[Nettime-nl] whose war?! II

["Pieter" <smallaxe@xs4all.nl>]

Whose War?! # 2, Sept. 28 2001

think think think think think think think think think think think think
think think think think think think think think think think think think

*****

MANIFESTATION in Amsterdam, Dam Square, Sunday September 30, 14:00 h

Against the "New War"

Justice instead of revenge
Fight terrorism by removing its causes
Revenge is not a dignified answer
Against xenophobia

More info @ www.omslag.nl

****************************************

For current actions, initiatives and opinions in the Netherlands, check
out
www.omslag.nl (Dutch only) or
http://www.wereldcrisis.nl/ (Dutch site with an international perspective,
partly bilingual)

****************************************

1) Reactions by international women's organizations
2) A Pacifist American perspective: Letter by an Indian-American friend to
an Uzbek mailinglist
3) Food for Thought: another forwarded collection of background material
4) Quiz (excerpt)

**************************************

1) IWTC WOMEN'S GLOBALNET #179
Initiatives and Activities of Women Worldwide
By Anne S. Walker
September 25, 2001


HEAR THE VOICES OF WOMEN
The photos of smiling families and individuals -all victims of the
September 11 attack on the World Trade Center twin towers, are beginning
to disappear from the walls, phone booths, bus stands, light poles,
trees and vans in downtown New York City. Some have fallen because of
rain. Others are being taken down and collected by city officials for a
possible memorial collage. Yet families and friends keep hoping that
someone will be found in the mountains of rubble. They hold onto hope
with quiet desperation.

Against this background, I sit at my corner desk looking out at a very
subdued United Nations building reading through hundreds of emails from
women in every world region. And what I hear are women's voices calling
for justice, calling for restraint, calling for the use of a system of
global justice already in place that utilizes international and national
courts of law. And calling for military force not to be used against
more innocent and defenseless victims.

The following "voices of women" have been gleaned from these hundreds of
e-mails. Most comment on the need for immediate and long-term solutions
in an unequal world capable of producing such violent acts of rage. And
they all reflect the growing determination of women to be part of the
decision-making processes that will shape our next steps.

AFGHANISTAN: "While we once again announce our solidarity and deep
sorrow with the people of the US, we also believe that attacking
Afghanistan and killing its most ruined and destitute people will not in
any way decrease the grief of the American people. We sincerely hope
that (America) can differentiate between the people of Afghanistan and a
handful of fundamentalist terrorists." Revolutionary Association of the
Women of Afghanistan (RAWA).

INDIA: "Declaring a war against terrorism alone will not bring peace and
security. We need to stop the war against the planet and the people. We
need to work for the recovery of democracy and ecological security."
Vandana Shiva.

JAPAN: "The United Nations should establish an International Criminal
Tribunal to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of the terrorist
attack. A just and co-existence world should be created in order to
eliminate the root causes of terrorism." Violence Against Women in War
Network (VAWW-NET).

EAST TIMOR: "We have all been overwhelmed by the attacks in the USA.
Timorese women responded by putting flowers and candles outside the US
Mission. But the Timorese never called for Jakarta to be bombed when
their whole country was destroyed (by Indonesian forces) two years
ago..the US President could learn from them." Janet Hunt, Dili, East
Timor.

KOSOVO: "We have lived through war. We know what it is like to be
attacked, to grieve, and to feel anger. We understand the urge for
revenge is strong. And we know that it must not be given in to. We know
that a violent response can only bring more violence not justice.
Instead, it kills more innocent victims and gives birth to new holy
avengers. It begins a new cycle and perpetuates more hate, more
insecurity, more fear and ultimately more death amongst civilians. We
therefore urge.Éthe US and its allies to temper their anger and to
refrain from the folly of a sweeping military solutions. Terrorists are
not nations. And nations must not act like terrorists." Medica Mondiale
Kosovo, Women's Center.

GLOBAL: "The Hague Appeal for Peace urges the US administration to use
the greatest possible restraint. We call for a national day of healing.
We must not allow the atmosphere of hatred to justify acts of war
against unidentified enemies. We cherish the force of law, not the law
of force." Cora Weiss, The Hague Appeal for Peace.

KOREA: "We who are women who know about wars are convinced that violence
and military force can never bring peace. In this belief, we are
strongly united against any acts of war, and demand peaceful resolution
of all conflict. We are working hard to create and maintain peace in the
world." Women Making Peace.

SPAIN: "Thousands of people in the heart of Western civilization (New
York) have had to die in order for the international community to react
and consider putting an end to (terrorists/fundamentalist leaders.) The
West never cared when the Taliban attacked Afghan women's rights, when
they assaulted them, when they killed them. It has looked in the other
direction while in Algeria radical Islamic groups have kidnapped, raped,
killed and ripped to pieces scores of women." Montserrat Boix,
journalist and coordinator of Mujeres en Red.

