WW News Service Digest #362
1) Postal workers rally against anthrax dangers
by WW
2) Asian, U.S. groups plan coordinated actions against war
by WW
3) Canadian workers honor Peltier
by WW
4) Will Somalia be next?
by WW
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 20, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
NEW YORK CITY:
POSTAL WORKERS RALLY AGAINST ANTHRAX DANGERS
By G. Dunkel
New York
Eight hundred whistle-tooting postal workers demonstrated
after work in front of Manhattan's main post office on Dec.
8. They demanded equal treatment with senators and Supreme
Court justices and a new, decent contract.
The workers feel that they're up against a double standard.
After anthrax spores were detected on the premises, the
government kept a Senate office building closed for months
and shut down the Supreme Court building for weeks so they
could be totally and thoroughly disinfected.
But when, at the same time, anthrax was found at Morgan
Station, the mail processing center for Manhattan, the
bosses just covered the contaminated machines with plastic
wrap and ordered workers to keep the mail moving.
A leaflet handed out at the Dec. 8 protest reported that at
least one postal employee who worked near the contaminated
machinery at Morgan Station--Juan Mercado--has been
hospitalized with anthrax-like symptoms.
Will Smith, president of the Metro New York Area Postal
Union that called the demonstration, said: "It is wrong for
the U.S. Postal Service and the [Centers for Disease
Control] to have postal workers exposed to this bacteria
while they are closing down" legislative and judicial
offices in Washington, D.C.
Postal workers at the rally compared the treatment they're
getting from their bosses regarding the health risks of
anthrax to the disregard management displays to the union in
the struggle for a new and decent contract.
Other postal unions, some public service unions, a Delta
flight attendant, the textile-garment union UNITE, and a
spokesperson for the New York Central Labor Council gave
messages of solidarity.
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 20, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
ASIAN, U.S. GROUPS MEET IN JAPAN:
PLAN COORDINATED ACTIONS AGAINST WAR
Special to Workers World
Kyoto, Japan
Representatives of organizations from six Asian countries
and the U.S. have agreed to coordinate activities against
the expanding Pentagon war that began in Afghanistan. The
groups gathered in Kyoto, Japan, on Nov. 23-24 for the ninth
assembly of the Campaign Coordinating Body of the Asia Wide
Campaign Against U.S. and Japanese Aggression and Domination
of Asia (AWC).
Besides the international representatives, many workers,
students and other progressive activists from Japan
participated. For the first time the AWC invited a
representative from the U.S. to attend. Sarah Sloan
represented the New York City-based International Action
Center.
The IAC is an anti-war and social justice organization. Last
September, when it became clear that the Bush administration
was preparing a military response to Sept. 11, it helped to
initiate the International Act Now to Stop War & End Racism
(ANSWER) coalition.
FORMATION OF AN ASIA-WIDE ANTI-IMPERIALIST FRONT
The Asia Wide Campaign (AWC) was formed in 1992. It includes
BAYAN (New Patriotic Alliance) of the Philippines, Labor
Rights Association of Taiwan, AWC South Korea Committee, the
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Mutual Assistance Fund
of Indonesia, the General Federation of Nepalese Trade
Unions and AWC Japan.
This regional network of anti-imperialist and pro-worker
organizations was formed in response to the increased
militarism of Japanese imperialism. In September 1992, the
Japanese government dispatched its armed forces--known as
the Self Defense Forces (SDFs)--for the first time since
World War II.
Since then, the Campaign Coordinating Body of the AWC has
held annual assemblies in each of its member countries. It
has also helped to mobilize for struggles in the Philippines
in November 1996 and Malaysia in November 1998 against the
imperialist-dominated Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC), as well as an international joint struggle against
the richest imperialist countries, known as the G8, in
Okinawa, Japan, in July of last year.
This year's assembly included detailed "country reports" on
the economic situation for workers, effects of Sept. 11, and
anti-war movement made by Ho Youngu, the First Vice
President of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Wong
Lixia, the advisor of the Labor Rights Association from
Taiwan; Teddy Casi�o, the National Secretary General of
BAYAN from the Philippines; Cipto from the Mutual Progress
Foundation and Cultural Activists Network of Indonesia;
Keshav Pandey, the Secretary of the Asian Students
Association and a representative of the All Nepal National
Free Students Union; and Sarah Sloan, the National Youth and
Student Coordinator of the International Action Center and
an organizer for International ANSWER.
JOINT ACTION PROGRAM FOR 2002
Members adopted a "Joint Action Program" for the coming
year. The number one point on the agenda is a campaign to
"Stop the War and Work for Peace." This includes opposition
to U.S. wars of aggression and protest of Japanese
imperialism's participation in them.
