[pjw] EVENT: "War of Lies: Why Are US Troops Still in Iraq?" Tues 3/19 4 PM

[Peace and Justice Works]

Iraq Affinity Group supporters:

At our IAG meeting this month, we agreed to organize an event on the 
(gulp) 16th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. We are attaching our 
action to a weekly vigil that takes place at the east end of the Burnside 
Bridge known as Stand for Peace and Justice. Details are below. The same 
info is posted to our website here:

http://www.pjw.info/iraq16yl.html

We will update that page with a flyer when it is ready, and any additional 
cosponsors (there is no cost to cosponsor this action).

Spread the word, and let us know if your group wants to sign on and help 
promote the event!
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/text)
  iraq @ pjw.info
  http://www.pjw.info/Iraq.html

CALENDAR ITEM

For immediate release     January 28, 2019

EVENT: "War of Lies: Why Are US Troops Still in Iraq?"
Visibility action marking 16 years since the US Invasion
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
East end of the Burnside Bridge (Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd at Burnside)

On Tuesday, March 19 the Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group is 
teaming up with the weekly Stand for Peace and Justice event for a special 
visibility action marking 16 years since the US invaded Iraq in 2003. The 
action will be held from 4:00 until 5:30 PM* and will feature the "Tower 
of Peace," a 12-foot-tall display which has been seen many times around 
town since 2012.

The US invasion and occupation was based on the knowingly false 
information presented by the George W Bush administration alleging that 
Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. After the invasion, no such 
weapons were found. Similar lies about the alleged attack on a US naval 
destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin helped justify the Viet Nam war. The 
current President is pushing a false narrative about migrants coming 
across the Mexican border to try justifying spending some of the 
military's $700 billion plus budget to build an unnecessary wall.

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis lost their lives both in the invasion and 
the ensuing chaos, including under the Obama administration both prior to 
most US troops being withdrawn in 2011 and in the war against ISIS waged 
from 2014 until late last year. Airstrikes continue and the US has 
indicated it will move the 2000 ground troops currently in Syria into 
Iraq, which would bring the total close to 7500 in a country the US 
supposedly left over seven years ago. Members of the Iraqi parliament have 
asked the US to leave, particularly in the wake of President Trump's 
surprise Christmas visit in which he did not meet with any Iraqi 
officials.

For more information or to get involved contact the Peace and Justice 
Works Iraq Affinity Group at 503-236-3065 (voice or text), or email 
iraq at pjw.info .

*- note: Stand for Peace and Justice usually runs from 4:30 to 5:30 PM, 
this will be a special extended action.