Minneapolis, MN - Cynthia McKinney, former six-term member of the House of Representatives, and Sara Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center, spoke to a packed room of over 60 supporters, July 9, at the Plymouth Congregational Church. Both gave motivating speeches for how the U.S./NATO intervention in Libya is endangering and killing the civilian population and demanded an immediate end to the war on Libya.
President Obama claims U.S. involvement in Libya is not a ‘war,’ but McKinney’s firsthand testimony of the nighttime and daytime bombing of Tripoli, the country’s largest urban center, during her month long stay disputed that claim. She saw missiles fly over her head and heard drones and bombing attacks repeatedly. “The bombing for me, and I was only there for a couple of weeks, takes a psychological toll. If I’m subject to it, imagine the children. That first day of intense bombing took place on the day of national exams for the little kids…The first day of the super intensive bombing they started bombing at 11:30 in the morning and kept on going until 11:30 at night. We counted a total of 89 bombs that day,” McKinney told the audience.
During her stay McKinney had the opportunity to meet with people who were carrying out their everyday lives as an act of resistance to the U.S./NATO bombing campaign. She occupied the plaza in front of Momar Qadafi’s home with thousands of Libyans and Africans who support Qadafi, refuse to leave and are offering themselves as protection from bombing. She met with students who came to the university to take their finals despite the bombing raids because they refused to put their lives on hold because of U.S. imperialism. “They said they were not going to be deterred because of NATO.”
Both McKinney and Flounders addressed the roots of the conflict directly. They argued effectively that the U.S. and NATO are using the civil war as an excuse to carry out regime change in Libya. They articulated that the U.S. and European powers want to install a puppet government so they can control the largest oil reserves in Africa.
Flounders attacked one of President Obama’s main justifications for the war, “He says this war is for humanitarian intervention. This is an excuse. There is not a country in the world that is better off after U.S. warfare. Just ask the people of Yugoslavia, Iraq and Afghanistan!”
This event was a part of the national speaking tour of the Dignity delegation, which was lead by Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. This tour is playing an important role in giving voice to the Libyan people during a time when an increasing number of Americans are strongly questioning the U.S. role in this conflict while state and federal governments are in debt and cutting needed social services. By a margin of 2-to-1, people in the United States oppose the war in Libya.
The Eyewitness Libya event was co-sponsored by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, the Emergency Committee to Stop U.S./NATO War on Libya, the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, the Twin Cities Peace Campaign and Women Against Military Madness.
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Post Gaddifi Libya
In a post Gaddifi Libya Senator John McCain might well consider running for president of that country. To the Libyan people he is a hero, no longer a hero of mine. As a Vietnam veteran as is John McCain and knowing he is a former P.O.W. I do not take lightly this statement. I would suggest He return to the Hanoi Hilton to pause reflect and meditate on His horrific actions on the floor of the United States Senate. calling for the use of AC-130s and A-10s to be used in Libya. He still does not get it. He has had nigh on twenty years since the 1st Gulf War to know the consequences of the use of depleted uranium munitions "The Agent Orange Of The 90s". He need look no further than the work of Dr. Siegwart-Horst Guenther of the Yellow Cross. For it is the children born and unborn that have suffered and died. Senator McCain we must be careful in what we wish for, in our words and deeds. John Paul Hasko. Depleted Uranium Forum. East Tennesseen State Univeristy. Oct 25th 2011.
RE: PFLP view of Libya
Wow. Just read the document. The parties that have signed onto this are below.
1. Afghanistan, United Party of Afghanistan
2. Albania, Communist Party of Albania
3. Azerbaidjan, Communist Party of Azerbaidjan
4. Belgium, Workers' Party of Belgium
5. Benin, Parti communiste du Bénin
6. Brazil, Partido Comunista do Brasil (PcdoB)
7. Brazil, Partido Pátria Livre
8. Bulgaria, Party of Bulgarian Communists
9. Chad, Action Tchadienne pour l'Unité et le Socialisme/ Parti Révolutionnaire Populaire et Ecologique
10. Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congolese Communist Party
11. Cuba, Partido Comunista de Cuba
12. Denmark, Communist Party in Denmark
13. Ecuador, Partido Comunista de Ecuador
14. Egypt, Communist Party of Egypt
15. El Salvador, Partido Comunista de El Salvador
16. France, PRCF - Pôle de Renaissance communiste en France
17. France, URCF - Union des Révolutionnaires-Communistes de France
18. Germany, German Communist Party (DKP)
19. Guyana, People Progressive Party
20. Hungary, Hungarian Communist Workers' Party
21. Ireland, Workers' Party of Ireland
22. Italy, Rete dei Comunisti
23. Laos, Peoples' Revolutionary Party
24. Latvia, Socialist Party of Latvia
25. Lebanon, Lebanese Communist Party
26. Lithuania, Socialist Party of Lithuania
27. Lithuania, Socialist People's Front
28. Luxembourg, Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL)
29. Mali, Parti communiste du Mali
30. Malta, Communist Party of Malta
31. Martinique, Parti Communiste Martiniquais
32. Mexico, Partido Comunista de México
33. Mexico, Partido Popular Socialista de México
34. Netherlands, New Communist Party Netherlands (NCPN)
35. Pakistan, Communist Party of Pakistan
36. Palestine, Palestinian Communist Party
37. Palestine, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
38. Peru, Partido Comunista Peruano
39. Poland, Communist Party of Poland
40. Puerto Rico, Partido Comunista de Puerto Rico
41. Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation
42. Russia, Russian Communist Workers' Party - Revolutionary Party of Communists
43. Russia, Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU)
44. Slovakia, Communist Party of Slovakia
45. South Africa, South African Communist Party
46. Spain, Partido de los Pueblos de España
47. Sri Lanka, People's Liberation Front - Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)
48. Sweden, Communist Party (KP)
49. Syria, Syrian Communist Party
50. Tunisia, Parti du Travail patriotique et démocratique de Tunisie
51. Ukraine, Union of Communists
52. USA, Freedom Road Socialist Organization
53. Venezuela, Partido Comunista de Venezuela
54. Vietnam, Communist Party of Vietnam
PFLP view of Libya
The PFLP signed this statement in May, 2011:
"4. In Libya, various imperialist forces wanted to preempt developments that could harm their interests. Invoking a so-called threat of genocidal massacres, NATO powers, France, Great Britain and the United States made sure the Security Council passed Resolution 1973. This resolution violates the UN Charter, which proclaims respect for sovereignty and national integrity, and the search for peaceful solutions to armed conflicts. Opposed to this, Resolution 1973 allows NATO and its allies to conduct a war to reconquer Libya as a springboard to bring the whole region under its control.
