Fredericton Peace Coalition

Royal Dutch Shell PLC opened an office Monday in Iraq, the first major oil and gas firm to set up a new operation here since the industry was nationalized in the 1970s. Iraq has some of the largest proven crude-oil reserves in the world, and other firms are expected to follow suit.

Jeremy Hinzman’s reprieve from scheduled deportation on Tuesday came after Federal Court heard an Immigration official had made serious errors in assessing the hardships the deserter and his family would face if forced back to the U.S.

Call Stephen Harper and Diane Finley
STOP THE DEPORTATION OF JEREMY HINZMAN AND HIS FAMILY

US Iraq war resister Jeremy Hinzman, his wife Nga Nguyen and their two children face deportation from Canada to the United States. If deported, Jeremy faces a court-martial and imprisonment for his refusal to participate in the illegal and immoral Iraq war. On July 15th, another US war resister – Robin Long – was deported by the Harper government to the US where he was
sentenced to 15 months in jail. He also received a dishonourable discharge, the equivalent of a felony conviction.

Canadians have repeatedly expressed their support for Iraq war resisters. On June 3rd, a motion was adopted in the House of Commons in favour of allowing resisters to stay in Canada, and calling on the federal government to cease deportation proceedings. A recent poll by Angus Reid found that two-thirds of Canadians support letting US war resisters stay.

URGENT ACTION REQUEST:

Call Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Immigration Diane Finley to demand:
• that they stop the deportation of Jeremy Hinzman and his family;
• that they respect the democratic will of Parliament and implement the War Resisters motion.

Stephen Harper:
Campaign office: 1-403-266-4451
Constituency office: 1-403-253-7990

Diane Finley:
Campaign office: 1-519-429-3382
Constituency office: 1-519-426-3400

War Resisters Support Campaign
http://www.resisters.ca/

From the Ottawa Citizen:

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=a6e5f168-2417-4184-abfd-375fec9d4ef3

From the Ottawa Citizen

The figure of $22 billion does not include aid and reconstruction costs, or expenses for DFAIT and the RCMP.

The following is the article’s breakdown of the costs:
$7 billion for the cost of the war so far, including everything from ammunition and fuel to salaries.
$11 billion is the estimated bill for Veterans Affairs and DND for long-term care of veterans and related benefits.
$2 billion for the purchase of mission-specific equipment.
$2 billion for refurbishing the military’s armoured personnel carrier fleet.
$405 million for repair and overhaul costs.

The Harper government has also introduced a funding policy to spend $490 billion on defence over the next 20 years, raising the annual military budget from approximately $18 billion now to $30 billion in 2028.

Re: Stephen Harper’s record

Stephen Harper has been quoted as saying he “didn’t get into politics to be loved.”

Good thing, I say, because I have a list of 52 actions he has taken since coming into power that affect all of us.

Here are a few from the list.

The occupation of Afghanistan, military spending up, social programs down, accountability promises broken, green plan gets thumbs down, loopholes for oil sands, no incentive for public transit, politicizing selection of judges, attacks on civil liberties, no-fly list without checks and balances, racists toward immigrants, Canada’s sovereignty for sale, nothing said by his government about the disastrous military occupation of Iraq, ignoring war resisters, pro-Israel at all costs, support of the occupation of Palestine, tacit support for threats against Iran, corporate profits at record highs, two-tier health expanding, safe-injection site threatened, Afghan prisoner abuse, and ties to the U.S. not being strong enough?

We now have stronger ties with California, as Rona Ambrose and Doug Horner “support increased collaboration between innovators on both sides of the border.”

Harper cancelled the Kelowna Accord, negotiated under the former Liberal government to help bridge the gap between First Nations People and other Canadians.

The Harper government clearly wants women to stay home and has proven this with rewarding married couples where one partner earns most or all of the income.

Canadians have been warned that the CBC is on the chopping block. Harper is personally opposed to abortion, press access to PMO is limited, Status of Women slashed, AIDS conference snubbed, and his government nixed the Charter Challenge Program. He also broke the law he had enacted to have set election dates.

I think these actions affect most everyone and we should remember them when we to go the polls to vote.

Norma Christie
Fredericton

Canada’s Parliament passed War Resisters motion – Olivia Chow.

Canada welcomed 50,000 Vietnam War Resisters – Bill King.

The people of Afghanistan are caught between the devil and the dreaded Taleban. Obviously, they believe their devil is the US-led force which operates in Afghanistan under a UN mandate. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), as this force is properly known, is responsible for thousands of civilian deaths in Afghanistan. Last Friday, August 22, the US troops in ISAF killed 95 civilians, including 60 children and 19 women, adding to the ever increasing number of civilian deaths.

Stephen Harper said today that Canadian soldiers will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by 2011. This contradicts previous statements by the Harper government that have alluded to another possible extension past 2011. Harper claims that Canadians will have lost the appetite for war in three years from now. The reality is that Canadians lost the appetite for war a long time ago. Just weeks after Harper last extended Canada’s mission on March 13, 2008, an Angus Reid poll showed that 58 per cent of Canadians believed it was the wrong decision.

That sentiment is still growing. A clear majority of Canadians want the war to end, now — not in three years. At current rates, thousands more Afghan civilians will be killed, and many more will be detained and tortured. Nearly 100 Canadian soldiers have been killed in combat so far. That number could more than double if we wait three more years to leave Afghanistan.

How many more Afghan detainees will be transferred to torture? How many more massacres — like the recent air strike at Azizabad — must Afghan civilians suffer? And how many more Canadian families will bury their sons and daughters before Stephen Harper stops playing politics with other people’s lives?

Harper’s claim to withdraw troops in 2011 is an attempt to stifle debate about the war during the election campaign. The Conservatives and the Liberals are worried about the growing death toll of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, and the growing anger among Canadians. Neither party wants to take responsibility for sending troops into harm’s way, in a war that we cannot win.

Stephen Harper promised a “fixed date” for federal elections — then abandoned this commitment at his convenience. How can Canadians believe his promise of a fixed date to bring our troops home. Harper has now twice extended the Canadian mission in Afghanistan past so-called “fixed dates”. He has committed to spend a $490 billion on the military budget over the next 20 years – a huge financial burden Canadian taxpayers will shoulder long after Harpers “guaranteed” withdrawal date.

On October 14, cast your ballot for candidates that will end the war in Afghanistan, and bring the troops home now — not in another three years. And on October 18, join us in the streets to send the same message to whichever party forms the government.

We can’t afford another three years of war. Tell that to Stephen Harper: end the war in Afghanistan, and bring the troops home now!

It is difficult to find out what is really going on in Afghanistan. The focus of the mass media is almost entirely on the military activities of the Canadian and NATO forces. There is absolutely no coverage of political developments. The news on the economy is limited to the state of the poppy industry. This is no accident. The North American media, including the CBC, has strongly supported the U.S./NATO strategy and the administration of President Hamid Karzai. Contrary to the mainstream message, things are not going well.