The threat of a new US aggression against Iraq has brought the pacifists into the streets again, after years of relative silence and in spite of the campaign of misinformationcarried out, as in 1991, by the media, who have censored the positions of the pacifists and almost always ignored their initiatives. On February 4 the "Comitato Golfo" (Gulf Committee) launched an appeal, "No yielding to war," underwritten by numerous well-known persons and associations, in which the Italian government was urged to condemn the US aggression, deny the use of bases located on our territory and end the embargo against Iraq. These objectives were the main focus of the national day of mobilization called on February 21 with sit-ins, demonstrations, marches in Milan, where over 10,000 people were in the streets, Rome, Brescia, Genua, Udine, Reggio Emilia, Florence, Naples, Gioia del Colle, Catania, Palermo and in many other Italian towns. On February 28 and March 1 demonstrations were held against the US bases in Gaeta, Sigonella, and Aviano. On February 22, sposored by "Un Ponte per..." ("A Bridge to ...") and the "Gruppo Mission" ("Mission Group"), a first contingent departed for Baghdad, where it was joined by others coming from other countries to serve as "human shields" for the Iraqi people. Others went during the following weeks. An important fact was the formation of a vast, united front including anti-militarist, pacifist, and internationalist associations as well as social volunteer groups, the major Catholic and lay associations, rank-and-file unions, young peoples' neighborhood centers, and government elements such as the Communist Refoundation Party and the Greens. This created serious difficulty for the Prodi government which, in order to avoid a split in its majority and the fall of the government, was forced to postpone taking a position, wavering between declarations favorable to a peaceful solution and the refusal to deny out of hand the use of bases on Italian soil or any other support for the USA in case of war. Certain favorable conditions were created for going ahead with the campaign promoted by the "Comitato Golfo" and "Un Ponte per ..." to demand a unilateral suspension of the embargo against Iraq on the part of Italy. (Communiquee of Gulf Committee, March 6 1998)