From hhart@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Wed Mar 19 22:56:02 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 24260 invoked by uid 0); 19 Mar 2003 22:56:02 -0000 Received: from day.its.uiowa.edu (128.255.56.107) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 19 Mar 2003 22:56:02 -0000 Received: from itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu (itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu [128.255.40.126]) by day.its.uiowa.edu (8.11.6/8.11.6/ns-mx-1.14) with ESMTP id h2JMtMU25840; Wed, 19 Mar 2003 16:55:22 -0600 X-WebMail-UserID: hhart Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 16:55:22 -0600 From: hhart To: iagpnews@yahoogroups.com, iowa-work@gp-us.org X-EXP32-SerialNo: 00002843 Message-ID: <3E7F6198@itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: WebMail (Hydra) SMTP v3.62 Subject: [Iowa-work] FWD: [USGP-Media] FW: "Winner Take All Politics Feeds Militarization" Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: From: "Steven Hill" Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 00:16:47 -0800 To: "Steven Hill" Subject: "Winner Take All Politics Feeds Militarization" WINNER TAKE ALL POLITICS FEEDS MILITARIZATION By Steven Hill Center for Voting and Democracy www.FixingElections.com Advocates of political reform often make their case for change based on the fairer representation it will provide to people of color, women, third parties, and even Democrats and Republicans living in opposition districts. But what is equally compelling is a growing awareness that our "winner-take-all" electoral system has a distinct impact on policy. One of the clearest examples is the recent rush to war, and beyond that the extraordinary rise in military spending even before September 11. With national opinion polls reflecting ambivalence on the part of Americans over war in Iraq, particularly without a United Nations endorsement, one can't help but wonder why Congress has not reflected the nation's mood. When it comes to Middle East foreign policy, Congress has been to the right of the Israeli Knesset. There have been few voices of opposition, even among Democratic Party leaders, despite polls showing that Democratic voters are opposed to war by nearly 2 to 1. The reasons for this are linked to the most fundamental aspects of our winner-take-all elections. Under the sway of pollsters, consultants, and strategists, Democratic leaders typically bend over backwards not to appear weak on defense. They have made the political calculation that the voters who always vote for them will continue to do so, no matter what their stands on Iraq or Middle East policy, because those voters are not about to vote for Republicans. So these liberal and progressive voters mostly can be ignored. Instead, Democrats target their positions in such a way as to attract more conservative swing voters and independents, those undecided voters that determine winners in close races. Polls show this group evenly split over the question of war. This is a calculated gambit by the Democratic Party leadership. Some of the Democratic House members would like to be more outspoken against the war, but they don't dare buck their leadership. And the leadership has made the winner-take-all calculation: "Damn the torpedoes, forget the Democratic voters, focus on the SWING voters." Without a third party in the Congress like a Green Party that is unequivocally against the war, most debate and dialogue came to a standstill long ago. In recent days, finally the Democratic Party leadership has awoken from its poll-driven slumber, but it's too little, too late. Neither Congress nor the president can say how much the Iraqi invasion will cost, but we do know that this bottomless pit will be fed by cutting other needed programs, including the chances for national healthcare, prescription drug benefits, and even adequate funding for homeland security. But this is nothing new. Winner-take-all calculations always have produced bloated military budgets full of pork barrel waste and bipartisan brinkmanship. The story of the October 1999 military appropriations illustrates some of the worst dynamics and incentives resulting from our winner-take-all system. In the spring of 1998, the conventional wisdom in Washington was that the military budget would remain steady at about $270 billion per year through 2002, as called for in the 1997 balanced budget agreement. But then came the impeachment attack in the summer. By the fall of 1998, key Republican hawks in Congress and the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided that a president facing impeachment charges was ripe to be shaken down for more military spending. They presented Clinton with their demands, and to save his hide Clinton took steps to placate this powerful military constituency. Clinton pledged a $1.1 billion "emergency" increase for military readiness, despite the fact that it broke the spending cap of the balanced-budget accord. But in the inevitable horse trading needed to close the deal, Congress transformed Clinton's modest readiness increase into a $9 billion grab bag of pet pork projects. GOP Sen. John McCain described it as "the worst pork in recent memory." The pork included billions more for Star Wars, F-15 fighters, helicopters, and more awarded to the home areas of Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, and House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt. Yes, this bread was buttered on both sides of the partisan aisle to ensure its palatability. Successive rounds of one-upmanship continued into 1999, pushing the price tag higher and higher until it reached stratospheric heights beyond what the Pentagon even had requested. Careful analysis reveals how winner-take-all dynamics drove this policy debacle. First came the impeachment attack -- driven by congressional pit bulls specifically selected by the Republican leadership because they represented heavily partisan districts where reelection was assured. Second, the attack occurred at the end of the decade with redistricting looming; at that time there is great incentive for partisan attacks in a bid to win state legislative elections, since state legislatures control the redistricting of legislative district lines in most states. Third, the partisan attack on the President created an opening for the military and congressional hawks to shake down a weakened president. Once the pigskin was put into play, successive rounds of bipartisan brinkmanship upped the ante -- and the price tag -- creating a pork barrel feeding frenzy. Fourth, just like now with the Iraqi war, Clinton and the Democrats believed that, as an election year approached, their military positioning helped them with the more conservative swing voters and insulated them from the charge of being "soft on defense." Thus, the nimble Clinton turned a political weakness into a victory, but at the price of paving the way for a liberal policy disaster -- a familiar refrain of his presidency. The real losers were the American taxpayer and those desiring a peacetime economy. In an era when a conservative Congress has slashed domestic social spending, where 40 million Americans -- many of them children -- go without health care, and where we have levels of child poverty that approach that of Russia, the Pentagon still runs a bloated Cold War bureaucracy that the General Accounting Office has stated is "still vulnerable to waste, abuse, and mismanagement." Yet the military budget passed in October 1999 was the largest increase since the Reagan era, even though it already was more than twice that of the combined military budgets of every conceivable adversary. Even before September 11, the incentives of our winner-take-all system made it impossible for the Democrats to muster the political will to stop ongoing militarization. With winner-take-all offering powerful incentives for pork barrel gluttony, political positioning, courting of swing voters, redistricting manipulation, and partisan pit bull attacks, the waste and budgetary fraud known as military appropriations have rolled along as bipartisan policy. ----------------------------------- Steven Hill is senior analyst for the Center for Voting and Democracy (www.fairvote.org) and author of "Fixing Elections: The Failure of America's Winner Take All Politics" (Routledge Press, www.FixingElections.com). From hhart@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Thu Mar 20 03:07:51 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 6644 invoked by uid 0); 20 Mar 2003 03:07:51 -0000 Received: from night.its.uiowa.edu (128.255.56.106) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 20 Mar 2003 03:07:51 -0000 Received: from itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu (itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu [128.255.40.126]) by night.its.uiowa.edu (8.11.6/8.11.6/ns-mx-1.14) with ESMTP id h2K37AG10030; Wed, 19 Mar 2003 21:07:10 -0600 X-WebMail-UserID: hhart Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 21:07:10 -0600 From: hhart To: iagp-johnsoncounty@yahoogroups.com Cc: iowa-work@gp-us.org X-EXP32-SerialNo: 00002843 Message-ID: <3E804340@itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: WebMail (Hydra) SMTP v3.62 Subject: [Iowa-work] FWD: Don't feel helpless - Bring the Congress Home Campaign Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Bring the Congress Home PeaceEconomy.org is today encouraging a recall campaign of all members of the US Congress who are not vigorously opposing the illegal, pre-emptive war against Iraq. These members of the Congress have violated their oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. This Constitution gives the responsibility to declare war only to the Congress and does not grant them the ability to defer this right to another branch of government. It is not enough to say now that we have no choice but to support the troops. The American voter does not ever have to abrogate their right to assure that their elected representatives are law abiding and truly representative. Here is the Three-Step Program 1. Write your member of Congress and two Senators and urge them to obey the law or face a recall. 2. Begin a petition campaign for recall elections. 3. Identify law abiding candidates to seek the seats of the law breakers and vow never again to vote for a candidate who will not follow the law or represent your best ideals. --- from Carol Miller via usgp-media@greens.org for changes or help, usgp-media-request@greens.org --- From hhart@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Thu Mar 20 20:29:34 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 11717 invoked by uid 0); 20 Mar 2003 20:29:33 -0000 Received: from night.its.uiowa.edu (128.255.56.106) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 20 Mar 2003 20:29:33 -0000 Received: from itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu (itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu [128.255.40.126]) by night.its.uiowa.edu (8.11.6/8.11.6/ns-mx-1.14) with ESMTP id h2KKSqG52950; Thu, 20 Mar 2003 14:28:52 -0600 X-WebMail-UserID: hhart Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 14:28:51 -0600 From: hhart To: iagpnews@yahoogroups.com Cc: iagp-johnsoncounty@yahoogrouos.com, iowa-work@gp-us.org, uicampusgreens@coollist.com X-EXP32-SerialNo: 00002843 Message-ID: <3E7C19A0@itsnt5.its.uiowa.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: WebMail (Hydra) SMTP v3.62 Subject: [Iowa-work] FWD: GREEN PARTY RELEASE Bush, launching attack, is now indictable on war crimes charges Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Hi folks This is ready to go. I removed Herr Goebbels at the suggestion of a few people -- the comparisons we're making are clear enough anyway. Thanks to everyone who responded so quickly. Let's get it out as soon as possible. Scott ********** THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release: Thursday, March 20, 2003 Contacts: Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com AS THE INVASION OF IRAQ BEGINS, GREENS CALL BUSH INDICTABLE FOR WAR CRIMES "[O]ur position is that no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy." -- Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Jackson, U.S. Representative to the International Conference on Military Trials, August 12, 1945, speaking on the culpability of German leaders WASHINGTON, DC -- As President Bush gave orders launching the invasion of Iraq, the Green Party of the United States reaffirmed its opposition to the war and demand for the withdrawal of troops, quoting Theodore Roosevelt: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." (Remarks in 1918 on President Woodrow Wilson's suppression of dissent against U.S. involvement in World War I) Pledging to maintain protests and other nonviolent action, Greens called the invasion a war of conquest and warned that President Bush and White House officials may find themselves indicted for numerous violations of U.S. and international law. Greens and other antiwar activists are organizing emergency responses to the invasion, including a recall campaign, initiated by PeaceEconomy.org, against prowar Congressmembers who violated their oath to uphold the Constitution by surrendering their power to declare war. "The success of the U.N. inspections has only proven the need for continued diplomatic efforts undertaken in cooperation with the international community," said Annie Goeke, co-chair of the party's International Committee. "Nowhere in Resolution 1441 is there language that requires overthrowing the government of Iraq in a bloody invasion. There is no legal or moral basis for this war." Greens listed several examples of crimes that may make Bush and other White House officials vulnerable to domestic prosecution and to Nuremburg-style international trials: CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS: Military aggression and conquest violate the constitutionally mandated role of U.S. armed forces. (Article I, Section 8; Article IV, Section 4) VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW (U.N. Charter; Geneva Convention): Preemptive invasion without proof of an imminent attack is an illegal act of military aggression. The Bush Administration has never proved that an attack by Saddam on the U.S. or any other country is imminent. The mission of the U.N. is to avert war, not to rubberstamp invasions. LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE WORLD: President Bush, Secretary of State Powell, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, and other officials have lied about the weapons capability of Iraq, including nuclear, bio, and chemical arms (Iraq has no means to deliver them); about connections between Saddam and al-Qaeda (which seeks to overthrow Saddam); about Saddam's involvement in terrorism against the U.S. (no evidence); about the U.S.'s intention to establish democracy in Iraq. In his January 28 State of the Union address, Bush used a paranoid fantasy scenario to justify war: "Imagine those 19 hijackers with other weapons and other plans, this time armed by Saddam