International Action Center
Encyclopedia
The International Action Center (IAC) is an activist group founded by former United States
Attorney General
Ramsey Clark
. It supports anti-imperialist movements around the world, and opposes U.S. military intervention in all circumstances.
The IAC has offices in major cities including New York City
, Washington, D.C.
, San Francisco and Boston
. The IAC share a considerable overlap with members of the Workers World Party
.
Leftist
political and anti-colonialist issues in Iraq
, Palestine
, Haiti
, Cuba
, Latin America
, the Philippines
, Korea
and elsewhere around the world are of particular interest to the IAC.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks
, IAC initiated the A.N.S.W.E.R.
Coalition, which helped to organize several massive rallies in opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, for a time in loose partnership with United for Peace and Justice
. After a split in the Workers World Party, the leadership of ANSWER separated from the IAC. For their part, the IAC initiated the Troops Out Now Coalition
to oppose the war.
The IAC sent a delegation to the Central African Republic
to secure the release of the Haitian president, Jean Bertrand Aristide, after he was removed from power by a U.S.-backed military coup
in February 2004.
The IAC regularly organizes rallies, conferences and other events to support human rights and in opposition to imperialism
and "corporate oppression
."
The IAC publishes books on topical matters, including books on the effect of United Nations sanctions on the people of Iraq, The Fire This Time, by Ramsey Clark; a history of Haiti, Haiti: A Slave Revolution; and a book on the effects of the use of depleted uranium
in warfare, Poison Dust.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Ramsey Clark
Ramsey Clark
William Ramsey Clark is an American lawyer, activist and former public official. He worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, which included service as United States Attorney General from 1967 to 1969, under President Lyndon B. Johnson...
. It supports anti-imperialist movements around the world, and opposes U.S. military intervention in all circumstances.
The IAC has offices in major cities including New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, San Francisco and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The IAC share a considerable overlap with members of the Workers World Party
Workers World Party
Workers World Party is a far-left political party in the United States, founded in 1959 by a group led by Sam Marcy. Marcy and his followers split from the Socialist Workers Party in 1958 over a series of long-standing differences, among them Marcy's group's support for Henry A...
.
Leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
political and anti-colonialist issues in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Palestine
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and elsewhere around the world are of particular interest to the IAC.
After the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, IAC initiated the A.N.S.W.E.R.
A.N.S.W.E.R.
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism , also known as International A.N.S.W.E.R. and the ANSWER Coalition, is a United States-based protest umbrella group consisting of many antiwar and civil rights organizations...
Coalition, which helped to organize several massive rallies in opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, for a time in loose partnership with United for Peace and Justice
United for Peace and Justice
United for Peace and Justice is a coalition of more than 1,300 international and U.S.-based organizations opposed to "our government's policy of permanent warfare and empire-building."...
. After a split in the Workers World Party, the leadership of ANSWER separated from the IAC. For their part, the IAC initiated the Troops Out Now Coalition
Troops Out Now Coalition
The Troops Out Now Coalition is a United States anti-war organization, which describes itself as "a national grassroots coalition of antiwar activists, trade unionists, solidarity activists and community organizers." Closely associated with the revolutionary communist Workers World Party, TONC...
to oppose the war.
The IAC sent a delegation to the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
to secure the release of the Haitian president, Jean Bertrand Aristide, after he was removed from power by a U.S.-backed military coup
1991 Haitian coup d'état
The 1991 Haitian coup d'état took place on 29 September 1991 when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, elected 8 months earlier in the Haitian general election, 1990–1991, was deposed by the Haitian army. The coup was led by Army General Raoul Cédras, Army Chief of Staff Phillipe Biamby and Chief of...
in February 2004.
The IAC regularly organizes rallies, conferences and other events to support human rights and in opposition to imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
and "corporate oppression
Oppression
Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. It can also be defined as an act or instance of oppressing, the state of being oppressed, and the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, and...
."
The IAC publishes books on topical matters, including books on the effect of United Nations sanctions on the people of Iraq, The Fire This Time, by Ramsey Clark; a history of Haiti, Haiti: A Slave Revolution; and a book on the effects of the use of depleted uranium
Depleted uranium
Depleted uranium is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope U-235 than natural uranium . Uses of DU take advantage of its very high density of 19.1 g/cm3...
in warfare, Poison Dust.
External links
- International Action Center homepage
- Hear Richard Becker, the Western Region Co-Director of the International Action Center Audio in Sacramento, CA on Feb. 20, 2008