United National Antiwar Coalition
We are the Camp of Peace and Anti-Imperialism
By the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)
Gilbert Achcar’s article in The Nation entitled, “How to Avoid the ‘Anti-Imperialism’ of Fools,” argues that the anti-imperialism of the peace movement has changed over time. During the time of the Vietnam War, he contends, we all opposed U.S. imperialism’s involvement, but today is different. The peace movement today is wrong to oppose U.S. imperialist interventions in Syria, Libya and other countries, in Achcar’s opinion. In his attack piece, he specifically condemns three organizations, the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) and the U.S. Peace Council, both based in the United States, and the Stop the Wars Coalition from Britain. All three include leaders who have been active in the peace movement from the Vietnam War era to the present. All three have remained consistent in condemning U.S. imperialism’s wars around the world, including its drone wars, sanction wars, CIA Special Operation wars, privatized mercenary army wars and embargo/blockade wars.
It is not the trajectory of the anti-imperialists that has been inconsistent and needs to be examined but the journey of Achcar himself, from his opposition to the Vietnam War to his support to U.S. and British imperialism, which even includes training British military personnel. (1)(2) [read more]
United National Antiwar Coalition Statement on Ukraine
The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) remains steadfast in its opposition to the United States/NATO imperialist project. The people of Ukraine are now suffering in a war zone because of the actions of the United States, beginning with the 2014 coup which violently ousted an elected president. The goal then as now was to use Ukraine as a weapon to target Russia militarily. We point out that the current conflict is not the first for Ukraine. More than 14,000 people living in the eastern Donbas region have died in an eight-year long war because they refused to accept the coup government imposed by the U.S. [read more]
For a more comprehensive background statement from UNAC, please click here
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UNAC‘s answer to an attack on our anti-imperialism that was printed in the Nation.
Recently, there have been increased attacks on the peace movement from “progressives” for our consistent opposition to U.S. intervention in other countries. A recent sign-on letter was produced with hundreds of signatures attacking our opposition to outside intervention in Syria. UNAC answered that letter with our own sign-on letter explaining our position on Syria. Our letter got over 1300 individual and organizational co-signers from 50 different countries. That letter can be seen here.
Now, the Nation has published an attack piece by Professor Gilbert Achcar, who considers himself a socialist. Achcar's article singles out 3 organizations, the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) and the US Peace Council from the United States and the Stop the War Coalition from Britain. Below is a statement from UNAC answering this attack.
These attacks do not happen in a vacuum. Since the Biden election, there has been increased activity on the part of the US administration in Syria, increased propaganda aimed at China and Russia and a continuation of Trump’s policies against Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and other countries as well as support for Israel and its horrific attacks on the Palestinian people. The article in the Nation and other outlets give left cover to the imperialists. These attacks serve the interest of the new Democratic administration to silence the peace movement. But, we have no intention of being silent.
UNAC Conference
Decolonization and the fight against Imperialism
A conference for the entire movement
(click here or the image below for a full report of our recent conference)
UNAC Response to the Overthrow of the Syrian Government
December 10, 2024
Below is a statement by UNAC written on December 10th. Since, we have seen Israeli forces enter Syria and have even heard Netanyahu take credit for the fall of the Assad government. Israel and the US have conducted hundreds of bombing raids against Syria in the past days and there are meetings taking place to discuss how to dismantle Syria. The rebel forces, led by a former leader of Al Queda and ISIS, Abu Mohammed Al-Jolani have stated that they will have a “free market” economy to show their favor to the Western imperialist powers and they have stated they want no new wars, meaning that they will not oppose Israel and they have not spoken out against the Israel incursion into Syria and their bombing.
The US and Western media are painting a false picture that Assad was hated in Syria and that Syrians are celebrating and Syrian refugees are returning to the country. They paint a picture of this being a popular uprising, which it was not. While it may be true that some Syrians are celebrating and that some refugees have come back to the country, they do not show the masses who are leaving in fear of the new, developing Jihadi regime or the horrible assassinations and reprisals that have started and are being shown on social media.
Syria was an important part of the Axis of Resistance that was the main outside support of the Palestinians in their fight against the Israeli/US genocide. The fall of Syria is a blow to the people of Syria and Palestine. But as the UNAC statement says, the final chapter of this story has not been written. When a people have their sovereignty violated and are oppressed, they always resist. There may be crisis in Syria for a time, but we will see the Syrian people reclaim their independence and resist the tyranny of Western imperialism and its terrorist allies.
The UNAC Statement:
This is a moment to salute and remember the martyrs and resistance fighters in Syria, who for decades and against all odds held firm against U.S. imperialist domination.
Because imperialism has no solutions the struggle will regroup and break forth again and each time at a higher level. [read more}
SYRIA - Exposing the U.S. Role
A Regime Change Operation & Israeli Occupation of Syria
Connecting the antiwar movement in the U.S. to solidarity with people struggles against imperialism globally.
