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[00:00.000 --> 00:02.920]  of the Spanish Civil War opposed the war
[00:02.920 --> 00:05.680]  during the period of the Hitler-Stalin pact,
[00:05.680 --> 00:08.360]  and the anti-war sentiment grew in strength
[00:08.360 --> 00:11.320]  as the Cold War seemed to present the situation
[00:11.320 --> 00:14.260]  of an unending series of conflicts.
[00:14.260 --> 00:17.540]  Later on, when the U.S. got involved in the Vietnam War,
[00:17.540 --> 00:19.360]  opposition movements began slowly
[00:19.360 --> 00:21.580]  on various U.S. college campuses.
[00:21.580 --> 00:24.620]  These campaigns grew into very large demonstrations
[00:24.620 --> 00:28.520]  from 1967 until 1971.
[00:28.520 --> 00:31.860]  Moving forward to the 2001 Afghanistan War,
[00:31.860 --> 00:33.760]  there was initially little opposition
[00:33.760 --> 00:36.420]  in the United States and the United Kingdom.
[00:36.420 --> 00:39.220]  Most vocal opposition came from pacifist groups
[00:39.220 --> 00:42.340]  and groups promoting a leftist political agenda.
[00:42.340 --> 00:44.000]  In the United States, for example,
[00:44.000 --> 00:46.880]  the group ANSR was one of the most visible organizers
[00:46.880 --> 00:49.400]  of anti-war protests.
[00:49.400 --> 00:52.400]  Opposition to the Afghan War grew more widespread,
[00:52.400 --> 00:54.360]  partly as a result of wariness
[00:54.360 --> 00:55.800]  with the length of the conflict,
[00:55.800 --> 00:58.380]  and partly because it conflated with the Iraq War
[00:58.380 --> 01:01.920]  and therefore a renewing support of anti-war movements.
[01:01.920 --> 01:04.840]  Millions of people staged mass protests across the world
[01:04.840 --> 01:07.160]  in the immediate prelude to the invasion,
[01:07.160 --> 01:10.720]  and demonstrations and other forms of anti-war activism
[01:10.720 --> 01:14.080]  have continued throughout the occupation.
[01:14.080 --> 01:16.040]  The anti-war movement continues today
[01:16.040 --> 01:18.760]  with talks of possible war against Iran,
[01:18.760 --> 01:22.240]  the U.S. drone attacks on Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen,
[01:22.240 --> 01:24.320]  and the military intervention in Libya,
[01:24.320 --> 01:27.080]  and a possible intervention in Syria.
[01:27.080 --> 01:29.720]  How effective is the anti-war movement today,
[01:29.720 --> 01:32.240]  and to what extent is anti-war activism
[01:32.240 --> 01:36.080]  helping in pressuring governments out of wars?
[01:36.080 --> 01:38.360]  Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.
[01:38.360 --> 01:42.520]  Mr. Assad, thank you very much for joining us on the show.
[01:42.520 --> 01:44.560]  Thank you for receiving me.
[01:44.560 --> 01:45.560]  Thank you.
[01:45.560 --> 01:49.320]  Mr. Assad, in a region that has been going on
[01:49.320 --> 01:53.640]  through different turmoils throughout the history,
[01:53.640 --> 01:56.960]  how important do you think an anti-war movement is
[01:56.960 --> 01:59.000]  in the Middle East, where you are based?
[01:59.000 --> 02:01.840]  Well, I think it would be important
[02:01.840 --> 02:04.160]  not only in the Middle East,
[02:04.160 --> 02:08.200]  but anywhere where there are troubles,
[02:09.320 --> 02:12.120]  whether the troubles are between governments
[02:12.120 --> 02:16.280]  or between the same population in the same country.
[02:16.280 --> 02:18.880]  Okay, in this case, you mean civil war?
[02:18.880 --> 02:21.440]  Yes, it could be civil war in that case.
[02:21.440 --> 02:25.600]  And how important it is to promote peace among people
[02:25.600 --> 02:28.360]  so we can, like how can we prevent civil wars in general,
[02:28.360 --> 02:29.920]  since we're talking about civil war,
[02:29.920 --> 02:31.880]  and you, sir, you're an activist
[02:31.880 --> 02:33.880]  when it comes to civil war as well.
[02:33.880 --> 02:35.120]  How can we prevent that?
[02:35.120 --> 02:38.200]  Yes, this is a good question,
[02:38.200 --> 02:42.120]  and I think that one should start
[02:42.120 --> 02:47.120]  with dealing with the injuries of the past, of history,
[02:47.360 --> 02:50.440]  because you would be really surprised
[02:50.440 --> 02:55.440]  if you knew how much we are carrying in our memory
[02:57.680 --> 03:02.520]  and in our history, things that might push us
[03:02.520 --> 03:06.400]  to make war later on,
[03:06.400 --> 03:10.640]  further on in our country's history.
