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IVAW Statement on Recent Terror Attacks

published by IVAW National on 11/18/15 5:16pm
Posted to: 
Staff

 IVAW Statement on Recent Attacks in Lebanon, Afghanistan, France, Iraq, & Nigeria  

Our hearts and thoughts go out to the victims and families who have suffered from the acts of brutality committed in Beirut, Paris, Baghdad, Zabul and now multiple cities in Nigeria over the last number of days.   We condemn these terrorist attacks in Lebanon, Afghanistan, France, Iraq and Nigeria. We mourn with the victims and send our deepest condolences to their families. No one’s life should end in this way; no family should suffer the anguish and loss that these people are suffering.   For these attacks to stop, we must address their root causes and take responsibility for U.S. participation in the destabilization of countries that span the Middle East, North and Western Africa, and South and Central Asia. The deliberate destabilization of once functional states in the region, and the current bombardment of Yemen by U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, has created the perfect environment for groups like ISIS and Boko Haram to grow and thrive. We must see the rise of terrorism and the attacks in Paris for what they are, blowback for western intervention in the Middle East and elsewhere around the globe.   We, as current and former military members, understand that who the U.S. military kills is never certain and differentiating combatants from civilians is not a priority. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been killed and thousands of others are being stalked and killed by drones in at least seven countries, creating an environment filled with constant terror. Russia joining the bombardment of Syria and Iraq, the recent announcement of more troops to be deployed around the globe, and the extension of troop withdrawal in Afghanistan will only exacerbate an increasingly volatile situation until the “all out war” that France’s President Hollande called for is upon us. The end result of all of this can only be destruction, terror and lost lives, not only from predominately Muslim countries, but everywhere terror and war will inevitably reach.   We know from experience that declaring war on terrorism is a futile gesture that engages the world in a downward spiral of destruction. A full land war in Syria plays into the goals of terrorist groups and will undoubtedly destroy more innocent lives. Meanwhile, western countries will be no safer than before, in fact, increased blowback resulting from these actions will remain an ever present threat for years to come. An escalation of warfare will also violate civil liberties by establishing a securitization regime in France as an extension of the already existing “security measures” in the U.S., England and elsewhere   We call on the US and its NATO allies to: 1)    Exercise restraint and exhaust all avenues of diplomacy; 2)    Take full responsibility and hold themselves accountable for the illegality of the Iraq war and the continuance of the Afghanistan war, their colonial exploits, and their extra military actions which gave rise to the instability of various regions as we see today; 3)    De-escalate from the perpetual violence, and reduce militarization both at home and abroad; and 4)    Accept responsibility for the resettlement of all refugees, who are victimized by the so-called “War on Terror,” and resist scapegoating those with the least power in this tragic string of events.   Repeating the disastrous choices made by our nation after September 11th will result in nothing short of squandering the future of millions. This cycle of violence and exploitation has to end now.

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Fall Internships in Media and Development at IVAW New York

IVAW is currently seeking interns in Fundraising & Development, Media & Public Relations, and New Media for Fall 2011. Applicants should send a cover letter and resume or C.V., along with two professional or academic...

War Voices: Building Community After a Decade of Struggle at Home and Abroad

October 7th, 2011 will mark 10 years since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the start of the Global War on Terror. To commemorate this sad anniversary, we are calling for a month of local and national activities from...

IVAW at LA Rising!

Members of the Los Angeles chapter were joined by organizers from the Operation Recovery Campaign to attend the LA Rising festival at the Memorial Coliseum. The event, headlined by Rage Against the Machine, was...

Board Elections and Resolutions Results

Convention 2011 was a big success! Over 100 members and allies were in attendance.  We will share more about the trainings, workshops, plenaries, and post photos and video in the coming days. In the meantime, the results of...

Convention Broadcasting Live!

Go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ivaw-national-convention-2011 to watch now. Check out our convention guide to keep up with the latest happenings.

New IVAW Promo Video

Please check out our new promo video created in time for the L.A. Rising Festival at the end of the month.  A big thanks to Torrey Townsend, David Zeiger, and Ryan Harvey for their contributions!

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