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.
Deadliest day on record this year for U.S./NATO occupation
Ten NATO occupation soldiers were killed by Afghan resistance forces on June 7, marking the deadliest day on record for the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. Seven of those killed were U.S. soldiers. NATO reported that five troops were killed in an insurgent attack against a police training center, two soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing attack and one in a small arms attack. One day earlier, June 6, five NATO troops were killed in small arms fire attacks, a roadside bombing and a car crash. It is unclear if the car crash was related to a resistance attack.
Kandahar, Afghanistan – In the early morning hours of April 12, U.S. troops fired on a bus in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing five civilians and wounding 18 more. The driver of the bus, Esmate, said, “They opened fire at us and I fell unconscious. The people who were killed were sitting in the seats just behind me.”
An investigation into the killings of five Afghan civilians by U.S. forces on Feb. 12 has revealed that the U.S. tried to cover up its responsibility for the deaths.
At the 2009 national convention of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), over 100 delegates from across the country unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for the immediate U.S. withdrawal and an unconditional end to the occupation of Afghanistan.
Amidst at sea of U.S. flags, the rulers of Kosovo announced its ‘independence’ from Serbia, Feb. 17. This declaration is the latest act in the west’s quest to destroy Serbia, a pillar of the former Yugoslavia. This statement of ‘independence’ was recognized by most of the members of the European Union as well as the United States.
For 78 days the people and government of Yugoslavia resisted attempts by the United States and NATO to occupy the province of Kosovo. In Belgrade and other cities, patriotic people gathered on bridges, in factories and TV stations to thwart NATO bombing runs. NATO responded by destroying hospitals, nursing homes, and churches. The destruction of the Chinese embassy, an act of premeditated murder, sent the clear message, “We will stop at nothing.”
The following is from a speech delivered by Alan Dale, for the Emergency Committee Against U.S. Intervention in Yugoslavia, at a Minneapolis anti-war protest March 24.
Brussels, Belgium – Hundreds of people defied police in Brussels, Belgium on April 3, and demonstrated against the U.S./NATO war against Yugoslavia. Authorities had banned the demonstration and attacked with helicopters, water cannons, and tear gas. Michael Colon, a journalist with the newspaper of the Workers Party of Belgium was severely beaten, along with others. A bus from a nearby town was surrounded by police who arrested all passengers.