Activists Vow to Shut Down Army Recruiting Sites --2006

From: Activists Vow to Shut Down Army Recruiting Sites

Haider Rizvi

NEW YORK, Jan 19 2006 (IPS) – click here for full article

A leading coalition of peace groups in the United States is planning to stage nationwide protests against the U.S. war in Iraq on Mar. 19, the day when U.S.-led military forces invaded that country three years ago.

The group, which has organised a series of massive anti-war rallies in the past, says its renewed campaign will be focused on blocking U.S. military recruiting centres in hundreds of cities and towns across the country.

"This anniversary of the war is a provocation for us," Larry Holmes of the International Action Centre told a gathering of antiwar activists here this week.

"At this anniversary, we will start shutting down the military's recruiting centres," he added.

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Activists say the enormous cost of war is not only adding to the burden of U.S. taxpayers, but making life harsher than ever before for millions of Iraqis as well.

"The Bush administration's war is coming back to the U.S. cities," said the IAC's Sara Flounders. "There are cuts in social programmes here. There is increased repression and domestic surveillance here."

And in Iraq, she adds, "half of the population has no access to potable water. The price of fuel in that oil-rich nation has increased six-fold and the electricity is available for two hours at best."

"The anger against the Bush administration is growing every where in the world," she said. "We will turn this anger into a massive movement to demand 'bring the troops home now.'"