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 PDA volunteers (starting back left) William Rivers Pitt, Nicoli Bailey, Charlie Gallo and John Bonifaz (center front) pose with Rep. Barney Frank (front left) and Gloria Fox (front right) at Downing Street Minutes event in Boston. |
July 30, 2005--Revelations contained in the Downing Street Minutes were the magnet which attracted a packed house of over 300 people to historic Arlington Street Church in Boston on July 31. They came to hear PDA advisory board member and AfterDowningStreet.org cofounder John Bonifaz, U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, Massachusetts State Representative Gloria Fox, and a host of community group leaders speak about the meaning of the Downing Street Minutes, the consequences of the ill advised and deceptively reasoned invasion of Iraq, and how grassroots activists can succeed in our efforts to force the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Congressman Frank emphasized that withdrawal must be presented to the American public not as a means of emotional release but as a pragmatic end to waste, turmoil, and death. "The goal," said the Congressman, "is to persuade members of Congress to act on their practical understandings."
Bonifaz emphasized the many ways in which he believed President Bush had exceeded the powers entrusted to him under the Constitution and had committed impeachable offense in his "deliberate campaign to deceive," all as manifested in the Downing Street Minutes. "If the Minutes are accurate," said Bonifaz, "then the inescapable conclusion is that Bush had decided to invade well before 9/11, had fixed the intelligence to support his foregone conclusion to invade, and had lied to the Congress...All we are asking," said Bonifaz, "is for an inquiry. Did the President commit impeachable offenses? Was there a conspiracy by the White House to deceive and mislead, to manipulate intelligence, to falsify the reasons to act militarily?"
Representative Fox addressed the consequences of the war and occupation on the inner city and the ways in which militarism, racism, and economic exploitation are intertwined to create "living consequences" of "this madman's thirst for power."
The forum, co-sponsored by PDA, PDA MA, Brookline Peaceworks, UfPJ, and a dozen other activist organizations concluded by emphasizing the ways in which activists could effect the end of the war, including signing petitions, lobbying Congress, and attending the massive Mobilization in Washington, D.C. from September 24 to 26.
