AP News, March 2, has just announced “two U.S. warships entered the Suez Canal on their way to the Mediterranean, moving closer to the Libyan coast after orders from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.”

It is of great importance that the United National Antiwar Committee, UNACpeace.org, a major broad-based antiwar coalition in the United States, in the midst of escalating preparations for U.S. military action in Libya, has issued a unified statement opposing all forms of U.S. intervention in Libya, including No-Fly Zones and Sanctions.

This statement, drafted by well-known antiwar activist Kathy Kelly, was based on thorough discussions and unanimous decision of the UNAC Steering Committee. UNACpeace.org has more than 400 endorsing organizations and major bi-coastal antiwar demonstrations planned on April 9 in NYC and April 10 in San Francisco.

To have such a clearly defined position against U.S. sanctions, intervention or military action of any form and major mass demonstrations planned for April 9 & 10 mobilizing during this time of escalating war preparation projects UNAC into the center of the debate.

The statement of the United National Antiwar Committee is reproduced again below. As a member of the UNACpeace Steering Committee, I wholeheartedly support this statement.

The accompanying material is my own views and intended only as background information. I am submitting it to help combat a great deal of the U.S. war propaganda. 

For Unity and Solidarity,

Sara Flounders, International Action Center & Member of UNAC Steering Committee

United National Antiwar Committee, UNACpeace.org Statement on Libya

At great risks to their lives, activists organizing to oppose oppressive, dictatorial regimes in the Middle East and North Africa have inspired us by their courage and determination.  

We ruefully acknowledge past and continuing U.S. support for dictatorships and military rule in the region.  We recognize that the U.S. has been directly involved in supplying weapons and other forms of support to regimes that have committed atrocious human rights abuses against civilians.  Conscious of our responsibility to stop the United States from further manipulations that would interfere with movements on behalf of true democratic developments in other countries, UNAC calls for an immediate halt to U.S.  intervention in regions and countries where mass mobilizations are challenging oppressive regimes. 

We have seen the horrific consequences of U.S./UN imposed economic sanctions against Iraq, as well as the consequences of U.S./UN operation of “no-fly zones” over northern and southern Iraq, prior to the U.S. Shock and Awe attacks and invasion. 

We therefore oppose any form of U.S. military or economic intervention in Libya, Egypt, Bahrain, Tunisia and other countries where movements are rising in opposition to dictatorships and military rule.