We demand the immediate cessation of the military aggression against Libya. We support any initiative for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Libya, without interference by foreign powers and responding to the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people."
Here is the link to the document: http://www.icsbrussels.org/ICS/2011/Sci11_Available_Papers.htm
The other signers 54 in total, include parties from Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, CP of Palestine, Lebanon, Chad, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Albania, Venezuela, South Africa, Chad, Benin, and in the U.S.-the FRSO. Look for yourself there are lots more parties who signed it. Some are big like the CP of Vietnam, others are leading or sharing the leadership of the uprisings in the Arab world. All are united against U.S. imperialism bombing and interfering in the independence of Libya--the main question in Africa today. The majority of people in the U.S. are opposed to the bombing of Libya too, especially working people. With the U.S. House passing a resolution against bombing Libya, the White House is somewhat more isolated on this than on the wars and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq. We need to continue to convince our friends and allies in the anti-war movement to join the protests.
Anonymous #4, Apparently, you
Anonymous #4,
Apparently, you seem to think this article is about North Korea, commies, PFLP, Hezbollah, China, and Iran and various other Scotsmen and strawmen. However, the following are the issues that the article actually addresses:
The US and NATO is currently bombing Libya and this is bad. These bombs are causing civilian Libyan deaths and this is bad. The US and NATO is trying to topple Libya's government, and this is bad.
Hope this is not tl;dr lolwtf for you
RE: Stuck in TV propaganda?
The PFLP put out that statement in February when it was still propagandized that Gaddafi used air craft to indiscriminately slaughter civilians, something that the Russian military and amnesty international have denied. I'd be very interested to know what the PFLP's views on the conflict are now. As far as I can tell they've been very quiet about the Libyan conflict since the true nature of the revolt/NTC/NATO has come to surface. If you have any information on what communists of the Arab and African world think of this you should post it. I know that a lot of communist in Egypt and Tunisia are against the NTC.
Stuck in TV propaganda?
And is the PFLP stuck in "TV propaganda" for rightly denouncing the murderous Gaddafi regime?
But if Arab communist discussion of the matter isn't to your taste, perhaps the Lebanese Party of God is more your speed (Hezbollah). Well, they despise Gaddafi too. So does every organization in the Arab world that has actively fought US imperialism and domestic reaction.
Are you communists or apologists for backward ass killers like Gaddafi?
Is it even possible that imperialism is the problem and still finds itself in conflict with comprador and feudal regimes? You bet. The same (revisionist) logic that sees the government of China as socialist, the monarchy of North Korea as fine and dandy, the Iranian ayatollahs as anti-imperialist (which they sure don't, especially when they are massacring communists by the thousands and hanging homosexuals and promoting neo-nazi histrionics) — is at play in this "anti-imperialism".
Are you communists or freelance state apologists?
You want the truth about Libya and Gaddafi? ASK A LIBYAN! Wonder why the Arab revolt has risen up against ALL the states of the region, who see these regimes as the engine of their oppression, as vassals of imperialism. Deal with the reality. Do not traffic in illusions, or mechanical positions based on enemies of enemies.
Libyia Truth
It's so sad that so many on the left are stuck on the propaganda on the TV. They lied about the WMD's and they are lying about Gaddafi.
I came in knowing about
I came in knowing about McKinney supporting Stopping FBI Repression but I had no idea she was this progressive. Hopefully, she will be speaking in Gainesville soon.
Inspiring
It's very inspiring to hear that Cynthia McKinney is speaking out against the US/NATO bombings in Libya AND that people are listening to her. I hope she stops by in Florida and we can join the struggle to end the unjust attacks on Libya!
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