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Democrats on the Brink: Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair; Innocent Lads, Depraved Killers and Predatory Priests by JoAnn Wypijewski; Torture Air, Inc.: the Road to Rendition: by Jeffrey St. Clair. Remember these stories are available exclusively in the print edition of CounterPunch. CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! or write CounterPunch, PO BOX 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 |
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Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison by KATHY KELLY  Today's Stories March 10, 2005 Paul Craig
Roberts Uri Avnery
March 9, 2005 Jeffrey St.
Clair Ward Churchill Robert Fisk Bernice Powell Jackson Mickey Z. Dave Zirin Michael Donnelly James Reiss Vijay Prashad
March 8, 2005 Paul Craig
Roberts Robert Fisk Kurt Nimmo Suzan Mazur Evelyn Pringle Giuliana Sgrena Elaine Cassel
March 7, 2005 Dave Zirin Brian Cloughley John Chuckman Mike Whitney Mark Weisbrot Fred Gardner Richard Neville Uri Avnery
March 5 / 6, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Gary Leupp Ron Jacobs Tom Reeves Jenna Orkin Tom Barry Joshua Frank Moshe Adler Jane Stillwater Omar Barghouti / Jacqueline
Sfeir Christopher
Brauchli John Pilger Raúl
Zibechi David Krieger Three Takes on Nepal Surendra R. Devkota Bhishma Karki Joseph Pietri Ben Tripp Poets' Basement Website of
the Weekend
March 4, 2005 Frederick Hudson
March 3, 2005 Pat Williams Brian Cloughley Dave Lindorff Amira Hass Greg Moses Lynne Landes Nelson P. Valdés John Ross
March 2, 2005 Saul Landau
/ Farrah Hassen Mike Roselle M. Junaid Alam Suzan Mazur Jackson Thoreau Michael Donnelly Jeffrey St.
Clair Website of the Day
March 1, 2005 Scott Richard
Lyons David Lindorff Patrick Cockburn
/ David Enders Ron Jacobs Tanya Garcia Joseph Pietri Kona Lowell Paul Craig
Roberts Website of
the Day
February 28, 2005 Gary Leupp Bill Quigley Paul de Rooij David Swanson Mario Lamo
Jimenez Emma Perez Diana Johnstone Website of the Day
February 26 / 27, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Noam Chomsky Rev. William E. Alberts Fred Gardner Gary Leupp Saul Landau Robin Philpot Yitkhak Laor Ben Tripp Justin Taylor Jack Random Rafael Renteria Jim B. Seth DeLong John Chuckman Alison Weir Richard Oxman Dr. Susan Block Poets' Basement
February 25, 2005 Roger Burbach Behzad Yaghmaian Kurt Nimmo Joshua Frank John Farley Lawrence Reichard Pratyush Chandra David Smith-Ferri Website of
the Day
February 24, 2005 Omar Waraich Brian Cloughley Tom Wright Sharon Smith Dave Lindorff Fred Feldman James Reiss
Diane Christian Website of
the Day
February 23, 2005 Werther W. John Green James Petras Conn Hallinan Joe Pietri Louis Proyect Alexander Cockburn Website of
the Day
February 22, 2005 Naseer Aruri Richard Manning William A.
Cook Paul Craig Roberts Ken Krayeske Dave Zirin Kirkpatrick
Sale
February 21, 2005 Hunter S. Thompson John Ross Ward Churchill Dr. Teresa
Whitehurst David Swanson Dave Lindorff Stew Albert Michael Neumann
February 19 / 20, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Kathleen Christison Ted Honderich Gary Leupp Don Santina Jennifer Roesch Scott Richard
Lyons Chris Clarke George Beres Harry Browne Manuel García,
Jr. Mark Scaramella Michael Donnelly John Pilger Norman Madarasz Surendra Devkota Deborah Rich Fred Gardner CounterPunch
News Service Richard Oxman Poets' Basement
February 18, 2005 Ben Moxham Dave Lindorff Larry Birns Gregory Elich Samuel Logan / John Meyers Nicole Colson Suzan Mazur Mickey Z.
