Contents

  • "AFSC Assessment Trip Report"
    From April 28 to May 6, 2003, three staff members of the American Friends Service Committee traveled through Iraq to assess needs and recommend next steps. They found dire conditions, making a coordinated international response urgent. They also saw...
          
  • "Clean Water for Abosoda"
    November 11, 2003 "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water." W.H. Auden The village of Abosoda is located on the Euphrates River, not far from Baghdad, in the Ramadi district of the...
          
  • "Shoes for Al Huda's Children"
    October 30, 2003 On each of our visits to Al Huda—a sprawling squatter community of nearly 3,000 in Baghdad that has sprung up since the war—the children have been our constant companions. They walk with us, practice their few words of English, and...
          
  • "Water Chlorinators - Campaign of Conscience-Phase II, March 2003"
    Phase II, March 2003 Clean water is a priceless gift. In Iraq, water-borne illnesses take tens of thousands of lives each year as a result of economic sanctions. Clean water is even more crucial for hospital patients, already...
          
  • "Water Treatment Center- Final Report"
    The Bodeja Water Treatment Plant, rehabilitated by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Life for Relief and Development, serves more than 3,000 people in several villages and five schools....
          
  • "Working to Avert a Crisis"
    December 2, 2003 During this season of thanksgiving and joy in the West, AFSC is stepping up relief efforts to counter the deepening crisis in Iraq. The social safety net and protective housing laws that were in place before the war...
          
  • 10 Reasons Why the U.S. Must Leave Iraq
    The human cost of war is unacceptable. The U.S. decision to invade and occupy Iraq comes with a horrific price tag: deaths of an estimated 100,000 Iraqis and more than 2,345 occupation troops, including 2,140 U.S. military personnel. The numbers rise...
          
  • 1000 Boots Honor U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq
    Lines of army boots filled Chicago's Federal Plaza on Wednesday....
          
  • About the Movie
    The Wage Peace movie was created through a collaboration of AFSC and Beaconfire Consulting. It drew on the talents and energies of the following people (and many others who provided advice and support). Core Creative Team: Hugh...
          
  • AFSC - Iraq
      The AFSC Iraq Program began in 1990 ( see the timeline ) , shortly after Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait. The AFSC provided relief assistance to some of the 300,000 foreign workers who left Iraq for Jordan in the weeks following the invasion. After the...
          
  • AFSC Board Statement on Immediate Troop Withdrawal
    Statement of the American Friends Service Committee on the Immediate Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Iraq   December 22, 2004 The AFSC Board of Directors, gathered in worship in Philadelphia, adopted the following minute:...
          
  • AFSC Iraq Programs
    Nationwide Programs Iraq Peacebuilding Program This...
          
  • AFSC Memorial Ribbon Project
    Your community may want to join AFSC in marking the 3000th US military casualty by making 3000 memorial lapel ribbons.  On the day after the 3000th US military casualty is reached, your community can distribute the ribbons and know that each soldier is being remembered by someone in your...
          
  • AFSC Relief Projects Proliferate"
    August 2003...
          
  • AFSC's Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq
    AFSC distributed shoes at the Al Huda squatter camp. Learn more about it> Photo:...
          
  • April 10, 2003
    April 10, 2003 [Editor’s note: On April 10, Doug traveled back to Amman, Jordan from East Jerusalem.] What a day yesterday was. It was amazing to be with Palestinians as Saddam’s regime in Baghdad was crumbling. I was actually in the Dheisheh...
          
  • April 11, 2003
    April 11, 2003 Currently, there are thirteen Iraq Peace Team personnel from Voices In The Wilderness still living in Baghdad. They had hoped to return to Amman last night, but were unable to travel. The...
          
  • April 12, 2003
    April 12, 2003 It is a strange and difficult time to be preparing to leave the Middle East. Everything seems to be in deep crisis. Some of my friends who have recently come out of Iraq are trying to return. Some have been in groups in...
          
  • April 14, 2003
    April 14, 2003 Five members of the Iraq Peace Team (IPT) returned via taxi from Baghdad to Amman last night. They briefed us this morning about what they witnessed in Baghdad and on their way to Amman: Conditions in Baghdad remain...
          
  • April 5, 2003
    April 5, 2003 from Beit Sahour, East Jerusalem Today, there was a moving event in East Jerusalem, which brought together Americans, Canadians, Israeli Jews, and Palestinians to start rebuilding the home of Salim and Arabiya Shawamreh...
          
  • Building Hope for Iraq
    An American Friends Service Committee Position Paper on the United States and the International Community’s Obligations to the People of Iraq The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) recognizes the right of nations to self-determination and...
          
  • Candlelight Vigils
    A candlelight vigil is a both a powerful statement and easy to organize. The vigil builds power from its simplicity and show of solidarity. Organizers should bring extra candles and lighters. Also, download and print out signs and posters for your vigilgoers. That will help passersby know why...
          
  • Challenging the Policy of War
    Rick McDowell & Mary Trotochaud Iraq Speaking Tour Photo: Dan DeLong The physical and social fabric of Iraqi...
          
  • Contact Us
    Wage Peace Campaign AFSC 1501 Cherry Street,...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    December 1, 2004 Voices from Iraq It is said that the first casualty of war is truth. In the Iraq war, that includes the truth of who the people of Iraq are and what they want to say. In the...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    December 21, 2005 What Iraqis want: a view from Jordan By Jason Erb Thursday, December 15th marked the end of Iraq’s first post-Saddam election. Iraqis in Jordan expressed a clear consensus on priorities for the new government....
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    December 20, 2004 Christmas Has the Taste of Ashes for Us As the holiday season approaches, our thoughts turn back to a time we shared with friends in Baghdad, during Christmas of 2003. Our...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    May 9, 2004 Reactions from the Region A number of friends in Iraq who have written us over the past couple of days speak to the growing discontent and disillusionment in Iraq....
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    January 18, 2005 Looking Ahead Through Iraqi Eyes Action: The U.S. and world community must be committed to a political, rather than a military, solution. Sign the petition to bring the troops home now ....
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    Background on the siege of Fallujah In November’s military siege of Fallujah, also known as the City of Mosques, 300,000 citizens were given two choices: leave, or risk being targeted as enemy insurgents. Under threat, an estimated 50,000 families, or 250,000,...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    January 18, 2005 Looking Ahead Through Iraqi Eyes From our temporary base in Amman, Jordan, in the past few months, we’ve been in continual contact with scores of Iraqis. As the nation struggles daily for survival, an...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    January 26, 2005 Hope and Skepticism about Elections Over the past couple of days, we’ve talked with Iraqis living in Jordan about the upcoming elections. We interviewed would-be voters in Amman and Zarka—on the streets, in cafes, and at registration...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    January 20, 2005 The Price of Forgetting A resounding silence has resonated over the humanitarian disaster in Fallujah. Unconfirmed reports suggest significant fighting continues amid ongoing insurgent activities. The presence of mines...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    December 1, 2004 Confronting Immense Loss We recently returned to Amman, Jordan, to continue AFSC’s work in Iraq, after completing a 12-state speaking tour in the United States. The ongoing violence inside Iraq has forced...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    December 20, 2004 Letters from Mosul It’s not easy spending the holidays in Amman. Last night, an Iraqi friend joined us for dinner. Salam is an enterprising young man who survived childhood polio and spent much of the post-war period...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    February 20, 2004 What the Statistics Don't Tell You (Click images to enlarge) If you need evidence of the ongoing war, visit the Orthotics/Prosthesis Workshop at Baghdad 's Center for Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy and meet seven-year-old Hathem....
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    April 9, 2004 Only Sadness on This Anniversary Today, April 9, is the one-year anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. Today is the anniversary of a failed U.S. policy of economic sanctions, preemptive war, and occupation. As you travel the...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    Shock and Awe Kidnapping relief workers is new twist to insecurity in Iraq Appeared as an op-ed in the Des Moines Register October 27, 2004 The blurred distinctions between those providing...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    February 5, 2004 Daily Life Under Occupation...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    April 14, 2004 Spinning out of control Mary and I plan to temporarily relocate to Amman, Jordan, until a measure of security and order has been restored to Baghdad.  As AFSC country representatives, we set three...
          
  • Correspondents' Journal
    April 21, 2004 from Amman, Jordan Violence and hatred spread The relative calm in the city of Basra was shattered this morning, as terror struck in deliberate attacks on Iraqi...
          
  • Current Iraq Projects
    These projects highlight the American Friends Service Committee's work in Iraq . In coming months, projects will be supported as needs are identified. The AFSC typically works on small, specific projects with groups that are underserved by larger...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 2, 2004 What will happen to Iraq after the June 30 handover of power? When you ask Iraqis what will change after the handover of power later this month, many give you a quizzical look and tell you “nothing.”...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 2, 2004 The More Things Change... I first visited Iraq in August 1996, prior to the introduction of the U.N.’s Oil for Food Program. The program was a response to the internationally imposed economic...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 30, 2003 Attacks Force Retreat From Wide-Ranging Plans for Iraq December 10, 2003 Pentagon Bars Nations From Iraq Reconstruction December 03, 2003 Military Starts Body Count of Iraqis Killed...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 30, 2004 Rami Khoury on Transfer Q&A: the trial of Saddam Hussein June 28, 2004 Early Transfer / Missing Billions / Paying the Price June 25, 2004 Iraq: What lies ahead? Civilian Toll of the Violence / Action Steps June...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 19, 2003 Next Steps for the Food Basket in Iraq? November 17, 2003 Oil For Food Program Ends November 12, 2003 Progress in Iraq? November 11, 2003 Cost of War on Iraq 2003 12 Ways the Media Misreport Violence November...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 30, 2005 Journalists Tell Their Story | Anthony Shadid Interview September 28, 2005 Reuters Accuses US Troops of Obstructing Reporting | Families Feeling Samara Occupation Timeline: April-June 2005 September 26, 2005 Hundreds Arrested | War...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 03, 2006 The Situation Is Not Serious: It Is Desperate (NCCI)
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 30, 2005 Year in Review - Patrick Cockburn December 29, 2005 Basic Services | Security | New Resource December 28, 2005...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 29, 2006 We Declare Peace - Next Steps September 27, 2006 Update and Report Back: Declaration of Peace September 22, 2006 Civilian Death toll 6,500+ (July and August) September 21, 2006 Washington DC Launch of Declaration of Peace...
          
  • Current News in Context
    May 26, 2005 Woolsey Amendment / Sealing Baghdad / Wolf Brigade May 25, 2005 Support the Woolsey Amendment May 23, 2005 The Need to Negotiate May 18, 2005 Stop Military Recruitment (Action Steps) May 17, 2005 Operation Matador / Iranian...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 30, 2003 No Time to be Smug October 29, 2003 IRAQ: Law Experts Warn Business Deals May be Invalid October 24, 2003 Pledges to Rebuild Iraq - What Does it Really Mean? Rami Khoury on Next Steps...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 29, 2005 Christian Peacemaker Team abducted in Baghdad November 16, 2005 Senate Vote on Withdraw | Action Steps November 15, 2005 Senate Iraq Vote | Amman Bombing | Fallujah November 14, 2005 Steel Curtain | ICRC Appeal | Environmental...
          
  • Current News in Context
    July 29, 2005 Now is the Time to Resist July 25, 2005 US Troops / Lack of Reconstruction / Unwinnable July 18, 2005 Bombing Attacks / Governors Association / National Guard Troops July 15, 2005 29 Killed in Baghdad / Reconstruction Funds Missing...
          
  • Current News in Context
    March 30, 2006 Release of Jill Carroll March 29, 2006 Displaced Population Estimated to be 1.3 million March 28, 2006 Permanent US Bases | End of Reconstruction | Action Steps March 23, 2006 CPT Hostages Freed | 3-year reflection from Baghdad | Photos |...
          
  • Current News in Context
    August 22, 2006 Declaration of Peace: Weekly Announcement August 21, 2006 Iraqi Voices: A Summer of Goodbyes August 17, 2006 New Resources on the Power of Nonviolence August 14, 2006 In Solidarity with the Iraq Freedom Congress August 08, 2006...
          
  • Current News in Context
    February 28, 2006 Command's Responsibility: Deaths in U.S. Custody in Iraq and Afghanistan February 27, 2006 The Samarra Bombing and its Aftermath - Talking Points February 24, 2006 Days of Mourning February 16, 2006 Sixth Emergency War Supplemental...
          
  • Current News in Context
    April 28, 2006 Beyond Dictators and Occupation: A Way Forward in Iraq April 04, 2006 THINKING STRATEGICALLY: Challenges Facing the Anti-War Movement
          
  • Current News in Context
    July 30, 2004 US lifts 14 year-old sanctions July 29, 2004...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 28, 2005 Defunding the War | A Statement for Peace October 27, 2005 Iraqi Compensation Tops $20 billion October 26, 2005 Events Have Started | One Year After The Lancet Report 100,000 deaths in Iraq: A year later October 24, 2005...
          
  • Current News in Context
    February 10, 2004 50 Killed in Car Bombing South of Baghdad
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 30, 2004 AFSC Iraq Staff on Fallujah AFSC Iraq Staff on Progressive Radio November 23, 2004 Featured Partners AFSC Iraq Staff - Christian Science Monitor November 22, 2004...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 23, 2006 1.6 million Iraqis have Fled their Country Since the War October 18, 2006 655,000 Dead in Iraq October 17, 2006 Deadliest Year for Press since the Invasion 2003 October 16, 2006 NCCI Editorial - Weekly Highlight October 11,...
          
  • Current News in Context
    May 19, 2006 How the Bush Administration Deconstructed Iraq May 16, 2006 Democracy in Iraq without the U.S.
          
