April 14, 2006

Dear friends,

It seems my correspondence with Phyllis Bennis and United for Peace and Justice did produce some good results.

UFPJ’s Legislative Action Coordinator wrote me "as a follow-up -- i am working with phyllis to figure out a way to force the US congress to investigate the true number of iraqi civilian casualties"

The problem is that even good and well intentioned people seem not to have clear ideas on this subject, since UFPJ’s Legislative Action Coordinator then writes: "the problem is that there isn't really a credible number that we can quote because no one really knows! and that in itself is horrific."

I explained that that is not correct. There IS a VERY CREDIBLE NUMBER indeed. I had already sent them all the articles and the material in previous email and this time I connected them with a few people who have been following this story and with Les Roberts.

She also wrote: "i just meant we should raise the issue in a respectful, not insulting way, understanding that we are all overworked and doing our best to end the war, and not to assume that people are trying to "hide" anything or acting out of cowardice or impure motives -- (i am not accusing you of doing that, but some people have... ) i thank you for raising the concern in the way you did -- (l like what i highligted below in purple)" [she refers to this line of mine: "Please consider this email not as a critique but as an open dialogue between brothers/sisters and comrades."]

So it seems that honest and open discussion DO NOT divide the antiwar movement and DO get concrete results and it’s quite useful when things get too foggy for too much propaganda and more...

The damage that Iraq Body Count’s figures have done is huge, terrifying and shocking. They refuse to answer legitimate questions and concerns within the antiwar movement and instead work behind the scenes to make these legitimate questions and concerns seem an "attack" and an attempt to destroy the unity of the antiwar movement.

You may already know that yesterday truthout published an article written by my friend Dahr Jamail together with Jeff Pflueger: Learning to Count: The Dead in Iraq

Once again I would like to end with Dr. Polya’s words: "Peace is the only way but silence kills and silence is complicity – it IS possible to get through the Wall of Silence."

In solidarity,
Gabriele Zamparini