost reports, "The people who helped organize the largest worldwide peace demonstration in history last month say they are not through yet. More than 120 activists from 28 countries emerged from an all-day strategy session [in London] with plans not just to protest a prospective U.S.-led war against Iraq but to prevent it from happening. They want to intensify political pressure on the Bush administration's closest allies -- the leaders of Britain, Italy and Spain -- and force them to withdraw their support, leaving the United States, if it chooses to fight, to go it alone. And they intend to further disrupt war plans with acts of civil disobedience against U.S. military bases, supply depots and transports throughout Europe. Finally, if war breaks out, they say, they will demonstrate in towns and cities around the world on the evening of the first day, and hold a worldwide rally on the following Saturday that they hope will rival or surpass their efforts of Feb. 15. "

To stop Bush's War in Iraq, which forms of resistance would YOU be willing to join? Vote for as many as you like OR vote "none of the above".
- Consumer Strike (no purchases except daily essentials)
- Work/School Strike (partial strike at first, gradually escalating from there)
- Tax Strike (refuse to pay Federal income taxes on April 15, understanding there may be 5%-25% penalties plus 10% compounded interest)
- Human Shield (travel to Iraq)

Dr. Helen Caldicott asks everyone to write Pope John Paul II at accreditamenti@pressva.va

His Holiness John Paul II

I write to you today out of a sense of great urgency. As you know the U.S. is on the verge of launching what may be one of the most cataclysmic wars in history using weapons of mass destruction upon the Iraqi people.

Conservative estimates are that such a war will result in the death of 500,000 Iraqis. It seems clear that, at this time, you are the only person on Earth who can stop this war. Indeed, your physical presence in Baghdad, will prevent the impending slaughter of hundreds of thousands of human beings, and force the international community of nations to identify and implement a truly peaceful resolution to this unprecedented, preemptive aggression.

I implore you to travel to Baghdad and to remain there until a peaceful solution to this crisis has been implemented. The lives of the people of Iraq rest in your hands - as does the fate of the world.

Naomi Klein writes, "All week in Italy, activists have been blocking dozens of trains carrying U.S. weapons and personnel on their way to a military base near Pisa, while Italian dockworkers are refusing to load arms shipments. Last weekend, two U.S. military bases were blockaded in Germany, as was the U.S. consulate in Montreal, and the air base at RAF Fairford in Gloucester, England. This coming Saturday, thousands of Irish activists are expected to show up at Shannon airport, which, despite Irish claims of neutrality, is being used by the U.S. military to refuel its planes en route to Iraq. In Chicago last week, more than 100 high-school students demonstrated outside the headquarters of Leo Burnett, the advertising firm that designed the U.S. military's hip, youth-targeted Army of One campaign. The students claim that in underfunded Latino and African-American high schools, the army recruiters far outnumber the college scouts."

NY Times reports, "Students at hundreds of high schools and colleges nationwide are planning a walkout on Wednesday to protest the Bush administration's plans for war in Iraq. The student strike is being coordinated by the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, an organization of 15 student groups that came together after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The coalition, which calls the action 'Books not Bombs,' has linked student protests against war in Iraq with a call for better-financed schools. 'We're getting about 10 schools a day contacting us to participate, and it's probably about 35-40 percent high schools,' said Andy Burns, an organizer who is signing up schools from his office in Little Rock, Ark. Mr. Burns said he expected about 300 colleges and high schools to participate in the walkout. Many of the students organizing next week's action have portrayed the latest round of tuition increases at state colleges and universities as a 'war tax' on the poor."

"On March 3, 2003, the Lysistrata Project will present worldwide readings of Aristophanes's bawdy ancient Greek antiwar comedy Lysistrata. To date, 817 play readings are scheduled in 49 countries and in all 50 U.S. states to voice opposition to the war on Iraq; those numbers increase hourly. Readings will raise money for charities working for peace and humanitarian aid in the Middle East and elsewhere... Lysistrata tells the story of women from opposing states who unite to end a war by refusing to sleep with their men until they agree to lay down their swords. Powerless in their society, with too many of their sons and husbands being slaughtered in battle, the women take the only tactic available to them: a sex strike... The Lysistrata Project was conceived just six weeks ago by New York actors Kathryn Blume and Sharron Bower. 'We emailed all our friends and put up a web site. The response has been enormous.'" Find the performance near you!

CNN reports, "Anti-war protesters made their voices heard in Washington on Wednesday, swamping Senate and White House telephone switchboards, fax machines and e-mail boxes with hundreds of thousands of messages opposing military action against Iraq. The "virtual march" was organized by Win Without War, a coalition of 32 organizations including the National Council of Churches and MoveOn.org, which claimed that more than 40,000 people registered to participate in the call-in campaign."

"A career diplomat who has served in United States embassies from Tel Aviv to Casablanca to Yerevan resigned this week in protest against the country's policies on Iraq. The diplomat, John Brady Kiesling, the political counselor at the United States Embassy in Athens, said in his resignation letter, 'Our fervent pursuit of war with Iraq is driving us to squander the international legitimacy that has been America's most potent weapon of both offense and defense since the days of Woodrow Wilson.'"

Reuters reports, "Hundreds of thousands of opponents of war against Iraq called and faxed U.S. leaders on Wednesday in a 'virtual march on Washington,' jamming the White House switchboard and many congressional telephone lines for several hours. Coordinated by the Win Without War Coalition, an umbrella protest group, the action aimed to direct at least one telephone call and fax to every U.S. senator every minute throughout the day. Organizers said they were far exceeding that goal. The White House switchboard was also flooded and most callers heard a message that 'all circuits are busy.' Tom Andrews, a former Democratic representative from Maine who is running the organization, said more than 500,000 people had signed up on the Internet to take part and a half a million more were also expected to participate without registering on the group's Web site (Moveon.org)."

Russell Mokhiber of Corporate Crime Reporter is making Ari's life miserable by asking real questions at his "briefings." On 2-25-03, he asked why millions around the world think "Bush is a greater threat to world peace than Iraqi President Saddam Hussein." Ari's reply? "When [Bush] was in Bucharest, hundreds of thousands turned out in the streets of Bucharest to welcome the American President [sic]." That's Bucharest, capital of Romania, where the only Americans they have ever seen are there to rescue tragically neglected orphans - the product of a fanatical anti-abortion regime that prevented abortions by requiring pregnancy tests for fertile women. Now THIS is a country that deserves Bush! Send Bush to Bucharest!

From Amnesty International: "One day before further demonstrations against a war in Iraq are scheduled to take place in Egypt, Amnesty International urged the Egyptian authorities to respect people's rights to freedom of expression and assembly. 'We are extremely concerned about the detention of people in connection with their peaceful participation in recent demonstrations in Egypt', the organization said. Several detainees have been held for days in incommunicado detention without access to their relatives or lawyers."

Bernard Weiner writes: "So, here we are -- we liberals and progressives and radicals and moderates -- congratulating ourselves on our marvelous work of the past few months, building a stop-the-war coalition here and abroad that culminated in those fantastically impressive marches and rallies around the world and throughout the U.S. last weekend (perhaps as many as 11 million! peacefully protesting). True, those demonstrations were effective morale boosters and put the fear of electoral defeat in the rulers of a number of countries as they saw millions of their normally passive, ordinary citizens marching in the streets....Let's continue to try to stop the war from happening, but, if -- as seems likely -- we can't, let's get our nascent Movement in gear and revved-up for the fight ahead. If you love your country, and your Constitution, and the world, and your kids, we can do no less."

LA Times reports, "The Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to oppose unilateral war in Iraq but made sure to tuck a plea for the city's homeless into the small print. The compromise [was] aimed at quelling criticism that local lawmakers have no business dabbling in foreign policy... 'We have great needs in our cities, and we should not be spending our federal tax dollars bombing and killing other people in other countries,' Councilman Ed Reyes told the approximately 300 peace activists who jammed the council chambers for the decision. 'We're not a bunch of crazy councilmen. All we're saying is, 'We are echoing the sentiments of those who are hurting.' Mayor James K. Hahn signed the antiwar resolution late in the day, making Los Angeles the biggest city to take a stand against a unilateral U.S. invasion of Iraq. About 100 other cities, including Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia, have approved similar measures." This week, NYC is likely to join them.

Salon reports, "Six House members, members of the military and parents of servicemen went to federal court to try to prevent Bush from launching an invasion of Iraq without an explicit declaration of war from Congress. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and the other plaintiffs said the October 2002 congressional resolution backing military action against Iraq did not specifically declare war and unlawfully ceded the decision to Bush. Conyers cited the passage from the U.S. Constitution that states, 'Congress shall have power ... to declare war.' 'Get it? Only Congress.' John Bonifaz, the Boston lawyer who filed the lawsuit, said 'The resident is not a king,' he said. 'He does not have the power to wage war against another country absent a declaration of war from Congress.' The other members of Congress named as plaintiffs are: Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio; Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill.; Jim McDermott, D-Wash.; Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.; and Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas."

Peace Initiative of Turkey writes, "Turkey is currently in hot and heavy negotiations with the US Administration over the use of Turkish territory for a 'northern front' against Iraq. Please contact them and ask them to refuse the use of their territory for a war against Iraq. Please contact Turkish embassies and consulates in your vicinity by sending delegations, fax and e-mail messages AND send faxes and e- mail messages to officials in Ankara. Below is a sample message. Feel free to send it as is or, better still, to add your own comments. The contacts/addresses for your messages and/or delegations are below."

CNN reports, "A group of actors including Mike Farrell and Martin Sheen Wednesday announced a virtual march on Washington in which opponents of Bush's stance on Iraq will fax, e-mail and telephone elected officials in the nation's capital next week... 'The plan is to overwhelm Washington on February 26,' said Robert Greenwald, a director known for the films 'Xanadu' and 'The Burning Bed.' 'We have been clear and we have been consistent. We are not experts, we are citizens in a democracy and we are using our patriotic rights and our ability to get the attention of the media.' Martin Sheen said, 'We're spending billions on this war while many children in schools across the country are sharing books, many people can't afford a doctors, and we're told there's no money for housing or job training... I think we could use our billions on a whole lot better thing than war.'"

"Over 200 unions and 550 union leaders from 53 countries representing 130 million workers have signed the International Labor Declaration circulated by USLAW, beginning just ten days ago. Workers of the world have spoken with a single voice, demanding that the US abandon its militaristic threats of illegal aggression against Iraq. They have said in unison, 'Give peace a chance!'... Participating in that call were representatives of major labor federations and unions from the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Quebec, France, England, Tunisia, Pakistan, Brazil, Australia, and Italy. Each made a brief statement about their organization's antiwar activities and expressed their solidarity with one another in building a global labor front against War in Iraq.... This is the first time in history that the world's labor movements have come together to speak with a single voice on an issue of urgent international concern."

UK Guardian reports, "Earlier this week, a 30-strong group of anti-war activists, including several Britons, left London on the first leg of a trip to Baghdad, where they plan to act as voluntary human shields. Last Sunday, a convoy carrying 75 members of the Truth Justice Peace Human Shield Action group arrived in the Iraqi capital after travelling 3,000 on double-decker buses. A third group of protesters, travelling by air, is due to leave London on Friday." These activists are causing HUGE problems for the BushBlair propaganda machine. Blair has ordered all Brits to leave Iraq, but that won't deter the peace activists. Rumsfeld is warning Iraq that deploying human shields is a war crime, but that won't deter the activists either. All of this is being done so BushBlair can blame the activists for their own deaths when US/UK bombs rain down on their heads. Will that be "compassionate conservatism" - or wanton murder?

