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PPRC and Peace Community Monday Rally and March Marks
Growing Numbers of Deaths, Injuries in Iraq; Condemns
Administration's Architects of Quagmire
Event: PPRC and Peace Community Rally and March for Peace
Date: Monday, March 31st, 2003
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Place: Pioneer Courthouse Square
The Portland Peaceful Response Coalition will hold a
second Monday 5:00 p.m. peace rally and march at Pioneer
Courthouse Square, repeating the solemn memorial to
the victims of war that they have held for their anti-war
gatherings last Friday and on the previous Monday. The
rally is fully permitted and will include a march to
the peace camp at Terry Schrunk Plaza. Among additional
endorsers for the Monday rally are Oregon Physicians
for Social Responsibility, Peace and Justice Works,
Portland Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Love Makes a Family,
Living Earth, East Timor Action Network-Portland and
the American Friends Service Committee of Portland.
"As civilian casualties grow, and as more US and British
soldiers are injured or killed, we are learning the
horror and tragedy of war, and the complete moral bankruptcy
of the Bush Administration," said Mikel Clayhold, a
volunteer with the PPRC. "This weekend we discovered
how Donald Rumsfeld' s arrogance has placed tens of
thousands of US and British soldiers in increasing mortal
danger, and may make this war even more catastrophic
than anyone could have imagined." Clayhold was referring
to investigative journalist Seymour Hersh's latest expose,
due to appear in April 7 edition of the New Yorker Magazine.1
According to Hersh's sources, Rumsfeld insisted that
the numbers of ground troops proposed by military planners
be reduced sharply, and that he succeeded in enforcing
his view. An unidentified senior Pentagon planner stated
that Rumsfeld "thought he knew better. He was the decision-maker
at every turn." With the American military campaign
apparently stalled, the planner observed that "This
is the mess Rummy put himself in because he didn 't
want a heavy footprint on the ground."
"We in the peace movement would also add that the additional
cost and impact of a larger American ground campaign
might have tipped the debate in this country more decisively
against war," said Will Seaman, another PPRC volunteer.
"If Americans had been given an accurate idea about
what Pentagon advisors thought was needed, and what
US forces were facing in Iraq, they might have more
strongly opposed this criminal war."
Clayhold added that the best way to support US and British
troops was to declare an immediate cease fire, and begin
to bring them home. "As bad as the casualties have been
so far, it is nothing compared to what we will see when
they move into the cities," said Clayhold. "The deaths
and injuries of civilians and soldiers alike will mount
at an increasing rate unless we put an end to this madness
immediately."
Hersh reports that Rumsfeld also decided against the
advice of commander Tommy Franks who advocated delaying
the attack until alternatives could be found to bring
in troops that were not allowed to enter Iraq through
Turkey. Rumsfeld also was wrong about the level of resistance
from the Iraqis, according to Hersh. Perhaps most disturbing
was Hersh's report that a former intelligence official
judged that the war was now a stalemate.
Hersh reports that most of the cruise missiles have
already been used, that precision guided bombs were
also in short supply, and that US forces were facing
significant maintenance problems with vehicles and other
equipment. The former Pentagon official is quoted as
saying "The only hope is that they can hold out until
reinforcements arrive." He said that Rumsfeld wanted
to "do the war on the cheap" and that the Secretary
of Defense thought that precision bombing would lead
to a quick victory. With 125,000 US and British troops
already on the ground, current US plans call for another
100,000 US soldiers to be deployed in Iraq by the end
of April.
"Doesn't any of this sound familiar to Americans who
were around in the 1960s?" asked Clayhold. "In Vietnam
it was always additional troops, another 50,000 or another
80,000, that would make the difference, victory was
just around the corner, a light at the end of the tunnel.
But there was no light, only the darkness and despair
of an unending, devastating, immoral war." Clayhold
cited the increasingly intense bombing of Baghdad and
the expanded target list which has now come to include
the telephone exchange and Iraqi television broadcasting
facilities, saying that any concern to avoid civilian
casualties will soon lose out as US commanders become
more desperate to show progress.
"Civilian deaths and injuries are already coming in
increasing numbers as the predictable 'errant bombs'
take their toll," said Clayhold. "And of course our
soldiers are also killing innocents in fire fights that
involve Iraqi soldiers and irregulars fighting in close
proximity to the civilian population." Clayhold cited
a New York Times article which quoted on US soldier
describing an incident in which US soldiers opened fire
on an Iraqi soldier standing near some civilians. The
soldier "recalled watching one of the women standing
near the Iraqi soldier go down," saying "I'm sorry ...
But the chick was in the way."2
Contrary to earlier announcements, the PPRC will not
be organizing regular Monday 5:00 p.m. rallies at the
Square. "We'll be deciding week-to-week whether it makes
sense to do any events in addition to our regular Friday
rallies," said Seaman.
1. "Rumsfeld Ignored Pentagon Advice on Iraq", Reuters,
New York Times, March 29, 2003
2.. "Either Take a Shot or Take a Chance", Dexter Filkins,
New York Times, March 29, 2003
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