Washington and its imperialist allies carry out nearly daily bombings of Iraq. The first week of March, for example, U.S. planes bombed the country on three separate days.

The protest was organized by the Iowa Committee to End War Crimes Against Iraq. Chants included, "Food for Iraq, Send the bombs back," and "Stop the bombing, now."

Chuck Quilty, who recently returned from Iraq, described how the economic embargo was killing thousands of children and that hospitals and medical care were very much affected by the embargo.

Twenty of the demonstrators staged a sit-in at the entrance to the base. They were promptly arrested and taken away in police vans. Father Frank Cordaro read a statement which said in part , "We want the Iowa Air National Guard to stay in Iowa and not have them break international law and commit war crimes."

According to the Associated Press, during a raid last August in which members of the Iowa Air National Guard participated, three people on the ground were injured and a mosque was destroyed.

Participants in the rally included students from Drake University in Des Moines, St. Louis University, and Grinnell College.

At a campaign event in Detroit March 8, U.S. vice president Albert Gore reiterated his support for continuing sanctions against Iraq. The next day U.S. and British war planes bombed Tall Afar in Iraq, injuring one civilian, according to press reports.

Edwin Fruit is a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1149 in Perry, Iowa.  
 
 
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