Reuters reports, "France's U.N. Mission was flooded with electronic fan mail after Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin urged the Security Council to 'give peace a chance' in Iraq, French officials said Tuesday. Some 5,000 e-mails -- overwhelmingly favorable and the vast majority from Americans -- were logged Friday, the day de Villepin delivered a speech stressing that use of force was not justified at this time against Baghdad, the officials said. Another 12,000 messages were received over the weekend... 'What is at stake here is war and peace and our common responsibility,' de Villepin said. 'We are willing to try to give peace a chance.' The responses included: - 'Merci merci merci. Thank you thank you. Remain firm. Continue to oppose the Bush administration. PLEASE!' a Los Angeles woman wrote... - 'Please stand strong and do not allow the United Nations to be used as a puppet for my so-called government,' wrote a Chicago, Illinois, man."

Jimmy Breslin writes, "The idea of rebuffing and then penning people up is the responsibility of Mayor Bloomberg and police commissioner Ray Kelly. They decided to suffocate free speech and right of assembly and block the march. They did it to stop the one picture that would have had the most impact of any in the world, that of an immense crowd in New York walking against war. It was done to help George Bush have his war. Deny it if you can... And so on Saturday, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people were put in pens, as stockyard operators do when loading cattle off to the market. They were probably the one greatest crowd we've had in our time... Ray Kelly said at day's end that the crowd was 50,000. Sure. That's all. Nobody is against this war. He then went up to 100,000. What is he doing shilling for Bush? If they had let people march and had not chased them away, the full crowd of close to a million in plain view would have made people in Washington collapse."

If you had known about Hiroshima in advance, what would you have done to stop it? Today's war-makers are telling us what they plan to do... On Wednesday, March 5, we are calling on all groups and all people to come together to manifest their opposition to this shameful and unjust war and their determination to stop it. And if it looks like the war-makers are going to launch their massacre missiles before March 5, the Moratorium date will be moved up. On March 5... You could call in sick. You could close your business. Professors could cancel classes. Students could plan citywide high school walkouts and other campus actions (and they are!). Unions that have passed anti-war resolutions could call job actions. You could stand for peace at the nearest post office or government building... The possibilities are endless, collective and individual. Lay something important in your life on the line, along with hundreds of thousands of others, on March 5 TO STOP THIS WAR ON IRAQ.

"The European declaration was marked most by what it did not say: It set no deadline for the inspections to be called off; it did not commit European countries to using force to back up U.N. resolutions on disarming Iraq; and it did not say Hussein is already in 'material breach' of the resolutions... [This was] a victory for French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. They came to this summit emboldened by Friday's interim report of the U.N. weapons inspectors... and by Saturday's outpouring of protests against war.... Officials went to great lengths to say their emphasis on finding a peaceful solution to the crisis was prompted by the huge demonstrations, which saw close to a million people marching in London and similar numbers in Rome, Madrid and Barcelona. 'These were not only young, politicized people,' said Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, the EU's executive body. 'This was the whole society that took part in a spontaneous way.'"

Because of censorship by Mayor Bloomberg and C-Span, very few people actually heard the powerful speeches that were given in New York City on February 15. Listen to the speeches of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Harry Belafonte, Angela Davis, and Danny Glover - courtesy of Amy Goodman and Democracy Now. After his speech, Belafonte forcefully denounced Bush's Stolen Election and highlighted the dangerous anti-democratic parallels to Nazi Germany.

"MoveOn.org is hosting the online action center for the Virtual March on Washington on February 26th, sponsored by The Win Without War Coalition. Please sign up here to join us. On February 26th, every Senate office will receive a call every minute from a constituent, as they receive a simultaneous crush of faxes and email. In Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, 'anti-war rooms' will highlight the progress of the day for national media. Local media will visit the 'anti-war room' online, to monitor this constituent march throughout the day. With your help, every Senate office switchboard will be lit up all day with our anti-war messages. This will be a powerful reminder of the breadth and depth of opposition to a war in Iraq."

Jackson Thoreau writes, "On Saturday, Feb. 15, I emerged from the largest demonstration I've ever attended in Dallas with more hope than ever before that our situation will improve. It wasn't just that 5,000 or so people from one of the most right-wing regions of the world, the former home of Bush and Cheney and the fictional J.R. Ewing and many others who represent cold-hearted, selfish economic and political policies, had braved the wind and cold and threats and everything else to make a statement to Bush Inc. that a blood-for-oil-personal-revenge-world-domination-military-boost war against economic-sanctions-wracked Iraq was unacceptable. It was the wide array of people from all walks of life - high school students showing they cared about more than their own problems, soccer moms protesting for the first time, retired school teachers, professionals in suits, war veterans, parents - that gave me the most hope. Bush...can't ignore the independent suburban voters."

From the Observer: "Blair reschedules Glasgow speech to escape anti-war protesters... They had been called to the streets of Glasgow in a bid to silence Tony Blair as he addressed the Labour faithful at the giant metallic beetle on the banks of the River Clyde that is the Scottish Exhibition Centre. But by the time the brightly patterned snake of humans made its way on to the city streets Blair was long gone, having rescheduled his speech... As the first marchers left the green at 11am Blair was winding up, two miles down the river. Labour party members chose to march rather than listen to their leader..."

NY Times reports, "The fracturing of the Western alliance over Iraq and the huge antiwar demonstrations around the world this weekend are reminders that there may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world public opinion. In his campaign to disarm Iraq, by war if necessary, Bush appears to be eyeball to eyeball with a tenacious new adversary: millions of people who flooded the streets of New York and dozens of other world cities to say they are against war based on the evidence at hand. Mr. Bush's advisers are telling him to ignore them and forge ahead, as are some leading pro-war Republicans, [including] Senator John McCain... The fresh outpouring of antiwar sentiment may not be enough to dissuade Mr. Bush or his advisers from their resolute preparations for war. But the sheer number of protesters offers a potent message that any rush to war may have political consequences for nations that support Mr. Bush's march into the Tigris and Euphrates valleys."

Robert Fisk writes, "In the end, I think we are just tired of being lied to. Tired of being talked down to, of being bombarded with Second World War jingoism and scare stories and false information and student essays dressed up as 'intelligence'. We are sick of being insulted by little men, by Tony Blair... George Bush and his cabal of neo-conservative henchmen who have plotted for years to change the map of the Middle East... Millions of Britons remember, as Blair does not, the Second World War; they are not conned by childish parables of Hitler, Churchill, Chamberlain and appeasement. They do not like being lectured and whined at by men whose experience of war is Hollywood and television. Still less do they wish to embark on endless wars with a Texas governor-executioner who dodged the Vietnam draft and who, with his oil buddies, is now sending America's poor to destroy a Muslim nation that has nothing at all to do with the crimes against humanity of 11 September."

When the New York City government denied the anti-war protestors their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and march to the United Nations headquarters, they were doing the bidding of the Bush regime. The pretext for denying the permit was that the country is under high alert for terrorist attacks, and the march might provide a cover from some terrorist to attack the UN building. But the Bloomberg administration denied the permit long before last week's heightened alert. And when the organizers of the protestors sued the city, the Bush regime filed a brief urging the judges to uphold denial of the permit.

IndyMedia reports the following numbers of protesters: "London: 1.5 million; Rome: 1.5 million; Barcelona: 1 million; Madrid: 1 million; New York City 500,000; Berlin: 500,000; Melbourne: 200,000; Athens, Greece: 200,000; Dublin, Ireland: 100,000+; Belgium: 100,000; Paris: 100,000; Sweden: 100,000; Jakarta: 100,000; Amsterdam: 80,000; Montevideo, Uruguay: 50,000; Thessaloniki, Greece: 40,000; Sao Paulo, Brazil: 30,000; Bern, Switzerland: 30,000; Budapest, Hungary: 20,000; Buenos Aires, Argentina: 15,000; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 15,000; Auckland, NZ: 8-10,000." That's 7 million and counting! Plus, there will be more on Sunday - especially in San Francisco!

200,000 people gathered in Melbourne Australia on Friday to kick off a massive global protest. Read first-hand reports from many of the 603 cities where rallies were held, courtesy of Indymedia.org.

UK Guardian reports, "Up to 10 million people on five continents are expected to demonstrate against the probable war in Iraq on Saturday, in some of the largest peace marches ever known. Yesterday, up to 400 cities in 60 countries, from Antarctica to Pacific islands, confirmed that peace rallies, vigils and marches would take place. Of all major countries, only China is absent from the growing list which includes more than 300 cities in Europe and north America, 50 in Asia and Latin America, 10 in Africa and 20 in Australia and Oceania. Many countries will witness the largest demonstrations against war they have ever seen. The majority will be small but 500,000 people are expected in London and Barcelona, and more than 100,000 in Rome, Paris, Berlin and other European capitals. In the US, organisers were yesterday anticipating 200,000 marching in New York if permission is given. A further 100,000 are expected to march in 140 other American cities."

Citizens in over 80 Canadian cities and towns will demonstrate against the U.S. push for war in Iraq. The number of cities is more than double those that held rallies on January 18 - when more than 82,000 people participated. "Marches, rallies and demonstrations are planned across the country," Josh Matlow, the Canadian Peace Alliance's national campaign organizer stated. The largest rallies anticipated will take place in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Canadians want to add to the voices of millions around the world who will join in the "day of action," February 15, 2003. "Mainstream Canada is against the war, our government needs to focus on what we're good at - peacekeeping, " Matlow said.

Guardian reports, "For weeks organisers have been confidently predicting that attendance at the [London] rally on Saturday will top 500,000, easily outstripping the autumn's Countryside Alliance march. But now they are daring to believe that the turnout may even outstrip their own original estimate, and the talk is that there could be a million people or more descending on Hyde Park. National organisers sense that support may have doubled in the past six weeks and has not yet peaked, a feeling confirmed by local groups... 'I've been involved in protest stuff since I first went on the Aldermaston march as a child and I've never known such strong public opposition to any government policy, such anger and such determination from people to have their views heard. People are not at all equivocal about it - they don't care much about UN resolutions and 'proof' - they just seem to think it's a crazy and dangerous idea and can't really believe that Blair could be serious about it.'"

The UN Security Council is under TREMENDOUS pressure from Bush to approve his w-ar. You can make a huge difference by telling these nations that the majority of Americans OPPOSE Bush's w-ar, and urging them to support the Franco-German Peace Plan: france-presse@un.int, rusun@un.int, chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn, uk@un.int, bulgaria@un.int, info@cameroonmission.org, guinea@un.int, mexico@un.int, syria@un.int, chile@un.int, contact@germany-un.org, spain@spainun.org

February 12, 2003 was "supposed to be Poetry Day at the White House. Instead, it [was] Poetry Against the War Day across the country -- all because George W. Bush's camp fears a little dissent." White House Librarian Laura B. believes in literacy, she just doesn't want anyone to talk about it unless it jives with residential opinion. A symposium for poets was abruptly cancelled when it was learned that some poems would contain statements in opposition to the war in Iraq. Rather than being shushed by the first lady, the poets decided to hold readings of anti-war poems across the country.

The antiwar movement is alive and growing stronger in the Metro-Detroit area. "If the peace movement conjures up thoughts of patchouli-scented co-ops and picketing college students, think again. The ranks of antiwar activists are growing to include grandparents, religious leaders, labor activists, artists, teachers, veterans and others whose presence hasn't typically been associated with peacenik priorities." No-War signs are popping up all over Michigan while interest in groups promoting peace have dramatically increased over the past few weeks. Each protest gathers a greater following. While polls may say Americans want war, their actions are saying just the opposite.

