Bush in Stockton - buses and stuff

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.