[03:10.640 --> 03:11.560]  This is one.
[03:11.560 --> 03:16.560]  The second thing would be to pacify people, I mean,
[03:16.560 --> 03:21.560]  and to put a kind of immunity among them
[03:22.040 --> 03:25.360]  and try to redeem, not to redeem, I mean,
[03:25.360 --> 03:30.360]  to cover the divide that separates different components
[03:32.000 --> 03:35.000]  of this population or this nation.
[03:35.000 --> 03:36.960]  Of course, because war creates gaps,
[03:36.960 --> 03:41.000]  and then you need to reconnect people together after a war.
[03:41.000 --> 03:44.680]  Yes, reconnecting comes,
[03:44.680 --> 03:47.760]  can come even during the war, I mean,
[03:47.760 --> 03:51.760]  not shyly, of course, but it should start somewhere, I mean,
[03:51.760 --> 03:55.440]  but of course, it would increase and become serious,
[03:55.440 --> 03:59.880]  and it will build for a better future.
[03:59.880 --> 04:02.080]  Okay, now we will talk about your activism
[04:02.080 --> 04:03.680]  and the work you do later on,
[04:03.680 --> 04:05.080]  but let me ask you this question.
[04:05.080 --> 04:07.800]  How can we have, like, from my understanding,
[04:07.800 --> 04:10.400]  there is no anti-war movement right now
[04:10.400 --> 04:12.360]  in the Middle East in general,
[04:12.360 --> 04:15.880]  but how can an anti-war movement in the Middle East
[04:15.880 --> 04:18.680]  affect the whole world, affect the whole region, maybe?
[04:18.680 --> 04:20.720]  Now, let's agree on something.
[04:20.720 --> 04:24.120]  When you say anti-war movement,
[04:24.120 --> 04:28.120]  we mean by it something that starts from within,
[04:28.120 --> 04:31.840]  not something that we import from another country
[04:31.840 --> 04:35.040]  or another group or another organization.
[04:35.040 --> 04:36.160]  I imagine that, no?
[04:36.160 --> 04:37.000]  Of course, of course.
[04:37.000 --> 04:37.840]  Yes.
[04:37.840 --> 04:39.520]  But what is the formula that is acceptable
[04:39.520 --> 04:40.360]  in the Middle East?
[04:40.360 --> 04:45.360]  Well, I think that once you start speaking of anti-war,
[04:50.520 --> 04:55.520]  you should speak also of anti-injustice,
[04:56.440 --> 05:01.440]  and anti-aggression, and anti-hatred, and so on.
[05:04.040 --> 05:05.360]  Correct, correct.
[05:05.360 --> 05:10.000]  Now, when it comes to your work, Mr. Assad,
[05:10.000 --> 05:11.600]  can you tell us more about your work
[05:11.600 --> 05:14.480]  and what organizations you're part of,
[05:14.480 --> 05:15.800]  and what is the kind of work you do?
[05:15.800 --> 05:19.360]  Yes, I'll tell you, I'm part of an organization
[05:19.360 --> 05:24.360]  called Initiatives of Change, abroad, I mean.
[05:24.520 --> 05:29.040]  But in the Arab world, we kept the old name,
[05:29.040 --> 05:30.880]  moral rearmament.
[05:30.880 --> 05:35.200]  In fact, it started as, if you like,
[05:35.200 --> 05:39.960]  a call to governments before the Second World War in Europe
[05:39.960 --> 05:44.960]  to stop buying weapons and preparing themselves
[05:45.120 --> 05:50.120]  to a military war, and to rearm themselves instead, morally.
[05:53.360 --> 05:58.160]  And later on, it became Initiatives of Change abroad, I mean.
[05:59.040 --> 06:02.760]  So I am part of this movement that changed me,
[06:02.760 --> 06:05.960]  because I took part in the civil war in Lebanon.
[06:05.960 --> 06:09.480]  I was a fighter with the Christians.
[06:09.480 --> 06:14.480]  I was an officer, let's say, in intelligence services.
[06:14.480 --> 06:19.480]  And at a certain level, I came to meet these guys,
[06:19.480 --> 06:22.680]  and they told me, listen, you want to change Lebanon
[06:22.680 --> 06:23.840]  and the Middle East.
[06:23.840 --> 06:26.240]  Are you ready to change yourself?
[06:26.240 --> 06:27.080]  Yes.
[06:27.080 --> 06:27.900]  And it was a shock.
[06:27.900 --> 06:29.640]  That's what you said, change starts from within.
[06:29.640 --> 06:30.640]  Yes, yes.
[06:30.640 --> 06:34.080]  Now, I'll ask you to stay with me for a minute, Mr. Assad,
[06:34.080 --> 06:37.360]  because I'll go now to my guest via Skype, Mr. Chris.
[06:37.360 --> 06:40.360]  Mr. Chris, welcome, and thank you for being on the show.
