[antiwar-van] July 27: Van- MAWO Statement + Urgent Picket Against Canadian War Drive!

[Kira Koshelanyk]

*please forward widely*

EMERGENCY PICKET ACTION!
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thursday July 27
2pm-3pm
@ the Canadian Armed Forces Recruitment Center
(1070 W Georgia St - on Georgia St @ Thurlow)
++++++++++++++++++++++++

Organized by Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO)
WWW.MAWOVANCOUVER.ORG | info at mawovancouver.org | 604.322.1764

++++++++++++++++++++++++

MAWO Statement on Canadian War Drive in Afghanistan & Canadian Government 
Approval of Israel's Attacks on Gaza & Lebanon:

CANADA OUT OF AFGHANISTAN!
SELF DETERMINATION FOR AFGHANISTAN!
CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE CANADIAN WAR DRIVE IN 
AFGHANISTAN!

On Saturday July 22nd, two Canadian Soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in 
an attack against the occupying troops near their Kandahar base. These two 
deaths bring the rapidly rising toll up to 20 Canadians killed in 
Afghanistan. Three days later, on July 25th, Mike Frastacky, a Canadian 
working in Afghanistan, was killed. The death toll for Canada in this 
mission has now reached 21. Afghanistan is undeniably a war zone.

According to Col. Tom Putt, deputy commanding officer of the Canadian Task 
Force Afghanistan the two deaths are "the price Canada has to pay today for 
a brighter future for the people of Afghanistan,"

Contrary to what Col. Putt is alleging, this occupation is not bringing any 
future for Afghanistan. The death toll for Afghan people is many thousands. 
Thousands more are wounded and hundreds of thousands on top of that have 
been devastatingly impoverished and made into refugees. Schools are not 
functioning. Afghans have no control over the political process and state 
machinery that they need to create a future in the interest of the people of 
Afghanistan.

Stephen Harper met the deaths of the two Canadian soldiers with these 
comments, “…we are proud of the men and women of the Canadian Forces, 
who continue to stand on guard for Canadian values around the world…"

What the policy of the Stephen Harper and the Canadian Government has shown 
is that “Canadian values” include denying the democratic, political and 
legal rights of an entire country of people in Afghanistan. “Canadian 
values” mean military suppression of a resistance movement demanding their 
right to sovereignty. “Canadian values” mean air strikes, house raids, 
checkpoints, arrests and torture. No wonder that Afghan people have rejected 
Stephen Harper’s “Canadian values”!

For Afghanistan to have a chance to build a future that will benefit the 
needs of Afghans, they first need self-determination. Occupation troops must 
immediately withdrawal and Afghans must be left to determine their own 
future.

ISRAEL OUT OF GAZA AND LEBANON!

While Prime Minister Harper was commenting on spreading “Canadian 
values” through Afghanistan, out of the other side of his mouth, he was 
defending the spreading of Israeli bombs throughout Lebanon and Gaza. 
"Israel has the right to defend itself." said Stephen Harper in a press 
scrum on July 13th.

On July 12th, under the guise of rescuing an Israeli soldier kidnapped by 
Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel began a massive military campaign against 
southern Lebanon. In the past 2 weeks this has meant aerial bombardment of 
civilian areas by the Israeli Air Force, a naval blockade of Lebanon, a 
force of tanks and armored personnel carriers, and raids into southern 
Lebanon by Israeli Defense Force ground troops. Over 400 people have been 
reported dead in Lebanon and  hundreds more have been wounded. Over 700,000 
Lebanese have been made refugees, with an unknown number of missing 
civilians in the south.

This round of Israeli criminal agression comes on the heels of the ongoing 
seige of Gaza, which began on June 28, again with the excuse of avenging a 
kidnapping. In Gaza Israel launched a large-scale military operation which 
targeted the main electric plant, leaving over half of the Gaza Strip 
without electricity. Israel continues this siege alongside the attacks on 
Lebanon. On July 23rd in one attack alone they killed 6 Palestinians in an 
aerial bombardment in the Northern Gaza Strip.

Stephen Harper’s response to Israel’s attacks? "I think Israel's 
response under the circumstances has been measured…” He is right yes, it 
has been “measured”. It measures a death toll for hundreds of innocent 
people.

Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) is staunchly opposed to 
Israel’s criminal killing machine in Lebanon and Gaza. We demand the 
immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip 
and Lebanon and the immediate end to state-terrorism by Israel. We echo the 
demands of the Palestinian people for self-determination, for an end to the 
58-year occupation of historic Palestine, and for the right of return for 
the millions of Palestinians refugees. We call on all peace-loving people 
and humanists to stand behind our sisters and brothers of Palestine as they 
wage a historic fight against the oppressive Apartheid State of Israel for 
their dignity and sovereignty for Palestine and Lebanon.

CANADA OUT OF AFGHANISTAN!
ISRAEL OUT OF GAZA AND LEBANON!

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