The U.S.-imposed "No-Fly-Zones" result in almost daily bombings that have left scores of civilians dead, with no end in sight. Continuing political conflicts over weapons inspection, weapons of mass destruction, and sanctions, seem intractable. According to the Congressional Research Service, the United States has flown more than 100,000 missions over the skies of Iraq, at a cost of over $1 billion a year, since the end of Desert Storm. The Gulf War never ended! This conflict has devastated the Iraqi people. In one of the richest countries in the world, with a population of 23 million, over 1,000,000 people have died due to starvation and sickness, and another 2,000,000 have fled the country. According to the United Nation's own figures, a child dies in Iraq every ten minutes because of U.S./UN Sanctions. Please join us for a discussion on the history of this conflict, and how we can work towards its peaceful resolution.
A veteran of countless trips to Iraq since 1995, Bert Sacks has become one of the most prominent anti-sanctions activists on the West Coast. Currently based in Seattle, he made two trips in 1999 supporting a delegation of the Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility. His earlier trips were with the Chicago-based Voices in the Wilderness. A native of Boston, Sacks attended Dartmouth College, Boston University, and the University of California at Berkeley. He trained and worked as an electronic and software engineer. Having lived in Israel, Sacks became a vociferous opponent of the 1991 Gulf War and continues to be an outstanding advocate for a just U.S. policy in the region.
This event is sponsored by The Progressive Peace Coalition. For more information please contact Connie Hammond at 614.268.2637 or <chammon at columbus.rr.com>.
The flyer for the event is available at <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/sacks.doc>.