War Is A Crime .org

Lieutenant Tharp, with over 9 years in the military, and a dozen awards, gave a relatively brief speech. "There are a hundred and forty thousand men and women in Iraq, and I want to thank you for being here for them." He said that he didn't even resign when he got sent into the disaster that this administration has made in Iraq, and [thought] 'Who the hell screwed me?.'"

Tharp said that he resigned and joined Iraq Veterans Against the War after he got home. "From what I saw in Iraq, I was one of the most fortunate people in Iraq. I got to see the compassion of the Iraqi people...I got to work with two dozen diverse Iraqis. When I got home, I was asked by the national security agency to dehumanize them...and that is what I would not do."

Twelve peacemakers from NE Ohio gathered at the Community Center of Newton Falls (zipcode 44444) to hear a dramatic reading of the Downing Street memo and engage in a lively discussion of local peace events and social justice issues. The entrance to the Community Center is prominently marked by a memorial to four young men from this small town who lost their lives in the War in Vietnam. We felt their spirit among us crying out to a new generation: the politicians lied and we died! Honor the dead - reveal the truth and stop the war!

July 23, 2005 Downing Street Memo Party Tonight
http://www.locustfork.net/blog/

The combined Birmingham chapters of Democracy For America and Progressive Democrats of America will host a gathering in recognition of the 3rd Anniversary of the now infamous #10 Downing Street meeting. More than 300 similar gatherings are planned throughout the country, thanks to AfterDowningStreet.org and Representative John Conyers of Michigan.

"This will be an evening of discussion of the issues surrounding the Bush Administration's actions and intentions for going to war in Iraq, as well as 'Rovegate' plus the John Roberts Supreme Court nomination," the press release says. "We will have information for developing letter-writing campaigns to our elected leaders on all levels, plus input from all on how we can make a difference in Birmingham and the state of Alabama. (We are already getting close to just one year to significant elections!)"

This was an incredibly successful town hall, sponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee. I want to thank Robert Klein for blogging with me today, theater tech Stephan Shelley for his help allowing us to set up a wifi network here, David Swanson and Jon Schwartz from afterdowningstreet.org, and Miguel Bustos from Congresswoman Lee's office for including us in this crtical gathering.

We were supposed to be out of here by 12:30 p.m. but the town hall kept going. A line of about two dozen people were in line waiting to ask a question at the audience mic. The event kept going to 1 p.m. but I had to exit.

LISTEN HERE

Although these posts are all showing my ID, every other post is actually being submitted by Robert Klein, sitting right next to me. We're alternating posts as the program moves one. Each speaker was only given three minutes each so that there's time for the audience to ask questions.

Following Bill Mitchell is Berkeley's Daniel Ellsberg, the former government worker who leaked the "Pentagon Papers" on U.S. decision-making in Vietnam in 1971. Ellsberg received a standing ovation from the crowd after being introduced.

Ellsberg started by recalling a call from one of Congreswoman Lee's staffer reminding him that today's event was a "Congressional town hall" and not a rally. He took his jacket off and said, "Aw, hell," indicating that he would speak his mind regardless. Ellsberg is energetic and animated as he transitions to comments about Karl Rove. "After Rove is convicted, [he] deserves a fair and honest trial," says Ellsberg. "They really do give the President a benefit of the doubt that no President deserves," he continued on.

The founder of Gold Star Families for Peace (http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0614-27.htm), a group of military families began the next speech, one without the need for commentary:

"I'd rather not be up here speaking to you. What I have to say is not pleasant, not pleasant at all. But just try to imagine waking up every morning that your child is still dead. It's better when it's your first thought, because when you're five minutes into it, it's like a two-by-four...I was one of eight guests that John Conyers was allowed to bring in, and I [went to the White House] to deliver the letter signed by [90] Members of Congress and the 500,000 petitions collected by afterdowningstreet.org...The stories I'm about to tell you should not have happened, if this war hadn't been manufactured...for the legal occupation of a soverign country."

Just got back from the Oakland CA event - was turned away at the door!!!

They had filled all of the seats in the movie theater, packed the aisles, pushed people in behind the theeater seats at the back, and still about 200 people, who had driven in from all over, got turned away at the door.
I am SO PROUD of my fellow Californians for this turnout! I only wish I'd gotten in sooner!!!

Local radio braodcast of the event is available on KPFA 89.5.

I hope many of you are watching this amazing event online. This is a both a rowdy and a mature crowd! Liz Holtzman was awarded--and she deserved--a standing ovation for her tales of the Nixon Impeachment and her sane cautions about the difficulty of getting Congress to act.

