Action Alert for Peace and Economic Justice #2
October 10, 2001

In this Issue:
*Upcoming PWW Articles
*Legislative Focus/Tell Congress What You Think: ACTION ALERT
*Legislative Updates Service
*Stop the Confirmation of Otto Reich
*October 13 Peace Actions
*"Saying No to War is Not Enough!" and a Sample Letter to the Editor

*News from the Clubs
*Victory for Women!
*Check Out Our New Web Site!!

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UPCOMING PWW ARTICLES

This week’s PWW will be full of coverage on the struggle against the war and for
peaceful solutions to end terrorism. This edition will also be at the Cleveland
peace conference and distributed at the many local actions on Oct. 13.

Top story: NYC demo says no war other Oct 7 peace actions coverage

Centerspread: Interview with Bruce Gagnon, coordinator Global Network against
Nuclear Weapons and Power in Space. And story on what the conference and Oct.
13 actions are about.

Continuing labor, civil liberties and economic coverage and actions.

All of these will be up soon at http://www.pww.org.

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**LEGISLATIVE FOCUS*
*TELL CONGRESS WHAT YOU THINK!*

ACTION ALERT

Congressional Action Alert: Contact Congress Now!

Congress is a battleground for legislation that will have a far-reaching impact
on democracy, civil liberties and workers’ rights. Contact your Congressperson
and Senators on the following pieces of legislation (Congressional switchboard
is 202-224-3121:

1.Say no to the Anti-terrorism bills (H.R. 2975 and S. 1510).
This Ashcroft-inspired legislation is being pushed for passage this week. But,
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wi) is blocking it by insisting that there be some debate
on it. The House bill was changed somewhat but the Senate bill was not. According
to the ACLU "The new Senate legislation goes far beyond any powers conceivably
necessary to fight terrorism in the United States. The long-term impact on basic
freedoms in this legislation cannot be justified."

2. Congress and the president have bailed out the airlines industry, but the
workers have not received a dime of the 15 billion. The AFL-CIO is urging passage
of “relief to laid-off aviation workers.” (S 1454, HB 2946&2955)

3. Corporate America is moving fast on “Fast Track” legislation (HR
3005). A coalition of labor, environmentalists, farmers, faith-based and other
groups involved in globalization issues are urging Congress to say NO to Fast
Track. HR 3005 would allow the President to sign trade agreements like the Free
Trade of the Americas Act (FTAA) without Congressional approval. FTAA has been
characterized as NAFTA on steroids with the effect of weakening labor and environmental
rights, loss of jobs and lowering the standard of living for workers in all
countries.

CALL THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES on Fast Track
1-800-393-1082 (courtesy of the AFL-CIO)

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

It’s never too late to sign up for Legislative Updates, a service we provide
that culls information from the Congressional Web site about important bills.
E-mails are sent the day after each day Congress is in session (or soon thereafter).
If you would like to be added to this list, just respond to this e-mail with
the request. As you can see from up above, Congress is pushing through legislation
that WE care about!

Each district should consider having someone receive these updates and be responsible
for following up on them as needed.

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STOP THE CONFIRMATION OF OTTO REICH

The Bush Administration and right wing are callously using the tragic events
of Sept. 11 to ram through their right wing agenda, and Democrats are caving
in before them. The all but dead nomination of Otto Reich has been resurrected
today and without massive phone calls to Senators Joseph Biden, John Kerry,
and Christopher Dodd, he may be confirmed as early as next week. The Capitol
Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. Following is information sent out several
months ago.
The Latin America solidarity movement has geared up to oppose two very alarming
nominations for high posts in the Bush administration. They are Otto Reich (who
has been nominated officially) and John Negroponte. The Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, which has to approve the nominations and send them to the Senate
floor, is evidently a month behind in scheduling hearings, so there is still
time to contact your Senators.

Here are the details:

Otto Juan Reich, who was the first director of the State Department’s
Office of Public Diplomacy (OPD) for Latin America and the Caribbean from 1983
to 1986, has been nominated for the post of Assistant Secretary of State for
Western Hemisphere Affairs. Reich was accused by Congress in 1987 of engaging
in “prohibited, covert propaganda activities” in his efforts to promote
the Reagan administration’s policies toward Nicaragua.

The National Security Archive has placed on its web site numerous documents
that reveal Reich’s role in the Reagan Administration’s Central America
policy. Visit the site at www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/
to learn more about Mr. Reich’s career.

For more information, contact the Nicaragua Network at (202) 544-9355 or by
e-mail at nicanet@afgj.org. Our web site
is: www.infoshop.org/nicanet

The Latin American Solidarity Conference website can be found at www.americas.org/LASC

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OCTOBER 13 PEACE ACTIONS

On October 13 an International Day of Protest to Stop the Militarization of
Space will be held worldwide. Currently, protest events are planned in 19 nations
and at 109 locations. Many of the actions will also call for peaceful and legal
solutions to recent terrorist attacks instead of more
violence and a spiraling of civilian deaths and revenge.

