Chicago Area Peace Activists to Sound Off on Iran Nuke Negotiations Deadline

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Area Peace Activists to Sound Off
On Iran Nuke Negotiations Deadline

With Monday's deadline for a nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States likely to pass without a deal, Chicago area peace activists and academics will hold a press conference to comment on the next steps necessary to ensure peace between the two long-time adversaries. The press conference will take place at 12 noon, Monday, November 24 at Grace Place, 633 S. Dearborn Avenue, 1st floor.

After the U.S.-supported coup against Iran's first elected government in 1953, Iranian attitudes towards the United States were embittered by decades of dictatorial rule by the U.S.-sponsored Shah, who was notorious for rampant civil liberties violations, including a rampant secret police, mass imprisonments, tortures and executions of political dissidents.

The U.S.-led sanctions, besides poisoning already rock-bottom relations, have caused real privations for ordinary Iranians who bear no responsibility for their government's actions. Regardless of the outcome of the U.S./Iranian nuclear negotiations, additional sanctions, as some in Congress are proposing, would make a bad situation worse.

Rather than continuing to punish Iran with sanctions, activists say that the United States should begin to make amends for the decades of dictatorial rule that it imposed on Iran. Iran has already signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and submitted to many reviews and inspections under it -- unlike close U.S. ally Israel, which possesses nuclear weapons and continues to threaten Iran militarily.

Speakers at the 12 noon, Monday, November 24th press conference at 633 S. Dearborn will be:

** Kathy Kelly, longtime peace activist, frequent traveler to the region, and co-founder of Voices For Creative Non-Violence

** Jacob Crawford, member of the Chicago chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War, a former Farsi linguist in the US Navy and Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran

** Andy Thayer, Chicago area peace movement leader, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network, and co-founder of the newly-formed "U.S. Out of the Middle East Coalition"

** Other representatives of the U.S. Out of the Middle East Coalition

The U.S. Out of the Middle East Coalition is composed of the American Friends Service Committee; ANSWER Chicago; Anti-War Committee; Buddhist Peace Fellowship; Chicago Area CodePink; Chicago Area Peace Action; Democracy in the USA; Gay Liberation Network; Iraq Veterans Against the War; NW Indiana Veterans For Peace; Veterans For Peace, Chicago Chapter; Vietnam Veterans Against the War; and World Can't Wait-Chicago (list in formation).

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