[antiwar-van] For Imm Rls: Anti-War picket action in response to MacKay's Afghan visit

[Kira Koshelanyk]

Mobilization Against War and Occupation – MAWO
www.mawovancouver.org | info at mawovancouver.org
Ph. 604-322-1764 | Fax. 604-322-1763

NEWS ITEM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2006
Vancouver, BC

PRESS CONTACT:
Nita Palmer, MAWO Acting-Secretary – 604-780-7604

VANCOUVER ANTI-WAR COALITION HOLDS EMERGENCY PICKET
ACTION IN RESPONSE TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER PETER
MACKAY’S VISIT TO THE CANADIAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN

-----------------------------
Emergency Picket Line Action Against Canada’s
occupation of Afghanistan
Thursday May 11th, 2006
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Canada Forces Recruitment Centre
(1070 West Georgia St, Downtown Vancouver)
------------------------------


Just days after the results of a new poll were
released revealing a spike in people in Canada’s
opposition to Canada’s occupation of Afghanistan, the
government of Canada took action in classical
war-monger style. On Tuesday May 8th the new Foreign
Affairs Minister of Canada, Peter MacKay, paid a
surprise visit to the Canadian troops stationed in
Southern Afghanistan to ‘boost their morale’ and to
convince people back home that it is necessary to
continue Canada’s occupation of Afghanistan for as
long as “the commitment” takes – far beyond the
current mandate of February 2007.

Speaking directly to the fears shared by people in
Canada and Canadian troops on the ground in
Afghanistan, MacKay said, "I would disagree that
things are unstable in the south,” […] "My
understanding is sometimes the increase in the
insurgency is the recognition that the Taliban may be
on the run and we are now moving perhaps into
territories where they are feeling more threatened."

Nita Palmer, Mobilization Against War and Occupation
(MAWO)’s Acting Secretary responded to this statement,
“Southern Afghanistan is definitely ‘unstable’. Peter
MacKay is trying to turn the truth on its head by
talking like a war monger.”

Palmer continued, “The increase of attacks on the
Canadian occupation forces is a sign that the Canadian
forces are increasingly attacking people and that the
occupation is making life worse for the people of
Afghanistan. It is a sign that the people of
Afghanistan are defending their lives against the
occupation forces – it is not a sign that the Canadian
occupation is on the verge of "success". The situation
in Afghanistan is only going to get worse until the
occupation ends.”

The picketers in front of the Canada Forces
Recruitment Centre take the recent poll results
against the occupation of Afghanistan as a sign that
the war mongering campaign of the government of Canada
is failing.

Palmer said, “People Canada need to know what exactly
Peter MacKay proposes to accomplish with the
occupation over a ‘longer period of time’. People in
Canada have not given him a blank cheque to do
whatever the government wants with taxpayers’ money.
There is a greater need than ever for an Independent
Public Inquiry into Canada’s occupation of Afghanistan
and to demand an immediate end to the occupation of
Afghanistan.”

MAWO has pledged to return to picket in front of the
Canada Forces Recruitment Centre consistently until
Canada ends its war drive and occupation of
Afghanistan.

- 30-

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