Let's take a look at the hollowness of ANSWER's "steering committee":
ANSWER Steering Committee:
IFCO/Pastors for Peace "IFCO/Pastors for Peace is a special ministry of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, created in 1988 to pioneer the delivery of humanitarian aid to Latin America and the Carribean." Looks like a small NGO with close ties to the International Action Center, judging from the articles I found on the IAC website.
Free Palestine Alliance - U.S. Couldn't find a website, just this email: phase3 at dcn.davis.ca.us Heavy ties with the Workers World Party and the IAC
Partnership for Civil Justice - LDEF 3 lawyers Relationship with IAC started after A16 protests. A march organized by the IAC was surrounded by the police and resulted in over 500 arrests.
Nicaragua Network 2-3 people (friendly to IAC before 9/11 courtesy of Chuck Kaufmann)
Bayan - USA/International A network of organizations. Claims to have lots of members. Possibly the biggest member of the ANSWER steering committee.
Korea Truth Commissio Close ties with the IAC. Front group?
International Action Center - aka Workers World Party. Several dozen organizers and leaders.
Muslim Student Association of the U.S./Canada
Kensington Welfare Rights Union An authentic grassroot organization.
Mexico Solidarity Network Handful of staffers. Under the influence of Chuck Kaufmann (see above)
Middle East Children's Alliance
Now, of course, most of these groups have "members" in their organizations, but the rank-and-file doesn't matter here, because the IAC/WWP are *not* grassroots organizers. When they talk about organizing the grassroots, they are talking about cutting deals with the people running these organizations. This is what happens when ANSWER claims that it is "working with the Palestinian community." They mean that Brian Becker and Richard Becker and a few other WWP cadres have gone to meetings with leaders of whatever community they are exploiting for that protest.
ANSWER: there's no "there" there.
Chuck0
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"The state can't give you free speech, and the state can't take it away. You're born with it, like your eyes, like your ears. Freedom is something you assume, then you wait for someone to try to take it away. The degree to which you resist is the degree to which you are free..." ---Utah Phillips