Hussein....". "Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." -- Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials, April 18, 1946 RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT: While Bush claims that the war on Iraq is necessary for homeland security, the invasion will result in terrorist retaliation against Americans at home and abroad. While Bush expresses concern for Iraqi civilians, the U.S. plans for a "shock and awe" campaign, with a massive missile attack on Baghdad, and intends to use cluster bombs and landmines, which will kill and maim thousands of civilians. The U.S. will also use depleted uranium, despite the severe health problems it caused American soldiers and Iraqi civilians in the last Persian Gulf War. The U.S.'s illegal coercive techniques in the treatment of al-Qaeda prisoners, with some prisoners sent to Egypt and other countries that use torture openly, places U.S. soldiers who are captured at grave risk of torture. SUBTERFUGE: U.S. intelligence sabotaged the U.N. inspections in Iraq by withholding crucial information from the inspectors about Saddam Hussein's arsenal -- evident in Powell's own presentation before the U.N. Powell cited a graduate student's dossier on Iraq published ten years ago as 'damning evidence' collected by the British Secret Service. The U.N. is investigating the bugging, allegedly by the U.S., of the offices and phone lines of U.N. delegations whose support the Bush Administration sought for the invasion. BRIBERY AND EXTORTION: The Bush Administration bribed Turkey and other countries to get their support in the U.N. for invading Iraq, and also threatened to withdraw foreign aid and impose other penalties. (The $26 billion bribe failed to persuade the Turkish parliament.) AIDING AND ABETTING THE ENEMY: U.S. companies, in deals negotiated in part with Rumsfeld's help, sold Iraq chemical, bio (including Anthrax), and other weapons during the 1980s. While Vice President Cheney served as CEO, Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root did $73 million worth of business with Iraq between 1998 and 2000 and sold Iraq pulse generators, designed for oil drilling but which can be used for nuclear detonations, despite the economic sanctions against Iraq. WAR PROFITEERING: According to the Wall Street Journal (January 16, 2003), officials from the White House, State Department, and Defense Department have met with execs from Halliburton, ExxonMobil, and other oil firms to determine who will control Iraqi oil after the war. Halliburton now has a multimillion-dollar contract to rebuild Iraq's oil field after the war, and ExxonMobil has won a $47.8 million contract to supply gasoline, diesel fuel and motor oil to U.S. and NATO forces. MORE INFORMATION The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org National office: 1314 18th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN Green Party antiwar mobilization page http://www.greenpartyus.org/peace.html PeaceEconomy.org http://www.peaceeconomy.org United for Peace and Justice http://www.unitedforpeace.org - END - From hhart@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Thu Mar 20 21:48:30 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 19872 invoked by uid 0); 20 Mar 2003 21:48:30 -0000 Received: from mail-hub3.weeg.uiowa.edu (128.255.56.23) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 20 Mar 2003 21:48:30 -0000 Received: from red.weeg.uiowa.edu (red.weeg.uiowa.edu [128.255.56.5]) by mail-hub3.weeg.uiowa.edu (8.11.6/8.11.6/blue-mh-1.7) with ESMTP id h2KLln512646 for ; Thu, 20 Mar 2003 15:47:49 -0600 From: "H. Hart" Received: from localhost (hhart@localhost) by red.weeg.uiowa.edu (8.11.6/8.11.6/blue-client-3.2) with ESMTP id h2KLlmx209504 for ; Thu, 20 Mar 2003 15:47:48 -0600 Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 15:47:48 -0600 (CST) X-X-Sender: To: Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Subject: [Iowa-work] Green Presidential Update Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: For those who may be interested.... I have read that there is a draft committee for Ralph Nader; this means there is a draft committee, not that Nader is planning to run - they can't communicate with him directly unless and untill he decides to run. The draft commitee includes the person who oversaw Jesse Ventura's successful gubernatorial run. The group does not include any Green PArty personnel, and there doesn't seem to be any GP activity towards ralph Nader, so far. Cynthia McKinney is still up in the air, although ti doesn't look extremely promising. _______ Subject: Michael Moore 04' Hi, A few folks in North Carolina are starting up a campaign to get Michael Moore to run for President and announce his candidacy at the Academy Awards. Please email him at: mike@michaelmoore.com You can you helping us by forwarding this email and putting up this link on your website? http://www.sfgreenparty.org/news/newsitem-start.gem?idx=637 Under the heading of: Presidential Campaign: Michael Moore in 04' Thanks, Roey Rosenblith UNCW Greens Wilmington, NC From jane_cherry@alumni.grinnell.edu Fri Mar 21 00:31:14 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 31257 invoked by uid 0); 21 Mar 2003 00:31:10 -0000 Received: from mail.enetis.net (206.31.204.3) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 21 Mar 2003 00:31:10 -0000 Received: from login (fc-pm6-33.enetis.net [208.141.217.224]) by mail.enetis.net (8.12.1/8.12.1) with SMTP id h2L0M8JP015656; Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:22:11 -0700 (MST) Reply-To: From: "Jane" To: "Iowa: Delegate work list" , "Iowagreenparty@Yahoogroups. Com" Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:16:17 -0700 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Importance: Normal X-E-Net-VScan: Found to be clean Subject: [Iowa-work] FW: [USGP-COO] GREEN PARTY RELEASE Bush, launching attack, is now indictable onwar crimes charges Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: -----Original Message----- From: nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org [mailto:nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org]On Behalf Of Nancy Allen Sent: Donnerstag, 20. März 2003 13:20 To: nallen@acadia.net Subject: [USGP-COO] GREEN PARTY RELEASE Bush, launching attack, is now indictable onwar crimes charges THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release: Thursday, March 20, 2003 Contacts: Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com AS THE INVASION OF IRAQ BEGINS, GREENS CALL BUSH INDICTABLE FOR WAR CRIMES "[O]ur position is that no grievances or policies will justify resort to aggressive war. It is utterly renounced and condemned as an instrument of policy." -- Supreme Court Justice Robert L. Jackson, U.S. Representative to the International Conference on Military Trials, August 12, 1945, speaking on the culpability of German leaders WASHINGTON, DC -- As President Bush gave orders launching the invasion of Iraq, the Green Party of the United States reaffirmed its opposition to the war and demand for the withdrawal of troops, quoting Theodore Roosevelt: "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." (Remarks in 1918 on President Woodrow Wilson's suppression of dissent against U.S. involvement in World War I) Pledging to maintain protests and other nonviolent action, Greens called the invasion a war of conquest and warned that President Bush and White House officials may find themselves indicted for numerous violations of U.S. and international law. Greens and other antiwar activists are organizing emergency responses to the invasion, including a recall campaign, initiated by PeaceEconomy.org, against prowar Congressmembers who violated their oath to uphold the Constitution by surrendering their power to declare war. "The success of the U.N. inspections has only proven the need for continued diplomatic efforts undertaken in cooperation with the international community," said Annie Goeke, co-chair of the party's International Committee. "Nowhere in Resolution 1441 is there language that requires overthrowing the government of Iraq in a bloody invasion. There is no legal or moral basis for this war." Greens listed several examples of crimes that may make Bush and other White House officials vulnerable to domestic prosecution and to Nuremberg-style international trials: CONSTITUTIONAL VIOLATIONS: Military aggression and conquest violate the constitutionally mandated role of U.S. armed forces. (Article I, Section 8; Article IV, Section 4) VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW (U.N. Charter; Geneva Convention): Preemptive invasion without proof of an imminent attack is an illegal act of military aggression. The Bush Administration has never proved that an attack by Saddam on the U.S. or any other country is imminent. The mission of the U.N. is to avert war, not to rubberstamp invasions. LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE WORLD: President Bush, Secretary of State Powell, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, and other officials have lied about the weapons capability of Iraq, including nuclear, bio, and chemical arms (Iraq has no means to deliver them); about connections between Saddam and al-Qaeda (which seeks to overthrow Saddam); about Saddam's involvement in terrorism against the U.S. (no evidence); about the U.S.'s intention to establish democracy in Iraq. In his January 28 State of the Union address, Bush used a paranoid fantasy scenario to justify war: "Imagine those 19 hijackers with other weapons and other plans, this time armed by Saddam Hussein....". "Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." -- Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials, April 18, 1946 RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT: While Bush claims that the war on Iraq is necessary for homeland security, the invasion will result in terrorist retaliation against Americans at home and abroad. While Bush expresses concern for Iraqi civilians, the U.S. plans for a "shock and awe" campaign, with a massive missile attack on Baghdad, and intends to use cluster bombs and landmines, which will kill and maim thousands of civilians. The U.S. will also use depleted uranium, despite the severe health problems it caused American soldiers and Iraqi civilians in the last Persian Gulf War. The U.S.'s illegal coercive techniques in the treatment of al-Qaeda prisoners, with some prisoners sent to Egypt and other countries that use torture openly, places U.S. soldiers who are captured at grave risk of torture. SUBTERFUGE: U.S. intelligence sabotaged the U.N. inspections in Iraq by withholding crucial information from the inspectors about Saddam Hussein's arsenal -- evident in Powell's own presentation before the U.N. Powell cited a graduate student's dossier on Iraq published ten years ago as 'damning evidence' collected by the British Secret Service. The U.N. is investigating the bugging, allegedly by the U.S., of the offices and phone lines of U.N. delegations whose support the Bush Administration sought for the invasion. BRIBERY AND EXTORTION: The Bush Administration bribed Turkey and other countries to get their support in the U.N. for invading Iraq, and also threatened to withdraw foreign aid and impose other penalties. (The $26 billion bribe failed to persuade the Turkish parliament.) AIDING AND ABETTING THE ENEMY: U.S. companies, in deals negotiated in part with Rumsfeld's help, sold Iraq chemical, bio (including Anthrax), and other weapons during the 1980s. While Vice President Cheney served as CEO, Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root did $73 million worth of business with Iraq between 1998 and 2000 and sold Iraq pulse generators, designed for oil drilling but which can be used for nuclear detonations, despite the economic sanctions against Iraq. WAR PROFITEERING: According to the Wall Street Journal (January 16, 2003), officials from the White House, State Department, and Defense Department have met with execs from Halliburton, ExxonMobil, and other oil firms to determine who will control Iraqi oil after the war. Halliburton now has a multimillion-dollar contract to rebuild Iraq's oil field after the war, and ExxonMobil has won a $47.8 million contract to supply gasoline, diesel fuel and motor oil to U.S. and NATO forces. MORE INFORMATION The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org National office: 1314 18th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN Green Party antiwar mobilization page http://www.greenpartyus.org/peace.html PeaceEconomy.org http://www.peaceeconomy.org United for Peace and Justice http://www.unitedforpeace.org - END - ------- |for changes or help, usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org |to unsubscribe, please email usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org with ONLY unsubscribe in the message ------- From jane_cherry@alumni.grinnell.edu Fri Mar 21 00:31:24 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 31273 invoked by uid 0); 21 Mar 2003 00:31:20 -0000 Received: from mail.enetis.net (206.31.204.3) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 21 Mar 2003 00:31:20 -0000 Received: from login (fc-pm6-33.enetis.net [208.141.217.224]) by mail.enetis.net (8.12.1/8.12.1) with SMTP id h2L0MQJP015787; Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:22:29 -0700 (MST) Reply-To: From: "Jane" To: "Iowa: Delegate work list" , "Iowagreenparty@Yahoogroups. Com" Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:16:36 -0700 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Importance: Normal X-E-Net-VScan: Found to be clean Subject: [Iowa-work] FW: [USGP-COO] MEDIA RELEASE:Green Party of the United States:resist the war declaration say Greens Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: -----Original Message----- From: nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org [mailto:nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org]On Behalf Of Nancy Allen Sent: Dienstag, 18. März 2003 10:19 To: nallen@acadia.net Subject: [USGP-COO] MEDIA RELEASE:Green Party of the United States:resist the war declaration say Greens THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release: Monday, March 17, 2003 Contacts: Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com GREENS CALL ON CONGRESS AND AMERICANS TO RESIST BUSH'S WAR DECLARATION On the brink of the invasion of Iraq, plans begin for The Day After, as U.S. troops face casualties from Iraqi resistance and depleted uranium; U.S. civilians face terrorist retaliation; Greens challenge antiwar Democratic officials to participate in civil disobedience. WASHINGTON, DC -- Members of the Green Party of the United States stepped up their opposition to the ultimatum issued to Iraq by President Bush on Sunday after his summit with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Durao Barroso. President Bush declared Monday, March 17 as the day Iraq must completely disarm or face an invasion, and a U.N. endorsement of a U.S. military attack is no longer expected. Greens, noting that invasion may begin within the week, will participate in protests and nonviolent direct action the day after attacks are launched, in events being planned by United for Peace and Justice, the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, the "Bush is Taking the Shirts Off Our Backs to Pay for this War" Coalition, and other groups. Many Greens are challenging Democratic officeholders who oppose the war, especially presidential candidates, to participate in civil disobedience. "Let Democrats take the kind of stand Rep. Ron Dellums [D.