It will only happen, she reminded us, via the WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

And now Rep. Hinchey is on fire--clear and direct and comprehensive in his exposition of the various crimes that the Bush Administration has, provably, committed.

It is incredible to be in this hot hall and to feel the energy of the overflow crowd.

The combined Birmingham chapters of Democracy For America and Progressive Democrats of America will host a gathering in recognition of the 3rd Anniversary of the now infamous #10 Downing Street meeting. More than 300 similar gatherings are planned throughout the country, thanks to AfterDowningStreet.org and Representative John Conyers of Michigan.

"This will be an evening of discussion of the issues surrounding the Bush Administration's actions and intentions for going to war in Iraq, as well as 'Rovegate' plus the John Roberts Supreme Court nomination," the press release says. "We will have information for developing letter-writing campaigns to our elected leaders on all levels, plus input from all on how we can make a difference in Birmingham and the state of Alabama. (We are already getting close to just one year to significant elections!)"

Reposted from: http://blog.pdamerica.org

I just noticed from the floor that there's a second gallery.

We must have 200 people here!

Cong. Conyers is addressing the group and thanking us all for attending. I'd be remiss in not mentioning that the meeting was opened by Robert Sedler from here in the Law School.

I also must mentioned that this BLOG is being hosted by Michigan's Justice Caucus, an affiliate of the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA).

Tony Tripiano (SP?) will be hosting the meeting and calling up the speakers. He is speaking persuasively ; calling upon all of us to act on our feelings and call out those who have lied to us all.

Steve Cobble, a founder of afterdowningstreet.org, took the stage at 11:15 a.m.

Steve read from the Downing Street Memo, highlighting a few key phrases from that document. "The Foreign Secretary said he would discuss this with Colin Powell this week. It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran. We should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the UN weapons inspectors. This would also help with the legal justification for the use of force. The Attorney-General said that the desire for regime change was not a legal base for military action."

Downing Street Memo Town Hall Meeting in Detroit:
First post here: http://files.livejournal.com/michigandem/phonepost/594.mp3

Original audio posts at: http://www.livejournal.com/users/michigandem/

Flyers literally flew toward the illustrious bloggers when Medea Bengamin of Global Exchange and Code Pink introduced Barbara Lee to a firey crowd (anyone who's ever been to a rally when President Clinton finally showed up after his minimum hour and a half delay knows what I'm talking about).

Lee spoke of beginning a movement to get the administration to come up with a plan to "withdraw [from Iraq] as soon as possible, like now!" After a little more crowd pumping ("We know what's right...internationally and domestically"), Lee cited the recent CBS poll that said only 17% of Americans believe the war in Iraq has actually reduced terrorism.

As a standing-room only house awaits the beginning of the program, a section of the crowd started chanting "Impeach Bush!" -- and more people are still streaming in.

As Robert mentioned, Lee will be joined by Berkeley's Daniel Ellsberg, a former government worker famed for leaking the "Pentagon Papers" on U.S. decision-making in Vietnam in 1971. Also on the panel in the front of the theater is Steve Cobble, an activist and co-founder of afterdowningstreet.org and Bill Mitchell of Atascadero, a Gold Star Families for Peace co-founder whose son, U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Mitchell, 25, was killed in Baghdad.

By 10:45, Alan Michaan's movie palace was already half full, with activists of all stripes wide awake despite the early hour for a Saturday morning, destributing flyers, looking for friends, and some even tried to carry out their morning routines (reading the paper, drinking coffee), despite the hubub. The Congresswoman herself welcomed many of the attendees, who poured in with casual/political attire in sharp contrast to Lee's staff and security (who watched over with sharp eyes and suits). In fact, by this time the blue-ribbon panel, including Daniel Ellsberg (who published the Pentagon Papers) was already assembled on stage.

You will be able to access the audio feed, live from The Society of Ethical Culture, in New York City, by cutting and pasting the following URL in your web browser.

http://www.kpftx.org/pls/kpftx6210.pls

The Town Meeting is scheduled to begin at 2:00 pm.

Good morning. My name is Keith Kamisugi and I'll be covering Congresswoman Barbara Lee's town hall meeting highlighting the Bush administration’s failure to address the questions raised by the Downing Street Memo and other documents. Today, July 23, marks the third anniversary of the Downing Street meeting between U.S and British officials whose minutes have prompted questions that intelligence was "fixed" to justify invasion.

We're here at the historic Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland. Opened in 1926, the theatre was designed by Reid Brothers, the same firm that designed the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and the Oaks Theater in Berkeley. It was also here that I saw the premiere of Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" in a packed house.

