Duluthian reports on protest in Iraq

While the corporate media in the U.S. have offered some coverage of the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, they have almost completely ignored the massive protests sweeping Iraq, led by ordinary people fed up with government corruption and repression. U.S.-backed security forces have responded violently, with dozens of deaths reported. Duluthian Michele Naar-Obed is currently in the Kurdish north with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and has been able to send home regular reports. Below is a recent summary of events. You can read more and see photos from the protests on the CPT website. 

The Voices of Iraqi Kurdistan Will Not Be Silenced

By Michele Naar-Obed

Neither military forces firing indiscriminately into crowds of unarmed demonstrators, nor arrests, torture and disappearances of protest organizers nor empty promises made by government leaders have deterred the Kurdish people from continuing their demonstrations demanding an end to what they call a corrupt government run primarily by tribal parties.

Having watched the people of Tunisia, Sudan and Egypt force the step down of dictators, the people of the Kurdish north of Iraq are following their example and the wave of uprisings has washed over this land. Since 17 February, 2011, thousands of people flood the city center of Suleimaniya now dubbed “Freedom Square”, for daily demonstrations.

Since the demonstrations began there have been deaths and injuries of unarmed civilians by military and security forces, imposed curfew, armed militias positioned throughout the city of Suleimaniya and surrounding Freedom Square, an independent television station burned to the ground, hundreds of organizers arrested and disappeared, Suleimaniya students studying in Erbil universities sent back to Suleianiya, roadblocks set up around the city of Erbil not allowing Suleimaniya cars to enter, KRG Parliament emergency sessions to negotiate the demands of the people, assassination attempts against religious leaders who advocate for this nonviolent revolution, five unidentified people assumed to be terrorists, shot dead by Kurdish security forces outside of Suleimaniya city. and scores of demonstrations occurring regularly in the sub districts throughout the Suleimaniya governorate. 

The White Group formed consisting of unarmed individuals forming a human peace wall standing between the thousands of soldiers and the thousands of demonstrators in order to create a safe environment for both demonstrator and soldier. 

Both the Erbil and Dohuk governorates have banned demonstrations. Both of these governorates are KDP party controlled. Most people there appear too frightened to break the ban.

The people who have found their voice are not willing to be silenced again. The demonstrators talk of a hunger strike followed by a general strike to force Mr. Barzani to step down from his position as KRG president and to force immediate elections for an interim government. Nobody knows how long this will take or what new efforts will arise to drive out this current government if these demands aren't met.

It is clear that the current government and party leaders are feeling threatened of losing their positions of power that they have held since 1991. They have been fighting, often with dirty tactics, to regain control. If they do, the opposition people are sure that they will be killed, tortured, disappeared, arrested, and broken. The stakes are high.

There has been little reporting outside of the highly controlled local media outlets and there is a plea to not let this struggle die in vain.

Duluth Peace Park in Rania, Iraq

Here are a few photos of the newly-minted Duluth Peace Park in Rania, Iraq! In the spirit of people-to-people diplomacy, the Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange has been working to develop a relationship between the two communities since 2009. Last fall, five delegates from Rania visited Duluth as official representatives of their city.

If you live in Duluth and are interested in traveling to Rania with an upcoming delegation, the next planning meeting is this Thursday, February 10, from 7-9pm at the Fireside Room at Peace Church (1111 N 11th Ave E, Duluth).

Iraq war logs: torture, "body counts" and what our government knew but refused to tell

Photo: Fallujah, 2003, by Christan Peacemaker Teams

Last week, the whistleblower website Wikileaks released nearly 400,000 previously secret US military field reports from Iraq, dated from 2004 to early 2010. Reporters at the UK-based Guardian and the German Der Spiegel are only beginning to sift through the mountainous files, but already a disturbing picture has emerged of torture, deception and a much larger civilian death toll than the US government previously admitted.

Some of the chilling details:

• ** US commanders ordered troops to ignore reports of torture by Iraqi security forces, and knowingly turned captives over to torture squads;
• ** Despite Gen. Tommy Franks' insistence that "we don't do body counts," the Pentagon in fact cataloged at least 100,000 violent deaths of Iraqis between 2004 and 2009, including 66,000 civilians;
• ** Apache helicopter pilots killed insurgents they knew were trying to surrender;
• ** Frightened and trigger-happy US troops routinely gunned down civilians at checkpoints, and deaths and injury by "friendly fire" were far more common than reported.
  

This information comes as little surprise to anti-war activists, but provides concrete evidence of torture and lies by US and Iraqi forces. The leaks have sent shock waves across the world, and both UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and the UN's chief investigator on torture have called for investigations of possible war crimes.

But the US media have been largely quiet about the details of the documents, preferring to regurgitate the Pentagon's Orwellian claim that Wikileaks, and not the US military, has "blood on its hands." The Obama Administration, led by a man who once campaigned on an anti-war and transparency platform, has likewise attacked the messenger, calling for prosecution not of US war criminals but of Wikileaks volunteers and brave whistleblowers within the military. Already in May of this year, military police arrested 23-year old Private Bradley Manning for allegedly leaking secret military data. Commanders who okayed torture walk freely, but Pvt. Manning faces 52 years in prison for exposing their crimes.

