A fight over war

As the United Nations reviews the findings of the weapons inspection team in Iraq and the document the Iraqi government submitted in accordance with the Nov. 13 U.N. Security Council resolution, organizing against a preemptive strike on Iraq continues apace. Results of the new data on Iraq, as reported by The New York Times, could be available at the end of the week. \nMeanwhile, on Tuesday, groups and citizens held another round of national demonstrations against a new war, calling for a peaceful denouement of the current standoff while severely criticizing the Bush administration's actions and rhetoric.\nLocally, nearly 150 students and residents listened to speakers on the courthouse lawn as a steady sleet rained down after a brief march from Dunn Meadow. The Bloomington Progressive Faculty Coalition organized the event, with support from student groups like Amnesty International, the Coalition to Oppose the War in Iraq, No Sweat! and others. A number of religious and local community groups also mobilized for the rally. \nThough concern about war and its consequences brought people out to rallies, International Human Rights Day provided a backdrop for Tuesday's rallies. International Human Rights day is designed to celebrate the 54th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the charter documents of the United Nations. The Declaration articulates a number of inalienable rights for the world's citizens. \n"The Declaration is a timeless and powerful document that captures the profound aspirations of humankind to live in dignity, equality and security," said Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the commission's Web site. "It provides minimum standards and has helped turn moral issues into a legally binding framework."\nMegan Hise, a senior majoring in economics, spoke at the rally on behalf of IU's Amnesty International chapter.\n"During this current crisis, Amnesty International is calling for accountability to the UN charter and international law," Hise said. "Human rights must not be misappropriated as an instrument in the rhetoric of war."\nBob Ivie, a professor in IU's Department of Communication and Culture, said he had three primary issues with the current policy and process of the United States in regard to a war against Iraq.\n"First, President Bush seems determined to dismiss any findings by the U.N. inspectors that fails to show evidence of weapons of mass destruction," Ivie said. "There's also the issue of the administration's motive. Is it aggression? Why invade now? Why can't (Saddam) continue to be contained?"\nFinally, Ivie said he was concerned with the ultimate costs of war.\n"How many casualties will there be?" Ivie asked. "What if Saddam in a desperate last resort uses weapons of mass destruction on U.S. soldiers or Israel, which could retaliate with weapons of its own?" \nOther speakers added that the domestic consequences of a new invasion of Iraq also must be considered. Lauren Taylor, a member of the Coalition to Oppose the War in Iraq, said the costs of war would affect already marginalized groups in the United States the most.\n"The war on terror affects people in America," Taylor said. "Unemployment and poverty rates are climbing. The poor, women, African-Americans, Latinos would suffer from social service cuts to pay for the war." \nTaylor also said demonstrations in Indiana were taking place in Goshen, Ft. Wayne, Lafayette, Richmond and South Bend. These and other cities across the country witnessed large protests in late October. In Washington, D.C., for example, over 100,000 marched against a preemptive attack, one of the largest anti-war demonstrations since the massive protests of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. San Fransisco saw a similar number in October.\nAlthough attendance at Tuesday's actions were smaller than two months ago -- The Associated Press reported 300 demonstrators in Washington -- the anti-war movement is planning more protests for the new year.\nClutching a Bible on the steps of the courthouse as the crowd gathered together, retired religious studies professor Jim Hart said the United States does not have a justified reason to invade Iraq. The Bush administration, Hart said, is following a pattern of concealment. He questioned whether Bush could be believed.\n"I have no confidence in the Bush government. I'm a pacifist. I think war is an evil. I respect just war theory but this doesn't approach a just war," Hart said. "This is a major assault on the American people"