Paul S. Graham

Independent Tribunal Established to Investigate Mass Grave Sites

For a century, the Canadian Government with the assistance of major Canadian churches kidnapped thousands of aboriginal kids and locked them up in residential schools where they could be “civilized.” Far from their families and communities, young and defenseless, they were beaten for speaking their languages. Many were sexually abused.

Fast forward to the 21 century. After much foot dragging, hand-wringing and stonewalling, some of the perpetrators have said they are sorry (still awaiting an apology from the Feds). Financial compensation has been paid. End of story, right?

Wrong. On April 10, in Vancouver, an organization called the Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD) released a list of twenty eight mass graves across Canada that they believe contain the remains of hundreds and perhaps thousands of aboriginal children who died in these schools.

According to the FRD:

The list was distributed today to the world media and to United Nations agencies, as the first act of the newly-formed International Human Rights Tribunal into Genocide in Canada (IHRTGC), a non-governmental body established by indigenous elders.

In a statement read by FRD spokesperson Eagle Strong Voice, it was declared that the IHRTGC would commence its investigations on April 15, 2008, the fourth Annual Aboriginal Holocaust Memorial Day. This inquiry will involve international human rights observers from Guatemala and Cyprus, and will convene aboriginal courts of justice where those persons and institutions responsible for the death and suffering of residential school children will be tried and sentenced. . . .

Eagle Strong Voice and IHRTGC elders will present the Mass Graves List at the United Nations on April 19, and will ask United Nations agencies to protect and monitor the mass graves as part of a genuine inquiry and judicial prosecution of those responsible for this Canadian Genocide.

Read more.

Indian Residential School, Camperville – constructed 1894-1897. Destroyed by man, February-March 1972. Local residents in foreground. Source: Manitoba Historical Society.

Where is the media?

I heard about this only today when a friend sent me a copy of the FRD news release. Wanting more information, I consulted Google News. I got two hits, neither of them widely distributed. I tried the CBC web site. Nada. Same story at CTV and Canada.com.

The story is getting wide distribution among bloggers. Maybe the mainstream media will wake up when Eagle Strong Voice presents the list to the United Nations. Maybe.

In the same way that the parties to the Indian Residential School system buried the hopes and the bodies of aboriginal kids, it seems that Canada’s mass media plans to bury their story.

Winnipeggers demonstrate against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
March 15, 2008. Photo: Paul Graham

I heard this poem at a peace rally in Winnipeg on March 15, 2008. It’s powerful. Though it’s been knocking around the Net for years, it was new to me. Perhaps it is to you, too.

A Moment of Silence

by Emmanuel Ortiz

Before I begin this poem, I’d like to ask you to join me in a moment of silence in honor of those who died in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001.

I would also like to ask you to offer up a moment of silence for all of those who have been harassed, imprisoned, disappeared, tortured, raped, or killed in retaliation for those strikes, for the victims in Afghanistan, Iraq, in the U.S., and throughout the world.

And if I could just add one more thing…

A full day of silence… for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have died at the hands of U.S.-backed Israeli forces over decades of occupation.

Six months of silence… for the million and-a-half Iraqi people, mostly children, who have died of malnourishment or starvation as a result of an 12-year U.S. embargo against the country.
…And now, the drums of war beat again.

Before I begin this poem, two months of silence… for the Blacks under Apartheid in South Africa, where “homeland security” made them aliens in their own country

Nine months of silence… for the dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where death rained down and peeled back every layer of concrete, steel, earth and skin and the survivors went on as if alive.

A year of silence… for the millions of dead in Viet Nam – a people, not a war – for those who know a thing or two about the scent of burning fuel, their relatives bones buried in it, their babies born of it.

Two months of silence… for the decades of dead in Colombia, whose names, like the corpses they once represented, have piled up and slipped off our tongues.

Before I begin this poem,
Seven days of silence… for El Salvador
A day of silence… for Nicaragua
Five days of silence… for the Guatemaltecos
None of whom ever knew a moment of peace in their living years.
45 seconds of silence… for the 45 dead at Acteal, Chiapas…
1,933 miles of silence… for every desperate body
That burns in the desert sun
Drowned in swollen rivers at the pearly gates to the Empire’s underbelly,
A gaping wound sutured shut by razor wire and corrugated steel.

