One of the CIA-trained proxy forces was called “The Brigade for purging slaves and black skin”- which sought to ethnically cleanse the Tawurgha area, was supported by NATO strikes from the air and on the ground by U.S. Special Forces. Tawergha was mostly inhabited by black Libyans, due to its 19-century origins as a transit town in the slave trade.

There was horrific video footage showing public lynchings of black soldiers from the Libyan army, migrant workers from other African countries, and any darker skinned Libyan civilians.

Human Rights Watch reported: “Dark skinned Libyans and sub-Saharan Africans face particular risks because [the CIA-trained proxy forces] consider them pro-Gaddafi mercenaries.” Amnesty International also reported on the cruel detention of Libyans and other Africans by the CIA-trained proxy forces.

The myth of black mercenaries fighting to protect Libya from foreign occupiers was spread by NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu, British Defense Minister Liam Fox, and other Western leaders. This myth was useful to claim that the NATO invasion and occupation of Libya was actually a war “between Gaddafi and the Libyan people”, as if he had no domestic support at all – a colossal fabrication.

What did Gaddafi really do for Libyans, and African people as a whole? He openly challenged AFRICOM’s intent to establish U.S. military bases in Africa, and often backed national liberation movements, including that against Apartheid South Africa as a close ally of Mandela. He oversaw a range of projects intended to lessen African dependency on the West, and challenge the legacy of Western colonialism. By challenging Western military and economic domination over the whole of Africa, he was a rival to U.S. interests in real terms. U.S. companies such as ConocoPhillips, Marathon and Hess Energy have already profited from new oil contracts in Libya.

What does it mean when the West slanders an African head of state who promotes African economic independence, funds public housing and subsidizes incomes? It means that he is progressive. Western imperialism is trying to impose a dictatorship of capital on Africa. It must be stopped.

#ChicagoIL #Chicago #Libya #Slavery #Africa

Minneapolis, MN – A coalition of Minneapolis/Saint Paul area groups will hold a protest this Saturday, Aug. 6. The protest was called to mark the 71st anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with a call for an end to the endless series of U.S. wars and military interventions.

The protest will come just days after the start of what appears to be a new campaign of U.S. airstrikes in Libya.

The protest will be held 1 p.m., at Mayday Plaza, at the intersection of 3rd Street and Cedar Avenue in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis.

At 2 p.m. there will be a program at Mayday Books with Sami Rasouli, an Iraqi-American peace activist who works in Iraq with the Muslim Peacemaker Teams. Mayday Books is located at 301 Cedar Avenue S in Minneapolis.

The protest is being organized under the calls “Say no to endless war. Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen: End U.S. wars, interventions & drone strikes. Funds for human needs, not wars & nuclear weapons. Say NO to racism & Islamophobia.”

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “As the U.S. launches a new wave of airstrikes, this time in Libya, the U.S. is involved in wars and interventions across the Middle East. In recent weeks the U.S. has announced plans to send more troops to Iraq and has announced that a large contingent of troops will be kept in Afghanistan.”

The statement continues, “This is all being done in the name of fighting terrorism. But, after years of U.S. bombs, troops, weapons and meddling, does anyone believe more of the same will make things better for the people of the region?”

The statement continues, “We will mark the 71st anniversary of the atomic bombings with a call for an end to U.S. wars and interventions.”

The new U.S. bombing of targets in Libya started on Aug. 1. Aircraft and drones struck targets in the port city of Sirte.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said Monday that she was “deeply concerned about the expansion of U.S. airstrikes in Libya. The U.S. military continues to become more engaged in the Middle East, despite the lack of a Congressional debate or specific authorization.”

The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition (MPAC) called the Aug. 6 protest.

The protest is endorsed by Anti-War Committee, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Mayday Bookstore, Military Families Speak Out (MN Chapter), Minnesota Cuba Committee, Minnesotans Against Islamophobia, St. Joan of Arc Peacemakers, St. Paul Eastsiders for Peace, Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Socialist Action, Veterans for Peace, Welfare Rights Committee, Women Against Military Madness, Workers International League

For more information 612 275-2720 or 612 827-5364.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Nagasaki #Hiroshima #Libya

Milwaukee, WI – Dozens protested the U.S. and NATO war in Libya in downtown here, Aug. 27. The message was “U.S./NATO out of Libya now!”

One protester spoke about the Wisconsin National Guard taking part in the war on Libya. Another speaker from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression gave an update about the attacks on Carlos Montes and the other 23 international solidarity activists. “These activists are under attack because the ruling class doesn't like people stirring up opposition to their greed. Defending these activists helps us build opposition to the U.S. in Libya.”

The next day, many of those protesting attended an organizing conference in Chicago to plan protests against NATO and the G8 in Chicago in May 2012.

