{news} Fwd: GP RELEASE Greens urge cutoff in military aid to Pakistan

[Tim McKee]

DC Statehood Green Party <dcsgpnews2 at yahoo.com> wrote:  Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:05:37 -0800 (PST)
From: DC Statehood Green Party <dcsgpnews2 at yahoo.com>
Subject: GP RELEASE Greens urge cutoff in military aid to Pakistan
To: dcsgpnews2 at yahoo.com

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Monday, November 26, 2007

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,
mclarty at greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805,
starlene at gp.org


Greens urge support for civil society and democracy in
Pakistan, cutoff in military aid


WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders and candidates
called for national and global support for civil
society, democracy, and the rule of law in Pakistan,
an end to President Pervez Musharraf's 'national
emergency' declaration, and a cutoff in US aid to
military dictatorships in Pakistan.

Greens especially criticized the Bush Administration's
use of Pakistan as a pawn in the US's 'war on terror'
and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.

"President Bush may press Gen. Musharraf to step down,
but it's naive to think that the Bush Administration's
goal is democracy in Pakistan," said Rodger Jennings,
Green candidate for Congress in Illinois (12th
District) .

"It's clear that Mr. Bush prefers another corrupt
dictator or military strong man to take Gen.
Musharraf's place, if he steps down, and that Pakistan
will continue to receive military aid from the US. 
The Green Party urges an end to such aid, and we call
on the White House and Congress to support restoration
of democratic elections in Pakistan," added Mr.
Jennings.

Greens have also called for international pressure on
Pakistan to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, as
part of a global nuclear disarmament effort.

"It's hypocritical for Democrats and Republicans to
criticize Iran for human rights violations and alleged
nuclear arms ambitions, while assisting a brutal
dictatorship in Pakistan and giving a pass to
Pakistani, Indian, and Israeli nukes -- not to mention
the US's own nuclear arsenal," said Steve Alesch,
Green Party candidate for Congress in Illinois (13th
District) . "It's also well
known that Pakistan's military rulers provided
assistance for the Taliban before 9/11, that officials
in Pakistan, including the ISI [Pakistan's
intelligence service], have maintained support for the
Taliban, and that the head of the ISI wired $100,000
to Mohammed Atta, the lead 9/11 hijacker. These facts
and the current crisis in Pakistan show that US policy
has little to do with the goal of democracy in Asia or
security for America."

The Green Party has received appeals from Pakistani
Greens for help, reporting that Greens have been
arrested for participating in peaceful protest and
that all independent media have been banned in
Pakistan.

"The US, under both Democratic and Republican
administrations, has aided brutal military and
repressive theocratic regimes in Pakistan and other
nations over the past several decades. The current
'war on terror' alliance and military aid are mainly
serving to line the pockets of defense contractors and
other corporate war profiteers, while providing no
real security for the US or democracy and stability in
Pakistan," said Romi Elnagar of the Green Party's
International Committee
..


MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Green Party News Center
http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau
http://www.gp.org/speakers
• Green candidate database for 2007 and other campaign
information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtml

Pakistan’s Dictatorships and the United States
By Stephen Zunes, Common Dreams, November 12, 2007
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/11/12/5167/

"Lawyers against the general"
The Economist, November 8, 2007
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10102956


~ END ~








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***********************************************************************
  Tim McKee
  Manchester CT
  Home-860-643-2282
  Cell-860-778-1304
  Tim McKee, is a National Commitee member of the Green Party of the United States and is a spokesperson for the Green Party of CT.
  BLOG- http://TheBigGreenPicture.blogspot.com/

       
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