CANADA: "This is a crime against humanity and an international court
should mete out the punishment. This is the latest gruesome chapter in
an ever expanding cycle of violence that has already claimed cities,
countries and whole generations. How does it increase our security to
bomb countries into the stone age?" Alexa McDonough, leader of the New
Democratic Party of Canada.

GLOBAL: "Once again our deepest beliefs hold that true security can only
be rooted in social justice and strengthening the domestic and
international rule of law." Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom.

UK: We need strategies for an inclusive and equal global society, not
strategies of war. So long as poverty and hunger, injustice and
exploitation are the experience of many people in many countries,
genuine despair will lead to hatred of the super powers whose policies
are seen to contribute to them, and will be used to legitimate
terrorism." Women in Black, London.

PAKISTAN: "As victims of terrorism for a long time, we know very well
what it means to humanity. But we do not want Afghan and Pakistan
innocent people to be victims of another war in the name of curbing
terrorism. No terrorism against terrorism. It solves nothing." Asma
Jahangir, former Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

SWEDEN: " How can we find a clever strategy and pass it around all
women's networks? If we are silent, we say OK to all war decisions. If
we do not act, we pass over the power to the war machines." Evy Warholm.

KUWAIT: "Women of Kuwait also condemn the terrorism that we are sure is
not related to Islam. However we don't agree with any retaliation on
victims who always include children and women very heavily. We should
all support the fight against terrorism and support war against
terroristsÉbased on justice and fair and wise act." Fatima Al-Abdali.

GREECE: "There is solidarity around the world today. You are so right to
ask for conflict resolution. To ask for peace. Now more than ever, all
of us women, from around the world, need immediately to re-organize and
form new alliances that will look to peace and conflict resolution."
Christiana Lambrinidis.

CROATIA: "The only way out is through strengthening international legal
mechanisms and international co-operation in investigation, extraditions
and punishment of those who are directly responsible for organization
and performance of terrorist acts. We firmly demand a thorough
investigation and oppose revengeful military actions." B.a.B.e., Be
active, Be emancipated, Women's Human Rights Group.

CANADA: "We firmly believe that it is the role of legal institutions,
such as the International Criminal Court, to hold accountable those
individuals responsible and bring them to justice. Our hopes lie in
working to end injustice and oppression, in building positive
cooperative relationships amongst all people. In short, in creating a
global culture of peace." Voice of Women for Peace.

INDIA: "How will the hurt and the consequent anger be assuaged? Would
the quest for justice to the loss of lives of the innocents lead us all
into other conflicts? How do we work together towards conflict
resolution and peace?" Ila Pathek, Ahmedabad Women's Action Group
(AWAG).

USA: "Those responsible must be brought to justice. Ultimately peace and
security cannot come through military power alone, but must be borne of
thoughtful, determined diplomacy and negotiation." Women's Action for
New Directions (WAND).

GLOBAL: "Our work for international peace, women's rights, economic
justice and development feels ever more urgent and important. The levels
of poverty, oppression and marginalization related to power imbalances
need to be acknowledged and redressed. International solidarity,
understanding and action are essential." Association for Women's Rights
in Development (AWID).

Women's petitions and statements, vigils and marches are some of the
actions already undertaken or being planned. The following web-site set
up by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (UN Office)
contains many of the petitions and statements.
http://www.peacewomen.org

Actions being planned will be reported in our next Women's GlobalNet.
IWTC Women's GlobalNet is a production of:
International Women's Tribune Centre
777 United Nations Plaza
3rd  Floor
New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel:  (1-212) 687-8633
Fax: (1-212) 661-2704
Email: <iwtc@iwtc.org>
Web: <http://www.iwtc.org>

PLEASE NOTE:
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<www.iwtc.org> and click on Women's GlobalNet under IWTC Resources.
You can subscribe to this list at any time by sending a blank message
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For quality, cutting-edge publications on women and development by, for
and about women worldwide, see Women, Ink's 2001 catalogue at :
<http://www.womenink.org>.

Or contact Women, Ink. at 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017,
USA.
Tel: Yasna Uberoi (1-212) 687-8633 ext 212 or Mary Wong (1-212) 687-8633
ext 204. Fax: (1-212) 661-2704. E-mail: <wink@womenink.org>
WOMEN, INK. IS A SERVICE OF IWTC


********************************************************

2) dear Friends in Uzbekistan,
As maybe the only American on this list, I appreciate reading these emails
coming from such a different angle on the other side of the world.