[06:41.320 --> 06:42.160]  Thanks very much.
[06:42.160 --> 06:42.980]  Thank you.
[06:42.980 --> 06:45.280]  Mr. Chris, can you first of all give us a general idea,
[06:45.280 --> 06:48.440]  a general overview of the anti-war movement
[06:48.440 --> 06:50.200]  taking place in Britain right now?
[06:51.320 --> 06:54.120]  Well, over the last 12 years,
[06:54.120 --> 06:55.480]  since the beginning of the war on terror,
[06:55.480 --> 06:58.800]  there's been a very, very big movement in Britain
[06:58.800 --> 07:01.320]  protesting, first of all, over the Afghan war,
[07:01.320 --> 07:02.600]  the occupation of Afghanistan,
[07:02.600 --> 07:05.240]  and then, of course, massive demonstrations
[07:05.240 --> 07:08.360]  against the invasion of Iraq,
[07:08.360 --> 07:13.360]  which continued right through till 2006.
[07:13.560 --> 07:15.160]  And then there's been big protests
[07:15.160 --> 07:19.320]  over the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2007,
[07:21.400 --> 07:26.280]  more big demonstrations against the attacks on Gaza,
[07:26.280 --> 07:29.880]  and a continued spate of activity
[07:29.880 --> 07:32.840]  to try and get the troops out of Afghanistan,
[07:32.840 --> 07:36.240]  and protests as well over the current,
[07:36.240 --> 07:40.200]  the government attempts to, or plans to,
[07:40.200 --> 07:44.760]  arm the rebels in Syria and intervene in that way.
[07:44.760 --> 07:48.400]  We have protests over the war, the bombing of Libya.
[07:49.400 --> 07:50.920]  The movement isn't at the same scale
[07:50.920 --> 07:54.360]  as it was back in 2003, four, five,
[07:54.360 --> 07:57.480]  but it represents the opinion of the vast majority
[07:57.480 --> 07:59.560]  of people who are actually, you know,
[07:59.560 --> 08:01.880]  opposed these foreign wars, and that's very important
[08:01.880 --> 08:04.000]  because it does put some pressure,
[08:04.000 --> 08:07.200]  and it kind of inhibits politicians,
[08:07.200 --> 08:08.840]  at least to a certain extent,
[08:08.840 --> 08:11.440]  stops them doing some of the more extreme things
[08:11.440 --> 08:12.640]  they might want to do.
[08:14.120 --> 08:18.240]  Okay, now, Mr. Chris, why should people be more active
[08:18.240 --> 08:19.720]  as anti-war individuals?
[08:19.720 --> 08:23.680]  Because, like, can we talk about the effect
[08:23.680 --> 08:26.200]  war can have on a society in general,
[08:26.200 --> 08:29.040]  and how people should be more aware of these effects?
[08:30.000 --> 08:31.360]  Yeah, I mean, I think the main reason
[08:31.360 --> 08:34.560]  why people demonstrated and continue to protest
[08:34.560 --> 08:37.080]  and oppose the wars is because they know
[08:37.080 --> 08:39.880]  that they're completely counterproductive.
[08:39.880 --> 08:44.000]  They know that in Iraq, for example,
[08:44.000 --> 08:47.120]  up to a million people have been killed
[08:47.120 --> 08:49.840]  by the Western intervention.
[08:49.840 --> 08:52.280]  The infrastructure has been shot to pieces.
[08:52.280 --> 08:56.040]  There's obviously the problems that you know all too well
[08:56.040 --> 09:00.000]  about the refugee crisis and the continuing damage
[09:00.000 --> 09:01.560]  that has been done by the wars,
[09:01.560 --> 09:02.400]  and I think that's the main reason.
[09:02.400 --> 09:04.480]  And the whole intervention was based on a lie.
[09:04.480 --> 09:06.600]  That was the...
[09:06.600 --> 09:08.640]  And then there's the whole question of the damage
[09:08.640 --> 09:12.040]  that it's done to our own political system here,
[09:12.040 --> 09:14.960]  because, as you say, we were taken to war
[09:14.960 --> 09:19.520]  on a series of lies, secret deals made between Tony Blair
[09:19.520 --> 09:22.760]  and George Bush, openly lying to Parliament,
[09:22.760 --> 09:25.040]  to the people, to the cabinet,
[09:25.040 --> 09:27.000]  and there's a kind of democratic deficit.
[09:27.000 --> 09:30.880]  There's a kind of degrading of the democratic system
[09:30.880 --> 09:32.840]  in Britain, which is directly linked
[09:32.840 --> 09:34.960]  to that whole experience of those wars.
[09:34.960 --> 09:36.680]  So, you know, it's been very bad.
[09:36.680 --> 09:38.600]  It's very bad for civil liberties as well.