-Calif.] took when he was arrested for protesting apartheid in South Africa," said Connecticut Green Tom Sevigny, chair of the party's national Bylaws Committee. "Preemptive invasion explicitly violates international law, the Geneva Convention, the U.N. charter, the Monroe Doctrine of military action as a defensive last resort, and the U.S. Constitution's restriction of the use of U.S. armed forces to the defense of our borders. Green leaders have already risked arrest and been arrested. It's time for antiwar Democrats like Dennis Kucinich, Carol Moseley-Braun, and Howard Dean to show moral leadership -- as [Senior Cabinet Minister] Robin Cook has shown today in Britain." Greens are urging all Americans who oppose the war to increase their phone calls, letters, faxes, e-mails, and visits to Congressmembers, and to continue the show of support for the peoples and governments of other U.N. nations that oppose the war. Green Parties in many European countries, especially Germany, Belgium, France, Finland, and New Zealand, have played a major role in rallying citizens and influencing their respective governments not to give the invasion the facade of legitimacy through support in the U.N. "With Congress riding shotgun, Bush is driving America on a collision course with the global community," said Ben Manski, Green Party Co-Chair. "Invasion of Iraq will make our nation responsible for the administration of government in that country for years to come, and will commit America to a new period of military adventurism in global politics. Such a course is not sustainable, not just, and fundamentally contrary to the interest of the American people." While President Bush claims that the issue is Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, the Wall Street Journal reported on January 16 that Bush has been meeting with oil companies to plan who will profit from the occupation of Iraq. CBS.MarketWatch.com (January 31) and CNN (March 2) have reported that oil companies expect a windfall from the invasion. This good news for oil companies is bad news for the U.S. economy, which will be damaged by the costs of the invasion and occupation. U.S. citizens will suffer as social services are cut drastically. "Bush's intention all along was an invasion, which is why neither the U.N. inspections nor Saddam's compliance and destruction of weapons were ever satisfactory, and U.N. support is a disposable formality," said Carl Romanelli of the Pennsylvania Green Party. "At no point did Bush ever allow the possibility of containment under an internationally cooperative plan. Even if Iraq falls quickly, it will bring neither peace nor security, and we'll see terrorist retaliation against American civilians and military personnel. Furthermore, the White House has made it clear that it wants to topple other governments, beginning with Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria." While the Bush Administration has raised the subject of war crimes trials for Iraqi leaders, U.S. officials may face charges if they carry out the threat to drop 800 cruise missiles on Iraq in the first 48 hours of the war. The U.N. predicts a humanitarian disaster, with up to a half million civilian Iraqi deaths and injuries during the early stages of the war. "Greens will maintain their opposition to the war after the invasion begins," said Mark Dunlea, chair of the Green Party of New York State. "If we really care about the lives of American soldiers, we'll continue to demand that their lives not be placed at risk for the sake of control over Iraqi oil and political dominance over the region. The Bush Administration has built its case for this war on deception -- on lies about Iraqi weapons capability, about connections between Saddam and al-Qaeda, about our real objectives in the Middle East. The greatest lie is that opposing the war is unpatriotic. We call on all people who value American ideals of democracy, nonviolence, and human rights to support our troops -- and demand they be sent home!" MORE INFORMATION The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org National office: 1314 18th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN Green Party antiwar mobilization page http://www.greenpartyus.org/peace.html United for Peace and Justice http://www.unitedforpeace.org National Youth and Student Peace Coalition http://www.nyspc.net "Bush is Taking the Shirts Off Our Backs to Pay for this War" Coalition http://www.actagainstwar.org/dc - END - ------- |for changes or help, usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org |to unsubscribe, please email usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org with ONLY unsubscribe in the message ------- From jane_cherry@alumni.grinnell.edu Fri Mar 21 00:31:35 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 31292 invoked by uid 0); 21 Mar 2003 00:31:30 -0000 Received: from mail.enetis.net (206.31.204.3) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 21 Mar 2003 00:31:30 -0000 Received: from login (fc-pm6-33.enetis.net [208.141.217.224]) by mail.enetis.net (8.12.1/8.12.1) with SMTP id h2L0LtJP015519; Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:21:58 -0700 (MST) Reply-To: From: "Jane" To: "Iowa: Delegate work list" , "Iowagreenparty@Yahoogroups. Com" Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 17:16:04 -0700 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Importance: Normal X-E-Net-VScan: Found to be clean Subject: [Iowa-work] FW: [USGP-COO] MEDIA RELEASE:Green Party of the United States;status of women in "rescued" countries Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: -----Original Message----- From: nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org [mailto:nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org]On Behalf Of Nancy Allen Sent: Donnerstag, 20. März 2003 08:02 To: nallen@acadia.net Subject: [USGP-COO] MEDIA RELEASE:Green Party of the United States;status of women in "rescued" countries THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 Contacts: Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com STATUS OF WOMEN IN 'RESCUED' COUNTRIES FAILS TO IMPROVE, DESPITE BUSH RHETORIC Greens warn that U.S. military occupation of Iraq will lead to an increase in the trafficking of women for prostitution. WASHINGTON, DC -- "While President Bush declares that the goal of his war is "liberty and peace" for the Iraqi people, there's a terrible danger that the breakdown of Iraqi society in the wake of the invasion will place women in special peril," said Jo Chamberlain, California Green and member of the steering committee of the Green Party of the United States. During Monday's speech, the President announced his intention "to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free." Similarly, during the U.S. war on Afghanistan, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, and Laura Bush promoted the war as benefiting women: "Because of our recent military gains in much of Afghanistan, women are no longer imprisoned in their homes. They can listen to music and teach their daughters without fear of punishment." (Radio Address by Laura Bush to the Nation," November 17, 2001) But Greens say that the U.S track record in Afghanistan and previous occupations indicates that Iraqi women will face numerous dangers. A 2003 report on Afghanistan by Human Rights Watch notes that the fall of the Taliban enabled former warlords to return to power, and that many were assisted and financed by the U.S. Since the warlords regained control, many Afghan women and girls have faced the same intimidation and restrictions they faced under the Taliban. Schools have been destroyed and women ordered not to show their faces. "Women delegates to the ruling Loya Jirga have been threatened against participating in elections, and women in portions of the country have suffered increased sexual violence," said Elizabeth Shanklin of the Green Party of New York State. "The failure of the U.S. to ensure the safety and freedom of Afghan women and girls is likely to be repeated in Iraq." The presence of 100,000 troops at minimum occupying post-war Iraq will create a typical environment for the trafficking of women to meet soldiers' "rest and relaxation" needs. Past collusion of U.S. military officials in prostitution in countries including the Philippines and the Honduras through licensing of brothels and medical exams has been documented, and red-light districts exist near American bases throughout the world, including the U.S., Okinawa, and Germany. Local police and government officials are often involved in management and protection of brothels. Many women in the sex industry are coerced through false employment agencies, kidnapped, sold by their families, or indentured to smugglers. "The concentration of troops creates a demand for prostitution," added Jo Chamberlain. "This demand drives the sex trafficking industry, with tacit approval by U.S. military officials." The low status of women in countries surrounding Iraq guarantees little support for women who are forced into prostitution. Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran all have severe penalties for prostitution, and trafficking and coercion of women for sex occurs throughout the region. Victims of sexual trafficking are highly susceptible to HIV and AIDS and, in some areas, life expectancy of women and girls in brothels is 25 years or younger. The collusion of police and local government officials in military prostitution guarantees there is no access to assistance. "The world we want for women, one that guarantees freedom, health, and safety, cannot be gained through war and occupation," said Starlene Rankin, organizer of the Green Party's national Women's Caucus and delegate from the Lavender Caucus. "Those of us who are now protesting Bush's invasion should also turn our attentions, as the war begins, to the welfare of Iraqi civilians and the responsibility of military officials. Even if a humanitarian catastrophe is inevitable, we need to do everything we can to ensure the protection of civilians during and after the war, especially women, children and others who are especially vulnerable." MORE INFORMATION The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org National office: 1314 18th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN Human Rights Watch World Report 2003: Afghanistan http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/asia1.html 'Military Prostitution: How the Authorities Worldwide Aid and Abet International Trafficking in Women,' by Isabelle Talleyrand. 27 Syracuse J. Int'l L. & Com. 151 (2000). - END - ------- |for changes or help, usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org |to unsubscribe, please email usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org with ONLY unsubscribe in the message ------- From dcltrueleft@iowa.tv Sat Mar 22 10:33:43 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 306 invoked by uid 0); 22 Mar 2003 10:33:42 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO etics.wgate.net) (hidden-user@12.104.192.254) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 22 Mar 2003 10:33:42 -0000 Received: from dtics1.wgate.net (dtics1.wgate.net [172.16.10.2]) by etics.wgate.net (8.12.6/8.12.6) with ESMTP id h2MAW0FT029842; Sat, 22 Mar 2003 04:32:01 -0600 (CST) (envelope-from dcltrueleft@iowa.tv) Received: from dtics1.wgate.net (localhost.wgate.net [127.0.0.1]) by dtics1.wgate.net (8.12.6/8.12.6) with ESMTP id h2MAVF0l000921; Sat, 22 Mar 2003 04:31:15 -0600 (CST) (envelope-from dcltrueleft@iowa.tv) Received: (from nobody@localhost) by dtics1.wgate.net (8.12.6/8.12.6/Submit) id h2MAV7o1000920; Sat, 22 Mar 2003 04:31:07 -0600 (CST) Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 04:31:07 -0600 (CST) Message-Id: <200303221031.h2MAV7o1000920@dtics1.wgate.net> X-Authentication-Warning: dtics1.wgate.net: nobody set sender to dcltrueleft@iowa.tv using -f To: "Bear " , "Muff " , MSE8994@aol.com, "Ed Andrews" , bjl@marshallnet.com, "Sandra Blessing" , "Jonathan Chenoweth" , dkerk@uni.edu, emmajane@cfu.net, forrest@neotek.net, gnholt323@aol.com, "Larry Gordon" , "Lou Hellwig" , "Linda Heyer" , iowa-work@gp-us.org, jim1_oloughlin@yahoo.com, john.grinstead@uni.edu, "Anne Johnson" , jp10508@cedarnet.org, "cathy livingston" , misskaty@cfu.net, mlee@cfu.net, "Chris Schwartz" , seheyer@mchsi.com, "Margaret Whiting" From: "David Larson" Reply-To: "David Larson" Cc: Organization: AT&T Interactive TV Subject: [Iowa-work] Fwd: War has begun. What you can do. Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: (This message by Wes Boyd, MoveOn.org is forwarded to you from David Larson .) Dear MoveOn supporter, War has begun. Our minds immediately and naturally turn to the humanitarian disaster that will most likely follow from war in Iraq. The Bush administration is woefully unprepared to face this need. Today we suggest an important action that will literally save lives. There are many good charitable organizations that are prepared to help prevent the many thousands of deaths from the starvation and disease that could follow the collapse of an already fragile Iraqi infrastructure. This will be a race against time, as these incredible organizations supply food, restore water and sanitation systems, and fight epidemic disease. They need help now. We are highlighting one of the most prominent and capable of these organizations -- Oxfam. Go to their donation page to read more and give a generous contribution today: http://www.moveon.org/oxfam/ The Bush administration has shown that it has a very short attention span on post-conflict humanitarian efforts. The White House didn't request a single dollar for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in this year's budget -- Congress had to take the unusual step of adding in $300 million. Privately funded organizations like Oxfam are the only ones with the patience to truly do what it takes to help a war-torn region rebuild. It's up to us. Thank you, -The MoveOn Team Carrie, Eli, Joan, Peter, Wes, and Zack March 21, 2003. ________________ ABOUT OXFAM http://www.OxfamAmerica.org Oxfam is an international humanitarian and development organization founded to bring relief and progress to people in crisis. Oxfam, a world leader in emergency water and sanitation systems, has already created emergency facilities for refugees along the Iraqi border and is poised to provide life-saving services throughout the region as these fast-evolving conditions permit. In addition to providing immediate relief, Oxfam is committed to helping the Iraqi people rebuild their lives and livelihoods over the long term. ________________ This is a message from MoveOn.org. To remove yourself (David Larson) from this list, please visit our subscription management page at: http://moveon.org/s?i=1203-1816021-9MmS1k8pCGeLX3dEZN.lfg From jane_cherry@alumni.grinnell.edu Sat Mar 22 21:42:30 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 31420 invoked by uid 0); 22 Mar 2003 21:42:29 -0000 Received: from mail.enetis.net (206.31.204.3) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 22 Mar 2003 21:42:29 -0000 Received: from login (fc-pm6-34.enetis.net [208.141.217.225]) by mail.enetis.net (8.12.1/8.12.1) with SMTP id h2MLVoJP007756; Sat, 22 Mar 2003 14:31:53 -0700 (MST) Reply-To: From: "Jane" To: "Iowa: Delegate work list" , "Iowagreenparty@Yahoogroups. Com" Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 14:25:53 -0700 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Importance: Normal X-E-Net-VScan: Found to be clean Subject: [Iowa-work] FW: [USGP-COO] MEDIA RELEASE:Green Party of the United States;Greens call for investigation of Rachel Corrie murder Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: -----Original Message----- From: nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org [mailto:nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org]On Behalf Of Nancy Allen Sent: Freitag, 21. März 2003 12:59 To: nallen@acadia.net Subject: [USGP-COO] MEDIA RELEASE:Green Party of the United States;Greens call for investigation of Rachel Corrie murder THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release: Friday, March 21, 2003 Contacts: Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com GREENS CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDER OF AMERICAN PEACE ACTIVIST RACHEL CORRIE BY ISRAELI FORCES As Israeli military forces attack a memorial service for Corrie, Greens renew the call for suspension of U.S. aid to Israel, and warn that the Sharon government, taking advantage of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and U.N. turmoil, might try to evict Palestinians from the occupied territories. WASHINGTON, DC -- Members of the Green Party of the United States, outraged at the murder of American peace activist Rachel Corrie and disruption by the Israeli military of a memorial service for her, demanded an investigation and decisive measures by the U.S. government to stop the Sharon government's violent treatment of Palestinian civilians, destruction of Palestinian homes and infrastructure, and illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories. Greens reaffirmed their support for American, European, and Israeli peace activists who continue to risk their lives in nonviolent resistance to the occupation and defense of Palestinian civilians. The Green Party has also called for an international protection force in the territories to insure the safety of Palestinian and Israeli civilians and adherence by Israel to the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. "A simple threat to cancel all American aid to Israel would probably stop Sharon's incessant and illegal attacks on occupied Palestine and brutal treatment of the Palestinian people," said Justine McCabe, co-chair of the Green Party of Connecticut who has done relief work in Palestine. "Let the death of Rachel Corrie, who called herself a 'witness for peace,' be the occasion for the Bush Administration to cease all military aid to Israel, until Israel complies with U.S. laws governing arms transfers, U.N. resolutions, and international laws and agreements." Corrie, a 23-year-old activist with the International Solidarity Movement, was crushed by a bulldozer on March 16 while trying to block the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza by Israeli forces. The driver of the bulldozer drove forward over Corrie after she had climbed down from speaking with him, which suggests that the driver probably knew she wasn't Palestinian. On March 18, a memorial service at the site of her death was disrupted by Israeli forces using teargas, stun guns, and tanks. "The government of Israel has been evicting Palestinians from their homes, destroying their orchards and farms, restricting their access to food, schools, and medical care, imposing economic ruin and unemployment, attacking refugee camps, and visiting violence and death on children," said Holly Hart, Iowa Green, co-chair of the party's national platform committee, and member of People for Justice in Palestine. "Israel has leveled over 3,000 homes in the past two years." "Sharon makes little secret of his desire to clear the West Bank and Gaza of all Palestinians and extend Israel's border to the Jordan River," add Hart. "Sharon is indulged at every step by the Bush Administration. Bush has ignored the fact that Sharon's Government includes the National Union, an alliance of three parties which explicitly calls for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The murder of an American citizen and disruption of a memorial service for her display new extremes of state-sponsored terrorism, and Bush must treat it as such." Greens also warned that the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which the party strongly opposes, will cause further deterioration of the crisis in Israel and Palestine. "It's quite possible that the Sharon government might use the invasion of Iraq and the turmoil in the U.N. as an opportunity to expel Palestinians from the occupied territories," said Stan Heller, Connecticut Green and chair of the Middle East Crisis Committee in New Haven. "The hypocrisy of the U.S. invasion of Iraq for alleged noncompliance with Resolution 1441 is revealed by the fact that the U.S. has vetoed 41 resolutions, over the last three decades, that sought to hold Israel accountable for violations of international law." MORE INFORMATION The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org National office: 1314 18th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN International Solidarity Movement http://www.palsolidarity.org Middle East Crisis Committee http://www.thestruggle.org Gush Shalom http://www.gush-shalom.org - END - ------- |for changes or help, usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org |to unsubscribe, please email usgp-coo-request@pk.greens.org with ONLY unsubscribe in the message ------- From jane_cherry@alumni.grinnell.edu Sat Mar 22 21:42:27 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: usgp-mx-iowa-work@gp-us.org Received: (qmail 31415 invoked by uid 0); 22 Mar 2003 21:42:26 -0000 Received: from mail.enetis.net (206.31.204.3) by cesarchavez.cagreens.org with SMTP; 22 Mar 2003 21:42:26 -0000 Received: from login (fc-pm6-34.enetis.net [208.141.217.225]) by mail.enetis.net (8.12.1/8.12.1) with SMTP id h2MLV6JP007592; Sat, 22 Mar 2003 14:31:22 -0700 (MST) Reply-To: From: "Jane" To: "Iowa: Delegate work list" , "Iowagreenparty@Yahoogroups. Com" Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2003 14:25:09 -0700 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Importance: Normal X-E-Net-VScan: Found to be clean Subject: [Iowa-work] FW: [USGP-COO] U.S. Green Party News Circulator for 3/14/03-3/21/03 Sender: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org Errors-To: iowa-work-admin@lists.gp-us.org X-BeenThere: iowa-work@lists.gp-us.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.8 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: -----Original Message----- From: nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org [mailto:nathalie-usgpcoo@greens.org]On Behalf Of Andy Parx Sent: Freitag, 21. März 2003 15:46 To: glwilliams@surfbest.net Subject: [USGP-COO] U.S. Green Party News Circulator for 3/14/03-3/21/03 U.S. Green Party News Circulator for 3/14/03-3/21/03 For more Green Party news go to http://web.greens.org/news/ ********************************************************************** 1) ENGLAND: THE IRAQ CONFLICT: BRITISH REACTION: OPPOSITION MPS GIVE TROOPS 100% SUPPORT' FOR TROOPS FROM 2) UKRAINE: ANTI-WAR RALLY HELD IN UKRAINE CAPITAL 3) UKRAINE: UKRAINIAN LEFTISTS PICKET PARLIAMENT, EMBASSIES OVER IRAQ WAR 4) AUSTRALIA: PREFERENCES AD NOT OURS, SAY GREENS 5) ENGLAND: CANCER RISK FEAR OVER SITING OF NEW CENTRE 6) ENGLAND: LETTER: DEVOLVE MORE POWER 7) PENNSYLVANIA: DENLINGER COASTS TO EASY ELECTION WIN; SUCCEEDS ZIMMERMAN 8) NEW MEXICO: BACON ASKS RULES PANEL TO SHELVE ANTI-GREEN BILL 9) AUSTRALIA: COME CLEAN MEAGHER: NEWTON SUGGESTION OF BEDDING WITH GREENS 10) IRELAND: REPUBLIC'S OPPOSITION FUELS SHANNON ROW; 11) IRELAND: THE PARTIES: HOW THEY STAND 12) IRELAND: NO LOGO: HOW YOU CAN TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE GLOBAL MARKETING MACHINE 13) ENGLAND: GREENS CALL FOR WALKOUT 14) NEW MEXICO: GREEN PARTY BILL ON, OFF SENATE FLOOR 15) ENGLAND: LONDON NOT A CITY OF PEACE 16) PENNSYLVANIA: SPECIAL ELECTION;CANDIDATES MAKE LAST PUSH FOR OPEN 99TH-DISTRICT SEAT 17) NEW YORK: 200 JOIN GLOBAL VIGIL, PROTEST WAR AGAINST IRAQ 18) AUSTRALIA: THE GREENS NOW A POLITICAL FORCE; THEY ARE BEING TESTED AS THE DEMOCRATS AND ONE NATION WERE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN 2001 AND 1998. 19) WALES: A FLAMING BIG SHOCK 20) IRELAND: DECISION ON BANTRY BAY CHARTER CRITICISED 21) NEW MEXICO: DEMOCRATS TRY TO SQUASH GREEN PARTY HOPES 22) ENGLAND: GREENS CALL FOR WORKER RIGHTS; 23) NEW ZEALAND:FPP OR STV? THAT IS THE QUESTION ... 24) WASHINGTON D.C.: DEAR NADER VOTERS, 25) LOUISIANA: PEACE PROTESTS ARE HEROIC 26) ENGLAND: YOUR VIEW: RAIL LINK ON RIGHT TRACKS 27) ENGLAND: GREENS LAUNCH ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN 28) ENGLAND: RENATIONALISE THE RAILWAYS 29) ENGLAND: LIFT SANCTIONS TO HELP IRAQIS 30) ENGLAND: GREENS LAUNCHING 'MANIFESTO FOR PEACE' 31) IRELAND: GREEN POLICIES ON INCINERATION 32) AUSTRALIA: LESSER OF TWO EVILS? 33) NEW ZEALAND: GREEN MP SAYS WAR NOT THE ANSWER 34) ENGLAND: IRAQ DRIVING LABOUR VOTERS TO THE GREENS' ********************************************************************** 1) The Independent (London); March 21, 2003 ENGLAND: THE IRAQ CONFLICT: BRITISH REACTION: OPPOSITION MPS GIVE TROOPS 100% SUPPORT' FOR TROOPS FROM by Marie Woolf, Chief Political Correspondent Charles Kennedy: Would welcome short campaign Politicians united to express support for the "extraordinary courage" of British troops yesterday but some rebel Labour MPs voiced deep unease about the "bombing of children" in Iraq. As Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, confirmed the military campaign against Iraq had begun, the Tories and Liberal Democrats said British forces had their "100 per cent support".... The Green Party said sending British troops to the Gulf was wrong. "The best way to support them is to get them home," said Kevin Cranston, a former lieutenant-colonel in the Army Air Corps, now a Green Party councillor in Stroud. "It is an abuse of the loyalty and possibly the lives of British soldiers to use them in an immoral war which a majority of Britons oppose and which has no UN backing."... ********************************************************************** 2) Interfax-Ukraine News Agency - March 20, 2003 UKRAINE: ANTI-WAR RALLY HELD IN UKRAINE CAPITAL Kiev -- About 100 representatives of Ukraine's radical leftist Progressive Socialist Party, the Communist Party and the Green Party have staged a protest outside the Supreme Council Ukrainian parliament . They protest against the beginning of military action in Iraq. The protests will last for about two hours, followed by a march towards the Iraqi embassy, where a support rally will be held, police said. The Communist Party, the Socialist Party and the All-Ukrainian Workers' Union also plan to hold a rally in support of Iraq on Kiev's central square. They will later march towards the US embassy to protest against the beginning of war. The protesters are holding slogans reading "Bush is a fascist and murderer", "Vitrenko radical leftist leader is against war", "No World War III", "Hands off Iraq", "Bush, you are terrorist No 1 on the planet", "Chemical battalion in Iraq means support for aggression", "War in Iraq is an ecological catastrophe". Some of the Green Party activists are wearing gas masks and protective outfits. ********************************************************************** 3) Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire UKRAINE: UKRAINIAN LEFTISTS PICKET PARLIAMENT, EMBASSIES OVER IRAQ WAR Presenter During the Ukrainian parliament's vote on dispatching a Ukrainian chemical protection battalion to Kuwait, several hundred supporters of the Communist Party, the Green Party and the Progressive Socialist Party PSP and the Russian Bloc staged a rally outside the parliament building. Then they set off for the embassies of the UK and the USA to demand an end to the war in Iraq. Correspondent The protesters strongly condemned the bombing of Iraq, fearing that this war might escalate into a third world war. The protesters urged parliament not to send the Ukrainian battalion to the area of hostilities. Volodymyr Marchenko, PSP leading member We are against sending our servicemen, our sons over there at the will of the USA as cannon fodder at the hands of US imperialism.... ********************************************************************** 4) Gold Coast Bulletin (Australia); March 20, 2003 AUSTRALIA: PREFERENCES AD NOT OURS, SAY GREENS Tweed Greens candidate Tom Tabart has lodged a complaint with the State Electoral Commission over an advertisement which appeared in a Murwillumbah-based publication. Mr Tabart said the full-page ad, printed in green ink, urged voters not to give 'our' preferences to the ALP and included a Greens' triangular logo with the motif, 'just vote 1'. "This is only part of a campaign of misrepresentation of Greens' policy by the National Party," he said. A National Party spokesman said he was unconcerned about a complaint being lodged because the advertisement did not mention the Greens Party and did not attempt to mislead. ********************************************************************** 5) The Star (Sheffield); March 20, 2003 ENGLAND: CANCER RISK FEAR OVER SITING OF NEW CENTRE The Star (Sheffield) Green campaigners are calling on Sheffield College to launch a full investigation into safety fears surrounding plans for a new campus in the Hillsborough area. They claim the £10m centre planned for a site on Livesey Street, Owlerton, is dangerously close to an electricity substation and overhead power lines which could give off dangerous cancer-causing emissions. College chiefs say external consultants have already conducted a series of detailed tests confirming the site is suitable. But Richard Pashley, a member of the Sheffield Green Party, is calling on the College to investigate the situation more fully before it takes its plans further. A full planning application for the campus, due to replace ageing centres at Parson Cross and Loxley, is expected to be submitted to the city council soon. Some College staff have also expressed their disquiet at the proposals, saying the new centre would be subject to noise and other pollution from heavy traffic and the nearby speedway and greyhound stadium. They say students