News Alert—18 “Minnesotans For Peace” to travel to National Conference This Week for Peace

[annm4peace]

News Alert—18 “Minnesotans For Peace” to travel to National Conference This Week

A group of at least 18 Minnesotans are expected to set off this week for the “National Peace Conference” in Albany NY (further details contained in the national press release below). Members of the group are motivated to make this trip to Albany from Minnesota as they believe that it’s especially crucial to organize and coordinate national efforts on the regional and local levels at this critical juncture when public support for the wars has further eroded in the few months left before congressional elections. Serious apparent disagreements have erupted amongst US Generals and other military leadership and Administration officials as to the mission and goals in prosecuting these costly wars and this seems to have played a role in General McChrystal’s dismissal. Greater numbers of US casualties have accompanied the President’s announced escalation, including two Minnesotans in just the last few days. Of one of these military deaths, the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote: “As the mission grinds on, the slain soldier's father said he hopes political and military leaders reassess the U.S. role in Afghanistan before other families have to make funeral arrangements.”

Although not well covered by the media, it should also be noted that the launching of the offensive into Kandahar that had been previously announced for June was delayed until September. Noteworthy also was the bizarre method by which the House of Representatives only acquiesced in the Administration’s request for supplemental war funding for the escalated war in Afghanistan through a sleight of hand whereby no vote was directly cast for or against the war funding but an attempt to push the funding through was contained in the initial procedural vote linking it to various amendments, one of which was totally unrelated to war funding, allowing the war funding to pass automatically. Many of the Minnesotans traveling to Albany were involved earlier this year in repeated efforts in both Minnesota and in Washington DC requesting Minnesota Senators Klobuchar and Franken to explain their positions as well as contacts with other Minnesota congresspersons requesting they vote against the supplemental war funding and to seek withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan and Iraq .

Many in the Minnesotan group are making the 21 hour trek out to Albany by car or van and are setting off on Wednesday July 21.

John Braun - AlliantAction and Twin Cities Peace Campaign

Kim Doss-Smith – Women Against Military Madness (WAMM)

Marie Braun - WAMM and Twin Cities Peace Campaign (
Pat Cretilli -WAMM

Paul Bauer - WAMM

Ward Brennan - Vets for Peace

Maxine McNamara - WAMM

Polly Mann - WAMM

Meredith Aby - AntiWar Committee (Contact Meredith at 612 819-3149)

Sarah Martin - Freedom Road (Sarah is representing Freedom Road ; contact her at 612 379-4719 or cell phone [phone])

Alan Dale - Iraq Peace Action Coalition

Kristin Dooley - Mayday Books and WAMM

Joe Callahan - Cuba Committee

Coleen Rowley- Burnsville and Eagan Peace Vigils (Contact tel. no. 952 456-0186 or cell # 952 457-5316)

Marcial Castro – Cuba Committee and Hands Off Honduras

Jack Rossbach – Minnesota Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions

Dehlia Jurek --Peace in Action of Taylor Falls

Debbie Wilken --the Minnesota Peace Project.