• On Fifth Anniversary, Bush Defends War
• Police Suppress Actions Against the War in San Francisco
• Demonstrators Connect War to Oil
• Your Tax Dollars and The War
• Granny Peace Brigade Targets Recruitment Center in NYC's Times Square
• Warrior Writers
• The Contradictions of Rules of Engagement

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On Fifth Anniversary, Bush Defends War

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. President Bush defended the decision to go to Iraq, and the ongoing occupation today, saying that his resolve is just as strong as it was in 2003. Bush conceded that the war has brought a high cost in terms of lives and money, but insists that critics can no longer "credibly argue that we're losing in Iraq." But the number may tell a different story: the surge has increased troop levels past 160,000 service persons serving in Iraq, as daily violence continues. An unknown number of Iraqis have lost their lives – up to 1.2 million men, women and children. Unemployment plagues between 25 to 50 percent of the workforce, and those Iraqis that haven't lost their lives or fled as refugees are forced to survive with little or no clean water and improper sanitation coupled with deficient health care – likely a result of poorly managed private contracts. The International Committee of the Red Cross says that the humanitarian crisis in Iraq is "the most critical in the world."

Police Suppress Actions Against the War in San Francisco

Meanwhile, back in the United States, people are holding vigils for the nearly 4,000 US troops killed in the war, as well as demonstrations and direct actions in attempt to bring a halt to the war and to bring the troops back home. Our Brian Edwards Tiekert is in downtown San Francisco, where there are scattered direct actions shutting down various government and corporate offices.

Demonstrators Connect War to Oil

Meanwhile, protesters in Washington DC connected the war to oil. They focused on the American Petroleum Institute which, according to its website, represents "all aspects of the oil and gas industry". FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

Your Tax Dollars and The War

Demonstrators from the throughout the country also protested in front the Internal Revenue Service in Washington DC… FSRN's Tanya Snyder has more.

Granny Peace Brigade Targets Recruitment Center in NYC's Times Square

Peace activists are rallying and protesting all over New York City today. And although most of the gathering will be after work, two groups convened at the Times Square Recruiting Station despite pouring rain. Rebecca Myles was there and files this report.

The Contradictions of Rules of Engagement

According to international law, Rules of Engagement set legal and ethical standards for the use of force. But soldiers say that on the battlefield, they can't think of their enemy as human. Sarah Olsen has more from Washington DC.

Warrior Writers

Iraq Veterans Against the War organized three "Warrior Writers"
workshops last year, giving about 20 former service members a forum to
share their thoughts, stories and experiences from their time in Iraq.
From Chicago, Zack Baddorf and Jessica Pupovac introduce us to one Army
National Guard soldier who spent more than a year deployed in the
Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.