"Some two million Muslim pilgrims on Monday began their descent from Mount Arafat, a revered place in Islam where they had prayed for forgiveness and for Iraq to be spared an attack by the US... 'May God protect Iraq and its people. They are my brothers. May God make Iraq victorious against its enemies,' 40-year-old Khalil el-Ghandur from Egypt said. 'I pray for peace for all peoples on earth. I don't want war. I don't want to see my country taking part in military actions. Iraqis are my Muslim brothers,' added Omer Dogan, 27, from Turkey. Others vented their anger at Washington and urged Arab and Muslim countries to break their silence and help defend Iraq. 'America wants to control the Arab world and its wealth. We are all soldiers for Iraq,' asserted Faruq Ahmad, a 50-year-old engineer from Syria. Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, addressed the masses, lashing out at 'enemies' of the Islamic world for targeting the faith and the economy of the Muslims."

MSNBC's Jill Nelson writes, "Imagine a country ruled by a leader whose rise to power occurred under deeply questionable circumstances. Imagine that this country appointed itself the world's policeman, threatening another nation with a massive military invasion if that nation did not accede to his demands. The ruler of this country had few allies, and some of those he did have were either threatened or bribed into supporting his demands... The ruler ignored the domestic crisis and cries of his own people, and simply beat the drums of war louder to drown out the voices of dissent. Welcome to George W. Bush's America, 2003... Now is the time to raise our voices for peace and negotiation, to insist that our government aggressively support the United Nations in doing the very work for which it was created. If we fail to do so, ruled by rich tyrants and their obedient servants, we are halfway to becoming the terrorists and tyrants we most fear and loathe."

"Organisers expect Saturday's march to be the biggest demonstration in British history, drawing the largest assembled crowd on to the streets of London since VE Day. Jesse Jackson Sr... said he had decided to speak in London, rather than at similar rallies in NY or SF, because he believed public opinion in Britain could prove to be more crucial. 'I think the people of Britain must pressure [Blair]. He has dug his heels in, but in a democracy while leaders speak, people speak louder and people over the world are impressed by the demonstrations of the people of London. It was the same with the demonstrations in London over the freeing of Nelson Mandela... Mr Jackson, 63, also made a direct challenge to Mr Blair, urging him to visit Iraq and confront Saddam Hussein in person. He said that the Prime Minister's role in finding a peaceful solution was 'critical' and he asked him to 'use his talents' to do so... 'It would be daring if he went to Iraq... He has nothing to lose but lives.'"

"We're a long way from establishing that the only alternative is a war. Because the cost of a warâ?¦is so great, not just in dollars. If we were to have a war, we would of course win it, that seems clear. But then we would be there for five to 10 years, that's the best guess. And the last numbers I saw, the cost was $1.6 trillion. When you consider that the current budget estimate, which is $300 billion already in deficit, is for a $1.3 trillion deficit in five years, and that does not consider the Iraqi war… But more important than the dollar cost, you will kill people, some of whom are innocent. You will have your own people, some of them, in prosthetic devices and in body bags. You will not end violence with a war. You will precipitate it, because the hostility that already exists in much of the Arab/Muslim world will be exacerbated, and many of the people who are further angered are religious zealots who believe it is glorious and rewarding to give up their life to take yours."

In a powerful essay, Starhawk writes: "Dream that we wake up, stand up, speak out, not in the thousands but the millions, joining with millions around the world. Dream that soldiers refuse their orders, dockworkers refuse to load ships, secretaries shut off their computers, workers close their factories, and even politicians find the courage to stand for what is right. And make the dream real. If you have spoken out before, now is the time to speak again, to make another phone call, write another letter, stand in another vigil. If you have marched before, march again and this time bring more of your friends and neighbors. If you haven't marched, if you have been immersed in the demands of your own life, if you feel that your small voice makes no difference, now is the time to speak anyway, to interrupt your ordinary pursuits, to become the one small drop that just might turn the tide." Hit the streets on Feb 15!

Up to 1000 naked women gathered on a hillside in northern NSW yesterday to send an anti-war message to the Australian Government. A police spokesman said the female adults and children converged on a private property in the hills behind Byron Bay to bare all in an aerial photo shoot, their naked bodies forming a heart around the words "No War". The women said they wanted to send Prime Minister John Howard a message to recall Australian troops.

UK Mirror reports, "Journalist Sean Boyne and student Ibrahim al-Marashi have attacked Tony Blair for using their reports to call for war against Iraq. Mr Boyne, who works for military magazine Jane's Intelligence Review, said he was shocked his work had been used in the Government's dossier... 'I don't like to think that anything I wrote has been used for an argument for war. I am concerned because I am against the war.' Ibrahim al-Marashi, the US-born son of Iraqis, who lives in California, said: 'This is wholesale deception. How can the British public trust the Government if it is up to these sort of tricks? People will treat any other information they publish with a lot of scepticism from now on.' After the dossier's origins were revealed, Mr Blair was accused by his own MPs of theft and lies. The fiasco has deeply damaged his attempts to win backing for military action. "

"Protests around the world are escalating and right here in the US on January 18th well over 500,000 marched against the war. 50% of Americans polled say they oppose the war, which means we CAN stop Bush before he kills again. Students played a crucial role in forcing the US to get out of Vietnam 30 years ago. Today, people around the world are looking for our generation to do its duty and stand up against this war. We also know that the tens of billions that will be spent on bombing and occupying Iraq means cuts in education here at home. An estimated 400,000 students will not be able to attend college next year because of the attacks on education spending. Tens of thousands of us have marched, organized speak-outs and vigils, attended teach-ins and made our voices heard. But as the war gets closer, it's time for us to get seriously organized on a national scale to make sure we have the greatest, most united impact possible. The people of Iraq are counting on us."

UnitedForPeace.org writes, "On Feb. 15, hundreds of thousands of people will converge on New York City to stand with millions around the globe against Bush's plan for war on Iraq. While we are still unable to announce a location for this march and rally, one thing is certain: It is happening. We urge everyone to continue mobilizing full speed ahead for Feb. 15. Continue with your plans to come to New York City -- we are confident a permit will come through. Confirmed speakers and performers include: Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Patti Smith, Angela Y. Davis, Martin Luther King, III, Rosie Perez, Julian Bond, Pete Seeger, Def Poetry Jam poets, Holly Near, Tony Kushner, Danny Glover... Anti-war protests are already being organized on every continent, and the list of host cities is growing rapidly. Worldwide, February 15 will likely be the single largest day of protest in world history." [Note: UFP has been forced to sue NYC for refusing to issue a permit.]

Portland Press Herald reports, "The Maine Senate endorsed a resolution Tuesday that asks Bush to pursue a diplomatic solution with Iraq rather than going to war. The House is expected to take up the proposal on Thursday at the earliest. The 18-15 Senate vote represents the first time nationally that a state legislative body has taken a stance against a war in Iraq. Sixty-three U.S. cities, including Portland, have voted to support similar resolutions. The Senate vote was partisan, with every Democrat supporting the measure and every Republican in attendance opposing it."

Since September 2002, Tony Blair has publicly insisted there are NO links between Saddam and Al Qaeda. But Blair's foreign minister, Jack Straw, has sucked up to Bush by insisting there are links. Now a top secret British intelligence report has been leaked, confirming Blair's position. "It says al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden views Iraq's ruling Ba'ath party as running contrary to his religion, calling it an 'apostate regime. His aims are in ideological conflict with present day Iraq,' it says. [BBC correspondent Andrew] Gilligan says that in recent days intelligence sources have told the BBC there is growing disquiet at the way their work is being politicised to support the case for war on Iraq. He said: 'This almost unprecedented leak may be a shot across the politicians' bows.'"

Reuters reports, "British theatre-goers are flocking to a new farce which mocks George W. Bush as a pyjama-wearing buffoon cuddling a teddy-bear while his crazed military chiefs order nuclear strikes on Iraq. 'The Madness of George Dubya' -- which mercilessly satirises British Prime Minister Tony Blair as well as Bush -- has proved such a success at a fringe theatre in London that it is moving to a larger venue next week for an extended run. 'As war comes closer, the mood among audiences has changed,' actor Nicholas Burns, who plays Blair, said after a performance this week. 'The audience is actually laughing more, but the tension behind their laughs has grown. People are scared'... Throughout the play, Bush -- with a cowboy hat and Superman T-shirt as well as his pyjamas -- wanders around uttering an idiot's commentary from the bunker (or 'bunkbed' as he calls it) where his 'special guys' have put him for safekeeping."

Bill Berkowitz writes that "Paul Weyrich, widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Christian Right, is advancing his own McCarthy-like 'modest proposal,' bridging the gap between the McCarthy period and TIA. Weyrich wants the Department of Homeland Security's Tom Ridge, or Congress, to launch an investigation into the funding sources behind the 'neo-Communist' groups involved in the anti-war movement. While Weyrich's charge that Communists are leading the movement charge is nothing new -- the Center for the Study of Popular Culture's David Horowitz beat him to that by several months -- he is the first to openly call for widespread investigations into the peace movement that are eerily reminiscent of the dark days in the nation's history when the House Un-American Activities Committee ran amuck."

BBC reports, "The Australian Senate has passed an historic no-confidence motion against the prime minister over his handling of the crisis in Iraq. John Howard and his conservative Liberal/National coalition were censured for deploying troops to the Gulf ahead of a possible war. Opposition and minor parties joined forces to pass the motion against Mr Howard by 33 to 31 votes. The vote has no legislative clout, but is considered an important symbolic gesture as it is the Senate's first vote of no-confidence in a serving leader in its 102-year history... Australia and the UK are the only countries to have joined the US in deploying forces to the Gulf region... Mr Howard was accused of deploying troops without reference to parliament and against to public opinion... About 400 anti-war protesters demonstrated outside the national parliament... Polls show that 76% of Australians oppose their country's participation in a US-led war."

"Join United for Peace & Justice for massive anti-war protests in New York City on Feb. 15 and San Francisco on Feb. 16. These demonstrations are part of a world-wide day of opposition to war against Iraq. From Bangkok to San Juan, from Johannesburg to Rome, the people of the world will speak out in what the London Daily Mirror says may be 'the largest ever mobilization against war.'"

A Democrats.com reader asked us to "start a request campaign at local radio stations all across the country. If enough of us participate, folks will be hearing it a lot! We can make a statement for peace while listening to some great music!" Here are the lyrics:

"War! Whoa, Lord ...
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me?

War! It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker
War! Friend only to the undertaker
War! It's an enemy to all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind

War has caused unrest in the younger generation
Induction then destruction-
Who wants to die?"

Call your radio station!

"Organize a demonstration for peace at your local gas station, on February 4th. On that day, hundreds of gas stations across the country and around the world will be targeted as we send a clear message that access to oil is not worth war. Leafleting, vigils, street theater, and other forms of nonviolent direct action are all encouraged. Our intent is to communicate through education and peaceful confrontation that clean energy alternatives to oil exist, and that they can increase our security and give us true energy independence."

NY Times reports, "Forty-one American Nobel laureates in science and economics issued a declaration yesterday opposing a preventive war against Iraq without wide international support. The statement, four sentences long, argues that an American attack would ultimately hurt the security and standing of the United States, even if it succeeds. The signers, all men, include a number who at one time or another have advised the federal government or played important roles in national security. Among them are Hans A. Bethe, an architect of the atom bomb; Walter Kohn, a former adviser to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency at the Pentagon; Norman F. Ramsey, a Manhattan Project scientist who readied the Hiroshima bomb and later advised NATO; and Charles H. Townes, former research director of the Institute for Defense Analyses at the Pentagon and chairman of a federal panel that studied how to base the MX missile and its nuclear warheads."

