Huge Worldwide Protests Demand Iraq Troop Pullout

Reuters, via Yahoo ^ | 20 Mar 2004 | Grant McCool and others

[coloradan]

From Sydney to Tokyo, from Santiago, Chile, to Madrid, London, New York and San Francisco, demonstrators condemned U.S. policy in Iraq and said they did not believe Iraqis are better off or the world safer because of the war.

Journalists estimated that at least a million people streamed through Rome, in probably the biggest single protest.

In London, two anti-war protesters evaded security to climb the landmark Big Ben clock tower at the Houses of Parliament, unfurling a banner reading "Time for Truth."

About 25,000 demonstrators gathered in central London, many carrying "Wanted" posters bearing images of President Bush (news - web sites) and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites), his main war ally.

In most places, the demonstrators numbered in the tens of thousands, compared with hundreds of thousands who marched in big cities on Feb. 15, 2003, to try and prevent the conflict.

The peaceful protests began in Asia and moved to Europe and the Americas in what organizers billed "a global day of action."

In New York, scene of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane strikes by Islamic militants, tens of thousands created a sea of signs in midtown Manhattan, many of them criticizing Bush, who is running for re-election in November.

Among the signs spotted in the crowd were, "Money For Jobs and Education not for War and Occupation" and "Bush Lies" and "End Occupation of Iraq."

SAN FRANCISCO PROTEST

In San Francisco, a diverse group of protestors gathered for a raucous rally in front of city hall, where dumping Bush in November was also the central theme.

"Are we ready to drop Bush?" local politico Tom Ammiano asked the crowd. "Are we ready to impeach Bush?" The crowd responded with an enthusiastic "yes" to both queries.

Actor Woody Harrelson, said the rally "is about uniting everyone. ... We want peace."

Anti-war activists gathered in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home of Fort Bragg, one of the biggest U.S. military basis. Soldiers, veterans and local residents staged two counter-demonstrations, but there were military veterans and families among the anti-war groups.

"I hate George Bush and everything he stands for and this war of vanity," said Don Marshburn, 72, a disabled Navy veteran from Newton Grove North Carolina. "I'm sick of bombs. It didn't do anything over there and it didn't do anything over here."

About 2,000 protested at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and several hundred in Chicago.

New York's crowd was the largest in the United States on the day, with organizers estimating up to 100,000 protesters. Police did not give an official estimate.

"Hey Hey, Ho Ho, George Bush has got to go," marchers chanted at the rally organized by the United For Peace and Justice coalition of left-leaning groups.

"The thing they all object to is Bush," said demonstrator, Reeves Hamilton, 30. "It doesn't make sense to bomb countries that have nothing to do with Sept. 11."

BUSH ON THE DEFENSIVE

He said he supported troops going into Afghanistan (news - web sites) to fight al Qaeda militants responsible for the attacks, but not the invasion of Iraq, which Bush ordered to rid the country of its purported weapons of mass destruction.

At a campaign rally in Florida, Bush touted Iraq as an "essential victory" in Washington's war on terror and hit back at criticism of his decision to invade without more international support.

"I'm all for united action, and so are our 34 coalition partners in Iraq right now," he said. "Yet America must never outsource America's national security decisions to the leaders of other countries."

A year after the start of the war, Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) has been overthrown and captured, but no stockpiles of unconventional weapons have been found.

Concern over the war has been most evident in Spain, where thousands demonstrated a week after voting out the conservative government that sent troops to Iraq. Many Spaniards blamed Madrid's support for the war for the March 11 train bombs, blamed on Islamic militants, which killed 202 people.

Spanish Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has pledged to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq. He has called the war a "disaster" and a "fiasco."

Many in Iraq said their lives had improved since Saddam was toppled, but others said guerrilla attacks and lawlessness left them fearful.

(Reporting by Chris Sanders in New York, Andrew Cawthorne in Madrid, Peter Griffiths in London, Caren Bohan in Orlando, Elaine Lies in Tokyo, Paul Eckert in Seoul, Karolos Grohmann in Athens, Kirsten Gehmlich in Paris, Kamil Zaheer in Calcutta, Nizam Ahmed in Dhaka, Courtney Brianne Mabeus in Fayetteville, North Carolina)

[coloradan]

Reuters can be counted upon to give leftists a forum to be heard, and call it "news."