Participants adopted the "Asia-Pacific People's Joint
Declaration," which states in part, "We vehemently condemn
the U.S. plot to further expand their war on any other
country [after Afghanistan]. ... In the name of 'fighting
terrorism,' the two countries [U.S. and Britain] are trying
to justify their intention to destroy the Taliban regime by
force and create a puppet regime that meets their interests
over the Middle East and Central Asia. ... We peoples in
Asia-Pacific must unite for global peace and bring together
our largest voices in this declaration."
The declaration also accuses the U.S. and Britain of war
crimes for the many civilians killed in the bombing of
Afghanistan. It notes the aim of "dismantling anti-U.S.
struggles in the region, including the Palestinian popular
uprising," condemns the governments in Asia that have
provided political and logistical support for the war, and
demands the removal of all U.S. bases and military personnel
from Asia.
The second point of the joint program calls for
international anti-war united action, specifically for all
member organizations of AWC to join international anti-war
calls made by International ANSWER.
The action program also includes support for workers
opposing neoliberalism; support for the independent and
peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula, and
opposition to imperialist interference; opposition to U.S.
bases in South Korea, Okinawa and elsewhere; and struggle
against international institutions and conferences such as
those of the World Trade Organization, International
Monetary Fund, APEC and G8.
DISPATCH OF SDF
Following the conference, the AWC Japan sponsored a national
tour of public forums, rallies and meetings for the
international delegates.
The first, held on Nov. 25, coincided with the dispatch by
the Japanese government of forces for so-called logistical
support for the bombing of Afghanistan. In Fukuoka, the
local AWC chapter held a public forum and then a march
through downtown to the U.S. Consulate.
Following presentations by the international delegates from
the CCB conference, students from Yamaguchi University and
Yamaguchi Prefecture University reported on their anti-war
activities on campus.
Osamu Chimura, Takaaki Abe and Kubota Akie reported that the
overwhelming majority of students on their campus opposed
both the U.S.-led bombing of Afghanistan and the presence of
U.S. military bases in Asia. They have conducted a signature
campaign and a sit-down strike against the war. These
students are members of Anti-Invasion Asian Students Joint
Action in Japan, a member of AWC Japan.
Thihiro Teranaka--a young representative of the 300,000
victims of nuclear weapons living in Japan--reported on her
organization's opposition to war and its assistance to the
many people disabled because they or their parents were
victims of the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. on Japan in
1945. Terenaka's parents were in Hiroshima when the bomb was
dropped.
Makoto Motomura, the Fukuoka chairperson of the National
Union of General Workers--also a member organization of AWC
Japan--spoke on the increasing firings and layoffs resulting
from structural adjustment programs and reforms imposed by
the current government of Junichiro Koizumi. Motomura
reported that the situation of unemployment and homelessness
is worsening in Japan.
Following his talk, five fired or laid-off workers gave
reports, including one from an elderly persons' home, a
truck driver, a telephone and an office worker. All are
members of the National Union of General Workers, a radical
alternative to the main pro-government national union.
There was also a talk on the need for solidarity with the
struggle of Korean people living in Japan who face both
institutionalized and social discrimination and racism.
Similar meetings and rallies followed in Shizuoka, Kyoto,
Osaka City, Aichi, Okinawa, Kobe and finally Tokyo.
The Tokyo rally at the Japanese government office and the
U.S. Embassy, followed by a public forum, marked the
culmination of a year-long signature campaign against U.S.
bases in Asia. It was also a protest against the U.S. war in
Afghanistan and the involvement of Japanese imperialism.
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 20, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
CANADIAN WORKERS HONOR PELTIER
The Ontario Federation of Labor honored Native leader and
political prisoner Leonard Peltier with the 2001 Human
Rights Award on Dec. 7. The OFL represents about 600,000 of
the 2.2 million union workers in Canada.
It was almost 26 years ago that Canada illegally extradited
Peltier to the United States where he faced false charges of
shooting two federal agents. Framed up on these counts,
Peltier--recognized around the world as a U.S.-held
political prisoner--has been imprisoned ever since.
Several hundred delegates from across the province and
representatives from all of Canada attended the OFL
Convention in Toronto.
OFL President Wayne Samuelson, Secretary-Treasurer Ethel
Birkett-LaValley, Executive Vice-President Irene Harris and
others stood on stage to honor Peltier and the sacrifices he
has made for the struggle of Native people in North America.
In an acceptance statement read by Birkett-LaValley, Peltier
said, "I want to congratulate the OFL for taking a
leadership role in human and civil rights in Canada and for
recognizing the importance of solidarity and brotherhood.
When working people unite to make a better society and
world, hope for all of our futures can be embraced."
