[pjw] REPORT BACK: two hot fronts: Friday rally #222 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello again supporters of the Iraq Affinity Group

We had nine people attending last night's Friday Rally for Peace and 
Justice. One had arrived to do a quick favor for an ally who isn't feeling 
well, but ended up staying, grabbing a sign and marching.

There was a lot of positive horn-honking, which was helpful to some of us 
whose spirits are dragging with all the news (as relayed below...). A few 
folks yelled quick opinions from their cars as they sped by, including one 
who said "abolish the UN" (probably not to create a more equitable world 
body, I suspect, but because they think somehow the UN is running our 
lives, if only) and another who said something about "they're killing us." 
???

We didn't have our two best literature-distributors with us last night but 
managed to hand out a few flyers for the Noor Ghazi livestream, which is 
now just 10 days away!

  https://pjw.info/n_ghazi_livestream062524.html

What did we talk about this week? Read on.

--The UN Security Council voted 14-0-1 for what is essentially the US' 
ceasefire plan. Russia abstained because (they are correct) it's not clear 
that this will result in a permanent ceasefire. Secretary of Perpetual 
Hostilities Antony Blinken condemned Hamas for wanting to modify the 
proposal, but said nothing of how Israel's Netanyahu also poo-poohed it.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/06/10/un-security-council-adopts-gaza-ceasefire-resolution/

---The Palestinians are asking to add Russia, China and Turkey to help 
enforce the cease fire, which makes sense to balance out the western 
powers who have demonstrated their bias. Interesting choice of Turkey, 
which is part of NATO but doesn't always do what the US wants them to.

  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/full-text-hamas-reply-israel-gaza-ceasefire-proposal

---Although the sanctions on the extremist Israeli settlers in the West 
Bank kind of backfired (as noted previously), the US has now also put 
sanctions on the Israeli group which has been blocking aid to 
Palestinians. You have to do something when people are being so cruel.

  https://thehill.com/policy/international/4723204-us-sanctions-extremist-israeli-group-blocking-gaza-aid/

---The UN Human Rights committee found both Israel and the Palestinians 
engaged in war crimes. While that may bother some people, I think it's 
fair to judge both sides rather than end up with the usual "the victors 
get to write history" version of any war.

  https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/israeli-authorities-palestinian-armed-groups-are-responsible-war-crimes

---After the US-backed Israeli Defense Forces killed a Hezbollah 
commander, the group in Lebanon retaliated by firing 250 missiles into 
Israel. The body count is still wildly imbalanced on how many people in 
Lebanon have died since 10/7 vs. Israelis killed by Hezbollah: 300 vs 28.

  https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-strike-lebanon-kills-four-including-senior-hezbollah-commander-2024-06-11/

--Meanwhile, on the other major war front in the news this week: The US 
and G7 have come up with a scheme to "loan" $50 billion of seized Russian 
assets to Ukraine and pay the loan back using the interest on those 
assets. Setting aside the sheer "that's not your money" issue, um... when 
you spend the assets they won't be making and interest.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2024/06/13/g7-leaders-agree-to-provide-ukraine-with-50-billion-using-frozen-russian-assets/

---While at the conference, the US signed a 10 year security agreement 
with Ukraine, seen as a precursor to adding Ukraine to NATO. Which, you 
may remember is one of the reasons Russia began its war in the first 
place. I believe this is known as "doubling down" (and ratcheting up).

  https://www.reuters.com/world/us-ukraine-ink-10-year-defense-agreement-billed-nato-precursor-2024-06-13/

---NATO has announced they have 300,000 troops at the ready in case, you 
know, their desired shooting war with Russia unfolds.

  https://www.thedefensepost.com/2024/06/13/nato-troops-high-readiness/

---And in more absolutely jaw dropping news, the US has lifted its ban on 
the neo-Nazi tied Azov Brigade, with the State Department declaring they 
have no problem with the controversial militia having joined the Ukrainian 
military.

  https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/06/10/azov-brigade-ukraine-us-weapons/

--Meanwhile, the Iraqi government is continuing its efforts to express its 
readiness for full sovereignty by saying the Islamic State is no longer a 
threat...

  https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/100620241

---...but of course to justify their endless occupation, the new US 
ambassador says ISIS is still a threat.

  https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/06/bidens-nominee-iraq-ambassador-vows-counter-resurgent-isis

In local news, the Portland Police made a surprise announcement Thursday 
about their newly reconstituted crowd control unit. It wasn't a 
surprise, because they said they were going to follow the advice of a 
consultant and "transparently introduce" the new team to the public, it 
was a surprise because 8 days prior Chief Day told the Portland Committee 
on Community Engaged Policing (which is supposed to help liaison between 
the cops and the public) he wasn't sure what the introduction would look 
like... and failed to give them a heads up about the conference. Hmm. Of 
the 50 members, 35 were among those on the old Rapid Response Team who quit 
when one of theirs was indicted in 2021. And although their own paperwork 
calls this the Public Order Unit (later changed to Public Order Team, 
since that spelled "POU"), they insist on using the old name Rapid 
Response Team, maybe to make people as angry as possible about how police 
brutalized community members (and the media) in 2020.

  https://www.koin.com/news/portland/portland-officials-hold-conference-to-discuss-rapid-response-team/
  https://www.portland.gov/policies/police-directives/field-operations-0600/063510-portland-police-bureau-response-public

OK, then along the march route, I noted that this week included a 
US-backed IDF raid on a West Bank town that killed three people. Funded, 
supported, and silently accepted by the US.

  https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/israeli-forces-kill-three-palestinians-seize-weapons-in-west-bank-raid/ar-BB1ob1oN

About a block later we ran into a group of folks who were taken by the 
Free Palestine signs and took several photos. We got them the 1/4 page 
flyer that promotes the Friday Rally.

Then as we came toward the end point, I talked about the House's final 
vote on their proposed military budget. I'm kind of confused about the 
whole process but Alliance for Democracy assures me that in addition to 
the Senate having to look at this, there are separate votes to allot the 
budget and to appropriate the money, so this news may keep changing. In 
any case, the vote was 217-194 for the $895 billion bill, which includes 
restriction on medical access to people who seek abortions or transgender 
care. Why people who can bear children or who are transgender would join 
the military is beyond me when the country thinks of them this way. 
Anyway, putting money into the military and cutting benefits is fitting 
for a Congress that keeps spending money on war instead of human needs.

  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-house-approves-defense-policy-bill-with-divisive-provision-on-abortion-transgender-troops/ar-BB1oeYyV

I quickly ran the little wagon of peace that carries the Ann Huntwork 
Peace Memorial Sign past the "mystery spot" across from the Apple 
Store. It managed to stay running for about six extra feet before 
shutting off again.

Please think about coming downtown to SW Broadway and Yamhill some Friday 
at 5 PM, even if it's your "once a year" visit to the event. It's 
spiritually uplifting and lets us know we're not alone.

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