[09:38.600 --> 09:41.480]  I mean, we've all seen the kind of things
[09:41.480 --> 09:43.440]  that the NSA has been up to in America
[09:43.440 --> 09:46.720]  in the last three or four years or more,
[09:46.720 --> 09:50.600]  but also GCHQ in Britain is very, very centrally involved
[09:50.600 --> 09:51.440]  in that as well.
[09:51.440 --> 09:54.200]  So civil liberties have been massively under attack.
[09:54.200 --> 09:55.800]  There's also been an increase in racism
[09:55.800 --> 09:58.200]  in British society against Muslims
[09:58.200 --> 10:01.240]  as a direct product of the war on terror.
[10:01.240 --> 10:03.760]  So, you know, there's lots of reasons,
[10:03.760 --> 10:07.800]  lots of very, very good reasons to be against these wars,
[10:07.800 --> 10:09.240]  and that's before you even mentioned
[10:09.240 --> 10:11.800]  the hundreds of British soldiers that have died,
[10:11.800 --> 10:13.640]  the thousands that have been wounded,
[10:13.640 --> 10:15.280]  the families that have been torn apart
[10:15.280 --> 10:17.400]  by that whole experience.
[10:17.400 --> 10:18.400]  It's been a disaster.
[10:18.400 --> 10:20.400]  The war on terror has been a complete catastrophe,
[10:20.400 --> 10:22.480]  and that's why the majority of people in Britain
[10:22.480 --> 10:23.320]  are against it.
[10:23.320 --> 10:28.240]  Mm-hmm, Mr. Chris, how is Stop the War Coalition
[10:28.240 --> 10:31.080]  involved on ground in fighting war and promoting peace?
[10:31.080 --> 10:34.960]  Like, what activities is the coalition involved in?
[10:36.120 --> 10:39.120]  Well, we've got groups up and down the country.
[10:39.120 --> 10:42.720]  We have public meetings and protests
[10:42.720 --> 10:46.080]  and a whole series of events throughout the year.
[10:46.080 --> 10:48.720]  Sometimes we come together in London for a big event,
[10:48.720 --> 10:51.360]  like we had a conference early this year,
[10:51.360 --> 10:53.040]  which was an international peace conference
[10:53.040 --> 10:56.080]  where we had some people come over from the United States
[10:56.080 --> 10:59.920]  and elsewhere, where we had a thousand people
[10:59.920 --> 11:02.120]  to discuss the situation of the war on terror
[11:02.120 --> 11:04.520]  and to debate how best to counter it.
[11:04.520 --> 11:07.720]  We have, as you know, over the last 10 or 12 years,
[11:07.720 --> 11:09.920]  we've had absolutely massive demonstrations,
[11:09.920 --> 11:13.600]  the biggest demonstrations of any kind in British history,
[11:13.600 --> 11:17.880]  two million people demonstrated against the Iraq War.
[11:17.880 --> 11:19.920]  We have direct action.
[11:19.920 --> 11:24.400]  We have a kind of an information campaign
[11:24.400 --> 11:27.480]  via the web and publications,
[11:27.480 --> 11:31.160]  exposing the lies and the arguments
[11:31.160 --> 11:33.640]  that the government put forward to promote the wars.
[11:33.640 --> 11:36.200]  We also have a campaign against Tony Blair,
[11:36.200 --> 11:38.080]  because we believe that Tony Blair
[11:38.080 --> 11:40.200]  is essentially a war criminal
[11:40.200 --> 11:41.960]  and that he should be brought to justice
[11:41.960 --> 11:45.040]  for what he's done to the Iraqi people
[11:45.040 --> 11:48.200]  and the fact that he's done it deceitfully
[11:48.200 --> 11:51.600]  and behind the backs of the population in Britain,
[11:51.600 --> 11:53.400]  behind the back of parliament.
[11:53.400 --> 11:55.760]  So we've got a kind of ongoing campaign
[11:55.760 --> 11:59.560]  to bring him to justice, which is also very popular.
[11:59.560 --> 12:02.640]  So, I mean, we just put the arguments against the war
[12:02.640 --> 12:06.000]  as high profile in society as we possibly can
[12:06.000 --> 12:08.280]  and as loudly as we possibly can.
[12:08.280 --> 12:11.280]  And it has had some effect because, as I say,
[12:11.280 --> 12:14.320]  we're now in a position where 75% of the British people
[12:14.320 --> 12:17.320]  think these foreign interventions
[12:17.320 --> 12:21.080]  should cease and that we should stop supporting
[12:21.080 --> 12:24.960]  US foreign policy and participating in their wars.
[12:24.960 --> 12:27.400]  Great, that's quite a lot of proportion.
[12:27.400 --> 12:29.640]  Mr. Chris, I would ask you to stay with me for a minute
[12:29.640 --> 12:31.440]  because we're going to take a short break
[12:31.440 --> 12:32.320]  and we'll be right back.
[12:32.320 --> 12:47.800]  Ladies and gentlemen, stay tuned.
