Current Events and Peace and Justice Summary (Three Short Videos)

GLNAWI is working to finalize the details of a teach-in event aiming to be hosted at Michigan State University for March 18th, 2007 from 2-5pm (please see GLNAWI.org as the details of this event materialize). One of the featured speakers at the event is Dr. Dahlia Wasfi M.D. who is a speaker with Global Exchange. The YouTube link below shows her speaking at a congressional hearing in a forum on the subject of US troops in Iraq. Dr. Wasfi makes an impassioned and powerful argument to Bring the Troops Home Now.

Dr. Dahlia Wasfi M.D. speaks at a congressional hearing

Amnesty International continues its support for human rights and fight against the United States recent stripping of the right of habeas corpus through the passage of the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The link below takes you to the Amnesty website with a video of congressional testimony by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales where he quite clearly contradicts both his own statements and more importantly the U.S. Constitution. It is important to add that Mr. Gonzales, President Bush, and all the members of Congress that voted in favor of the Military Commissions act have taken oaths to uphold the Constitution prior to their support for this tragic bill.

Constitutional Contradictions by Attorny General Alberto Gonzales

Also visit the GLNAWI website for a position statement about the Military Commissions Act and stay tuned for public actions in protest of the Bush Administration condoned torture.

Finally, there is a new project underway to expose the bias and destructive propaganda that defines Fox New Corporation. While there is still a large portion of the U.S. falling victim to the Fox New Corporation media empire's propaganda, there are many who are working to expose what is an obvious bias and bring down their primary marketing myth of "fair and balanced." The project is starting with a short montage film that highlights what has already been erroneous and slanted coverage of U.S. Senator and Presidential hopeful Barak Obama. From the makers of BraveNew Films who has created such indispensable documentaries as Out Foxed: Rupert Murdock’s War on Journalism, and Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers, comes Fox Attacks. Check out the brief, yet telling film here:

Fox Attacks

Posted at Sunday, February 25, 2007
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Saturday, February 17, 2007
Iran: The Next Weapons Hunt

In recent days, I have been trying to make some sense out of all the headline news regarding the Bush Administration's claims of Iranian weapons responsible for large numbers of US deaths in Iraq. Michael Gordon's article in the New York Ttimes "Deadliest Bomb in Iraq Is Made by Iran, U.S. Says" has become a focus this week throughout the debate. Its unquestioning support and many unnamed sources seem to have become a lightning rod for the Administration's difficult to swallow claims. As many have already suggested, this style of reporting harkens back to the unquestioning support the New York Times offered in the lead up to the Iraq fiasco and the now thoroughly disproved case for WMDs in Iraq (the case was never very solid as we have come to see more and more).

Unlike the lead up to the war in Iraq, many mainstream media outlets are taking the Administration's strong arm push of unsupported (and politically motivated) claims against Iran with a little more caution. The New York Times is the obvious exception but this leaves me with no surprise.

As the media has reported on these claims coming from the Bush Administration, there has been a healthy amount of skepticism showing, among other things, that there have been some lessons learned since the Iraq war. More telling than this refreshing media reaction is the resulting Administration back pedaling and clarifications that have taken place after being met with such skepticism and disbelief. This drives home an important point that the peace movement has been pushing since the war began; media matters.

Without a doubt, an unengaged media, reporting politically motivated information directly from the executive branch, hurts the democratic process. Imagine where we would be, had the media stepped up in 2002 when the Bush Administration was building a case for invading Iraq based on the same style of lies and unfounded distortions that were being pushed then. Imagine if the media raised its brow and questioned the evidence (or lack of evidence) that made Iraq the greatest military danger to American security in the world.

I think about this every time I hear a politician using the phrase "If we knew then what we know now." This excuse attempts to clean congress of any wrong doing in late 2002 when having authorized a warmongering executive branch the use of force against Iraq. It is quite frankly a dishonest response considering the lack of inquiry into the evidence.

But this brings me back to the topic that has been of such great attention this week:


Posted at Saturday, February 17, 2007
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Thursday, February 08, 2007
Gates and Pace: Debate on Iraq Doesn't Hurt Morale


With the Senate Republicans filibustering the anti-escalation resolution, The House Armed Services Committee met to discuss their version of a resolution to officially disagree with President Bush’s escalation plan in Iraq. The overwhelming sentiment coming from the Democrats on the committee expressed that the escalation will be adding fuel to an already raging fire. The ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Duncan Hunter of California made use of the most common and central pro-escalation argument used by congressional Republicans and the White House alike. This main argument claims that not supporting the escalation is akin to not supporting the troops and thus serves to undermine troop moral.

While there is nothing new about this false argument, something particularly refreshing came as response from the top. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Peter Pace and Defense Secretary Robert Gates both in their own way refuted this argument saying that having this debate is truly what democracy is about and that the troops understand our legislative process.

Listen to the piece from NPR

Also see the quick blurb from Think Progress

This is extremely important news. In fact I would argue that this should be the headline news. The White House and Republican Congressional Leaders have maintained throughout the past four years of this war, that any discussion or dissent regarding Iraq is "detrimental to troop moral" and it "emboldens the enemy." What we have here is the top management of the military refuting this claim and encouraging the debate.

The fact that this isn’t front page news is troublesome and disappointing. While many media sources offer brief coverage of the House Armed Services Committee hearing, most fail to site these comments about a healthy democratic process made by General Pace and Secretary Gates, much less highlight the significance. Surprisingly the Navy Times can be included in the few exceptions to this comment on media coverage.

“Pace and Gates said they did not think debate in Congress would hurt the morale of troops in combat, undercutting an assertion by many congressional Republicans that members’ opposition to the war was hurting troops.” – Navy Times

On a related note, consider joining MoveOn’s petition to support NPR and PBS as the Bush Administration seeks to slash and/or cancel their funding.

Posted at Thursday, February 08, 2007
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Thursday, February 01, 2007
New Documentary Filmed Entirely By Soldiers

A friend sent me some information about a new documentary called The War Tapes (view the trailer here). This film is a compilation of footage taken by three National Guardsmen over the course of their one year tour in Iraq. It is a very unique documentary about Iraq due to the inside look into the thoughts, experiences and dangerous situations in which the filming takes place. I am sure there is a good deal of footage that could get these soldiers into trouble with their employer (i.e. Department of Defense, President Bush et. al.).

There could also be some bias based on the source and context of the footage but I think the peace movement should be looking to embrace the soldier point of view. Not only is there a well established anti-war veterans movement but there are growing signs of dissent within the rank and file of the active military (see Appeal for Redress.org). A recent poll conducted by the military times shows that only 35% of active service members approve of President Bush's handling of the war, with 42% disapproving. An additional 47% believe that Iraq is not a part of the war on terror while President Bush has called it "the central front" in the global war (check out the poll results).


"In March 2004, just as the insurgent movement strengthened, several members of one National Guard unit arrived in Iraq, with cameras. THE WAR TAPES is the result – a uniquely collaborative film from a team that includes Director Deborah Scranton, Producer Robert May (THE FOG OF WAR) and Producer/Editor Steve James (HOOP DREAMS)."

Read more about The War Tapes

Posted at Thursday, February 01, 2007
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