Peace

Tensions ease with release of British sailors, but U.S. war threats vs. Iran remain.

With antiwar momentum building in and out of Congress, major grassroots efforts kicked off last week to bring U.S. troops home.

WASHINGTON (IPS) — El propósito de Estados Unidos de modernizar su arsenal nuclear no es bien visto por el resto del mundo, según un estudio de opinión pública encargado por una agencia del Pentágono.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) introduced legislation March 6 that would amend the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to direct schools to release student contact information to military recruiters only if a written request is submitted by the student’s parents, effectively turning the current “opt-out” provision into an “opt-in” provision. It’s called the Student Privacy Protection Act of 2007.

UNITED NATIONS — The UN Security Council unanimously added further sanctions on Iran, March 24. But diplomats said sanctions were not the solution and emphasized the need for stepped up diplomacy. Meanwhile, rumors of U.S. war plans have dramatically increased tensions and fears of a U.S. attack on Iran.

WASHINGTON — In a sharp rebuff to President George W. Bush, both the House and Senate have approved versions of a supplemental spending bill calling for withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq next year.

HOUSTON — Texas, home to both President Bush and his father, now leads the nation in number of troops sent to Iraq. It also leads in the per capita death rate among large states, according to the Houston Chronicle.

WASHINGTON — En la capital del país decenas de miles protestaron en contra la guerra y ocupación de Irak como parte de las acciones pacifistas en diferente ciudades de la nación. Las protestas durante el fin de semana pasado marcaban el cuarto aniversario de la invasión estadounidense en ese país del Medio Oriente.

Democrats and others are questioning whether the move will make it possible to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) stated, “At the same time they’ll be avoiding U.S. taxes, I’m sure they won’t stop insisting on taking their profits in cold hard U.S. cash.”

More than 1,000 local peace actions marked the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war. Below is a sampling from our correspondents.