SF Caravan to Protest Bush Friday

No War on Iraq – SF Caravan to Protest Bush Friday in
Stockton, CA!
Buses leave SF at 7:30 AM. Back to SF by 3 PM
RSVP to peace [at] globalexchange.org or 415-255-7296 x666

Let’s send a loud and clear message to George Bush
when he visits California next Friday: No War on Iraq!
Our goal is to have hundreds of people greet Bush in
Stockton at 10 AM as he headlines a fundraiser for
Bill Simon, the Republican candidate for governor.
Let’s stop this war before it starts!

WHAT: No War on Iraq Protest During President Bush’s
Visit to Stockton, CA

WHEN: Friday, August 23, 7:30 AM buses leave SF;
arrive in Stockton by10 AM

WHERE: Meet at 16th and Mission Streets in San
Francisco to catch the bus; the exact address of the
Stockton event hasn’t yet been announced

WHO: Global Exchange is organizing the protest &
buses; International Action Center is also calling for
a protest in Stockton at 10 AM on Friday

COST: Donation of $10 requested to help pay for the
bus rentals. No one turned away for lack of funds.

RSVP: RSVP as soon as possible to confirm number of
buses needed. Email peace [at] globalexchange.org or call
415-255-7296 x666

*If you are in other parts of Northern California,
please organize caravans from your town. Call us and
let us know you are coming (415) 255-7296 x263

A FEW REASONS WHY THE U.S. SHOULD NOT START A WAR
AGAINST IRAQ

• Iraq does not pose an urgent threat to the United
States
The Bush Administration has provided no evidence for
its claims that Iraq is actively trying to obtain
weapons of mass destruction. By contrast, former U.N.
weapons inspectors say that they succeeded during the
1990s in destroying or dismantling every major factory
associated with prohibited weapons manufacture and the
majority of the weapons produced by Iraq. Upon his
return from a recent two-week stay in Iraq, Hans von
Sponeck, a former U.N. humanitarian aid coordinator
for Iraq, said, "The U.S. Department of Defense and
the CIA know perfectly well that today's Iraq poses no
threat to anyone in the region, let alone in the
United States. To argue otherwise is dishonest."

•There is no international support for a war on Iraq
Our European and Arab allies oppose military
intervention. So do Iraq’s neighbors—Turkey, Jordan
and even Kuwait. The United Nations Secretary General
Kofi Annan has called on the U.S. to avoid a military
assault on Iraq while violence still rages between
Israelis and Palestinians. This situation is a far cry
from the international alliance that existed during
the Persian Gulf War or the alliance that supported
the military campaign in Afghanistan.

•The U.S. should not become a first-strike nation
It would be unprecedented for the United States to
make a pre-emptive strike against Iraq that was not a
response to an act of aggression committed against
America or its allies. Additionally, it would be
illegal under international law. War should be a last
resort among the tools of U.S. foreign policy, not a
first resort. Diplomacy and weapons inspections are
other alternatives for dealing with U.S. concerns
about Iraq.

•A war against Iraq will make Americans LESS safe, not
more safe
An unprovoked attack on Iraq may well destabilize the
Middle East, which is already reeling from the
conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It will
weaken our relationships with our allies, who
wholeheartedly oppose a war against Iraq. It will fan
the flames of terrorism by giving terrorists another
reason to hate the United States. And it will result,
as all wars do, in the deaths of many innocent people,
both Americans and Iraqis.

•We can find much better uses for $80 billion of our
tax dollars
The last war with Iraq cost $80 billion (in today’s
dollars). At that time our allies paid 80 percent of
the bill. This time around they won’t. With an
economic recession in gear and budget deficits already
expanding, we call ill afford to spend such an
enormous amount of money on a military venture.

PLEASE HELP US STOP THIS WAR BEFORE IT STARTS. GET ON
THE BUS TO STOCKTON.

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO:

• Call your Senators and Representatives and tell them
to stop the Bush Administration from undertaking a
military assault against Iraq. Also ask them to hold
hearings on Iraq that include a full range of experts
on Iraq—including those who oppose the planned U.S.
war.

Nancy Pelosi, SF office: (415)556-4862
DC office: (202) 225-4965; email:
sf.nancy [at] mail.house.gov

Dianne Feinstein, SF office: 415/393-0707
DC office: (202) 224-3841; Fax: (202) 228-3954

Barbara Boxer, SF office: 415-403-0100, fax
415-956-6701
DC office: 202-224-3553

•Help us distribute these flyers at subway stations,
university campuses, shopping malls and other
gathering places throughout California and the United
States. Please feel free to reprint them and change
the names of the people to contact, depending on the
state where you’re located. Senators’ contact
information is at http://www.senate.gov. Representatives at
http://www.house.gov.

•Join the national mobilization to stop the war on
Iraq by organizing a protest in your community. Check
http://www.unitedforpeace.org for upcoming national days of
action and for more information and resources. Also
tell us about your protest plans by writing to
info [at] unitedforpeace.org.

Global Exchange/United for Peace, 2017 Mission Street,
Suite 303, San Francisco, CA 94110, tel. (415)
255-7296, peace [at] globalexchange.org