Please forward and post. Dear Friend,
The Campaign for Peace and Democracy is co-sponsoring a meeting on Iraq featuring Gilbert Achcar at 7:00 pm on Thursday November 3 at 208 West 13th Street in Manhattan. Admission is free. Achcar is a leading Middle East expert who has put forward a strong "immediate withdrawal" position on Iraq, based on a deep knowledge of the country and the region. Unlike some prominent opponents of the war, he doesn't agree with the call for a blanket support to the resistance. Achcar often provides translations from the Arabic and comments on Iraqi developments for the antiwar movement, which usually are posted on Juan Cole's influential "Informed Comment" as well as on ZNet and other websites. He has recently had an extended debate with Cole on the issue of withdrawal (posted on Cole's site and on ZNet). If you are in the New York area, we hope you can join us on November 3 -- more details below. ---Joanne Landy, Thomas Harrison, and Jennifer Scarlott, Co-Directors, Campaign for Peace and Democracy
P.S. Gilbert Achcar will also be on Democracy Now! on Wednesday, November 2nd. Please check your local listings for radio and TV times. He will also be speaking in New Jersey on Nov. 2 and in Connecticut on Nov. 5. See the end of this message for details on these events. There may be videotapes or audiotapes available for one or more of these events; if you are interested in obtaining one, please contact us at cpd at igc.org
IRAQ: THE CASE FOR IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL Wrestling with the hard questions Come to a talk and question-and-answer session with Middle East expert GILBERT ACHCAR
* Will a US withdrawal lead to a bloody civil war?
* Will a US withdrawal lead to regional destabilization?
* Will a US withdrawal lead to an increase in global terrorism?
* What do the Iraqi people want?
* What will happen if the U.S. occupation continues?
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2005 - 7:00 PM Born in 1951, Gilbert Achcar lived in Lebanon until 1983. He teaches international relations at the University of Paris (VIII), and is a frequent contributor to ZNet and Le Monde diplomatique. His most recent books are The Clash of Barbarisms and Eastern Cauldron. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center 208 West 13th Street (Between 7th and 8th Avenues) A, C and E to 14th Street/8th Avenue 1, 2,3 to 14th Street/7th Avenue
Sponsors: Against the Current, Campaign for Peace and Democracy, Campus Anti-War Network, International Socialist Organization, New Politics, NY Democratic Socialists of America, Solidarity, NYC War Resisters League **************************************************************************** ********************* INFORMATION ABOUT NEW JERSEY AND CONNECTICUT MEETINGS WITH GILBERT ACHCAR MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY Wednesday, November 2, 2005 Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Ave., Montclair, NJ 07042 7:00-9:00 p.m. sponsored by Montclair Campaign for Peace and Justice, NJ Peace Action, People's Organization for Progress, and Montclair State U. Student Mobilization Committee info: 973-746-6291
CONNECTICUT Statewide Antiwar Conference, Saturday, November 5 Thorp Auditorium, CCSU , Stanley St., New Britain, CT. 8 am is registration, 9 workshops, 10 keynotes. other sessions continue on all day Initiated by Connecticut United for Peace info: 860-347-5488 www.ctunitedforpeace.org
-- Michael Pugliese