  • Current News in Context
    July 31, 2006 Number of Iraqi Refugees Swells
          
  • Current News in Context
    April 13, 2007 AFSC Symposium on Iraqi Refugees
          
  • Current News in Context
    January 24, 2006 New Music Video Features "Eyes Wide Open" Boots January 19, 2006 Jill Carroll | Iraqi Minister of Electricity | Rebuilding Funds Untraced January 17, 2006 De-funding the war January 13, 2006 Portrait of an Iraqi January 10,...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 29, 2004 100,000 Civilian Deaths Since Iraq Invasion (The Lancet) October 28, 2004 US Army denied 75% of Iraqi Compensation Claims October 27, 2004 AFSC Iraq Staff Discuss Kidnapping of Relief Workers -...
          
  • Current News in Context
    January 31, 2004 Debate Begins on Structure of Transitional Government January 20, 2004 A Challenge to Occupation - 100,000 march in Baghdad January 16, 2004 Shia Muslims march to demand early elections
          

  • Current News in Context

     
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    April 29, 2005 New Government / 41 Killed in Bomb Attacks / Action Step April 27, 2005 MP Assassinated / Fallujah / Exonerated / TAL April 25, 2005 Vermont Town Meetings Decide "End the War. Bring the Guard Home."...
          

  • Current News in Context

     
  • Current News in Context
    January 28, 2005 Election / Fallujah / Fears of the Unknown January 27, 2005 Resolution to Bring Troops Home January 25, 2005 Elections: Background and Analysis January 24, 2005 The Invasion of...
          

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    August 31, 2005 A Nation in Agony August 30, 2005 Death Toll / Muqtada al-Sadr / Journalists August 29, 2005 Mass Civil Resistance to the War - September 26 August 26, 2005 The Grim Reaper Creeps Closer
          

  • Current News in Context

     
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    March 31, 2005 House raid on member of Parliament March 30, 2005 Child Malnutrition / Prison Population Doubles / Failure to Form Government March 28, 2005 We Remember: Iraq Country Representatives...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 21, 2005 Out-of-Iraq Congressional Caucus / Private Military Contractors June 17, 2005 US Lied to Britain over use of napalm in Iraq War Operation Spear / US Convoys / Kidnappings June 16, 2005 Mission Improbable & Withdrawal Resolution...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 26, 2006 Dreams and Nightmares: A Memorial on Life and Death in Iraq June 23, 2006 Peace Plan for National Reconciliation Summary of Congressional Actions | Bases & Oil | Withdrawal June 21, 2006 Security Summit to be Hosted in Tehran...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 30, 2004 Car Bombs Kill 42 in Baghdad / Hostages Taken September 24, 2004 Trail of Mourning & Truth September 17, 2004 Eyes Wide Open and Iraq Body Count September 15, 2004 What Went Wrong in Iraq September 14, 2004 Air Power...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 10, 2003 Pentagon Bars Nations From Iraq Reconstruction This decision can only alienate members of the international community. It is a blunt reminder of the language that angered many leading up to the invasion, and an illustration of the importance that the US...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 02, 2003 Georgian 'Revolution of Roses' Mentored by Serbian Activists An inspiring reminder that nonviolence resistance works. A challenge: to capture the imagination of disaffected youth, and support their active leadership in resistance. Tactics that...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 03, 2003 Military Starts Body Count of Iraqis Killed The end of Ramadan has led to the renewal of aggressive search and seizure operations, increased house and village raids, and the expansion of military activity through Operation Iron Hammer. The increased use...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 15, 2003 IRAQ: Now we face the prospect of free-market fundamentalism Iraq's interim trade minister Ali Abdul-Amir Allawi: "We suffered through the...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 17, 2003 Odious rulers, odious debts The November issue of The Atlantic Monthly features an article by economic Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz on odious debt. He addresses reparations, the establishment of an international court to develop and enforce guiding...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 09, 2003 Odious Debt and Compensation This week's on-line version of Business Week carries an article that highlights the strange alliances occurring around the massive amounts of money being contemplated for Iraq. The journal states the need for removing...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 10, 2003 The Madrid Donor Conference...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 15, 2003 Congress should veto misguided second installment on Iraq war There is a simple question on everybody's mind. Will Iraq be defined by...
          
  • Current News in Context
    + October 30, 2003 No Time to be Smug Jonathan Freedland of the Guardian issues a challenge to the anti-war camp. Detailing that the concerns of anti-war...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 29, 2003 IRAQ: Law Experts Warn Business Deals May be...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 24, 2003 Pledges to Rebuild Iraq - What Does it Really Mean? Pledges to Rebuild Iraq Total $33 Billion As announcements about 'high-end' pledges for Iraq emerge in the headlines, it is important to let the dust settle. Will the pledges materialize, and as...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 24, 2003 Rami Khoury on Next Steps in Iraq and US Power Rami Khoury offers six steps that are necessary in Iraq. He argues that two key challenges face the international community in Iraq. "The urgent task is to stabilize Iraq, restore native sovereignty, revive...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 12, 2003 Progress in Iraq? Frida Berrigan offers compassion for the US soldiers who are dying in Iraq without endorsing the militarism of this administration foreign policy. Quoting soldiers and military publications, she warns of a dangerous disconnect between...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 11, 2003 Cost of War on Iraq 2003 Continuing Collateral Damage: The health and environmental costs of war on Iraq (Medact) This is an interesting report. One that picks up from an exhaustive study issued last year about the collateral damage and the health...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 03, 2003 Building Potemkin Villages in Iraq Marina Ottaway from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers this opinion from an inside the beltway perspective. Citing international law as a dictate she poses the question of how, not if the US should...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 19, 2003 Next Steps for the Food Basket in Iraq? Mark Turner for the Financial Times reports from the United Nations on the Oil for food handover. "The US-led coalition indicated on Monday that it would leave Iraq's public food and aid distribution system...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 11, 2003 12 Ways the Media Misreport Violence Norwegian peace studies professor Johann Galtung has laid out 12 points of concern where journalism often goes wrong when dealing with violence. Each implicitly suggests more explicit remedies. To see the...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 04, 2003 Judge praises nonviolent civil disobedience Across the country many cases of nonviolent civil disobedience are being reduced and dismissed. The following statement was issued by Maine Superior Court Justice Allen Hunter in his sentencing of two...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 17, 2003 Oil For Food Program Ends Barbara Corsette, former correspondent for the New York Times offers an overview to the Oil for Food Program. Correct in affirming the vision of the program - a mechanism to mitigate the horrific impact of comprehensive...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 10, 2003 Aid for Iraq - Is it a New Marshal Plan? Yesterday the Washington Post ran a provocative essay on the reality of the U.S. aid package to Iraq. The author argues that using the Marshal plan as a precedent is misleading. The challenges facing Iraq are...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 05, 2003 Old Wounds: Iraqis Seek Justice, or Vengeance, for Victims of the Killing Fields This article describes how Iraqis are trying to deal with justice and retribution in post-Saddam Iraq. Two points in particular stand out: one is the role religious...
          
  • Current News in Context
    January 16, 2004 Shia Muslims march to demand early elections Yesterday's nonviolent demonstration of up to 30,000 people rejecting indirect elections through appointed caucuses is a powerful message to the US occupation forces. It was a show of political power. It...
          
  • Current News in Context
    January 20, 2004 A Challenge to Occupation - 100,000 march in Baghdad The face of occupation: 31 killed on Sunday - 100,000 march in Baghdad on Monday - electricity out on Tuesday. It is clear that the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has emerged as the most...
          
  • Current News in Context
    January 31, 2004 Debate Begins on Structure of Transitional Government Alissa J. Rubin offers helpful insights into the issues that will be debated around the adoption of a Fundamental Law that will govern the country until a constitution is crafted. The document...
          
  • Current News in Context
    February 10, 2004 50 Killed in Car Bombing South of Baghdad The contrast in these stories is heartbreaking, the reality of occupation in Iraq - including the terrible lack of security - and resistance to that policy by the US peace community. The horrific violence in...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 27, 2004 What Can the U.S. Do in Iraq? The International Crisis Group has just released a probing policy update on next steps needed in Iraq. Addressed primarily to U.S. decision makers in Washington the report rests on the need for a radical departure, finding...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 02, 2004 US Forces to Reach Highest Level / Iraqi Civilian Deaths Robert Burns, military writer for AP notes that the addition of 12,000 new U.S. troops will lead to the highest troop level of the war . Greater than the initial invading force of March 2003....
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 13, 2004 Fuel and electricity shortages The crisis as seen by an Iraqi Blogger / Occupation Costs / Iraq Revenue Watch The first piece includes a political analysis of the ramifications of the occupation from Riverbend. Khaled Oweis of Reuters, puts the cost...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 03, 2004 30 Killed in Baghdad / Sadr City / Elections Sameer Yacoub reports the two major attacks this morning in Baghdad against a Shiite mosque and a police station claimed the lives of 30 people. It was the deadliest attack in weeks for the city. He documents...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 22, 2004 AFSC Calls for Immediate Withdrawal of Troops Comments: Post a Comment
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 28, 2004 Election Challenges Problems Mount for Iraq Vote: Writing from Arbil for the Christian Science Monitor , Annia Ciezadlo looks at some of the greatest challenges leading up to the elections in January 30. The tone is set from the start. "Planning an...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 21, 2004 Condemning the Violence: Mosul / Najaf / Fallujah There are never tidy endings to military operations, the pain is cumulative. We grieve again for the great suffering and loss of life that has occurred in the past week. For many Iraqis, it has become an...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 22, 2004 Christmas Has the Taste of Ashes for Us As the holiday season approaches, our thoughts turn back to a time we shared with friends in Baghdad, during Christmas of 2003. On the night before Christmas Eve, we joined a group of Iraqis in their early...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 07, 2004 Undermining the International Criminal Court Two insightful articles from Helen Thomas. Often referred to as "The First Lady of the Press," former White House Bureau Chief Helen Thomas is a trailblazer, breaking through barriers for women reporters...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 15, 2004 AFSC Iraq Staff / Voices From Iraq / Letter to the President On the last day to register candidates for the January elections, interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite and Washington favorite, announces his 240-member list. A bomb targeting a...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 28, 2004 US Army denied 75% of Iraqi Compensation Claims On Monday the Dayton Daily News released the findings of an analysis of 4,611 civil claims in Iraq. The report finds that the US Army has denied about 75 per cent of the compensation claims, finding that...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 18, 2004 New Correspondents Journal Addressing the long-term implications of occupation, these stories highlight the violence that continues to define much of life in Iraq. Kidnapping is commonplace, aggressive military sieges continue, and economic hardship...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 19, 2004 CARE Official Kidnapped in Baghdad Any of you who have traveled to Iraq will know Margaret Hassan, the unofficial dean of the humanitarian community. CARE International is one of the world's largest independent global relief and development organizations,...
          
  • Current News in Context
    Current News in Context October 12, 2004 Eyes Wide Open Update The Eyes Wide Open exhibit has been on the road for almost nine months. We have spent a great deal of time in 'middle' America. Over the summer the exhibit was displayed during both national conventions, in...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 11, 2004 City Sieges / Kurdish Voters City sieges, car bombings and arrest sweeps are defining the ‘new’ pre-election push in Iraq. The articles below touch on military tactics and an informal survey of Kurdish voters. White House plans delay of major...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 13, 2004 A Young Iraqi Informs and Empowers A wonderful profile of Raed Jarrar. He is a young man that will leave you inspired. Displaying a passion for communicating, Raed has also helped to put a name and a face to many, many thousands of Iraqis who have died in...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 19, 2004 Nonviolent Resistance - Pledge Update The funny thing about public opinion is that you never really know when people have crossed a line and are ready for a new way of seeing an issue. This update on the Iraq Pledge of Resistance is a reminder. It reminds...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 07, 2004 Analysis: Debates, Duelfer, Aluminum Tubes DEBATES, DUELFER, & ALUMINUM TUBES 7 October 2004 by Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies Excerpt: Charles Duelfer's report to Congress, based on the 15 months work of the CIA-linked...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 22, 2004 Failures in Fallujah Commentary and analysis on the crisis in Fallujah. Scott Peterson writing in the Christian Science Monitor allows us to see the human cost of the city siege in Fallujah. If the estimate that 80% of the city has fled is correct,...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 25, 2004 49 National Guard Killed / 380 Tons of Explosives Missing On Sunday, Iraqi authorities reported 49 unarmed National Guard soldiers were found shot dead on a road near the Iranian border. Charles Glover writing for the Financial Times finds this...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 29, 2004 100,000 Civilian Deaths Since Iraq Invasion (The Lancet) This new study to be published by The Lancet magazine sets a new benchmark for the number of Iraqis who have died as a result of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. The study says the risk of...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 13, 2004 U.S. Steps Up Attacks Before Ramadan Thoughts on the meaning of Ramadan. For over one billion Muslims throughout the world Ramadan is a special month of the year. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God and self-control. It is a time for...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 07, 2004 Reconstruction Failures/ New IPS Report / Alan Fram examines the new State Department Report to illustrate the failures in reconstruction. The findings? Less than seven percent of the $18.4 billion that Congress approved last year to rebuild Iraq has...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 11, 2004 Iraq Speaking Tour Challenging the Policy of War: The Human Cost A speaking tour with AFSC Iraq staff Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud have spent the past year living in a Baghdad neighborhood. Now, they bring their firsthand experiences to the...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 26, 2004 No Longer Unknowable: Falluja's April Civilian Toll is 600 This timely report not only documents the terrible price paid by civilians caught in the April siege in Fallujah, it carries a powerful message for decision makers in Washington, London and...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 27, 2004 AFSC Iraq Staff Discuss Kidnapping of Relief Workers - Des Moines Register This insightful piece was published this morning in the Des Moines Register. Information about their speaking tour is included at the bottom of the article. *****...
          
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    October 21, 2004 One in Four Dependent on Food Rations The decision to invade Iraq has created legendary levels of chaos, undermined the legitimacy of international law and international institutions and de-stabilized the region. The broader work of independent...
          
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    September 14, 2004 Journalist Killed Al-Arabiya reporter killed, two other journalists wounded in Baghdad Mazen al-Tomeizi, a 26 year-old Palestinian employed by Dubai-based Al Arabiya television was killed in central Baghdad, on Sunday while filming clashes...
          