#MilwaukeeWI #AntiwarMovement #NATO #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #Libya #LibyaWar

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization pointed out some of the contradictions at work in a statement on March 17, the day of the UN Security Council vote to intervene in Libya: “Since day one of the crisis in Libya, the corporate media has been in motion, preparing public opinion for war with Libya. Likewise, since the beginning of the crisis, the western, imperialist powers have been maneuvering militarily to take advantage of the situation. Meanwhile, it is clear that the rebels in Libya are not of one mind. Some of their leaders are tied to the old CIA-funded National Front for the Salvation of Libya, which would like to see Libya’s oil industry completely privatized, meaning an end to the current free health care and free education programs enjoyed by the Libyan people. Some are monarchists and others who wish to turn back the clock on Libyan social progress. Undoubtedly, war with Libya will mean the most reactionary forces among the rebels coming to power if Gaddafi’s government is defeated by the guns and bombs of the west.” We are now seeing this nightmare approaching reality.

The reasons behind this war are both economic and geostrategic. On the one hand, the Western powers wish to divide among themselves Libya's vast oil wealth, the greatest in Africa. “We don't have a problem with Western countries like the Italians, French and UK companies. But we may have some political issues with Russia, China and Brazil,” Abdeljalil Mayouf, information manager at Libyan rebel oil firm AGOCO, told Reuters. The National Transitional Council led by Mustafa Abdel-Jalil has likewise been clear that it wants very much to align itself with the U.S. and the other Western powers. On the other hand, the Western powers want to strengthen their dominance in the region, which is threatened by the political unrest that has swept North Africa and the Middle East since the beginning of the “Arab Spring”. If US/NATO forces are successful in Libya, they will be in a much better position step up their attempts to topple the government of Syria.

To give cover to this war of aggression and domination, they are cynically manipulating the political discontent of a section of the Libyan people, and utilizing bought and paid for puppets. And yet despite the intense attacks, including thousands of bombing raids, drone attacks, commando operations, and global economic sanctions, the patriotic people alongside Gaddafi's government have resisted heroically and will certainly continue to do so. That they have held on for as long as they have is a tribute to the Libyans’ will to fight, their tenacity in the face of adversity, and the real commitment to maintaining national independence.

This conflict has now sharpened to the utmost degree, and at this point it must be clear that there are but two sides. On one side stand the forces of colonial domination, represented by all the might of the great powers—the U.S., the U.K, France and Italy. On the other side stands all who steadfastly oppose the forces of Empire. Despite whatever strengths of weaknesses the patriotic forces in Libya may have, progressive people everywhere should stand on the side of an independent Libya, for self-determination and against national oppression and domination.

#TripoliLibya #Tripoli #Editorials #NATO #Gadhafi #Libya #LibyaWar #Africa

Newark, NJ – Peace activist and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney visited here July 28, speaking at a meeting of the People’s Organization for Progress. The room was packed as over 200 people turned out to hear her speak about her recent visit to Libya, the latest country to be victimized by NATO aggression.

At the beginning of the program McKinney was given an Award of Merit presented by local people’s activists. A motion was made and passed by acclamation to declare her an honorary member of the People’s Organization for Progress.

She began by noting that Newark and New Jersey are in the grip of economic crisis. The official ideals are devoted to the people, but nonetheless the people are forced to fight for things like jobs and healthcare and to stop police brutality. If the government really cared about the people it would take care of them. Instead the people must fight to see who will be the winners.

McKinney said she takes her vision of Libya from the people she met there. They said, “This is our land and what lies underneath it belongs to us. We aren’t going to let anyone take it away. We will fight to the last person and the last bullet.”

The visitors’ group that flew to Libya had to land far from the capital city of Tripoli. They had to take a six-hour trip by automobile. “People have set up checkpoints,” said Ms. McKinney. “All cars going into Tripoli must be searched. But the people at the checkpoints are not police or military personnel. They are ordinary folks.”

People told her that if it were not for the NATO bombing they could have dispatched the ‘rebels in a matter of days. As it is, innocent people are dying from the bombs. Vital underground water pipes, that serve the needs of large numbers of people, have been destroyed.

A university in Libya was bombed while McKinney was there. She said that university tuition is free. Students there don’t know what tuition is. If a Libyan can get accepted at any institution of higher learning the government will pay his or her expenses to go there and study.

Medical care is also free. If a government cares about its people it wants them to be healthy. If a government does not care about its people that will also be reflected in what it does. In Libya food is subsidized. In the U.S. 25% of the children in the United States go to bed hungry.