would also have to cross busy Penistone Road from the Hillsborough Supertram stop raising fears of road accidents. Mr Pashley said he had sought the advice of a Bristol University professor, Denis Henshaw, on the risks from the substation, which would be 300 metres from the new building. The effects of strong electro-magnetic fields on the human body are being researched by many universities, he said. Professor Henshaw believes that while a 300 metre distance is probably a safe distance for new power lines, they give out more emissions as they grow older. Mr Pashley said electro-magnetic fields could produce airborne carcinogens which could travel up to 500 metres in minute dust particles. I'm suggesting that the whole project could be moved to the Sheffield Wednesday training ground at Middlewood, which the club wants to dispose of, he added. Sheffield College spent months searching for a suitable site in the north of Sheffield for a state of the art campus development. The Owlerton site was chosen partly due to its central location and excellent bus and tram links - and the College says that factor will greatly cut car congestion. Project manager Alan Biggin said safety at the campus was of paramount importance. Planning consent would only be granted if access to the site was judged to be adequate. Safety tests were completed prior to the College's final decision to purchase the land at Owlerton and the tests were carried out in full compliance with British and European legislation, Mr Biggin said. ********************************************************************** 6) The Western Mail; March 20, 2003 ENGLAND: LETTER: DEVOLVE MORE POWER Sir - While at the Green Party's spring conference in Llandrindod I spotted The Western Mail's article on the relative powerlessness of the National Assembly. As leader of the Green Party group on the London Assembly, I'm wholeheartedly on the side of Wales against the control-freakery of the Labour Government. We Greens believe that decisions should be accountable to people most affected by those decisions. In other words, we want to see more power devolved to the Welsh Assembly and to English regional assemblies. Although there will always be decisions best made at the UK, EU or global level, in general the Greens believe British government is far too centralised. Wales deserves its own parliament, just as Scotland has. Darren Johnson Leader, Green Party Group, London Assembly ********************************************************************** 7) Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA); March 19, 2003 PENNSYLVANIA: DENLINGER COASTS TO EASY ELECTION WIN; SUCCEEDS ZIMMERMAN by Justin Quinn Republican Gordon R. Denlinger won a landslide victory Tuesday night in his bid to fill the two-year term of state Rep. Leroy Zimmerman, who died in December. Denlinger captured 70 percent of the vote, beating Democrat Bernadette C. Johnson of New Holland and Green Party candidate Beth H. Bonner of Ephrata... ....Bonner said she was unconcerned about the final numbers. "As far as the number is concerned, we got about 1 percent of the vote, which is quite a bit greater than what you would expect from the registered voters," she said. "And most of those votes were not from registered Green Party people." Bonner doesn't plan to run again, calling her candidacy this year "a one-time political career." "I think the campaign succeeded in attracting attention to the Green Party in the county at large as well as in the 99th District," she said. "In November, there will be many more votes for Green Party candidates. After all, we don't think of ourselves as a minor political party, but as a major party in early stages of growth." Considering she never really thought she could win the election, Bonner said she felt awkward conceding to Denlinger. "As we speak, I'm cutting out little thank you notes for the wonderful people both in and out of the Green Party who helped me in every stage of the campaign," she said. "Those who voted for me have contributed more than they know, and I heartily thank them for doing so."... ********************************************************************** 8) The Associated Press; March 19, 2003 NEW MEXICO: BACON ASKS RULES PANEL TO SHELVE ANTI-GREEN BILL by Deborah Baker Santa Fe -- The Green Party's most recent candidate for governor asked a Senate panel on Wednesday to shelve legislation making it harder for the Greens to remain a major party. David Bacon said the Legislature's handling of the bill was "glaringly unfair," and he asked the Rules Committee to table the measure. The proposed changes, Bacon said, were an "arbitrary move on the part of the ... party in power," the Democrats. Bacon said Greens weren't consulted about the bill, which is sponsored by House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Santa Fe. The proposed change should be discussed in the interim - between legislative sessions - along with other election reforms, Bacon said... Currently, a major party must have a membership of one-third of 1 percent of registered voters, and a candidate for governor or president who got at least 5 percent of the vote in the most recent general election. The Greens now qualify on both counts; Bacon got 5 percent when he ran in November. The Lujan bill, however, would require major parties to have a membership of at least 4 percent of registered voters - about 38,000 to 40,000, according to the Greens. They now have about 11,500. "Eleven thousand does not make a major party," Democratic Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron told the committee. She advised the Green Party to "sell your platform" if it wants to be a major party. "Why is it that we have to treat parties like children? They're not children," Vigil-Giron also said. Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, chided Vigil-Giron, saying she was not being an objective administrator of the law, but rather had exhibited "evangelical zeal" on the subject. "Why do you care one way or the other how many parties are out there?" Adair asked her. "We are the ones trying to move the goalpost after (the Greens) crossed it to make a touchdown," complained Adair, who opposes the bill. Rules Chairwoman Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, abruptly adjourned the meeting before any action was taken on the bill. The measure was on the Senate floor on Tuesday, but Adair managed to get it bounced back to the committee for reconsideration. ********************************************************************** 9) Fairfield Advance; March 19, 2003 AUSTRALIA: COME CLEAN MEAGHER: NEWTON SUGGESTION OF BEDDING WITH GREENS Cabramatta -- Liberal candidate Paul Newton has challenged his opponent, Cabramatta State Labor MP Reba Meagher to state whether she supports policies promoted by the Green Party, including ending routine arming of police and opposition to compulsory sentencing. Mr Newton said the challenge followed Bob Carr's refusal to rule out preference deals with the Greens. He said Mr Carr's comments on radio recently raised serious questions about just how many Greens' policies Labor supported. "I challenge my Labor opponent to publicly indicate whether she supports Green policies, such as ending the routine arming of police, abolishing Neighbourhood Watch, opposing compulsory sentencing, introducing fuel levies and preventing helicopters from being used to find drug farms," Mr Newton said. "These policies are out of step with community values and Labor cannot have it both ways. "If Labor were serious about having principles on important issues such as crime and drugs they wouldn't be doing back room deals with the Greens." Mr Newton said Liberals would not enter a preference vote deal with the Greens and neither should Labor. Ms Meagher said she was pleased with recent crime figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics. "I am not supportive of the Greens' drug policies," Ms Meagher said. "The Anti-Drug Strategy is the policy I will continue to pursue after the election because it has demonstrated results that's why there's been a $9.3 million extension to it." Ms Meagher also said she had not made any preference vote deals. ********************************************************************** 10) Irish News; March 19, 2003 IRELAND: REPUBLIC'S OPPOSITION FUELS SHANNON ROW; by Valerie Robinson Taoiseach -- Bertie Ahern is expected to come under pressure from Opposition parties tomorrow to stop US military planes refuelling at Shannon Airport. The Dail is due hold a six-hour debate on Iraq - in particular the continued use of Shannon in the face of a US attack without a UN resolution authorising war... ....And the Green Party demanded that the back bench members of the government "stand up and be counted" tomorrow. Party chairman and foreign affairs spokesman John Gormley said: "Bertie Ahern has said that a second UN resolution was a political imperative yet despite all the signals that war will commence by tomorrow the Taoiseach still refuses to get off the fence and clarify Ireland's position. "The spotlight is now on the government backbenchers, " he said. "It is time for the backbenchers to let their voices be heard. "The Greens want to know where the Robin Cooks are in this coalition government."... ********************************************************************** 11) The Irish Times; March 19, 2003 IRELAND: THE PARTIES: HOW THEY STAND ....GREEN PARTY: The party maintains that there is no domestic support for war, which it says has no moral justification. It says that Shannon should not have been used during the military build-up ahead of the imminent attack on Iraq. The Greens say that war would not have been justified even it was backed by the Security Council. The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Mr John Gormley, says that it could not have accepted a resolution which followed "bullying or bribery". ********************************************************************** 12) The Irish Times; March 19, 2003 IRELAND: NO LOGO: HOW YOU CAN TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE GLOBAL MARKETING MACHINE The Green Party has asked students to take part in a national No Logo Day on April 10th. "We are asking students to cover any logos on the day with the 'No Logo' badges which have been distributed to every secondary school in the country. In addition, we have sent out educational packs outlining four action projects we hope the students will complete over the next six weeks." The projects include a fashion challenge to kit someone out as stylishly as possible for less then 25, an invitation to design their own logo and poster for the day and a research project to examine where our clothes come from, where our money goes and what the conditions are like for those who make the clothes. "There is clearly something wrong when one person earns less than a euro a day for making a garment, while a famous sportsperson or musician can earn 20,000 a day to endorse the same item," said a Green Party spokesperson. "Young people are under intense marketing pressure to wear certain branded clothes. We want to get a counter message across that you can be just as cool if you set your own style and do your own thing. "In May, we will have a national No Logo Day awards presentation where we will present prizes to the best school projects. We are asking each school to send us their work, which we will upload onto the nologoday.com website for the rest of the world to see." ********************************************************************** 13) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London; March 19, 2003 ENGLAND: GREENS CALL FOR WALKOUT by Tom Spender Barnet's Green Party has called upon the public to stop working if and when Britain goes to war with Iraq. Miranda Dunn Barnet Green Party member and London campaign co-ordinator said people should stop working and walk out at midday on the day Britain attacks Iraq. "We are calling everybody to get down to Hendon Town Hall where we will be demonstrating from 12pm on the day war starts " she said. "It's going to be carpet bombing. It's obscene. "It's going to turn the whole of the Middle East into a powder keg. Tony Blair should resign the minute he declares war because he is not speaking for the British people." Noel Lynch Finchley resident and head of the London Green Party spoke at the Green party's annual conference in Wales this week. "Bush and Blair should not be allowed to defy the international community and engage in an illegal unjust war " he said. In Parliament on Tuesday evening MPs gave their backing for war voting down a motion saying the case for war had not been made. Finchley and Golders Green MP Rudi Vis was one of 139 rebel Labour MPs to vote against the war but Hendon MP Andrew Dismore and Tory Chipping Barnet MP Sir Sydney Chapman both voted with the Government. ********************************************************************** 14) The Associated Press; March 18, 2003 NEW MEXICO: GREEN PARTY BILL ON, OFF SENATE FLOOR Santa Fe -- Legislation making it tougher for the Green Party to remain a major party in New Mexico went to the Senate floor on Tuesday, then was bounced back to committee. The Rules Committee at a morning meeting altered, then approved, the bill - sending it to the full Senate. But hours later, complaining that debate had been improperly cut off by the committee's majority Democrats, Roswell Republican Sen. Rod Adair managed to get the legislation sent back to the rules panel by a single vote. As passed by the House, the bill - sponsored by House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Santa Fe - required a major party to have a membership of not less than 10 percent of the registered voters in the state. The Rules Committee lowered the threshold to 4 percent. That would require the Greens to have between 38,000 and 40,000 members, according to party representatives. There are now about 11,500 registered Green voters. Greens say Democrats who regard them as "spoilers" - taking away Democratic votes - want to wipe them out as a major party. The Green Party doesn't like the 4 percent requirement. Instead, it asked the Rules Committee to shelve the bill, proposing that it and other election-related changes be discussed after the legislative session ends. Under current law, a major political party must have a membership of one-third of 1 percent of registered voters and a candidate for governor or president who got at least 5 percent of the vote in the most recent general election. The Greens' gubernatorial candidate, David Bacon, got 5 percent of the vote in November. ********************************************************************** 15) UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London; March 18, 2003 ENGLAND: LONDON NOT A CITY OF PEACE The London Assembly has turned down a chance to make London a city of peace as proposed by a Lewisham councillor. Green Party group leader on the assembly and Brockley ward councillor Darren Johnson raised the motion last Wednesday. He asked for the assembly to represent the view of Londoners and to join with Cities for Peace from across the world which already includes 139 cities in the USA as well as Oxford Glasgow and Cambridge. But according to the Greens Labour and Conservative assembly members passed a watered-down motion enabling it to support the Government if attacks go ahead without a UN resolution authorising force. Cllr Johnson said: "Londoners are massively opposed to this war that is threatening the very fabric of international law and order. As Government continues to ignore the views of the people I'm very disappointed their voice cannot even be heard at a regional level."