To be honest, I am greatly disturbed and bothered by all the events that
have happened. I mean not only the terrorist attacks, but the way our
(American) government has responded. It has turned into a near nationalist
frenzy here, and people don't seem to realize at the moment that killing
more innocent people in Afghanistan or wherever else, only will increase
the hatred for America, and is also a morally disgusting action.

America is not about killing at its essence, only our government continues
to push on with these imperialist ideas. Sometimes I wonder if it is not
self-serving, with the intention of catalyzing our awful military
industry. It bothers many of us greatly, but because we are dominated by
the biased media of CNN there is very little we are really able to do,
it's all very self fulfilling. CNN has called this America's new war but
why does there have to be a war? It turns into a war because it is called
such. Most people in this country are only able to access one media
source, and this is an extremely biased one, unfortunately.

I'm also scared of how this might turn Americans as the hated people of
the world, though we are also mostly innocent. I'm afraid this might
polarize the Islamic world and force traditionally pacifistic and friendly
nations to be against Americans because of the brutality we are about to
engage in. I'd like to assure all of you that our government DOES NOT
stand for all our people. In some ways, the democracy of America is a
myth.

What's even more sad is the hate crimes against Muslims in this country
and even around the world. Even Hindus like myself, and people from South
America(!) are being targeted, since these stupid bigots don't know any
better. This has NOTHING to do with Islam, I argue. If anything Islam is
about the beautiful people I met (like all of you!) and treatment and
culture I encountered in Uzbekistan. Even most Afghanis, I contend are
probably loving and sweet, and ....now totally helpless.

I am participating in peace rallies with the hope that this disaster won't
happen but I am skeptical. We will really have to see what happens. I feel
with all my heart for all of your safeties, and wish I could be there to
help.

War is never an answer. And committing murder to punish another murder, no
matter how heartless it may be, is wrong and not smart.

-R.

******************************************************

3) ARM YOURSELF...with knowledge:

What became of Tolerance in Islam? (LA Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-000074068sep14.story?coll=la%2Dnews
%2Dcomment%2D

The Counterterrorist Myth
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/07/gerecht.htm

They can't see Why They are Hated (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,551036,00.html

What Papers Say in the Middle East (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,551050,00.html

Iraq stands alone as Arab world offers sympathy and regrets
(TheGuardian,UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,551106,00.html

AFGHANS TEETER ON EDGE (LA Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-091701afghan.story

IN THE DEATH ZONE (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,554371,00.html


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4) "For the purposes of this quiz, the term 'US' and 'UK', unless
otherwise
clearly specified, should be understood completely and without any
confusion whatsoever to mean 'US GOVERNMENT' and 'UK GOVERNMENT'. The term
'GOVERNMENT' should be taken as including any military, administrative,
congressional, representative and any form of internal government
departments responsible, with or without the knowledge of the American and
British people, for undertaking acts as questioned below. I am not opposed
to the people of these countries, except those who condone such policies,
through either ignorance or a sense of 'manifest destiny'. I am opposed to
the foreign policies of their GOVERNMENTS. But at the same time I believe
that any of us who live in so-called 'democracies' bear a huge burden of
guilt that we, the 'people', have turned a blind eye to what our 'elected'
representatives have done in our name and with our money." >> G.W., UK

IS THE US, OR IS IT NOT, THE BIGGEST ARMS DEALER IN THE WORLD?

DID, OR DIDN'T, THE US ARM IRAQ DURING THE IRAN/IRAQ WAR 1980-88?

DID, OR DIDN'T, THE US ARM IRAN DURING THE IRAN/IRAQ WAR 1980-88?

DID, OR DIDN'T, THE US SELL $50 to $150 BILLION WORTH OF ARMS TO GULF
STATES IN THE YEARS 1991-93?

HAS, OR HASN'T, THE US ADMITTED TO CONTINUED BIOLOGICAL WARFARE RESEARCH?

DID, OR DIDN'T, AMERICAN INDUSTRIALISTS HENRY T. FORD AND WILLIAM PRESCOTT
BUSH PROVIDE LARGE SCALE FINANCING TO THE NAZI PARTY IN THE 30'S BEFORE IT
BECAME ILLEGAL UNDER US LAW?

IS IT TRUE, OR ISN'T, THAT WILLIAM PRESCOTT BUSH IS THE FATHER OF GEORGE
BUSH sr. AND GRANDFATHER OF GEORGE W. BUSH?

IS IT TRUE, OR ISN'T IT, THAT THE US SPENDS SEVEN TIMES MORE ON WEAPONS
AND 'DEFENCE' EACH YEAR THAN RUSSIA AND CHINA COMBINED?