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    September 24, 2004 Trail of Mourning & Truth Will you join us in delivering the names of the dead to the White House on Gandhi's birthday? On Sat., Oct. 2, 2004, the American Friends Service Committee, Iraq Pledge of Resistance, Military Families Speak Out,...
          

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    September 14, 2004 Extraordinary Violence The last three days have seen extraordinary violence in Iraq. It has taken the lives of nearly 150 people. Car Bombings, attack from aircraft and US Military raids have all been present in what has been a horrific weekend. This...
          
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    September 14, 2004 Air Power Gains Bigger Role Robert Burns, Military Writer for the Associated Press has a revealing piece on the increased reliance by US forces of air power in Iraq. As more areas of the country are 'no-go' zones for US troops, the use of air power has...
          
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    September 07, 2004 Attacks in Sadr City / Two Italian NGO workers Abducted The last four days of violence in Iraq have been a brutal reminder that the war has never ended. Iraqis have now experienced over seventeen months of almost continuous warfare. Sieges,...
          
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    September 03, 2004 Reconstructing Iraq - ICG Report The report issued yesterday by the International Crisis Group tackles the challenges of reconstructing Iraq. Broad in scope, the report examines the devastating impact of war, sanctions, occupation and the previous...
          
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    September 15, 2004 What Went Wrong in Iraq What Went Wrong in Iraq Larry Diamond From Foreign Affairs, September/October 2004 Summary: Although the early U.S. blunders in the occupation of Iraq are well known, their consequences are just now becoming clear. The...
          
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    September 30, 2004 Car Bombs Kill 42 in Baghdad / Hostages Taken After several weeks of attention and anxiety over the fate of hostages being held in Iraq, we are again reminded of the great violence cause by the occupation itself. In addition to military attacks against...
          
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    September 08, 2004 Update on NGO Workers Held in Iraq Yesterday's seizure of four staff from the Italian NGO Bridges to Baghdad has prompted the immediate evacuation of many international NGO staff from Iraq. As has been the case for a long time, NGO work will be carried...
          
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    September 09, 2004 Appeal for Release of Aid Workers Many of you have asked for more details on the abduction of Italian and Iraqi aid workers in Baghdad. Here is a link to a letter being widely circulated among NGOs worldwide. Please consider signing, and sending...
          
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    June 21, 2004 Promises Unkept - The US Occupation of Iraq AFSC Helps Iraq Create Its Own New Society http://www.afsc.org/human-face/ relief_updates/entries/new-society.htm Excerpts from a recent report on AFSC activities in Iraq offer an excellent snapshot of...
          
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    June 23, 2004 US Drops UN Bid for War Crime Sheild The United States has backed away from demands for the renewal of a UN resolution that would grant immunity to US troops operating in Iraq. 'William Pace, head of the Coalition for an International Criminal Court, called...
          
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    June 23, 2004 Calendar Listing for Days of Action (25-27 June) United for Peace and Justice has a calendar listing of the many diverse and spirited events planned for the weekend. With 33 listings see if there is one in your city or neighborhood you can support....
          
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    June 16, 2004 It's the Oil Revenue Iraq's Oil Wealth This is a powerful summary on the impact of saboteurs on the oil industry. It should also be noted that the electrical grid has nearly collapsed in Baghdad. It makes you realize how dangerous and inept plans for...
          
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    June 07, 2004 The Broader Middle East Initiative: Imperilled at Birth The International Crisis Group offers insights into the enormous challenges facing the US and G-8 partners in developing a meaningful relationship with reformers to attack the genuine needs of the...
          
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    June 30, 2004 Q&A: the trial of Saddam Hussein The Guardian offers a helpful piece on the process and structure for the trial of Saddam Hussein. This will clearly be complicated, time consuming and emotional. It should also seek to promote a search for truth,...
          
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    June 18, 2004 Some Stories You May Have Missed Graduation, Baghdad Style http://www.afsc.org/human-face/ personal_stories/default.htm Iraqi Reactions to the June 30 Transfer of Power http://www.afsc.org/human-face/ corres_journal/entries/20040602-reactions.htm...
          
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    June 07, 2004 The Nation Magazine Editorial - Time to Leave http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040621&s=editors Time to Leave [from the June 21, 2004 issue] We have paid a heavy price for the Bush Administration's unnecessary and illegal invasion of Iraq:...
          
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    June 11, 2004 The Hope of Peace in the Darkness of War - June 14, Friends Center 6/11 Last Call - Don't forget this important event ********** The Hope of Peace in the Darkness of War - June 14, 2004 7 - 9 p.m. Friends Center, 15th and Cherry, Philadelphia,...
          

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    June 10, 2004 Graduation, Baghdad Style (AFSC Staff) This is about resilience in Baghdad, as well as the hopes and fears of graduation. With insights into the struggle and challenges under sanctions, you will also learn about the legacy of the previous Government. These...
          
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    June 02, 2004 Healing the Healers - Relief Update The American Friends Service Committee has purchased equipment and furnishings for the newly rehabilitated Iraqi National Spinal Cord Injuries Center. The purchases will allow the first of four wards to reopen. The...
          
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    June 09, 2004 Global Military Spending Rises Dramatically (SIPRA) This morning the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute released its 35th annual yearbook survey entitled 'Armaments, Disarmament and International Security.' The headline was no surprise -...
          
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    June 30, 2004 Rami Khoury on Transfer Rami Khouri offers a perspective on 'transfer'. Affirming it as an important first step towards empowering the Iraqi people, important questions remain. He highlights the key to restoring security as the end of American occupation...
          
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    June 28, 2004 Early Transfer / Missing Billions / Paying the Price There is a great deal of commentary regarding the early handover of certain powers this morning. I found it interesting that of all the voices quoted in one AP story, the two most apprehensive were of...
          
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    June 17, 2004 Baghdad offices of US Muslim NGO Raided by US Military (SF Chronicle) This story illustrates the broad impact of US militarism, dominance and occupation in Iraq. The backlash to this policy has been a blurring of the lines between humanitarian relief and the...
          
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    June 11, 2004 Talking Points On the UN Phyllis Bennis offers a helpful overview of the new UN resolution, identifying some serious challenges. With people deeply divided on this war, we will need to continue to articulate that we care about sovereignty, privatization and...
          
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    June 23, 2004 US Drops UN Bid for War Crime Sheild The United States has backed away from demands for the renewal of a UN resolution that would grant immunity to US troops operating in Iraq. 'William Pace, head of the Coalition for an International Criminal Court, called...
          
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    June 23, 2004 Letter to the Iraqi People As the June 30 transition deadline in Iraq approaches, a group of friends got together to draft what has come to be called a letter to the Iraqi people. We are seeking signatures and organizational endorsements. Please take a...
          
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    June 02, 2004 US Policy and the Big Picture I have being thinking lately about the big picture. Iraq as part of the war on terrorism, as part of the insidious Greater Middle East Initiative, and as part of the potentially destructive Middle East Free Trade Area. Rami...
          
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    June 15, 2004 The Need for Respect/CPA Offers New Contracts Bathsheba Crocker offers a sober account of the steps necessary to help the interim government in Iraq establish the respect and authority it needs to function. Acknowledging the 'huge burden on all sides to...
          

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    June 24, 2004 Iraq Attacks Kill Over 100, Wound 320 Robert Reid from the Associated Press reports that "[i]nsurgents set off car bombs and seized police stations Thursday in a six-city offensive aimed at creating chaos ahead of next week's handover of power to a new Iraqi...
          
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    June 16, 2004 New Journal Entries - AFSC Baghdad Two new journal entries from our staff in Baghdad offer a snapshot of reactions to the political developments of early June. More than 17 car bombings have rocked Iraq since the establishment of an interim Government on 1...
          

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    June 03, 2004 The Hope of Peace in the Darkness of War - June 14, 2004 The Hope of Peace in the Darkness of War - June 14, 2004 7 - 9 p.m. Friends Center, 15th and Cherry, Philadelphia, PA Sister Olga Yaqob, native of Kirkuk, Iraq, and worker in Baghdad slums and...
          

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    June 25, 2004 Civilian Toll of the Violence / Action Steps Hamza Hendawi provides a glimpse into the anger many Iraqis feel towards the occupation and the staggering levels of violence that define their lives. The numbers are shocking. There have been 1,285 Iraqi deaths...
          
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    November 04, 2004 Fallujah / Aid Agencies / Hostages / Troops It is simply impossible to keep track of all the significant events that are taking place in Iraq. Included here is a section on withdrawal. One component is a timeline of humanitarian agencies that have...
          
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    November 08, 2004 Attack on Fallujah / Iraq Staff Speaking Tour Jim Krane writing with the Associated Press has been documenting the siege of Fallujah. On Thursday he reported that AM radio messages were being broadcast into the city, on Friday he reported that leaflets...
          
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    November 22, 2004 Malnutrition / Baghdad / Action Step Karl Vick writing for the Washington Post reports on yet another survey showing the impact of this war and occupation. During the years of sanctions it was almost impossible for the Government of Iraq to work with...
          
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    November 30, 2004 AFSC Iraq Staff on Progressive Radio During their speaking tour last month, AFSC Iraq staff Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud sat down for an interview with Matthew Rothschild, the editor of the Progressive Magazine and the host of the half hour show...
          
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    November 23, 2004 Featured Partners Among the many individuals, organizations and coalitions we work with, one of the most rewarding has been military families and veterans. Courageous family members have spoken out in city after city against this war and grieved for...
          
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    November 01, 2004 Attacks Against Journalists A sniper, an assassin, and a huge car bomb have all contributed to the death of seven media employees in the last five days. Since hostilities began in March 2003, thirty-six journalists and 13 media workers have been killed...
          
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    November 18, 2004 Statement on Margaret Hassan The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues in the humanitarian community on the tragic apparent death of Margaret Hassan, Director of CARE International...
          
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    November 16, 2004 Margaret Hassan Feared Dead Another heartbreaker. One more beautiful life cut short from a war that has an insatiable appetite for death. Our prayers go out to her family and friends. Press agencies are reporting that Margaret Hassan has been killed...
          
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    November 12, 2004 Foreign Fighters in Fallujah & Update Mosul Writing for Knight Ridder Hannah Allam has an insightful piece about the many levels of violence in Fallujah. It illustrates how complex and dangerous the situation has become. She shows an organized and...
          
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    November 15, 2004 Testimonies From Fallujah We are starting to get a more realistic picture of the massive US attack on Fallujah. It is sobering to see that almost every article starts out with a variation of "much of the city lay in ruins." Below are reports from...
          
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    November 30, 2004 AFSC Iraq Staff on Fallujah This article appeared in the New Jersey Star Ledger on 24 November 2004 Far from Bringing liberation, the war has created a humanitarian catastrophe By Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud "In order to save the...
          
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    November 01, 2004 The war on Iraq has made moral cowards of us all Scott Ritter has always been a maverick. As chief weapons inspector in Iraq, he was enthusiastic in his search for weapons of mass destruction. At the end of his tenure he was adamant and outspoken on the...
          
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    November 11, 2004 Fallujah and the Reality of War It is a sad reality that the United Nations agencies that do function in Iraq must cloak the names and locations of humanitarian workers/agencies working in Iraq. Today's report from the emergency working group estimates...
          
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    November 23, 2004 AFSC Iraq Staff - Christian Science Monitor Humanitarian aid is a casualty in Iraq By Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud Christian Science Monitor 23 November 2004 PHILADELPHIA - Within hours, the kidnapping of CARE administrator Margaret...
          
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    November 09, 2004 Journalists in Fallujah / January Elections John Plunkett has an important piece in the Guardian on the absence of independent journalists in Fallujah. This is a real concern for the western media who are now largely embedded with US or British troops....
          
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    November 02, 2004 Arab World Views on Resistance / Margaret Hassan Update Dan Murphy and Nicholas Blanford, writing for the Christian Science Monitor , have important insights into the Arab World debate around 'legitimate' and 'illegitimate' resistance in Iraq....
          
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    August 20, 2004 National Memorial Procession - 2 October 2004 A Trail of Mourning and Truth from Iraq to the White House To honor & remember all those killed and wounded in the war in Iraq This initiative is an outgrowth of communities that worked together...
          
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    August 25, 2004 Peace March Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric returned to Iraq today with a sense of urgency, calling on Iraqis to march on the "burning city" of Najaf, where fighting has crept closer to the Imam Ali Shrine. "If...
          
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    August 26, 2004 95 Killed in Violence that Threatens Peace March It is very dangerous and confusing in Najaf. Reuters is reporting that tens of thousands, in cars and on foot have answered the call for a peace march and are converging on the city of Najaf. Grand...
          
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    August 19, 2004 NYC: Sunday 29 August, March and Rally Sunday 29 August 29 2004, New York City The World Says No to the Bush Agenda! To learn more about the massive march and rally on the eve of the Republican National Convention visit United for Peace and...
          
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    August 04, 2004 Amnesty and Immunity Two stories today link some of the long-term challenges facing Iraqis. This morning it was announced that the interim government would seek a modified amnesty. The initial plan was reported to offer broad amnesty to resistance fighters...
          
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    August 30, 2004 Massive Antiwar March in New York City Hundreds of thousands of people packed into the streets of lower Manhattan for yesterday's march in New York City. Transforming the massive boulevards into a sea of opposition to the policies of war and repression. It...
          
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    August 19, 2004 Eyes Wide Open Update August 28 - September 6: Republican National Convention and New York City Saturday, August 28th "Cherry Hill" in Central Park 72nd Street between "Strawberry Fields" & Bethesda Fountain Sunday, August 29th - Tuesday,...
          
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    August 27, 2004 What Next in Najaf? It is a great relief to see the fighting stop in Najaf. Too many people have died and too many hearts have been hardened. Juan Cole and his web page informed comment has been extraordinary valuable resource in making sense of the...
          
