Blogs

Origins and Future of ISIS

 Note: Prof. Elaine Hagopian’s talk on Dec. 10 at a UJP sponsored program covered the historical origins of the conflicts in the Middle East, and also much information on ISIS, which is presented here in summary.

View video at youtube.com/watch?v=MQsVBH4BkJ4

 ISIS developed out of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and is therefore one consequence of the US invasion and occupation starting in 2003.  Local Sunni tribes cooperated with the US during the “surge” or “Arab awakening” in 2007 fighting Al-Qaeda.   They expected to be rewarded by being part of the Iraqi government.  However, the Shia regime under Maliki pursued sectarian policies and imprisoned and killed Sunni leaders.   Al-Qaeda in Iraq was able to regroup and recruit Sunni support, and rebranded as  ISIS.  It grew into a decentralized but well organized group, with money from Saudis and captured US weapons including tanks.   

WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT! Was shouted over and over as a walking picket marched in front of the offices of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.  

But Israel uses water as a tool of political oppression and dispossession:

• Israel appropriates Palestinian water resources for its own residents. Illegal West
Bank settlements fill their swimming pools while water taps in Palestinian villages and
refugee camps run dry for months at a time.

This article first appeared on TeleSUR.  

NEWS RELEASE
ACLU of Massachusetts :: 211 Congress St. Boston MA 02110 :: 617.482.3170 :: 617.451.0009 (f) :: www.aclum.org
Veterans for Peace cancels annual Saint Patrick's Peace Parade after judge's initial ruling allows City to deny noon start time on March 15

ACLU lawsuit on behalf of VFP will continue to challenge City's 11-month delay in acting on permit application, and favoritism for South Boston Allied War Veterans parade, which excludes most LGBT and veterans' peace groups.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is my soap box speech from the Park Street demo, Sat. Feb. 21. Thankfully it was not so cold as it is today!  

The global situation is careening out of control

Every country the U.S. and/or NATO have bombed is in a state of chaos: Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and Afghanistan. US warmongers are not satisfied with all that chaos, they are sparring with Russia over the Ukraine – playing a very dangerous game with a nuclear armed power

Feb. 21, 2015-Boston Common:

About 20 anti-war protesters held a speakout against Obama's request for authorization to use military force against Iraq and Syria.

Braving the cold sub-freezing temperatures, activists spoke out against the prospect of endless war this authorization would give the US.

Join the St. Patrick's Peace Parade on March 15, 2015!    More info here!

 Palestine support work UJP is doing:

Mobilize for a Nuclear Free, Just, Sustainable World Instead! (We've done it before and can do it again)

On January 22, 2015 the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of the doomsday clock two minutes closer to midnight.

"This is about doomsday; this is about the end of civilization as we know it," said bulletin executive director Kennette Benedict. "The probability of global catastrophe is very high, and the actions needed to reduce the risks of disaster must be taken very soon," she said.

Today the doomsday clock was moved forward to three minutes to midnight.  The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said in a statement today: "World leaders have failed to act with the speed or on the scale required to protect citizens from potential catastrophe. These failures of leadership endanger every person on earth."