New York, NY – In front of 35 members of the United Nations Correspondence Association (UNCA), Ambassador Dr. Bashar Jaafari of the Syrian Mission hosted a report-back, June 18, by five members of the U.S. delegation of election observers who had traveled to Damascus for the June 3 presidential elections. Included among the election observers were Joe Iosbaker of the Anti-War Committee-Chicago; Paul Larudee of the Syrian Solidarity Movement; Jane Stillwater, a freelance journalist; Scott Williams of the International Action Center and Judy Bello of New York’s Upstate Coalition to Ground the Drones and End the Wars. Both Bello and Iosbaker are also members of the administrative committee of the United National Antiwar Coalition.
New York, NY – Anti-war activists joined Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Bashar Jaafari, for a press conference at the U.N. on June 18, at 11:00 a.m. Paul Larudee, Joe Iosbaker, Judy Bello, Scott Williams and Jane Stillwater were observers of the presidential elections in Syria on June 3. They joined official governmental delegations from 11 countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Iran and Brazil.
Damasucs, Syria – On June 4, a group of parliamentarians met with the delegation of election observers from Canada, Ireland and the U.S. for a press event, which was covered by SANA, the Syrian public news company.
The Ukraine crisis is an attack by U.S. imperialism, along with local fascists, on the people of Ukraine. The European Union has been ally of the U.S. attack.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following June 5 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).CPP denounces US intervention in Zamboanga siege
Damascus, Syria – Election observers gathered June 4, the day after election day, to discuss what they had seen and adopted a statement that the elections were democratic and wished the Syrian people a new stage of stability, national unity and reconciliation. Parliamentarians from 11 countries officially participated as observers, including Russia, Iran, Tajikistan, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and The Philippines. There were also journalists, anti-war and international solidarity activists from Canada, the U.S., Ireland, Pakistan, Malaysia and Bahrain.
Homs, Syria – In an emotional day, mixed with sadness for the loss of life and a celebration of victory, the people of Homs, Syria came out to vote in their presidential election, June 3. Outside many polling places, hundreds of people gathered to rally, chant and dance dabke, the traditional dance of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. The celebratory mood was because in the past month, the armies backed by the U.S., NATO, Israel and the Gulf states that had been fighting in the Old City of Homs were finally driven out.
Editors note: Prominent Chicago- based anti-war activist Joe Iosbaker is in route to Damascus, Syria where he will participate in a delegation of observers for the Syrian election’s.Fight Back!will publish commentary by Iosbaker as we receive it.
Damascus, Syria – Ten people from the U.S., Canada and Ireland have traveled to Syria to observe the presidential elections taking place here June 3. Our delegation is mainly anti-war and international solidarity activists who are members of organizations including the International Action Center, Syria Solidarity Committee, the Anti-War Committee-Chicago, the United National Antiwar Coalition and the International Solidarity Movement. We are hosted by a Iranian non-governmental organization, the International Union of Unified Ummah (Muslim community).
Over the past two weeks, the U.S. and NATO-backed junta in Kiev has persistently pushed Ukraine further down the path of civil war. Regime-orchestrated violence against the anti-fascist resistance is escalating, with a crackdown on both independent militias and civilians in the east.
Minneapolis, MN – President Obama announced May 27, that by 2015 the U.S. will have 9,800 troops in Afghanistan and that by the end of 2016 the U.S. will leave troops to guard the U.S. embassy in Kabul. The next day when Secretary of State John Kerry was interviewed by Chuck Todd on MSNBC, Todd pointed out that “there’s eight more years of that agreement, and the next president, without the authorization of Congress, without seeking new permission from Afghanistan, could end up sending more troops back in” and Kerry agreed that it is possible that the U.S. could send in more troops. He was quick to point out that that decision would be made under a different administration though.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following May 27 statement from the United Electrical Workers (UE) on developments in the Ukraine and U.S. intervention.
Tucson, AZ – Tucson activists organized a presentation and discussion on the crisis in Ukraine, May 23. The teach-in was part of the nationwide emergency action campaign, initiated by the United National Antiwar Coalition, against U.S. intervention in Ukraine.
Grand Rapids, MI – Many are out marching and protesting Monsanto this spring, demanding food be healthy and safe, that Monsanto products be labeled as GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and insisting that one corporation should not control the entire seed supply or corner the market. Unions and immigrant rights groups are demanding protections and decent pay for farm workers who use Monsanto products in the fields.
Washington, DC – In response to U.S. espionage charges claiming five officers of China’s People’s Liberation Army were carrying out cyber spying on U.S. corporations, in a May 21 article the New China News Agency (Xinhua) stated, “It is really amazing to see that the biggest cyber bully, which has virtually no credibility left in the cyber world, could still stand at the moral high ground to accuse others.”
Miami, FL – Anti-war activists, students and Palestinian Americans gathered here to commemorate Al Nakba, which means “the catastrophe.” Al Nakba refers to the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians when they were violently forced off their land by Zionist militia groups in May 1948.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.Occupation crimes on Nakba Day at Ofer will spark increased resistance
Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people jointed a protest in front of the Federal Building here, May 15, to mark the 66th anniversary of Al Nakba. Organized by the Twin Cites based Anti-War Committee, the demonstration called for an end of U.S. aid to Israel and for justice for Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh. Al Nakba, Arabic for “the Catastrophe,” marks the Zionist terror that accompanied the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Palestine in 1948 and the founding of Israel.
Chicago, IL – In spite of the coup government in Kiev, an electoral referendum on autonomy saw huge voter turnout in Donetsk and Lugansk in the east of Ukraine. People lined the streets and waited patiently to cast their votes for self rule.
