TS Demonstration TODAY (Friday, Augst 13)!

[The Touchstone]

      A demonstration today (Friday, August 13) will be held outside Reed 
Arena starting at 1p.m.  The purpose is to protest against the invitation 
of Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage as a commencement speaker, 
his neo-conservative views and policies, and the war in Iraq.  We will meet 
outside the entrance to Reed Arena that faces Olsen Field and the Rec 
Center.  The demonstration will end around 2 p.m.  People are encouraged to 
make and bring their own signs, but I also have several that have been made 
up by a local artist and sign painter.  People, of course, can join us 
there as well without carrying a sign.  I also have 1000-2000 flyers 
(placed below) stating several unsavory facts about Armitage ("The Truth 
About Richard Armitage") that can be handed out to people going into the 
commencement.  For other details see below or call me on my cell phone at 
777-8758.  I hope to see you at the demonstration.

                                                         Danny


The Truth About Richard Armitage

  Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage is the speaker for the 2 
p.m. commencement. He is a neo-conservative who strongly advocated and was 
instrumental in planning for the unnecessary Iraq war that has had such 
disastrous consequences. Did you know that there are several other unsavory 
facts about Armitage?

Domestic Shenanigans

Armitage was investigated by the Reagan Administration's Commission on 
Organized Crime in 1984 for his links to gambling and prostitution.

In 1986, photos were disclosed showing Armitage with a topless Vietnamese 
nightclub owner named Nguyen O'Rourke. (fromthewilderness.com)

Armitage's "role in the Iran-contra arms smuggling scandal was sufficiently 
important to force George Bush Sr to withdraw his nomination as army 
secretary in 1989." (UK Guardian, Feb 14, 2001)

Manufacturing Malfeasance in Iraq

Armitage is a member of the Project for the New American Century, the 
neo-conservative think-tank that was advocating a second war in Iraq since 
the early 1990's.

Despite a UNICEF report that more than half a million Iraqi children had 
died as a direct consequence of UN sanctions against Iraq during the 
1990's, Armitage sweepingly declared that the U.S. has "never...really hurt 
the women and children of Iraq. It has been the selfishness and the greed 
of Saddam Hussein [that] has done that" (Frontline interview, Sept '01).

Armitage admitted that the Bush administration withheld more than $20 
billion in badly-needed economic loans because the Turkish government 
refused to participate in the war on Iraq; around 90% of the Turkish 
population opposed war (NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, March 25, 2003).

Armitage is linked to CACI International, a defense contractor which 
"allowed and/or instructed"abuse at Abu Ghraib prison, according to the 
Taguba report (The Nation, June 21, 2004).

Imperialist

Armitage urged the Clinton administration to "say no" to an "independent, 
supernational" United Nations and then to establish "American leadership at 
the U.N.," which is "a role to which we are entitled" (CS Monitor, October 
31, 1995 and NY Times, Feb 24, 1994).

Armitage has strongly supported Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, despite 
persistent allegations of electoral fraud and torture of political 
opponents (Mother Jones, July/Aug '04).

He supported arming Jordan's King Hussein as a way of ensuring Israeli 
dominance in the Middle East (NY Times, October 2, 1985).

Are these our University's values? This is not the kind of person that a 
leading university should celebrate.


