[frontline-news] Communiqué from the Direct Action Front - Anti-war Direct Action

[frontline-news at lists.resist.ca]

Frontline Information Service   -   Update 03/20/2003
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Communiqué from the Direct Action Front
(received March 18, 2003)

It has been announced by the US government that a unilateral invasion of Iraq
will begin on Wednesday at 8pm. This is 48 hours from the time that the
ultimatum was communicated to the public through the corporate media. In
response to this, the Armed Forces Recruiting Center on Old Post Road in
Edison, NJ was the target of direct action. The intent was to cause as much
economic damage as possible. Specifically it was intended to increase the costs
to pursue the invasion and to eliminate another piece of the American
military-industrial complex.

The front door was shattered and the inside was methodically destroyed. Front
displays were damaged, propaganda was scattered, and marine recruitment
pictures were smashed. We consider this to be an appropriate response from the
American public to stop the inevitable invasion. Time is running short, and
everything possible must be done to stop our government's race to war.

Approximately 230,000 US and British troops are now surrounding Iraq and are
prepared to unleash a full-scale assault and invasion of Iraqi soil. It is
certain that many young American and British troops will die in the fighting.
There is also a great chance of American civilian casualties. An invasion of
Iraq will help escalate conditions that will lead to more violent attacks
similar to those of September 11th. By bombing Iraq, there will also be a great
number of Iraqi casualties. Already, UNICEF has estimated that 1.7 million
Iraqis have died as direct result of imposed sanctions.

Inhumane and manipulative steps have already been taken against the Iraqi
people by Washington in the months during the build up. US Special Operations
and CIA forces have been working inside Iraq to foment unrest and help lay the
groundwork for an invasion. A constant bombardment of propaganda from the US
military has also been underway. 240,000 leaflets have been dropped around
Iraq, threatening Iraqis that if US and British troops were fired upon that it
would lead to more severe bombing.
Also, bombing has been continuous throughout the past 13 years. It has
devastated Iraq's infrastructure, leading to widespread malnutrition and
disease. Every humanitarian and research organization from Oxfam to Middle East
Research Project predict a catastrophic humanitarian disaster for Iraqi
citizens when there is an invasion.

Who is paying for this invasion? The amount of resources necessary to conduct
an invasion of this sort have been subsidized from the American public, and the
corporate media has made every effort to be sure that the debate is kept
closed. As the military build-up around Iraq has been underway, the
unemployment rate in the US reached the highest it has been in 9 years. The US
still scores last amongst all industrialized nations in health care, according
to the World Health Organization. This year, every city government in America,
for the first time in history, reported an increase in hunger at the US
Conference of Mayors. All the while, the Bush administration continues to push
for the ending of taxes on stock dividends which is estimated to give investors
$364 billion dollars over 10 years. The public is paying for the invasion,
while elites cash in on it.

Make no mistake about the endless deceptive language from Washington. They are
not talking about starting a war, despite all the rhetorical rantings. A war
has been raging between the US and Iraq for the past 14 years. Since the Iraqi
military's retreat from Kuwait, there has been a continuous bombardment on
water sanitation systems and factories by US forces. Operation Desert Fox went
completely unnoticed as the US corporate media offered the public sensational
stories about the OJ Simpson trial. Washington is not starting a war.
Washington is starting an invasion. They are trying to mobilize the American
public to support the escalation of aggressive military policies.
There was never any regard from Washington for international democracy. In
November,
MSNBC, subsidiary of General Electric (the second largest contractor to the
Pentagon), announced that invasion plans had been approved by the Pentagon. At
the
beginning of December, senior officials in the White House said that “war is
inevitable.” On the UN Security Council, the US delegates have always supported
the
most ruthless and draconian measures against civilian populations. It
spearheaded a
resolution in December that banned the importation of pharmaceutical drugs into
Iraq. When issues of Washington's own accountability are in question, it
abstains or
uses its veto power as was done with the Kyoto Agreement and with the
reparations
debate in South Africa. Washington has been intent on invading Iraq for many
months
now, and it is illustrated by its actions.

The evidence is overwhelming: the US government, with little regard for
international political democracy, is prepared to potentially murder millions
of
Iraqis to extend its hegemony over the oil-rich Middle East region. As
Americans,
they expect us to simply watch TV and “endure” any desperate attacks against US
interests. They expect us to be bystanders and pawns of a government that is
prepared to throw the world into a massive war.

We are calling upon all Americans to act upon their responsibilities and hold
this
government accountable for its crimes against humanity. We call upon all
humane,
reasonable and sane voices for democracy to take any means necessary to prevent
this
humanitarian disaster from happening. If profit is their motive, then make it
unprofitable. If passive consumption is what they want, then actively dissent.
If
they want you to participate in the slaughter, then refuse. Affirm yourselves
as
citizens who believe in genuine democracy by destroying their totalitarian
institutions and creating participatory ones in their place.

Our imperial government may try as much as it wants, but history shows that
humanity
will always endure and continue the struggle for a better world.
Onward to social revolution!
In solidarity,
The Direct Action Front

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