[13:02.320 --> 13:32.240]  Good evening.
[13:32.240 --> 13:44.840]  Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen.
[13:44.840 --> 13:48.160]  Early in all, we talked to our two guests, Mr. Assad
[13:48.160 --> 13:48.920]  and Mr. Chris.
[13:48.920 --> 13:51.720]  We talked about the work Stop the War Coalition does
[13:51.720 --> 13:54.800]  and also the organizations that Mr. Assad is involved in.
[13:54.800 --> 13:56.480]  Mr. Assad, you said that you're involved
[13:56.480 --> 13:58.040]  in the first organization.
[13:58.040 --> 14:00.640]  Can you tell us more about the activities that you do
[14:00.640 --> 14:05.160]  regarding peace and reconciliation
[14:05.160 --> 14:08.440]  and also promoting anti-war sentiment?
[14:08.440 --> 14:08.920]  Yeah.
[14:08.920 --> 14:13.360]  In fact, our main work is to speak about personal change
[14:13.360 --> 14:19.200]  and that one should change to improve his family,
[14:19.200 --> 14:22.720]  his society, his country, everything,
[14:22.720 --> 14:25.760]  according to some moral values.
[14:25.760 --> 14:31.800]  But we had the occasion because I had changed,
[14:31.800 --> 14:34.840]  and because in the year 2000, I addressed
[14:34.840 --> 14:40.120]  a public letter of apology to the Lebanese population
[14:40.120 --> 14:44.600]  regarding what I had done during the civil war in Lebanon
[14:44.600 --> 14:49.560]  in the name of Christianity and of Christ and of my country.
[14:49.560 --> 14:55.040]  So we have the occasion together with another ex-fighter also
[14:55.040 --> 14:57.040]  who was with the Muslim side.
[14:57.040 --> 15:03.280]  We go and meet young people in schools, universities, clubs,
[15:03.280 --> 15:09.400]  et cetera, to talk about how hatred starts in the heart
[15:09.400 --> 15:15.040]  and how you carry it and how you slip into violence very easily
[15:15.040 --> 15:17.920]  and what you are able to do during the war.
[15:17.920 --> 15:19.880]  Things unbelievable.
[15:19.880 --> 15:23.440]  And what is the best way to get out of this?
[15:23.440 --> 15:26.600]  So basically, you just promote peace throughout workshops
[15:26.600 --> 15:28.120]  and maybe seminars and talks.
[15:28.120 --> 15:28.760]  Yes.
[15:28.760 --> 15:29.400]  Yes.
[15:29.400 --> 15:30.080]  OK.
[15:30.080 --> 15:32.120]  Mr. Assad, I want you to stay with me for a minute
[15:32.120 --> 15:35.560]  because I go now to joining us via phone.
[15:35.560 --> 15:37.400]  Mr. Brian Becker.
[15:37.400 --> 15:40.240]  Mr. Brian Becker, thank you for being on the show.
[15:40.240 --> 15:41.360]  Thank you for having us.
[15:41.360 --> 15:41.880]  Thank you.
[15:41.880 --> 15:43.880]  Mr. Brian, can you give us a general overview
[15:43.880 --> 15:46.000]  of the work of the Answer Coalition
[15:46.000 --> 15:49.760]  and the role you play on ground in pressuring the US government
[15:49.760 --> 15:53.960]  out of wars or trying to pressure the US government?
[15:53.960 --> 15:57.200]  Certainly, the Answer Coalition has been in existence
[15:57.200 --> 16:00.360]  since September 14, 2001.
[16:00.360 --> 16:03.560]  We formed just three days after the September 11 attacks
[16:03.560 --> 16:06.400]  on the World Trade Center in Pentagon.
[16:06.400 --> 16:09.440]  We were concerned that the Bush administration at that time
[16:09.440 --> 16:13.280]  would take advantage of that horrible attack
[16:13.280 --> 16:18.400]  in order to carry out a cynical shift in US foreign policy,
[16:18.400 --> 16:23.240]  specifically in interventionist foreign policy.
[16:23.240 --> 16:25.600]  And we saw that manifest itself quickly
[16:25.600 --> 16:27.640]  with the invasion of Afghanistan,
[16:27.640 --> 16:31.720]  and then in March 19, 2003, the invasion of Iraq.
[16:31.720 --> 16:34.280]  During that time period, the Answer Coalition
[16:34.280 --> 16:38.480]  organized literally hundreds of thousands of people
[16:38.480 --> 16:42.320]  almost every month, starting in October 2002
[16:42.320 --> 16:44.640]  until after the invasion of Iraq,
[16:44.640 --> 16:47.520]  generating an anti-war movement that
[16:47.520 --> 16:49.000]  began in the United States, but then
[16:49.000 --> 16:51.680]  became a worldwide movement.