>X-Original-To: touchst at cy-net.net
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>Reply-To: <hugh at stearnsconstruction.biz>
>From: "Hugh" <hugh at stearnsconstruction.biz>
>To: "'The Touchstone'" <touchst at cy-net.net>,
>         <betterdays at brazosprogressives.org>, <ts at grimpeur.tamu.edu>,
>         <AGGIEPROGRESSIVECOALITION at listserv.tamu.edu>
>Subject: Carpool for Armitage
>Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2004 09:12:46 -0500
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>
>First of all I would like to thank Danny Yeager for almost single handedly 
>coordinating this event.  As if he didn't already do more than imaginable.
>
>
>
>I hope that everyone will feel comfortable standing up to say that the 
>violent, deceptive, self-serving, corporate sponsored, perspective 
>espoused and practiced by Richard Armitage should not be given prominence, 
>and paid for, by the University.  Your quiet presence will speak volumes.
>
>
>There is parking available at the UU Fellowship at 305 Wellborn Rd.  There 
>will be a van available, leaving the Fellowship at 1:00 and returning 
>around 2:00, for those who do not want to walk. Please email me to let me 
>know if you plan to ride so that we can anticipate how many trips to make. 
>- Hugh
>-----Original Message-----
>From: The Touchstone [mailto:touchst at cy-net.net]
>Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 12:22 PM
>To: betterdays at brazosprogressives.org; ts at grimpeur.tamu.edu; 
>AGGIEPROGRESSIVECOALITION at listserv.tamu.edu
>Cc: hugh at stearnsconstruction.biz
>Subject: [betterdays] Correction -- the date of the Armitage demonstration 
>is Friday, August 13
>
>Sorry -- I forgot to list the date.  It's now in the message below.  It's 
>this Friday, August 13.
>
>      A peaceful demonstration is being planned for prior to the 2 p.m. 
> Texas A&M commencement at Reed Arena where Richard Armitage will speak on 
> Friday, August 13. This peaceful demonstration is to express disgust at 
> Armitage, his invitation by Texas A&M, and especially the war in Iraq 
> that Armitage -- one of the notorious neocons surrounding President Bush 
> -- was instrumental in planning.  Please join us if you at all can.
>      Armitage is a poor choice as commencement speaker because of his 
> involvement in the planning and execution of the Iraq war. A prominent 
> "neoconservative," Armitage has been involved in the Project for the New 
> American Century, a group whose call for the invasion of Iraq preceded 
> the attacks of September 11, 2001. Armitage was also implicated in the 
> Iran-Contra scandal and, because of this activity, was denied an 
> appointment as Assistant Secretary of State in 1989.  Information that 
> came out during the trial of the Oliver North specifically named Armitage 
> as one of the Department of Defense officials responsible for illegal 
> transfers of weapons to Iran and the Contras. In 1984, Armitage was 
> investigated by President Ronald Reagan's Commission on Organized Crime. 
> In addition, Armitage served on the board of CACI, a company that 
> supplied interrogators to Abu Ghraib prison, one of whom was singled out 
> in the report on abuses by U.S. Army Major General Antonio Taguba.
>      We plan on meeting outside the entrance to Reed Arena that faces 
> Olsen Field and the Rec Center around 1 p.m.  According to Karan Watson, 
> Dean of Faculties at Texas A&M, the entire campus is now considered a 
> "free speech" zone, so we anticipate no problems associated with the 
> former declaration of specific "free speech" areas on campus. People are 
> encouraged to make and bring their own signs if they would like.  Just 
> showing up and being there without a sign is certainly fine too.  I've 
> talked with a local artist and former sign painter who has volunteered to 
> also make up some more professional looking signs for us if someone 
> wishes to hold one of them.  The demonstration will end slightly after 2 p.m.
>       Parking on campus near Reed Arena should be plentiful and easily 
> available since it's commencement.  However, if you would rather not 
> drive on campus, parking is available at the Unitarian Fellowship (305 
> Wellborn).  From there it's an easy walk to Reed Arena.  Also, Hugh 
> Steans has volunteered to shuttle people over to Reed Arena from the 
> Unitarian Fellowship parking lot and back after the demonstration. For 
> more information contact Hugh at hugh at stearnsconstruction.biz.
>      Come join the demonstration if you at all can -- for the entire 
> demonstration or just for a few minutes.  The weather is supposed to cool 
> off so it shouldn't be too hot.  It's important to state our opposition 
> to the invitation of Armitage, his neo-conservative policies, and the 
> unnecessary war in Iraq.
>       Please also share this information with others you know who may be 
> interested and post on other lists you belong to.  Thanks!
>
>                    Danny
>
>
>Danny Yeager
>Phone and FAX at home: (979) 696-8695
>Cell: (979) 777-8758
>
>**** NOTE THE NEW AREA CODE ****
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