What you can do:

1. Read the war logs. You can check out wikileaks.org or read synopses as they become available at the Guardian or Der Spiegel.
2. Support Bradley Manning. Sign the online petition and make a donation to his legal defense at bradleymanning.org.
3. Get organizing! The times demand a people's movement for accountability and an end to the bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. NAWC's next monthly meeting is November 7, 2pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Duluth (835 W College). All are welcome.
   

Duluth Antiwar Protest - OCTOBER 11

PROTEST THE ONGOING WARS! Bring the Troops & War Dollars Home NOW! Money for Jobs & Education - Not War & Occupation!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 5-7PM

-Part 1: A "Books Not Bombs" picket from 5-6pm in front of the Old Duluth Central High School at Lake Ave. & 2nd Street. After which we'll march to City Hall.

-Part 2: From 6:15 - 7pm we'll hold a rally on the steps of City Hall. There'll be an antiwar poetry reading, and a skit titled "War Pigs" which will feature war profiteers & Uncle Sam attempting to auction off City Hall and gut social programs to pay for their unjust wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You're invited to join us in a protest against the ongoing wars, and the costs that our local communities are paying for it. While so many are loosing their homes and jobs, and government programs are being cut to the bone, Wall Street and Washington continue to wage these bloody, unjust and unjustified wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are holding this protest on the steps of City Hall on the same evening as a City Council meeting to highlight just how much our communities are paying for this war - in terms of lives and dollars. Enough is enough! Join us in raising our voices for peace! Everyone is welcome, and encouraged to attend!

> Sponsored by the Northland Anti-War Coalition and endorsed by UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Lake Superior Greens, Socialist Action, Grandmothers for Peace and others TBA.

Delegation from Rania, Iraq visits Duluth

by the Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange Project

The Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange Project is pleased to announce the arrival of a delegation to Duluth from the Kurdish north or Iraq.

Five delegates from the city of Rania will arrive in Duluth on September 25. They will tour our city, meet with local politicians, visit a variety of schools, learn about our medical system, human services, waste management and local construction projects.

There are two public events planned to which all are invited to meet our new friends. Please join us and spread the word:

Letter from Kurdistan

by Michele Naar-Obed

(photo: Village destroyed by bombing in Pshdar district, courtesy CPT)

May 21, 2010

Dear friends,

It seems like it's been frantic around here for weeks now. So frantic that I completely mixed up my days and missed my plane. So a few updates:

We've had a spate of kidnappings and killings in the two main cities of Suleimaniya and Erbil in the KRG. One of them, the kidnapping and murder of Sardasht Osman the young Kurdish journalist, made international news. Right around the time of Sardasht's kidnapping, the young son of a Sheik was kidnapped, injured and died on route to the hospital in Suleimaniya. 3 days ago, TNT was found under 4 bridges in a subdistrict of Halubja. The explosives were defused without problem. And finally, the local security officers discovered a terrorist ring inside Suleimaniya who may be responsible for some of these incidents. More investigations are underway and some of the members of the alleged terrorist ring are still at large. As for Sardasht's murder, accusations are still being hurled at certain political party members, but investigations are still pending.

With the current power vacuum throughout Iraq, and with no central government formation, there are stories of various groups intent on taking advantage of the situation to create confusion and chaos. Some of those elements have made very public and hateful statements against the Kurds. Others have gone as far to say that it's too bad that Saddam didn't finish the job of wiping the Kurds out.

Up on the northeastern border in the foothills of the Qandil Mountains, Iran has been heavily shelling the villages inside Iraq's border. The pretext is that Iran is after PJAK, the armed Iranian Kurdish liberation group which is related to the PKK. The Iranian regime recently executed 5 political prisoners, 4 of which were Kurdish and there have been nonviolent demonstrations, sit-ins and strikes by the Iranian Kurds close to the border with Iraq.

The villages inside Iraq that sustained the most damage and destruction during this recent round of shelling are the 9 villages that CPT has been working with to develop a new collective village in a safer area. We had hoped to get the village started before there were any further injuries or deaths, but we failed on that count. One woman was injured by a rocket in the village of Maradu. Family members wrapped her in a blanket and carried her over very rough terrain in the midst of the shelling until they got her close enough to an area where she could be evacuated by ambulance to a hospital in Suleimaniya. She is still awaiting surgery.

During the worst of the shelling which went on continuously for about 4 days, the villagers stayed underground in dugouts. Some of the children from the villages took their final exams under these deadly conditions. Meanwhile, many animals were killed and injured, and much of the new spring planting was destroyed. During lulls in the attacks, the families began to flee with their remaining animals to an old tent camp along the river still in the restricted area but in a safer zone for now. Rumor has it that the shelling will continue over these next days and they are afraid that even this tent camp will be hit.

Yesterday, CPT went to visit them at the camp. All they had to offer was a glass of water from the river. One emergency aid organization came to visit them 2 days ago, wrote down their names and their emergency needs and they haven't heard any more from them yet. We saw about 75 people in all, many of them children and babies. More families are expected to arrive in these next days while others will go back to town to stay with relatives for the time being. Some of the children appeared traumatized but still they greeted us with smiles and handshakes and one of them grabbed my hand to lead me down to the rivers edge for a quick dunk in the river. Another family nabbed a couple of chickens, tied their legs together and offered them to our group as a gift. We graciously thanked them, unbound their legs and returned them to the family. Another time, when things are better, we will all sit down together and share a meal. This I know will happen.

