[pjw] REPORT BACK: better than the Post Office: Friday rally #256 since stay-at-home orders

[Peace and Justice Works]

Greetings Iraq Affinity Group supporters

We had a snowstorm here in Portland starting Thursday morning and 
trickling off by mid-day Friday. I spent several hours taking the bus to 
our Post Office box (since Monday is a holiday) and was able to retrieve 
our mail, but... the customer window was closed. (I had to bus/walk to 
another PO to complete my needed transactions.) What ever happened to
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers 
from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" ???

Well, for our part, five of us rallied down at Pioneer Courthouse Square 
despite the slightly icy/mushy conditions (the snow's still melting this 
morning). Four of us went on the whole march but one person left mid-way 
to catch a bus home. Because I too was on the bus I did not bring the 
wagon-- as I joked last night "I feel like I lost 40 pounds."

We had a lot of encounters with people, mostly positive... starting while 
I was just toting a handful of signs from the bus stop. "Thank you, I MEAN 
that!" said one man. A woman came up to us on the Square and said "beep 
beep, if I were driving I'd honk for you" (that's at least the second such 
human/car hybrid we've heard). A couple of people interrupted the news 
announcements with their opinions on things, the last of which was a man 
at the end saying "it's just wrong that they're killing babies. I'm with 
you."

Flyers for the March 21 Friday rally went to dozens of passers-by, 
including one person who came up and asked for one! On the other hand a 
person who was asked to take one told us they had one up in their lobby 
already, which I suppose is possible but since they've only been out for 8 
days, I don't know.

Here are links to the event listing for "The US Lied About How Many 
Troops Are in Iraq-- Time to Get Them All Out! ***22 Years After the 
Invasion***" 
https://pjw.info/iraq22yl.html
and the flyer
https://pjw.info/iraq22yl_flyer.pdf .

OK, once again had to pick and choose news from all the hubbub flying 
around.

I started by noting that it was Valentine's Day which for many is about 
love, one of the unspoken values of our events-- love not hate, peace not 
war, cooperation not competition. Others, though, associate it with the St 
Valentine's Day massacre, and carry on massacres to perpetuate their 
values.

For example.

--Despite the ceasefire, an Israeli drone killed one person and killed 
others in Gaza. Speculation is this was a message from the Israeli 
government that if Hamas didn't stop (rightly) complaining about violations 
of the ceasefire, they would pick up the war where they left off.

  https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-drone-kills-palestinian-gaza-truce-hangs-thread

---Egypt has said it will not meet with the US if the ethnic cleansing of 
Gaza is on the agenda.

  https://english.alarabiya.net/News/united-states/2025/02/12/al-sisi-to-not-attend-any-white-house-talks-if-gaza-displacement-on-agenda-sources-

----> And while Saudi Arabia said they're OK with building a 
Riviera in the Middle East, that would only happen if the 
Palestinians are allowed to stay. "It's their land," they said.

  https://english.alarabiya.net/News/saudi-arabia/2025/02/12/saudi-arabia-welcomes-riviera-in-gaza-but-not-by-removing-palestinians-ambassador-

---In Lebanon, Israel has expressly laid out plans to stay past new 
deadline of February 18, seemingly willing to continue violating THAT 
ceasefire agreement.

  https://dailystar.com.lb/israeli-army-preparing-withdraw-lebanon/

---Israel has no ceasefire agreement in Syria, and with the Assad 
government gone, they are setting up 9 permanent bases in territory 
they captured after the fall.

  https://thecradle.co/articles/israel-establishes-nine-permanent-occupation-bases-in-south-syria

---->Israel also dropped bombs on a Syrian military airport last Sunday.

  https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-bombs-several-sites-across-southern-syria

--As Trump has announced that talks to end the war in Ukraine are starting 
right away, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is upset Trump called Putin 
first. Seems kind of petty in the bigger picture of things. Remember, 
Russia invaded because, decades ago, NATO had promised not to come closer 
to Russian borders, but did. Trump seems to be saying any peace deal will 
include that Ukraine will not join NATO.

  https://www.aa.com.tr/en/russia-ukraine-war/zelenskyy-says-trump-contacting-putin-first-in-call-not-very-pleasant-/3481405

--The Washington Post says the US has drawn up two sets of plans for 
bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, not for America to use, but rather 
the Israelis. Despite the fact it's been acknowledged Iran is not seeking 
to build a nuclear weapon.

  https://news.antiwar.com/2025/02/12/report-israel-likely-to-bomb-iran-in-the-coming-months/

--As was happening monthly under the Biden administration, the US sailed 
two warships through the Taiwan Strait this week to thumb its nose at 
China. (See later discussion on Trump saying he wants peace with China for 
further proof of inconsistent policy making.)

  https://news.antiwar.com/2025/02/12/two-us-navy-ships-transit-taiwan-strait-for-first-time-under-new-trump-admin/

--I missed the news last week that the US bombed Somalia on February 1. 
The first time under Trump and continuing US military action there going 
on since 1992.

  https://apnews.com/article/somalia-islamic-state-trump-airstrikes-hegseth-africa-56c8ef314fd74812140153e7e3e4d809

--During a multi-country conference, Iraq, which has been under attack by 
the US since 1991 (or 1990 counting sanctions), made a pact with Somalia 
to improve security ties.

  https://allafrica.com/stories/202405160562.html

In local news, the Joint Terrorism Task Force report due to City Council 
in January will FINALLY be heard this coming Wednesday, Feb 19 at 6 PM. 
You can watch me speaking for PJW/Portland Copwatch among six groups 
who've been working on the campaign about why Portland Police 
working with the FBI is a threat to our safety, rights and security.

  https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/council-documents/2025/REPORT-TO-CITY-COUNCIL-ON-THE-PORTLAND-JOINT-TERRORISM-TASK-FORCE--JTTF----2025_0.pdf

Along the march route I noted that the US-backed Israeli defense forces 
made many angry headlines this week when they shot and killed a pregnant 
woman in the West Bank (as part of their ratcheting up their warfare there 
after the Gaza ceasefire was signed).

  https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2025/02/11/israel-s-fatal-shooting-of-a-pregnant-palestinian-woman-puts-the-focus-on-west-bank-violence

OK, so remember the "broken clock" theory when I write that Donald Trump 
said that the US can cut its military budget in half (!!!), asking 
Russia and China why are we all spending money on nuclear weapons that 
could be spent on other things? Of course, he probably means doling out 
taxpayer money to his rich cronies rather than supporting human needs. 
That said, stock prices for arms manufacturers tumbled after Trump made 
his proposed cuts known.

  https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/13/defense-stocks-drop-after-trump-says-defense-spending-could-be-halved.html

No wagon, no story this week about the Ann Huntwork Peace Memorial Sign. 
But it'll be back next week if you can join us! A colleague reported their 
neighbor just got COVID for the second time. And actually flu deaths are 
surpassing COVID deaths this year. So be careful, mask up and distance 
when you can (especially that person on the bus who kept coughing without 
covering their mouth, THANKS A LOT).

  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/02/11/flu-influenza-cases-increase-2025-symptoms-cdc/78412536007/

thank YOU, 
--dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group