[Azzurri]

He said he supported troops going into Afghanistan to fight al Qaeda militants responsible for the attacks, but not the invasion of Iraq, which Bush ordered to rid the country of its purported weapons of mass destruction.

This is such a lie. These protesters opposed going into Afghanistan as well, but they moved the goal post once we went into Iraq and they saw that Afghanistan was successful. I wish I could find a website of the early days in Afghanistan when the left was decrying the action.

[FairOpinion]

I bet they had things like "Bring back Saddam" signs, which the media avoids mentioning.

[dandelion]

Huge, compared to what? Compared to the number of Americans who support the war? NO. Huge, compared to the number of people who turned out to protest last year? NO. Huge, compared to the number of people who actually read Reuters news? YES...

[Diogenesis]

Militants at Reuters salute terrorism as is their way.

Iraqi 55 Most Wanted List

1.	Saddam Husayn GEN	President / Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) Chairman	Captured December 13th
2.	Qusay Saddam Husayn al-Tikriti	Chief, Special Security Organization/special Republican Guard (SSO/SRG); Commander, Central Region Commander	Killed July 22nd
3.	Uday Saddam Husayn al-Tikriti	Member Of The National Assembly, Olympic Committee	Killed July 22nd
4.	Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti GEN	Saddam’s Personal Secretary, National Security Advisor And Senior Bodyguard/inner Circle	Taken into custody June 16th
5.	Ali Hasan al-Majid GEN	Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) / Commander, Ba'ath Party Regional Command / Inner Circle/ Presidential Advisor/ Head Of Central Workers Bureau	Taken into custody August 21st
6.	Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri LTG	Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) Vice-Chairman / Northern Region Commander / Inner Circle/ Deputy Secretary General, Ba’th Party Regional Command / Deputy Commander, Armed Forces
7.	Hani abd al-Latif al-Tilfah al-Tikriti COL	Director, Special Security Organization (SSO) And Responsible For Security And Investigations (MUDIRIYAH NUMBER TWO); Assistant To Qusay; Saddam's Nephew
8.	Aziz Salih al-Numan	Regional Command Chairman For Ba’ath Party Baghdad	Taken into custody May 22nd
9.	Muhammad Hamza al-Zubaydi	Former Secretary Of Ba'ath Party Northern Bureau, Former Deputy Prime Minister, Former Member Of The Ba'ath Regional Command	Taken into custody April 20th
10.	Kamal Mustafa abdallah Sultan al-Tikriti GEN	Secretary, Republican Guard/special Republican Guard (RG/SRG); Inner Circle	Taken into custody May 17th
11.	Barzan abd al-Ghafur Sulayman Majid al-Tikriti Bg	Commander, Special Republican Guard (SRG)	Taken into custody July 23rd
12.	Muzahim Sab Hasan al-Tikriti LTG	Commander, Iraqi Air Defense Forces / Deputy Director Organization Of Military Industrialization (OMI)	Taken into custody April 23rd
13.	Ibrahim Ahmad abd al-Sattar Muhammad al-Tikriti GEN	Chief Of Staff Of Iraqi Armed Forces General Staff & Army	Taken into custody May 15th
14.	Sayf al-Din Fulayyih Hasan Taha al-Rawi LTG	Iraqi Republican Guard (RG) Chief Of
15.	Rafi abd al-Latif Tilfah al-Tikriti MG	Director, Directorate Of General Security (DGS)
16.	Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti LTG	Director, Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS)
17.	Hamid Raja Shalah al-Tikriti LTG	Commander, Iraqi Air Force	Taken into custody June 14th
18.	Latif Nusayyif al-Jasim al-Dulaymi	Former Member Of Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) / Central Ba'ath Party Member / Deputy Secretary Of The Ba'ath Military Bureau/inner Circle	Taken into custody June 9th
19.	abd al-Tawab abdullah Mullah al-Huwaysh GEN	Director, Organization Of Military Industrialization (MIC/OMI); Deputy Prime Minister Of Iraq	Taken into custody May 2nd
20.	Taha Yasin Ramadan al-Jizrawi	Iraqi Vice President	Taken into custody August 20th
21.	Rukan Razuki abd al-Ghafar Sulayman al-Nasiri Bg	Saddam’s Senior Bodyguard/head-Tribal Affairs/inner Circle
22.	Jamal Mustafa abdallah Sultan al-Tikriti	Saddam’s Personal Security/ Deputy Chief-Tribal Affairs/inner Circle/ Presidential Diwan/saddam Husayn’s Son-in-Law	Taken into custody April 20th, turned over the Coalition April 21st