ACTION SITES (edited for space to only include sites in the U.S.)
2.Albuquerque, N.M.
3.Amherst, MA (Town Common – Oct 13)
4.Amherst College, MA (Star Wars Returns video – Oct 10)
5.Anchorage, Alaska (Valley of the Moon Park)
6.Ann Arbor, MI
7.Arcata, CA
8.Baltimore, MD (Fort Meade – NSA HQ)
9.Bangor Subase, WA
10.Bath, Maine
11.Beale AFB (CA)
13.Boeing (Seattle, WA)
14.Boeing (Mukilteo, WA)
15.Bloomington, IN
16.Boston, MA (Oct 3 – "Common Security-Don’t Arm the Heavens" panel)

17.Boston, MA (Oct 10 – Vigil at Park Tree Subway station)
18.Brattleboro, VT (Star Wars Returns video – Oct 9)
19.Buckley AFB (CO)
20.Burlington, VT
21.Cape Cod Air Station, MA (Pave Paws Radar Facility)
22.Charlottesville, VA
24.Chicago, IL
25.Cleveland State University (Keep Space for Peace Conference)
26.Columbia, MO (Post Office – 6th & Walnut)
28.Des Moines, IA (Federal Building)
30.Duluth, MN
31.Edwards AFB (California)
32.Ellsworth AFB (South Dakota)
33.Fairbanks, Alaska
34.Fayetteville, AR
35.Florence, Oregon
39.Hartford, CT
41.Huntsville, Alabama
43.Ithaca, N.Y.
44.Kennedy Space Center (Titusville, Florida)
45.Kodiak, Alaska
46.Lockheed Martin (Eagan, MN)
47.Lockheed Martin (Moorestown, NJ)
48.Lockheed Martin (Sunnyvale, CA)
49.Lockheed Martin (Valley Forge, PA)
51.Los Alamos, NM
52.Mankato, MN
59.Nevada Test Site (Sunrise Service)
60.New Haven, CT
61.New York, N.Y. (Washington Square Park)
62.Olympia, WA
65.Palo Alto, CA
68.Peterson AFB (Colorado Springs, CO)
69.Philadelphia, PA
70.Phoenix, AZ
71.Pittsburgh, PA (Oct 3)
72.Portland, Maine
74.Raytheon (Andover, MA – Oct 12)
75.Raytheon (Tucson, AZ)
77.Salt Lake City, Utah
78.San Francisco, CA (Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard)
79.Santa Fe, N.M. (Cerrillos Rd & St. Francis Drive)
81.Stamford, CT
82.Stennis Missile Testing Center (Mississippi)
84.St Louis, MO
86.Takoma Park, MD (City Hall)
89.Toledo, OH
90.TRW HQ (Cleveland, OH – Oct 12 & 14)
91.TRW (Fowlerville, MI)
103.Vandenberg AFB (California)
104.Washington DC (White House)
107.Westport, CT
108.White Sands Missile Test Range, N.M.
110.Woodstock, N.Y. (Village Green)

Meanwhile, testing of the Missile Defense system is scheduled to resume this
month
at Vandenberg AFB in California. The Pentagon is also dangerously promoting
Theatre Missile Defense (TMD) deployments in the Middle East and Asia, which
will provoke regional escalations of nuclear and conventional weapons development.

It is worthy to note that the number one industrial export of the U.S. today
is weapons. October 13 protest sites are still being added each day. To see
the current list of actions, and worldwide sponsoring groups, check the Global
Network’s web site at:
http://www.space4peace.org

Note to Editors & Assignment Desks: Media seeking the actual Pentagon plans
for "control and domination" of space can obtain them by clicking
on Space Command’s web site at: http://www.spacecom.af.mil/usspace/index.htm

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"SAYING NO TO WAR IS NOT ENOUGH" AND A SAMPLE LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Although stating "No to War!" is a clear message, it is not enough.
We need to offer more than a slogan; we need to offer alternatives. What exactly
do we mean when we say that we use international means to fight terrorism? Discussions
about just this question are frequent now, and here are some ideas on how to
argue the case!

New attempts to block the US ratification of the International Criminal Court
by Senator Helms and Rep Delay are coming soon. Bush has distanced himself from
Helms efforts in recent weeks, but is uncommitted to the ICC.

Senator Dodd, and Rep Delahunt (MA) are key sponsors of legislation opposed
to Helms and Delay, and toward moving the process forward.

The ratification of ICC is an important step in establishing the kind of permanent
protections against the kinds of Crimes Against Humanity that occurred on Sept
11.

Some talking points for a public signature and educational campaign to consider:

***Classifying the events that occurred on September 11 as “acts of war”,
while just based on their scale and degreee, may have unintentionally given
the terrorists’ actions a ‘legitimate’ legal status that they
do not deserve, and which a functioning International Criminal Court would deny
them. Wars typically occur between countries. In the moral conscience of the
international community, these terrorist acts should be regarded, and have been
described, as “crimes against humanity.”

***Under the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, crimes against
humanity include murder and “other inhumane acts of a similar nature intentionally
causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or mental or physical health…committed
as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population,
with knowledge of the attack.” (Article 7[1], [a], [k].); and such attacks
must be committed pursuant to a policy of a state or organization. (Article
7[2][a].); and to meet the threshold for ICC jurisdiction, the attacks must
be “the most serious crimes of international concern.” (Article 1.).