[16:51.680 --> 16:56.040]  Since then, we've continued to oppose US foreign policy, which
[16:56.040 --> 16:59.880]  we consider to be aggressive, imperial in its designs
[16:59.880 --> 17:01.200]  and its objectives.
[17:01.200 --> 17:03.720]  We've continued to oppose the ongoing occupation
[17:03.720 --> 17:05.120]  of Afghanistan.
[17:05.120 --> 17:08.040]  We opposed and organized large-scale activities
[17:08.040 --> 17:12.560]  in the United States against the bombing of Libya in 2011.
[17:12.560 --> 17:17.160]  And just recently, we've been organizing events, rallies,
[17:17.160 --> 17:20.840]  demonstrations against the use of drone warfare that's
[17:20.840 --> 17:24.360]  targeted assassinations against people in other lands,
[17:24.360 --> 17:27.520]  drone technology that's quickly migrating, in fact,
[17:27.520 --> 17:29.760]  into the cities of the United States.
[17:29.760 --> 17:32.800]  And right now, we're organizing in opposition
[17:32.800 --> 17:37.440]  to the stepped-up US intervention vis-a-vis proxies,
[17:37.440 --> 17:41.560]  but also coordinated by the CIA for intervention in Syria.
[17:41.560 --> 17:43.920]  So we're an activist organization.
[17:43.920 --> 17:47.520]  We link the issues of war abroad with the pressing
[17:47.520 --> 17:49.640]  issues of social and economic justice
[17:49.640 --> 17:53.040]  within the United States, which are, of course, very grave
[17:53.040 --> 17:53.560]  issues.
[17:53.560 --> 17:56.480]  There are 30 to 40 million Americans
[17:56.480 --> 17:59.120]  who are unemployed or underemployed, many, many
[17:59.120 --> 18:00.800]  millions more going into poverty,
[18:00.800 --> 18:03.600]  while a big part of the National Treasury
[18:03.600 --> 18:08.920]  goes for war and militarism and the invasion and occupation
[18:08.920 --> 18:10.600]  and bombing of other people.
[18:10.600 --> 18:14.360]  So we try to combine peace and social justice
[18:14.360 --> 18:17.560]  and try to educate the American public about these issues.
[18:17.560 --> 18:18.160]  OK.
[18:18.160 --> 18:22.800]  Mr. Bryant, why is it that the anti-war movement lost
[18:22.800 --> 18:26.160]  momentum, especially in recent years,
[18:26.160 --> 18:30.840]  especially after 2008 elections of President Obama?
[18:30.840 --> 18:32.960]  Well, I think there are two reasons.
[18:32.960 --> 18:37.480]  One, of course, is that many people identified the Iraq
[18:37.480 --> 18:41.400]  invasion with George W. Bush and anticipated
[18:41.400 --> 18:44.840]  that the Obama administration would represent not simply
[18:44.840 --> 18:47.280]  the absence of Bush, but something new and different.
[18:47.280 --> 18:48.800]  And I think there was a hopefulness
[18:48.800 --> 18:52.240]  on the part of many people in the anti-war movement
[18:52.240 --> 18:56.360]  that Obama would, quote, do the right thing.
[18:56.360 --> 18:59.120]  And secondly, and I think this is important,
[18:59.120 --> 19:04.720]  is that a factor for US politics is the significance
[19:04.720 --> 19:09.560]  of American soldiers and Marines who are fighting, killing,
[19:09.560 --> 19:11.640]  being killed, being wounded.
[19:11.640 --> 19:13.440]  In other words, the personal engagement
[19:13.440 --> 19:17.040]  of American service people in foreign wars.
[19:17.040 --> 19:21.480]  And I think what we saw in the case of Libya, the US,
[19:21.480 --> 19:24.440]  along with its NATO partners, bombed Libya relentlessly.
[19:24.440 --> 19:28.320]  The number of US casualties was exactly zero
[19:28.320 --> 19:30.120]  during the course of the bombing campaign.
[19:30.120 --> 19:34.240]  And so the American government constructed a foreign policy
[19:34.240 --> 19:37.600]  that was equally aggressive, but made sure
[19:37.600 --> 19:39.920]  that all the bleeding was done on the other side.
[19:39.920 --> 19:42.800]  And I think that was done as a political calculation
[19:42.800 --> 19:46.880]  to keep the American political opposition on the sidelines.
[19:46.880 --> 19:48.920]  OK, Mr. Brian, thank you for joining us.
[19:48.920 --> 19:49.920]  Keep up the good work.
[19:49.920 --> 19:51.000]  Thank you very much.
[19:51.000 --> 19:51.880]  Right, thank you.
[19:51.880 --> 19:52.680]  Thank you.
[19:52.680 --> 19:54.600]  Now, I'll go back to my guest via Skype.
[19:54.600 --> 19:59.440]  Mr. Chris, you've heard, as I was speaking to my guest, Mr.
