[pjw] EVENT REMINDER: Mission Accomplished? Iraq, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda Still Issues in 2021 Fri 4/30/21 5 PM

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hi peaceful people
I meant to send this reminder out earlier in the week but waited until 
last night's speech to see if there was anything new about Afghanistan to 
add. The only thing I updated in the announcement is that President Biden 
referred to the assassination of Osama Bin Laden in 2011 as "delivering 
justice." *So much work to do.*

Feel free to share out... of course, when we designed this event we had no 
idea Multnomah County would be going back into extreme COVID risk 
conditions tomorrow, but if we have more than 6 people at SW Yamhill and 
Broadway we can split up across the street if need be.

Info on this event is available at
http://www.pjw.info/mission_accomplished0421.html

Hope to see some folks tomorrow.

--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


                                "Mission Accomplished?"
                   Iraq, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda Still Issues in 2021
                            Friday, April 30, 2021 5:00 PM
                       Weekly Friday Rally for Peace and Justice
                              Pioneer Courthouse Square,
                                SW Yamhill and Broadway

What do these three things have in common? George W. Bush declared 
"Mission: Accomplished" in Iraq in 2003, Barack Obama oversaw the targeted 
killing of Osama Bin Laden in 2011, and Donald Trump set a deadline to get 
US Troops out of Afghanistan last year-- a deadline Joe Biden has chosen 
to use as a start rather than an end date. They all center around the same 
date: May 1. At the weekly Friday Rally for Peace and Justice on Friday, 
April 30, the theme will be "Mission Accomplished? Iraq, Afghanistan, Al 
Qaeda Still Issues in 2021" as protestors (masked up and distanced) call 
attention to the the fact that military actions are not the solutions, they 
just lead to endless wars. The event will take place at 5 PM at the corner 
of Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill and Morrison, starting with a 25 
minute rally followed by a 20-minute march around downtown.

The US now says the withdrawal from Afghanistan will be done by September 
11 (the 20th anniversary), still has troops in Iraq, and continues to face 
affiliates, offshoots or copycats of the Al Qaeda network that Bin Laden 
headed up. President Biden has called Russian President Vladimir Putin a 
"killer" without acknowledging his own role in the assassination of Bin 
Laden (which he called "delivering justice" in his national address 
Wednesday), proximity to targeted drone strikes, and ongoing warfare 
including at least two strikes in Iraq and one in Syria this year.

It's possible that the Presidents are all focused on May 1 because in most 
countries other than the United States, that day is celebrated as 
International Workers' Day. Portland has seen years of lively May Day 
protests lifting up both working people and immigrants, though frequently 
those events have been attacked by Portland Police. May Day is also a day 
celebrated to mark the spring season. Instead, Americans are reminded 
regularly on this date that "might makes right" and that the way to 
resolve problems is at the end of a gun, bomb or missile.

The Friday Rally for Peace and Justice was established by Portland 
Peaceful Response Coalition in November, 2001, shortly after the US 
invasion of Afghanistan, and has occurred every week for over 1010 weeks. 
In March, 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, Peace and 
Justice Works took over sponsorship of the weekly event.

For more information, contact Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group 
at 503-236-3065 or iraq at pjw.info.