Nation's Largest Anti-War Coalition Resolves to Work for Prosecution of War Criminals

[davidswanson]

United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), the largest coalition of peace organizations (over 1,400 of them) in the United States, held a national assembly in Chicago December 12-14, and drafted documents establishing the movement's agenda for the coming year.

Proposals to work for the prosecution of high officials guilty of war crimes, including the crime of launching an aggressive war, were approved and written into all three of UFPJ's key documents, which are revised from year to year, including the Unity Statement, the Strategic Framework, and the Program Document. The last of these lists projects the coalition will organize around and actually work to move forward in the coming months.

UFPJ also established a strong position in favor of complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, and laid plans to work toward resolving economic crises by shifting public resources from the military and wars to human needs. As part of this project, UFPJ delegates voted for a plan to organize a massive demonstration in New York City on April 4, the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1967 speech against the Vietnam War at Riverside Church. This plan was approved instead of a competing proposal for a protest in Washington, D.C., on March 21st, the Saturday closest to the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

Delegates to the conference strategized new goals and potential coalitions in an environment changed by elections and economic turmoil. Making connections between the economy and the financial cost of war was a major focus. Another was working to push Congress, not only to make that shift in resources, but to end wars and refuse escalations on a timeline and in ways superior to the recent withdrawal agreement or the apparent plans of the incoming Obama administration. At the same time, the peace movement will be looking for ways to build on the better of the sometimes contradictory commitments made by the new president, including his promises to end the war in Iraq and to end the "tyranny of oil." A lot of thinking went into consideration of the many people who actively supported Obama's election but have not yet actively supported peace, and how to work with them to advance changes we can all believe in.

The finished products of UFPJ's document drafting deliberations will be posted at http://unitedforpeace.org

[babylonsister]

1. Big-g-g recommend! nt

[Hissyspit]

2. Same here. nt

[jetphixer]

21. Where do i Sign UP???

As a retired Service connected disabled vet From the Nam yrs Ill sign up for this event Put Bush Rummie n Cheny in the jail house.. Where does the line form to enlist in this cause. Bill USN RETIRED

[kas125]

3. That is great news. Thank you for working so hard to make it

happen, David.

[patrice]

4. This is good, because groups can do their own LOCAL thing in March AND go to NY in April. Very wise.

[bluesmail]

5. A hopeful K&R.

[balantz]

6. A top idea for a big, combined focus of efforts. n/t

[Better Believe It]

7. Too Bad: They once again decide to split the anti-war movement ....

along with the ANSWER organization, rather than build a united and massive demonstration against the war in Washington, D.C. on March 21st. Pelosi and Reid might object.

The UFPG and ANSWER coalitions continue their devisive and sectarian unwillingness to engage in united actions against the war.

Their seperate demonstrations will be small probably only numbering in the tens of thousands instead of the hundreds of thousands and perhaps even millions that could be mobilized against the continued occupation of Iraq.

Unless there is some information about joint and united actions by UPFG and ANSWER that I'm not aware of, this is indeed sad and unfortunate. Sectarianism has never helped build any effective and powerful mass movements on any issue.

[davidswanson]

8. i voted for

march 21

[bertman]

10. Better Believe It, please enlighten us about the two groups and why they have not been able

to coalesce over such an immensely important issue.

[davidswanson]

15. hard to do

without making cooperation even more difficult

let's just say there are things that should be overcome

[bertman]

17. Thanks, David. I'll take that as code for "egos".

[Better Believe It]

18. Egos and Sectarianism

[midnight]

12. Never, Never give up....

[althecat]

9. Excellent news

:kick:

[mmonk]

11. Thanks very much David.

[EFerrari]

13. Good.

[robinlynne]

14. FANTASTIC!

[pleah]

16. K&R n/t

[ooglymoogly]

19. KR Shouldn't that have read "war of aggression', not "an aggressive war".

You can bet Pelosi and gang are burning the midnight oil to insulate Herr * and co. from prosecution of any kind.

[Wizard777]

20. We can pull out of afghanistan right after we get Bin Laden. Alive and the quicker the better.

That will be the ultimate kiss my ass :kick: to the Republicans.

[jetphixer]

22. Bin is Dead

I just feel bin L is dead but the movement goes on.We need out get out of there ASAP or lose more of our resources and our ass in the place. We need the bucks to support our own folks right here.An we can do that best by putting Bush Rummie an Cheney IN JAIL Cheney should get a firing squad for what he did to V Plame CIA in case we forgot that one.... Bill

[Pastiche423]

23. Yep

OBL died on December 26, 2001. But then, bombing the hell out of Afghanistan never really had naything to do w/him. He was just another excuse to get what the criminals wanted.

The plans to bomb Afghamistan was on *'s desk long before September 11, 2001.

[CheCheCheCheYerBooty]

24. Out of Afghanistan now

There is no "moral" war. We need to withdrawl from both Iraq and Afghanistan and pay war reparations to both countries. As a veteran of the 1st Gulf war I've seen what war does to humanity first hand. The bush cabal needs to be put on trial in front of the entire world to set an example to those in power.