Given the fact that the Mad Hatter's Teaparty planned for Downing Street had to be postponed due to the security situation in London; activists from Bedford Stop the War took the party to Bedford town centre. As well as recreating the Downing Street meeting, we were able to express our view that Bush and Blair are part of the problem, NOT part of the solution, and for the future stability of the world they must both go.

We had some quizzical interest, and were delighted to recruit a new member.

Bedford is 50 miles north of London and at one time was the most culturally diverse town in the country. We are home to over 100 different people groups, and 60 different languages are spoken here.

Ann is 86 and a veteran of almost 70 years of activism. Stephen is younger, but has white hair and a twinkle in his eye. Sarah is younger still, and has been protesting for only a few years; but she just came back from London, where, she says "Everyone knows about the Downing Street Minutes."

All are in front of Rockefeller Plaza, and the NBC Studios, to remind passersby about the mideia's silence on the reasons we went to war in Iraq.

You can see photos and read more here.

It is a lovely day here in NYC.

Former Diplomat speaks on the Downing St. Memo SAT

Sat. July 23 The Downing Street Minutes - Teach in and film with former diplomat Ann Wright

When: 7-9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 23 Where: 5200 Fannin Street at Southmore, First Unitarian Universalist Church, Houston, TX 77004, 713.526.5200

Background: The Downing Street Minutes (DSM) are the minutes of a meeting between Prime Minister Tony Blair and his advisers, which were leaked to a London newspaper. They show conclusively that Bush deceived the American people and the world by saying he would try to avoid war when he had in fact already decided to invade Iraq.

YubaNet.com
By Rep. Henry Waxman

The disclosure of the covert identity of Valerie Plame Wilson in a July 14, 2003, column by Robert Novak has triggered a criminal investigation and led to calls for congressional investigations. The Novak column, however, appears to be only one of multiple leaks of Ms. Wilson's identity. A new fact sheet released today by Rep. Waxman documents that there appear to be at least 11 separate instances in which Administration officials disclosed information about Ms. Wilson's identity and association with the CIA.

New Fact Sheet Details Multiple Administration Security Breaches Involving Valerie Plame Wilson

Here are the prepared remarks of AfterDowningStreet.org Co-Founder and Democrats.com President Bob Fertik for today's Town Hall Forum with Congressman Maurice Hinchey in New York City.

The DSM Day Event in Winnie-Stowell, Texas, today will use this Power Point to lead a discussion:
WMV VIDEO

Here in NYC, my friend Luis wears a t-shirt that reads "We deserve the government we allow." Luis is an artist; he knows the power of truth-telling.

Last night, we sat in Central Park and saw the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company move through memory, speaking and evoking truth and hope.

The crowd was large, and the shared understanding, palpable.

One small section was about the peroneus, a muscle along the side of the leg, and the use of the "peroneus strike", a method of torture. Bill T. made the connection between joyous moving in community and abuse of each other as humans quite clear.

Today, Saturday, July 23rd, is DSM Day, the three-year anniversary of the Downing Street Meeting. We have over 350 events planned!

If you are participating in an event, we encourage you to do more than participate:

BE THE MEDIA!

If you would like a password that will allow you to post reports on the http://www.afterdowningstreet.org website, please send us your name, Email address, and which event you'll be attending or hosting.

Otherwise, simply Email reports as soon as you can to david@davidswanson.org

If you post reports on your own site, we can post a short blurb on ours and link to you.

By Anthony J. Sebok, FindLaw columnist
Special to CNN.com

(FindLaw) -- In 1998, President Bill Clinton was almost forced from office because he lied about whether he had "sexual relations" with Monica Lewinsky in a deposition. The deposition was conducted by lawyers for Paula Jones -- who had sued the president under federal civil rights law and Arkansas tort law.

One of the greatest features of the American civil justice system -- especially its tort law -- is that it gives average citizens the power to force anyone to answer them in court. Could Valerie Plame, the CIA agent whose identity was leaked to the press, take matters into her own hands and use the civil justice system to get Karl Rove -- who may, it seems, have been the leaker -- to answer her in court?

Loyal GOP mouthpieces insisted Valerie Plame had a desk job. Now that we know she was a covert CIA operative, will they apologize? Of course not.
Salon
By Joe Conason

July 23, 2005 | Under intense political pressure, once scarce information about the CIA leak prosecution is suddenly emerging from "persons familiar with the case." Should those whispers prove accurate, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl "Turd Blossom" Rove and vice-presidential Chief of Staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby may yet be held accountable for whatever roles they actually played in the exposure of Valerie Wilson's CIA identity -- and in the coverup of that potential crime.

Is Dr. Dean in?
Just asking.

Watch this Flash.