"We, the American people, have done everything we can to prevent Mr. Bush's War. We have called our Representatives, and our calls outnumber those of war supporters by 10 to 1. We have demonstrated in the streets all over the country. And despite completely one-sided pro-war coverage in the corporate-controlled media, the majority of Americans support our position that the United States should not unilaterally start this war. But George W. Bush (who stole the presidency by persuading five Republican Justices on the Supreme Court to throw out 175,000 uncounted Florida ballots) and our so-called 'Representatives' in Congress, refuse to listen to us. That leaves us no choice but to declare that we will simply not fight in Mr. Bush's War. Here is our pledge: We, the military-age people of the United States, will not go to Iraq to fight in Mr. Bush's War. And we, their parents, will not send them. Hell no - we won't go." Sign the petition!

Ithaca (NY) Journal reports, "Eight local anti-war protesters dressed as weapons inspectors tried to enter Lockheed Martin Systems Integration facility Sunday, but didn't get far past the entrance. The group -- dressed in white hazardous materials uniforms with 'citizens weapons inspector' printed in large black letters --were ticketed by Tioga County sheriff's deputies on trespassing charges. They are to appear in town court in mid-February. The eight were accompanied by about 150 people supporters who picketed outside the facility, many carrying signs. They protested to call attention to the plant, which manufactures parts for helicopters, jet fighters and other combat aircraft. Lockheed Martin Corp. is the nation's largest defense contractor... Co-organizer Grace Ritter of Ithaca said the protest was necessary. 'I need to be out there in the streets protesting because I know there are people in Iraq who are depending on me to stand up for them,' she said."

"Over 100 of the world's leading, mid-career and emerging poets who work in the English language, have gathered their work together in a book of new peace poems. '100 Poets Against The War' is perhaps the fastest-assembled world anthology ever - one week from Todd Swift's call for entries till the ebook was uploaded on nthposition. All the contributors have donated their poems, so download the .pdf file, share it, host it on your own site, print it and make it into a book of poetry."

"Peace activists across the country are participating in a new method of democracy - sending more to their politicians than a letter. In the 1950's, tens of thousands of people sent small bags of rice to President Eisenhower convincing him not to attack China. We are sending the same message to President Bush regarding Iraq. This will only take a small about of time, but the cumulative effect of thousands of people doing this could be enormous. Our message to Bush is that if we are going to send something to Iraq, it should be food, not bombs. It should be peace, not war. SEND A HALF-CUP OF UNCOOKED RICE with the message: 'Rice for Peace - No War On Iraq' on the outside of the package. Mail now to: George Bush, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20500. E-mail your city and state to RiceReport@RiceForPeace.org so your contribution to this peace effort is counted!" (Try to resist the temptation to send pretzels).

International ANSWER writes, "Bush's State of the Union address will be a 'war speech.' The speech has one function: to prepare the population for war. That night, Bush will dominate the air waves and the media coverage. The very next day, however, it is crucial that people demonstrate in cities and towns throughout the United States in coordinated actions to show that the people reject Bush's State of the Union message. Possible locations for rallies include the Federal Building, other federal government facilities, or in a crowded central shopping area (actions can be held during the day or in the evening). High schools and college activists should plan actions at their school on January 29." Here is a (growing) list of J29 events.

Friends Committee on National Legislation writes that in Tuesday's State of the Union, Bush "is expected to put forward the case for why the U.S. should invade Iraq (but not North Korea), increase spending for the military and homeland security, cut taxes further for the wealthy, and yet maintain 'fiscal discipline' (i.e., frozen or reduced funding) in most other areas of discretionary federal spending. He will likely call upon all the U.S. public (except the wealthiest) to sacrifice in the face of continuing threats at home and abroad... Please contact your representative and senators. Let them know that you think Bush is leading the country in the wrong direction. Tell them that you do not want the U.S. to go to war with Iraq and urge them to communicate this to the President."

"The Not in Our Name Project calls on people everywhere to stop what they're doing for this one hour on January 27 and declare - in various ways on campuses, in workplaces and communities - that they do not want this war, no matter what the UN inspectors, the Security Council or the U.S. Government may say. We encourage everyone to find ways to make their voices heard that day, including: Students and youth gathering on campuses for debates and protests, Workplace discussions, Church bells ringing in unison, Shops shutting their doors for the hour... This hour will be a way for the movement to gain more breadth and strength. It could be a kind of preview of what could happen on a larger scale in the immediate build up to the war, if it comes to that. We also encourage everyone to be part of emergency response networks."

"On January 27 UN Weapons Inspectors will issue their initial findings on Iraq. We will be there to say NO TO WAR. On January 28 George Bush will try to sell us war and tax cuts for the rich in his State of the Union address. We will be there to say NO TO WAR. On January 29 people across the country will REPRESENT AND RESPOND! People who care about building a world built on peace and justice must send a strong message to the Bush administration between Jan 27 and 29. National actions will take place in New York at the UN on Jan 27 as Blix delivers his speech and the following day citizens will gather to commemorate the 'Sorry State of the Union' on the lawn in front of the U.S. Capitol. We encourage local groups to plan their own local-flavored response to the State of the Union and Bush's call for war. The Peace movement needs to be visible and strong during the pivotal moment in world history. Please post your event at www.unitedforpeace.org "

UnderReported.com writes, "On Jan. 7, 2003, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced HR-2, 'Expressing the sense of Congress that the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 should be repealed.' However, it's just now being mentioned in the media -- at the very end of a page 16 Washington Post article on Jan. 19, 2003. NETWORK, [a Catholic social justice lobby] which sent all new members of Congress briefing books on a war with Iraq that included a cost-of-war analysis, human rights concerns and statements from religious leaders, is also working with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) on a news conference scheduled for Tuesday that will announce her push for repeal of the October Iraqi resolution. NETWORK has encouraged its 11,000 members -- through e-mail -- to attend. This bill's existence doesn't seem to have made it to any other major media outlets besides the Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle."

Suzanne Vranica reports: "A jarring antiwar commercial running in some local markets is causing a stir, with NBC-owned stations in Los Angeles and Washington refusing to air the spot. The commercial is a remake of the famous 1964 'Daisy' ad that depicted a little girl plucking one daisy petal after another as a voice counts down to a nuclear-bomb blast...The new version, created on behalf of MoveOn.org...features a blond girl picking petals off a daisy while a voiceover says, 'War with Iraq. Maybe it will end quickly. Maybe not. Maybe it will spread'...the voiceover continues: 'Maybe extremists will take over countries with nuclear weapons.' The ad ends with a shot of a nuclear explosion and a mushroom cloud rising in the red sky. The final message: 'Let the inspections work.' Hilary Smith, a spokeswoman for General Electric's NBC, says 'the ad pertained to a controversial issue, which we prefer to handle in news and public-affairs programming -- where we can be fair and balanced.'"

Geov Parrish writes, "The flip side of [Bush's] lust for power is a fear of losing it, and this is the anti-war movement's greatest weapon. In order to prevent an invasion of Iraq -- and, by extension, the intent to transform America into a nation at permanent war -- the Bush Administration must be convinced, quite simply, that if they proceed, we'll kick them out... What would transform [grassroots anger] into a decision to forego war? Massive numbers of newly registered voters; a commitment to raising money and walking precincts; a vision, across the country, of turning out of power the administration and political party that would turn our country into an America none of us want. It can be done; all the corporate money in the world cannot trump passion when this many people are deeply committed to a political goal. That goal must be the threat to remove Bush from power. Anything less, and all the millions that organizers can put in the streets may not matter."

CNN reports, "In a stinging rebuke of the Bush administration's foreign policy, Sen. Edward Kennedy predicted Tuesday that a military strike against Iraq would 'undermine' the war against terrorism, 'feed a rising tide of anti-Americanism overseas' and strain diplomatic ties. 'Surely, we can have effective relationships with other nations without adopting a chip-on-the-shoulder foreign policy, a my-way-or-the-highway policy that makes all our goals in the world more difficult to achieve,' Kennedy said a speech delivered to the National Press Club. While Kennedy's opposition to the administration's Iraqi policy is not surprising, his comments were particularly strong and come at a time when the president is struggling to build an international coalition to support a U.N. resolution authorizing military action against Iraq... 'I continue to be convinced that this is the wrong war at the wrong time,' Kennedy, the Senate's leading liberal said."

NY Times opines, "Denouncing the war plan as an administration idee fixe that will undermine America's standing in the world, stir unrest in the Mideast and damage the American economy, the protesters in Washington massed on Saturday for what police described as the largest antiwar rally at the Capitol since the Vietnam era. It was impressive for the obvious mainstream roots of the marchers - from young college students to grayheads with vivid protest memories of the 60's... Mr. Bush and his war cabinet would be wise to see the demonstrators as a clear sign that noticeable numbers of Americans no longer feel obliged to salute the administration's plans because of the shock of Sept. 11 and that many harbor serious doubts about his march toward war... Millions of Americans who did not march share the concerns... These protests are the tip of a far broader sense of concern and lack of confidence in the path to war that seems to lie ahead." You got that right!

The folks at WhatReallyHappened.com have compiled an outstanding audio collage of the speeches from the January 18 Rally Against War With Iraq. Enjoy! (mp3 player required)

Tom Englehardt writes, "It's fair to say that we've never -- not certainly in the 1960s -- seen anything like this. Where events lag behind the 60s is in the Senate and in the Democratic Party. In the Vietnam era, Senators Morse and Gruening went into opposition to the war quickly, and Senator Fulbright followed. Despite the mainstream nature of the antiwar movement, as far as I know not a single Senate Democrat even made an appearance at the Washington demonstration... What amazed me were the emails I received from all over the country recording demonstrations that will never make it into the major papers. This is essentially a do-it-yourself movement and so I thought I might turn over the rest of this dispatch to the comments of various readers, who give a far more vivid sense of how quickly and deeply this movement is entering the mainstream of our culture than the media ever could (or would)."

William Rivers Pitt writes, "Convictions are tested not when things are easy, or when circumstances do not challenge the mettle of your beliefs. Convictions are tested when standing on your principles causes inconvenience and pain. If you are able to withstand the test with your convictions intact, you come away with a clearer knowledge of your own strength. There are thousands and thousands of Americans today who can say their convictions passed intact through a small but significant testing. They came by bus, by car, by rail and by plane to the nation's capitol to shout down a push for war in Iraq. Citizens from as far away as Alaska and Oklahoma made the trek, a sacrifice of time and money that is noteworthy. Moreover, these people endured for an entire day temperatures that lingered several degrees below freezing down on the Mall... It bears notice, again, to point out that the war has not even started yet. There is something happening here, and it is getting clearer by the day."

Bob Fertik writes, "I am going to go out on a limb with a bold prediction - there will be no war with Iraq. Why? Because of the amazingly broad-based and passionate peace movement that has sprung up in the US and around the world. George Bush hates Saddam Hussein from the bottom of his heart, because Saddam humiliated his father. But there is one passion greater than this hatred, and that is his passion to win re-election. And Bush now realizes that invading Iraq will unleash protests larger than any held during the Vietnam War, and these protests will sweep Bush and his fellow Republicans out of power in 2004, as they did to fellow Texan Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Bush is smart enough to know he cannot afford to unite the people of the world against him. Bush will find a clever way to shift attention away from Iraq... and will try to find a way to claim victory, but the people of the world will know the truth - WE stopped Bush by taking to the streets to say NO to war."

Veterans Call to Conscience writes, "We are veterans of the United States armed forces. We stand with the majority of humanity, including millions in our own country, in opposition to the United States' all out war on Iraq. We span many wars and eras, have many political views and we all agree that this war is wrong. Many of us believed serving in the military was our duty, and our job was to defend this country. Our experiences in the military caused us to question much of what we were taught. Now we see our REAL duty is to encourage you as members of the U.S. armed forces to find out what you are being sent to fight and die for and what the consequences of your actions will be for humanity. We call upon you, the active duty and reservists, to follow your conscience and do the right thing." Hundreds of veterans have signed this powerful statement - tell every veteran you know!