25 years of silence… for the millions of Africans who found their graves far deeper in the ocean than any building could poke into the sky.
For those who were strung and swung from the heights of sycamore trees
In the south… the north… the east… the west…
There will be no DNA testing or dental records to identify their remains.

100 years of silence… for the hundreds of millions of indigenous people
From this half of right here,
Whose land and lives were stolen,
In postcard-perfect plots like Pine Ridge, Wounded Knee, Sand Creek, Fallen Timbers, or the Trail of Tears
Names now reduced to innocuous magnetic poetry on the refrigerator of our consciousness…

From somewhere within the pillars of power
You open your mouths to invoke a moment of our silence
And we are all left speechless,
Our tongues snatched from our mouths,
Our eyes stapled shut.

A moment of silence,
And the poets are laid to rest,
The drums disintegrate into dust.

Before I begin this poem,
You want a moment of silence…
You mourn now as if the world will never be the same
And the rest of us hope to hell it won’t be.
Not like it always has been.

…Because this is not a 9-1-1 poem
This is a 9/10 poem,
It is a 9/9 poem,
A 9/8 poem,
A 9/7 poem…
This is a 1492 poem.
This is a poem about what causes poems like this to be written.

And if this is a 9/11 poem, then
This is a September 11th 1973 poem for Chile.
This is a September 12th 1977 poem for Steven Biko in South Africa.
This is a September 13th 1971 poem for the brothers at Attica Prison, New York.
This is a September 14th 1992 poem for the people of Somalia.
This is a poem for every date that falls to the ground amidst the ashes of amnesia.

This is a poem for the 110 stories that were never told,
The 110 stories that history uprooted from its textbooks
The 110 stories that that CNN, BBC, The New York Times, and Newsweek ignored.
This is a poem for interrupting this program.

This is not a peace poem,
Not a poem for forgiveness.
This is a justice poem,
A poem for never forgetting.
This is a poem to remind us
That all that glitters
Might just be broken glass.

And still you want a moment of silence for the dead?
We could give you lifetimes of empty:
The unmarked graves,
The lost languages,
The uprooted trees and histories,
The dead stares on the faces of nameless children…

Before I start this poem we could be silent forever
Or just long enough to hunger,
For the dust to bury us
And you would still ask us
For more of our silence.

So if you want a moment of silence
Then stop the oil pumps
Turn off the engines and the televisions
Sink the cruise ships
Crash the stock markets
Unplug the marquee lights
Delete the e-mails and instant messages
Derail the trains, ground the planes
If you want a moment of silence, put a brick through the window of Taco Bell
And pay the workers for wages lost
Tear down the liquor stores,
The townhouses, the White Houses, the jailhouses, the Penthouses and the Playboys.

If you want a moment of silence,
Then take it
On Super Bowl Sunday,
The Fourth of July,
During Dayton’s 13 hour sale,
The next time your white guilt fills the room where my beautiful brown people have gathered.

You want a moment of silence
Then take it
Now,
Before this poem begins.
Here, in the echo of my voice,
In the pause between goosesteps of the second hand,
In the space between bodies in embrace,
Here is your silence.
Take it.
Take it all.
But don’t cut in line.
Let your silence begin at the beginning of crime.

And we,
Tonight,
We will keep right on singing
For our dead.

In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares. The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams were not true, neither are these nightmares.
– Introduction to the BBC Series “The Power of Nightmares,” a three part series that explores the myths surrounding “international terrorism,” broadcast in January 2005.

The threat of terrorism, we are told repeatedly, is omnipresent. It has been used to justify the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is used to excuse the ongoing erosion of our civil rights. Our democracy is suffering the death of a thousand cuts. Incrementally our freedoms are being taken from us.

Whether it is “no-fly lists,” the decision to remain in Afghanistan against the will of most Canadians, or the secret negotiation of a “Security and Prosperity Partnership” with the U.S. and Mexico, our freedom as individuals and our sovereignty as a nation are in question.

