Peace

Tomorrow the U.S. and Iraq will officially mark the pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq’s cities and towns. Coming six years after the massive U.S. invasion, it is the first step in a withdrawal timetable agreed on by the two countries in December, with all U.S. troops to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011. Only time will tell whether this first pullout phase will turn out to be real, and what kind of Iraqi nation will emerge.

The Network condemns the coup against the constitutional president of the Republic of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, and repudiates any attack against the dignity of the Honduran nation. We are in solidarity with the democratic spirit of our sister Central American country and we reiterate our commitment with the people’s right to freely determine their future and we demand respect for the legitimately constituted institutions of the country.

In calling for a stricter use of air strikes, Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the new commander of forces in Afghanistan, took a step back from the abyss. In coming to grips with the harsh reality that too many civilians were being killed, McChrystal decided to limit air strikes only to prevent American and coalition troops from being “overrun.” This is a long-delayed, yet welcome step.

The following is a June 21 statement from the Central Committee of the Tudeh Party of Iran.

Following the speech of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader and the commander of the coup d’état, in the Friday prayers in Tehran – which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called “authoritative and unravelling” – the armed thugs of the regime, including the forces of the Basij militia, Intelligence Ministry and units of the Revolutionary Corps brutally attacked peaceful and righteous-seeking demonstrations of the people.

The Supreme Court’s refusal June 15 to review the case of the Cuban Five, whose original trial began in November 2000, invites comparisons of their sentences with those handed out to others with convictions relating to espionage, especially involving countries other than Cuba.

Dr. Bernard Lown’s work, both political and medical, has been dedicated to peace. He developed the cardiac defibrillator to restart arrested hearts and invented cardio-version to fix cardiac rhythm disturbances. To help prevent nuclear war ― and death and destruction ― he co-founded International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear war, and earned a Nobel Peace Price in 1985. In all of this, Lown’s aim has been to stave off death and sickness.

BAGHDAD, 8 June 2009 (IRIN) - Iraqi Environment Minister Narmin Othman has appealed for more international support to clear the country of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).

WASHINGTON – “The people don’t want 30,000 more troops, but instead 30,000 engineers, teachers and scientists,” said Dr. Roshanak Wardak, a member of the parliament in Afghanistan.

North Korea’s recent nuclear and rocket tests have ruffled many feathers. Nations—both sworn enemies and allies alike—have voiced displeasure at the tests, and so have many peace and democratic activists, this paper included.

The U.S. government is guilty of crimes against humanity for using Agent Orange in Vietnam according to a ruling by the International People’s Tribunal of Conscience announced in Paris on May 18.