U.S. Hands Off Syria Coalition — Points of unity statement

The ANSWER Coalition, of which the Party for Socialism and Liberation is a member, is among a growing list of signatories to the following statement. Below are points of unity for a newly formed Ad Hoc Coalition to oppose the U.S.-led aggression against Syria.

U.S. Hands Off Syria

An Urgent Message for Peace on the Eve of Wider War

We raise our voices against the violence of war and the enormous pressure of war propaganda, lies and hidden agendas that are used to justify this war and every past U.S. war.

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, endorse the following Points of Unity and will work together as an Ad Hoc Coalition to help put an end to the regime change intervention by the United States, NATO and their regional allies and the killing of innocent people in Syria:

1. The continuation of the war in Syria is the result of a U.S.-orchestrated intervention by the United States, NATO, their regional allies and reactionary forces, the goal of which is regime change in Syria.
2. This policy of regime change in Syria is illegal and in clear violation of the United Nations Charter, the letter and spirit of international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
3. This policy of forced regime change is threatening the security of the region and the world and has increased the danger of direct confrontation between the United States and Russia, with the potential of a nuclear catastrophe for the whole world.
4. War and U.S. and EU sanctions have destabilized every sector of Syria’s economy, transforming a once self-sufficient country into an aid-dependent nation. Half the Syrian population is now displaced. A UN ESCWA report reveals these U.S. sanctions on Syria are crippling aid work during one of the largest humanitarian emergency since World War II. The one third of Syrians refugees in surrounding Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey have been hit hard by U.S. cuts to UNICEF. This forces desperate refugees to struggle to reach Europe.
5. No foreign entity, be it a foreign government or an armed group, has the right to violate the fundamental rights of the Syrian people to independence, national sovereignty and self-determination. This includes the right of the Syrian government to request and accept military assistance from other countries, as even the U.S. government has admitted.
6. Only the people of Syria have the inalienable right to choose their leaders and determine the character of their government, free from foreign intervention. This right cannot be properly exercised under the conditions of U.S.-orchestrated foreign intervention against the Syrian people.
7. Our opposition is to forced regime change in Syria by U.S.-backed foreign powers and their mercenaries. It is not our business to support or oppose President Assad or the Syrian government. Only the Syrian people have the right to decide the legitimacy of their government.
8. The most urgent issue at present is peace and putting an end to the violence of foreign intervention that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions of Syrians both internally or as refugees abroad.

Based on these Points of Unity, we, as individuals and organizations—in an Ad Hoc Coalition—agree on the following demands and commit ourselves to working together to help achieve them:

1. An immediate end to the U.S. policy of forced regime change in Syria and full recognition and compliance by the U.S., NATO and their allies with principles of international law and the U.N. Charter, including respect for the independence and territorial integrity of Syria.
2. An immediate end to all foreign aggression against Syria, and serious efforts toward a political resolution to the war.
3. An immediate end to all military, financial, logistical and intelligence support by the U.S., NATO and their regional allies to all foreign mercenaries and extremists in the Middle East region.
4. An immediate end to economic sanctions against Syria. Massive international aid for displaced people within Syria and Syrian refugees abroad.

Only in a peaceful and independent Syria, free of foreign aggression, can the people of Syria freely exercise their sovereign rights, express their free will and make free choices about their government and their country’s leadership.

We invite all supporters of peace and peoples’ right to self-determination around the world to join hands of cooperation in this effort to achieve these most humanitarian demands.

We need jobs, healthcare, education and an end to racist police violence here at home, not U.S. wars abroad!!

Organizational Signers (in alphabetical order):

1. Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice (Chicago)
2. Alliance for Global Justice
3. Al-Awda — Palestine National Right to Return Coalition
4. All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC)
5. American Party of Labor
6. ANSWER Coalition
7. Antiwar Committee — Chicago
8. Antiwar Committee — Minneapolis
9. Antiwar Committee — Tampa
10. Antiwar Committee — Tucson
11. Antiwar Committee — Utah
12. Arab Americans for Syria
13. Arab Women Progressive League
14. Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace
15. Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations
16. BAYAN – Philippine Coalition
17. Citizens of the World — Canada
18. Coalition of Arab Canadian Professionals and Community Associations
19. Columbus Campaign for Arms Control
20. The Committee to Stop FBI Repression — NYC
21. Conselho Português para a Paz e Cooperação / Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation
22. CT 9/11 Truth
23. Dallas Left Alliance
24. Democracy TV Berlin, Germany
25. Deutscher Freidenkerverband, Berlin, Germany
26. Ecumenical Peace Institute Clergy and Laity Concerned
27. El Movimiento Meicano Por la Paz Y el Desarollo (MOMPADE) — Mexico
28. FLC-CGIL Trade Union University of Florence (Italy)
29. Foro Contra la Guerra Imperialista y la OTAN (Spain)
30. Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
31. Hands Off Syria (Australia)
32. HEAL
33. Houston Peace Council
34. Houston Communist Party
35. International Action Center
36. International League of Peoples Struggle – U.S.
37. Los Alamos Study Group — AZ
38. Malcolm X Center
39. Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice
40. Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) — Canada
41. Mütter gegen den Krieg Berlin-Brandenburg
42. New Jersey Peace Council
43. No Nukes No War — CT
44. Northeast Iowa Peace and Justice Committee
45. Northeast Philly for Peace and Justice
46. One State Assembly
47. Orange County Healthcare For All!
48. PädagogInnen für den Frieden, Hamburg, Germany
49. Peace Forum Sangerhausen, Germany
50. Peace Roots Alliance — Tennessee
51. Peoples Organization for Progress
52. Pittsburgh Anti-Imperialist League
53. Peoples Opposition to War, Imperialism & Racism — POWIR (Florida)
54. Popular Resistance
55. Popular Committee in Defense of Syria
56. Trudy Quaif, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace
57. Queers Without Borders — Hartford CT
58. Return Now Coalition
59. Socialist Action — Ligue pour l’Action Socialiste, Canada
60. South Asian Fund For Education, Scholarship & Training (SAFEST)
61. South Coast People For Peace and Justice
62. Southern Human Rights Organizers’ Conference – SHROC
63. St. Pete for Peace
64. Stop the War Machine
65. Students for a Democratic Society — SDS
66. Students for a Democratic Society at University of Houston
67. Swedish Peace Council
68. Syria Solidarity Movement
69. Syrian American Forum
70. Syrian American Will Association – SAWA
71. Syrian Social Club Community in the UK (Dr. Issa Chaer, Co-founder)
72. The Expatriates Association of Syrians in Canada
73. United National Antiwar Coalition — UNAC
74. United Steelworkers Local 8751
75. Unleashed (Anarcho-Liberation)
76. Upstate New York Drone Action
77. U.S. Peace Council
78. Veterans For Peace Chapter 111, Bellingham, WA
79. Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality
80. Women Against Military Madness — WAMM
81. World Peace Council (WPC)

Individual Signers (in alphabetical order):