When the history of this period is written, it may begin with the words “First they came for the immigrants . . .”

Until a year ago, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service could initiate a process which led to the arrest of permanent residents or refugees who had committed no crime, throw them in jail, and detain them indefinitely with the aim of deporting them, even in the face of potential torture and death. Neither they nor their lawyers were allowed to see the “information” used by CSIS to back their allegations.

This draconian law was used to imprison five Muslim men living in Canada on allegations that they were connected to Islamic terrorist groups. They were not permitted to answer to these allegations in a fair trial because, unlike a criminal trial, the evidence in a security certificate case remains secret for reasons of national security. Their names are Mohammad Mahjoub, Mahmoud Jaballah, Hassan Almrei, Mohamed Harkat and Adil Charkaoui. While only Mr. Almrei remains in jail at present, all are facing the threat of deportation to countries where they could be imprisoned, tortured and killed. Read more.

Last February, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the security certificate system was unconstitutional and gave the government a year to come up with something better. The Tories came back with Bill C-3, which maintained most of the features deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The only significant change was the provision for a “special advocate” who would have access to the government’s secret evidence but who would still not be allowed to share it with the suspect. Read more.

To save us from terrorism, our government insists on resorting to kangaroo courts and secret evidence. Don’t believe for a moment that they will stop there.

Allow yourself to consider, for a moment, that the danger posed by terrorists is greatly exaggerated. Fear of terrorism is a weapon wielded by those who want to control us, who want us to accept “security and prosperity” within a North American union, who want to control, through war, the energy resources of the planet.

http://www.archive.org/flow/FlowPlayerLight.swf?config=%7Bembedded%3Atrue%2CshowFullScreenButton%3Atrue%2CshowMuteVolumeButton%3Atrue%2CshowMenu%3Atrue%2CautoBuffering%3Atrue%2CautoPlay%3Afalse%2CinitialScale%3A%27fit%27%2CmenuItems%3A%5Bfalse%2Cfalse%2Cfalse%2Cfalse%2Ctrue%2Ctrue%2Cfalse%5D%2CusePlayOverlay%3Afalse%2CshowPlayListButtons%3Atrue%2CplayList%3A%5B%7Burl%3A%27ThePowerOfNightmares%2Fchapter1%5F512kb%2Emp4%27%7D%2C%7Burl%3A%27ThePowerOfNightmares%2Fchapter2%5F512kb%2Emp4%27%7D%2C%7Burl%3A%27ThePowerOfNightmares%2Fchapter3%5F512kb%2Emp4%27%7D%5D%2CcontrolBarGloss%3A%27high%27%2CshowVolumeSlider%3Atrue%2CbaseURL%3A%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Earchive%2Eorg%2Fdownload%2F%27%2Cloop%3Afalse%2CcontrolBarBackgroundColor%3A%270×000000%27%7D

Set aside some time and view The Power of Nightmares. The series is available, free of charge, at the Internet Archive. It places our “post 9-11 world” in an historical context and effectively challenges the lies of Bush, Blair and Co.

Then ask yourself, who are the real terrorists?

http://video.google.ca/googleplayer.swf?docid=8350185661070256841&hl=en&fs=true

War has always been a battle for minds as well land, resources, and political power. The rules — portray our warriors as noble innocents, bravely sacrificing themselves for a higher cause; demonize the other side — call them fanatics, terrorists, murderers.

It helps if you don’t speak the enemy’s language, don’t know their history and culture and can hardly locate them on a map. Add a natural sympathy for our soldiers and a compliant news media and it is no wonder that we get such a one-sided view of things.

The truth is, war is murder, no matter who is pulling the trigger. In the case of Afghanistan, we (the “Western We”– the Americans, the Canadians, the Brits, etc.) bear most of the responsibility because we invaded Afghanistan, a land already destroyed by decades of war and civil wars that arose out of the Cold War.

Under the pretext of fighting a post 9-11 “war on terror” and rooting out Osama bin Laden, we joined in an unholy alliance with corrupt, autocratic, woman-hating, drug-running Afghan warlords to rout the Taliban “evil-doers” who, in reality, were no less anti-woman or autocratic, but who, at least, took a dim view of the opium trade.