The momentum for building this village hasn't slowed even with this crisis. The Mayors along with a member of their provincial council have formed a team to get the families on the list. In some ways, this process is reminiscent of “Shindler's List”. There are now 2 and possibly 3 choices of land for them on which to build this new village. Habitat for Humanity seems seriously hooked, but the main office in Amman still has to approach the donors for the money to build the houses.

We estimate 150 to 200 houses are needed. The local Habitat staff member says each house will cost about $12.000. They expect that the KRG will contribute 30% of the total construction costs and the Habitat donors will take care of the rest. The calculated cost of 200 houses is $2, 400,000 total. The KRG's contribution would be just over $800,000. This is pocket change when you think that this amount of money could provide safe housing and the basis for a sustainable life for over 1,000 people.

So for now, this is where I leave them. It's up to the villagers, the rest of the CPT team, the local NGOs, local government and most importantly, the guidance of the Spirit to keep this thing moving.

Meanwhile, 3 new villages have been destroyed and now there are another 650 or so people displaced and homeless. Up until this point, their villages have remain untouched by the ongoing attacks by Iran and Turkey. This year, they lost. Maybe next year we will be facilitating the development of yet another village.

Any of you that are so inclined, please pray, meditate, think loving thoughts, visualize or do whatever you feel led to do to keep this little movement alive. We will all be very grateful.

I expect to be home on May 26. I think I finally have my days straight now.

Peace, Michele

Michele Naar-Obed is a member of the Loaves & Fishes Community in Duluth and a volunteer with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. She has served multiple deployments with CPT to Iraq, most recently to the northern Kurdish region to work with communities displaced by Turkish bombing raids.

Report on the Tax Day Anti-War Protest

by Adam Ritscher

"Bring our war dollars home!" was the message of more than 120 people who participated in the Northland Anti-War Coalition's April 15 Tax Day protest. The event was held to highlight the fact that hundreds of billions of dollars of our tax dollars are being wasted every year on the unjust wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the same time this is going on federal, state and local governments are being forced to cut social programs due to budget shortfalls. The NAWC protest called for our tax dollars to be spent on human needs, rather than war.

The protesters who attended represented a broad swath of people - young and old, Black and white, white collar and blue collar workers. And in addition to the Northland Anti-War Coalition, a number of other local groups endorsed the protest and participated in it, including the Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body.

The event began at 4:30pm with a rally at the MN Power Plaza. There were three powerful speakers at the rally - former Wisconsin State Assemblyman Frank Boyle, community activist Brandon Clokey, and FBI whistle blower Coleen Rowley. Singer and song writer Rachael Kilgour shared several songs, and student activists Margaret Nelson and Steve Wick were the co-chairs.


After the rally, the protesters set off on a long march through downtown over to the Bayfront Park - where a Tea Party rally was being held at the same time. Protesters held a 50 foot banner that illustrated the portion of tax dollars that goes to the military, and handed out fliers to the folks attending the Tea Party event. From the Bayfront Park the march continued on through Canal Park, and then back to the MN Power Plaza.

Other coverage of the rally:

• Dueling Duluth rallies target taxes -- Duluth News-Tribune
• Anti-war rally protests war spending on tax day -- Fox21
• War Protesters: Bring the money home! -- DNT and MichaelMoore.com
• Report on the Tax Day Anti-War Protest -- Perfect Duluth Day
• A common call from a divided nation: we can't afford war -- DNT

Also, following the protest, at 7:30pm, Coleen Rowley gave a presentation up at the University of MN-Duluth about her role as a whistle blower in the FBI who spoke out against torture and the invasion of Iraq. Thirty five people attended this event.

This Tax Day protest was the culmination of a Spring campaign by the Northland Anti-War Coalition to speak out against military spending. Each Wednesday at noon, for the past several weeks, vigils were held in front Congressman Oberstar and Senator Franken's offices, and activists delivered letters and petitions from local activists and organizations on the issue.

Thanks to everyone who participated in these events for helping to keep the issue of the war front and center. Special thanks to all of our speakers, co-chairs and to Rachael. Also, special thanks to Josie Johnson for leading the chants during the march, to Bob Kosuth for leading the collection, to Mike Solon for the sound system, and to Joel Kilgour and Adeline Wright for making the 50 foot banner (and for the 101 other things that Joel did for the protest!). We have a lot of wondering people in this area who have done a lot to keep the local anti-war movement alive and kicking! But the struggle continues, so I hope to see you all at the next NAWC planning meeting, which will be on Sunday, May 9 at 2pm at the Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Congregation. I hope to see you there!

TIME Person of the Year headlines tax day rally

NAWC is honored to host FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley as the keynote speaker for our April 15 rally in Duluth.

Coleen Rowley worked with the FBI for more than two decades, assuming the position of Chief Division Counsel for the Minneapolis Division in 1990. In 2002, she blew the whistle on pre-9/11 intelligence lapses, sparking a 2-year Department of Justice investigation of the agency and propelling Rowley to the cover of TIME magazine. You might also remember her as the agent who rankled the Bush Administration in 2003 by repeatedly warning of the dangers of invading Iraq.