February 17, 2005 Joshua Frank Paul Craig
Roberts Robert Fisk Christopher
Brauchli Dr. Teresa
Whitehurst Alison Weir Ahrar Ahmad Saul Landau Website of the Day
February 16, 2005 Robert Fisk Kevin Zeese Gary Leupp Ron Jacobs Jessica Leight Greg Moses Mark Engler Jack McCarthy Bill Christison Website of the Day
February 15, 2005 CounterPunch
News Service Robert Fisk Uri Avnery Stan Cox Mickey Z. Dave Zirin Nadia Martinez Lila Rajiva Paul Craig
Roberts
February 14, 2005 Robert Jensen Brian Cloughley Patrick Cockburn Gary Leupp Michael Donnelly Dave Lindorff Elaine Cassel
February 12 / 13, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Saul Landau Paul Craig
Roberts Patrick Cockburn John Feffer Mickey Z. Kurt Nimmo Fred Gardner Dave Zirin John Chuckman Ben Tripp Carol Norris Robert Fisk Frank / Chowkwanyun Mike Whitney Deborah Frisch Niranjan Ramakrishnan Christine TenBarge Ron Jacobs Dr. Susan Block Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
February 11, 20055 Manuel Garcia,
Jr Kurt Nimmo Dave Lindorff Larry Birns Bill Quigley Tom Barry Jennifer Van
Bergen
February 10, 2005 Dave Lindorff Christopher Brauchli Patrick Cockburn Nicole Colson Suzan Mazur Michael Donnelly Mike Stark Greg Moses Website of
the Day
February 9, 2005 Jeffrey St.
Clair Mickey Z. John Ross Tom Barry Conn Hallinan Patrick Cockburn Steen Sohn Tim Wise Website of
the Day
February 8, 2005 Patrick Cockburn Brian Cloughley Steve Breyman Harry Browne Doug Giebel Nate Collins Dave Lindorff David Smith-Ferri
February 7, 2005 Paul Craig
Roberts Carolyn Baker Joshua Frank Mickey Z. Patrick Cockburn Mike Whitney Stacie Jonas Dave Zirin Tariq Ali
February 5 / 6, 2005 Alexander Cockburn Kurt Nimmo Joshua Frank P. Sainath Patrick Cockburn Laura Carlsen Dave Lindorff Pamela Olson Behzad Yaghmaian Saul Landau / Farrah Hassen Roger Burbach Robert Fisk David Swanson Justin E.H. Smith Cacie Hart Ron Jacobs Mickey Z. Ben Tripp Ben Sonnenberg Poets' Basement Website of
the Weekend
February 4, 2005 Brian Cloughley Bill Christison Elaine Cassel Jacob Levich Kanak Mani Dixit Ron Jacobs
February 3, 2005 Ward Churchill Sharon Smith Mickey Z. Mike Whitney Jenna Orkin Saul Landau Yitzhak Laor Dave Lindorff
February 2, 2005 David Domke
/ Kevin Coe Noam Chomsky M. Shahid Alam Richard Oxman Joshua Frank Dave Lindorff Nina Hartley Website of the Day
February 1, 2005 Joshua L. Dratel Patrick Cockburn Robert Fisk Uri Avnery Col. Dan Smith Alison Weir Alan Farago Ray Hanania Paul Craig
Roberts Website of the Day
December 22, 2004 James Petras Omar Barghouti Patrick Cockburn / Jeremy Redmond Harry Browne Richard Oxman Kathleen Christison Website of the Day
December 21, 2004 Greg Moses Dave Lindorff Chad Nagle Dragon Pierces
Truth* Patrick Cockburn Seth DeLong Ahmad Faruqui Paul Craig
Roberts
Hot Stories Alexander Cockburn Subcomandante
Marcos Norman Finkelstein Steve Niva Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams Steve
J.B. Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber Wendell
Berry CounterPunch
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Corrie Gore Vidal Francis Boyle
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March 10, 2005 Burlington Votes to Bring the Troops Home...Now!Vermont Versus the WarBy
JOHN MARC LEAS, COLLEEN McLAUGHLIN "A town meeting revolt over the Iraq war" is what The Christian Science Monitor called Vermont's historic votes for anti-war resolutions in 49 of 57 cities and towns. The resolutions passed not only in traditional liberal strong holds, but also in rural areas usually dismissed as conservative. The votes demonstrated overwhelming anti-war sentiment. In the state's largest city, the Burlington Anti-War Coalition (BAWC) proposed a resolution (full text below) that called for bringing the troops home now. It passed with 65.2% of the vote. It won in all the city's wards, including the two most conservative. In the towns of Marshfield and Hinesburg (one of the more conservative towns in Vermont) voters also considered and passed "Out Now" resolutions by overwhelming margins. However, only a handful of the anti-war resolutions put forth in Vermont towns included the word "now." Ben Scotch, former executive director of the Vermont ACLU, sparked the statewide campaign and drafted the resolution used outside Burlington, Marshfield and Hinesburg. That resolution calls for the Vermont Governor to have more control over the state's National Guard, demands an investigation into the impact on the state of the guard's large deployment, and advocates the return of the troops in accordance with international humanitarian law. Both resolutions were universally recognized as victories for the anti-war movement. Nevertheless, the two resolutions flow from different perspectives within the state's anti-war leadership on public opinion about the war, what demands we should put forward, and what actions we should build. On one side several leaders thought that calling for an immediate end to the occupation was too radical. They feared the resolution would be defeated in Burlington and elsewhere if it included the word "now." This position was widely shared among anti-war activists who concluded that in the wake of Bush's victory in the presidential election, public sentiment had shifted to the right and our task was to reach out to those who disagree with us with more palatable language. They argued for presenting demands that would be acceptable to the Democratic Party which, in their view, was the only viable vehicle for opposing Bush's