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    August 05, 2004 Ceasefire Ends in Najaf A helicopter was shot down in Najaf, tanks were burned in Mosul, a car bomb killed five outside of Baghdad and fighting in Sadr City defined a day that witnessed great violence. Any illusion of a ceasefire with Moqtada Al-Sadr...
          
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    August 23, 2004 UFPJ Update UFPJ Update on August 29 - Action Required United for Peace and Justice will have a hearing in state court tomorrow, Tuesday, August 24, seeking a court order to rally in Central Park on Sunday, August 29. We expect a ruling in our case on...
          
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    August 18, 2004 50 killed Sadr City 50 Killed in Sadr City by US Troops Reuters reports that according to US military sources more than 50 Iraqis were killed in broad attacks on Sadr City. The news comes following the announcement that Maqtada al-Sadr had agreed...
          
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    August 31, 2004 Hostages Killed / Self-Determination Another day of immense sadness in Iraq. News reports are now confirming the killing of 12 Nepalese workers by their captors in Iraq. Urgent appeals and condemnation from Islamic leaders around the world have called for...
          
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    August 02, 2004 Coordinated Car-Bombs Target Churches The worst fears of Iraq's beleaguered Christian minority were realized yesterday when coordinated car bomb attacks targeted worshippers in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul. The explosions came just minute's...
          
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    August 19, 2004 What does Muqtada al-Sadr Want? Juan Cole offers a very useful analysis of what Muqtada al-Sadr wants, and how the media has often failed to identify those goals. The agenda is broad and comprehensive - but not a mystery - it can be understood by examining...
          
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    August 26, 2004 Torture and Death in Detention A couple of resources to help you understand the nature and impact of the new reports issued this week. One theme travels through all the commentary; real accountability is lacking for these crimes. The structures of violence...
          
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    August 03, 2004 About to Explode / Sadr City / US Weapons Sales On Sunday Robert Fisk wrote an eye-opening challenge to the U.S. and U.K Government's to recognize that Iraq is about to explode. Lack of control by the interim government, lack of reconstruction, and...
          
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    August 06, 2004 300 Dead in Najaf Details about yesterday's outbreak of violence across Iraq are devastating. The U.S. military reports that after two days of fighting 300 Iraqis have been killed in Najaf alone. Employing helicopter gunships, fighter planes and armored...
          
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    July 13, 2004 Senate Committee Report on WMD's Jessica Mathews offers a powerful rebuke to the Senate Intelligence Committee report on WMD's. "But by concluding that there was no political pressure on the intelligence community, the Committee's report leaves a huge...
          
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    July 29, 2004 National Conference Delayed Two Weeks One day after a massive car bomb killed 70 people in Baqouba, Iraqi organizers have delayed for two weeks a national conference scheduled for this weekend. The Middle East Economic Survey offers an insider...
          
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    July 09, 2004 End the war - fund the dream (signature ad to DNC) We need your support and help. End the War - Fund the Dream That is the theme of a planned AFSC signature ad to appear in a Boston paper on the first day of the Democratic National Convention. The...
          
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    July 13, 2004 Speak Truth to Power: A Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence When considering the enormous pressure to conform it is instructive to revisit Speak Truth to Power: A Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence. Published in 1955, the document...
          
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    July 26, 2004 List of Foreigners Taken Hostage Today an Egyptian diplomat was released after being held for three days. Mohammed Mamdouh Helmi Qutb, the third-highest ranking diplomat at the Egyptian mission, had been abducted Friday as he was leaving a mosque. Kidnappers...
          
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    July 20, 2004 Air strikes from US warplanes, assassinations, car and truck bombs and sabotage confirm a numbing level of violence across the spectrum in Iraq. This morning an Iraqi council member running for governor in the southern port...
          
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    July 01, 2004 Iraq's basic services worse now than before war, GAO says General Accounting Office Report This is a stinging internal indictment of US neglect and inability to provide the most basic services in Iraq. While identifying sabotage and 'insurgents' as...
          
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    July 08, 2004 Insurgency Larger Than Thought - Estimated 4,000 Killed in April A car bomb and mortar barrage on Thursday (8 July) destroyed a military headquarters in the city of Samarra. Five US soldiers and one Iraqi guardsman were killed. Helicopters gun-ships, tanks...
          
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    July 16, 2004 Reconstruction / Sustaining the Coalition / Regional Identity On Wednesday, a car bombing in Baghdad killed at least 10 people near Iraqi government headquarters, on Thursday a car bomb near police and government buildings in Haditha killed 11. Wire agencies...
          
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    July 15, 2004 AFSC Baghdad: The Hidden Costs of War This entry from our staff in Baghdad draws attention to the courage and strength Iraqis have shown in simply living through these past decades. Growing poverty and the impact from twenty years of war will have deep and...
          
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    July 08, 2004 Priorities & Continued Violence Hassan Fattah offers some advice to address the challenges facing the interim government. He identifies ten steps that are needed to answer the desires of the 'silent majority.' Many of these themes were addressed in a May...
          
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    July 28, 2004 Devastating Car Bomb in Baqouba Kills 68 A devastating day of violence includes a major car bomb attack in Baqouba, intense fighting in the city of Suwariyah and mortar attacks in the 'green zone' in Baghdad. Many fear attacks this weekend against...
          
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    July 23, 2004 Army Inspector General Report on Torture Hearings in Senate Armed Services Committee confirm that 94 additional prison abuse cases have been acknowledge by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is higher than any figures admitted to by the Department of...
          
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    July 30, 2004 US lifts 14 year-old sanctions Yesterday United States President George W. Bush through 'Executive Order' lifted the economic sanctions imposed on Iraq after the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The announcement was made one-month after US-led occupation...
          
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    July 27, 2004 Occupation Timeline: April - June 2004 Timelines can help us to see where we have been and how the past shapes the future. In order below, you will find documentation dating back to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the imposition of sanctions. ***...
          
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    July 03, 2004 AFSC Maintains That the U.S. Still Controls Iraq...
          
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    July 06, 2004 Iraq's PM poised for martial law Annia Ciezadlo of the Christian Science provides some details on the anticipated request by interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi for sweeping powers to declare martial law. The comments from Iraqis testify to the...
          
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    January 25, 2005 Elections: Background and Analysis Radio Free Europe has a new web page with a lot of background information on the structure and logistics of the elections. There are timelines, guidelines and explanations on the Iraqi parliamentary, Kurdish parliamentary...
          
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    January 28, 2005 Election / Fallujah / Fears of the Unknown Three important new correspondence journals from our Iraq Country Representatives. These revealing articles make a packet of insight and analysis. Specifically through the elections and Fallujah, and more...
          
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    January 13, 2005 House Democrats Urge Withdrawal On Wednesday 12 January 2005, thirteen members of congress sent a letter to President Bush asking that he take immediate steps to begin the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. They find this step as the only way to truly...
          
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    January 24, 2005 Bush to seek $80 Billion for war funding Details were released today on the expected request for more war funding. More than 150,000 U.S. troops are now directly involved in Iraq, almost half of them from the National Guard and Reserve. The cost of...
          
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    January 27, 2005 Resolution to Bring Troops Home 24 Members of Congress Calling on Bush to Bring Troops Home (26 January 2005) WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) today, led 24 Members of Congress in introducing a resolution in the U.S. House...
          
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    January 03, 2005 Election Platform UIA / Kurds and Kirkuk Juan Cole points us to a BBC World Monitoring translation of the platform for the United Iraq Alliance. He wonders if "most Americans realize that the biggest and most important party coalition in Iraq, which will...
          
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    January 14, 2005 Statements on Withdrawal New documents from the Friends Committee on National Legislation and the Institute for Policy Studies offer helpful perspectives and arguments for withdrawal. Free Iraq: The Responsibility of Withdrawal (10 January 2004)...
          
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    January 21, 2005 Memorial's silent march leads to Washington A nice profile of the Eyes Wide Open exhibit from a hometown paper. As the exhibit begins to travel south and then to Texas and California we know that more families will come to visit, pay tribute and speak...
          
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    January 24, 2005 The Invasion of Falluja: A Study in the Subversion of Truth This article by AFSC Iraq country representatives Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell appeared in the December 2004 - January 2005 issue of Peacework Magazine. Excerpt: "Falluja should go...
          
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    January 20, 2005 Water Crisis Baghdad / Inauguration Speech Analysis / BBC World Service Poll Iraq: Water crisis makes life even worse in Baghdad Luke Baker writing for Reuters reports that most of the Baghdad has been without water for five days. This is in...
          
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    January 06, 2005 Letter to The Iraqi People A warm thanks to all of you who signed and promoted the Letter to the Iraqi People. It was a great success. Above is a link to the final report. It provides information on the four Iraqi newspapers that carried the letter and...
          
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    January 19, 2005 Wake Up Call / Peace Petition / Eyes Wide Open Give the President a Wake up Call On the morning after Inauguration Day, at the dawn of a new administration help us send a message to the President to end this war now. Take a moment and pledge to make a...
          
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    January 04, 2005 Fallujah / General Abizaid / Resistance Only a small portion of the estimated 200,000+ refugees from Fallujah have returned to their homes. The ICRC report on the destruction of the water purification systems is shocking. When the people of Fallujah do...
          
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    February 01, 2005 Some Thoughts on the Election The Iraq elections have received a tremendous amount of coverage. There have been editorials in almost all major Western and Arab papers, camera crews from around the world in Baghdad, and more Op-Ed's than one could ever...
          
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    February 25, 2005 Violence / Funding for War / Lack of Reconstruction In December we released a statement calling for the removal of US troops. Affirming that the Iraqi people, the American public and the world community would judge the American occupation of Iraq not...
          
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    February 10, 2005 Following a Paper Trail to the Roots of Torture THE TORTURE PAPERS The Road to Abu Ghraib Edited by Karen J. Greenberg and Joshua L. Dratel. Introduction by Anthony Lewis Michiko Kakutani with the New York Times has an insightful review of this...
          
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    February 02, 2005 Reading the Elections Phyllis Bennis from the Institute for Policy Studies provides quick turnaround with talking points about the election. Offering critical analysis, she bursts some of the myth's that are beginning to grow around the election. These...
          
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    February 14, 2005 $82 Billion to be requested for Iraq and Afghanistan Lots of questions about next steps for war funding. Many expect the enormous supplemental for Iraq may be introduced today. The Associated Press, United Press International and Reuters all have slight...
          
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    February 09, 2005 Killing the Messengers The Daily Star has run a strong editorial over the continued targeting of journalists in Iraq. This morning "Al-Hurra journalist Abdel-Hussein Khazal al-Basri was gunned down outside his home; his 3-year-old son Mohammed died...
          
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    February 07, 2005 30 Killed in bombings / Italian Journalist / Defense Budget Two suicide attacks today were the deadliest since the January 30 election. It is estimated that 15 people were killed in the northern city of Mosul with mortar shells and a suicide attack, and...
          
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    February 15, 2005 Supplemental Insecurity / Negotiations for Prime Minister Fred Kaplan offers some keen insights into the war funding supplemental, he also provides a helpful link to the 97-page supplemental budget request (PDF). A key point lifted from the Supplemental...
          
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    February 08, 2005 Fallujah / Portugal to Withdraw Jason Keyser writing for the AP reports that 21 Iraqis were killed and 27 injured following another suicide attack this time outside a recruiting center in Baghdad. Fallujans welcome security, await electricity...
          
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    February 03, 2005 Speak Truth to Bush Last night, in the State of the Union address, President Bush painted a rosy picture about democracy and freedom in Iraq. The truth is not so simple. An estimated 100,000 Iraqis and more than 1400 U.S. soldiers have died in...
          
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    February 18, 2005 Deadly Bombings / Fallujah / Indonesian Journalists A very grim day in Iraq with targeted bombing against Shia Mosques and worshippers, an update on the humanitarian crisis in Fallujah, and a new video that confirms the capture of two Indonesian...
          
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    April 18, 2005 Occupation Timeline: January-March 2005 The first quarter of 2005 is dominated by the January elections. The historic event is covered in great detail by the Arab press, where commentators explore the reality of elections under foreign military occupation....
          
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    April 21, 2005 Senate Approves $81 Billion War Spending / Iraqi Civilian Casualties Liz Sidoti with AP offers a quick analysis of the Senate War Spending package that has just been passed 99-0. It should be noted that much of the discussion and debate focused on...
          
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    April 29, 2005 New Government / 41 Killed in Bomb Attacks / Action Step One day after the approval of a new Iraq Government, devastating violence shakes the country. Several key posts, including the oil and defense have yet to be appointed. Juan Cole offers insights and...
          
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    April 25, 2005 Vermont Town Meetings Decide "End the War. Bring the Guard Home." Writing in PeaceWork magazine , Ellen Kaye a peace and justice organizer from Brattleboro and Joseph Gainza the coordinator of AFSC Vermont Program offer an insightful report on the Vermont...
          
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    April 19, 2005 Humanitarian Workers' Killed in Iraq Humanitarian Workers' Deaths Highlight Cost of War and Occupation. Joe Volk, the executive secretary of our sister organization the Friends Committee on National Legislation had these reflections on the untimely death...
          
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    April 08, 2005 War Funding - Action Ideas Below are two action alerts from partners we support. Please take a moment to support both of these campaigns. If you have not looked at all the report backs (53) from the Stand for Peace activities, take a moment to be...
          
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    April 27, 2005 MP Assassinated / Fallujah / Exonerated / TAL A member of Parliament is assassinated, the government has yet to be formed three months after the 30 January elections, an analysis of Fallujah as 'our Guernica', and an update on the use of torture are featured...
          
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    April 12, 2005 Withdrawal / The Human Cost Traci Carl writing with AP notes that the huge demonstrations in Baghdad over the weekend have led to four days of demonstrations across the country. The protests gained momentum when Shiite and Sunni religious clerics joined...
          