The Canadian Labor Congress and many national unions are
coordinating work in Canada with the Leonard Peltier Defense
Committee-Canada to hold a legal inquiry and submit Canadian
documents to the U.S. president asking for clemency.
For more information, contact the LPDC Canada (Coalition) at
(416) 439-1893. In the U.S. contact the Leonard Peltier
Defense Committee, P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044; call
(785) 842-5774; or visit www.freepeltier.org.
--John Catalinotto
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 20, 2001
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
WILL SOMALIA BE NEXT?
U.S. TARGETS ANOTHER POOR COUNTRY
By Deirdre Griswold
The Pentagon has been sending warplanes over Somalia,
claiming this is part of its "war on terrorism." The London-
based Observer of Dec. 9 reported, "Navy pilots have flown
waves of missions to map two Al Qaeda camps near the Kenyan
border with a view to launching air strikes."
This was confirmed Dec. 11 in a news item from the United
Nations service IRIN, which said "Fears of an imminent
American air strike [are] gripping Somalia after reports
that military aircraft have been conducting surveillance
flights over the country. ... The first sighting of military
aircraft was reportedly last week, according to Abdulkadir
Isse, a Mogadishu resident. 'Over the past week we had to
listen to their droning sound every night,' he said. 'People
are really terrified to sleep at night.'"
Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia, an extremely poor
country of 7.5 million people, many of them nomads, on the
Horn of Africa facing the Indian Ocean.
On Dec. 9, the Mogadishu-based HornAfrik radio reported that
a group of nine U.S. military officers had visited the town
of Baidoa, 140 miles southwest of Mogadishu, that day. They
toured military facilities, including the airport, evidently
in preparation for air strikes or troop movements.
An article filed with the Telegraph of London by Robert Fox
and Jessica Berry on Dec. 2 reported "Britain has been asked
by America to help prepare military strikes against Somalia
in the next phase of the global campaign against Osama bin
Laden's Al Qaeda network. ... A team of senior British
military officers who visited U.S. Central Command in Tampa,
Fla., last week was asked to prepare the strategy for
attacks on sites in Somalia."
The rationale for all these military preparations is said to
be Somalia's harboring of terrorists. But a report by BBC
Africa analyst Elizabeth Blunt on Dec. 4 said "Somalia may
still be a patchwork of feuding factions, but when a BBC
team visited Mogadishu last week it found everyone united in
asserting that there were no terrorist training camps in the
country and that any American attack would be a great
mistake."
ATTACKS ON ECONOMY, TOO
This ominous military activity by the Pentagon comes after
several U.S. and British moves paralyzed the Somali economy.
On Dec. 3, Randolph Kent, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator
for Somalia, said the country was "on the precipice of
potential and total economic collapse."
U.S. authorities shut down overseas branches of the Somali-
owned Al-Barakaat banking and telecommunications systems,
charging them with "aiding and abetting terrorism." The FBI
simultaneously raided small neighborhood offices inside the
U.S. used by Somali immigrants to send money home to their
families.
On Nov. 23 the BBC reported that the closures, along with
denying all Internet access to Somalis, had "severely
restricted international telephone lines and shut down
vitally needed money transfer facilities." An estimated 80
percent of Somalis depend on money from relatives abroad.
The Somali Internet Co. was forced to close when it found
that its international gateway had been cut off.
International telephone service was shut down when Somalia's
gateway to the world, run jointly by AT&T and British
Telecom, was shut down.
Since these measures, prices have skyrocketed in Somalia.
Some foodstuffs have more than tripled in price, leaving
most of the population in desperate straits.
No one should think that this is because Somalia is guilty
of attacks on the United States. Actually, the opposite is
true. Elements in the Pentagon are determined to get revenge
on the Somalis for having fought back in 1993 when the U.S.
tried to impose a puppet government on their country, under
the guise of delivering food aid.
On Oct. 3, 1993, U.S. helicopter fire killed some 500
civilians in the main market of Mogadishu. But the crash of
a Black Hawk helicopter started a chain of events in which
18 U.S. soldiers were killed and nearly 80 wounded as
Somalis rushed into the area to fight the invaders. After
that, the U.S. withdrew from Somalia. Many in the Pentagon
have been itching for "revenge" ever since.
If Bush spreads his war of exploitation and plunder to
Africa, he will only further antagonize another huge section
of the world's people, including many millions of workers
here in the United States. That is probably why Washington
is asking London to do some of the dirty work. But for the
U.S. to get Britain, the world's biggest former colonial
power, to attack Somalia only exposes both imperialist
ruling classes as robbers bent on world domination.
Both imperialist powers will find that they have an
Achilles' heel--the multinational working class at home,
which is in no way friendly to the racist themes that used
to motivate colonial expansion in the past.
