Cindy Sheehan’s recent announcements are the latest example of how the Democratic Party tries to crush those who dare to break with them.

A key factor in the narrow passage of the Democrats’ Iraq war funding bills has been the role played by the left-wing, antiwar Democrats grouped around the “Out of Iraq” congressional caucus.

Congress is set to hand Bush another $100+ billion to continue the war in Iraq. The Democratic leadership has waved their demand for a timeline for withdrawal, but even their original bill was full of immense loopholes that would continue the war for years to come.

Sara Rich is a leading antiwar activist and the mother of Suzanne Swift, who was raped and harassed by her fellow soldiers while stationed in Iraq. Swift was jailed for 30 days after going AWOL, while her attackers went free.

Seattle Youth Against War and Racism activists created quite a sir at the Seattle School Board meeting May 2, keeping the pressure on the School Board which we generated two weeks ago in the city wide walkout of 800 students against the war in Iraq.

Over 800 students walked out of schools throughout the Seattle area on April 18 to demand an immediate end to the Iraq war. The walkout, organized by Youth Against War and Racism (YAWR), culminated in a protest at a meeting of the School Board, calling for military recruiters be kicked out of our schools. The students also protested the School District's plan to close 7 Seattle schools, calling instead for money for education, not war.

Suzanne Swift joined the military to get money for college. During her junior year of high school, Swift signed a contract to enlist with the military police for five years after she graduated high school. Swift was sent to Iraq as soon as she completed basic training. She reports that she dealt with ongoing sexual harassment and abuse from her fellow soldiers on top of dealing with the everyday trauma of being in a warzone.

Seattle police dropped charges against an antiwar activist who was brutally arrested during a demonstration against the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war. The reason: They don't have any witnesses to back up their charges. Still, this arrest reflects a pattern in which the police have harassed and targeted antiwar activists for protesting this murderous war and occupation.

On the weekend of March 18-19, two demonstrations took place in Seattle to protest the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Socialist Alternative had an energetic contingent and passed out over 10,000 leaflets advertising a citywide student walkout on April 18.

Over the last several days mass demonstrations and civil disobedience erupted in cities and towns across the country marking the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

In one of the biggest demonstrations in Boston since the Iraq war began, five thousand protesters arrived at the Boston Common on Saturday determined to build a movement to stop the war and bring the troops home now.

Socialist Alternative in Seattle is working with Youth Against War and Racism (YAWR) to organize a citywide student walkout on April 18 to protest the Iraq war and the parasitic presence of military recruiters in our schools.

In the November elections, the American people sent a clear message that they are fed up with the Iraq war and the Bush agenda and want a change. Yet despite being elected on an anti-war, anti-Bush mandate, the new Democratic Congress has refused to use their power to end the U.S.’s role in the chaos and destruction in Iraq.

On June 22, First Lieutenant Ehren Watada became the military’s highest-ranking member to publicly refuse to go to Iraq. He claims the war is illegal and that under the doctrine of command responsibility, it would make him a party to war crimes. In refusing deployment, Watada joined a growing resistance to the war within the military.

Alarm bells have been ringing. Shrill, confrontational rhetoric from the Bush regime, backed by the deployment of a second U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in the Persian Gulf, have been widely interpreted as the prelude to a U.S. – or a U.S.-backed Israeli – attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Bush appeared to be justifying a pre-emptive strike against Iran to prevent its emergence as a nuclear power.