Turning to her domestic political experience, McKinney said that if we want a government that respects us we cannot give our votes away for free. Referencing her home state of Georgia, she said it needs a Black Manifesto: “A Black Manifesto had been formulated in Georgia and circulated to lawmakers. An attempt was made to operationalize it. Lawmakers were asked to respond and recommendations were made according to the responses without regard to party affiliation. Experience proved that elected officials were more loyal to the Democratic Party than to the voters who elected them. 40% of Georgia’s population is made up of black people. Georgia has the largest state legislative Black Caucus in the country...and they have come up with nothing.”

McKinney still maintains it is possible to do better. “Libya is not perfect,” she said, “but we deserve a better country than we have. We have to change a little bit about the way we vote and who we elect to office so we can get better.”

#NewarkNJ #AntiwarMovement #NATO #CynthiaMcKinney #Libya #LibyaWar

Minneapolis, MN – Cynthia McKinney, former six-term member of the House of Representatives, and Sara Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center, spoke to a packed room of over 60 supporters, July 9, at the Plymouth Congregational Church. Both gave motivating speeches for how the U.S./NATO intervention in Libya is endangering and killing the civilian population and demanded an immediate end to the war on Libya.

President Obama claims U.S. involvement in Libya is not a ‘war,’ but McKinney’s firsthand testimony of the nighttime and daytime bombing of Tripoli, the country’s largest urban center, during her month long stay disputed that claim. She saw missiles fly over her head and heard drones and bombing attacks repeatedly. “The bombing for me, and I was only there for a couple of weeks, takes a psychological toll. If I’m subject to it, imagine the children. That first day of intense bombing took place on the day of national exams for the little kids…The first day of the super intensive bombing they started bombing at 11:30 in the morning and kept on going until 11:30 at night. We counted a total of 89 bombs that day,” McKinney told the audience.

During her stay McKinney had the opportunity to meet with people who were carrying out their everyday lives as an act of resistance to the U.S./NATO bombing campaign. She occupied the plaza in front of Momar Qadafi’s home with thousands of Libyans and Africans who support Qadafi, refuse to leave and are offering themselves as protection from bombing. She met with students who came to the university to take their finals despite the bombing raids because they refused to put their lives on hold because of U.S. imperialism. “They said they were not going to be deterred because of NATO.”

Both McKinney and Flounders addressed the roots of the conflict directly. They argued effectively that the U.S. and NATO are using the civil war as an excuse to carry out regime change in Libya. They articulated that the U.S. and European powers want to install a puppet government so they can control the largest oil reserves in Africa.

Flounders attacked one of President Obama’s main justifications for the war, “He says this war is for humanitarian intervention. This is an excuse. There is not a country in the world that is better off after U.S. warfare. Just ask the people of Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan!”

This event was a part of the national speaking tour of the Dignity delegation, which was lead by Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. This tour is playing an important role in giving voice to the Libyan people during a time when an increasing number of Americans are strongly questioning the U.S. role in this conflict while state and federal governments are in debt and cutting needed social services. By a margin of 2-to-1, people in the United States oppose the war in Libya.

The Eyewitness Libya event was co-sponsored by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, the Emergency Committee to Stop U.S./NATO War on Libya, the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, the Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Women Against Military Madness.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #SaraFlounders #CynthiaMcKinney #MeredithAby #Libya #InternationalActionCenter #Africa

Minneapolis, MN – Over 30 people joined a Minneapolis protest on June 27 to protest the continued U.S./NATO war on Libya.

The Minneapolis event was held as part of a day of local protests in cities across the U.S. to speak out against the war on Libya. The call for the day of actions was initiated by the United National Antiwar Committee (UNAC) and supported by a range of other organizations.

The protest was at a very busy intersection during rush hour traffic. Hundreds of people saw the protest, which featured signs and chants against the war. Many people passing by showed support for the anti-war protest.

A statement issued by organizers said in part, “There have been over 10,000 air sorties carried out by NATO against Libya. In mid-June NATO launched 157 bombing attacks on Tripoli on a single day. The U.S./NATO war in Libya has nothing to do with protecting civilians, but must be understood as part of an effort by the Western powers to contain and rollback the Arab Revolution.”

“The U.S. and NATO do not intervene on behalf of the people of any country. The military intervention by the big powers is only carried on behalf of the economic interests of the elites. People in the U.S. and the Middle East do not need another war. People need jobs, housing and education, not war and intervention.

Spokespersons from several organizations made short statements and urged people to participate in future anti-war protests.

The Minneapolis protest was endorsed by Anti-War Committee, Emergency Committee to Stop U.S./NATO War on Libya, Students for a Democratic Society (U of M), Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Women Against Military Madness.

#Minneapolis #AntiwarMovement #MiddleEast #Protest #NATO #Libya

Milwaukee, WI – On June 8, representatives of Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and the Nation of Islam held a panel discussion on the current conflict in Libya.