David Cogswell writes, "What I saw on CSPAN did not catch the tiniest part of what I experienced being there today. It didn't capture the density of humanity, it didn't even touch on the amazing energy of this massive, extremely diverse crowd of people. The sense of joy among those people is a hard thing to describe and the CSPAN version was like frozen fish... Certainly what was not captured was the spirit. Again, it is hard to portray what this experience is like, but there is a tremendous sense of joy when people come out on the street together to proclaim a shared ideal that has no existence at all in the national media that are considered by many to be the purveyors of popular culture. In the media reality created by the largest media conglomerates, that part of America has no existence. It is purposely suppressed and to what ever degree its existence is reluctantly acknowledged, it is disdained."

"Half a million people marched through the streets of Washington Saturday and 200,000 demonstrated in San Francisco in the largest U.S. demonstrations yet against war with Iraq. Sponsored by the International A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition, the protests were endorsed by thousands of organizations. Similar demonstrations were held in at least 30 other countries. January 18 was a day of global protest based in the U.S., with coordinated demonstrations held in more than 30 countries -- including Japan, Ireland, Egypt, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, Jordan, Belgium, Syria, Hong Kong, Russia, Germany and Britain. Announcing a week of anti-war protest for the week of February 13-21 -- and culminating with a Student and Youth Day of Action on the anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X -- organizers of the January 18 demonstration joined the call of the European movement to make Februrary 15 the next step in the worldwide anti-war movement."

The Informed Citizen writes, "on January 2, 2003 the United States government dropped 480,000 leaflets over Iraq asking the people to listen to American propaganda radio, which urges Iraqi soldiers to overthrow Saddam. On January 25, 2003 the Informed Citizen will be distributing 480,000 leaflets over NYC, asking New Yorkers to take a stand against the war and send a message to George Bush that this war will hurt our security. As time draws closer to possible war, we the mainstream of America need to make our anti-war statements visible. 480,000 leaflets posted, handed and distributed throughout the city in one day will catch the media's attention! But to be successful we will need at least 100 volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering a day to get out the message that New Yorkers oppose this war, email us at volunteer@theinformedcitizen.net."

Reuters reports, "Hundreds of thousands of Americans opposed to waging war in Iraq rallied on Saturday in several cities demanding the White House back down and give U.N. weapons inspectors a chance. Thousands marched on Washington and San Francisco and at smaller protests in Chicago and Tampa, Florida, in what organizers said was the largest showing of U.S. anti-war sentiment since Bush started making his case for attacking Baghdad last year. In San Francisco, a group of nude women demanded that the Bush Administration restrain what they called its 'naked aggression' toward Iraq. In Washington, one placard read 'Regime Change Starts At Home.' Protesters arrived by bus from California, Colorado, Maine Minnesota and other states and gathered on the Mall in 20 degree F (minus 6 Celsius) temperatures... Tens of thousands of demonstrators in Europe, the Middle East and Asia also denounced U.S. war plans, where they beat drums, raised home-made placards and chanted slogans."

"As weapons inspections in Iraq kick into high gear, most of us are breathing a sigh of relief. But some in the Bush Administration are still dead set on war, even if the inspections are working. Please join us in asking the Bush Administration and the United Nations to 'Let the Inspections Work.' Bush has agreed that war should be the very last resort. Let's hold him and his administration to those words." Sign the petition at MoveOn.org!

C-Span has archived 3 1/2 hours of speeches from the DC Rally Against War With Iraq. This link should work for about a week.

NY Times: "In a show of dissent that organizers said 'shattered the false myth of consensus' for a war with Iraq, tens of thousands of protesters representing a diverse coalition for peace converged here today for a rally and march against the Bush administration's threatened use of military force against Saddam Hussein's regime. Energized by the British band Chumbawamba, which opened the demonstration with a performance of a new antiwar song, a swelling crowd shivered as winds whipped through their placards and banners... Organizers spent months planning the march here and in other cities after a similar large demonstration here in October. They seemed undeterred - even invigorated - by the steady and seemingly inexorable march toward a possible war, perhaps in a few weeks or months... In addition to Answer, which drew support from 200 organizing centers around the country, the march benefited from the formation and growth over the past several months of other antiwar coalitions."

WashPost reports, "Tens of thousands of people have converged on the National Mall this afternoon to rally against U.S. military operations in Iraq, and a smaller group also gathered to express support for military action. The antiwar demonstration is being mirrored by a joint protest in San Francisco, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people, as well as simultaneous antiwar demonstrations in 32 countries. The rally is being coordinated by International ANSWER, which led similar events in March and April... [Speakers included] Ramsey Clark, Vietnam veteran and autthor Ron Kovic; actress Jessica Lange and former Rep. Cynthia McKinney. The rally will also include performances by Patti Smith and Chumbawumba... Signs proclaimed antiwar messages, including 'Grandmothers Against War', 'Bomb Texas, They Have Oil Too', 'Money for Jobs Not War' and 'Help Stop the Asses of Evil', and even one looking ahead to a protest next week, 'Defend Roe v Wage 30 Years.'"

Check out the latest coverage of the DC Rally Against War With Iraq from the Independent Media Center.

If you think that the U.S. is more focused on military force than diplomacy, if you believe that what Bush is planning in Iraq will only perpetuate more violence and destruction, then join the forces for peace and help make a statement... STOP THE WAR! You can make a difference, your opinion does count, and if you believe it is wrong to start a war with Iraq, then Stand Up For Peace! This is an e-March, a statement to Bush that this citizen does not want the war in Iraq! On Monday, January 20th, millions of Americans will be marching to promote peace, and protesting the impending war with Iraq. THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HELP! On Monday, send this email to the White House, and let your voice be heard. If you really want to make a difference, send this email to as many people as you can, and ask them to copy it to their friends, and theirs...let's flood the White House mailboxes with a united, decisive statement: STOP THE WAR! E-mail president@whitehouse.gov, vice.president@whitehouse.gov

Writes Keiler Hook: "'The greatest purveyor of violence in the world today [is] my own government. ... [F]or the sake of the hundreds of thousands trembling under our violence, I cannot be silent.' Martin Luther King, Jr. 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke these words about the Vietnam War. Our country could be on the brink of another Vietnam. I am writing, of course, about the war on Iraq that our government is threatening to embark on, as early as January 27, 2003. We cannot be silent for the sake of thousands of Iraqi citizens and perhaps thousands of our own soldiers. Let us take to the streets in a tribute to nonviolent direct action in the name of Dr. King against this war and the war on terror. This year, we can commemorate Dr. King on his birthday weekend by attending the March for Peace in Washington, D.C. on January 18, 2003."

"After one of the most mesmerizing, impassioned and personal debates ever to occur in Chicago's City Council Chamber, Chicago has become the largest and most prominent city in the nation to formally oppose a unilateral pre-emptive strike on Iraq. One by one, black and white, Latino and Jewish, men and women, the Aldermen stood to draw attention to their own particular concerns with the current path of the Bush Administration. Many pointed out that the real dangers this nation faces today are the rising rates of unemployment and economic stagnation. Others were concerned about the double standard the administration is showing with respect to North Korea. And some drew attention to the prospect of young sons and daughters coming home in body bags from an ill-conceived war... 'It is our sons and daughters who will be recruited--perhaps even conscripted--to fight in this war,' said Ald. Joseph Moore (49th), chief sponsor of the resolution."

Boston Globe reports, "The strength of this incipient peace movement remains unclear. Organizers say it is broad, deep, and spreading, but it has shown little political muscle... 'I have no sense from people I talk to at all that anybody is giving the American peace, antiwar movement a second thought,' said Dan Goure, a military analyst with the conservative Lexington Institute. 'There's a lot of concern about the allies and their peace movements. ... I don't think that necessarily means that it may not be important, or it may not have significant impact when it gets going, but it's just not on the radar screen.'... [Moveon's] television ad is calculated to get this movement noticed by mainstream America. Starting with the girl and the daisy, the images shift to what peace activists say could result from a war in Iraq: burning oil wells, wounded soldiers, angry crowds."

In December, Moveon asked its members for $27,000 for a print ad opposing the Iraq W-ar - and Moveon members sent over $400,000. So Moveon produced a TV ad which was unveiled today. "The ad is airing on TV stations in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Boston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Cleveland, Portland and Seattle. The press has already shown a great deal of interest in this story. Dan Rather broke the story last night, and Eli will be appearing on Good Morning America... The big story that's gathering steam is just how mainstream and broad the opposition to war is... That's exactly our intent with this ad. And just to drive the point home, more than 7,000 MoveOn members will be visiting more than 500 congressional offices across the county next Tuesday." Watch the ad for yourself.

Philip Dine of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, "From discussions in local union halls to public protests, from petitions to speak-outs to resolutions, workers are expressing concern or even outright opposition to U.S. plans for military action... Among the most recent efforts was a gathering over the weekend in Chicago, spearheaded by the city's biggest Teamsters local, at which 110 officers from labor unions around the country tried to put organization and money behind what have been mostly spontaneous, grass-roots activities. The meeting was hosted by the 20,500-member Teamsters Local 705, whose leader, Jerry Zero, said he acted because of overwhelming opposition among his members to a war against Iraq. 'We're not exactly a real liberal union,' Zero said. 'We've got a lot of truck drivers, UPS employees, freight drivers. I'd say it's a pretty conservative union. Yet they feel pretty strongly against the war.'" Zero, you're a HERO!

Labor activist Michael Eisenscher writes, "On Saturday, January 11 in Chicago history was made. More than one hundred trade union leaders gathered there to found US Labor Against the War (USLAW). These union officers, officials and activists came from organizations representing more than 2 million members. Below you will find the final resolution adopted unanimously after a lively and thoughtful debate... Also below are remarks I made early in the opening session, a preliminary tabulation of the affiliation and union positions of those attending, and a census of organizations which had gone on record against Bush's wars against Iraq and workers here in the U.S. The census, prepared in advance of the meeting on the basis of resolutions available to me, greatly understates the actual extent of labor opposition, as many other organizations that had gone on record were identified in the course of the meeting, and a significant and growing number will be taking action in the coming month."

WashPost reports that thousands of protesters are "coming to Washington for a national antiwar demonstration Saturday, a rally and march that they and organizers say will be their last chance for a massive display of dissent before the US goes to war with Iraq... Saturday's rally and march follow an October protest that drew about 100,000... the largest antiwar demonstration in the nation's capital since the protests against the Vietnam War... The rally is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on the Mall near Third Street and Constitution Avenue NW just beyond the west front of the Capitol. Scheduled speakers include actress Jessica Lange, Vietnam veteran and author Ron Kovic, former representative Cynthia A. McKinney (D-Ga.) and others from labor, peace and Muslim organizations. After the rally, participants plan to march to the gates of the Washington Navy Yard, where organizers said they would call for the elimination of U.S. weapons of mass destruction."

The Campaign for Peace and Democracy is a new group with an impressive list of founding members like Barbara Ehrenreich, Daniel Ellsberg, Michael Lerner, Katha Pollitt, Edward Said, and Cornel West - and a determined statement of principle. "Much of the world sees [the Bush] doctrine for what it is: the proclamation of an undisguised U.S. global imperium. Ordinary Iraqis, and people everywhere, need to know that there is another America, made up of those who both recognize the urgent need for democratic change in the Middle East and reject our government's militaristic and imperial foreign policy. By signing this statement we declare our intention to work for a new democratic U.S. foreign policy. That means helping to rein in the war-makers and building the most powerful antiwar movement possible, and at the same time forging links of solidarity and concrete support for democratic forces in Iraq and throughout the Middle East."