... ********************************************************************** 16) Lancaster New Era (Lancaster, PA)March 17, 2003 PENNSYLVANIA: SPECIAL ELECTION;CANDIDATES MAKE LAST PUSH FOR OPEN 99TH-DISTRICT SEAT by Amy Leeking In northeastern Lancaster County, three candidates -- a teacher, a retired technical writer and an accountant -- are competing in Tuesday's special election to represent the 99th state House District. On Saturday, Democrat Bernadette C. Johnson and Green Party candidate Beth H. Bonner went door to door, while Republican Gordon R. Denlinger stopped at community dinners and events to talk to and greet citizens.... ....Bonner, a retired technical writer, advocates controlling urban sprawl and development, eliminating industrial animal production and educating children in smaller, renovated schools instead of new campuses.... Bonner... supports the right for women to choose abortion. Her campaign, however, focuses on environmental issues. She supports the Green Party values of "a mixture of conservation and progression." She wants to preserve farmland, control sprawl and reuse vacant properties. She also advocates consumers' buying of locally-grown produce, milk and meat, rather than supporting large factory farms. Similarly, she's interested in eliminating the agribusiness practice of food irradiation, which uses low-level doses of gamma rays or electron beams to kill bacteria and organisms in raw foods. On education, Bonner would like to see school districts renovate existing schools and create a smaller student/teacher ratio. As an example, she pointed to Ephrata School District's controversial plans for a new Lincoln Elementary School. It will cost about $18 million and be constructed on about 80 acres. Bonner, 60, who lives in Ephrata Borough, has a degree in mathematics from Dickinson College and a degree in communications from the University of Washington.... ********************************************************************** 17) Buffalo News (New York); March 17, 2003 NEW YORK: 200 JOIN GLOBAL VIGIL, PROTEST WAR AGAINST IRAQ by Janice L. Habuda Candlelight, songs and signs with anti-war messages marked a low-key peace vigil Sunday night in Delaware Park, part of a global effort. Close to 200 people navigated the muddy ground to stand along Parkside Avenue and the Scajaquada Expressway; the worldwide vigil against the anticipated war in Iraq began in New Zealand and was spearheaded by Bishop Desmond Tutu and myriad faith-based groups. Vigils across the United States were coordinated by MoveOn.... ....Traffic moved unimpeded, compared to a similarly sized rally by peace activists Saturday afternoon in Buffalo's Bidwell Park, where traffic disruptions and scuffles with police led to the arrests of two members of The Green Party of Erie County. Richard L. Strubbe, 52, of Amherst, was charged with a felony count of assault, as well as inciting to riot, obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstruction of streets and passages. Strubbe is accused of attacking Northwest District Officer Steven Padin with the butt end of a wooden flag pole, hitting him several times in the chest, according to police reports. There was no indication if the officer suffered injuries requiring medical attention. Andrew Goldstein, 47, of Buffalo, was charged with disorderly conduct, inciting to riot and obstruction of streets and passages. According to police reports, both men obstructed pedestrian and vehicular traffic near the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and Bidwell Parkway. Strubbe is accused of verbally abusing police officers, inciting the crowd to join in. Goldstein, according to police reports, began yelling "Pig, pig, pig." Sunday morning, members of the Green Party's executive committee spoke out on the arrests and issued a call for an independent investigation of what happened. "We are alarmed at reports we have received about the circumstances surrounding the arrest by Buffalo police officers of two of our members who were exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech at a peaceful assembly," Chairwoman Sandy Carrubba said. "We have sought third-party assistance to protect the Civil Rights of our members," Carrubba said. "The Green Party stands for protection of these rights for all citizens." ********************************************************************** 18) Canberra Times (Australia); March 17, 2003 AUSTRALIA: THE GREENS NOW A POLITICAL FORCE; THEY ARE BEING TESTED AS THE DEMOCRATS AND ONE NATION WERE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN 2001 AND 1998. The most interesting aspect of the NSW state election campaign for national politics is undoubtedly the spotlight on the Greens, as that party threatens to double or treble its vote to 7-10 per cent. It had to happen. The momentum of the Greens has provoked a counter-attack. This may not cause the Greens serious damage in this election but it is a sign of things to come. The general dimensions of the issue are quite predictable. A new and growing party is being tested about its identity and its preferences in the way the Democrats were at the 2001 federal election and as One Nation was at the 1998 federal election. There is a lot at stake for the major parties. The Greens are complaining that the major parties are banding together 'against the Green tide'. But all this attention shows that the Greens have made it as a serious political force. The Liberal Party has made the strategic decision to sacrifice its chance to destabilise Labor in one seat by refusing its preferences to the Greens in inner-city Port Jackson (where the Greens thought they had a chance of winning) in favour of a longer-term approach. It is trying to paint the Greens as a crazy alternative party outside the mainstream. It was given the chance to do this by the publication of the Greens' very liberal policy on access to drugs like heroin, speed and ecstasy under medical supervision. Later, the Greens' policy to phase out allowing caged birds as pets was publicised by One Nation. And later still the party's public-education policy was criticised by both the private and Catholic school lobbies as too damaging to their interests. The Catholic lobby said the Greens' education policies repelled many Catholic parents attracted to the Greens' anti-war and environment policies. The Democrats have jumped at their first chance to regain a little ground in the battle of the minor parties by emphasising their own middle-of- the-road position on these issues. The Democrats, themselves great supporters of public education, described the Greens' education policy statements as 'outlandish'. Whether that tactic works or not the Democrats have a small window of opportunity to emphasise their middle- of-the-road respectability. These things happen. The pendulum doesn't swing one way forever in politics. The Greens have had a very favourable 18 months, since the November 2001 federal election, including a victory in last year's Cunningham federal by-election. Whether these attacks on the Greens are fair or not is beside the point. All election criticism is self-interested. The Greens seem vulnerable not on their central anti-war and environmental platforms but on more peripheral policies. This is not surprising. Smallish parties are tested most when the full range of their policies is put on display because they struggle to produce and coordinate policies across that full range. They just don't have the administrative capacity to fully control policy development. In minor parties fringe dwellers may edge closer to the centre of things. One Nation was an extreme case of this. Some of its policies, including those on the economy and immigration, were virtually contracted out to people outside the leadership group. The Greens policy development is notably decentralised in line with the party's philosophy and organisation. The NSW election may show the public that there is more to the Greens than a few central policies. This is often overlooked, even though the Greens' television advertisements featuring Ian Cohen, MP, do cover a wide range of issues. The Greens themselves vacillate between projecting an image of themselves as an environmental party and a much broader one. For instance, in discussing preferences, Green State MP Lee Rhiannon emphasised that preference deals were about getting 'outcomes for the environment'. But Senator Bob Brown's message has been largely about opposition to the Iraq war. Most voters couldn't say much about the Greens other than that they were anti-war greenies. More knowledgeable observers might add that they had interventionist economic policies. The larger a party's vote the more the full package of policies comes under scrutiny. Generally the image of the Greens is left-wing in a modern sort of way. That's attractive to some people and can be sold to the electorate. But what can be damaging is even a hint of craziness. Most parties do contain fringe dwellers who are way off the planet. In major parties they can be hidden. In minor parties they may edge closer to the centre of things. The outcome so far is that the Liberal Party has denied any preferences to the Greens and the Greens have given some preferences to Labor, though not in some marginal seats. The Greens face the prospect of directing their preferences to a quite conservative Labor government. Labor itself certainly hopes that it will take the lion's share of Green preferences, even if their ultimate impact is lessened by wasted votes under optional preferential voting. When One Nation was flourishing Labor was delighted to be able to pressure the Coalition parties to break off all contacts with 'the devil'. Now the Coalition would like to turn the tables by stigmatising the Labor-Green preference swap. Senior Liberal Barry O'Farrell has gone so far as to speak in extravagant terms of the 'evil deal' between Labor and the Greens. It is important for both the Greens and Labor that this strategy fails, even though their alliance is an uncomfortable one for both parties. If it succeeds the Coalition will have driven a crucial wedge between the two parties that has national implications. ********************************************************************** 19) Daily Star; March 17, 2003 WALES: A FLAMING BIG SHOCK A speech by a leader of the firefighters' union was brought to a sudden halt - after fire broke out. Dick Pearson, head of the Welsh FBU, was addressing the Green Party conference in Llandrindod Wells. The hall was evacuated and the small blaze put out. ********************************************************************** 20) The Irish Times; March 17, 2003 IRELAND: DECISION ON BANTRY BAY CHARTER CRITICISED by Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent The Labour and Green parties criticised the Government's decision to wind up the Bantry Bay Charter in west Cork, which was an EU model for coastal zone management.... ....The Green Party accused the Government of a "lack of concern" for Ireland's coastal environment. The party's marine spokesman, Mr Eamon Ryan, said the plan received a high level of interest internationally, and represented Ireland's first and only step in the direction of integrated coastal zone management. ********************************************************************** 21) Albuquerque Tribune (New Mexico); March 16, 2003 NEW MEXICO: DEMOCRATS TRY TO SQUASH GREEN PARTY HOPES by Larry Calloway The legislative Democrats, who are feeling pretty veto proof these days, are busy rejiggering the election process. Besides the re-redistricting campaign and the weighted-vote theory in the Albuquerque city-county election, one of the more fascinating activities is the project to legislate the Green Party into obscurity. The Greens take votes from Democrats, and so the political motive seems obvious, but the sponsor of the legislation would have us believe it is just a cost-saving measure. The Democrat-annoying Green Party, because its candidate for governor drew 5 per cent of the vote, has regained its status under New Mexico law as an equal among Democrats and Republicans. The Greens again are a "major party" entitled to staggered placement on top of the ballot and a primary election at taxpayer expense. A bill escorted quickly through the House by Speaker Ben Lujan and parked in a Senate committee most of last week would redefine "major party" in a way to exclude the Greens. It would require any party intruding on the established two-party system to have 10 per cent of the registered voters as members. The Greens only have 1 per cent. Lujan's explanation was: "It's not fair for the taxpayers to have to foot a big old bill for them to have a primary." His principle seems to be that it's unfair to spend public money for the convenience of political parties representing a minority of voters. In other words, a party should choose its candidates on its own without burdening the taxpayers who are not members. OK. Then why do Republicans, independents, Greens, Libertarians, and so forth have to foot the big old bill for the Democratic primary? The answer, of course, is that in many communities the Democratic primary is the "real" election, the one that determines the winners in the general election, because the other parties don't need to wait until November to know the score. To be an effective voter in some places you have to be registered as a member of the overwhelming majority party. This is not always the Democratic Party, as in Santa Fe. A few districts in Roswell, Farmington or the Albuquerque heights, for example, have an overwhelming majority of Republicans. Regardless of which party dominates, the process seems to shut out the minorities, and so some states allow you to vote in the primary of your choice, regardless of registration. This seems fair to all taxpayers, if they are going to foot the big old bill. The present system does not seem fair. If the legislative Democrats were so concerned about election costs, why did they not vote against creation of the Sept. 23 special election to ratify constitutional amendments sought by Gov. Bill Richardson? It will attract a minor fraction of the voters who participate in the general election and add to election costs. Of course there is an urgency involved, but an alternative would be an election by mail. Rep. Max Coll, D-Santa Fe, sponsored a bill to authorize mail-in ballots on constitutional amendments, arguing in a hearing that it works in other states. It