Mike Gold, speaking on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society, said, “SDS has a long history of opposing foreign wars. It was founded in the 1960s during the Vietnam War and took a strong position at that time. SDS was refounded in 2006 surrounding the war in Iraq. Libya is no different.”

“Qaddafi represents a force in clear opposition to U.S. imperialism,” said Chance Zombor, the panelist representing Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “Those that stand against increased U.S. domination of oppressed nations should take a stand and oppose U.S. and NATO attacks on Libyan soil.”

Minister William Muhammad, speaking for the Nation of Islam, said, “Obama has a lot of promise, but is being taken advantage of by warmongers and advisers.”

According to Minister William Muhammad, regime change in Libya would topple services that are crucial to the Libyan people's standard of living, such as access to health care and housing.

#MilwaukeeWI #AntiwarMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #Libya #LibyaWar #NationOfIslam

St. Paul, MN – Peace groups here organized a special demonstration at the weekly Wednesday vigil at the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge, April 27, to oppose the ongoing and escalating U.S. and NATO intervention into Libya. “We are not there for humanitarian reasons but for control of Libya's oil and its strategic location in North Africa and the Middle East which has been rocked with popular uprisings,” said organizers of the bridge vigil.

The peace vigil is held every Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge over the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “The war is escalating with the call by President Obama, President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Cameron for regime change in Libya. This moves far beyond the ill conceived ‘no fly zone’ resolution passed by the U.N. The recent call by U.S. politicians for the assassination of Colonel Gadhafi are even more outrageous and dangerous. The use of drones and the introduction of troops under the name of ‘advisers for intelligence, logistics and training’ will result in ever increasing death and destruction for the Libyan people. All this at a time when the Congress is threatening the people of the U.S. with deep and draconian cuts in domestic spending.”

The event called for “U.S. hands off Libya – end the bombing.”

The event was endorsed by the Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Anti-War Committee, Women Against Military Madness, MN Peace Action Coalition (formerly Iraq Peace Action Coalition), and Emergency Committee to Stop U.S. War in Libya.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #NATO #Libya

Minneapolis, MN – On one of the first warm spring afternoons here, over 50 people joined an anti-war protest on April 2 to demonstrate against the U.S. war on Libya.

The protest lined the sidewalks at one of the major intersections in Minneapolis with signs and banners against the newest U.S. war in the Middle East.

Protesters’ signs read, “U.S. hands off Libya,” “Foreclose the war, not people’s homes,” and “Say no to U.S. war against Libya.”

For over an hour participants chanted anti-war slogans and held signs as thousands of people went by in cars, buses and the light rail train.

Many people showed support for the anti-war message by waving, honking horns and joining the protest.

Two TV stations reported the event on evening newscasts.

A statement issued by organizers says in part, “Eight years after the start of the war in Iraq, the U.S. has launched a new war in the Middle East, this time against Libya. This is not a ‘humanitarian intervention.’ This is a war launched to try to control the oil resources of the region. The big powers intervene for their own economic interests, not for the interests of the people.”

The statement continues, “We need funds for jobs, education, the environment, housing and human needs, not a new war in the Middle East.”

Meredith Aby, of the Anti-War Committee, told the crowd, “This is not ‘change we can believe in.’ This is the Bush doctrine version 2.0. This was an unprovoked attack on the Libyan government because the U.S. wants a regime change. But Obama doesn’t have the right to decide for the Libyan people who their leader is or what they do with their oil. Those questions are for the Libyan people to answer and them alone.”

Aby, one of anti-war leaders raided by the FBI September 24, 2010, also urged participants to sign the pledge to resist Grand jury and FBI repression.

The Saturday protest was sponsored by Anti-War Committee, Emergency Committee to Stop U.S. War in Libya, Military Families Speak Out, Students for a Democratic Society (U of MN), Twin Cities Peace Campaign, Veterans for Peace, Women Against Military Madness and others.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #MilitaryFamiliesSpeakOut #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #TwinCitiesPeaceCampaign #VeteransForPeace #MeredithAby #Libya #EmergencyCommitteeToStopUSWarInLibya #StudentsForADemocraticSocietyUOfMN

Tonight, March 28, we urge our readers to join an online discussion of President Obama’s speech defending the decision to attack Libya.

Why do you think the U.S. is really at war? What can be done to build a more effective anti-war movement? You can address these questions or any others that come to mind.

Become a Fight Back! commentator and join the discussion by leaving a comment below.

You can also send your comments to @fightbacknews on Twitter.

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #Libya #LibyaWar #PresidentObama #Africa

Minneapolis, MN – Over 40 people joined an emergency protest here March 25 to show opposition to the U.S.-led bombing of Libya.

This was the second protest in Minneapolis to speak out against the new U.S. war.