LA Times reports, "Thousands of people protesting a looming U.S.-led war against Iraq marched through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, with many chanting, 'We want peace!'... At the Federal Building, rock singers, poets, activists and actor Martin Sheen, star of the NBC series 'The West Wing,' denounced war over loudspeakers. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Los Angeles Urban League President John Mack also took part in the event, which was a precursor to a series of upcoming demonstrations set to take place in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., on Saturday... Marc Hewitt, 24, of Los Angeles said war is being peddled by Bush for selfish reasons. 'I believe we're going to war for oil,' said Hewitt, who attended the rally with his girlfriend, Natalie Wilson, 23, of Long Beach. Wilson said this demonstration will send a powerful message, but just as important, 'it will keep people sane.' 'We feel powerless. But when you see people here who are like-minded, it feels good.'"

Rene Ciria-Cruz writes, "As war clouds gather, opposition to a U.S. first strike on Iraq grows in a new and different way than the Vietnam-era peace movement - and faster. Unlike the l960s, today's movement is more diverse, with a clearer political agenda unblurred by counterculture messages. You don't need a weatherman to see that grassroots opposition to a U.S. war with Iraq is gathering fast. Today's peace movement already draws big protest crowds even before the shooting has begun, and its ranks are more diverse than the 1960s movement, which took a few years to grow. Fueling dissent is the perception that Bush's call for a unilateral first strike against Iraq is arbitrary. Peace activists using technology nonexistent in the '60s - e-mail blasts, dedicated Web sites - are preparing a march in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18-20, as well as other cities around the nation, hoping to keep the pressure on the Bush administration."

"Cities for Peace is a rapidly growing effort to get City Councils and other civic bodies to pass resolutions against a war on Iraq. Civic and religious leaders, educators, peace activists, business leaders and individuals from all sectors are coming together across the country to say 'no' to Bush's call for war. We the people of the U.S. are wary of a military venture against a country that has not attacked us. We are fearful that a war will lead to the deaths of thousands of Iraqis and US troops. We see this as a potentially dangerous distraction from fighting terrorism and we are aware that such a war would have devastating consequences on our city budgets and on local capacity to meet the current needs of our own communities in these difficult economic times."

Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, based in Pasadena CA: "Our mission includes, but is greater than, ending the war in Iraq. Our mission is to defend the principles of democracy and protect the rights and welfare of humanity that are threatened by this current Administration's 'war on terrorism'... The roots of its major initiatives can be traced back to policy statements, strategic plans, failed legislation and government programs that were created long before 9-ll. So as we challenge this country's commitment to escalating war with Iraq, let us understand that the war in Iraq, like the 'war on terrorism,' is part of an agenda for our country and the world, captured in the Administration's on foreign policy document,' The National Security Strategy of the USA-2002' and earlier in the 2000 document, 'Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategies, Forces and Recourses for A New Century (by the conservative think tank, Project for the New American Century)."

Women's Enews reports, "women from across the country have united in protest against an impending war with Iraq. Dubbed 'Code Pink' - a play on Bush's 'Code Red' terrorist alert system - the Women's Peace Vigil began in November, and continues daily, to culminate on International Women's Day on March 8 with a massive women's peace rally. From a park bench in the shadow of Andrew Jackson on horseback, the pink-clad activists distribute briefing papers, chat with passers-by, pose for tourists, collect signatures of women in support of the cause and plan their next steps. 'War is a women's issue,' says Code Pink organizer Medea Benjamin, adding that talk of war has been dominated by 'testosterone-poisoned rhetoric.' During a war, she says, women become widows, left with the burden of caring for families. Often, they fall further into poverty as a result. In addition, 'militarism engenders a culture of aggression that encourages domestic violence,' says spokesperson Kristi Laughlin."

On December 21,2002, near Gainesville, Florida, 22 men posed naked to send a stunning Peace message to the American people and the war administration. Braving the cold, these men from Fort Myers to Gainesville, gathered together on a hillside to do the unthinkable: To Bare it all for Peace. Deeply troubled by the looming war against Iraq, these serious peace advocates determined to express their heartfelt desire for peace, by crafting the word 'PEACE' and the Peace Sign with their nude bodies. These images were captured on film by renowned photojournalist and nature photographer, John Moran. This photo moment was enriched by the fact that many of the men who came together to create these images were previously unknown to each other. They were bound together by only one thing; their united desire to stop the American war machine. 'What we did was outrageous, because war is outrageous,' exclaimed Bob Ellenberg. "All the peace loving people in the world need to see what we have done."

"The International A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition calls for all those who oppose a new war in Iraq to participate in the People's Anti-War Referendum and to organize to attend the mass demonstrations in Washington, DC and San Francisco on January 18. The scenario for January 18th includes a brief rally on the West side of the Capitol starting at 11 am, followed by a massive march to the Washington DC Navy Yard, a huge military complex located in the heart of one of Washington's working class communities, walking distance from the Capitol. In San Francisco, the demo starts at 11 a.m. at Embarcadero & Market Sts. (Embarcadero BART stop) with an opening rally. At 12 noon it will march up Market St. to the Civic Center (Grove and Larkin Sts) for a 1 p.m. rally. Scroll down to find out about centers organizing transportation to this from many cities around the U.S."

Thank Heavens not all stars are like Bush schmoozer Tom "Scientology Boy - I'll Do Whatever I Can to Improve the CIA's Image" Cruise! Reuters reports that "more than 100 celebrities, including Kim Basinger, Matt Damon, Ethan Hawke, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Lange, have urged American President George W. Bush to avoid war with Iraq. The plea is made in a letter that will be made public today at a press conference hosted by former MASH star Mike Farrell, who is co-founder of a new group called Artistes United To Win Without War. The letter was also signed by retired admiral Eugene Carroll Jr and former US ambassador to Iraq Edward Peck." Finally - some guts return to Hollywood!

The Iraq Pledge of Resistance, founded by the American Friends Service Committee calls for a coordinated nationwide display of nonviolent civil disobedience to protest Bush's immoral, illegal war. "It is obvious to even a cursory reader of the news that the Bush Administration is doing everything in its power to discredit the weapons inspection process which has just begun in Iraq, while simultaneously beating the drums of war with increasing fervor," says the group.

"On Tuesday, Dec. 10, more than 100 communities in at least 35 states across the country will hold rallies, marches, teach-ins and protests to express their strong opposition to the White House's plans to invade Iraq at any cost. The dozens of anti-war events to take place around the United States are timed to coincide with International Human Rights Day. Anti-war organizers say the White House's reckless doctrine of pre-emptive strikes is a clear violation of the values embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Dec. 10 anti-war events will stretch from Charlotte, North Carolina to Anchorage, Alaska."

WashPost reports, "After large rallies in Washington and San Francisco on Oct. 26, the next big day to test the antiwar movement's might is Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day. Hundreds of groups plan events, rallies and civil disobedience to capture the nation's attention, including demonstrations in Lafayette Park across from the White House and at a military recruitment center in downtown Washington. Otherwise, antiwar groups, which tend to rely on the Internet to receive and spread information, operate largely without the attention of the media or Capitol Hill. Yet many of those speaking out against an attack on Iraq represent large numbers of Americans, including John J. Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO (with 13 million members); the National Council of Churches (which represents 36 Protestant and Orthodox denominations, with 50 million members); and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (the leadership arm of 65 million Roman Catholics)."

Ivan Gale reports, "West Marin (CA) women bared their bodies on Tuesday in Point Reyes Station for a photo protesting America's plans for armed conflict with Iraq. Participants using solely their bodies spelled out 'PEACE' as a light rain fell. Portrait photographer and Light correspondent Art Rogers captured the moment from high atop a ladder using a homemade tripod standing about 15-feet above Love Field near the Green Bridge. Participant Cynthia Clarkson of Point Reyes Station told The Light she hoped the photo will have a strong impact in America and abroad. 'I'm hoping it gets distributed so that the message gets across that women in America want peace,' said Clarkson. 'I want to do everything I can to stop the war that's impending.' Marshall resident Donna Sheehan, who organized the group called 'Unreasonable Women' for the photo, said she's been pondering for four years a way women can 'be heard on a very deep level.'"

Contending that the USA Patriot Act represents an unwarranted assault on civil rights, the Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging the federal government to rescind parts of the law. Santa Cruz became the 14th city in the country to take similar action. Most of the cities are college towns, but Denver's city council has also condemned the law. "The only thing that surprises me is that it took us so long to do this," said Vice Mayor Emily Reilly. Indeed, Santa Cruz in September became the first city in the nation to formally oppose going to war with Iraq...Former Mayor Celia Scott's bumper sticker reads: 'Real patriots defend the Constitution.'" Let's take back America, town by town!!

Vietnam Vet Stewart Nusbaumer writes, "An enthusiastic crowd of approximately 350 military veterans jammed the hall of the Martin Luther King Labor Center in New York City yesterday to oppose a war with Iraq. The largest meeting of antiwar veterans in many years, the 'Protest Meeting & Speakout Against War with Iraq and In Defense of Constitutional Rights' attracted a diverse group of veterans and their spouses. All, however, agreed an invasion of Iraq is wrong; all appeared to express a determination that the Bush Administration must be stopped. 'This is crazy,' said Ed a Navy veteran of World War II, 'I really think the Bush people don't care about the guys in the military. They only care about the oil and the money.'"

"More than half a million anti-war protesters from across Europe marched through this Italian Renaissance city on Saturday in a loud and colorful demonstration denouncing any possible U.S. attack on Iraq...'Take your war and go to hell,' read one banner, in a forest of multi-colored and multi-lingual placards. 'Drop Bush, not Bombs' read another. Some placards depicted Bush as Hitler and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as Mussolini....Authorities estimated that some 450,000 protesters flooded Florence's streets for the march on a chilly autumn afternoon....'The atmosphere here is wonderful. Absolutely perfect. It shows that a new young left is emerging,' said Stavos Valsamis, a 27-year-old Greek activist from Athens."

Dennis Fox writes: "Brookline's Representative Town Meeting can take a stand right here at home and vote against the Bush administration's rush to war. The Board of Selectmen has added to Town Meeting's fall agenda an article proposed by Brookline PAX. The article resolves that 'the Brookline Town Meeting [A] opposes any U.S. attack on Iraq until and unless (1) there is clear and convincing evidence of a serious and imminent threat of aggression by Iraq, and (2) the U.N. has determined that collective action is necessary against Iraq; and [B] believes that, at this time, neither of these conditions has been met.'...For here is the point: Regardless of Bush's earnestness or Rumsfeld's sarcasm or any statements emanating from a malleable UN Security Council or U.S. Congress, Brookline's citizens don't support any war we're not persuaded is necessary. We won't just take George Bush's word for it."

A geology lecturer at the University of Minnesota wrote a letter protesting the plans for Bush's W-ar, got some of his colleagues to sign it, and got it published in the university newspaper. The letter was posted at http://www.noiraqattack.org by someone at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has collected more than 30,000 signatures. This was not a carefully planned and orchestrated campaign; it shows the depth and breadth of Americans' opposition to the W-ar.

"No one will stop this war but the people. The U.S. Congress failed to listen to the overwhelming number of people who expressed their opposition to a war on Iraq in a massive outpouring of calls, e-mails and faxes to their elected officials. We believe that it is unconscionable to send young people in the U.S. armed forces into combat in an illegal war that serves only the interests of Big Oil. Instead of spending $200 billion of taxpayers' money on another war in the Middle East, the funds should be used to create jobs and finance education, housing, heathcare and other vital human needs." Click through to Vote No War!