1. Jim Abourezk, Former U.S. Senator, South Dakota
2. Robert Anderson, Co-Director, Stop the War Machine
3. Christopher Assad, The Expatriates Association of Syrians in Canada
4. Abayomi Azikiwe, Pan Africa News Wire
5. Ajama Baraka, Human Rights Defender
6. Judith Bello, Member of Admin Committee, UNAC
7. Vanessa Beeley, Independent Journalist and Photographer
8. Toby Blomé, CODEPINK, SF Bay Area Chapter,* California, USA
9. Bob Brown, Organizer, All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC) — USA
10. Kim Bryan, General Secretary,* Socialist Labour Party (Great Britain)
11. Mark Burton, Member of the Board, Alliance for Global Justice
12. Candida Rosa Perez Flores, Campamento Contra La Junta,* San Juan, Puerto Rico
13. Alfonse Casal, National Spokesperson, American Party of Labor
14. Frank Chapman, Field organizer, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression*
15. Ramsey Clark, Former U.S. Attorney General & Human Rights Attorney
16. Gerry Condon, National Board Vice President, Veterans For Peace*
17. Cheryl Curtis, Ct 9/11 Truth
18. Kenneth Dalton, Veterans For Peace, Chapter 21,* New Jersey, U.S.A.
19. Nicolas J S Davies, Author of Blood On Our Hands: The American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq, Florida, USA
20. Henry Duke, M.D., Medical Director, Orange County Healthcare For All!
21. Sandy Eaton, South Shore Coalition for Human Rights — Massachusetts,* USA
22. Chris Ernesto, St. Pete for Peace
23. Maria Ilda Figueiredo, Chairperson, Conselho Português para a Paz e Cooperação / Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation
24. Margaret Flowers, M.D., Green Party Candidate for Senate; Co-Director, It’s Our Economy*
25. Bruce Gagnon, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space*
26. Peter Gerlinghoff, Speaker, Peace Forum Sangerhausen, Germany
27. Bradley Geyer, Veterans for Peace-Chapter 175,* Janesville WI; Iraq Veterans Against War,* Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3589*—Jefferson, WI
28. John Gilbert, Secretary, FLC-CGIL Trade Union University of Florence (Italy)
29. Steven Gillis, Financial Secretary, United Steelworkers Local 8751
30. Daniel Gilman, President, Veterans For Peace Chapter 92,* Greater Seattle
31. Greg Godels, Co-Director, Pittsburgh Anti-Imperialist League
32. Socorro Gomes, President, World Peace Council (WPC)
33. Trevor Goodger-Hill, Citizens of the World, Canada
34. Evelyn Haas, Member of Executive Committee, Northeast Philly for Peace and Justice
35. Abbas Hamideh, al-Awda Steering Committee*
36. Joan Hoff, Research Professor of History, Nontana State University,* Bozeman
37. Herbert Hoffman, Veterans for Peace,* Albuquerque, New Mexico
38. Trevor Goodger-Hill, Citizens of the World, Canada
39. Martha Grevatt, UAW Local 869,* Michigan, USA
40. Joachim Guilliard, Forum against Militarism and War,* Heidelberg, Germany
41. Joseph Hancock, Movement for People’s Democracy
42. Sue Harris, Peoples Video Network
43. Klaus Hartmann, President, World Union of Freethinkers / German Freethinkers Association
44. Patrick Higgins, Students for a Democratic Society at UH
45. Jaribu Hill, Human Rights Defender
46. Joe Iosbaker, Anti-War Committee — Chicago
47. Lars Jørgensen, Researcher, Homo Sociologicus, Denmark
48. Geraroid Kilgallen, Member of Steering Committee, Irish Anti-War Movement*
49. Ali Mallah, Steering Committee, Syria Solidarity Movement
50. Margaret Kimberly, Editor and Senior Columnist, Black Agenda Report
51. John Kiriakou, former CIA counterterrorism officer and former senior investigator, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
52. Cheryl Kozanitas, Board Member, Peace Action of San Mateo County,* California
53. Ray Laforest, Haiti Support Network
54. John Laforge, Co-Director, NukeWatch
55. Ed Lehman, Vice President, Regina Peace Council*
56. Alfred Marder, President, U.S. Peace Council
57. George Martin, Liberty Tree
58. Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and Presidential briefer
59. Rev. F. Mark Mealing, Ph.D., Anglican church of Canada,* Meadow Creek, Canada
60. Gregory Mello, Executive Director, Los Alamos Study Group
61. Monica Moorehead, US Presidential Candidate, Workers World Party
62. Nick Mottern, Knowdrones.com
63. Elizabeth Murray, Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East, National Intelligence Council (ret.)
64. Navid Nasr, Editor-in-Chief, Balkans Post,* Croatia
65. Agneta Norberg, Chairwoman, Swedish Peace Council
66. Efia Nwangaza, Founder/Director, Malcolm X Center
67. Jon Olsen, Co-Chair, Maine Green Independent Party*
68. Manuel Pardo, Secretary, Foro Contra la Guerra Imperialista y la OTAN (Spain)
69. Nasrin Parsa, Producer, Democracy TV Berlin, Germany
70. Brigitte Queck, Vorsitzende, Mütter gegen den Krieg Berlin-Brandenburg, Potsdam, Germany
71. Barry Ranger, Co-Chair, Northwest Iowa Peace and Justice Committee
72. Neal Resnikoff, Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice / March 19th Anti-War Coalition (Chicago)
73. Hartmut Ring, PädagogInnen für den Frieden, Hamburg, Germany
74. Chris Robinson, Membership Secretary, Green Party of Philadelphia*
75. Coleen Rowley, retired FBI agent and former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel
76. Herbert Rubisch
77. Cindy Sheehan, Anti-War Gold Star Mother
78. Stansfield Smith, Chicago ALBA Solidarity Committee*
79. Pete Schoonmaker, Veterans For Peace,* Seattle, WA
80. Angel Smith, HEAL, Seattle, WA
81. Mark Stansbery, Co-Coordinator, Columbus Campaign for Arms Control
82. Steven Starr, Senior Scientist, Physicians for Social Responsibility,* Missouri, USA
83. Jane Stillwater, President, Century of the Child
84. Claudio Tamagnini, International Solidarity Movement,* Italy
85. Jay Tharappel, Committee Member, Hands Off Syria, Sidney, Australia
86. Will Thomas, NH Veterans For Peace*
87. James Thompson, Chairperson, Houston Peace Council
88. James Thring, Founder, Ministry of Peace,* London, UK
    Iraklis Tsavdaridis, Executive Secretary, World Peace Council (WPC)
89. Amal Wahda, Arab Women’s Progressive League
90. William H. Warrick, M.D., Veterans For Peace Chapter #14,* Gainesville, Florida
91. Joseph Wasserman, Co-Chair, No Nukes No War
92. C. T. Weber, Legislative Committee Chair, Peace and Freedom Party of California*
    Caroline Yacoub, County Council, Green Party of Santa Clara County*
93. Omali Yeshitela, Chair, Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations
94. Kevin Zeese, Co-Director, Popular Resistance