Urgent: Stop the U.S./S Korean Attack – Know the Facts and take action

By International Action Center
Global Research, November 25, 2010
International Action Center 25 November 2010
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Once again U.S. imperialism has chosen a holiday weekend time in the U.S., when workers are preoccupied, Congress is in recess, and any opposition or even questions are difficult to raise, to orchestrate a political and military crisis.

On Nov. 23, the government of South Korea mobilized 70,000 troops for a week of military maneuvers just off the border of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The DPRK said that these military maneuvers simulated an invasion of the north. The military deployment was provocatively held right off the sea borderline between the north and the south. This is an area considered to be disputed territory.

We can not be caught off guard. We need to discuss what actions we can prepare to take if this U.S. manufactured crisis escalates.
New and more provocative military maneuvers are planned by the Pentagon against Korea this coming week from Monday Nov 29 to Friday, Dec 3.

Here in New York City we were immersed at the IAC in planning an action on Tuesday, Nov 30 at 5:00 pm at the Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center at 50th and 5th Ave with the slogan: “Take back our Trillions from the War Corporations. Bring all Troops Home! Jobs or Unemployment Benefits for all”. This holiday event traditionally draws many tens of thousands of people. 
Tuesday, Nov 30 is the date that more than 2 million workers in the U.S. will loose all extended jobless funding or unemployment benefits. They will left totally destitute. So we were working with some of the workers loosing benefits on that day. So one proposal was to refocus with signs and flyers this action to include more prominently  the U.S. threats against DPRK, the cost of sending nuclear powered aircraft carriers, destroyers, jet aircraft half way around the world while continuing to cut the most basic necessities here at home.

From the IAC want to urge antiwar, peace and justice and human rights activists, progressive forces to be on alert and actively considering what antiwar actions are possible and how we can widen the political response in the movement among friends and allies. It is important to consider how we can go out of our way to include this issue in all of the other events that we may be involved in, in the days ahead.


Due to the enormous weight of 3 generations of U.S. political propaganda and the isolation of the DPRK it is never an easy task to counter the Pentagon’s threats against the people of Korea. But it is essential task. It is important to remind the political movement of today that more than 3 million Korean died in the U.S. war on Korea from 1950 to 1953 and that tens of thousands of troops of occupation continue in S Korea to this day.

Solidarity,

Sara Flounders
International Action Center

International Action Center – iacenter.org

STOP THE WAR PROVOCATIONS AND ATTACKS ON THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF KOREA NOW!
KNOW THE UNDISPUTED FACTS! 

SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION to the Obama Administration and s. Korean Govt.
 at http://www.iacenter.org/korea/stopattackondprk NOW!

PLAN PROTESTS IN THE DAYS AHEAD TO COUNTER THE GROWING WAR THREAT

Tell the Obama Administration and the south Korean Government you want the U.S./south Korean war maneuvers and provocations against the DPRK stopped immediately, the removal of south Korean and U.S. war ships including the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington, an end to the U.S. sponsored sanctions against the DPRK, the signing of a peace treaty NOW to end the state of war that has existed since the Korean war, and the immediate withdrawal of the 30,000 U.S. troops that still occupy south Korea, so that the Korean people can freely decide their own destiny.

THESE ARE THE UNDISPUTED FACTS: On Nov. 23, the government of South Korea mobilized 70,000 troops for a week of military maneuvers just off the border of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The DPRK said that these military maneuvers simulated an invasion of the north.

The military deployment was provocatively held right off the sea borderline between the north and the south. This is an area considered to be disputed territory.
 
On Nov 23, at 1:00 p.m., South Korean forces fired many shells into waters right off the DPRK. This is an area that the north has a longstanding claim to be within its territory. This claim had been accepted by prior south Korean governments.

An hour and a half later, the DPRK retaliated to what it saw as an attack on its territory by firing shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.

And now the U.S. has announced plans to send  the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington and its battle group including war ships, destroyers and hundreds of fighter jets back into the area to participate in new war maneuver provocations.

It is urgent that all who stand for peace and justice make plans now for immediate protest actions in the days ahead.

The U.S. military has been involved in all the war maneuvers by South Korea, going back to the 1950-53 war, and has occupied South Korea since the end of World War II.

Why doesn’t the media ask why the U.S. was orchestrating a massive military deployment of troops, ships and aircraft right on the border of the DPRK?
 
The provocation here clearly comes from the U.S. government and the right-wing south Korean regime, not the DPRK. The regime of Lee Myung-bak has undone earlier moves that improved relations between the two halves of the Korean nation and has brought increased confrontation.
 
It can never be forgotten that U.S. imperialism waged a horrendous war against the Korean Revolution from 1950 to 1953, one that resulted in millions of deaths and total devastation of the Korean Peninsula.
 
For there to be peace on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. should end its support of expansionist, right-wing forces in the south, sign a peace treaty with the north (a state of war still exists after 57 years!) and withdraw its troops so the Korean people can decide their own destiny.
 
Join us in the days ahead in taking to the streets to protest these U.S. war threats and sanctions that have created a powder keg in Asia. End the military occupation of South Korea! Sign a peace treaty and bring the troops home!

SIGN ONLINE AT http://www.iacenter.org/korea/stopattackondprk NOW!

SAMPLE PETITION TEXT:

To: President Barack Obama, President Lee Myung-bak, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

CC: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.N. member delegations, U.S. Congressional leaders, members of the media.

  • Stop the U.S./South Korean War maneuvers and provocations against the DPRK (north Korea) immediately!
  • Remove the south Korean and U.S. war ships! DO NOT SEND ADDITIONAL U.S WARSHIPS AND PLANES INCLUDING THE U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER GEORGE WASHINGTON!
  • End the U.S. sponsored sanctions against the DPRK!
  • Sign a peace treaty NOW to end the state of war that has existed for 57 years since the Korean war!
  • Withdraw all of the 30,000 U.S. troops that still occupy south Korea, so that the Korean people can freely decide their own destiny.

It is an undisputed fact that on Nov. 23, the government of South Korea mobilized 70,000 troops for a week of military maneuvers just off the border of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The DPRK said that these military maneuvers simulated an invasion of the north.

On Nov 23, at 1:00 p.m., South Korean forces fired many shells into waters right off the DPRK. This is an area that the north has a longstanding claim to be within its territory. This claim had been accepted by prior south Korean governments.

An hour and a half later, the DPRK retaliated to what it saw as an attack on its territory by firing shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.

And now the U.S. has announced plans to send the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington and its battle group including war ships, destroyers and hundreds of fighter jets back into the area to participate in new war maneuver provocations.

The U.S. military has been involved in all the war maneuvers by South Korea, going back to the 1950-53 war, and has occupied South Korea since the end of World War II. AND THE WAR DANGER IS GROWING!

Clearly the military provocation is from the U.S. government and the south Korean government of President Lee Myung-bak.

For there to be peace on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. must withdraw its troops so the Korean people can decide their own destiny.

Sincerely,
(Your signature appended here)

SIGN ONLINE AT http://www.iacenter.org/korea/stopattackondprk NOW!

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