Rowley retired from the FBI in 2004, but continues to speak out for transparent and ethical government. On April 15, you'll have two chances to hear her in Duluth. She'll be the keynote speaker at our Bring our War Dollars Home rally, starting at 4:30 pm at the Minnesota Power Plaza in downtown Duluth. Later that evening, she'll give a more in-depth talk on Patriotism, Democracy, and Common Sense: Restoring America's Promise at Home and Abroad at 7:30 pm in room 120 of the UMD Solon Campus Center ("the Wedge"). The talk is sponsored by NAWC, UMD Students for Peace and the UMD Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

April 15 -- mark your calendars

$33 billion more for war? Don't let it happen!

On or around tax day, Congress will debate yet another "emergency" supplemental appropriation for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's $33 billion in back-door funding on top of a record-breaking $708 billion general budget for the Department of Defense in 2011. If you include non-DoD military programs and interest on war debt, US military spending could hit $1.4 trillion next year -- half of the discretionary budget.

The consequences of endless war are all around us: bankrupt local governments, pared down public services, and decaying infrastructure. In the past decade, our national war addiction has cost more than Bush's tax cuts and corporate bailouts COMBINED.

Last year's war supplemental was nearly defeated in Congress -- that is, until the White House pressured Jim Oberstar and other anti-war Democrats to flip their votes. Let's make sure this doesn't happen again. Please contact your representative TODAY. Remind her that a bloated war budget takes money away from public infrastructure, health care, education and job creation. Ask her to go on record opposing any new war supplemental.

MINNESOTA
Representative James Oberstar (CD8)
(218) 727-7474

Senator Al Franken
(218) 722-2390

Senator Amy Klobuchar
202-224-3244

WISCONSIN
Representative Dave Obey (CD7)
(715) 398-4426

Senator Herb Kohl
202-224-5653

Senator Russ Feingold
202-224-5323

After you've made the call, hit the streets! NAWC will be holding weekly "Jobs not War" pickets at the Duluth Federal Building every Wednesday from now until tax day. Join us on March 24, March 31, April 7, or April 14 from noon to 1pm. Or, if you live in Wisconsin, join Peace North at a "Healthcare not Warfare" vigil in front of Congressman Obey's office (1401 Tower Ave, Superior) on April 21, 12 noon to 1pm.

And mark your calendars now for NAWC's Tax Day march and rally. It starts at 4:30pm on Thursday, April 15 at Lake Ave and Superior St in Duluth. The theme is "Bring Our War Dollars Home," and will feature FBI whistle-blower and 2002 Time magazine Person of the Year Coleen Rowley.

Power to the People -- Report from Kurdistan

By Michele Naar-Obed

Dear friends,

Today is Nowroze, the traditional Kurdish New Year. The new year was brought in with firework displays which I watched from our kitchen window. To the eye, the sky was ablaze with brilliant colors but to the ear, it was reminiscent of bombs and gunshots that I often heard when CPT worked in Baghdad. The night's events left me feeling torn between joy that the Kurds were celebrating the beginning of a new year filled with hope, and sorrow for all the death that has occurred both here in the north as well as in the south of Iraq.

Freed from a tyrant by default in a war waged by the very country that helped create the tyrant, is enough to wreak havoc on everyones psyche. It's hard to know who to thank, who to blame, who to trust or who to be wary of, as the many facets of these realities have such different meanings and consequences to all the different players in this chapter of history.

Iraq is on the cusp of rebuilding and reshaping its future. With the second national election since 2003 behind them by 2 weeks, Iraqi still waits for the final results which may come in these next days. After that, some speculate it may take months before the new government is formed. It's a precarious time because it leaves the country in somewhat of a power vacuum until the new leaders are seated and the new government takes hold. It's a time of threats and deceit and its a time of coalition building and hope.

Here in the Kurdish north, we have seen some of the worst come out of the two main ruling parties, the PUK and the KDP. Yet, at the same time, its difficult to dismiss these ruling parties since it was those very leaders who kept the Kurds from being totally annihilated by the various occupying tyrants throughout the 20th century. Somewhere along the line, the taste of power for some individuals became more appealing than the taste of freedom and dignity for all.

However, an up and coming new political entity, Gorran, otherwise known as the Change List, has gained momentum in the Kurdish north. A call for democracy, transparency, human rights, and collective growth seems to be pulsing through the veins of many of the Kurdish people following the Gorran platform. Will the leaders of this new political entity nurture that vision or will they, like so many other political leaders become drunk with power and blinded by corruption?

Some members of the PUK/KDP ruling parties have lashed out against this fledgling political entity in tyrannical ways. CPT has been working with some of the victims of this backlash, encouraging them to continue their vow to not fight violence with violence. They insist that they will remain strong, not by the gun but by the power of diplomacy, the power of human decency, and by the support of the people of good will throughout the international community. We will be putting out a video on YouTube soon about this situation.

Iraq is a country seeking to shed its roots of tribal governing in order to embrace the way of democracy. They have a ways to go. And I'm not talking about the acts of terrorism that most people, particularly in the US, think is the dominant method of ruling by the Iraqi people. Iraq is not made up of uncivilized people needing to be “trained” by the West. On the contrary, the people of Iraq, both in the north and the south have shown exemplary humanitarian leadership traits that centuries of occupation, war and devastation have been unable to extinguish. It makes me wonder how we in the US would compare if we were to experience even a few decades of what people here have endured.

