[Peace-discuss] some things AWARE might call on the Obama adminstration to do (for Main Event, and maybe Farmer's Market)

[Stuart Levy]

At recent AWARE meetings we'd talked about what we might call
on the new Adminstration to do and not do.  This will go into a flyer
for the Dec. Main Event protest, and onto the web site, at least,
and I hope also as a Farmer's Market handout.


Here are some points, many adapted from Just Foreign Policy's call,
but I've at least edited them, so please direct objections to me.

[Mort, you'd mentioned a call like this from UFPJ, but I'm not
seeing it, unless you mean the "Statement from UFPJ on the Election
of Barack Obama", which is hope-full but not very specific.]

Absent here is *anything* about the bailout or about the economy.
I think we should speak to that! but invite others here to submit
suggestions.   (Ricky's Social Monetary Fund?  Sheila Bair's call for
widespread gov't support for homeowners facing foreclosure, or Dean Baker's
to offer a fair market rent?  Follow through on the campaign promise to
roll back the tax cuts for high-income people?   Enact Bernie
Sanders' income surtax on high-income people?  What?)

Please comment!  If you see something important that's missing,
if you have better words, if some issue doesn't seem high priority, or
if you see something that's just wrong, please speak up.

If nobody objects too strongly, I may print a few of these (with edits
as they come in through Sat AM) to hand out tomorrow at the Farmer's Market,
but wouldn't consider that a final draft if so.  Hoping we might have
a more settled version by Main Event (Dec 6th).

I'd like to keep it to one page -- it's about 3/4 page now.
===========================================================================

- Follow through on withdrawal of *all* US troops from Iraq, 
by the end of 2011 if not sooner, as recently agreed to by the Iraqi
parliament.  Military contractors, who have replaced many troops,
must likewise leave Iraq.  Make it plain to Iraq and the world that
the US will maintain no military bases there.

- State clearly that the US supports the Afghan government's efforts to 
reconcile with the Taliban, including all who are willing to talk.  

- Cease incursions into Pakistan.  Even if attacks might stop some 
insurgents, the inevitable civilian casualties can only motivate more 
enmity and destabilize the Pakistani government.

- Start afresh on US efforts to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Take 
seriously US policy which opposes Israeli West Bank settlements as an 
obstacle to peace.  Deal with Hamas - whatever else one may think of them,
they won free and fair democratic elections, and have been providing
services to their people as well as they can.

- Reaffirm your pledge to talk to Iran without preconditions.
Establish real diplomacy, beginning with the establishment of US diplomatic
representation in Iran, as the Bush Administration has proposed.
Make clear that the United States has no dispute with a peaceful
Iranian nuclear program that is transparent and complies with international
agreements.  Make clear that the United States has no dispute with peaceful 
cooperation between the governments of Iran and Iraq. Make clear that the 
United States welcomes the cooperation of Iran in helping to resolve the 
conflicts of the Middle East, including the conflict in Afghanistan, the 
Israel/Palestine conflict, and conflicts in Lebanon.

- Put our vast military spending on the table for cuts.  Consider Rep. 
Frank's proposal for 25% cuts.

- End our long-running, counterproductive embargo against Cuba, and open a 
dialog with the Cuban government.

- Repair relations with Venezuela and Bolivia, including restoring Bolivia's 
preferential access to US markets.  The Bush Administration's proposed 
suspension could cost tens of thousands of Bolivians their jobs.

- Obama's call for closure of Guantanamo Bay detention camp, and saying that
the US will not commit torture, are laudable but insufficient.  Prominent
figures in the Bush Administration made arguments, including legal opinions,
that torture, indefinite detention, and extraordinary rendition were
acceptable and necessary, and have faced no consequences.  The temptation
to return to such practices will remain unless it's made clear that
expediency does not trump Constitutional protections and international law. 

- Repudiate the Bush Administration's signing statements, and the
whole notion that a President can override laws by fiat.  Honor 
our democracy and stop this terrible precedent now.