Recently Democrats.com members joined with others in an email and letter writing campaign demanding that the NYTimes and National Public Radio responsibly and accurately report the magnitude of the October 26th anti-W-ar protests. Both have acknowledged their mistakes. "Emboldened by a weekend antiwar protest in Washington that organizers called the biggest since the days of the Vietnam War, groups opposed to military action in Iraq said they were preparing a wave of new demonstrations across the country in the next few weeks. The demonstration on Saturday in Washington drew 100,000 by police estimates and 200,000 by organizers', forming a two-mile wall of marchers around the White House. The turnout startled even organizers, who had taken out permits for 20,000 marchers. They expected 30 buses, and were surprised by about 650, coming from as far as Nebraska and Florida."

As Citizens of the World we have a right to speak up about what is going on right now in the UN Security Council in the debate over Iraq. Send free faxes to the leaders of all five permanent members of the UN Security Council asking them to make sure that the inspectors have a real chance to do their job before Mr. Bush is given approval to invade. ..The action has moved to the UN Security Council where the five permanent members are now debating between two proposals. The first one, supported by Bush, would allow him to send in United States troops for any infraction he alone perceived in the inspections process. The competing resolution, supported by most of the other countries, would first call on Saddam Hussein to open his country to the inspectors. If he failed to comply, the Security Council could then authorize military action. This second resolution puts pressure on Iraq without giving Mr. Bush the green light to go to war with just the slightest provocation.

"A crowd estimated at more than 100,000 gathered in the nation's capital Saturday to rally and march in protest of a potential war with Iraq. In the shadow of the Washington Monument and steps away from the Vietnam War Memorial, the group demanded a halt to preparations for a possible war against Iraq. On the stage, Jesse Jackson -- his voice amplified across several acres of Constitution Gardens -- shouted, 'If we act out of fear and not hope, we get bitter and not better.' 'Sometimes wars are necessary," Jackson said. 'The Civil War to end racism was necessary. World War II to end fascism was necessary. Even the war to get (Iraqi leader) Saddam (Hussein) out of Kuwait was necessary. But now, we can do it a better way.' Similar demonstrations were scheduled Saturday in San Francisco, Chicago, London, Rome and other cities all over the world, organizers said. 'This is just the tip of the iceberg,' said one of the organizers, 21-year-old Eli Pariser, in an interview."

WP.com reports: "Tens of thousands of people marched in peaceful protest of any military strike against Iraq yesterday afternoon, in an antiwar demonstration that organizers and police suggested was likely Washington's largest since the Vietnam era. Organizers with International ANSWER, a coalition of antiwar groups that coordinated the demonstration...'We think this was just extremely, extremely successful,' said Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, a DC organizer with International ANSWER, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism. 'It absolutely shows that when George Bush says America speaks with one voice, and it's his voice, he's wrong.'...Other demonstrations in cities including Rome, Berlin, Copenhagen, Denmark, Tokyo and Mexico City were held to coincide with the Washington march, and in San Francisco at a sister march...Unlike those (Vietnam) protests, yesterday's rally was different in that it preceded war, and many interpreted that as an indication of a potentially powerful movement."

Zack Exley of GWBush.com reports: "Several months ago, GWBush.com readers collaborated to write, produce and raise money for a radio ad that told the truth about Dick Cheney's profitable deals with Iraq as CEO of Halliburton." Here's just a portion of the radio spot: "Dick Cheney says it's time for another war with Iraq. He says Iraq is an evil nation. What Dick Cheney doesn't say, is that he sold $23 million dollars worth of technology to Iraq. Beginning in 1998, his company sold more technology to Iraq than any other corporation. Then Dick Cheney lied about it in a July 23, 2000 interview with ABC and only admitted the truth after the facts leaked from his own company. Cheney's technology has enabled Saddam Hussein to sell more oil, strengthen his grip on power, and build new weapons of mass destruction." Have an idea for an ad speaking truth to power? Send it to: info@gwbush.com

NY Times reports, "As the threat of military action against Iraq looms, students across the country are talking about the possibility of war. The first stirrings of an antiwar movement are emerging, even as a few conservative students who support [Bush] are starting to organize. 'We've made a board with all these pins on it, showing where there have been demonstrations or teach-ins, or where there are things planned, and we have more than 135 campuses in 35 states,' said Martha Honey of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, who has been helping organize student protests against military action. 'It's growing exponentially, each day.' [Polls show] younger Americans are the most opposed to a pre-emptive strike, and most likely to think that a war between the United States and Iraq would spread to other countries in the Middle East."

A growing number of surviving veterans from all the wars engaged in by the U.S. over the past 60 years are joining together in solidarity against Bush's rash push to unilateral, unfounded war. This week, in just one of what will no doubt be many, many such events, veterans will muster on the Ellipse near the White House on Wednesday, October 16, 2002 at 1 PM. Wearing their medals and uniforms (or parts of uniforms), they will march on the White House in groups of fewer than 25, the number required for a police permit. The veterans will carry signs demanding Bush not "go it alone" against Iraq, but work through the United Nations in unity with France, Germany and other allies, including the Arab nations." If you can't march, but live or work in the D.C. area, swing by to show your support with a beep, thumbs up or shout!

"If you want to feel young, go to a demonstration against war in Iraq, as I did Sunday," writes Rob Morse of the SF Chronicle. "All ages were represented in Union Square, but the predominant hair color was gray. There were marchers with walkers. If that many senior citizens got together on any issue but Iraq, it would be a good bet the government would listen to what they had to say. But this is a government that isn't listening to anyone, just talking loudly and waving a big stick." Morse points out that Bush hawks are rural, white, male southern Republicans without college diplomas (or active military service), while those opposed are residents of the West and Northeast, and are disproportionately college-educated, members of minority groups, women and senior citizens." Very telling indeed!

"We, the American people, have done everything we can to prevent Mr. Bush's War. We have called our Representatives, and our calls outnumber those of war supporters by 10 to 1. We have demonstrated in the streets all over the country. And despite completely one-sided pro-war coverage in the corporate-controlled media, the majority of Americans support our position that the United States should not unilaterally start this war. But George W. Bush (who stole the presidency by persuading five Republican Justices on the Supreme Court to throw out 175,000 uncounted Florida ballots) and our so-called 'Representatives' in Congress, refuse to listen to us. That leaves us no choice but to declare that we will simply not fight in Mr. Bush's War. Here is our pledge: We, the military-age people of the United States, will not go to Iraq to fight in Mr. Bush's War. And we, their parents, will not send them. Hell no - we won't go." Sign the petition!

If Bush thought his speech would somehow change anyone's mind about his immoral, self-aggrandizing war, he missed the mark by an astronomical unit (1 AU = 93 million miles). Instead, the rage of Americans and people everywhere around the planet at the determination of this pretender to the presidency to plunge the world into war and economic disaster has been fanned - and how! Take a look at the list of groups now committed to opposing the Bush W-ar and to participating in the Oct. 26 demonstrations. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to pour into the streets of D.C., while millions of others around the world will demonstrate elsewhere. Sooner or later Bush will get the message - Americans will not give their blood for Iraq's oil.

Which country will have the first "regime change" due to Bush's W-ar? Maybe Italy's Silvio Berlusconi: "More than 1.5 million Italians took to the streets of dozens of cities Saturday afternoon and evening to protest possible U.S. military action against Iraq -- a surprise show of discord that could be fervent enough for the Italian government to re-think its support of Washington... up to this point, Rome and London have been Bush's strongest allies in Europe... A survey from Opinioni show[ed] that more than two out of every three Italians opposed any armed conflict over Iraq... The day's biggest march was held in the evening in Rome, where police said as many as 200,000 people gathered in protest. 'Our point is that we cannot support the United States's plan to kill innocent Iraqis in order to win the upcoming (Congressional) elections," Marco Filiberti, 38, a protester who came to Rome with six friends from the nearby city of Latina, told UPI. You go, Marco!

Eugene Register-Guard reports, "They spoke about it. They shouted about it. They even sang about it. [As many as 5,000] people gathered at the downtown Federal Building on Saturday, packing the steps at the southwest corner of the building, to protest war in Iraq.'War should be the last resort, not the first resort,' Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio told the crowd, which showered him with wild applause. 'I will return to Washington tomorrow, and I can tell you unequivocally, I will vote 'no' this week.' Those who attended Saturday's rally - one of several across the state and nation this weekend - said the reasons Bush wants to attack Iraq have nothing to do with the threat of nuclear or chemical weapons and everything to do with oil and revenge." Sunday, October 20 there will be another peace rally with a human chain, starting at the Hawthorne Bridge over the Fremont Bridge to the east side of the river connecting on the west side of the river at the Hawthorne Bridge.

AP reports, "A sweaty throng of thousands of anti-war protesters jammed [San Francisco's] Union Square on Sunday, beating drums, hoisting signs and proclaiming their opposition to war with Iraq. It was one of dozens of anti-war rallies across the country organized by the Not in Our Name Project, a grassroots group opposing a range of Bush administration actions. Demonstrations also were held in New York, Chicago, Portland, Ore., and many smaller communities. Marchers used a thesaurus of adjectives to describe their disenchantment, calling the president a 'warmonger,' 'racist,' 'irresponsible,' and 'stoopid.' Women in designer jeans and high-heeled shoes marched next to students in tie-dyed T-shirts and Birkenstocks. The driver of a cable car surrounded by the throng clanged his bell in time to pulsating reggae music, joined by the honking of dozens of trapped taxis."

The mainstream media waxed orgasmic over how much Massachusetts supported Bush and his war schemes, and how they welcomed him this week with open arms. But the reality is getting further and further from the spin. First off, Bush slunk in and out of a posh fundraiser, hiding from hundreds of anti-war protestors, who were penned up in a "First Amendment Zone" while helicopters flew overhead. Next, we learn that the majority of Mass reps do NOT support Bush or his war resolution. In fact, only ONE in TWELVE will vote for it, while four are undecided and seven say NO! Once again, the gulf between reality and the fantasy of Bush world dwarfs the Grand Canyon.

On Wednesday, October 16 2002 at 1 p.m., Veterans will march near the White House at the Ellipse to demand that George W. Bush stop his threats to "go it alone" against Iraq. Veterans, wearing their uniforms and medals, will insist that Mr. Bush work only through the U.N. and a united front of France, Germany and other allies. The Veterans Coalition for Sanity on Iraq can be reached at 212-255-0682 (fax 212-620-6166).

Bush is playing yet another shell game with the public, making a phony show of offering a peaceful out to Saddam - but making the conditions (like allowing just 7 days for Iraq to determine how to assemble ALL its weapons info) so demanding he knew they'd be turned down flat. Saddam no doubt knows that Bush won't change his war plans even if Saddam does comply. Bush has always had just one plan: his own. Meanwhile, the corporate media is becoming an embarrassing cartoon in its efforts to deflect the rising tide of dissent. Read the dozen or so stories at Democrats.com from around the country about protests, the floods of mail to Congressfolks, and new polls (like Pew's latest). Then read this Goebbel's special from MSNBC, complete with bogus poll (2/3 of Americans favor attacking Iraq!).

From the Denver Post: "Denver joined the nation's growing anti-war movement on Friday when one of the biggest protest crowds the city has seen in years marched against a possible U.S. attack on Iraq. Organizers said they were stunned by the turnout, which swelled during the lunch hour. Many took the day off work to attend. 'People are getting sick of this patriotic intimidation,' said Shawn Morris, 34, a professor at Metro State College. The two groups stood behind barriers outside the hotel until it became clear that Bush and his retinue had left the hotel through a different entrance. 'He snuck in and out like a rat. He's afraid to face his own people,' said Gordon Golding, 47, of Boulder. But by their numbers, the demonstrators made their point. 'We don't buy $1,000-a-plate lunches at the Adam's Mark,' said Howard Greenebaum, 72, of Sedalia. 'We're Americans,' he said, 'and we vote.'" POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

On Saturday, October 26, 2002 - the first anniversary of the signing of the Orwellian "Patriot Act" - there will be a massive international mobilization in opposition to a war against the people of Iraq. Mass marches and rallies will be held in Washington DC and San Francisco, and in many other countries. Local organizers are coordinating bus caravans from many cities - see this page for details. Join the march to show our government and the world that Americans do not want war!

