Not Another War: Statement of International Action Center

HANDS OFF SYRIA ACTIONS MOMENTUM GROWS

A collective fierce voice demanding, "Not another war" is resounding across the country and around the world. Now is the moment to make our voices heard. Join unified actions this Sat. Sept. 7, in NEW YORK's TIMES SQUARE, *42ND STREET AND SEVENTH AVENUE AT 1 PM*& in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE with Syrian American Forum from 10 to 12. Marching to Congress - Upper Senate Park Join in to stop the attack on Syria. The coming days provide the last chance to mobilize popular resistance to the military strike. The people fear both the political and economic consequences of another costly war. Millions believe the pretext for the war is another Big Lie like the lies used before the Vietnam, Iraq and Libya wars. We need to join together to loudly oppose this new war.  Poised to launch weapons of mass death on the Syrian people, the administration has called time out to try to win over the population and Congress with a "full-court press" assault of war propaganda. We must meet this with a "full-court press" response.  Along with the dozens of protests held last week in the U.S. and hundreds worldwide, the anti-attack forces have called major actions in the next week and a full week of lobbying and local actions.  Under the slogans of “Hands off Syria! Not another war!” the International Action Center initiated a call for a united regional action of all antiwar forces for September 7 at Times Square at 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue, NYC at 1 p.m.   Other actions on Saturday, September 7 include a protest called by the Answer Coalition in front of the White House at noon. There are also regional coalitions organizing demonstrations in Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, among other cities. Many groups are also organizing delegations to congressional offices in the coming week before congressional members head back to DC on Sept 9. The delegations range from polite visits to demonstrations to plans for encampments on the doorstep. Full listings of endorsing organizations and cities where actions are planned can be found at iacenter.org. Click HERE to view an endorsers list. Click HERE to endorse, support or list a local action. Click HERE to find an action near you. Or see unacpeace.org  Broad support is also growing for an initiative by the Syrian American Forum to hold its “Hands Off Syria, Don’t bomb Syria” March on Washington on Sept. 9, when Congress is due to reconvene. The group is organizing buses from the Midwest, South New York and other areas for a Monday rally in front of the White House.   Already 50 organizations have endorsed and are mobilizing for these and other actions, including the United National Antiwar Coalition. Among them is “coordinated day of varied actions directed at Congress" on Friday, Sept. 6, from 4-6 p.m.  ClickHERE to view a full listing of actions.  Click HERE to view an endorsers list. Statement of the International Action Center: The people have made it crystal clear: We don’t want another war! Last week there were demonstrations and rallies against bombing Syria in at least 48 U.S. cities. This Saturday, the 1:00 PM Times Square demonstration will be one of dozens across the country. On Monday, September 9, as Congress goes back into session, the Syrian American Forum and others will protest in front of the White House, then march to the U.S. Congress. The cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds $4 trillion dollars. The cruise missiles the US is planning to fire at Syria cost $1.5 million apiece. The profits of the missile’s maker, Raytheon, is soaring -- but our cities are crumbling. People are hurting from joblessness, foreclosures, sequester cuts and furloughs. Hospitals and schools are closing. We need funds for job programs, healthcare and education, NOT billions wasted on war and destruction. War propaganda always accompanies war. In 2003 before the massive attack on Iraq, it was the lie of “weapons of mass destruction.” In 1991 in the first US war on Iraq it was wild claim that Iraqi soldiers were killing “incubator babies.” In the Vietnam War it was the testimony that U.S. ships were being fired on in the Gulf of Tonkin. It is ludicrous to think that the Assad regime used chemical weapons on the same day that UN weapons inspectors arrived in Syria. The inspectors were less than ten miles away from the attack and had been invited by the Syrian government.  The U.S. is the last country on earth that should start a war on the basis of combatting war crimes. The Pentagon’s 2004 assault on the city of Fallujah, Iraq alone left the residents there with staggering rates of cancer, birth defects and infant mortality due to the U.S. military’s use of depleted uranium and white phosphorus. Just last month the recipient of $1.5 billion in annual military aid, the Egyptian government, brutally cleared the streets, killing many hundreds at protest encampments that included men, women and children. By far, the world’s largest stockpile of chemical, nuclear and every other kind of weapon belongs to the United States -- the only country to have used nuclear weapons on civilians. No, President Barack Obama and Sec. of State John Kerry don’t care about the people of Syria one bit. What they care about is removing a government that gives aid to the Palestinian resistance, Hezbollah and other victims of the Israeli brutality. The repressive regimes in Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf kingdoms beat down the people of the region so that U.S. oil companies can have unfettered access to oil profits. We don't want another war for the 1%. The rich will win and the people in the U.S., Syria and the entire Middle East region will lose. Hands off Syria! Some of the organizations, coalitions and community groups endorsing Sat. Sept 7 demonstrations: (Full list in formation.) Syrian American Forum United National Antiwar Coalition-UNAC ANSWER Coalition Code Pink May 1st Coalition for Worker and Immigrant Rights International Action Center Islamic Leadership Council/Majlis Ash-Shura of Metro NY Harlem Tenants Council La Peña del Bronx U.S. Peace Council Veterans For Peace / Chapter 021, NJ People's Power Movement World Can't Wait International League for People's Struggles/US People's Organization for Progress BAYAN USA Jersey City Peace Movement Occupy Harlem Red Youth Fight Imperialism Stand Together - FIST Pakistan USA Freedom Forum Honduras USA Resistencia Frente Libre-Honduras Antiwar Committee  Al Quds Committee Islamic Leadership Council/Majlis Ash-Shura of Metro NY Grannies for Peace  Black Waxx, NY Interoccupy.net, NYC Guyanese American Workers United, New York, NY Wisconsin Bail Out The People Movement Advocates For Peace And Social Justice, West New York, NJ SI Solidarity Iran People's Video Network  Click HERE to view more endorsers.  Click HERE to endorse, support or list a local action. Click HERE to find an action near you. Or see unacpeace.org  International Action Center c/o Solidarity Center 147 W. 24th St., FL 2 • New York, NY 10011 212-633-6646 www.iacenter.org iacenter@iacenter.org