[Peace-discuss] Fwd:[ANSWER]: Jan. 18 Update: Stop the War Before it Starts

[jencart]

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ACT NOW TO STOP WAR BEFORE IT STARTS:
January 18 Update

Read on to find:
I. Update on Bush's rush towards war
II. How you can make a financial contribution
III. Demonstrations around the world January 18
IV. Plans for Jan. 18 in DC: Speakers, Scenario & more

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ONLY THE PEOPLE CAN STOP BUSH'S RUSH TOWARDS WAR

The January 18 National March on Washington DC and joint  action in San Francisco comes just nine days before what  has been slated by the Bush administration to be a 
deadline in their drive towards war on Iraq.

Military preparations are underway at a feverish pitch. 
 Last week, more than 1,350 Florida Army National Guard  and U.S. Army reservists were called to active duty 
(according to the Miami Herald, Dec. 27).  This is the 
largest call-up of Florida's National Guard and reservists  since World War II -- and it's also the first deployment 
of an infantry battalion since that time.  Though the 
military has not made an official statement as to why the  units have been mobilized at this time, the 150 members of  a military police unit based on Fort Lauderdale who have  been called up as part of this mobilization are being sent  to Kuwait, a clear indication that they will be playing a 
role in any war in Iraq.

On January 27, Hans Blix (the head of UNMOVIC, the United  Nations Monitoring and Verification Commission) will make  a report on the first two months of weapons inspections in  Iraq.  Bush administration officials have indicated that 
they view this date as a deadline for a final decision 
regarding their war plans.

We believe that we can still stop this war from happening.  Thousands of innocent people in Iraq and an unknown number  of U.S. GIs will die unless we can stop Bush's war plans.  It is urgent that the anti-war movement not be lulled into  a false sense of optimism because Iraq and the UN are 
cooperating. The Bush Administration is determined to wage  war and occupy Iraq. The extent to which the world is 
voicing cautious optimism about a peaceful solution, is 
also the extent to which the Bush foreign policy team is  racing to dash all hope for such an outcome.

The January 18 National March on Washington DC may very  well be the last opportunity that we have on a national 
level to show the breadth and depth of opposition before  the scheduled plan to start the war.

We rely on the generous donations of those individuals who  believe in our work. Many have made a financial donation.  We would like to again thank you. Without your 
contributions we could not carry out this work.  If you 
want to make a contribution within the tax year (by 
December 31), you must make your online contribution by  11:59 pm.  If you are sending a check, as long as you date  it by December 31, it can be received next week (send 
checks to 39 W. 14th St., Room 206, New York, NY 10011). 
 Online contributions can be made at
http://www.internationalanswer.org/donate.html

DEMONSTRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD JANUARY 18

In addition to the National March on Washington DC and 
joint action in San Francisco, many international 
conferences and organizations have taken up the call, 
making January 18 an international day of action opposing  the war.  At the time of this writing, anti-war 
demonstrations have been scheduled in at least 12 
countries for the weekend of Jan. 18-19, 2003.

A worldwide anti-war conference which took place December  18-19 in Cairo, Egypt, and included hundreds of 
representatives from 20 countries, set as its first order  of business a worldwide mobilization for January 18.  The  organizers of the conference have called for a p