UFPJ, Iran, and the Democratic Party posted by Yoshie

United for Peace and Justice, a US anti-war coalition, has finally come to realize that it can't just focus on Iraq, compartmentalizing it from the rest of US Middle East strategy: "We must develop new ways to express our outrage that this war continues to cause so much death and destruction both in Iraq and here at home. At the same time, we must be vigilant in preventing a new war on Iran" ("2008: Looking Forward to a Critical Year for Peace and Justice," A Message from the UFPJ National Steering Committee, 10 December 10 2007). The second part of its three-part campaign in 2008, says the coalition's steering committee in the same message, will be to "focus energies on preventing any attacks, including the use of sanctions, on Iran."

So far, so good. Washington's rationale for and strategy of the Iraq War has shifted to containing Iran, and it is crucial for US activists, like those involved in UFPJ, to recognize this fact: Liz Sly, "In Iraq, U.S. Base Eyes Iran Border: New Effort to Curb Tehran's Influence," Chicago Tribune, 10 December 2007.

The devilish problem, like God, is in the details. The UFPJ steering committee says: "We will use many different tactics, including activities and projects specifically related to the election-year cycle" (emphasis added). Uh-oh. Will political activism be once again taken hostage by electoral politics, support for the Democratic Party in particular?

Update

I just heard at the UFPJ Iran Working Group listserv that the coalition is working with Just Foreign Policy, the National Iranian American Council, and other groups to coordinate a nationwide speaking tour of Stephen Kinzer, the author of All the Shah's Men, in February. There will be a conference call about it on Tuesday, 18 December 2007, 9 PM EST. Very good.

Labels: elections, iran, iraq, US imperialism, us politics