23.	Mizban Khudr al-Hadi	Member Of Revlutionary Command Council (RCC)/central Euphrates Region Commander/ Ba'ath Party Regional Command Member/secretary Of Central Peasants Bureau	Taken into custody on July 9th
24.	Taha Muhyi al-Din Maruf	Vice President, Member Of Revolutionary Command Council (RCC)	Taken into custody May 2nd
25.	Tariq Aziz	Deputy Prime Minister / Revolutionary Command Council (RCC)	Taken into custody April 25th
26.	Walid Hamid Tawfiq al-Tikriti GEN	Governor Of al-Basrah, Former Special Security Organization (SSO) Chief	Surrendered April 29th
27.	Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Jabburi al-Tai GEN	Iraqi Minister Of Defense; Inner Circle	Taken into custody September 19th
28.	Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim al-Azzawi	Deputy Prime Minister / Minister Of Finance	Taken into custody April 18th
29 .	Mahmud Dhiyab al-Ahmad	Iraqi Minister Of Interior	Surrendered on August 8th
30.	Ayad Futayyih Khalifa al-Rawi	Quds Force Chief Of Staff	Taken into custody June 4th
31.	Zuhayr Talib abd al-Sattar al-Naqib LTG	Director, Directorate Of Military Intelligence (DMI)	Taken into custody April 23rd
32.	Amir Hamudi Hasan al-Sadi LTG	Presidential Advisor, Scientific And Technical Affairs	Surrendered April 12th
33.	Amir Muhammad Rashid al-Tikriti al-Ubaydi LTG	Presidential Advisor	Taken into custody April 28th
34.	Hussam Muhammad Amin al-Yasin LTG	Head, National Monitoring Directorate (NMD) (SINCE AT LEAST 1992); Former Minister Of Interior	Taken into custody April 27th
35.	Muhammed Mahdi al-Salih	Iraqi Minister Of Trade	Taken into custody April 23rd
36.	Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hasan al-Tikriti	Presidential Advisor; Half Brother Of Saddam Husayn
37.	Watban Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti	Presidential Advisor; Half Brother Of Saddam Husayn	Taken into custody April 13th
38.	Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti	Presidential Advisor; Half Brother Of Saddam Husayn	Taken into custody April 16th
39.	Huda Salih Mehdi Ammash	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Command Member, Head Of Professional Bureau And Student Youth Bureaus (MAJOR PLAYER IN BIOTECH/GENETIC PROGRAMS)	Taken into custody May 9th
40.	abd al-Baqi abd al-Karim al-Abdallah al-Sadun	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Command Chairman, Diyala Region
41.	Muhammad Zimam abd al-Razzaq al-Sadun	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Chairman, Ninawah And Ta'mim Governorates	Taken into custody Feb 16th 2004
42.	Samir abd al-Aziz al-Najim	Central Ba'ath Party Chairman, Baghdad al-Resafa District	Taken into custody April 17th
43.	Humam abd al-Khaliq abd al-Ghafur	Minister Of Higher Education And Scientific Research	Taken into custody April 19th
44.	Yahya abdallah al-Ubaydi	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Chairman, Basrah Governorate
45.	Nayif Shindakh Thamir Ghalib	Ba'ath Party Regional Chairman An-Najaf Governorate
46.	Sayf al-Din al-Mashhadani	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Chairman, al-Muthanna Governorate	Taken into custody May 24th
47.	Fadil Mahmud Gharib	Central Ba'ath Party Chairman, Babil Governorates	Taken into custody May 15th
48.	Muhsin Khadr al-Khafaji	Ba'ath Party Chairman, al-qadisiyah Governorate	Taken into custody Feb 7th 2004
49.	Rashid Taan Kazim	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Chairman, Anbar Governorate
50.	Uglah Abid Saqir al-Kubaysi	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Chairman, Maysan Governorate	Taken into custody May20th
51.	Ghazi Hammud al-Ubaydi	Central Ba'ath Party Regional Command Chairman, Wasit Governorate	Taken into custody May 7th
52.	Adil abdallah Mahdi al-Duri al-Tikriti	Ba'ath Party Regional Chairman, Dhi Qar Governorate	Taken into custody May 15th
53.	Husayn al-Awadi Bg	Ba'ath Party Regional Command Chairman, Ninawa Governorate; Bg In Chemical Corps	Taken into custody June 9th
54.	Khamis Sirhan al-Muhammad	Ba'th Party Regional Chairman For Karbala Governorate	Taken into custody January 11th 2004
55.	Sad abd al-Majid al-Faysal	Ba'th Party Regional Chairman For Salah al-Din Governorate	Taken into custody May 24th

[prion]

Don Marshburn, 72, a disabled Navy veteran from Newton Grove North Carolina. "I'm sick of bombs. It didn't do anything over there and it didn't do anything over here."