On 9-28-02, 400,000 protestors took to the streets of London in one of the largest anti-war rallies ever to be held in Europe. Opposition to Blair's support of Bush has become a growing grassroots movement across the UK. Said one protestor, film director Ken Loach, "We can't get involved in this war, we can't consider murdering another 100,000 Iraqis simply to pursue America's interest in oil and their dominance in the region." Another protestor, Labour MP George Galloway, was even blunter: "If Bush lands half-a-million boots in Iraq, attached only to American feet and cheered only by General Ariel Sharon, he will end up marching through hell and many a Yankee Doodle Dandy will be going home in a plastic suit."

"I am a concerned American who is serving you notice that your vote on any resolution to invade Iraq will result in my eliminating you from consideration for higher office. I will only support candidates that that have the courage to do the right thing. You know that over 1 million Iraqi people have died as the result of the sanctions. There is no excuse for you to choose political reasons to give George W. Bush a blank check to take more innocent lives. Former President Jimmy Carter stated that Iraq is not a threat, and you know that he is correct. Fear of losing your next election is not a good enough justification to choose to authorize war. Let the Inspection teams return to Iraq, and negotiate a peaceful solution to this conflict....I believe that caving into political pressure is a weakness and do not want to represented by a weak leader. So if you cave into the Bush Rhetoric you will not get my vote for the Democratic nomination for President." Send the email!

United for Peace writes, "We must convince our Representatives and Senators that their constituents oppose a pre-emptive war against Iraq. For Sept. 30, we suggest that groups set up a meeting with their local Senator or Representative, demanding that he/she sign on to a statement opposing war with Iraq. For Congress members who have been staunchly pro-war, we suggest a large, spirited anti-war rally outside the Congress member's office. On the same day, national peace groups have called for a 'no war on Iraq' lobbying day in Washington, DC. Let's follow the Sept. 30 lobby day with anti-war protest activities from October 5-7 such as: * Organize a 'No War on Iraq' march or protest at the U.S. federal building in your city or another central location. * Hang a 'No War on Iraq' banner in a prominent public place... * Organize teach-ins, sit-ins or walk-outs at high schools and college campuses to protest sending young Americans to fight and die for the benefit of US oil companies."

A Democrats.com member writes, "Juneau Alaska has started up an active group of anti-war protestors and you can, too. We started with a meeting of interested citizens. We drew up a petition, several paragraphs at first but decided to keep it simple: We citizens of Juneau, Alaska oppose military intervention and urge our government to work through the UN and other diplomatic channels to reach a just and peaceful solution with Iraq.' We got over 850 signatures in five days and collected $2,000. It will run in the local paper as a full-page ad. We will also present it to our Congressional delegation, to Congressional leaders and the White House. One good thing about signed ads is that they do get in the papers - unlike many of our protests! What if an ad like this ran all over the country? That would be hard to ignore... If you don't have a group working for peace in your town yet, just call a meeting - fight complacency!"

"To Senator Robert Byrd, U.S. Senate: At a time when most of our elected Democrats seem to have forgotten the wishes of the people they are supposed to represent, we are grateful, most sincerely grateful, to have Senator Robert Byrd standing up against what is wrong, facing the Bush Administration, and showing us all the kind of integrity we should be able to expect from all congressmen. This coming slaughter of people in Iraq will have been not only for Iraq's oil but also to cover up the complete domestic mess this administration has made in less than two years. It is time someone stood on the senate floor and stated the purpose of this reprehensible invasion. Our hats are off and our hearts open to this magnificent senator." Sign the petition!

Peace Action writes, "The new Bush doctrine of 'pre-emptive attack' threatens global stability and sets a terrible precedent for international relations. A US attack on Iraq will: take the lives of US soldiers and many innocent Iraqis, harm relations with our European allies, increase anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, break international law, and cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. Tell Congress: Don't Attack Iraq. Attend these events: (1) Non-violent March against the war on Iraq Sunday, September 29, 2:00 pm. Gather at Dupont Circle. The march will stop at key embassies (Britain, Japan, Turkey, Egypt) to deliver messages of peace, then end with a rally outside Vice President Dick Cheney's house at the Naval Observatory, 3400 Massachusetts Ave., NW. (2) Emergency Congressional Education Day Monday, September 30. Pressure Congress to vote against war on Iraq. Lobby preparation and training, 8 am - 11 am, Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Ave. NE."

Burlington Free Press reports, "In a rare visit to Vermont, Cheney spoke at two rallies at Burlington International Airport, one for about 250 Guard members at the Air National Guard's base, and another for about 300 Republican Party donors inside an airport hangar... As Cheney spoke, about 300 protesters gathered outside the airport hangar's gates to voice their opposition to talk from the administration of President George W. Bush of using military force against Iraq and its leader, Saddam Hussein. Many also objected to the high cost of Thursday's fund-raiser, for which guests paid between $200 and $5,000 to attend. 'This guy is essentially a totalitarian,' Walter Zeichner, a 42-year-old psychotherapist and college professor from Bolton, said of Bush. 'This country has become less secure, less free, and the world has become a more dangerous place. We need a regime change in the United States.'"

CNN.com reports: "Chanting 'inspections, not war,' demonstrators Wednesday interrupted U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as he urged a House committee to back the Bush administration's proposal to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Rumsfeld, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, had started to argue the case for removing the Iraqi president when a woman seated behind him stood up and said, 'Mr. Rumsfeld, I think we need weapons inspections, not war. Why are you obstructing the inspections? Is this really about oil? How many civilians will be killed?' the woman asked. She and another woman began chanting 'Inspections, not war' and unfurled a banner bearing the slogan before Capitol police removed them from the hearing room....The protesters spoke after the incident outside the building. 'I think I represent all the ordinary people in this country,' said protester Diane Wilson... The other demonstrator (was) Medea Benjamin" of Global Exchange.

When Donald "I Can't Wait to Crown Myself Emperor of the Middle East" Rumsfeld was pontificating in front of the Armed Services Committee this week, two women stood bravely up behind him and shouted "UN Inspections, Not War!" and unfurled banners proclaiming their message. To give you an idea of the feeling about Bushfeld among the "common folk" (everyday Americans, not our out-of-touch reps), it was quite some time before security folks removed the women. After the incident, Rumsfeld said the women couldn't have gotten away with that in Iraq - yeah, Rummy, or on Vieques Island, or Tampa FL, or Portland OR, or anywhere on American soil you think you can BLOCK protests before they begin!

Anti-war activists greeted... George W. Bush in Nashville... with words and posters of protest concerning the potential war in Iraq. More than 200 protesters organized during the rainy morning hours outside the Nashville Convention Center with picket signs, songs and messages of peace directed toward the president, who was present to support Republican Lamar Alexander's campaign... 'It is not too soon to work against war,' said Andy 'Sunfrog' Smith, an MTSU adjunct professor of English and Women's Studies. 'War is wrong. It was wrong then, and it's wrong now'... 'I'm protesting because I'm concerned with justice,' said Andi Stepnick. 'I hope this protest will signal that there are people... who do not support this war. I hope others will question what is being done and take action.'... 'We are headed toward a move to economic domination,' said Kati Corlew... 'And if these wars continue, global domination. Saying Bush is Hitler is trite, but I agree.' Language Warning: GREAT PHOTO!

Millions of Americans oppose Bush's "Wag the Dog" Invasion of Iraq, hundreds of thousands have signed petitions like ours (http://democrats.com/iraq) and Moveon's (http://moveon.org/nowar), and tens of thousands will participate in protests in the coming weeks. But the corporate media has blacked out this vast grassroots opposition. Johanna Neuman of the LA Times is among the first to acknowledge this growing movement, and to recognize the crucial role of Internet organizing. Write and call your primary media and tell them to cover the grassroots opposition to Bush's Iraq War.

Tiny Crawford, Texas' headlines could have read: "'Peace Flag raised at Crawford High School. County police close county roads at will, decree parking illegal in the country. Crawford police label public schools 'private property'." Indymedia reports: 'People from around Texas descended on the small Texas town of Crawford Saturday morning to protest the Bush administrations push for a new war against Iraq. George Bush's 'ranch' is 7 miles out of town, but as there is no public space to gather near the ranch, people decided to hold a rally in town and then drive up to the ranch to present petitions to the Federal authorities. After the protest was announced, George Bush made plans to be in California for the day, ensuring that the major national media would follow him and be removed from a protest in the heart of Texas. Demonstrators turned out in California for his visit, as they do for any visit by him anywhere in the country, so that was not treated as news."

ABCNews.com reports that in Portland OR, "Riot police used pepper spray and struck some demonstrators with batons after ordering hundreds of people to leave a protest near a hotel where Bush attended a fund-raiser... Police ordered about 500 protesters to move. Riot police wearing helmets then walked into the area, pushing activists with their batons. Some activists fell. Police then fired aerosol canisters of pepper spray at the protesters... Five protesters were arrested through the afternoon... Many... criticized a new forest initiative announced earlier in the day by Bush that would make it easier for timber companies to cut wood from fire-prone national forests… 'It has been shown time and again that more cutting leads to more fire. The new policy is a hoax.' Some of the activists were worried about a possible war with Iraq. 'I don't think any American boys' lives are worth a barrel of oil,' said Rob Moitoza, 57, who carried a sign that said: 'Vets Against Bush.'"

Marilyn Dinger writes, "We have plenty of company in the International Community. ALL Americans DON'T support a war with Iraq where people have to die unnecessarily. The United States, as a whole, should NOT have to be labeled as a 'war mongering nation.' I asked my mother, who lived through World War II which was worth fighting, what she thought, if anything, could be done to stave off a war with Iraq, at least until there is enough time to study whether such a war is even needed. I told her about people from other nations supporting our petition. She said, 'Band together.' My mother is on to something there. That is exactly the answer I was looking for from her. We need to BAND TOGETHER and do it boldly and do it NOW. There are really only two choices -- world without end or war without end. There are really only two nations in the world -- 'Peace and Hope' or 'War and Hell'. We need to line up our allies and all those against war with Peace and Hope, and get OUR ducks in a row."

CNN reports, "Senior church leaders have added to the opposition in Britain against an attack on Iraq, saying it would be 'immoral and illegal.' Several thousand Christians, including the future Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, signed a petition that was handed to Prime Minister Tony Blair's Downing Street residence on Tuesday. More than 2,500 groups and individuals, from leading churchmen to theologians and ordinary church members of different denominations, signed the petition condemning an attack. 'It is deplorable that the world's most powerful nations continue to regard war and the threat of war as an acceptable instrument of foreign policy, in violation of the ethos of both the United Nations and Christian moral teaching,' said the petition, organised by the Catholic group Pax Christi." Sign our petition at http://democrats.com/iraq

"We, the undersigned, resolutely oppose the Bush Administration's plan to invade, conquer, and occupy Iraq. Iraq will accept a resumption of UN weapons inspections if the US agrees not to invade. But George W. Bush refuses to accept new weapons inspections for reasons that are purely political: 1. Bush's poll ratings are falling quickly because of public outrage over corporate corruption scandals and the falling stock market, and so he needs another war to change the news headlines and boost his poll ratings. In other words, Bush is 'wagging the dog.' 2. Bush's Republican Party is likely to lose control of Congress and key Governorships in the November elections, and Bush desperately needs to engineer a Republican victory. In other words, the war in Iraq is also Bush's 'October Surprise.' 3. Bush's oil industry donors want to gain complete control of Iraq's large oil reserves - by stealing them...." Sign the petition at http://democrats.com/iraq!