IS THE US, OR ISN'T IT, THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO HAVE EVER USED
NUCLEAR WEAPONS?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT THE US AIDED THE BA'ATH PARTY AND SADDAM
HUSSEIN INTO POWER VIA A MILITARY COUP IN IRAQ IN 1963?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT THE CIA DESCRIBED THE COUP AS: "....a great
victory....it was an operation where all the t's were really crossed....."
?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT A CIA AGENT TESTIFIED TO CONGRESS ABOUT
SADDAM HUSSEIN AT THE TIME AND SAID: "he was a son of a bitch, but he was
OUR son of a bitch"?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT US SENATOR D'AMATO TOLD the BBC IN MARCH
1991: "since Saddam was aligned against the Ayatollah and the Iranians, we
gave him everything." ?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT THE US AND THE CIA OVERTHREW THE
DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT OF CHILE IN 1973?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT HENRY KISSINGER IS CURRENTLY BEING DIRECTLY
INVESTIGATED IN THE MURDER OF A CHILEAN GENERAL WHO SERVED UNDER FORMER
PRESIDENT SALVADOR ALLENDE?

IS THE US, OR IS IT NOT, OPPOSED TO THE FORMATION OF THE 'INTERNATIONAL
CRIMINAL COURT' UNLESS ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS, INCLUDING POLITICIANS AND
MILITARY PERSONNEL, ARE EXEMPT FROM ITS POWERS?

DID, OR DID NOT, THE FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT
ACCEPT THAT 500,000 IRAQI CHILDREN UNDER 5 HAD BEEN KILLED BY US AND UK
ENFORCED SANCTIONS ON IRAQ?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT THE ONLY 2 COUNTRIES WHO CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT SANCTIONS ON IRAQ ARE THE US AND UK?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN OVERSAW
THE DESTRUCTION OF CHECHNYA WHICH KILLED AN ESTIMATED 50,000 CIVILIANS AND
TOTALLY DESTROYED THE CITY OF GROZNY?

DID, OR DID NOT, THE US MILITARY DELIBERATELY ATTACK THE WATER SUPPLY AND
SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE OF IRAQ DURING THE GULF WAR TO DELIBERATELY
FOSTER CONDITIONS OF DISEASE AMONGST IRAQI CIVILIANS?

ARE THESE ATTACKS ON IRAQI INFRASTRUCTURE, OR ARE THEY NOT, CONTRAVENTIONS
OF THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS TO WHICH THE US IS A SIGNATORY?

DID, OR DID NOT, THE US RECENTLY GIVE THE TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN $35
MILLION IN THANKS FOR ITS ASSISTANCE IN THE 'WAR ON DRUGS'?

DID, OR DID NOT, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT ONCE
STATE: "We are the greatest country in the world.....if we have to use
force it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation, we
stand tall, and we see further into the future."?

DID, OR DID NOT, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT ONCE ASK
A MEMBER OF THE US JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: "What is the point of having all
this superb military you are always talking about if we can't use it?"?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT THE US HAS, SINCE 1950, UNDERTAKEN MILITARY
ACTIONS IN OVER TWENTY COUNTRIES AND IN NOT ONE INSTANCE WAS A DEMOCRATIC
OR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT RESPECTFUL OF HUMAN RIGHTS ESTABLISHED?

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT NOT, THAT FORMER US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH sr. ONCE
STATED: "I will never apologise for the United States of America. I don't
care what the facts are."

********************************************************

Further info:

www.zmag.org
http://www.indymedia.org/
http://www.wereldcrisis.nl/ (Dutch site, int. perspective, partly
bilingual)
www.omslag.nl (Dutch only)

Some general background reading & activities:
http://globalresearch.ca/
http://www.tni.org/
http://www.xminy.nl/ (mostly Dutch)
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ac/ (partly bilingual)

Sometimes heated debates take place in several languages at the various
Nettime lists and their peers,
http://www.nettime.org/
The Dutch list is at
http://www.nettime.org/nettime-nl.w3archive/

********************************************

"Don't be deceived when they tell you things are better now. Even if
there's no poverty to be seen because the poverty's been hidden. Even if
you ever got more wages and could afford to buy more of these new and
useless goods which industries foist on you and even if it seems to you
that you never had so much, that is only the slogan of those who still
have much more than you. Don't be taken in when they pat you paternally on
the shoulder and say that there's no inequality worth speaking of and no
more reason to fight because if you believe them they will be completely
in charge in their marble homes and granite banks from which they rob the
people of the world under the pretence of bringing them culture. Watch
out, for as soon as it pleases them they'll send you out to protect their
gold in wars whose weapons, rapidly developed by servile scientists will
become more and more deadly until they can with a flick of the finger tear
a million of you to pieces."

-- Jean-Paul Marat, 1743-1793

act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act
act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act act





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