[pjw] MARCH/RALLY Fri 3/20: "17 Years Since the Iraq Invasion: Time to End All US Wars" 5:00 PM

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello once more Iraq AG supporters

Our event marking 17 years since the invasion of Iraq is one week from 
today. Do what you need to do regarding "social distancing" but be aware 
the Friday Rallies are rarely more than 25 people strong so we can stay 
spread out and hand leaftlets to people while wearing gloves.

I will be going to tonight's rally to hand out quarter sheet leaflets we 
created last week:

http://www.pjw.info/iraq_17yl_flyer_4up.pdf

The full size leaflet and the updated announcement, below, include War 
Resisters League Portland, which signed on as a cosponsor a while back but 
I neglected to put their name on the announcement last week.

It's not as if the war has stopped because of the global pandemic. You'd 
barely know it from watching/listening to the news but two Americans were 
killed by rocket fire in Iraq on Wednesday, and the US retaliated 
yesterday by hitting what they said were weapons storage facilities, but 
Iraqis reported hits on a civilian airport.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/us-strikes-back-after-rocket-attack-in-iraq/ar-BB1185BA

So perhaps see some folks tonight, and more of you next week...

--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

For immediate release         March 13, 2020

                       "17 Years Since the Iraq Invasion:
                            Time to End All US Wars"

             Rally and march marking 17 years since the US Invasion
                             *Friday, March 20, 2020
                                     5:00 PM
               Pioneer Courthouse Square- SW Yamhill and Broadway

    Join Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group for a march and rally
    marking 17 years since the US invaded Iraq in 2003. The event will take
    place at the weekly Portland Peaceful Response Coalition Friday Rally
    on Friday, March 20, 2020 at 5:00 PM, at Pioneer Courthouse Square (SW
    Yamhill and Broadway).

    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, who criticized the Iraq war, has made up similar
    lies to justify violence against Iranian nationals inside Iraq (and
    Syria)'s borders. Following the US assassination of an Iranian general
    in January, the Iraqi parliament voted to demand the US leave their
    country. Rather than respect their sovereignty, President Trump
    threatened sanctions and demanded to be paid for the US military bases
    set up in Iraq as part of this 17-year-long occupation.

    Regardless of whether the troops leave, the US embassy in Baghdad is
    the world's largest, despite Iraq being the 36th largest country by
    population and 58th largest in size. It is clear the US wants to stay
    in Iraq to control the oil resources not just in Iraq but in the entire
    region. It is time to end all US wars and bring the troops home!

    In a bipartisan vote, the House of Representatives voted 236-166 on
    January 30 to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force
    in Iraq, which was controversially created based on the WMD lies, and
    has been used to justify continued US presence. Eleven Republicans
    voted for the measure.

    The PPRC weekly Friday rally began shortly after the US invasion of
    Afghanistan in 2001. The protests have also focused on the well as
    other foreign and domestic policies.

    The event is cosponsored by Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity
    Group, Portland Peaceful Response Coalition, CODEPINK, War Resisters
    League Portland and Veterans For Peace Chapter 72.

    A flyer for the event is available at
    http://www.pjw.info/iraq_17yl_flyer.pdf , and more information can
    be found at http://www.pjw.info/iraq17yl.html .

    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 .