[pjw] REPORT BACK: Eyes on Iran: Friday rally #91 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello again Iraq Affinity Group supporters

At the weekly Friday Rally for Peace and Justice last night, we had eight
human and one canine participant. A new person who'd emailed/called in 
with concerns about the US-Iran diplomacy (or lack thereof) brought a dog 
along for the rally and march. There was quite a bit of pedestrian and 
auto traffic and we recevied many thumbs-ups and horn honks, but just one 
heckler who shouted while driving by (so luckily we did't hear their whole 
message).

These were the week's headlines we discussed:

--Iran has told the UN they will not allow access to the security cameras 
at their nuclear enrichment site until the sanctions are lifted; remember, 
these cameras were damaged by an Israeli attack a few months ago.

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-says-un-cant-see-images-from-cameras-at-nuclear-site-until-sanctions-end/

---Also, the US and Israel are sort of competing to see who will drop a 
bomb on the site, which of course would spread radioactive material 
all over the Middle East:

  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/13/us/politics/israel-tankers-iran.html
  https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/featured/us-seeking-new-options-to-block-a-nuclear-iran/ar-AARP09Q

--Meanwhile, off the coast of Yemen, the US Navy tested a LASER weapon 
designed to destroy boats

  https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-dubai-united-arab-emirates-yemen-15630a25f448cb6100818286bc9c9de5

--In Syria, the Israelis appear to have killed another Syrian soldier 
using an airstrike, while the world says nothing about these attacks.

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/syria-says-israeli-air-strikes-target-south-of-country-soldier-killed/

--Did you know there are 100 US Guard troops in Ukraine? This article 
says they're far from the Russian border and that experts do not think 
Russia is actually going to invade.

  https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2021/12/13/full-on-russian-invasion-and-threat-to-us-troops-in-ukraine-unlikely-right-now-experts-say/

--Surivivors of the US's August Afghan drone strike are upset there's 
been a decision not to punish the Americans responsible for killing a 
whole family, and there's been no talk of reparations.

  https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-4d136ff07096333cb76cb17e5ce17bbf

--In Iraq the man who threw a shoe at GW Bush years ago has affirmed our 
analysis that the US is still occupying Iraq, politically if not 
militarily.

  https://www.laprensalatina.com/journalist-who-hurled-shoes-at-george-bush-says-occupation-of-iraq-not-over/

In local news, the day after last week's rally, the Portland Police shot a 
second person in six days' time, making it their 8th deadly force incident 
this year. The man was the fourth person wounded (four others were 
killed). This is the most PPB shootings in 16 years.

  https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2021/12/16/37472295/police-identify-man-shot-by-officers-in-saturday-traffic-stop

When we got to the area where we talk Israel/Palestine, I noted that 
Senator Wyden and others in congress want to sanction the Israeli company 
which makes Pegasus software, which has been used to hack journalists and 
human rights activists' information including in Palestine. (Wyden doesn't 
appear to have mentioned Palestine specifically).

  https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/12/democratic-lawmakers-urge-sanctions-israels-nso-group

And in the last lap, for "money for human needs not war," I noted that the 
Senate passed the final version of the defense bill for $777 billion with 
a vote of 88-11. Three of the no votes were Republicans, one was 
Independent Bernie Sanders, and the other 7 were Democrats... two of whom 
were Wyden and Merkley. We've got it going on here in Oregon, what's up 
with everyone else??

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/16/us-military-spending-grows-as-policy-shifts-to-prioritise-china

The Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial sign froze up next to the Gucci store 
(today with the message "Justice 4," rather than the usual "US out" 
though both messages are still running on the sign). It went out 
around the corner on Yamhill.

I reminded people that our extended Friday rally (4:30 start time rather 
than 5) on January 7 will focus on 20 years of Guantanamo.

  https://pjw.info/guantanamo20yl.html

We hope more folks, two legged or four, will join us. For now, dogs 
don't have to mask up but we are asking humans to do so, and to stay 
distanced for health and safety.

peace

--dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group