7 Years in Iraq: Anniversary Peace Vigil and Walk, Logan
Event flyer for the March 19 peace vigil and walk
Cache Valley Peace Works is organizing activities on Friday, March 19
to mark the 7th (!) Anniversary of the Iraq War:
1. We will start with our regular peace vigil in front of the Logan Tabernacle (50 N Main) 5:30 PM.
2. At 6PM we will start a peace walk from the vigil to the Historic County Court House at 199 N Main. Bring your own signs to the vigil and walk, or help us hold/carry one of the big Cost of War banners provided by the American Friends Service Committee.
3. After arriving at the courthouse, we will gather in a circle for some silence, speakers, music, and a candle light vigil. Candles will be provided. All are invited to share their thoughts during the candle light vigil.
Questions? Willing to help? E-mail info@loganpeace.org or call (435) 755-5137.
brenda on 17 Mar 2010 at 7:03 am #
This Friday, March 19, will be the 7th anniversary of the U.S. war in Iraq. Cache Valley Peace Works is once again organizing events to mark this anniversary. We will start with a peace vigil from 5:30-6PM as usual on the east side of Main St between 100 N and Center St. At 6PM we will walk to the Historic County Courthouse at 199 N Main St, and gather there for a rally with speakers, music, and a candle-light vigil. We invite everyone to join in the spirit of peace and remembrance.
You may ask, why bother to continue to protest the Iraq war? After all, President Obama did affirm the bilateral security agreement with Iraq to remove all U.S. forces from Iraq, and the first benchmark of the agreement, to remove all U.S. forces from Iraqi cities, was implemented last June. Can’t we just let our leaders carry out the rest of the agreement, and move on with our lives? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is, NO.
In order to honor the final language of the agreement – the removal of ALL U.S. forces by the end of 2011 - the President also pledged to remove all combat forces from Iraq by August 31, 2010. With this important milestone only months away, the Pentagon recently revealed contingency plans to delay the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq if conditions on the ground worsen. Linking withdrawal to conditions on the ground would not only violate Iraqi sovereignty, it would provide disastrous incentive for further violence: any group fearing a loss of power in the wake of U.S. withdrawal need only seed further violent conflict to ensure perpetual occupation.
The good news is, grassroots oversight still works in this country. Early this month, 20 national organizations from across the political spectrum sent a letter to the White House calling for a clear message that withdrawal from Iraq should not be linked to conditions on the ground. In his remarks on the elections in Iraq a few days later, the President reiterated the U.S. commitment to withdraw combat troops by August 31 this year and to withdraw all troops and military presence by the end of 2011 in accordance with the bilateral agreement.
Continued grassroots oversight on Iraq is critical. Our leaders need to know that reneging on its commitment for time-based withdrawal from Iraq is not acceptable to we the people. Be part of the grassroots oversight: join the vigil and rally this Friday and the weekly vigil every Friday in Logan; write to the President and your representatives; join the Countdown to Withdrawal campaign (https://www.countdowntowithdrawal.org). Let’s make sure this war draws to a complete end.