Even with all that our country has done and continues to do that flies in the face of humanity, many of the people here look to the West for advice and direction for building a democracy but I wonder what they will find or who they will emulate.

On paper the democracy claimed by the US looks good. But those of us who know our history know our problems. We in the US are lucky to have had great people like Howard Zinn who studied and recorded our history from the peoples perspective. After all, isn't that what our Constitution was supposed to be built on; “We the People...”? From this history, we have an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and hold on to what is good about us for surely there is good in our collective society.

Compared to Kurdish society, maybe the ordinary people in the US feel more empowered to change the course of government when it goes haywire. We see that in our grassroots organizations filled with committed activists who have faced government persecution and loss of a safe and comfortable place in society. Even though we've lived under tyrants, albeit tyrants masked behind a “kinder, gentler” persona, we have taken to the streets or to the jail cells denouncing crimes against humanity whether it be the crime of war or the crime of poverty perpetrated on people by government.

If we can't change it's course, maybe we are more able to separate from government and build our own little communities. Although we have never been able to fully separate from a government that's gone crazy with power, greed and corruption, some of our communities are becoming more adept at providing for each other for the common good as opposed to the good of the individual.

This is the kind of democracy that I hope for the people of Iraq both in the north and the south. Before I can pass that on to another, I need to be damn sure that I practice it myself and I need to thank those that continue to teach me including the people here in Iraq.

I expect these thoughts will bring lots of criticism from people who are threatened by the realization that the US might be less than perfect, so feel free to express your thoughts and send them my way if you'd like. After all, we live in a democracy.

Report on the March 19 Anti-War Protests

CSS student and Iraqi citizen Zaynab Alwan made
this banner to highlight the terrible human cost of war

By Adam Ritscher

This March 19th marked the 7th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. During these past seven years hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans have needlessly lost their lives - and millions more have had their lives disrupted by physical and psychological injuries, by having their homes demolished, and losing loved ones. And tragically, after the passage of all of this time, there is no real end in sight.


To show that our region is still against this war, and that we continue to demand an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from overseas, the Northland Anti-War Coalition marked the occasion with three pickets that took place at different times throughout the day, in different neighborhoods of Duluth. Each picket was an hour long, and all told, 60 people participated in the day's events.


The first picket was held at 7:30am at the corner of Grand & Central in West Duluth. 10 hearty souls were able to roust themselves out of bed that early and hold signs to greet people on their way to work.


The second picket was held at 11:30 at the busy intersection of Central Entrance & Mesaba up by the Coppertop Church. Another 10 activists showed up for this event, which proved especially challenging due to a drop in the temperature, and fierce winds off the lake that even broke some of our picket signs!


And the final picket of the day was held at 4:30pm at the corner of Lake Ave. & Superior St. in downtown Duluth. Forty people attended this event, and like the previous pickets, we were greeted by overwhelmingly positive responses from the many passing motorists and pedestrians.

Both the local ABC and Fox television affiliates covered the actions.

I'd like to thank everyone who participated in today's protests, despite the weather! I especially want to hank our press spokesperson, Zaynab Alwan. I want to thank Fatima Alwan, Cole Maki and Scott Bol for leading us in some boisterous chants; Carl Sack for handling the press work; Joel Kilgour for proposing the pickets; and everyone else who had a hand in today's important event.

Since the war is not over, neither is the need for an anti-war movement! So, mark your calendars for the next NAWC protest, which will be on April 15 - Tax Day. We'll be gathering at 4:30pm at the MN Power Plaza for a colorful march through downtown Duluth, Canal Park and through the Tea Party event that'll be taking place at the same time. Be sure to tell your friends, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Letter from Kurdistan

by Michele Naar-Obed

March 5, 2010

Dear friends,

It's been a long and tiring month and a lot has happened here in the Kurdish north of Iraq.

Our long awaited human rights report is now public. "Where there is a promise, there is a tragedy": Cross-border bombings and shellings of the northern village peoples of the Kurdish region of Iraq by the nations of Turkey and Iran, is a 57 page report which documents the impact of an intermittent war waged on an isolated civilian population, the historical context in which the current warfare is occurring, and the international legal implications of decisions taken by various militaries engaged in acts of violence against a vulnerable civilian population in an already-vulnerable and -war-torn country. These are the links for the report in both English and Kurdish. I'll also post the links on my website; www.duluthcpt.net. And if you haven't already checked out the videos, take a look at "hospitality Zharawa IDP camp style". Their stories are included in the report.

My last email painted a rather bleak picture with regards to the 137 families with whom we work closely. They were in pretty deep despair having now been displaced for over 2 years. Some have been living in the tent camp for over one year through pretty harsh weather and in very sparse conditions.

They have seemed to get their resolve back and they feel hopeful again. They contribute much of that hope to us and we contribute much of our feelings of hope to them. It's as if there's an energy that moves between and amongst us and keeps the flame alive.

