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[One reader has proposed a short version of the flyer for tomorrow's
Main Event, below. Let me know which you prefer - the 2pp. version
on the Peace list, or the 1p. version below - and I'll have some
prepared for distribution tomorrow 2-4pm at Main & Neil. --CGE]<br>
<br>
<h3><i><b>Sixty-five years after the United States dropped atomic
bombs on the Japanese cites of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - the
only country ever to use such weapons in war - we spend more
each year on war than the entire rest of the world. Our
country has maimed, killed and made homeless more
noncombatants than all the rest of the countries in the world
combined since World War II.</b></i></h3>
Amid the furor over the possibility that Iran may build a nuclear
weapon, the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution
calling on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
and open its nuclear facilities to inspection.<br>
<br>
The United States and Europe tried to block the IAEA resolution, but
it passed anyway. The media virtually ignored the event.<br>
<br>
<b>The United States assured Israel that it would support Israel's
rejection of the resolution - reaffirming a secret understanding
that has allowed Israel to maintain a nuclear arsenal closed to
international inspections, according to officials familiar with
the arrangements. Again, the media were silent.<br>
<br>
</b>Both India and Pakistan are expanding their nuclear weapons
programs. They have twice come dangerously close to nuclear war, and
the problems that almost ignited this catastrophe are very much
alive.<br>
<br>
Passed unanimously, U.N. Security Council Resolution 1887 calls for
the end of threats of force and for all countries to join the NPT,
as Iran did long ago. NPT non-signers are India, Israel and
Pakistan, all of which developed nuclear weapons with U.S. help, in
violation of the NPT.<br>
<br>
<b>Nonpartisan budget monitors report that the "administration's
request for $538 billion for the Defense Department in fiscal 2010
and its stated intention to maintain a high level of funding in
the coming years put the president on track to spend more on
defense, in real dollars, than any other president has in one term
of office since World War II. And that's not counting the
additional $130 billion the administration is requesting to fund
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan next year, with even more war
spending slated for future years."<br>
</b><br>
<i>The U.S. war in the Middle East will continue until more
Americans speak up loudly and reject it. A majority of Americans
do reject it, but that is not enough for our government. If you
are appalled that the US is conducting an unjustified war in the
Middle East – and misrepresenting the reason for it – call your
Congressional representatives. Congressman Tim Johnson, Senator
Roland Burris, and Senator Dick Durbin can be reached through the
Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. Tell them that the US has no
business killing people in the Middle East for resisting our
invasion and occupation. (Your protest makes a difference:
Congressman Johnson, who voted for the invasions of Afghanistan
and Pakistan, now says that he was wrong to do so and refuses to
vote for any more funding for war in the Middle East.)<br>
<br>
You can also join a local peace group that is working to end the
war in Afghanistan. In Champaign-Urbana, one local peace group is
AWARE, the Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (see our page on Facebook),
members and friends of which produced this leaflet for our monthly
peace demonstration in downtown Champaign. We meet every Sunday
5-6:30pm at the McKinley Foundation, 5th & Daniel streets in
Champaign. Visitors and new members are welcome.<br>
<br>
AWARE presents "AWARE on the Air" each Tuesday 10-11pm on Urbana
Public Television, cable channel 6. Each week we bring you
comments by members and friends of AWARE about the war and the
opposition to it, locally and nationally, by Americans who oppose
our government's betrayal of our democratic principles. AWARE is
composed of people opposed to the war, but it is not affiliated
with any other group or political party.<br>
<br>
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</i><br>
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