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    April 06, 2005 New On-Line Resources / Arabic Press Juan Cole gives us a summary of the vibrant Arabic press that we generally don't see. It will be no surprise that the US military occupation, lack of basic services and employment and tensions among the states in the...
          
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    March 10, 2005 New Government Announced / Car Bombs Today's car bomb in Mosul, the death yesterday of more than 60 Iraqis - including the discovery of 41 bodies near the Syrian border have taken more than 100 lives in the last two days. It is a reminder that Iraqis enjoy...
          
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    March 23, 2005 Heavy Fighting / Fallujah / Reconstruction Edward Harris writing for the Associated Press provides more details on three days of heavy fighting. Susannah A. Nesmith with Knight Ridder offers an eyewitness account of the continuing crisis in Fallujah, and...
          
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    March 04, 2005 Stand for Peace Saturday, March 19 is the second anniversary of the war against Iraq. With more than 1,500 U.S. dead and an estimated 100,000 Iraqi lives lost, it is time to end the bloodshed and bring the troops home. As part of our growing Wage Peace...
          
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    March 28, 2005 We Remember: Iraq Country Representatives It is with sadness and joy that we post the last correspondence journal from our Iraq Country Representatives Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud. Our efforts to understand the human cost of this war have been...
          
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    March 30, 2005 Child Malnutrition / Prison Population Doubles / Failure to Form Government Malnutrition Doubles "Malnutrition among the youngest Iraqis has almost doubled since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, a hunger specialist told the U.N. human rights...
          
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    March 25, 2005 Press Responsibility and Press Freedom Steve Fainaru, with the Washington Post Foreign Service addresses some questions around the claims that 85 Guerilla fighters were killed in a raid on Tuesday. Press reports have been at odds all week, with little hope...
          
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    March 21, 2005 Two Years Later Tom Engelhardt deconstructs the first two years, Helen Thomas comments on the new 'goodwill' ambassador to the Middle East and the evolution of Eyes Wide Open. ***** Deconstructing Iraq: Year Three Begins An insightful survey of where...
          
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    March 16, 2005 Parliament / War Spending Bill Passes / Troop Withdrawal / Deaths in Detention Iraq Parliament meets, the US House passes a new war spending bill, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announces the removal of Italian troops, and new reports indicate...
          
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    March 24, 2005 Once Beautiful Baghdad For anyone who has traveled to Iraq, this description of Baghdad by Rawya Rageh is a heartbreaker. It is a picture of the on-going war. We must start addressing the environmental damage and its cumulative effects. The destroyed...
          
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    March 22, 2005 Report Backs / Counting the Iraqi Dead (Action Alert) Read accounts and view photos from Stand for Peace events. You will find the reports creative, energetic and inspiring. More will be added throughout the week. Hundreds and hundreds of additional...
          
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    March 31, 2005 House raid on member of Parliament Adrian Blomfield's account of Tuesday's raid by British forces on the home of Mr. Mansour, a prominent member of parliament from Basrah reveals much about the war of occupation. On one hand it illustrates a tactic being...
          
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    March 08, 2005 Lawsuit / Town Hall Meetings / Journalist Released It has been a very busy week. Horrific guerilla attacks against Iraqi police and national guard continued, the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First launched a federal lawsuit charging...
          
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    March 17, 2005 Through the eyes of a child The most recent issue of Quaker Action has a story about the school children of Tannersville, Pennsylvania and their message of hope - and peace - to the children of Iraq. "When six-year-old Emily Carroll heard that the children...
          
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    December 02, 2005 AFSC/FCNL Appeal for the release of CPT members The American Friends Service Committee and Friends Committee on National Legislation Appeal for the Release of Christian Peacemaker Team Members Held Captive Quaker Groups Express Concern Over Kidnapped...
          
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    December 30, 2005 Year in Review - Patrick Cockburn Patrick Cockburn offers a political analysis as his year in review for Iraq. The year was book-ended by elections, a divisive constitutional drafting process that led to fragmentation of Shia, Sunni and Kurdish...
          

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    December 20, 2005 Ten Reasons Why the U.S. Must Leave Iraq 1. The human cost of war is unacceptable. The U.S. decision to invade and occupy Iraq comes with a horrific price tag: deaths of an estimated 100,000 Iraqis and more than 2,345 occupation troops, including...
          
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    December 16, 2005 Understanding the Elections | Baghdad Update on CPT Yesterday's election was important. It was about peace, security and the removal of the foreign occupation from Iraq. Great expectations and challenges await the first permanent government. The first...
          
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    December 21, 2005 What Iraqis Want: A View From Jordan | A View From Iraq Jason Erb is a Quaker International Affairs Representative (QIAR) for AFSC based in Amman, Jordan. He offers a view of the Iraqi elections from Jordan. Rick McDowell, former Iraq Country...
          
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    December 09, 2005 Efforts to Release the CPT Hostages in Iraq This message was sent to Friends (Quaker) communities by the American Friends Service Committee and the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Muslims Hold Friend Tom Fox and Other Christian Peacemaker...
          
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    December 28, 2005 Militia Forces Tom Lasseter interviews members of the Iraqi army loyal to the Kurdish Peshmerga, the most visible and best organized militia in Iraq. These forces joined US troops in northern Iraq during the invasion in March 2003, took part in the...
          
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    December 06, 2005 Appeal from Langley Hill Friends I want to share an appeal from Langley Hill Meeting (Baltimore Yearly Meeting, the home of Tom Fox, one of the Christian Peacemaker Team members being held in Iraq). Langley Hill Friends are asking for simultaneous prayer...
          
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    December 14, 2005 Election Eve | War Funding | Commentary, Mary Trotochaud Iraq's first parliamentary election since a constitution was ratified in October will choose legislators to form a government to run the country for a full four-year term. There will be a lot at...
          

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    December 07, 2005 CPT Appeal | Deadline extended Call to Nonviolent Action in the Current Crisis CPTNet: December 7, 2005 Love Your Enemies. Free the Captives. End the War We remain concerned about the well-being of our team-mates Harmeet, James, Norman, and Tom, and...
          
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    December 29, 2005 Basic Services | Security | New Resource T. Christian Miller details the history of Khor Zubair generating station, the final power plant being built under Washington's ill-fated $4 billion attempt to restore Iraq's electrical supply to prewar levels. The...
          
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    December 14, 2005 If Military Solutions are Not the Answer, What Are? By: Mary Trotochaud* "I will settle for nothing less than complete victory." - President Bush, November 30, 2005. "This insurgency is not going to be settled, the terrorists and the terrorism in...
          
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    December 20, 2005 Complaints of Fraud | Election Challenge...
          
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    October 10, 2005 Curfew | New Timeline | Iron Fist - from the ground In an effort to provide security in advance of this weekends constitutional referendum the Iraqi government on Saturday announced a curfew, weapons ban and border closings. The actions were not enough...
          

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    October 28, 2005 Defunding the War | A Statement for Peace Thank you to everybody who organized and supported this week's event. We have a next step. Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts will introduce legislation next week...
          
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    October 26, 2005 100,000 deaths in Iraq: A year later By: Les Roberts It is a year since a group of scientists from Al-Mustansirya University in Baghdad, and Columbia and Johns Hopkins Universities in the US, released a report in the medical journal The Lancet...
          
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    October 24, 2005 Palestine Hotel Bombing | Constitutional Vote The Associated Press is reporting that three massive bombs, one of them a cement-mixing truck packed with explosives, blew up outside the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad - home to many foreign journalists in Iraq....
          

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    October 13, 2005 The Constitution: A Referendum for Disaster Critical analysis with talking points by Phyllis Bennis. This is part of an on-going effort by the United for Peace and Justice coalition to provide timely information and analysis regarding Iraq (UFPJ Talking...
          
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    October 07, 2005 Death Squads | More US Troops | $6 billion/month Sinan Salaheddin, writing an AP exclusive from Baghdad gives some background to the grisly burial of 22 bodies found in the desert. They were Sunni Arabs, taken from their homes by men in police uniforms....
          

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    October 26, 2005 Events Have Started | One Year After The Lancet Report We have already seen a full day of activities with many more to come. The 'unofficial' start was a 7:15 AM vigil in Memphis TN, the first of three events a new...
          
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    October 21, 2005 Eyes Wide Open: Continuing to Tour The traveling memorial continues to touch communities across the country. It also creates community. The day in the life title shows just how many people are involved with putting together a memorial that features...
          
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    October 27, 2005 Iraqi Compensation Tops $20 billion Today, the United Nations announced the payment of $654 million - from Iraqi oil revenues - to people, companies and countries who demonstrated loss due to Iraq's 1990-91 invasion...
          
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    October 17, 2005 US Assault kills 70 | The Vote Andrew Quinn reports that U.S. warplanes and helicopter gunships killed about 70 people near the western Iraqi city of Ramadi. Police report that 20 civilians were killed, including some children who had gathered around...
          
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    October 20, 2005 Attacks on Journalists | the Trial | Spanish Judge Issues Arrest Warrant for US Soldiers Mohammed Haroon, a controversial Iraqi Journalist was murdered by unidentified gunmen in Baghdad according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. He was the...
          
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    September 26, 2005 Hundreds Arrested | War Funding | Iraqi Casualties It has been an extraordinary three days of protest in Washington. In addition to a huge march on Saturday (more below), park police have reported arresting 370 people this afternoon at the White House....
          
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    September 14, 2005 Coordinated Bombings Kill 152 The news from Iraq is heartbreaking. The Associated Press is reporting that more than a dozen explosions ripped through Baghdad this morning killing at least 152 people and wounding 542. The coordinated bombing campaign...
          
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    September 28, 2005 Occupation Timeline: April-June 2005 A dramatic increase in bomb attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces by insurgents starts in April. In this three-month period, 2,105 Iraqis are killed - 1,351 civilians and 754 Iraqi security forces -...
          
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    September 28, 2005 Reuters Accuses US Troops of Obstructing Reporting | Families Feeling Samara Reuters news agency has released parts of a extraordinary letter from Global Managing Editor David Schlesinger regarding the behavior of US troops in Iraq. He has sent a...
          
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    September 22, 2005 PayPal-ing the War Bill Berkowitz reveals an initiative by USAID to engage the U.S. public in Iraq by asking them to help privately fund relief projects. US policy has disabled and prevented humanitarian agencies and international institutions from...
          
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    September 21, 2005 Lack of Basic Services II The refugees of Tal Afar, the shortage of funds for the World Food Programs emergency operation in Iraq, and an update on the improvement of the power supply to Baghdad complete a second in a series looking at the lack of basic...
          
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    September 12, 2005 New Raids in Tal Afar - Threats Against Syria After reports of an end of the assault on Tal Afar, Nameer Nouredeen with Reuters announces that Iraqi forces have launched a new offensive against the city. Heavy fighting over the weekend witnessed heavy...
          
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    September 16, 2005 Lack of Basic Services Last night President Bush attempted to address attacks on the Federal Governments failures in responding to the crisis of hurricane Katrina. One pledge he made was to turn the tide by offering vast sums of money for relief and...
          
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    May 26, 2005 Woolsey Amendment / Sealing Baghdad / Wolf Brigade Last night the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a 491-billion-dollar defense bill. The bill includes an additional $49.1 billion for the war in Iraq. Members of the House rejected an...
          
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    May 18, 2005 Stop Military Recruitment (Action Steps) Thanks to all of you who took the time to call your congress people about the Iraq supplemental bill. The amendments forbidding torture and funding for civilian victims made it into the final version of the...
          
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    May 16, 2005 Martial Law Extended for Another Month On Friday, the Government of Iraq announced the extension of Martial Law. The current 30-day period began May 3 and covers all of Iraq except for northern Kurdish-run areas. The emergency decree has been renewed monthly...
          
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    May 25, 2005 Support the Woolsey Amendment The Peace Movement has a rare opportunity today to let our voice be heard in the House of Representatives. Rep. Lynne Woolsey just received clearance TODAY from the Rules Committee to introduce an amendment to the Defense...
          
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    May 23, 2005 The Need to Negotiate Tom Lasseter, writing with Knight Ridder seeks out the opinion of Iraqi political scientist Abdul Ahmed who re-iterates the need for US military officials to negotiate with the insurgents. Troops round up suspected insurgents The...
          
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    May 06, 2005 US Checkpoints Continue to Kill Following the March 4 killing of Nicola Calipari, an Italian intelligence officer accompanying the recently freed Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena at a checkpoint in Baghdad, Human Rights Watch issued this statement with a...
          
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    May 05, 2005 Iraq Government / Bombings / War Spending New levels of violence in Iraq since the announcement of a new government last week have taken the lives of about 250 Iraqis. Everybody feels threaten, but security forces, the Kurdish minority and the Shia majority...
          
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    May 17, 2005 Operation Matador / Iranian Foreign Minister / Casualties Hanna Allam and Mohammed al Dulaimy with Knight-Ridder put Operation Matador in a familiar context: focusing on the use of overwhelming force. We know from the history in Fallujah and Najaf that...
          
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    June 06, 2005 Analysis on the Woolsey Resolution For the first time since the war in Iraq began twenty-six months ago, the House of Representatives debated the need for U.S. troops to exit Iraq. Despite having failed by a vote of 300 to 128 with 5 not voting, there is...
          
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    June 17, 2005 US Lied to Britain over use of napalm in Iraq War Juan Cole comments on the widening impact of the the Downing Street Memo. "As the scandal of the Downing Street Memo continues to percolate, it was confirmed on Thursday that the United States military...
          
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    June 07, 2005 SIPRI 2005 Yearbook This morning the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its 2005 yearbook on armaments, disarmament and international security. World military spending rose for the sixth consecutive year, growing by five...
          
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    June 08, 2005 Don't Rush the Constitution (ICG) The International Crisis Group today issued a study regarding the drafting and adoption of a permanent constitution. The report urges that the constitution drafters take advantage of a clause allowing for a six month...
          