encourages thoughtful participation, avoids ballot clutter, eliminates waiting in line, and so forth. "I think it would really serve the public," Coll said. His bill never had a chance, even if he is chairman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. It was buried, deep, by the House Voters and Elections Committee. The reason given by the prevailing opponents: we gotta hold down election costs. Again. But wait a minute. The cost of a mail-in election was estimated at $250,000. The cost of the September ratification election was estimated at $900,000. Do the math! The real issue is whether the system can tolerate multiple minority parties, which happen to be a factor in parliamentary democracies worldwide. Third parties in the American system do tend to deprive the winner of an absolute majority, and in the case of the New Mexico Greens they can withhold the margin of victory. But that's just the point. If the Greens could not have an impact on elections, they might as well be a garden club. And what's wrong with parliamentary coalitions? Republicans have been "coalitioning" with conservative Democrats in the New Mexico Legislature for two decades now. No doubt it's in the public interest to keep the ballot free of bogus parties cooked up at somebody's kitchen table. But the Greens are not a fiction. They began by winning elections from Democrats in Taos County, where the Republicans never even bothered. The Greens have been successful enough at this that the Republicans want to give them money. Their candidate for governor in 1994, although really a Democrat, helped defeat the re-election of Gov. Bruce King. Their candidates probably withheld the margin of victory twice in the 1st Congressional District. The performance definition of "major," as 5 per cent of the vote in a statewide election, seems fair enough. But suddenly the Democrats want a registration definition, 10 times higher than the present membership of the Green Party. What's going on could have undemocratic consequences. Why not legislate minority parties off the ballot all together? Come to think of it, by amending the 10 per cent qualification to 331/3 per cent, a mere one third of the voters, the Democrats could do away with the Republicans too. Larry Calloway is a former Journal columnist who writes for his own Web site, LarryCalloway.com. ********************************************************************** 22) Morning Star; March 15, 2003 ENGLAND: GREENS CALL FOR WORKER RIGHTS; The Green Party spring conference in Llandrindod Wells voted yesterday for the introduction of new legal measures designed to improve workers rights. The Greens will now take their new policy into the next European and general elections, "offering workers a more equitable alternative to new Labour's continuation of Thatcherite anti-union legislation." Green Party spokesman Hugo Charlton noted that individual workers need appropriate protection under the law. "We propose a basic set of rights for all employees, a package of measures to support the self-employed and small businesses and a charter for volunteers and carers, " he said. "The existing legislation regarding workers' rights perpetuates inequalities of power within the work place. Green policies would provide a legal framework that creates a more democratic, accountable, equal workforce." The Greens have also called for a new Health, Safety and the Environment Act, in order to decentralise power in the workplace and to create a more democratic environment where people have a more direct connection with the consequences of their actions. ********************************************************************** 23) The Nelson Mail (New Zealand); March 15, 2003 NEW ZEALAND:FPP OR STV? THAT IS THE QUESTION ... by Karen Howard Five friends are going to the movies. One wants to see a romance, two want to see a drama, another wants to see a science-fiction film, and the last prefers a comedy. You could go with ''majority rules'', which would result in all five friends watching a drama despite the fact that three of them completely hate dramas. But the Green Party says there is a better solution. It's called Single Transferable Voting, more commonly known as STV. Under STV, people use their vote to rank the options. Nelson-based Green MP Mike Ward says the outcome is much fairer. Using his example of five friends going to the movies, it turns out that the one who wants to see a romance would quite like a comedy as their second choice. One of the people who chose a drama wants science-fiction as their second choice, and the other wants a comedy as their second choice. The person who preferred science-fiction wouldn't mind seeing a comedy, and the one who wanted a comedy would watch a romance as their second choice. The comedy now emerges as the favoured option. So instead of seeing a drama that two people really wanted to see and three were totally opposed to, the group of friends will see a comedy, which four out of five of them actually support. ''There are very few wasted votes under this system,'' Ward says. And that's the way the Green Party wants to see our local body politicians elected. Green co-leader Rod Donald has a long association with electoral reform, having been the front man for the campaign to get Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting introduced for general elections in 1996. In 2001, Donald received a mandate from Parliament, forcing local authorities to poll their electorates if 5 percent of the population signed a petition demanding a referendum on the introduction of STV. Thanks to the efforts of Ward and a team of volunteers, Nelson and Tasman produced petitions which passed the 5 percent threshold. The Tasman district and Nelson city councils have now joined dozens of other local authorities throughout the country in preparing referendums - a requirement which hasn't exactly delighted the local mayors, as ratepayers face a bill of up to $ 40,000 . Those who collected the petitions say there is a strong mood for change because people want to see a fairer system. But Ward acknowledges that one of the biggest barriers to the success of a referendum is educating people about STV. ''People tend to support the status quo unless you've got a very good reason for them not to.'' The Greens have been running a campaign using the slogan ''STV is as easy as 1-2-3''. That's true when it comes to voting. All you have to do is rank the candidates in the order you prefer. You can rank as many or as few as you wish. But understanding exactly how those rankings are used to determine a result isn't quite as easy as it was in the example of five friends going to the movies. although the concept is exactly the same. Each voter's single vote is transferred from their most preferred candidate to their second preference, and so on if their preferred candidate has more votes than are required to be elected, or too few votes to have a chance of being elected. Counting STV votes isn't an easy task - a computer is used for the job (although STV votes have been counted by hand in Tasmania). The Department of Internal Affairs has designed a programme, certified by Audit New Zealand, which assesses the successful candidates by applying a quota. The quota is established by dividing the total number of valid votes cast by one more than the number of vacancies to be filled, and then adding .000000001 to the result. Successful candidates are those who win enough support to reach the quota. Unlike First Past the Post voting, it is unlikely that a full set of preliminary election results will be available on election day . Although final policy decisions have yet to be made on how STV would be applied, it may be that election day results comprise first preferences only. Generally, STV results list the successful candidates in the order that they attained the quota, and unsuccessful candidates in the order they were excluded. Ward is quick to reject any suggestion that STV is too confusing. ''Opponents say it's too complicated - what they seem to be saying is folk are too thick to understand it. ''It's as easy as one, two, three.'' He says the biggest advantage of STV is that the results are far more representative of what people want. ''Under the present system, it's perfectly possible for people to get elected with less than 30 percent of the vote.'' That would be impossible under STV, he says. Ward believes the system could change the makeup of the Nelson and Tasman councils by eliminating candidates who people vote for simply because they recognise their names. STV is already used in Northern Ireland, Tasmania, the Australian Senate, and for the election of local councils in Australia. In New Zealand, it has been adopted by dairy giant Fonterra for the election of its officers and will be used for district health board elections for the first time next year. Ward says it makes sense for local authorities to be using the same voting system as health boards. Although he would also like to see STV used for general elections, that's not something the Green Party is pushing because MMP already provides proportional representation. ''There's much more pressing issues.'' Ward has every confidence that once people hook on to STV, its use will grow. ''It may well be what you find is that community groups start using STV for electing their officers. When it only deals with small numbers, it's relatively simple.'' Nelson MP Nick Smith agrees with Ward that STV is a fairer system, but he is far more ambivalent about whether it should be introduced for the next local body elections. ''It's a more sophisticated voting system that does give the voter more power. The downside is you have to be a very talented mathematician to convert the votes into an outcome.'' He says Europe has experienced a decline in voter participation, in some places down to 19 percent, as voting systems have become more complicated. ''My concern is that electoral reform is taking place in a very piecemeal way.'' Parliament uses MMP, while some local bodies and health boards use STV and the community as a whole has used FFP, he says. ''The average punter is so confused.'' After speaking with people throughout the region, Smith believes many are ambivalent about the possible introduction of STV. ''They're not wildly excited but they're not strongly opposed to it either.'' While not keen to stake money on the outcome of the STV referenda, Smith says they could follow the path of the national MMP referendum. ''Because you got one group advocating strongly for it, it may win at the end of the day.'' ********************************************************************** 24) Salon.com March 15, 2003 WASHINGTON D.C.: DEAR NADER VOTERS, by Charles Taylor How are you? It's been a long time since we've talked. Almost two-and-a-half years, back during that whole Florida mess. I was pretty nasty to you at the time, complaining about your lack of foresight, your shunning the potential consequences of voting for Nader, your insistence that there would be no difference between a President Bush or a President Gore. I was particularly critical of one Nader voter who, hearing about the Florida voting stalemate, exclaimed "I'm part of history!" I was wrong. She, and all of you, are indeed part of history. I realized that when I picked up this morning's New York Times. Story after story sang out with examples of the way you've made American history. Like this one: "Lopsided Vote by Senators Against Type of Abortion." The Senate went and voted against what they call "partial-birth" abortions again. You all know they did it twice before while Bill Clinton was president and he vetoed it. History might not have changed if you didn't help George W. Bush get into the White House. But now, with an anti-choice president, we can count on the bill being signed into law after the House passes it next month. The procedure won't even be allowed when the health of the mother is in danger. If Al Gore had been in the White House, he probably would have upheld Clinton's veto. Thanks to you, history will change. And that's not all you've done. With a Republican president who you all did so much to elect, we can now look forward to a judiciary packed with conservative zealots. Like Priscilla Owen, the Texas Supreme Court justice who is now going to get a second chance at federal appeals court thanks to the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee. Justice Owen is another example of how much you've managed to change history for women's reproductive rights. In Texas, she dissented from the state's law that a teenager can obtain an abortion without notifying her parents because the teenage girl in front of her had not shown she understood the religious objections to abortion. Not only will you have a chance to change reproductive rights, but you may have made it easier to get around that pesky old church-state separation. There are still other things to thank you for, like the likely passage of a bill that would cap all pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice cases at $250,000, a bill Bush wants to sign. I sure hope the family of that girl who died after having the wrong organs transplanted into her gets to thank each and every one of you for that. I know the HMOs and the pharmaceutical companies sure must be grateful -- and who'da ever thunk they'd have reason to feel grateful to old Ralph? But let's face it: The place where you've made the most difference is Iraq. I know, I know, you don't want to claim credit because there's no difference between Republicans and Democrats on this issue. In fact, only two of the declared Democratic presidential candidates oppose the war. But now isn't the time for false modesty. We all know that if Gore had become president and continued the Clinton policy of containment, that Saddam would just be a peripheral pest and your biggest claim to changing history would never have happened. (We in New York especially acknowledge your actions as we await the home-front consequences of an invasion of Iraq.) Now I know we've had our differences, but I know that you acted out of a genuine desire to be progressive, out of a genuine concern for the direction of America, and out of a belief in the importance of not compromising your ideals. You're all so idealistic that you believe a new progressive movement can be built without significant support from African-Americans, women, gays, or organized labor. If that isn't idealism, I'd like to know what is. And I know you've been chastised by those old-style Democrats like me for being blind to the consequences of your actions. But a unique chance exists right now for you to show your true colors, to prove that you are entirely aware of the consequences of your actions and are willing to face them: Volunteer for the invasion of Iraq. The news in the past few weeks has been showing us tearful separations of reservists and their families. Many of the men and women going over to the Gulf are ambivalent about the necessity of war, but they feel obligated by a sense of duty. They've even been honest enough to