In joining forces with the so-called Northern Alliance we became partners in their atrocities as did they in ours.

“Afghan Massacre: the Convoy of Death” tells the story of a Northern Alliance war crime perpetrated early in the war. Produced and directed by Irish filmmaker Jamie Doran, the film documents the cold-blooded murder of thousands of prisoners who surrendered to the US military’s Afghan allies after the siege of Kunduz in November 2001.

The film describes how some three thousand of the prisoners were forced into sealed containers and loaded onto trucks for transport. When the prisoners began shouting for air, Northern Alliance soldiers fired into the trucks, killing many of them. The rest suffered through an appalling road trip lasting up to four days, so thirsty they clawed at the skin of their fellow prisoners as they licked perspiration and even drank blood from open wounds.

Witnesses say that when the trucks arrived and soldiers opened the containers, most of the people inside were dead. They also say US Special Forces re-directed the containers carrying the living and dead into the desert and stood by as survivors were shot and buried. Now, up to three thousand bodies lie buried in a mass grave.

The only antidote to propaganda is the truth. While this film has had wide distribution in Europe, Canadians and Americans have had to rely on the Internet to see it.

Pass it on.

Holy Shit, Batman! Canada might run out of combat troops before we run out of war!!

According to the Vancouver Sun, “The Canadian Armed Forces continue to face difficulties in securing the resources to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. Recruitment drives have been under way to boost both the regular Forces and reserve numbers, but many soldiers are returning to Afghanistan for a second and third rotation.”

This is a serious problem, folks, but a remedy is at hand: send the people with the biggest stake in the outcome. That’s right, send bankers, senior bureaucrats, arms manufacturers (and their leading shareholders), and of course, the entire Liberal and Tory caucuses.

And while we’re at it, send the editorial board of the Winnipeg Free Press. Anyone who could write “Five years on, however, the world is a better, safer place because of the Iraq war.” needs a sabbatical, and fast. Where better than in the front line of Canada’s own little war?

But I digress.

Back to our politicians. It just isn’t fair that our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and Stephane Dion, Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, just get short, teensie-weensie, little visits when they are such eager warriors. (Is it a coincidence that they have the same first name? I think not!) They royally deserve the opportunity to experience the thrill of combat, first hand, for an extended period — say to the end of December, 2011. And so they won’t be lonely, they should take their fellow members with them.

They would be a formidable force. Judging from their antics in Question Period, the Taliban wouldn’t stand a chance.

And in that time honoured tradition, I’ve even found a song to speed them on their way. (What would a war be without a song, I always say!)

You can sing along.

We Hate To See Them Go
by Malvina Reynolds

Last night I had a lovely dream.
I saw a big parade with ticker tape galore,
And men were marching there
The like I’d never seen before.

Oh the bankers and the diplomats are going in the army.
Oh happy day! I’d give my pay to see them on parade,
Their paunches at attention and their striped pants at ease.
They’ve gotten patriotic and they’re going overseas.
We’ll have to do the best we can and bravely carry on,
So we’ll just keep the laddies here to manage while they’re gone.

Chorus:
Oh, oh, we hate to see them go,
The gentlemen of distinction in the army.

The bankers and the diplomats are going in the army,
It seemed too bad to keep them from the wars they love to plan.
We’re all of us contented that they’ll fight a dandy war,
They don’t need propaganda, they know what they’re fighting for.
They’ll march away with dignity and in the best of form,
And we’ll just keep the laddies here to keep the lassies warm.

(Chorus)

The bankers and the diplomats are going in the army,
We’re going to make things easy cause it’s all so new and strange;
We’ll give them silver shovels when they have to dig a hole,
And they can sing in harmony when answering the roll,
They’ll eat their old K-rations from a hand-embroidered box,
And when they die, we’ll bring them home, and bury them in Fort Knox.

(Chorus)

White House photo by Eric Draper

“The men and women who crossed into Iraq five years ago removed a tyrant, liberated a country, and rescued millions from unspeakable horrors.”