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    June 17, 2005 Operation Spear / US Convoys / Kidnappings US military forces have launched a major new combat operation this morning in the region of Iraq bordering Syria. Air-power, tanks, amphibious assault units and Iraqi troops are being used. US forces are using...
          
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    June 16, 2005 Mission Improbable & Withdrawal Resolution Showing the insights and nuance that won him a Pulitzer Prize two years ago, Anthony Shadid with Steve Fainaru of the Washington Post spend three days with Iraqi soldiers working under the US forces. They find...
          
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    June 21, 2005 Out-of-Iraq Congressional Caucus / Private Military Contractors After more than two years of silent hand-ringing over the occupation and war in Iraq, a series of resolutions and amendments are beginning to open a debate in Congress. Iraqi casualties continue...
          
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    November 16, 2005 Senate Vote on Withdraw | Action Steps Grassroots pressure helped force the Senate to take this first step. They will move faster the more pressure we generate. At the bottom of this summary we have action steps that repeat our core message, end the...
          
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    November 29, 2005 Christian Peacemaker Team abducted in Baghdad The Christian Peacemaker Teams have released more details on the individuals who were kidnapped Saturday. I have added a couple of links at the bottom that feature some of their work. ********** CPTNet: Nov...
          
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    November 02, 2005 Defunding the War | Reconstruction | Constitution Tomorrow Congressman Jim McGovern is scheduled to introduce a resolution that will prohibit use of taxpayer funds to deploy U.S. troops to Iraq. The bill will allow funds to be used for the orderly...
          
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    November 07, 2005 Steel Curtain | Journalist Killed | Development Fund | Reparations US and Iraqi troops have entered the third day of operation Steel Curtain in the town of Husaybah along the Syrian border. It is the largest coordinated attack yet with an unclear number...
          
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    November 14, 2005 Steel Curtain | ICRC Appeal | Environmental Assessment | H.R. Situation Report Bassem Mroue (AP) reports that 50 people were killed this morning as Operation Steel Curtain continues in Obeidi, a town near the Syrian border in the Euphrates river valley....
          
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    November 10, 2005 Fallujah Remembered It is almost impossible to overstate the effect that the siege and assault on the city of Fallujah has had of the people of Iraq. Mike Marqusee offers some context by noting a pattern that has most recently played out in the towns of...
          
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    November 15, 2005 Senate Iraq Vote | Amman Bombing | Fallujah Liz Sidoti writing with AP looks at the results of today's Senate vote on Iraq. Below is the roll call for both initiatives - take a moment to see where your Senator stands. Megan Scully with CongressDaily is...
          
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    August 29, 2005 Mass Civil Resistance to the War - September 26 Henry David Thoreau in his classic work "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience" summed up our challenge saying "Dissent without disobedience is consent." The timeless lesson of Thoreau is that to protest up to...
          
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    August 31, 2005 A Nation in Agony The tragedy this morning in Baghdad is heartbreaking. Trampled, crushed against barricades or plunging into the Tigris River it is feared that 1,000 Shiite pilgrims died when a procession across a Baghdad bridge was engulfed in panic...
          
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    August 26, 2005 The Grim Reaper Creeps Closer Death creeps up on you in Iraq, writes a longtime Baghdad correspondent for Reuters. But in recent months, the deaths have grown more personalized. It's not just random people who die anymore, but people you've met, people...
          
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    August 30, 2005 Death Toll / Muqtada al-Sadr / Journalists Press reports indicate that 98 people were killed in violence throughout Iraq. 56 are listed as having been killed in fighting along the Syrian border where US warplanes have bombed alleged 'safe houses' holding...
          

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    July 29, 2005 Now is the Time to Resist Henry Rosemont reminds us of the link between the 1967 Call to Resist Illegitimate Authority and a new call to Reclaim the Prophetic Voice. "Both calls grounded in basic ethical principles...
          
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    July 07, 2005 FCNL: London Bombings - War is Not the answer Friends Committee on National Legislation issued the following legislative action alert this afternoon. At the bottom of the page are links about the resumption of the Eyes...
          
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    July 15, 2005 29 Killed in Baghdad / Reconstruction Funds Missing 357 Iraqis have been killed in the first 15 days of July: 226 civilians and 131 security forces. The first link below will take you to a chart that features links to...
          
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    July 25, 2005 US Troops / Lack of Reconstruction / Unwinnable Lack of accountability the need for transparency and the broader impact of this war and occupation are the themes of this post. Richard C. Paddock writing in the Los...
          
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    January 05, 2006 180 killed in two days of coordinated violence Two days of heartbreaking violence once again illustrates unimaginable levels of insecurity that continues to plague Iraq. We must try to understand Iraq's many wars. The private militias, the regional forces,...
          
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    January 24, 2006 New Music Video Features "Eyes Wide Open" Boots Please take a few minutes to watch the powerful new music video for the title track of bluesman Robert Cray’s Grammy-nominated album, Twenty. The video, now up our Wage Peace Campaign website, features...
          
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    January 10, 2006 Journalist Abducted | Iraqi Interpreter Allan Enwiyah killed Jill Carroll , a freelance journalist currently on assignment for The Christian Science Monitor, was abducted by unknown gunmen in Baghdad Saturday morning. Her Iraqi interpreter Allan Enwiyah...
          
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    January 19, 2006 Jill Carroll | Iraqi Minister of Electricity | Rebuilding Funds Untraced Writing from Baghdad for the Christian Science Monitor, Dan Murphy and Charles Levinson have an update on their colleague and freelance journalist Jill Carroll. Deborah Haynes has...
          
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    January 13, 2006 Portrait of an Iraqi We do not often receive a tribute and memorial to the thousands and thousands of Iraqis that are killed in the violence of the invasion and occupation. Distance, language and access all contribute to a chasm that masks the true human...
          
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    January 03, 2006 US Abandons Reconstruction | Energy Shortage | Oil Minister Quits After all the promises made, Ellen Knickmeyer reports that the Bush administration will not seek reconstruction funds in February when they are expected to submit another "emergency"...
          
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    January 17, 2006 De-funding the war Sometimes a snapshot can tell you a great deal about an issue. This snapshot is about two west coast Democrats and the challenges they face over more war funding. This should serve as inspiration for the upcoming battle over the special...
          
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    February 15, 2006 In Their Own Words - Reading the Insurgency (International Crisis Group) The International Crisis Group has just released a report that seeks to help understand the goals of the armed resistance in Iraq. It is an examination of war fighting. Starting...
          
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    February 07, 2006 NCCI Report | Children's Mental Health Weekly Highlight - Number 14 is a helpful resource distributed by the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq (NCCI). The body was established soon after the UN withdrew staff following the bombing of UN headquarters...
          
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    February 24, 2006 Days of Mourning The tragic bombing of the Askariyeh shrine in Samarra has led to terrible violence. Baghdad Burning, a woman blogger from Iraq has a powerful account based on a past visit. Borzou Daragahi with the Los Angeles Times explores the...
          
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    February 27, 2006 The Samarra Bombing and its Aftermath - Talking Points UFPJ Talking Points #38 *********************** The Samarra Bombing and its Aftermath: A New Face on the Civil War? By Phyllis Bennis and Erik Leaver Institute for Policy Studies 24 February 2006...
          
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    February 16, 2006 Sixth Emergency War Supplemental $72.4 Billion & Resources There will be many more details in the coming days, but Agence France Press has a first look at today's request for $72.4 billion in war funding. It was not unexpected. You will soon...
          
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    March 15, 2006 The Air War Three pieces address the escalating air war in Iraq. Using military data, Tom Lasseter reports that US bombing raids have doubled since the same period one year ago when attacks focused on the city of Fallujah. He notes that comparing the...
          
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    March 17, 2006 Three Years of Failed U.S. Policy in Iraq AFSC COMMENTARY: THREE YEARS OF FAILED U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ PHILADELPHIA - MARCH 17 - Three years of war and occupation have failed to bring stability, freedom or sovereignty to Iraq. Instead, they have brought...
          
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    March 17, 2006 Wage Peace This Weekend One of the great strengths of the peace movement in the U.S. is our access to analysis and creative action. The most rewarding moments come when they are integrated into nationwide actions for political change. This is one of those...
          
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    March 29, 2006 Displaced Population Estimated to be 1.3 million Ellen Knickeyer reports that the International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 25,000 Iraqis have been forced out of their homes since the bombing of a Shiite shrine in late February. The...
          
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    March 23, 2006 CPT Hostages Freed | 3-year reflection from Baghdad | Photos | Report Backs | Next Steps Over 400 Events Mark 3rd Anniversary of the Iraq War Photos | Report Backs | Next Steps CPT Statement on Release of Hostages ***** Three Years - A Reflection...
          
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    March 30, 2006 Release of Jill Carroll Some profound words from the board of directors of the Christian Science Monitor following the release of reporter Jill Carroll. The entire statement is below. "... [T]he immense efforts to secure one reporter's release ultimately...
          
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    March 09, 2006 Understanding Resistance | Refugees | Action Steps Ron Kraybill has an important piece to help us understand resistance and occupation. He is a professor at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, at Eastern Mennonite University. It's an updated version...
          
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    March 10, 2006 We mourn the loss of Tom Fox Statement from the Christian Peacemaker Teams ********************************************* In grief we tremble before God who wraps us with compassion. The death of our beloved colleague and friend pierces us with pain. Tom...
          
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    March 28, 2006 Permanent US Bases | End of Reconstruction | Action Steps Studies in contrast. Charles Hanley, AP correspondent looks into the massive US bases in Iraq that continue to grow in size. Thomas Frank with USA Today reports that Daniel Speckhard, director of...
          
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    March 17, 2006 War Spending to Reach $9.8 billion/month The Congressional Research Service has just released a report stating that military spending in Afghanistan and Iraq will average 44% more than in fiscal year 2005. War Spending to Rise 44% to $9.8 billion a Month...
          
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    March 08, 2006 Were Sanctions Worth the Price? (In These Times) Christopher Hayes, a senior editor with In These Times takes a critical look at the history of the sanctions policy against Iraq. He highlights the important work of many people who are still deeply involved...
          
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    March 14, 2006 Tom Fox | Government Death Squads | Not One More Dollar We mourn the untimely death of Tom Fox and pray for the safe return of all other hostages. We express our deep sympathy to the family and community of Tom Fox in the face of this tragedy. We are...
          
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    March 03, 2006 Issues of War and Peace | A Profile | Action Steps The horrific levels of violence in Iraq are addressed in the editorial for the March humanitarian update from the NGO Coordinating Committee in Iraq. It prompts them to ask if Peace is part of the project....
          
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    March 10, 2006 Two ways you can stop the Iraq War This month, we have two huge opportunities to show Congress that the majority of the U.S. public wants change, not more of the same tragically failed Iraq strategy. Wage Peace Media Advocacy Opportunity This month,...
          
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    December 20, 2006 IRAQ: A Calendar of Peacemaking and Peacebuilding Campaigns I want to share with you a calendar of events and campaigns we will focus on for Winter/Spring 2007. Not One More Death | Not One More Dollar - 3,000th US casualty in Iraq Location: Nationwide Date:...
          
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    December 19, 2006 Christian Peace Witness for Iraq Join thousands of Christian lay people and clergy to voice your support for creating real security and peace in Iraq. Worship together, vigil together. Join with others to stand in nonviolent witness at the White House and in our...
          
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    October 04, 2006 Declaration of Peace: DC Summary There has been so much good coverage of the week of action I wanted to make sure that you all saw these two summaries of the Washington DC actions. I am also enclosing a couple of profiles on cities that organized...
          
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    October 16, 2006 NCCI Editorial - Weekly Highlight Editorial It's not uncommon to hear or to read that there are no NGOs in Iraq anymore. Generally authors mean International NGOs, as trust for Iraqi NGOs, in the international community, is not at the level it should be....
          
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    October 17, 2006 Deadliest Year for Press since the Invasion 2003 With a total of 48 journalists and media assistants killed in cold blood since the start of January, 2006 is already the deadliest year for the Iraqi press since the start of the war in March 2003,...
          
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    October 23, 2006 1.6 million Iraqis have Fled their Country Since...
          
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    October 18, 2006 655,000 Dead in Iraq Today's Iraq update has action steps and an invitation to host Dreams and Nightmares: A Memorial on Life and Death in Iraq . It is a memorial to Iraqis who have lost their lives in the war and occupation. With photographs, names and...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 10, 2006 Aid worker for Life for Relief and Development (LIFE) killed in Iraq It is with great sadness I report that Abdul-Sattar Abdullah Al-Mashhadani , Director of Programs for Life for Relief and Development in Baghdad was killed at a checkpoint run by one of...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 27, 2006 Update and Report Back: Declaration of Peace Yesterday's e-mail newsletter has an update and slideshow on some of the Declaration of Peace activities. You will also find a link to the amazing photo gallery on the declaration site. See details at the...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 19, 2006 Declaration of Peace Congressional Call-In Day II The Declaration of Peace 2nd Congressional Call-in Day Tuesday, September 19 Call Congress: 202-224-3121 (9-5 Eastern) Request that your Representative and Senators sign the Declaration of Peace...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 13, 2006 U.S. Troops Raid Iraq Freedom Congress Office in Baghdad On September 7 and 8 U.S occupying troops raided the main office of Iraq Freedom Congress in Baghdad. ***** For sixteen days in May, 2006 AFSC toured Samir Adil, President of the Iraq...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 22, 2006 Civilian Death toll 6,500+ (July and August) In order to sustain our compassion and hope for Iraq, the peace movement needs to continue building bridges to and supporting Iraqi voices and alternatives. While the majority of Americans now believe the...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 18, 2006 Federal Agents Raid Islamic Charity - Life for Relief and Development The Associated Press is reporting that FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force agents raided the suburban Detroit offices Life for Relief and Development - an international Muslim...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 20, 2006 Select AFSC Actions: Declaration of Peace Eight members of Congress have signed. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR); Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA): Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA); Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA); Rep. John Lewis (D-GA); Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL); Rep....
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 13, 2006 Iraq Freedom Congress: Action Alert Urgent Action US Troops raid offices of Iraq Freedom Congress (IFC) in Baghdad On September 7 and 8, U.S occupying troops raided the head office of IFC in Baghdad. The raid came after a number of IFC public...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 29, 2006 We Declare Peace - Next Steps Thousands of people across the United States DECLARED PEACE in the more than 375 Declaration of Peace events that took place the week of September 21-28! We raised our voices and took action to call for a concrete and...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 11, 2006 Civil War | Body Count | 9/11 Juan Cole addresses the civil war and fears of partition , Ellen Knickmeyers examines the Baghdad morgue body count , and Mark Brunswick and Zaineb Obeid reveal the US policy of under-counting the levels of violence by not...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 21, 2006 Washington DC Launch of Declaration of Peace For Immediate Release: Contact: Timi Gerson or Paco Fabian, September 21, 2006 (202) 822-5200 Religious, peace movement leaders kick off actions against Iraq occupation with civil disobedience at...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 08, 2006 AFSC Iraq Update: Support the Declaration of Peace If you are planning an event, please make sure that you list you activities on the calendar page. It will help show the depth of support for the campaign and attract supporters in your area....
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 11, 2006 ACTION ALERT - Call Congress Today The U.S. Senate has voted another $50 billion for war in Iraq. The vote was 98-0 with two Republicans not voting. Who will stand for peace? Call Congress on MONDAY, September 11 Day 1 of 3 national call-in days...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 05, 2006 Declaration of Peace Call in Days There are 2 weeks left until September 21 and the Declaration of Peace deadline to begin a comprehensive plan for peace in Iraq CALL CONGRESS NOW As part of building the pressure on our Congressional Leadership...
          