**** According to the above definition and the independent analysis of international
lawyers, the terrorist acts of September 11 are unquestionably a crime against
humanity squarely within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

**** The United States remains the only western democracy opposed to the International
Criminal Court. Under the principle of complementarity in the Rome Statute and
according to the federalist principle of subsidiarity, countries with jurisdiction
over international crimes have the first right and duty to try individuals accused
of those crimes in their own legal systems.

**** The International Criminal Court is not yet in existence, and, as currently
drafted and signed, will have jurisdiction only over future crimes; therefore
it may not be able to try those accused of the September 11 attacks.

****Yet some form of trial for these heinous crimes serves not only justice
but also a healing process that will help prevent further cycles of violence.
It is important that any trials be perceived as legitimate and fair so as to
prevent future backlash and further terrorism.

****The United States is currently supporting the creation of “hybrid”
tribunals in Cambodia and Sierra Leone which combine international and domestic
prosecution for the terrible crimes against humanity and war crimes committed
in these countries. We could pursue a similar strategy for prosecuting these
terrorists.

****Nationals of at least sixty-one other countries were killed in the attacks,
and their countries may share jurisdiction over the crimes with the United States.

**** Those countries or individuals that are sheltering those individuals accused
of the September 11 attacks may not be willing to extradite them to the United
States, but may only agree to extradite to some form of international tribunal,
as in the case of the individuals accused of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing,
who were extradited from Libya only after a Scottish court was established in
the Hague.

****Pursuing the current declared US strategy of targeted military/political/economic/diplomatic
attacks against the perpetrators of the attacks, will have the greatest chance
of permanent success, and the least chance of aggravating terrorism, if international
sanctions against, and prosecution of, terrorists and terrorist networks takes
place under UN and World Court auspices.

****Many countries have already made Security Council approval of military
action a condition for cooperation with the United States’ global effort
to fight terrorism.

More resources:
http://www.wfa.org/issues/wicc/amiccstatement.html

A sample letter:

Dear Editor,

President Bush has surprised many of his former critics with his handling of
the current crisis. Of particular note are his stated emphasis on patience and
building international support. Especially encouraging are the diplomatic successes
of Secretary of State Colin Powell. Gone is the former contempt for international
cooperation. Hopefully, the Administration now recognizes the inter-related
complexity of the post-Cold War World and will remain more willing to approach
global problems through international negotiation and cooperation.

There is the danger that cooperation on hunting down terrorists will be seen
as an isolated reason to work with the world community, and not one issue among
many that require a fresh approach. Many problems, however, are global in scope
and can only be effectively handled by voluntary, international collaboration.

In the past, the Administration and some forces in Congress have often rejected
international agreements outright, denouncing them as flawed while failing to
use their considerable influence to craft something better, often against If
anything good can come of the terrible tragedy that has befallen our nation,
it may be that the United States more internationalist voices such as Secretary
Powell’s over the unilateral voices. The Secretary of State recognizes
the imperative of working together to counter new threats, not simply bullying
others into reluctant compliance in areas of narrowly defined interest. America
will be safe again, and prosperous, when international cooperation and law take
their proper place in the priorities of our nation

Please support the signature and ratification of the United States International
Criminal Court

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NEWS FROM THE CLUBS

"We have a great new YCL’er on the campus and we’ve doubled our bundle
for the upcoming issue, in which will be an insert urging the joining of our
local club, etc.

"As you may know I work on the campus of a small Catholic college. The
Chaplin of said college and the nuns have been vehmently opposed to any military
action from the get-go. I’ll keep you up to date on the mood on campus but professors
are already advising students to "keep a B average."

"And, I put the PWW in the professors’ mailboxes at the college. I stopped
by on of the political science professor’s office one evening and he had a great
big box full of junk mail next to his desk. One of the few items remaining on
his desk? A well thumbed and folded copy of the PWW."

Send us news from YOUR club/district to emora@cpusa.org.
Let’s spread the good ideas around and watch the movement GROW!

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VICTORY FOR WOMEN!

The Seventh Circuit has ruled unanimously in our favor in NOW v. Scheidler,
our 16-year case against anti-abortion zealots who use force and intimidation
to carry out their mission.

The opinion was in our favor on every point, from their specious First Amendment
claims right down to the “hodgepodge of other claims” as the court
put it. For more details, I will cut and paste our statement. If you’d
like to look at the decision in full, you can go to the court’s website
at http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/op3.fwx
and input the case number, which is 99-3076A

Kim Gandy
President
National Organization for Women
(202) 628-8NOW, ext. 120
president@now.org
http://www.now.org

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CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEB SITE!!

A day after devastating military force was unleashed by the Bush Administration
on Afghanistan, the Communist Party USA, (CPUSA) rolled out a new web site at
www.cpusa.org. Its October 8th article welcoming users to the new home page
noted that "organizing for peaceful solutions to the threat of terrorism
now unfolds amidst the bombings and war…"

Read the full article on the front page and let us know what you think!
cpusa@cpusa.org

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END

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