THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES





MEDIA RELEASE


For immediate release:


Wednesday, November 14, 2001





National Contacts:


Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576,


nallen (at) acadia.net


Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,


scottmclarty (at) yahoo.com





Local Contact:


Starlene Rankin, Illinois GP Media Coordinator


starlene (at) greens.org, 773-907-9845








GREEN PARTY RENEWS THE CALL TO END STRIKES


AGAINST AFGHANISTAN AS RAMADAN AND WINTER MONTHS


APPROACH





Greens see in the Taliban's flight from Kabul a


chance to provide humanitarian aid, restore basic


rights of Afghans








WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Green Party of the United


States has renewed its call for the U.S. to halt


the military assaults on Afghanistan, as the war


threatens to spread and Afghans face starvation


in the coming months.





"Continuing the strikes through Ramadan will


further alienate Muslims and jeopardize fragile


alliances with Pakistan and other Muslim


nations," said Tom Sevigny, Connecticut Green


activist and member of the national party's


steering committee.





Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf,


warns that the U.S. assaults are "perceived in


the whole world as a war against the poor,


miserable and innocent people of Afghanistan" and


that continuing attacks during Ramadan would have


"negative fall-out in the entire Muslim world."


The war on Afghanistan puts the military junta in


Pakistan in an explosive dilemma. Already on


shaky ground, the undemocratic Pakistani


government faces destabilization, with dire


consequences if Pakistan's small nuclear arsenal


falls into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, Pakistani


extremists are increasing acts of violence in


Kashmir, forcing a confrontation with India.





"Our ill-considered response to the September 11


atrocities endangers the stability of two hostile


nuclear powers -- Pakistan and India -- with


unknowable results," said Robbie Franklin, a


Texas Green activist and treasurer of the


national party. "It is a very dangerous


situation with consequences far greater than


anything we can hope to gain in the war on


Afghanistan."





The military strikes have already proved


devastating for the people of Afghanistan,


especially the use of cluster bombs, fuel air


bombs, and carpet bombing by the U.S. as the


Taliban dispersed into civilian areas. But the


retreat of the Taliban from Kabul provides an


opening for the delivery of humanitarian aid and


the beginning of restored human rights for


Afghans.





"The only hope for Afghanistan is massive


intervention from the U.N.," said Holly Hart,


secretary of the Iowa Green Party and co-chair of


the national platform committee. "Such an effort


must provide emergency food and medical supplies,


attempt to prevent further bloodshed in the civil


war between the Taliban and the Northern


Alliance, and address the brutal treatment of


Afghan people -- especially women -- by both the


Taliban and the Northern Alliance. We must


guarantee that the fall of repressive,


misogynistic laws in Kabul after the Taliban fled


is not reversed by the Northern Alliance."





The Green Party continues to demand that the


criminals behind the September 11 atrocities be


tried according to international law in an


appropriate court. The Rome Statute, which the


U.S. refuses to ratify, would provide such a


forum. The non-retroactivity clause of the Rome


Statute would preclude using the International


Criminal Court to try the September 11 criminals.


However, Greens note that an ad hoc tribunal


based on the principles of the Rome Statute can


be convened to indict and try those responsible


for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the


Pentagon.





Unfortunately, House and Senate negotiators last


week agreed to block U.S. participation in the


U.N.'s establishment of an International Criminal


Court to prosecute war crimes, genocide and other


crimes against humanity. The U.S. government


refuses to cooperate in international attempts to


hold all nations responsible for crimes like the


September 11 attacks, and prefers unilateral


force, since the U.S. considers itself exempt


from accountability for violation of


international law.





"We urge the U.S. government to build a worldwide


coalition of governments pledging to refrain from


acts of violence against civilians and to prevent


independent groups from doing the same," said


Jane M. Hunter, vice-chair of the Green Party of


New Jersey.








MORE INFORMATION





The Green Party of the United States


http://gpus.org





Green Party statement on the September 11 attacks


http://gpus.org/articles/9_11_01.html





Rome Statute text


http://www.un.org/law/icc/statute/romefra.htm





Amnesty International on the ICC and ASPA


http://www.amnesty-usa.org/icc





Hague Appeal for Peace http://www.haguepeace.org








END

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