Participants gathered at a busy intersection in the city’s West Bank neighborhood with signs and banners. Slogans included, “U.S. hands off Libya,” and “Stop the U.S. war against Libya.”

Many people driving and walking by showed support for the message of the demonstration.

After an hour, the protest moved inside to Mayday Bookstore for brief statements by some of the sponsoring organizations. University of Minnesota student and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) member Mia Overly read a newly-issued statement by SDS.

The national SDS statement says, in part: “SDS is strongly opposed to U.S. and UN intervention in Libya. The absurdly named ‘Operation Odyssey Dawn’ is nothing short of an open act of war against a sovereign state by a former colonialist power with the aims of creating a stronghold over the trade of oil. This attack should also be clearly seen as a ruthless attempt to stop the revolutions and uprisings happening within the Arab world.”

The SDS statement continues, “War and occupation is ongoing and has ravaged the livelihoods of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. A new battle in Libya not only means more lives lost at the aims of procuring oil, but it also means social services here at home will be slashed.”

Alan Dale, one of the organizers of the protest said, “The U.S. war against Libya has nothing to do with protecting civilians or human rights. The big powers intervene not for the people, but for the economic interests of the economic elite. The intervention in Libya is about trying to maintain control of the oil resources of the region.”

Organizers urged participants to attend the April 9 national anti-war march being held in New York City. Activists are organizing bus transportation from Minneapolis to the event.

The March 25 protest in Minneapolis was supported by Anti-War Committee, Emergency Committee to Stop U.S. War in Libya, Mayday Bookstore, Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Women Against Military Madness.

The protest was part of a series of nationally coordinated anti-war protests March 23-26 organized in cities across the U.S. by the ANSWER Coalition and other groups.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #Libya #LibyaWar #OperationOdysseyDawn

Salt Lake City, UT – Students, military veterans and anti-war activists rallied here March 19 for the National Day of Action Against War.

March 19 now marks two significant events: the eighth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and day one of the U.S.-led bombing and intervention into Libya.

More than 50 people turned out to declare their opposition to ongoing U.S. wars. Local activists spoke out against the U.S. war and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq, especially the violence perpetrated by the U.S. against women. Kristen Lambert said in her speech, “No more will the rape of women in occupied countries by U.S. military and government officials be ignored.”

Another speaker talked about the repression of the anti-war movement here at home. In September, 2010 the FBI raided seven homes in Chicago and Minneapolis and now 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists have been called before U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s Grand Jury in Chicago.

The rally was capped off by a speech given by Aaron Davis, a member of Veterans for Peace, who called for an end to Wall Street investors’ wars that are financed on the backs of working-class people.

This rally marks the return of the anti-war movement in Utah. Several groups plan on organizing future events in light of the U.S. attacks on Libya and in response to the ongoing atrocities committed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Pakistan. Brett Barrett, the head of the Revolutionary Student Union's anti-war committee said, “We are making plans for a campaign against military recruitment on campus to deter college students from enlisting in the U.S. empire’s wars. The Revolutionary Student Union will lead Utah's charge against these bloody wars!”

#SaltLakeCityUT #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #Iraq #IraqWar #VeteransForPeace #Utah #RevolutionaryStudentUnion #AfghanistanWar #Libya #LibyaWar

The statement, entitled “ Why no ‘no fly zone’ over Gaza? National Democratic Front of the Philippines condemns imperialist war of aggression against Libya and the Libyan people” rejects the military moves made by the U.S., UK, France and their cohorts.

The statement notes, “Under the pretense of protecting the lives of Libyan civilians, these imperialist powers are violating the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya and are in the process of destroying the lives and property of the Libyan people. Deceptively declaring that they are undertaking a so-called humanitarian intervention, they repeat the imperialist wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“They aim to set up a puppet government and take over control of Libya's rich oil, gas and other natural resources. For this purpose, they are coddling and supporting a traitorous and retrogressive opposition group that brandishes the flag of the former King Idris.”

The statement contrasts the western powers treatment of Israel with that of Libya, noting “The imperialist powers collaborate with the Zionists in flouting UN resolutions. They refuse to lift a finger to save the lives of Palestinian civilians: the mothers, children, elderly who have been subjected to brutal and massive invasion and massacre by the Israeli armed forces in December 2008, January 2009 and to the present day. ..Why is there no ‘no-fly-zone’ over Gaza to protect the Palestinian victims of Israeli aggression?”

The statement also points out that the western powers have rejected a number of peace initiatives stating, “Instead of the ‘no-fly-zone’ which has opened the way for the current imperialist military intervention, the peace plan offered by President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and supported by Cuban leader Fidel Castro and four other Presidents of Latin America, which Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi has accepted, ought to be carried out. This peace plan has suggested former US President Jimmy Carter to lead the peace delegation. There is also the appeal of Qaddafi to the UN Security Council for an emergency session and for the UN to send a fact-finding mission to Libya.”