Two weeks ago, we delivered our human rights report to the Prime Minister's office. The Prime Minister's aide accepted the report and we had quite a long talk about it. At first his reception was a bit cool, but within a short time, he had moved his chair closer and had tea brought in and I knew I had a captive audience. He took lots of notes and asked lots of good questions and then said he wanted this office to make the case of our 137 families their top priority. Now, it's campaign season for the national elections so we know we can be dealing with empty campaign promises and a lot of hot air but nonetheless, we're trying to capitalize on the moment.

The aide asked when we would be going to the camp next. It happened that we were going in 2 days. He asked if he could come. I said sure, not fully counting on it but sure enough he came through at the last minute and I believe he was really shocked at what he saw.

The purpose of our meeting at the camp was to synthesize the plans and visions of 11 different villages into one vision and plan. We anticipated that this task would take days if not longer. But with the help of another good friend from Rania, a beautiful plan was laid out and a letter was drafted and all the village leaders signed their names and presented this letter to the Prime Minister's office manager. He promised to deliver it to the Prime Minister, Mr. Barham Salih. I've heard good things about this guy but I've also heard that his hands are tied by other party members.

Essentially, the plan is to build a large collective village close to their old villages but in a safer location. The villagers also believe that by collecting themselves together in one village instead of being scattered into multiple smaller villages will make them safer. This new village will have land for their animals, bees for honey, agriculture and orchards. This is the work that they love and that they are so good at. Believe me, I've tasted their honey and their fruits and they're pretty incredible. And they want to do this collectively which is a pretty incredible step for them. They have been separated by tribal rivalry and jealousy and the political parties try to further divide them and make them smaller and weaker and more vulnerable. They recognize that and they are ready to work together for the good of all. They've asked us to help them and challenge them with better ways to work together.

The villagers would also like this new collective village to have a CPT presence. They believe that our presence will make them safer.

It will take a lot of work to build this new collective village. Right now the foundation is built on a hope and a prayer. Our job now is to see to it that the KRG government, with the help of the international community, add mortar, brick and stone one house at a time. More importantly, our job is to keep hope alive.
After my last email, many people asked what could they do for the 137 families. I don't have any answers for that question YET. We will be working closely with their government to find out the next steps for building this collective village. Likely, it will require the help of international NGOs and there may be ways for those of you that are interested to help. I will make specific requests as the needs develop.

In the meantime, if you are so inclined, you can keep these families in your prayers and thoughts. Building this village will be a long process and they could use some encouragement along the way. Send them a short email through me if you'd like. I can get them translated and present them to the villagers.

Peace,

Michele

Michele Naar-Obed of Duluth's Loaves & Fishes Community has recently returned to Kurdish region of Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. The CPT has maintained a presence in Iraq since October of 2002, and is currently focused on accompanying displaced persons in the Kurdish border region and documenting human rights violations against civilian populations. You can read more of her reports at duluthcpt.net.

Report from Kurdish north of Iraq

by Michele Naar-Obed

A child from the Zharawa IDP tent camp on the Iraq/Turkey border. The families in the Zharawa camp were displaced from their homes by Turkish bombing raids. Photo courtesy CPT.

Amazingly, both me and my luggage arrived safe and sound in Suleimaniya in the early morning hours of January 1. Every connecting flight landed and left on schedule. This is a rare event in my many travels back and forth.

I just wanted to send a few brief updates on what I've seen and learned so far. I visited the IDP tent camp in Zharawa. 6 families have decided to stay at the camp indefinitely. They are too afraid to return to their villages and they have nowhere to go in town. I don't know how many people are in each family but I saw children and elderly at the camp. They have a generator but no money for benzene to run it. The US military dug a well in July but they are still waiting for a pump. They think it will be finished in 2 weeks. Meanwhile, as of December 31, 2009, the UNHCR has stopped bringing in tanks of water. They have not had water brought in for the past 4 days. They are still in tents and not looking forward to snow and ice.

Many families are living in the town of Zharawa either crowding into relatives houses or in very cheap, small rental houses. Don't have those numbers yet.

Some families have returned to their villages and will stay there as long as they are safe. Don't know those numbers yet either. There has been some shelling but that has been limited to the outskirts of the villages. The last time there was extensive shelling inside the villages was August. Schools have reopened in the villages.

We had a long meeting with Kaka Haji. He is hoping to get a meeting with the new Prime Minister, Mr. Barham Salih. He believes Mr. Salih will hear and heed his plea for the needs of the villagers. However, after long discussions, he came to the conclusion that his government really doesn't care about the little people on the bottom. I assured him that this is not a phenomenon unique to the Kurdish government. Kaka Haji recognized the need for the little people to organize in order to make them just a wee bit bigger. CPT is considering offering them trainings in organizing and nonviolence. In the meantime, we are in the end stages of preparing a report for the international community and human rights organizations on the condition of the IDPs.
I had a chance to see Khaled Qader and the folks at the Rania Youth Center. Khaled has been busy preparing the Rania delegation for their trip to Duluth this spring. Still no affirmation from the Kurdistan government regarding their travel funds but they are living in hope which is amazing considering what they have been through.

I have a lot more catching up to do. I'm still taking a lot in and will have more to say as time goes on. That's it for now.

Peace, Michele

Michele Naar-Obed of Duluth's Loaves & Fishes Community has recently returned to Kurdish region of Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. The CPT has maintained a presence in Iraq since October of 2002, and is currently focused on accompanying displaced persons in the Kurdish border region and documenting human rights violations against civilian populations. You can read more of her reports at duluthcpt.net.