occupation. BAWC respectfully disagreed. In discussions leading up to its internal vote, members argued that an "Out Now" referendum question would attract more popular support, especially among military families who had much to lose from any delay. As the March 3rd poll in the New York Times demonstrates (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/03/politics/03poll.html), the US is sharply polarized, with half of the population opposed to Bush on everything he stands for, including the occupation of Iraq. Instead of rallying this fifty percent to oppose Bush, the Democrats offer only the mildest criticism, ratify his nominees, support his saber rattling against Syria and Iran, and refuse to call for an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq. The votes in Burlington, Marshfield and Hinesburg show we do not have to moderate our demands and adapt to the pro-occupation Democrats. They demonstrated that "Out Now" is a demand that can galvanize our side, win majority support, and form the basis of a popular movement to end the occupation and oppose Bush's future wars. Winning this vote was surprisingly easy. First, activists participated in a democratic debate inside BAWC, which voted to try to get the "Out Now" referendum question on the ballot for a vote. We then pursued a dual-track strategy of petitioning in the streets and in the City Council. During the coldest and snowiest days of January, we collected over 1,000 signatures on petitions, and found an overwhelmingly positive response from Burlington voters. While petitioning, we distributed a flier that made the case for "Out Now." At the same time, we found allies on the City Council, one of whom, Jane Knodell, agreed to sponsor a motion in the Council to put the resolution on the ballot. At two meetings Democratic and Progressive councilors tried to amend the resolution, objecting specifically to "Out Now" language. They argued that the resolution should read, "Bring the troops home as soon as possible." But BAWC and Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) members spoke eloquently during hearings, arguing that since the war was based on lies, not one more American or Iraqi life should be sacrificed to maintain the occupation. The City Council then voted twelve to one to preserve our "Out Now" wording and to place it on the ballot. As part of the campaign, we helped publicize four public forums that made the case for immediate withdrawal. These included: Colleen McLaughlin and Fernando Suarez del Solar from MFSO; Jerry Colby, President of the National Writers Union and steering committee member of United States Labor Against the War; Anthony Arnove, co-editor with Howard Zinn of Voices of a People's History; Stephanie Seguino, Chair of the University of Vermont Economics Department; and Elaine Hagopian, Middle East expert and editor of Civil Rights in Peril. One of the forums was organized by Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle and City Councilor Jane Knodell. They invited representatives from the Vermont Congressional Delegation and speakers on both side of the question to speak at Burlington City Hall. The pro-war speakers declined the invitation, but the Vermont Congressional delegation all sent representatives. We were delighted to hear from Congressman Bernie Sander's representative that Sanders would vote in favor of the resolution. But he and the representatives for Pat Leahy and Jim Jeffords all made clear that they would not argue for that position in Congress. These forums politically educated the core of anti-war activists on the case for immediate withdrawal and how little help we could expect from the politicians. We tabled, leafleted, stuffed mailers, and put up posters to help win the vote. The issue now for Vermont activists is how to transform the "Out Now" sentiment into a revitalized mass movement. Referenda, public forums, petitions, and demonstrations have all been vital means to build campaigns among military families, soldiers, and the general population, and to create a renewed mass movement. Such mass movements scored the major victories of the 1960s, forcing politicians to abolish Jim Crow segregation and end the Vietnam War. Further campaigns are planned in Burlington. Local campus activists in Students Against War at the University of Vermont are organizing counter-recruitment to stop the military preying on working class students for their war machine. MFSO is organizing a statewide speaking tour of anti-war military families to demand immediate withdrawal. MFSO has also launched a campaign to secure government services for returning soldiers. BAWC is planning a citywide anti-occupation demonstration on March 20th. Burlington activists hope that our successful referenda will set an example. Particularly needed is a national demonstration that can mobilize hundreds of thousands of people demanding an immediate end to the occupation. The referenda showed that "Out Now" is the right demand and commands enormous popular support. Now we need to make that sentiment visible on a national and global level. Full Resolution:
James Marc Leas is a member of the Burlington Anti-War Coalition and was the 2004 Green Party Candidate for Vermont Attorney General; Colleen McLaughlin is a member of the Vermont Chapter of Military Families Speak Out; and Ashley Smith is a founding member of the Burlington Anti-War Coalition. They can be reached at ashley05401@yahoo.com.
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