— George W. Bush, March 19, 2008

A young Iraqi near Basra being “rescued from unspeakable horrors” in the early days of the invasion. Photo: Associated Press/BBC

How do you account for George Bush’s speech earlier today at the Pentagon? Is it possible that he is completely unaware of the crimes he has committed? Was he blinded and deafened by the “shock and awe” he unleashed on the Iraqi people five years ago today? Have his handlers neglected to tell him about the civil war, the ethnic cleansing, the two million refugees, the annihilation of a culture and a people, the uncountable deaths?

Are his assertions that America rescued Iraqis from “unspeakable horrors” the ravings of a madman? Or the lies of a monster?

Not surprisingly, the Americans have gone to great lengths to minimize the Iraqi death toll. Back in 2006, Bush put the figure at 30,000. I guess that figure falls within his idea of speakable horrors.

But the question remains, how many people have died as a result of this war?

Counting corpses in a war zone is difficult, dangerous work because, after all, the action is taking place in a war zone. People are getting slaughtered in great numbers all over the place and it is pretty much impossible (and risky) to count them individually.

Published estimates are based on compiling statistics from media sources, such as those published by Iraq Body Count. Their research puts the death toll at just under 90,000.

Or, they are based on random sample surveys of the population, such as those conducted by Johns Hopkins (published in The Lancet) and Opinion Business Research. The Johns Hopkins study, conducted in 2006, put the carnage at 655,000. The ORB survey, published in 2008, concludes that between 946,000 and 1,120,000 Iraquis have been killed since the 2003 invasion.

The latter two studies form the basis for the “Iraqi Death Estimator” published below by Just Foreign Policy.

Today’s Guardian describes the various attempts that have been made to calculate the carnage. It’s worth reading.

Whether it is 90,000 or 900,000, Bush is guilty of crimes against humanity.

On March 4, 2008, voters in two Vermont towns approved a measure that would instruct police to arrest President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for “crimes against our Constitution.” The measure, which is described as symbolic and non-binding, instructs town police to “extradite them to other authorities that may reasonably contend to prosecute them.” Read more.

One can easily imagine there would be no shortage of “authorities” eager to prosecute them.

Winnipeggers demonstrate against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq March 15, 2008. Photo: Paul Graham

We are all conscripts in the war on Afghanistan. Yes, I know, we have a volunteer army. The military draft does not exist here, nor is it likely to in the foreseeable future. Whether we like it or not (and a majority of Canadians do not) we have been conscripted, a fact that should be made abundantly clear as we fill out our income tax returns.

Every bullet that finds its mark, every shell, bomb, grenade that turns a human being into hamburger and ashes was bought and paid for by someone. Canadian taxpayers have contributed $7.2 billion to this carnage, and thanks to the Tories and the Liberals, we will continue to bankroll murder for at least another three years.

Winnipeggers demonstrate against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, March 15, 2008. Photo: Paul Graham

As taxpayers, we share the blame for the deaths of the 8,000 plus Afghans who were killed last year. Fifteen hundred of these folks were civilians, but I’m tired of drawing these distinctions. War is murder, plain and simple. None of these people had to die, and we ought to be ashamed of our role in their deaths.

On March 13, the day our Parliament was voting on extension of Canada’s murder mission, the Independent reported on the recent deaths two women and two children who were killed in an air strike called in by the British military. This is not an isolated incident, and the victims have families who will grieve their slaughter and family members who will seek vengeance.

They have families who love them, and they have names. Here are a few of the thousands who have died hideously and needlessly in this war:

• Sardar Muhammad Makai, 22, a male street vendor
• Bilal Gulam Rasul, 4, a boy
• Kaled Gulam Rasul, 6, a boy
• Wares Gulam Rasul, 12, a boy
• Samin Gulam Rasul, 9, a boy
• Sukuria Rasul, 30, a mother
• Said Mir-Said Jan, 55, a male
• Said Mir-Said Mir, 26, a woman
• Nazira-Said Mir, 21, a woman
• Sofi Kasim, 39, a woman
• Aziza-Khuja Fagir, 23, a woman

There are many more, some of whom have been remembered at The Afghan Victim Memorial Project. Visit the memorial. Imagine the children playing together; visualize young lovers and old married couples, grandparents walking with their grandchildren, young people dreaming of their future, old people looking back on their lives. Say their names out loud. Weep for them. Tell them you are sorry for the part Canadians have played in this disgusting act of imperialism.