#Philippines #HugoChavez #MiddleEast #NationalDemocraticFrontOfThePhilippines #Libya #LibyaWar #noflyZone #ndfp #Africa

Minneapolis, MN – About 75 protesters demanding an end to the U.S.-led war on Libya gathered at the Federal Building here, March 21. The demonstration was initiated by Women Against Military Madness and endorsed by the Anti-War Committee, the Twin Cities Peace Campaign and others.

Speaking at the rally, Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee said, “Why is the U.S. attacking Libya? Oil. The U.S. and Europe are happy with the Saudi and Bahrainian royalty and their oil supply so they choose to look the other way when their militaries kill innocent people. The Libyan government controls the largest reserves of oil in Africa and the imperialist powers are using the revolutions throughout the Arab world as an excuse to grab Libyan oil for themselves and to reassert their dominance in a region struggling for freedom.”

Aby continued, “On Saturday the U.S. military shot 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a cost of $2 million each at Libya. Who will pay for this war? Not the wealthiest in our society. It will come at the expense of the poor, programs for children, etc. The accounts of civilian deaths are piling up. We must raise our voices loudly and demand: Not one more death, not one more dollar – Hands off Libya!”

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadness #MeredithAby #Libya #LibyaWar

St. Paul MN – More than 600 people marched and rallied here, March 19, calling for an end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan and an end to the continued U.S. occupation of Iraq. The Twin Cities protest was one of many that took place across the U.S. to mark the eighth anniversary of the start of the war and occupation of Iraq.

The march, organized by the Iraq Peace Action Coalition, started with a rally at the Martin Luther King Center in Saint Paul and finished with another rally at the Minnesota State Capitol building.

Meredith Aby, of the Minnesota Committee to Stop FBI Repression told the crowd, “It is outrageous that the U.S. is using ‘protecting the right to dissent’ as an excuse to justify war against Libya, while anti-war activists are targeted right here in the U.S. for daring to criticize the U.S. government and protest against the very wars they are justifying! I join with you today to say, ‘Hands off Libya!’ and ‘End the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan!’”

Aby is one of the Twin Cities anti-war activists whose home was raided Sept. 24, 2010. She also received a subpoena to testify in front of the Chicago grand jury that is carrying out a witch hunt against international solidarity activists.

Jennie Eisert, of the Twin Cities-based Anti-War Committee, talked about an incident where FBI agents showed up at her job: “Back in the beginning of October they came to my work and harassed me, telling me that people I have worked closely with and who have been leaders in the anti-war movement for years – Jess Sundin, Meredith Aby and Mick Kelly – were manipulating me. They had the complete audacity to come to where I work, interrupt my day, have my manager bring me to them, then they whip out their badges… The attacks on our friends, on the Anti-War Committee, on us – the people fighting for justice is not going to end. It will not end with the 23 subpoenaed; it will not end until people start standing up, fighting back – with our words, with our feet, with our fists in the air – bringing it back to the street.”

#StPaulMN #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #Iraq #AntiWarCommittee #IraqPeaceActionCoalition #IraqWar #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #AfghanistanWar #Libya #LibyaWar

Chicago, IL – 1000 people rallied and marched here March 19 to mark the eighth anniversary of the war in Iraq. A large contingent was organized by the Committee Against Political Repression (CAPR), which included many of the 23 persons subpoenaed to a grand jury for because of their anti-war and international solidarity efforts. Chants and signs carried the message that activism is not a crime. Seven of those subpoenaed are Palestinians. A large group of youth, mostly Arabs, carried a 60-foot long Palestinian flag behind the CAPR banner to show the unity of the Arab and Muslim communities with the fight to resist FBI and grand jury repression.

Stephanie Weiner, whose home was raided by 25 agents last fall, was the first speaker at the rally at the end of the march. She thanked the anti-war movement for six months of support for the targeted activists, calling out, “Courage, courage, courage,” as the watchword for those standing up to the repression. She made it clear that she and the other 22 people will continue to stand on the side of the people suffering through U.S. wars and occupations.

Several speakers condemned attacks against Libya. Ironically, just as the march was ending, the U.S. launched a massive cruise missile attack on Libya. As a result, March 19 will go down in history as the start date of two wars on Arab nations.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #Iraq #IraqWar #AfghanistanWar #CommitteeAgainstPoliticalRepression #Libya #LibyaWar

With missiles from French fighter jets and cruise missiles from U.S. naval forces stationed off the coast of Libya, the large scale foreign intervention aimed at overthrowing the Libyan government began on Saturday March 19 – exactly eight years after the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq began.

