Anti-War Groups Prepare for Post-Election Strategies to End U.S.-Iraq Occupation

Interview with Leslie Cagan, national coordinator of United of Peace and Justice, conducted by Scott Harris

In the months before the Bush administration launched their invasion of Iraq, a powerful international peace movement organized to oppose the impending war. During global protests Feb. 15, 2003 some 10 million people in more than 600 cities marched to oppose President Bush's "pre-emptive" war plan. The New York Times wrote at the time that George Bush had met the other "superpower": world opinion.

After the Iraq war began, organizers continued to mobilize opposition in the U.S. and around the world, putting pressure on the governments of Spain, Italy and Britain that had signed onto the war. During the Republican National convention held in New York City in August, an estimated half a million people marched to oppose the war and the Bush agenda.

Many in the peace movement believe that no matter who sits in the White House after the November election, the U.S. occupation of Iraq will continue to cause death and destruction, and may likely escalate through the deployment of thousands more American troops. The largest anti-war coalition in the United States is United for Peace and Justice. The group's national coordinator, Leslie Cagan has been in the forefront of peace and social justice organizing since the Vietnam War and had a leading role in organizing many of the nation's largest demonstrations. Between the Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Cagan about the role of the peace movement after the U.S. presidential election.

Contact United for Peace and Justice at (212) 868-5545 or visit their website at www.unitedforpeace.org

Related links:


Military Families Speak Out www.mfso.org

Iraq Veterans Against the War www.vaiw.org

Not In Our Name www.notinourname.org

International A.N.S.W.E.R. www.internationalanswer.org

Labor Against War www.uslaboragainstwar.org

September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows www.peacefultomorrows.org

Voices in the Wilderness www.vitw.org

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

www.btlonline.org
*
"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: httC://www.btlonline.org
*
"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe-AT-lists.riseup.net
*
betweenthelines-AT-snet.net
*
www.squeakywheel.net/
*
Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc.
(c)2004 Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.