72? He just missed serving in one where bombs did some wonderfully effective things "over there."

[bogdanPolska12]

10 years from now lefties media will still post this and say people are revolting etc. Nothing but a bunch of total bs and nonsense. Young boys and girls and coalition forces are dying each they so this brain wrecks can go on and protest of something they don't know about. If they are so concerned let them pick their sorry ass and go to battle field and see how it is. It looks like these brain dead wits have too much time on their hand.

[EternalHope]

Incredible.

One of the world's most awful people is removed from power, and these idiots are outraged.

[goldstategop]

Apparently the Left still supports the right of Iraqis to be bombed and murdered to smithereens cause they want to live in a free and pluralistic society like Westerners do. The Left's racism speaks volumes and their compassion for the people of Iraq leaves the stench of their hypocrisy and moral putrefaction clogging up one's nostrils. These people are like living on another planet!

[chachacha]

I wish that the terrorist would attack )*&#^$*#).

I wish the United States would pull out of (&$#^%($*$&.

I wish all foriegn aid would stop to *$#*%)$&*#$.

I wish that All immigration from *$*%*$&% would stop.

I wish all *$&%&$*($# in our country were put on the fastest flight outbound.

I hope we never fight fo those )$#*$&%&*#$( who hate us. I wish the LORD would come and sort this all out.

[dawn53]

When I read reports of huge anti-US, anti-war marches, I just figure we're doing something right and are achieving our goals.

If things were going as badly as they say they are, there would be no need for the leftists to bring attention to their cause.

They're worried, just like before we went into Iraq and Afghanistan. They're afraid. They know we're succeeding.

[K1avg]

Ah, yes, if only they had a bit of education. Or perhaps a rational thought once in a while...

[KJacob]

Good point.
20,000 in London. pathetic.
Didn't they have something like 2 million last year?

[Phsstpok]

New York's crowd was the largest in the United States on the day, with organizers estimating up to 100,000 protesters.

However large the crowd was they blocked the bridges and tunnels to and from Manhatten and kept my daughters high school group's bus from getting to the airport in time for their flight, so they now have to make connections in Detroit and won't be home till well after 10 instead of 6:30.

It actually works out since we're having flooding and severe thunderstorms here right now and my wife, who was supposed to go get her after work, is stuck bailing out the mall where she works. Really. Bailing out the mall. And her travel agency is on the second floor. Oh the joys of living in Memphis.

[FairOpinion]

Jordanian Shahla Kayali holds a portrait of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during a protest in Amman, Saturday March 20, 2004, against the U.S -led invasion of Iraq one year ago. Hundreds of Jordanians carrying Iraqi flags and portraits of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein marched to the U.N office.

I knew it! Just a bunch of Saddam and terrorist lovers!

[snooker]

Imagine the celebration if Clintoon had removed Sadam.

So it depends on who does it, not what is done. Think like a left wing nut. I actually voted for the war then I voted against it.

[Do Be]

Huge, compared to what?

Not so huge.

[luvbach1]

Isn't it interesting how leftists transition so easily from pro communist, to anti globalist, to save the environment (Kyoto agreement), and now, to Islamo-fasism. Common to all of the foregoing "causes," are the consevative villains.

[dirtboy]

Apparently the Left still supports the right of Iraqis to be bombed and murdered to smithereens cause they want to live in a free and pluralistic society like Westerners do.

The left universally hates America, traditional American values and the use of American power to promote both vital American interests and the promotion of democratic regimes. Once you understand that, all of their other apparent contradictions are straightened out. Concepts such as liberty and human rights are just hot air to them - the promotion of worldwide socialism is their goal, and who cares if a few million Iraqis have to suffer under a totalitarian regime, when what the leftists aspire for is for US to suffer under the same.

[luvbach1]

Good point. An unhappy leftist does mean good things are happening somewhere.