The air strikes come just 48 hours after the UN Security Council voted – with abstentions from China, Russia, Brazil, India, and Germany – to implement a “no fly zone” over Libya.

U.S. military leads the way in “Operation Odyssey Dawn”

The U.S. Department of Defense noted that “U.S. military forces are on the leading edge of the coalition operation, taking out Libya’s integrated air and missile defense system”. The military operation is called “Operation Odyssey Dawn”.

The U.S. began its assault in Libya with 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles (at a cost of about $756,000 each) launched from U.S. submarines and frigates. Twenty-five naval frigates from the U.S., the United Kingdom, France and Canada are positioned off the coast of Libya, ready to launch further strikes on the country.

Meanwhile, French fighter jets were reported to have bombed a number of targets in Libya. Libyan state television is also reporting that Libya’s air defenses shot down a French fighter jet, although this has not yet been confirmed.

Military officials have pointed out that the current assault is only the first phase of the intervention. It is not yet clear what the second phase will encompass, but Al Jazeera is reporting that the targets will include ground forces and tanks.

The air strikes and attacks on Libya took place despite the invitation from Libya’s government to bring international observers into the country. Khaled Kaim, Libya's deputy foreign minister, told the BBC, “the ceasefire is real, credible and solid. We are willing to receive observers as soon as possible”.

President Obama spoke as the assault began, noting that U.S. forces were “responding to calls of a threatened people”. However, Obama made no mention of the threatened peoples and ongoing massacres of protestors in U.S.-backed dictatorships in Yemen and Bahrain.

People of Libya resist foreign intervention

Since the beginning of the current crisis, the media has portrayed the conflict in Libya as a struggle between the overwhelming majority of Libya’s people and a dictatorship lacking any credibility or popular support.

But whatever one’s view of Colonel Gaddafi or the existing regime, if one looks past the pro-war propaganda, it is sufficiently clear that what is taking place in Libya more accurately resembles a civil war than a situation like Egypt or Tunisia. In those countries, overwhelming numbers of people demanded the fall of the regime, and the military and police forces of those governments were unable to suppress the revolt.

But in Libya it is clear that just as there are significant numbers of people opposed to the regime, there are also masses of people who support the existing government and are willing to fight for it.

Recall that just 72 hours ago, the rebel forces headquartered in Benghazi were nearly routed, and many talked about the collapse of the rebellion.

And on February 15, as the crisis was beginning to unfold, thousands of people rallied in cities across Libya in support of the government.

Al Jazeera is currently reporting that hundreds of people are camped out at Colonel Gaddafi’s home at Bab al-Aziziyah, to protect it from possible air strikes, while thousands are reported to have attended rallies on March 19 in the capitol Tripoli against foreign intervention.

Rather than so-called “humanitarian intervention” in defense of the overwhelming majority of people, what is taking place is a military intervention on one side of a civil war.

Progressives must defend the right of the Libyan people to self-determination. It is not the place of western and historically colonial powers to intervene in the affairs of Libya. Whatever problems exist with Libyan society and government are best dealt with by the people of Libya, and not by imperialistic powers.

The real reason for intervention in Libya

Foreign intervention will not result in self-determination or independence for the Libyan people.

Those who today defend the necessity for “liberation by cruise missile” in Libya should think about what took place in Iraq over the last twenty years.

Like Libya, Iraq has massive oil reserves and occupies a strategic location in the region.

Like Libya’s Gaddafi, Iraq’s leader Saddam Hussein was depicted in racist terms by the corporate media and as a “mad man” intent on oppressing his own people; and that military intervention in Iraq was for “humanitarian” purposes.

In Iraq, the no fly zone resulted in thousands of air strikes that killed many civilians and patriotic Iraqis over several years. The no fly zone ultimately led to a declaration of war, invasion, and occupation that killed over 1,000,000 Iraqis, utterly devastated the country, and destroyed an independent, sovereign nation in the Middle East.

The U.S., U.K., French, and Canadian forces are not humanitarians. Their cruise missiles, naval frigates, bombs, bullets and troops will do nothing to improve the situation for the people of Libya or anywhere else in the region.

They are opportunistically seeking to seize control of Libya’s vast oil reserves – the largest reserves in the African continent – and re-assert dominance in a region that is shaking from a powerful storm of revolutions against corrupt U.S.-backed dictatorships.

U.S. anti-war movement calls to end U.S. intervention in Libya

The same day that the air strikes began in Libya, tens of thousands were protesting in the United States to mark the 8th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. At many of these demonstrations, calls to end the U.S. aggression against Libya were being heard.

On April 9, thousands of people will converge again in New York City and San Francisco to protest the Iraq, Afghanistan wars, and now the assault in Libya. While progressive forces in the U.S. have held sharply differing views on the nature of the conflict in Libya, the entire progressive movement can and must unite on the basis of opposing further U.S. attacks on Libya and supporting the right of the Libyan people to determine their own destiny, free from foreign interference.

