Protest March

AGAINST BUSH, AGAINST WAR,

AGAINST U.S. AND ITALIAN IMPERIALISM
Rome, June 11th, 5 pm
starting from piazza della Repubblica

Bush is back. He'll be in Rome on June 11th to ask for even greater Italian involvement in his war plans.

Here he'll find a newly elected right-wing government only too happy to offer him for good the city of Vicenza as site for the biggest American offensive airbase outside the U.S., together with indirect support for the U.S. occupation of Iraq and the use of “peace-keeping” Italian troops in Afghanistan for combat roles. In addition Bush will probably try to garner support for a U.S. attack on Iran. Italy has already offered participation in the construction of the F35 fighter plane and the U.S. “Missile Shield” in Europe (a return to the arms race with Russia!).

Why all this militarism? The so-called War on Terror has nothing to do with it. You don't capture bin Laden in Pakistan or stop a future terrorist attack in the U.S. by installing missiles in Czechoslovakia and air bases in Italy. The real reason is economic and geo-political: the deteriorating U.S. hold on world markets; the prospect of recession; the weakening petrol-dollar. Bush's answer? Use war to grab even more key areas of the world and thus contain the economic growth of other countries (through oil pricing and control of market shares). This, of course, can only breed insurgency in the occupied countries and thus more terrorism. Plus, war-fed economies don't endure, since they are basically unproductive; as other countries gain energy independence through alternative sources, containment will crumble and with it the excessively-militarized U.S. economy.

Say NO to this reckless imperial agenda. Join the march on June 11th to tell Bush he's an unwelcome guest in Rome. Not only for his militarism, but also for his contempt of the Constitution and basic human rights: he has, in fact, approved torture, rendition, wiretapping of anyone, imprisonment without court order...

In addition, to help America demilitarize its foreign policy, tell the Italian government to:

- bring Italian troops home from Afghanistan;
- refuse to support even indirectly the U.S. occupation of Iraq;
- refuse air space for any attack on Iran and condemn any talk of such an attack;
- revoke permission for the USAF base in Vicenza; reconvert all US bases to civil uses;
- revoke agreements for the construction of the Missile Shield and the F35 fighter.

Patto permanente contro la guerra   U.S. Citzens for Peace and Justice
www.wsf2008.net/eng/taxonomy/term/2853                             www.peaceandjustice.it