Hey Obama, Yes We Can; Troops Out of Afghanistan!

Student activists from UMD and CSS were joined by a handful of community members on Thursday in an emergency anti-war march/traffic slow-down at the Lake and Superior intersection in downtown Duluth. The protest was called in response to Obama's reception of the Nobel Peace Prize even as he escalates the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan and threatens to destabilize South America by stationing hundreds of troops in Colombia.

Despite the frigid weather, the crowd kept up their spirits with chants and drumming, circling the intersection for 45 minutes before marching to Canal Park. Channels 3 and 6 covered the protest on their evening newscasts. Keep reading for more pics courtesy Emily Flesch.

In a dramatic re-enactment of Obama's peace prize ceremony, the new Nobel Laureate walked over a human red carpet representing those who have died in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Colombia and Honduras because of his Administration's policies.

Traffic wasn't stopped, but it was forced to slow down as students circled the intersection in two groups, interrupting business as usual and challenging public apathy toward Obama's wars.

March against the wars Thursday in Duluth!

Tell Obama: You've got your peace prize, now earn it!
NO escalation in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Colombia! Troops home now!
Thursday, December 10 at 4:30 PM
Meet up at the Minnesota Power Plaza in downtown Duluth
(Lake Ave and Superior St, next to the Christmas tree).

Even as he prepares for his Nobel Peace ceremony, President Obama is moving swiftly to escalate the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, okaying both a troop build-up and more deadly drone attacks. Barely noticed but equally alarming are his plans to station hundreds of US troops on the other side of the globe in Colombia - propping up a human rights-abusing regime and heightening chances for a regional conflict.

Student activists at UMD, CSS and LSC have called for an emergency march on Thursday - the day Obama receives his Nobel Peace Prize - to protest these war policies and let the community know that the anti-war movement is alive and well! Bring drums/buckets to help us make some noise, bring reflective gear and lights to keep safe, and bring friends! There won't be any speakers, but a NO BULL PRIZE guerrilla theater along the way. And be prepared to take it to the streets.

Building Relationships in Rania - Nov 2

Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange Project invites you to:

Building Relationships in Rania
with Michele Naar-Obed
Monday, November 2, 7pm
Zinema 2 Theaters
(222 E. Superior St, Duluth)

Michele, a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, has made numerous trips to Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. She is the inspiration for a Duluth-area citizen-based trip to Rania, Iraq. That trip took place in May, 2009.

Michele will provide an update on the developments in the Duluth-Rania connection and will talk about her recent visit to a camp for internally displaced people.

There will be a short video presentation of the children at the IDP camp. This friendship exchange project will offer hope to those kids and they, as well as our kids, are our future and our chance for a better world.

Members of the May trip to Iraq will join Michele in her presentation: Brooks Anderson, Marv Heikkinen, Donna Howard, Arno Kahn, Tom Morgan and Salima Swenson

This event is free and open to the public. A social hour in the Zinema atrium will follow Micheles presentation. Beverages will be available for purchase from the Zinema.

With special support from: The Alworth Center for the Study of Peace & Justice at CSS and from Zeitgeist Arts.

Report on Oct. 17 March & Rally

"1-2-3-4, We Don't Want These Stinking Wars!" reverberated off the tall buildings in Duluth's downtown on Saturday, October 17, as a spirited band of about 100 protesters marched through the city. On a day when anti-war protests were held in more than 40 cities and towns across the nation, this spirited band marched to show their continued opposition to the ongoing U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the combined price tag of these two wars approaching $1 trillion dollars, and up to one million lives lost, we need to show that the anti-war movement is alive and kicking!



The Duluth protest started at the Clayton, Jackson, McGhie Memorial (which memorializes three African-Americans who were lynched in Duluth in 1920), where we held a moment of silence of Staff Sgt. Aaron Taylor, a local soldier who was killed in Iraq on Oct. 9 and whose funeral was held on the same day as the protest.

From the CJM Memorial we marched through downtown Duluth, and then up to the Civic Center where we held a rally on the steps of the Federal Building. Peter Provost of the band Clear greeted the protesters with some moving song-singing, and this was followed up by an impressive program of powerful speakers. The theme of the rally was "Fund Human Needs, Make Jobs Not War!", and this was woven into all of the speeches, which stressed what a tragic waste all of the war spending is, when we have so many social needs crying out for funding.


The speakers at the program were physician and health care activist Charles Gessert, Rev. Cathy Schuyler of the Duluth Congregational Church and CHUM, Scott Yeazle of the Twin Ports Action Coalition, Josie Johnson of Earth Action and Eric Blomstrom from Community Action Duluth. And the whole event was ably MCed by Ellie Connolly of the Northland Anti-War Coalition, who stressed the need to keep reaching out to our friends, neighbors and co-workers to build the anti-war movement.

Organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition, the protest was also endorsed by the Duluth Central Labor Body, Veterans for Peace, Women in Black, Peace North, the Duluth Area Green Party, Grandmothers for Peace, Socialist Action, Lake Superior Greens, Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Peace & Justice Committee, UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Workers United Local 99, CSS Earth Action, Rice Lake People for Peace, the Nortland Center for Art & Ecopsychology and a host of individual activists and concerned citizens.