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #Libya #LibyaWar #Africa

Following a UN Security Council vote on the evening of March 17, an attack on Libya is imminent. The United States, Britain and France are expected to begin air strikes in a matter of days or even hours. All people of conscience should stand firmly against this act of war.

Just as in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, this war will be waged under the pretense of humanitarian intervention. But just as in Iraq and Afghanistan, military intervention by the U.S. and its allies will be done for the benefit of the rich and powerful at the expense of working and oppressed people both here and in Libya. Countless civilians will die as a result of these attacks and countless dollars will be taken from over-stretched budgets and social programs to fund a new war. The lessons of history are clear in showing us that the outcome of the war, if the U.S., Britain and France have their way, will be in favor of the interests of the rich, not in favor of democracy and self-determination for the people of Libya.

Since day one of the crisis in Libya, the corporate media has been in motion, preparing public opinion for war with Libya. Likewise, since the beginning of the crisis, the western, imperialist powers have been maneuvering militarily to take advantage of the situation. Meanwhile, it is clear that the rebels in Libya are not of one mind. Some of their leaders are tied to the old CIA-funded National Front for the Salvation of Libya, which would like to see Libya’s oil industry completely privatized, meaning an end to the current free health care and free education programs enjoyed by the Libyan people. Some are monarchists and others who wish to turn back the clock on Libyan social progress. Undoubtedly, war with Libya will mean the most reactionary forces among the rebels coming to power if Gaddafi’s government is defeated by the guns and bombs of the west. Progressive people in the Middle East and around the world want an independent Libya, not a new puppet government like those that exist under occupied Iraq and Afghanistan.

The patriotic people of Libya will resist this war by any means necessary. We in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization intend to do our part to show them solidarity. This means, first and foremost, firmly standing against U.S. intervention. We will organize and join rallies, demonstrations and other mass actions in the coming days to make sure that it is heard loud and clear:

No War Against Libya!

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #Libya #UNSecurityCouncil #Africa

In a qualitatively different reaction than the one taken toward other governments facing uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, the Pentagon announced Feb. 28 that the U.S. military is repositioning naval and air forces around Libya, in apparent preparation for military intervention. The Pentagon now has two aircraft carriers in its naval command region that includes the Arabian Sea and Gulf.

Colonel David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesperson, was quoted by Reuters as saying, “We have planners working and various contingency plans and I think it's safe to say as part of that we're repositioning forces to be able to provide for that flexibility once decisions are made ... to be able to provide options and flexibility … We're still in that planning and preparing mode should we be called upon to do any of those types of missions, whether humanitarian and otherwise.”

The U.S. government also announced that it was consulting its allies about military options for dealing with Libya, including possibly declaring a no-fly zone over the Libya. The United States had a no-fly zone over northern Iraq before the U.S. invasion and occupation of that country. U.S. officials stress that all options, including military ones, are on the table.

President Obama is calling on Muammar Gadhafi to step down immediately. White House spokesperson Jay Carney threatened that even if Gadhafi does step down, his government “must be held accountable for their actions,” presumably through international criminal trials.

These verbal threats were backed up by the large scale military maneuvers and a full court press on international bodies to implement strict sanctions against Libya. Under pressure from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was in Geneva on Feb. 28 to press the U.S. government’s plan, the European Union instituted an arms embargo, visa ban and other sanctions on Libya’s government. Likewise the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to levy strong sanctions against Libya.

At the same time, powerful U.S. Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman clamored for the Obama administration to intervene militarily by arming the Libyan opposition, which reportedly has control of the eastern part of the country. The senators also called on the U.S. government to immediately recognize a new provisional government. Secretary of State Clinton confirmed that the U.S. is reaching out to Libyan rebels and is “ready and prepared to offer any type of assistance.”

The U.S. government’s rush to militarily intervene in Libya is driven largely by a desire to gain control over Libya’s oil production and vast oil reserves. Libya is one of the world's top ten oil-producing countries. Oil reserves in Libya are the largest in Africa and the ninth largest in the world. Libya is considered a highly attractive oil area due to its low cost of oil production, high quality oil and proximity to European markets.

According to Steff Yorek, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, “In the context of continuing U.S. occupation in Iraq and war in Afghanistan, anti-war activists in the U.S. must firmly oppose these U.S. war threats against Libya. U.S. military intervention would only bring suffering and oppression to the Libyan people. We support self-determination in Libya, not having the U.S. or other Western powers impose who they want through massive military force. The U.S. government doesn't care about Libyan people's rights or lives; they're making a power grab for Libya's oil.”

#UnitedStates #MiddleEast #Africa #Libya #Gadhafi