war crimes
MADISON & MILWAUKEE TRIBUNAL HEARINGS GREAT SUCCESSES
On Oct. 23 and 24, 1999, there were local hearings of the International War Crimes Tribunal in Madison and Milwaukee, WI. The Tribunal was initiated by former U.S. attorney general Ramsey Clark, founder of the International Action Center (IAC), to charge President Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and other NATO leaders for war crimes committed in relation to the U.S./NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia.
The Madison hearing, organized by U.S. Out Now!, was held Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Pres House, an evangelical center on the UW/Madison campus. Well over 100 people attended (it may have been more than that — we couldn’t reach the organizers for a final count.) The main speakers were Sara Flounders, co-coordinator of the IAC, focusing on the U.S./NATO war against Yugoslavia; Cecelia Zarate-Luan of the Colombia Support Network, focusing on the escalating U.S. intervention in Colombia; and Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies, focusing on the U.S sanctions against Iraq.
The Milwaukee hearing took place the following day at St. Michael’s Catholic Church on the city’s near North Side. The neighborhood is largely African American and the church serves a Black, Latino and Hmong congregation. Over 80 people attended the hearing, which was divided into two parts. From 2 to 4 pm there were about a dozen speakers dealing with different foreign policy and domestic issues. (A complete list of speakers follows this report.) The 4-6:30 pm session focused on the U.S./NATO war against Yugoslavia. This hearing was organized by A Job is a Right Campaign.
The theme of the Milwaukee hearing was building opposition to all U.S. interventions against other countries, and drawing the connections between those interventions and domestic struggles. Because of the seriousness of the situation of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, his case was raised repeatedly throughout the meeting, including a reading of his statement condemning the war against Yugoslavia.
Hopefully, these hearings helped people gain a broader understanding of U.S. foreign and domestic policies and strengthen their determination to oppose all U.S. interventions, all sanctions, all military invasions, and all economic attacks on the formerly colonized countries of the world.
Money for Jobs & Human Needs, not War!
Fight Racism, Sexism & Anti-Gay Bigotry, not the Peoples of Other Countries!
Free Mumia NOW!
NOTE: AJRC has reproduced an article written by Sara Flounders of the IAC addressing the attempt by some in the peace movement to "de-link", or draw a distinction between "economic" sanctions and "military" sanctions imposed against Iraq. The AJRC is opposed to ALL sanctions imposed by the U.S. against other countries. We believe the biggest threat to world peace, the most ferocious aggressor, the biggest exploiter of the peoples of the world is the U.S. government itself, and we don’t recognize its right to dictate to other counties what they can import, who they can have as leaders, or what their foreign policies should be.
For a copy of the article, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to AJRC. We also hope to soon have the article loaded on our web site.
A Job is a Right Campaign
PO Box 06053
Milwaukee, WI 53206
Ph/Fax: 414-374-1034
Email: ajrc@execpc.com
Web Site: www.execpc.com/~ajrc
AJRC is affilated with the National Peoples Campaign and Workfairness of NYC.
THE PROGRAM FROM THE MILWAUKEE HEARING OF THE INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL:
Co-Chairs:
Ifama Jackson - Wisconsin for Mumia
Kate Ludwig - A Job is a Right Campaign
The Exception or the Rule?
Was the U.S./NATO bombing of Yugoslavia an exception, or is it part of a pattern of U.S. foreign policy in general? Are there other wars of aggression being carried out under the name of "humanitarian intervention"? And what about the problems here at home? How can the same government responsible for racism, sexism, police brutality, poverty and political repression claim to be fighting for human rights overseas?
The Case of Chiapas:
Jeff Rivera - Movimiento Civil Zapatista
W-2 and the War on Poor Women:
Jean Verber - Women & Poverty Public Education Initiative, Coalition for a Ban on Winter Evictions
The Case of East Timor:
James Barrett - Coordinator, Milwaukee Pledge of Resistance
Homelessness & Military Spending:
Brodie Barksdale - Repairers of the Breach
(Brodie Barksdale was unable to attend.)
The Case of Columbia:
Babette Gruneau - Colombia Support Network, Milwaukee Pledge of Resistance
War Taxes & War Tax Resistance:
Don Timmerman - Casa Maria Catholic Worker
The Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal and Other U.S. Political Prisoners
Ifama Jackson - Wisconsin for Mumia
The Case of Cuba
Lisa Johnson - Milwaukee Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba
The Prison-Industrial Complex
Brother Gregory Muhammad, representing Muhammad Mosque No. 3
The Case of Iraq
Phil Wilayto - Coordinator, A Job is a Right Campaign; former National Outreach
Coordinator for the International Action Center
Reading of statement from the FARC of Columbia calling for anti-war forces in the U.S. to resist U.S. intervention in that country.
The Case of Africa
Ahmed Mbalia - Pan-African Revolutionary Socialist Party
The Case of Puerto Rico
Marcos Vilar - National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners
(Marcos was unable to attend.)
Intermission
The Case of Yugoslavia
Presentation of the 19-Count Indictment:
Sara Flounders - Co-Coordinator, International Action Center; co-author "NATO in the Balkans"; participant along with Ramsey Clark in the IAC delegation to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, during the bombing.
A Serb-American View of the War:
Nikola Kostich - Attorney and representative of the Serb-American community; has argued
cases before the International Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; traveled to
Yugoslavia in a fact-finding mission during the bombing.
Violations of the U.S. War Powers Act and Other Laws:
Karyn Rotker - National Lawyers Guild, Milwaukee Chapter
The Role of the Media:
Bryan G. Pfeifer - Editorial page Editor & Member Board of Directors, UWM Post; former
Editor, Free Press, UW College-Manitowoc; contributing writer, Workers World newspaper.
Question & Answer Period
"NATO Targets" - exclusive footage of the effects of the NATO bombing of civilian neighborhoods in and around Belgrade; produced by award-winning videographer Gloria LaRiva; 25 minutes.
Open Mike
International Action Center
39 West 14th Street, Room 206
New York, NY 10011 email:
iacenter@iacenter.org
http://www.iacenter.org
phone: 212 633-6646
fax: 212 633-2889
