TO ALL U.S. GIs
Before rushing off to Iraq, take time to
ask: What's this war about?
Isn't it part of the "War on Terrorism"?
Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. There
were no Iraqis on those planes. There's no evidence of a connection between
Iraq and Al Qaida. Al Qaida hates secular governments like Iraq's.
Isn't it a war to defend the security of the US?
Against what? Iraq never attacked the US, nor could it. Iraq's military
budget is 1/100 that of the US. Iraq has no missiles capable of attacking
across the Atlantic.
Isn't it because Iraq has weapons of mass destruction?
The UN inspection team hasn't found any. But everybody knows that you (the US
military) have more weapons of mass destruction than anybody. Including
chemical weapons: depleted uranium is a chemical weapon.
Look: Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, or it doesn't.
If it doesn't, the US's justification for invading Iraq collapses.
If it does, they've got no business sending you in there.
But doesn't Iraq have a terrible government?
Probably. So do half the countries in the world. Are you going to invade them
all?
Well then, what is it all about?
Iraq sits on the world's second largest oil reserves. The U.S. President
and Vice President, big-time oilmen, never mention this, but they know
it. In 1972, Iraq nationalized its oil industry and kicked out the big
British and US oil companies (wouldn't you?). The Iraqi xiles in London
who hope to replace Hussein are promising to let them back in. A sweet
deal: you put us in power, and we'll give you our country's oil.
That's what happens: you elect oilmen: you get oil wars.
Oil is nice to have. But it's not worth killing for (or dying for).
Fighting over oil is no way to "keep our honor clean."
Members of the Okinawa Friday Assembly TEL: 098-893-0175
If you have decided you cannot in good conscience participate in this oil war,
want information about early discharge or other GI rights, call GI RIGHTS,
+1-800-394-9544 or +1-510-465-1617.
***Okinawa GI Anti-War Leaflet, Feb.
21, 2003
The Okinawa Friday Assembly is an informal
group several score strong of Americans, Okinawans, and other Japanese
that has held a weekly anti-war rally in front of the U.S. Consul General in
Naha, Okinawa since the fall of 2001. When the first peace delegation from
Okinawa visited Iraq in early 2003, members of the group held a hunger strike
and vigil there for the entire ten days of the trip. This leaflet was
finalized and approved by the Assembly on February 21, 2003. The reference to
the UN Security Council vote in the last paragraph refers to the statements
made to the Council on Feb. 14.
TO ALL GIs