Special thanks to all of our wonderful speakers at the rally, and to Ellie for MCing. Thanks to Steve Wick and Josie Johnson for leading the chants during our march, and to Mustafa Aidid, Chere Suzette Bergeron, Carl Sack, Linda Gokee and Bob Kosuth for being the rally marshalls. Thanks also to Mike Solon for the sound system, and to Colette Knudson and Gary Sorenson for being our press liasons. Labor World newspaper deserves a special shout for doing such a great job plugging the protest, as does the National Assembly to End the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars, which initiated the Oct. 17 national day of action. And finally, thanks to Scott Bol, Peter Krause, Joel Kilgour, and everyone else who helped organize this event.

Coming on the heels of our Oct. 5 candle light vigil to mark the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, this fall has been a busy one for the Northland Anti-War Coalition. But much remains to be done to build a broad enough, and visible enough movement to bring these wars to an end. Towards that end NAWC would like to invite all anti-war activists throughout northern Minnesota and Wisconsin to a special strategy planning meeting on Nov. 8 at 2pm at the Duluth Unitarian Church. The struggle continues, and we could use your help and input on moving forward! Thank you to everyone who turned out on Oct. 5 and Oct. 17, and we look forward to seeing you on Nov. 8!

Twin Ports Anti-War Protest THIS SATURDAY!

October 17 Duluth Anti-War March & Rally
NATIONAL DAY OF LOCAL ACTIONS TO END THE WARS

Saturday, October 17 is a national day of local actions against the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around the country over 40 cities and towns will be holding protests, among them will be Duluth, Minnesota.

To give local citizens an opportunity to demonstrate their opposition to the ongoing wars this country is waging, we'll be holding a march and rally in downtown Duluth starting at noon. We'll be assembling at the Clayton, Jackson & McGhie Memorial at the corner of 2nd Ave. E. & E. 1st Street. From there we'll march to the Duluth Federal Building.

The theme of the protest is FUND HUMAN NEEDS: MAKE JOBS NOT WAR! The speakers will be talking about where we should be spending our tax dollars, as opposed to war and occupation.

Among the speakers at the rally will be Eric Blomstrom from Community Action Duluth, Scott Yeazle of the Twin Ports Action Coalition, Kathy Anderson of the Northland Anti-War Coalition, Rev.Cathy Schuyler of the Duluth Congregational Church and CHUM, Todd Erickson of Workers United Local 99, health care activist Charles Gessert and a spokesperson for the group Earth Action of the College of St. Scholastica. Ellie Connolly will be the MC and Peter Provost of the band Clear will be sharing some songs.

This event is being organized by the Northland Anti-War Coalition, and is endorsed date by the Duluth Central Labor Body, Veterans for Peace, Women in Black, Peace North, the Duluth Area Green Party, Grandmothers for Peace, Socialist Action, Lake Superior Greens, Duluth Unitarian-Universalist Peace & Justice Committee, UMD Students for Peace, CSS Center for Just Living, Twin Ports Action Coalition, Workers United Local 99, CSS Earth Action, Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice, Rice Lake People for Peace, the Nortland Center for Art & Ecopsychology and a host of individual activists and concerned citizens!

Remember the Refugee Week at CSS

For a week beginning October 11, the front lawn of the Science Building at the College of St Scholastica will be home to a tent city. Students with the CSS chapter of Amnesty International are living outside to draw attention to the global refugee crisis. The camp will be bustling with awareness-raising activities all week - teach-ins, movie nights, and even a comedian. All events are open to the public. Read more for a full schedule of events.

CSS Remember the Refugee Week
Schedule of events

Monday October 12th:
Bret Thiele, Coordinator—Litigation Progamme, and Mayra Gomez, Coordinator—Women and Housing Rights, from the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions will be speaking about the right to adequate housing. 6:00pm.

“City of God,” a film about the immense amount of gangs and violence in Rio de Janeiro. Capturing the looks of defeat and despair through his photography, a young boy is convinced to tell a story that nobody wants to hear but everyone should know. 7:30 pm.

Tuesday October 13th:
Panel Discussion with CSS Iraqi Refugees. Students from Iraq will be talking about the current refugee situation. 7:00pm.

Wednesday October 14th:
Simple breakfast to begin a 30 hour fast. If you are interested in joining students from St. Scholastica standing in solidarity with those who experience hunger on a daily basis, please join us at 9:00am.

Comedian Rob O’Reilly will be taking the stage to remind us that Refugees are no laughing matter. 7:00pm.

Thursday October 15th:
Soup and Discussion about the worldwide refugee crisis to finish our 30 hour fast. Please join us for great food and great talk! 6:00pm

Benefit Concert with St. Scholastica students Mike Legan and Sarah Hengel, featuring Duluth’s own Sara Thomsen. Come, listen to some great music, grab some dinner beforehand, and be generous as we pass the hat. 7:00 pm.

Friday October 16th:
Film Showing: “Gaza: the Killing Zone.” A British report on Israeli violence in Gaza against not only Palestinian civilians, but international aid volunteers and foreign reporters as well. 5:30pm.

Bob Kosuth will be talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 6:30pm

Candle-light vigil in remembrance of the refugees whom we honored during the week. 7:30pm