  • Current News in Context
    May 16, 2006 Democracy in Iraq without the U.S. Samir Adil will be finishing his US tour tomorrow evening in Philadelphia. This is one of the articles generated from his visit to Umass Amherst organized by AFSC Staff Jo Commerford. Democracy in Iraq without the U.S....
          
  • Current News in Context
    May 19, 2006 How the Bush Administration Deconstructed Iraq The image of the Bush administration in Iraq as a bumbling giant, overwhelmed by the destructive forces within Iraqi society, is a pernicious misrepresentation. A close look at the facts on the ground...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 07, 2006 Call Congress TODAY for Iraq Policy Debate Today's newsletter has all the details you need to call and e-mail your representative asking them to support the discharge petition. It is very important. Visit the archives for articles and updates you may have...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 26, 2006 Dreams and Nightmares: A Memorial on Life and Death in Iraq Dreams and Nightmares is a memorial to Iraqis who have lost their lives in the war and occupation. With photographs, names and personal stories, it conveys the unseen side of the war in Iraq - the...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 23, 2006 Summary of Congressional Actions | Bases & Oil | Withdrawal Three items from our colleagues at the Friends Committee on National Legislation help put the last couple of weeks in perspective. First is a press release from the office of Senator Joseph...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 23, 2006 Peace Plan for National Reconciliation The Times is reporting that the Government of Iraq will unveil a peace plan for national reconciliation as early as this weekend. The initiative is to include: A schedule for coalition forces to withdraw | General...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 20, 2006 Iraq Freedom Congress Below is a Peacework interview with Samir Adil, President of the Iraq Freedom Congress and Houzan Mahmoud, a political activist from Iraqi Kurdistan, member of the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, and head of Iraq Freedom...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 21, 2006 Security Summit to be Hosted in Tehran The Daily Star has a strong editorial in support of the ninth ministerial summit on Iraq to be held July 8-9 in Tehran. Finding that "[t]his diplomatic development presents an opening for the Iraqi government to wrest...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 02, 2006 June 7: National Call-in Day on discharge petition * Template from UFPJ * Over a dozen national peace organizations are joining with UFPJ in a national call-in day on the discharge petition: AfterDowningStreet.org, American Friends Service Committee, Code...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 02, 2006 Slideshow | Haditha | Action Alerts | Declaration of Peace Below is a slideshow from the Silence of the Dead | Voices of the Living events in Washington DC. The delegation of Iraqis represented diverse and vibrant organizations working to heal the wounds...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 06, 2006 Death Squads | Why Haditha Matters | National Call-In Day Iraqi voices speak out on lack of basic services, death squads and sectarian violence. The Nation magazine has an editorial exploring what the massacre in Haditha represents, and there is a link at...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 03, 2006 The Situation Is Not Serious: It Is Desperate...
          
  • Current News in Context
    August 14, 2006 In Solidarity with the Iraq Freedom Congress I had the great privilege of attending the 36th annual conference for the National Assembly for Peace and Democracy (ZENKO) in Japan. Hundreds of participants came together in Kyoto, Japan from 4 - 6 August...
          
  • Current News in Context
    August 08, 2006 AFSC Endorses the Declaration of Peace In July AFSC formally endorsed the Declaration of Peace, a nationwide campaign of coordinated activities calling for a responsible and concrete plan for the removal of US troops from Iraq by September 21 -...
          

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  • Current News in Context

     
  • Current News in Context
    August 17, 2006 New Resources on the Power of Nonviolence Two wonderful resources to help you with outreach efforts around the declaration of Peace. The DVDs are a great resource for film showings, and a powerful tool share with your community, will be distributed on a...
          
  • Current News in Context
    July 31, 2006 Number of Iraqi Refugees Swells Michael Georgy cites a report from the Iraqi Migration Ministry on the creation of more than 180,000 internal refugees following the February 22 bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in Samarra. These figures are based on families...
          
  • Current News in Context
    April 13, 2007 AFSC Symposium on Iraqi Refugees...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 30, 2003 Attacks Force Retreat From Wide-Ranging Plans for Iraq Rajiv Chandrasekaran presents an important policy critique of the US occupation of Iraq. It is an important reminder of the many levels of resistance to initiatives that are seen as de-legitimate....
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 20, 2006 IRAQ: A Calendar of Peacemaking and Peacebuilding Campaigns December 19, 2006 Christian Peace Witness for Iraq
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 22, 2004 AFSC Helps Iraq Create Its Own New Society Excerpts from a recent report on AFSC activities in Iraq offer an excellent snapshot of AFSC resources and values in action. *** The last entry in the Washington Post series Promises Unkept: The US...
          
  • Current News in Context
    April 28, 2006 Beyond Dictators and Occupation: A Way Forward in Iraq Beyond Dictators and Occupation: A Way Forward in Iraq Samir Adil, President of the Iraq Freedom Congress Speaking Tour: 1 - 16 May 2006 Tour Sites: Philadelphia | Providence | Vermont | Detroit |...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 02, 2005 An Urgent Appeal: Please Release Our Friends in Iraq Four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams were taken this past Saturday, November 26, in Baghdad, Iraq. They are not spies, nor do they work in the service of any government. They are people who have...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 30, 2005 Journalists Tell Their Story | Anthony Shadid Interview With such disheartening and shallow analysis in the U.S. press about next steps in Iraq, it is important to keep an eye on some of the more thoughtful commentators. There is a price to pay when...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 08, 2005 Project Censored Looks at Iraq Project Censored presents 10 stories the mainstream media ignored over the past year By: Camille Taiara It is telling that 4 of the top 10 stories have to do with Iraq. In addition to pointing out the failure of many...
          
  • Current News in Context
    May 13, 2005 Operation Matador / Timeline Syria / Najaf This update features a timeline on 'operation matador,' a US assault against towns along the Syrian border. Initial reports claim that 100 people were killed in the first few days. A hint of the aftermath lies in the...
          
  • Current News in Context
    November 08, 2005 UN Extends Role of US Forces | Chemical Weapons in Fallujah? | Second Lawyer Assassinated Irwin Arieff spells out some roles in Iraq following a unanimous vote in the Security Council to let the US dominated multinational force remain in Iraq through...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 02, 2003 Shia's Insist on Democracy - Washington Cringes Alex Berensen (New York Times) asks the right questions at the right time: 'How much control will the country's Shiite majority have over the drafting of a constitution? And how Islamic will that...
          
  • Current News in Context
    June 25, 2004 Iraq: What lies ahead? AFSC Baghdad staff Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud spent the first three weeks of March on a ten-city speaking tour entitled Eyewitness to Occupation: 10 Months in Baghdad. The tour was hosted by AFSC offices in San Diego, Pasadena,...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 01, 2005 Use of White Phosphorus in Iraq On Tuesday, the New York Times ran its lead editorial on the use of white phosphorus by the US military in Iraq, excerpt below. The military has responded. White phosphorus (or "Willie Pete" as it's known to soldiers) is...
          
  • Current News in Context
    December 05, 2005 Air War | Reconciliation | Hostage Appeal Seymour M. Hersh offers another article with great insights in today's issue of the New Yorker. Providing a summary of recent trends within the Bush administration, he spells out the dangers of symbolically...
          
  • Current News in Context
    October 14, 2005 Food as a Weapon | Blackout | Major Trends Jean Ziegler, UN special rapporteur on the right to food has accused US and British forces of depriving civilians of food and water in besieged cities. He labeled the actions as "flagrant violation of...
          
  • Current News in Context
    February 09, 2006 Basic Services Below Prewar Levels James Glanz with the New York Times writes about Senate hearings that look into the decline of basic service in Iraq since the US invasion. Using reports from the governments Special Inspector General for Iraq...
          
  • Current News in Context
    THINKING STRATEGICALLY: Challenges Facing the Anti-War Movement Situation briefing for UFPJ Steering Committee 25 March 2006 Phyllis Bennis Institute for Policy Studies (Amended 3 April 2006) As a movement we have been extraordinarily successful in achieving our initial goal: we have...
          

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  • Current News in Context
    November 18, 2004 Challenging the Policy of War: The Human Cost The speaking tour with AFSC Iraq staff Rick McDowell and Mary Trotochaud is just ending. The tour was divided into two segments; before and after the US election. It reached across eleven states and visited...
          
  • Current News in Context
    September 22, 2005 Peace by Pieces - Washington Post An inspiring piece forwarded by our intrepid Eyes Wide Open coordinator Marq Anderson. It's full of insights and an oddly counter-culture view from a paper of stodgy Washington DC insiders. It should be no surprise that...
          
  • Day of Prayer for Peace
    Day of Prayer for Peace in Amman, Jordan The Jordanian YWCA issued the call for Monday, March 24, to be a “Day of Prayer for Peace.” Ms. Leila Diab, the General Secretary of the YWCA in Jordan, invited people of all faith communities to join the YWCA...
          
  • December 12, 2003, Trotochaud
    December 12, 2003 (Click Photos to Enlarge) As an artist/craftsperson for the past 25 years, I cannot write about the arts in Iraq in a detached manner .  When we first visited the College of Fine Arts and the Hewar...
          
  • December 15, 2003, McDowell
    December 15, 2003 It is important that the United States act swiftly to restore order and basic services, or they will face mounting condemnation by the people of this beleaguered country.  Although most Iraqis are...
          
  • Diez Razones Por Las Que Los EEUU Debe Salir de Iraq
    El precio humano de la guerra nunca es aceptable. La decisión de invadir y ocupar a Iraq se ha pagado caro, con las muertes de 100.000 iraquíes y más de 2.345 soldados de las fuerzas de ocupación, entre ellos 2.140 soldados de los EEUU....
          
  • Diez Razones Por Las Que Los EEUU Debe Salir de Iraq
    El precio humano de la guerra nunca es aceptable. La decisión de invadir y ocupar a Iraq se ha pagado caro, con las muertes de 100.000 iraquíes y más de 2.345 soldados de las fuerzas de...
          
  • Domestic Policy Background
    F und human needs at home Repeal tax cuts for the wealthy by Holly Sklar October 10, 2003 Infrastructure According to the American Society of Civil Engineers 2003 Progress Report: Report Card for America's Infrastructure,...
          
  • Doug Hostetter, On Location
    Doug is a sociology professor, photojournalist, and peace activist. He has a distinguished record of service in the U.S. peace movement and in humanitarian work in Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle...
          
  • Education In Iraq: Where Have All The Teachers Gone?
    Where Have All The Teachers Gone? by Mary Trotochaud ( More about the author. ) On a fall afternoon in 2003, as we returned to our house in Baghdad, we were greeted by two young friends sharing a meal in the adjoining garden.  They called out to me, “Mrs. Mary come join us for some...
          
  • Ensuring Clean Water
    March 23, 2003 Tor Valla is a civil engineer who is the water and sanitation engineer for Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) — an AFSC partner organization. When the NCA office in Amman, Jordan, which also has responsibility for Iraq,...
          
  • Eyes Wide Open exhibit in D.C.
    The AFSC exhibit, " Eyes Wide Open: the Human Cost of War in Iraq ,"opened Tuesday, May 25, in Washington, D.C., for two days leading up to Memorial Day weekend. The exhibit features: more than...
          
  • February 16, 2004
    February 16, 2004 Suffer the little children (Click images to enlarge) The house we visited was small and run-down. The kerosene space heaters-carried from room to room-barely...
          
  • Fostering Friendships
    Challenging stereotypes and expanding knowledge by providing information and educational resources are a central goal of AFSC’s new study guide. By introducing the rich culture and history of the Arab world, the study guide offers students the opportunity to...
          
  • Guide to Civil Disobedience
    Civil disobedience is a refusal to obey an order from a civil authority or public nonviolent violation of a legal prohibition. It can be an individual or corporate act. Those undertaking civil disobedience seek to understand and act on a higher law. As understood...
          
  • Humanitarian Crisis Timeline
    2002 - Present ( download PDF , 17.1 KB) 1990 - 2000 ( download PDF , 11.8 KB) 2002 - Present June 2002 - AFSC/Quaker delegation visits Iraq in violation of sanctions to call attention to the ongoing suffering...
          