Then get mad and do something about it!

Winnipeggers demonstrate against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq March 15, 2008. Photo: Paul Graham

Illustration: D.H. Monet

When is a government initiative not a government initiative? Who should one believe? The Premier of Manitoba or the Co-ordinator of his Secretariat?

A little over a month ago I emailed Premier Doer to express my outrage at Manitoba’s decision to support the “Yellow Ribbon Campaign” and by extension, Canadian participation in the war in Afghanistan.

The Premier had issued a news release and held a news conference announcing provincial support for the campaign. As well, he turned the Manitoba Legislative Building into a temporary drop-in centre for campaign supporters to sign yellow ribbons that would be sent, along with Manitoba and Winnipeg flags, to Canada House in Kandahar for permanent display. A Winnipeg Free Press story about the announcement said that the campaign would be taken to shopping malls and schools, which prompted this post.

I had been wondering when or if the Premier’s Office would respond and what they might say. Well, the response came today. In a fashion typical of government, the email said very little. It was, however, interesting how the responder tried to deflect my anger in another direction by noting that the campaign was the project of retired soldiers and suggesting that I should write my local MP and the Minister of National Defence, Peter McKay.

My local MP (Pat Martin, Winnipeg Centre) has nothing to do with Manitoba’s pro-war stance. In fact, the federal NDP of which he is a member supports ending Canada’s military occupation of Afghanistan. And Mr. McKay? It is difficult to know what he has to do with turning the Manitoba Legislature into a yellow ribbon drop-in centre.

It’s time to cut the crap

Sadly, citizens who write to politicians are accustomed to getting evasive responses that fail to speak to the issues they have raised. My respect for the Premier would have gone up considerably if his flack had written back saying “Yes, Mr. Doer supports this war.” and explained why he held this position. I might have disagreed with his reasons, but at least there would have been some honesty – and without honesty there can be no true democracy.

Illustration: D.H. Monet

For your amusement and edification, here’s my email to the Premier, his flack’s response, the provincial news release, and Mr. Doer’s reported statement on the war.

My email

From: Paul Graham
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 4:09 PM
To: Premier
Cc: Altemeyer, Rob (NDP Caucus); Layton, Jack – M.P.
Subject: Yellow Ribbon Campaign

Mr. Doer,

Your reported decision to provide provincial support for the “Yellow Ribbon” campaign is deeply disturbing. Even more outrageous is your decision to allow campaigners access to Manitoba schools.

The Yellow Ribbon campaign is propaganda for the Canadian combat role in Afghanistan, a role opposed by a majority of Canadians and most New Democrats. War propaganda has no place in our schools.

You are welcome to your personal opinions, but you have no business imposing them on the rest of us. As a Manitoban and a New Democrat, I am outraged that you should align yourself, and by extension, Manitobans, with the criminals who control Afghanistan.

If you genuinely cared for Canadian soldiers, you would join Jack Layton in condemning this war and pushing for an end to Canada’s complicity in it. Do not expect thoughtful Canadians to “support our troops” by sending them to Afghanistan to help the Americans secure their oil supplies while propping up a gang of warlords and drug runners.

Your decision is shameful and disgraceful.

Paul Graham

Premier’s Flack’s Tardy, Disingenuous Response

March 12, 2008

Dear Mr. Graham:

On behalf of the Honourable Gary Doer, Premier of Manitoba, I would like to thank you for your correspondence regarding the Yellow Ribbon Campaign.

Our office appreciates hearing your comments on this matter. Although the campaign was launched at the Legislative Building, please note that it is not a government initiative. The project was developed by two retired soldiers in order to provide any Manitoban who so chooses with the opportunity to extend best wishes and support for the soldiers departing for Afghanistan.

We would also like to encourage you to share your concerns with the Honourable Peter Mackay, Minister of National Defence, as well as your local Member of Parliament.

Thank you again for sharing your views with Premier Doer.