[19:59.440 --> 20:03.520]  Brian, and we talked about how the anti-war movement lost
[20:03.520 --> 20:05.520]  its momentum some way, somehow.
[20:05.520 --> 20:06.480]  Do you agree with this?
[20:09.000 --> 20:11.200]  Clearly, until the troops came out of Iraq,
[20:11.200 --> 20:12.960]  there was a very, very strong movement.
[20:12.960 --> 20:15.280]  And the British troops did come out of Iraq.
[20:18.040 --> 20:21.360]  The promise was made, at least, in 2006.
[20:21.360 --> 20:22.320]  So that was important.
[20:22.320 --> 20:24.480]  And then there have been a series of demonstrations
[20:24.480 --> 20:29.240]  since then that have been a major size.
[20:29.240 --> 20:31.240]  Particularly, as I mentioned, the demonstrations
[20:31.240 --> 20:36.040]  against the attacks by Israel on Gaza, which
[20:36.040 --> 20:41.840]  have been demonstrations of historic size.
[20:41.840 --> 20:44.480]  And that's right up until 2009, 2010.
[20:44.480 --> 20:48.040]  So I wouldn't write off the anti-war movement.
[20:48.040 --> 20:53.440]  I think what's happened is that the British government
[20:53.440 --> 20:56.400]  has been forced to commit to withdrawing the troops
[20:56.400 --> 20:59.880]  from Afghanistan, which has, to some extent,
[20:59.880 --> 21:02.320]  stopped people going out on the streets.
[21:02.320 --> 21:05.640]  But if the British government decided
[21:05.640 --> 21:07.880]  to participate in another war, for example,
[21:07.880 --> 21:11.240]  if there was an attack on Iran and the British government
[21:11.240 --> 21:14.520]  committed to supporting an Israeli strike or a US
[21:14.520 --> 21:16.640]  strike, I think we'd be people out on the streets again.
[21:16.640 --> 21:18.960]  Because one thing that hasn't changed, indeed,
[21:18.960 --> 21:20.960]  one thing that has actually increased,
[21:20.960 --> 21:23.440]  has been the popular opposition to wars.
[21:23.440 --> 21:25.520]  So I think it's a complicated picture.
[21:25.520 --> 21:27.280]  I mean, I agree with what he says about Obama.
[21:27.280 --> 21:31.080]  I think people thought Obama was going to be different.
[21:31.080 --> 21:32.600]  And in a sense, he has been different,
[21:32.600 --> 21:34.360]  but not in the way that people hoped.
[21:34.360 --> 21:37.040]  Because what he's done is he's changed the strategy
[21:37.040 --> 21:41.680]  so that now they're not sending American troops
[21:41.680 --> 21:45.880]  in any serious numbers into the places they want to attack.
[21:45.880 --> 21:47.960]  They're attacking them with drones.
[21:47.960 --> 21:51.200]  And that obviously is a, they hope
[21:51.200 --> 21:54.920]  that that's a kind of cost-free operation,
[21:54.920 --> 21:56.000]  from their point of view.
[21:56.000 --> 21:59.040]  It's a strategy that they can conduct
[21:59.040 --> 22:00.720]  without consulting with the people,
[22:00.720 --> 22:02.680]  and people don't even know about it.
[22:02.680 --> 22:06.640]  So I think that's had an impact as well, but in general terms.
[22:06.640 --> 22:08.320]  And it's true in America as well.
[22:08.320 --> 22:13.280]  It was a very, very big section of the population
[22:13.280 --> 22:17.520]  that completely opposes these kind of imperial wars.
[22:17.520 --> 22:19.400]  And that's very, very important.
[22:19.400 --> 22:21.680]  OK, Mr. Chris, I want you to stay with me for a minute.
[22:21.680 --> 22:24.080]  I'll go now to my guest in the studio, Mr. Assad.
[22:24.080 --> 22:26.680]  Mr. Assad, how important do you think
[22:26.680 --> 22:31.600]  is getting the youth involved and getting youth activists
[22:31.600 --> 22:34.360]  all together in fighting war and in creating
[22:34.360 --> 22:36.400]  more peace in a society?
[22:36.400 --> 22:41.200]  Listen, I think that it's obvious that the youth are
[22:41.200 --> 22:47.000]  those who are asked to carry guns, whether in a war
[22:47.000 --> 22:48.800]  or in a civil war.
[22:48.800 --> 22:53.080]  And they will be its first victims.
[22:53.080 --> 22:53.840]  Of course.
[22:53.840 --> 22:58.440]  So the more we talk to young people,
[22:58.440 --> 23:00.920]  we address them about being nonviolent,
[23:00.920 --> 23:07.120]  about looking towards other solutions.
[23:07.120 --> 23:10.760]  Because at the end, violence helps nobody.
[23:10.760 --> 23:14.680]  And nobody wins a war or a civil war.
[23:14.680 --> 23:16.960]  I think that everybody loses.