click here or the image below to view the recent webinar
Speakers include: Joe Lombardo - Coordinator of United National Antiwar Coalition, Mick Kelly - Political Secretary of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Editor of FightBack News, Jacqueline Luqman - Black Alliance for Peace, Host of: ‘Darker Than Blue’ on WPFW Pacifica Radio, Richie Marino - Bronx Anti War Coalition, Judy Bello - Syrian Support Movement, Ban Killer Drones, Bahman Azad - President of U.S. Peace Council, US Hands off Syria Coalition, Cody Urban - National Coordinator of International League of Peoples Struggles - ILPS, Danny Haiphong – Independent journalist and geopolitical analyst, on YouTube @geopoliticshaiphong, Ali Mallah - Syria Support Movement, Canadian Arab Federation, Shawky Darwich - Students for Justice in Palestine at The New School, NYC, Saher Al-Khamash - Bronx Anti War Coalition, Sara Flounders - Coordinator: SanctionsKill Campaign, Contributing Editor: Workers World Newspaper
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UNAC Blog
Visit the UNAC Blog for articles on important issues written by UNAC members and friends
View the panel discussion on Palestine and the Axis of Resistance
Click here to view the presentation
Webinar: Activists in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine talk about the Fight for Sovereignty in West Asia while living with U.S./Israeli Genocidal Violence
Click here to view the recent webinar
speakers:
Dr. Amal Wahdan Dr. Marwa Osman Dr. Adnan Azzouz -
Ramallah Lebanon Aleppo
JULIAN ASSANGE IS FREE!
Celebrate the Victory!
The Struggle Continues! Meeting were held around the country.
Free Mumia! Free Leonard! Free the Uhuru Three! Free 'Em All!
Free Speech! Free Press! Free Palestine! No to US Wars!
Events took place in Berkeley, CA, New York City and Washington, DC
Click here to see a video of the Berkeley event
Click here to view the first press conference of Julian Assange since his release
UNAC Statement on Trump's Plan for Gaza
2/10/25
Palestinians return north during ceasefire
The United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) condemns Trump’s planned new Nakba in Gaza. He plans to remove Palestinians from their home in Gaza and force them to some third country, and to have the US “own” Gaza and turn it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” with lots of real estate development and profit for him and his cronies. This plan can be called by many names such as “ethnic cleansing,” “forced displacement,” and “genocide.” It is all a war crime as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Geneva Accords. In his recent statement, Trump bragged that if all Israeli hostages are not returned immediately, “all hell will break out” in Gaza, as if US and Israeli policies have not already caused “hell” for the people of Gaza. [read more]
Human Rights Day Forum in DC with ambassadors' from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and speakers from Palestine as well as discussion of events in Syria.
Click here or the image below to view the forum
Protests and Meetings were Held to Resist the Recent NATO War Summit in Washington, DC
UNAC joined with others to protest the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Washington, DC over the weekend of July 6 and 7 and into the following week. NATO met to plan more war in Ukraine, to support the Israeli genocide and to push for more war in Asia aimed at China. The Resist NATO coalition, of which UNAC is a part, held rallies and an anti-NATO People’s Summit.
This Coalition, Resist NATO, was initiated by ILPS US (the International League of Peoples' Struggle-US) and formed to organize opposition to the NATO Summit. It is made up primarily of young activists, many of whom have become active during the upsurge against the US/Israel genocide in Gaza, as well as organizations that address both international and local issues. The coalition members support the right to resist against attacks from Imperialism and Zionism wherever they happen, in Palestine, the Philippines, Puerto Rico or the US. [Read more]
The Climate Costs of the US Military Machine
1. The Department of Defense budget comprises more than half of all federal discretionary spending every year. Just 11% of the military budget could fund renewable energy for every US home.
2. A new report from the Institute for Policy Studies calculates that the cost of U.S. militarization in the last 20 years is a staggering $21 trillion, (this does not included the uncountable and unaudited money sent to Ukraine). About half of the budget goes to military contractors. Estimates calculate the total cost of shifting to 100% renewable energy over 10 years would be a fraction of this - $4.5 trillion.
3. The US military is exempt from reporting on greenhouse emissions even though it is the largest single source of US environmental pollution IN THE WORLD. [read the full list here]
No to U.S. War Threats Against China
UNAC Statement on China
The Biden administration is intensifying its aggression against China. The Pentagon’s new Pacific Deterrence Initiative includes increasing the U.S. military’s encirclement of China and deploying nuclear missiles that had previously been banned by the U.S.-signed Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Recently, President Biden met with leaders of Japan, India and Australia – what has become known as the “Quad,” a military and economic alliance against China. The Pentagon is calling for its annual Pacific budget to be doubled over last year’s $multi billion allocation. Read More
Sanction Kill
UNAC is a founding member of the Sanctions Kill Coalition. Unilateral economic sanctions is the perfered way that the US has sought regime change recently in countries that will not follow the dictates of Washington and Wall Street. Crippling sanctions have been imposed on 39 countries and have been even increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, please go to the Sanctions Kill web site at: https://sanctionskill.org/
Support the Black Alliance for Peace
UNAC Supports the work of the Black Alliance for Peace. Click here to read their statements: https://blackallianceforpeace.com/bapstatements/
BAP web site is here: https://blackallianceforpeace.com/
Read the Black Agenda Report
Stop the attacks on Palestinian Rights Activists
Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian born Palestinian and former graduate student at Columbia University, has been detained in a prison in Louisiana and threatened with deportation for his association with pro-Palestine protests at Columbia, where he was a negotiator between the University and the student activists. He is not the only foreign student to be threatened with deportation over his participation in these actions. At Cornell University, Momodou Taal, a Gambian-born UK citizen has been fighting expulsion and deportation for his participation in pro-Palestine protests, and at Yale, Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi, an Associate Research Scholar from Iran has been suspended for an alleged connection with Samidoun, an organization that supports Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. There are tens of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, many of them incarcerated without charge. [read more}
Also read
Israeli Fascism Is Fueled by U.S. and European White Supremacy
By Ajamu Baraka
