[Peace-discuss] Black Radical Congress

[Alfred Kagan]

FYI, from http://eblackstudies.org/brc/fightback/public.html

BRC Statement Against The War of Retaliation
Black Radical Congress Statement on the Bombing of Afghanistan and 
the War of Retaliation:
End US Aggression At Home and Abroad!

The Black Radical Congress condemns the bombing and ongoing military 
operations in Afghanistan and the Central Asian Region. We call for 
an immediate halt to the war of retaliation. The unjust killing of 
innocent civilians in this war does nothing to end acts of terrorism 
but instead perpetuates the cycle of senseless violence, death, and 
destruction. 

We further condemn the feverish efforts to whip the nation into a 
patriot fervor, to squelch honest dissent to the war.

History clearly shows, as pointed out by many observers, that it was 
the fostering of US economic and political interests in the Central 
Asian region that led to the organization, funding, and training by 
the CIA and the Pakistani ISI of anti-secular Islamic 
"fundamentalist" Muslims there in the first place. 

The US support for the Afghanistan war against the Soviets and the 
subsequent maneuvering of corporate interests for the control of oil 
and gas resources in Central Asia brought thousands of fundamentalist 
Muslims to fight there. Now the US demand to uproot Osama Bin Laden, 
the Al Qaeda organization, or the hunt for "twenty-three terrorists" 
can not justify the wholesale bombing of an entire nation or the 
massive military expenditures targeted for an "unending war against 
terrorism". We oppose all imperialist wars and wars based in 
religious fundamentalism.

It bears repeating that the US showed utter contempt, disrespect, and 
overt racism toward African Americans, people of African descent, the 
Palestinian people, and people of color throughout the world when it 
withdrew support and refused to participate in the World Conference 
Against Racism (WCAR).  This arrogant and racist stand only served to 
place the US in isolation throughout the world fostering a climate of 
increasing hostility and demonstrating that the US is unwilling to be 
responsible to any international framework. 

The impact of September 11 on the US economy and the war of 
retaliation will disproportionately effect the African American and 
other poor communities across this country with the massive lay-offs 
as well as draw Black and people of color youth into military 
service, killing, and death.  Yet young black people face sanctioned 
terrorism at home every day in the form of police brutality and 
murder, drugs, joblessness and incarceration.

The Black Radical Congress further condemns the use of military and 
para-military aggression at home under the new Homeland Security Act. 
This program constitutes little more than the refunding, 
revitalization, and extension of the infamous Counter Intelligence 
Program - Cointelpro.  Such programs have historically been directed 
against all social justice movements in this country, particularly 
the black liberation movement. 

The Black Radical Congress urgently calls for the building of a Black 
United Front Against the War and for the rebuilding and unification 
of the Black Liberation movement.  The rebuilding of the BLM must be 
linked to a deepening of the movement's work in the mass fightback 
movements. 

We stand for principled peace based on justice for the oppressed.  We 
call for a unified movement in the fight against war, racism, and 
repression. We uphold the demand of the African American people and 
people of African descent world-wide for reparations. We express our 
solidarity with the Arab peoples and all immigrant communities in 
this country and around the world. We express our solidarity with the 
Palestinian people in their fight to free Palestine. We reassert our 
solidarity with the Cuban people in their fight to end the blockade. 
And we call for an end to militarism and genocide and genocidal 
violence in Africa.

Lastly, we oppose the opening of a theater of biological and chemical 
warfare both here or in any part of the world. Biological and 
chemical warfare is summarily a crime against humanity and should be 
roundly condemned and declared a war crime by the international 
community.

The war on "terrorism" and "homeland security" is not our war. Our 
fight is the fight of the historically oppressed and exploited 
against the unbridled power of our imperialist oppressors.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Black Radical Congress
National Office
Columbia University Station
P.O. Box 250791
New York, NY 10025-1509
blackradicalcongress at email.com

-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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