[23:16.960 --> 23:21.080]  OK, now what tools do you use to implement the youth?
[23:21.080 --> 23:23.320]  How can we get them involved, really?
[23:23.320 --> 23:28.320]  Well, if I may continue what I was
[23:28.320 --> 23:32.880]  trying to explain about the organizations I work in.
[23:32.880 --> 23:37.280]  We have recently created a new movement which
[23:37.280 --> 23:40.280]  is not registered yet.
[23:40.280 --> 23:42.640]  We call it the X Fighters.
[23:42.640 --> 23:45.120]  And we addressed to the Lebanese population
[23:45.120 --> 23:48.600]  recently, three weeks or a month ago, maybe,
[23:48.600 --> 23:53.360]  our first press declaration.
[23:53.360 --> 23:56.960]  We called it From the X Fighters to the New Fighters,
[23:56.960 --> 24:00.440]  because we have new fighters today, young people carrying
[24:00.440 --> 24:04.720]  guns and going to fight the other inside our country.
[24:04.720 --> 24:09.840]  So this is one way, which is to address them directly.
[24:09.840 --> 24:12.760]  Now, the other way is through what
[24:12.760 --> 24:17.680]  we are trying to do in this gathering of 29 NGOs that
[24:17.680 --> 24:19.560]  work together for civil peace.
[24:19.560 --> 24:25.280]  That we called our unity will save us.
[24:25.280 --> 24:28.720]  OK, Mr. Asad, I would have to interrupt you here.
[24:28.720 --> 24:30.400]  Thank you very much for being on the show.
[24:30.400 --> 24:32.720]  Mr. Chris, thank you also for being on the show.
[24:32.720 --> 24:34.680]  And I would like to thank also Mr. Brian Becker
[24:34.680 --> 24:36.640]  for joining us via phone.
[24:36.640 --> 24:38.240]  Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.
[24:38.240 --> 24:39.200]  See you next week.
[24:39.200 --> 24:39.800]  Bye bye.
[24:39.800 --> 24:51.920]  And thank you.
[25:09.800 --> 25:11.800]  I'm going to show you a little bit of what it looks like when you put it on.
[25:11.800 --> 25:39.800]  I'm going to show you a little bit of what it looks like when you put it on.
[25:39.800 --> 26:05.800]  Time.
[26:05.800 --> 26:13.800]  Valuable.
[26:13.800 --> 26:16.800]  Event.
[26:16.800 --> 26:29.800]  The only constant variable in life is change.
[26:29.800 --> 26:35.800]  Broader perspective.
[26:35.800 --> 26:41.800]  Arguments and counter arguments on our platform.
[26:41.800 --> 26:43.800]  Global insights.
[26:43.800 --> 26:52.800]  The globe on our platform.
[26:52.800 --> 27:17.800]  The truth fears no questions.
[27:17.800 --> 27:34.800]  It is also fine to die in our beds, on a clean pillow and among our friends.
[27:34.800 --> 27:43.800]  It is fine to die once our hands crossed on our chests, empty and pale.
[27:43.800 --> 27:51.800]  With no scratches, no chains, no banners and no petitions.
[27:51.800 --> 27:54.800]  It is fine to have an undustful death.
[27:54.800 --> 28:02.800]  No holes in our shirts and no evidence in our ribs.
[28:02.800 --> 28:07.800]  It is fine to die with a white pillow not on the pavement.
[28:07.800 --> 28:12.800]  Under our cheeks, our hands resting in those of our loved ones.
[28:12.800 --> 28:20.800]  Founded by desperate doctors and nurses with nothing left but a graceful farewell.
[28:20.800 --> 28:23.800]  Paying no attention to history.
[28:23.800 --> 28:25.800]  Leaving this world as it is.
[28:25.800 --> 28:53.800]  Hoping that someday, someone else will change it.
[28:53.800 --> 29:20.800]  It is fine to die once our hands crossed on our chests, empty and pale.
[29:20.800 --> 29:23.800]  It is fine to die once our hands crossed on our chests, empty and pale.
[29:50.800 --> 30:06.800]  Whatever those are persecuted, that place we tackle case by case.
[30:06.800 --> 30:18.800]  Cases where we believe that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
[30:18.800 --> 30:20.800]  Al At-Dajach News Channel.
[30:20.800 --> 30:26.800]  The truth fears no questions.
[30:26.800 --> 30:32.800]  Around the world, outside the mainstream, anywhere, everywhere.
[30:32.800 --> 30:35.800]  Any media of your land, of your creation.
[30:35.800 --> 30:39.800]  Any media, any new era.
[30:39.800 --> 30:41.800]  Will it take the lead in the future?
[30:41.800 --> 30:43.800]  I believe so.
[30:43.800 --> 30:49.800]  This is Underground.
[30:49.800 --> 31:18.800]  Underground. When vape turns to clarity.