admit they are frightened of possibly facing biological or chemical weapons. Wouldn't it be great if just one of them didn't have to go, didn't have to separated from their sweethearts or families because all you Nader voters put Bush in office and helped pave the way for the invasion of Iraq? Wouldn't it be great to show America your guts by taking one of these brave soldiers' place, by declaring that you're not willing to let anybody else die for your actions? I sneered in 2000 when one of you guys said on CNN that you were willing to risk a Bush victory because you believed "things have to get worse before they get better." But I'm not sneering now. Now's the chance for you overwhelmingly white, middle-class, college-educated Nader voters to show that you really do care and aren't just willing to let someone else do the dying for you. You put Bush in the White House, so why not sign up for his invasion -- what better way to "make things get worse"? In this time of uncertainty and fear, your country salutes you. ********************************************************************** 25) Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA); March 15, 2003 LOUISIANA: PEACE PROTESTS ARE HEROIC The photo in the March 12 Metro section, headlined "Walking tall," shows New Orleans police practicing "anti-protester" drills to confront street demonstrators in the event of a war with Iraq. The paper should have instead featured a photo of those truly "walking tall" -- the thousands of New Orleanians working to stop this costly and unjust war. The real courage lies not in those who use violence and aggression as tools of diplomacy or social control, but in Americans working for peace though nonviolence. Jason S. Neville, Co-Chairman-Green Party of Louisiana, New Orleans ********************************************************************** 26) Daily Post (Liverpool); March 14, 2003 ENGLAND: YOUR VIEW: RAIL LINK ON RIGHT TRACKS by Stuart Harvey I Would like to express the Wirral Green Party's support for the proposed railway link from Seaforth Docks to France via the Eurotunnel (Daily Post, March 11). As transport spokesman for the WirralGreen Party, it is refreshing to read positive coverage of transport issues in the area. It is imperative that something is done to reduce lorry traffic, and this rail link is just what is needed. I would like to lend our support to the transport minister John Spellar for backing this initiative and being convinced of its feasibility. Although it will be many years before the project is completed, it is recognised that a huge amount of work must be done to upgrade existing railway lines and replace disused lines. Reinstating the Manchester via Woodhead to Sheffield rail link would help reduce M62 traffic and would be of immense benefit to the entire North West transport infrastructure. Following this good news, Wirral could benefit from the reinstatement of the Birkenhead Docks rail link to tap into traffic generated from the excellent 12 Quays development. This would also reduce the amount of lorries on the roads of Wirral. The Wirral Green Party would welcome any further news on the possible reinstatement freight to Birkenhead Docks. Stuart Harvey, Wirral Green Party ********************************************************************** 27) Daily Post (Liverpool); March 14, 2003 ENGLAND: GREENS LAUNCH ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN The Green Party launched its campaign yesterday to win seats on the Welsh Assembly. Voters are being urged to use their second vote in the May election for the Greens who estimate they need just 10pc to secure a regional list seat. The party's lead candidate in South West Wales, Martin Shrewsbury, said that they would campaign for a "green jobs explosion" in Wales. "We will support organic and local food production and believe that jobs can be created and they can be green," he said. Zero waste was also a target for the party. "If 70pc of municipal waste was recycled it would be the equivalent of taking 50,000 cars off the roads," he added. The Greens have already secured their first seat in the Scottish Parliament where Robin Harper MSP has been active in securing organic production targets. Twenty candidates will contest the regional lists in Wales including Flintshire Armstrong-Braun in North Wales. ********************************************************************** 28) The Gloucester Citizen; March 14, 2003 ENGLAND: RENATIONALISE THE RAILWAYS A much better solution to train congestion would be to increase track capacity, but funding isn't there. Labour has just cut GBP 300million from the SRA's budget but pledged hundreds of millions of pounds on motorway widening. This is in spite of opinion polls that show nearly two thirds of the British public want to stop road building. We know road building will not solve transport problems. Decades of underfunding, privatisation and fragmentation have left the rail network with high fares for an unreliable and overcrowded service. Labour have failed to sort it out. Indeed the state of the rail network has been made worse by the privatisation of its maintenance. The answer is simple. Greens have sought to introduce a bill to take the railways back into public ownership and re-integrate the operation and maintenance of tracks and trains. This could be funded by scrapping the Government's road building plans. Such a move is supported by 76 per cent of people in polls. The profound lack of support from Labour members to this move was most interesting, given that their party was committed to a publicly-owned British Rail as recently as 1996. Sooner or later, the former Labour faithful - the millions who have stopped voting - will abandon their forlorn hope that as long as they keep quiet Labour may come to its senses, and realise that the only way to get the railways renationalised is a large vote for the only major party which promotes this policy, namely the Greens. Philip Booth, Gloucestershire Green Party Stroud Caption: ********************************************************************** 29) The Gloucester Citizen; March 14, 2003 ENGLAND: LIFT SANCTIONS TO HELP IRAQIS It is perhaps worth remembering that many of those seeking asylum are being forced to leave their homes due to the violence that we in part have sold to Saddam in the form of arms and exploitative trade-relations. Furthermore the economic sanctions imposed by the West have killed over a million people, half of them children under five. If we lift the sanctions and let the Iraqi people improve their own lives, then they will have the resources to decide their own destiny. Iraqis will cease to side with Saddam because of a shared resentment of the West, and they will be free to organise and determine their own fate. We should let the inspectors do their job. Of course Iraq should disarm, but so should we all, including the US, which has refused the UN permission to inspect American biological weapons. Indeed the US Marine Corps has confirmed that they have already shipped chemical weapons (CS, pepper spray, and "calmative agents") to the Gulf. The use of these agents would contravene the Geneva Convention, and makes a complete nonsense of the claim that the aim of the war is to rid the world of this kind of weapon. D.E. Lynham may believe we do not have a responsibility to assist those fleeing persecution. It is the Green Party's view that we do, particularly when Britain has had such an important role in supporting and maintaining repression in Iraq. Carol Kambites, Gloucestershire Green Party Caption: ********************************************************************** 30) The Gloucester Citizen; March 14, 2003 ENGLAND: GREENS LAUNCHING 'MANIFESTO FOR PEACE' Environmentalists have stepped up their opposition to war on Iraq by launching a manifesto for peace. Gloucestershire Green Party has published a package of measures on how it believes the conflict could be solved without a single bomb being dropped. It advocates: Letting the UN inspectors continue to do their job. The Green Party claims that through the weapons inspectors' actions, 90-95 of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) were destroyed before they were withdrawn in 1998. Lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq by the US and Britain, which human rights activists claim have killed over a million people, half of which were children under the age of five. Let the Iraqi people create democracy themselves without being caught between the anvil of Saddam's oppression and the hammer of Western sanctions and bombings. Apply international law. The International Criminal Court (ICC) could try Saddam Hussein. Proper funding for the UN to help it fight terrorism. While 10 of our taxes go to the military, only one sixth of that sum goes to the UN. End arms exports to dictatorial or oppressive regimes. UK taxpayers currently subsidise the arms exports industry by GBP 763 million per year. The Greens claim many of these go to oppressive regimes. Outlaw depleted uranium weapons, which campaigners claim cause birth defects and cancer. Phillip Booth, a Gloucestershire Green Party spokesman, said: "The Green Party seems to be the only party putting forward concrete proposals for preventing this war and promoting world peace in future. "While people are writing to their MPs and protesting against the war, the big parties continue to make preparations to bomb Iraq back to the stone age for the second time in a dozen years." Caption: ********************************************************************** 31) The Irish Times; March 14, 2003 IRELAND: GREEN POLICIES ON INCINERATION A chara, - If The Irish Times is a paper of record, please allow me to set the record straight. A headline in your edition of March 5th which links Mr Valfrid Paulsson with the Swedish Greens is both bizarre and incorrect. Mr Paulsson was actually a member of the Social Democrats. The Green Party/Comhaontas Glas disagrees profoundly with his views on incineration. Rather than compare Ireland with countries which incinerate and are therefore inclined to defend that policy in their own national interest, I suggest we need to learn from countries which are able to organise themselves without thermal treatment. Incineration-free countries such as New Zealand are in a position to strongly market their food exports as clean and green, just like Ireland at present. However, the Government's pro-incineration policy is set to erode Ireland's competitive advantage as a high quality food exporter, as well as damaging health. Is not time for The Irish Times to report on how incineration destroys resources and creates a legacy of many toxic chemicals in a cocktail form, only a small fraction of which are intermittently tested? Is not time to ask where the toxic ash created by incinerators is to go? Is not time to present alternatives to "burn and bury" policies? What about alkaline hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion to safely process special risk material? What about making methane for heating from organic matter? Using paper and organic matter mixed, composting and vermiculture can restore soil fertility. The Waste Management Act (1996) contains impressive proposals to make a zero waste strategy work by stopping the creation of waste in the first place on an urgent, phased basis. The Greens have solution-based policies to deal with the crises in agriculture, health and waste. Incineration will worsen these crises, not help solve them. - Is mise, Trevor Sargent TD, Ceannaire, An Comhaontas Glas/Green Party, Dail Eireann, Baile Atha Cliath 2. ********************************************************************** 32) Penrith Press March 14, 2003 Friday AUSTRALIA: LESSER OF TWO EVILS? ON the front page of one of Sydney's major newspapers on March 2 was the revealing article as to the Greens Party policies which included the controlled availability of drugs such as ecstacy and speed sold in licensed drug shops and licensed drug addicts to receive free heroin under strict supervision. The Labor Party always receives the preferences from the Greens, but would they think twice about receiving votes from a political party which advocates such dangerous and radical drug reform when the majority of the public would be incensed at the very thought? The Labor Party would not in the past even contemplate accepting any votes from the likes of One Nation who we are all asked to believe are racists no-one ever convicted mind you. The lesser of two evils perhaps. Peter Townsend, South Penrith ********************************************************************** 33) The Southland Times (New Zealand); March 14, 2003 NEW ZEALAND: GREEN MP SAYS WAR NOT THE ANSWER by Karen Arnold KEITH LOCKE GREEN Party foreign affairs spokesman Keith Locke is optimistic a United States-led war on Iraq could still be averted. Mr Locke was in Invercargill yesterday to address an anti-war meeting organised by the party last night. It was one of a series he has held throughout the country. British Prime Minister Tony Blair's support was looking shaky and any delays to the start of the war added to the hope it would not go ahead, Mr Locke said. Mr Blair was under enormous anti-war pressure in Britain. A veteran peace campaigner, he said violence was not the answer. While most people believed the reason behind the threat of war was Saddam Hussein's failure to comply with the United Nations weapon inspections, it was in fact driven by the US desire for control of the region's oil fields, he said. "(Saddam Hussein) is a threat to his own people, as is any dictator. The question is, how do we assist democracy. The best approach is not invasion," Mr Locke said. ********************************************************************** 34) The Western Mail; March 14, 2003 ENGLAND: IRAQ DRIVING LABOUR VOTERS TO THE GREENS' by Carl Yapp THEY came from across the UK in their sandals, tank tops and rainbow sweaters for the 30th National Green Party conference. The party is the first to stage its national showpiece in Wales, and it was not the typical type of event political spectators had come to expect from the slick party machines of mainstream politics. Held at the modest venue of The Pavilion, in Llandrindod Wells, the Green Party's spring gathering was a laid-back affair where an aroma of hemp, from patchouli oil, filled the main hall and supporters of all ages sported brightly-coloured cardigans. As expected, there was a selection of beardies, some even handing out literature which backed the legalisation of cannabis. However, despite the usual suspects'' and stereotypes, there was a fair share of delegates who appeared more conservative. Among those were the Green Party's South West candidate in the National Assembly elections, Martyn Shrewsbury. A psychotherapist from Swansea, Mr Shrewsbury is first on the party's proportional representation list. He told the first day of the conference yesterday that he was always going to deny that the Green Party was a spent force in UK politics. But he admitted the party had faded away after burs