[pjw] March & Rally: The Quagmire Continues: 14 Years in Iraq Fri 3/17/17 5 PM

[Peace and Justice Works]

Greetings fellow activists
There are many reasons to be concerned about the US military and the 
continuation/morphing/expansion of our ongoing interventionist policies. 
Our focus at Peace and Justice Works goes back to our founding 25 years 
ago in the wake of the "Gulf War" and through our organizing against the 
Iraq War in 2003, of which the 14th anniversary is coming up next month. 
If your organization wishes to endorse this event please let us know, 
we'll be updating the poster
<http://www.pjw.info/iraq14yl_flyer.pdf>, website and calendar listing a 
few times before March 17. If you are able to donate $10-15 to help with 
expenses such as flyers, fact sheets, and sign maintenance that is most 
welcome too.

On that note, I don't think I ever let the folks on this list know that 
after the damage caused to the front wheels of our "little red wagon of 
peace" dragging it through the snow for the Guantanamo protest last month, 
I was able to obtain another "little red wagon" which is actually green in 
color, whose _rear_ axle was broken, and combine the two into a 
"Frankenstein's wagon" which Portland Copwatch used at the AMA 
Coalition's march for justice on Jan. 28. So... local crisis solved.

I have a bunch of news stories we talked about at the IAG meeting last 
night to share, the most significant related to this action is that a US 
Senator made the same observation I did about the 7 countries on 
President Trump's immigration ban list:

Trumps Muslim Immigration Executive Order: If We Bombed You, We Ban You
(Intercept Jan 25) 
https://theintercept.com/2017/01/25/trumps-muslim-immigration-executive-order-if-we-bombed-you-we-ban-you/

So, no rush in getting back to us but ideally we'd like a list of 
endorsers by March 1 for the next round of calendar listings.
peace
dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group

------------
Peace and Justice Works
   Iraq Affinity Group
   PO Box 42456
   Portland, OR   97242
   (503) 236-3065  (Office)
   iraq at pjw.info
   http://www.pjw.info/Iraq.html


CALENDAR LISTING/NEWS ITEM

    For immediate release         February 14, 2017

                  "The Quagmire Continues: 14 Years in Iraq"

              Rally/march marking 14 years since the US invasion
                           *Friday, March 17, 2017*
                                    5:00 PM
              Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill and Broadway

    Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group is co-sponsoring the
    Friday, March 17 Portland Peaceful Response Coalition Friday Rally with
    the theme "The Quagmire Continues: 14 Years in Iraq." The rally begins
    at 5 PM at Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill and Morrison, with a
    march around downtown beginning at about 5:20 PM. The US invaded Iraq
    on March 19, 2003. Even though most of the troops were withdrawn in
    2011, they never left completely. With the US' war against the Islamic
    State starting in August 2014, there are now over 5000 troops in Iraq
    as "advisors," drone and conventional aircraft bombings, and, with the
    world's largest embassy, an unending occupation.

    Although March 2017 marks 14 years since the Iraq War began, one also
    can look at Jan. 1991-- the start of "Gulf War Part 1"-- as the start
    of what has now been over 25 years of US hostilities in Iraq.
    Meanwhile, though sanctions were put in place against the late Saddam
    Hussein's regime in 1990 to force Iraq to repay Kuwait for their
    invasion of that country, Iraq still has to make payments despite its
    dire financial and political situation. Making matters worse, Donald
    Trump told NBC on January 25: "We should've kept the oil when we got
    out"-- as if the US had the right to take Iraq's oil.

    For more information or to endorse or otherwise support this event
    contact Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group at 503-236-3065 or
    iraq at pjw.info ; PPRC's weekly rally notice can be found at
    <http://pprc-news.info/node/3>. A flyer for this event can be found
    along with other information at <http://www.pjw.info/iraq14yl.html>.