  • Iraq
    March 20 marked the one-year anniversary of the U.S.-led war on Iraq. AFSC and peace activists worldwide organized rallies, exhibits, and other events that served as reminders of the overwhelming global opposition to the war and subsequent occupation of Iraq....
          
  • Iraq Aftermath
    June 3, 2003 Photo: McDowell/Trotochaud Hospital employee carrying in medicine from AFSC An AFSC...
          
  • Iraq Aftermath
    June 13, 2003 On Saturday, June 7, 2003, an emergency consignment of medicine reached the northern city of Mosul, thanks to the joint efforts of AFSC and Diakonie-Germany. [Diakonie is a European church-based social...
          
  • Iraq Books, Videos and Journals
    Resources for Teacher Reference These books are not intended for children's classroom use, except for The Children's Atlas of the Twentieth Century. They are for teacher reference and background. You may find them useful to deepen your understanding and provide...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    July-September 2005 An unprecedented wave of kidnappings, assassinations, and bombings leads to the fear that civil war has broken out. Diplomats from Egypt and Algeria are kidnapped and murdered, and another member of Parliament and two appointees to the...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    January - March 2004 In the first quarter of 2004, conditions in Iraq continue to destabilize and deteriorate, political leadership weakens in the United States and United Kingdom, and discontent with the United States and its policies intensifies around the...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    Second Quarter 2004 Timeline: The Bloodiest Yet - April - June 2004 April 4 U.S. troops begin Operation Valiant Resolve, an assault on Fallujah in response to the March 31 killing of four U.S. civilian security contractors. Hundreds of U.S. and...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    January–March 2005 The first quarter of 2005 is dominated by the January elections. The historic event is covered in great detail by the Arab press, where commentators explore the reality of elections under foreign military occupation. The city of Fallujah...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    April-June 2005 A dramatic increase in bomb attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces by insurgents starts in April. In this three-month period, 2,105 Iraqis are killed - 1,351 civilians and 754 Iraqi security forces - and 210 U.S. soldiers. Ten...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    October - December 2004 The final quarter of 2004 is dominated by the city-siege and assault on Fallujah, and the United States presidential elections. A survey of Iraqi households, conducted by a Johns Hopkins University medical team and published in The...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    August-December 2003 Aug. 29, 2003- A massive car bomb at the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf kills more than eighty, including one of Iraq’s most important Shi’ite leaders, Ayatollah Muhammad Bakr al-Hakim. Sept. 2, 2003- Tens of thousands of mourners...
          
  • Iraq Occupation Timeline
    Third Quarter 2004 Timeline: July - September 2004 In this quarter, the character of the occupation forces continue to change. Norway withdraws all but ten advisors; the Philippines withdraws completely, and Thailand and New Zealand refuse to extend their...
          
  • Iraq Timeline 1990-2002
    2 August 1990- Iraq invades Kuwait, and is condemned by UN Security Council resolution 660, which calls on Iraq to withdraw immediately. 6 August 1990- UN resolution 661 imposes economic sanctions on Iraq with the stated purpose of compelling Iraq’s military...
          
  • Iraq War Timeline
    January 2002 to July 2003 To understand the U.S. invasion of Iraq, one need only study our country's National Security Strategy, released in September 2002. This doctrine articulates the Bush administration's radical shift in priorities and goals, embracing...
          
  • Iraqi Voices
    A family’s harmonious life is torn apart by Natalie and Noah Baker Merrill ( More about the authors. ) All that they have are pictures of the place where their house once stood....
          
  • January 12, 2004
    January 12, 2004 [ Editor's note: As violence escalates and Coalition forces use the new tactic of military aircraft overflights, Rick and Mary report a variety of impressions from the holidays and the start of the New Year. They...
          
  • Jennifer Bing-Canar
    Jennifer Bing-Canar Jennifer Bing-Canar is the National coordinator of the Middle East Peacebuilding Program for the American Friends...
          
  • Jewish Texts on Peace and Justice
    Compiled by Jewish Mobilization for a Just Peace (Philadelphia) ( Download this page in PDF, 44 KB ) Woe to the one who piles up what is not his … Woe to the one who has acquired gains to the detriment of his house … For a stone will cry out from...
          
  • Jordanian Border Security Very Tight
    March 18, 2003 The countdown has begun for the launch of the American-led war against Iraq. Jordanians are stocking up on...
          
  • Journey Through A War Zone
    Journey Through A War Zone A few evenings ago, Doug Hostetter spent time with the Christian Peacemakers Team, which was trying to decide whether or not to try to travel to Baghdad. By the time they arrived in Amman, the conflict had...
          
  • July 16, 2003, McDowell
    July 16, 2003 This week, The New York Times and BBC reported heart-rending stories about frequent rapes in Iraq, especially of young girls. Tragically, we have heard similar stories here in Baghdad....
          
  • July 9, 2003, McDowell
    July 09, 2003 Iraqis are increasingly uncertain of what lies ahead as U.S.-appointed administrators arrive to establish ministries and a new government. To gain a better understanding of individual expectations, we asked a number of...
          
  • June 16, 2003, McDowell
    June 16, 2003 The staccato of automatic gunfire disturbs the stifling night air as the divide between the occupying force and the Iraqi people deepens. The Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) has...
          
  • June 2, 2003, McDowell
    June 2, 2003 Two words begin to express the current situation in Iraq: fluid and chaotic. The Occupying Power is not living up to its promises, such as providing electricity and security...
          
  • Kristele Younes
    Kristele Younes Kristele Younes was Refugees International's lead person in preparing The World's Fastest Growing Displacement...
          
  • Letters and Statements
    Recent AFSC Letters and Statements AFSC Responds to Bombing of United Nations...
          
  • Life in Baghdad During the Bombing
    Life in Baghdad During the Bombing Father Jerry Zawada was born in East Chicago, grew up in Hammond, Indiana, and is a Franciscan priest, currently working out of Cedar Lake, Indiana. He was interviewed by Doug Hostetter in Amman on March 23-25,...
          
  • Local Action
    Materials for local events Posters & Flyers The files below are in PDF format unless otherwise noted. You will need Acrobat Reader to view the files. >...
          
  • Local Action
    Materials for local events Posters & Flyers The files below are in PDF format unless otherwise noted. You will need Acrobat Reader to view the files....
          
  • Locations
    October/November Venues: The Iraqi Refugee Crisis and Why it Matters Tampa , Gainesville , Tallahassee , Atlanta , Indianapolis , Richmond , Dayton area Tampa (October 30)...
          
  • March 18, 2003
    March 18, 2003 I slept well last night, but had lots of dreams about how masculine and macho war is, and thinking we need to get Saddam's, George's, and Tony's mothers to get together to stop the foolishness of their children. . ....
          
  • March 20, 2003
    March 20, 2003 I'm exploring going to Syria, as it is now clear that refugees are NOT coming to Jordan, but are...
          
  • March 22, 2003
    March 22, 2003 The weather in Amman is freezing cold and very wet, highly unusual for this part of the world in the middle of January, and never in mid-March. Yesterday it was raining with a little sleet mixed in. It was a...
          
  • March 26, 2003
    March 26, 2003 We had a serious snowstorm yesterday afternoon and evening. Coming from Chicago, this didn’t look like much to me, but for Jordanians this was big. Meetings were cancelled and many people left work early,...
          
  • March 29, 2003
    March 29, 2003...
          
  • March 31, 2003
    March 31, 2003 It has been two weeks since I arrived in Jordan. It has been such a blur since I arrived, just before President Bush’s ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq in 48 hours or be attacked by the...
          
  • Mary Trotochaud
    Mary Trotochaud Mary Trotochaud first traveled to Iraq with a U.S. religious leadership delegation. In March 2003, Mary joined the...
          
  • Mary Trotochaud, AFSC Iraq Country Representative, Baghdad, Iraq
      Photo: Dan DeLong Mary Trotochaud first traveled to Iraq with a U.S. religious...
          
  • Mary Trotochaud, AFSC Iraq Country Representative, Baghdad, Iraq
    Haider Al Kabi is an Iraqi refugee living in Jordan, where he works with Electronic Iraq's Direct Aid Initiative to meet the medical needs of Iraqi refugee families, and to bring the experiences of exiled...
          
  • May 27, 2003, McDowell
    May 27, 2003 Occupation by a foreign army is not new for the people of Iraq, an area once known as Mesopotamia . The Hittites and then the Kassites invaded around 1350 BC. The Persians arrived in 539 BC, followed by...
          
  • May 5, 2003, McDowell
    May 5, 2003 - R.M. Impressions of Baghdad: Is the War Over, or Just Beginning I’ve been making the journey to Iraq since before the introduction of the United Nation’s oil-for-food program in December...
          
  • May 5, 2003, Trotochaud
    May 5, 2003 - M.T. A Journey Back Into Baghdad This is a different trip from the one I made to Iraq in December, 2002. This time, we leave Amman in the middle of the night to ensure that we will arrive in Baghdad by early...
          
  • More about the authors
    Introductory message from Mary and Rick We've been away from these Web pages for a while, but we have not been away from our work with Iraqis. From March 2003 until the spring of 2005, we served as Iraq Country Representatives for AFSC, living and working primarily Baghdad and also in...
          
  • More Than a House Was Destroyed
    More Than a House Was Destroyed Photo: McDowell/Trotochaud Atimad in front of her son’s bombed house...
          
  • Muslim Supplications for Peace and Brotherhood
    Compiled by Jason Erb, AFSC Staff ( Download this page in PDF, 74 KB ) Prayers should open with Surat al-Fatiha: Praise be to God, Lord of all worlds The Merciful, the Compassionate Master of the Day...
          
  • Natalie Baker Merrill
    Natalie Baker Merrill Natalie Baker Merrill recently returned from the Middle East, where she worked with the Direct Aid Initiative,...
          
  • New Music Video Features "Eyes Wide Open" Boots
    Last November 1, as the sun rose over a farm near Dover, New Hampshire the Eyes Wide...
          
  • Noah Baker Merrill
    Noah Baker Merrill Noah Baker Merrill has spent four of the last seven months living and working among Iraqi refugees in Jordan and...
          
  • November 3, 2003, McDowell
    November 3, 2003 It’s been a dark and difficult week for the people of Iraq. The explosions that rocked Baghdad have shattered the thinly held hope that security was improving. After decades of strife, sanctions, war, and now...
          
  • October 13, 2004
    October 13, 2004 Blurred Lines in Iraq Editor’s Note: After a recent trip to Amman, Jordan, AFSC Iraq country representatives Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell are now in the United States on a speaking tour that ends...
          
  • One Family Shattered Twice by War
    One Family Shattered Twice by War Senior Correspondent Doug Hostetter met Um Heider and her son Mustafa over dinner in Amman, Jordan, on the fourth day of the U.S.-led bombardment of Iraq. During the last few years, several hundred...
          
  • Personal Stories
    Art Helps Amal to Survive Amal recently joined the exile Iraqi community in Amman. We visited her several days ago and she explained: “I left Baghdad last month because there was no hope, no security, no water or electricity. Relatives and friends have been killed or...
          
  • Personal Stories
    Why Are You Here? The Relief Update of June 13 details delivery of medicines to hospitals in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, through the joint efforts of AFSC, Diakonie-Germany, and the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)....
          
  • Personal Stories
    A Community Built On Rubble and Hope In the shadows of the Iraqi Ministries of Oil and Interior—the only government Ministries protected by U.S. troops during and after the invasion—lies the squatter community of Al Huda. It is a sprawling complex of nearly three thousand Muslims,...
          
  • Personal Stories
    A Road Lined with Destruction Several convoys of Christian Peacekeeper Teams (CPT) and Voices in the Wilderness volunteers and staff have left Baghdad in the past week. They’ve all taken the main road that leads from Baghdad to Amman, Jordan. The...
          
  • Personal Stories
    A Young Iraqi Informs and Empowers by Wendy Univer A quick look at the web log (or blog) of Raed Jarrar says much about the complications of Iraqi society right now. Raed provides links to other blogs written by Azzam, “my capitalist dad,” Faiza, “my Shia mother,” and Khalid, “my Sunni...
          
  • Personal Stories
    Mothers and Sons Create Dialogue During the past week, I have been engaged in a lively e-mail conversation with Naba Hamid Al Barrak, a professor of education at the University of Baghdad. I met Naba in February 2004, when a friend set up a meeting for me with several Iraqi women from...
          
  • Personal Stories
    Life in Iraq: Reflecting Back, Reflecting Forward Photo: McDowell/Trotochaud Rami in his study, Baghdad Rami, is an articulate, passionate man....
          
  • Personal Stories
    Old History, Current Punishment Professor Husan joined the Ba'ath Party in 1958 at the age of fifteen. “The party,” Husan said, “was the only organization capable of confronting the expansion of the Communist Party, which nearly controlled Iraq after the coup in 1958.” [ Editor’s note :...
          
  • Personal Stories
    Graduation, Baghdad Style We enter a small, narrow room with only a couple of windows and a makeshift, dilapidated stage at the front. Plastic chairs sit in rows. With no electricity for fans or air conditioning, the room is stifling hot. The late spring temperatures of Baghdad push above 90...
          
  • Personal Stories
    Sweet Dreams, Sour Reality Photo: McDowell/Trotochaud The three brothers – Hussain, Firaz and Zeen – in front of the bakery Zayona. Cakes and pastries are not “necessities of life.” But in Iraq, where hospitality requires sugar-laden tea and coffee with a plate of...
          
  • Personal Stories
    The Hidden Costs of War Family portrait When we look at the cost of war, we often measure it in terms of dollars and cents or lives lost. We are not always aware of the long-term effects on families and on society as a whole. When we look at Iraq today, we tend to see...
          
  • Personal Stories
    May 3, 2004 Muthana: A Story Worthy of Hollywood Muthana Photo: Mary Trotochaud As an aspiring filmmaker, Muthana has led a life fueled by hopes and dreams—hopes seemingly unattainable and dreams often unfulfilled. But with the gritty determination of a...
          


 
   
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