Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 20:04:56 +1000
Subject: Re: Citizens Overwhemingly Disagree w/ Pentagon at Town Hall Meeting



----- Original Message -----
From: "Reform of MI News" <reformofmichnews-AT-myexcel.com>
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 4:41 AM
Subject: Citizens Overwhemingly Disagree w/ Pentagon at Town Hall Meeting


> Feb. 10, 2003
> Citizens Overwhemingly Disagree w/ Pentagon at Town Hall Meeting
> http://dc.indymedia.org/
>
> Alexandria, VA: Congressman Jim Moran called a Town Hall Meeting,
"Terrorism
> and the Possible Conflict in Iraq," with Pentagon spokespersons, Public
> Affairs Victoria Clarke and Major General Kevin Kuklok.
> An incredibly well-informed audience respectfully stood in line with
> notepads, to ask the Pentagon questions. The first person set the tone. A
> Kurdish-American woman said her family and her people got chemically
bombed
> by Saddam and she is against the war. A big cheer arose from the audience.
> An Iranian-American woman rhetorically asked where the weapons of mass
> destruction came from, and answered, "You supplied it. Does the UN have a
> mandate for 2/3 of Iraq to be a no-fly zone, attacked every day? Has
Israel
> ever followed UN resolutions?" The audience gave a bigger cheer to a woman
> who asked why we don't join other countries in eliminating all weapons of
> mass destruction, (including ours.)
>
> Congressman Jim Moran said 69% of people calling his office are against
the
> war and there is an even higher percentage in the room. During the entire
> event, no one from the audience asked a question or made a statement in
> favor of the war, although there was some clapping for supporting the
> troops. A Gulf War vet, who also served as a reservist against al-Qaeda,
> asked, "What are the 'smart politics' that are going to work in the area
> after we bring the tanks in, when we are throwing a brick in a hornet's
> nest? What is our politics towards the countries where the 911 supporters
> came from, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt?" One of the last questions was
> from a 16 year old who wanted to know how much this war was going to cost,
> and were funds for education going to be sacrificed.
>
> Pentagon spokesperson Virginia Clarke answered several different questions
> in the exact same way; with a statement that "18 different European
> countries agree with the US re Saddam", with a shake of her head once and
a
> drink of water. Overall it was not the greatest PR event for the Pentagon.
> More
> The Town Hall aired on C-Span TV and Radio.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> This message has been sent by
> Charlene Truszkowski
> webmaster: Reform Party of Michigan
> http://www.reformpartyofmichigan.homestead.com
>
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> God Save the U.S.A.,
> Charlene Truszkowski
>
>
>