[pjw] REPORT BACK: Iraq: US OUT!: Friday rally #204 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello Iraq Affinity Group supporters

With this week's news it seems my holding a sign that says "IRAQ: US OUT" 
for most of the Friday rallies in the past... decade? has never been 
timelier, as you'll see in the week's news about a US strike on Baghdad.

Last night we only had three people at the Friday Rally for Peace and 
Justice, but for the second week in a row we ran into someone along the 
march route. By weird coincidence, this time it was the Park Ranger from 
eastern Oregon who joined us last week. They picked up a sign and marched 
with us!

We did have quite a few people offering positive feedback, but again it 
felt like our Park Ranger friend had a special way to engage folks and the 
reactions picked up along the route.

Here are the headlines we talked about tying local, national and 
international issues together.

--Iraq told the US to leave again after and American airstrike 
in Baghdad targeted and killed a militia leader.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-restates-call-removal-us-troops-following-assassination-militia-leader

(A little side note here that I failed to think about last night: If the 
question of presidential immunity is decided against Donald Trump because 
he can't just go kill his political opponents, maybe one day presidents or 
ex-presidents will be prosecuted for these aerial assassinations.)

---On Monday, after telling the media and American public last week that 
the Iraqi government had been warned before the 125 bombs were dropped on 
their country, the White House admitted it lied and did NOT tell anyone.

  https://theintercept.com/2024/02/05/white-house-iraq-airstrikes-john-kirby/

--Meanwhile in the now-four-month-old war on Gaza, Israel rejected the 
proposal by Hamas for a 4.5 month ceasefire, labeling it as "delusional."

  https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-backing-off-hostage-talks-unless-hamas-drops-delusional-demands-official/

---But that article in the Times of Israel also claimed President Biden 
called Hamas' reaction to Israel "over the top" when in fact he used that 
phrase to describe Israel's military attacks on Gaza. Propaganda of the 
highest order!

  https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/08/politics/biden-calls-israels-response-in-gaza-over-the-top/index.html

---Also, Israel wants to attack Rafah in Southern Gaza where over a 
million people are sheltering after being told to evacuate other parts of 
the region. There's a lot of pushback, but no real talk about, I don't 
know, CUTTING OFF MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL.

  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/8/israel-escalates-rafah-bombardment-as-us-warns-of-a-disaster

--In related news, nobody still seems to be talking about Israel's ongoing 
bombardment of Syria, which happened again this week causing civilian 
deaths.

  https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syria-israeli-airstrikes-homs-killed-wounded-civilians-107012292

---Also in Syria, a drone strike on a US military base killed six Kurdish 
fighters from a group that is supported by America.

  https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/05022024

--The US and UK launched more strikes on Yemen over the weekend.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/04/us-uk-launch-another-round-of-heavy-strikes-on-yemen/

---leading to more analysis that the US bombing and its reclassifying the 
Houthis as "terrorists" is making a deal between Yemen and Saudi Arabia 
impossible. Notably, the US is saying their goal in the Hamas/Israel war 
is to get Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel. Seems contradictory to me.

  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/world/middleeast/yemen-peace-deal.html
  https://archive.is/NOnQF

In local news, the City Council is receiving a report on Wednesday 
afternoon about the "Enhanced Service Districts" which are where people in 
a certain area pay a "fee" to get extra security and cleaning services. 
The largest, which is managed by the (whatever it's called now) Portland 
Business Alliance funds downtown Clean and Safe... and four Portland 
Police Officers who attend to their beck and call. But there's no mention 
of those cops, who were supposed to be phased out by June this year, in 
the Council documents.

  https://www.portland.gov/council/documents/report/report-recommended-changes-citys-enhanced-services-district-program

Those who have heard me go on about this before know that Portland 
Copwatch always asks, "If we had enough money could we hire police 
officers to patrol wearing clown suits?"

OK, so then along the march route I talked about how the "US-backed" 
Israeli Defense Forces (yes we need to make that a regular phrase) are 
investigating the multiple reports of so called "Friendly Fire" wherein 
Israelis killed their own civilians (and military folks?) on October 7.

  https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/world/israeli-military-opens-probe-into-reports-of-oct-7-friendly-fire-deaths/ar-BB1hSuUm

As we headed back to the Square, I noted two related items where Congress 
is considering spending money on war instead of human needs:

--The Senate is working on a $95 billion bill to get $60 billion to 
Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel and $5 billion to Taiwan, among other 
things.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/08/senate-votes-to-deliberate-on-foreign-military-aid-bill-but-unclear-if-it-will-pass/

---This followed a standalone bill to send Israel slightly more money 
failed in the House for procedural reasons on a 250-180 vote. For 
whatever reason it needed a 2/3 vote.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/02/06/house-fails-to-pass-17-6-billion-israel-military-aid-bill/

The Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign kept working until we rounded the 
corner of the Pioneer Place Mall, going out as it does about 50% of the 
time across from the Apple Store.

We did have two people connect ahead of time this week to say they had 
health issues keeping them from being there. It is always great to have a 
few extra folks show up, even if it's just once a month, once a season or 
once a year. Come on down if you're up for it!

Finally, a reminder that we will be "Remembering the Relentless Bombing
of Iraq Since 2003" at the Friday rally on March 22. Spread the word!

  https://pjw.info/iraq21yl.html

peace
--dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group