Sincerely,

Judith Baldwin
Coordinator of the
Premier’s Secretariat

Provincial News Release

February 6, 2008
Manitoba Legislative Building To Host Yellow Ribbon Campaign

Visitors and the general public will now be able to show their support at Manitoba’s Legislative Building for Manitoba soldiers deploying to Afghanistan, Premier Gary Doer announced today.

For two weeks beginning today, yellow ribbons will be available near the front entrance security desk for visitors and the public to sign.

“Yesterday, we launched this campaign at the Legislative Building,” said Doer. “Today, I am proud to announce the building will become one of the venues providing Manitobans the opportunity to support our troops in this unique way.”

The campaign was developed by two retired soldiers who wanted to give Manitobans a way to express support and best wishes for the province’s departing soldiers. The goal of the campaign is to obtain 10,000 signatures.

“The Yellow Ribbon Campaign is one way Manitobans can show their support for Canadians deploying to Afghanistan,” said Bonnie Korzeniowski, Manitoba’s special envoy for military affairs. “I am pleased the Legislative Building will host the campaign which will give visitors and the public an opportunity to show their support for our troops.”

The signed ribbons, together with a Manitoba and City of Winnipeg flag, will be taken to Afghanistan in late April or early May 2008 and will be housed in Canada House in Kandahar as a permanent symbol of the province’s support for Manitoba soldiers.

Gary Doer on the war

Doer said he supported the ribbon campaign and Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, despite federal NDP leader Jack Layton’s comments that the Taliban cannot be defeated by international troops and the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable.

“I don’t worry about what people say in Ottawa,” Doer said.

Source: Winnipeg Free Press: Ribbons to honour troops: Vets seek signatures as province OKs campaign; Feb. 6, 2008

Iraq Veterans Against the War was founded in 2004 to give those who have served in the US military since September 11, 2001 a way to unite against an unjust, illegal and unwinnable war. IVAW says it has over 800 members in the U.S., on military bases overseas and in Canada.

IVAW is planning an educational event this week that should be accessible everywhere the Internet is uncensored.

From March 13-16 at the National Labor College just outside of Washington, D.C., veterans from across the States will be sharing their experiences and explaining why they oppose these wars. Their stories will be broadcast live via satellite and on the Internet. Go here for more details.

The event has been named Winter Soldier to honor a similar gathering in 1971 by veterans of the Vietnam War. “Winter soldiers,” according to Thomas Paine, are the people who stand up for the soul of their country, even in its darkest hours.

The four-day event promises to deliver more than the testimonies of American soldiers, as important as these are. The list of scheduled topics includes:

• Winter Soldier and the legacy of GI Resistance
• Rules of Engagement
• The Crisis in Veterans’ Heath Care
• Corporate Pillaging and Military Contractors
• Aims of the Global War on Terror: the Political, Legal, and Economic Context of Iraq and Afghanistan
• Divide To Conquer: Gender and Sexuality in the Military
• Racism and War: the Dehumanization of the Enemy
• Civilian Testimony: The Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan
• The Cost of the War at Home
• The Breakdown of the Military
• The Future of GI Resistance

For too long we have had to depend on government propaganda or an embedded and compromised news media for information on these conflicts. Winter Soldier promises to fill an important gap. Don’t miss it. And tell your friends.

Parliament is expected to vote, March 13, to extend Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan to the end of 2011. The result of the vote is a forgone conclusion. Even though most Canadians oppose the war, the Liberals will vote with the Tories at a time when you might expect them to demonstrate their legendary opportunism and tilt to the left for a while. (Never forget, the Liberals got us into this mess. Huffing and puffing aside, Liberal and Tory positions are almost identical.)

Peace Alliance Winnipeg is organizing two events:

• March 13: Rally at the corner of River Avenue and Osborne Street between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• March 15: Rally at the corner of Water Avenue and Main Street from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Bring your own placard and dress warmly.

For information on national and international anti-war activities, and what you can do to help, consult the Canadian Peace Alliance web site.

We need to tell the Liberals and the Tories that they do not speak in our name. They have no mandate and no right to continue this war.

NOT IN OUR NAME!