STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1058 23 September 2008
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) AFGHANISTAN: WHY WE SHOULD GET OUT
2) DON'T MENTION THE WAR
3) HOW'S TONY BLAIR DOING TODAY?
4) CAMPAIGNING FOR A WORLD WITHOUT WAR
5) WIN A DVD DONATED BY NEIL YOUNG
6) UNDER SIEGE: ISLAM, WAR AND THE MEDIA
7) STOP THE WAR'S XMAS PARTY
8) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 3487
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1) AFGHANISTAN: WHY WE SHOULD GET OUT
"We will not walk away from Afghanistan, as the outside
world has done so many times before," Tony Blair said
famously in 2001, just before the country was invaded by the
United States, disguised as "the international community".
This was of course a complete inversion of history, which in
the past 200 years has not been a story of invading forces
"walking away" but of foreign armies being driven out by the
opposition and resistance of the Afghan people. We are
witnessing history repeating itself, with the more
indiscreet army commanders in America and Britain admitting,
"We are not winning in Afghanistan."
In the meantime, the suffering to the Afghan people caused
by the refusal of the warmongers to "walk away" is
everywhere to be seen in a country designated by the United
Nations as fourth from last on its Human Poverty Index of
178 nations:
* Average life expectancy is little more than 40 years.
* 700 children and 60 women die each day from hunger and
lack of health care.
* The illiteracy rate is 70 percent in the cities and up to
99 percent in the countryside.
* Only a quarter of the population has access to clean water
* Only 10 percent of the population have access to
electricity.
Instead of "walking away, as a recent poll suggested the
majority of Afghan people want to happen immediately,
America and Britain have announced plans to escalate the
war, by sending more troops to kill and be killed, and by
extending the killing fields into Pakistan.
The sharply rising numbers of British army casualties show
where these war policies are leading, with Private Ben Ford
two weeks ago becoming -- at 18 years and barely out of
school -- the youngest soldier to die in Afghanistan since
the invasion in 2001.
AFGHANISTAN: WHY WE SHOULD GET OUT
A new pamphlet published by Stop the War is now available,
with an introduction by campaigning journalist John Pilger.
It covers the war, women's rights, the opium boom, the
country's shattered infrastructure, the horrific cost in
Afghan lives and the cost to British tax payers, the
majority of whom want Britain out of Afghanistan. It is an
invaluable resource to those who want to learn more about
the invasion and its aftermath.
Get your copy today for only £1 plus 50p p&p. (Bulk orders
are available at a reduced rate). Contact Stop the War on
020 7278 6694 for single or bulk orders.
DIARY DATE: Stop the War will be organising a day school on
Afghanistan in London on Saturday 29 November. Full details
to follow shortly.
*************************************
2) DON'T MENTION THE WAR
The anti-war demonstration at the Labour Party Conference
last Saturday -- organised by Stop the War, CND and the
British Muslim Initiative - was joined by thousands calling
on Gordon Brown to end Britain's participation in the
catastrophic conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. ( SEE
http://tinyurl.com/4juflg )
Trade unionists, students, pensioners, Muslim activists and
peace campaigners marched through Manchester to represent
the vast majority in this country opposed to the
government's war policies, and to deliver a letter for
Gordon Brown which said, "We urge you to deliver on your
commitment to withdraw all British troops from the illegal
and catastrophic occupation of Iraq. We also urge you to
recognise that the occupation of Afghanistan has involved
Britain in an unwinnable and devastating war in a country
where the population is clearly opposed to our presence."
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were noticeably absent in
most of the media coverage of Labour speeches at the
conference, understandable enough, given how little the
issues were on the agenda. In a fleeting mention, foreign
secretary David Miliband did spout this nonsense: "Talk to
Afghans and they want what we want: a decent future free
from fear. But they need young British men and women [i.e.
British soldiers] to make that future possible."
If Miliband ever spoke to ordinary Afghans, he'd soon hear
what they want: "Get all the foreign invaders out of our
country. You are the source of fear that is making our
future impossible."
As for defence secretary Des Browne -- rarely off television
screens these days, expressing "deep regret" at yet more
British soldiers being killed in Afghanistan -- he had this
gem of self-delusion (or blatant lying) on Iraq: "Free from
thuggery and intimidation, normal life is returning."
And what was Gordon Brown's take on the wars he is waging in
Iraq and Afghanistan? His "make-or-break" conference speech,
which according to many commentators could determine whether
or not he remained Labour Party leader had not a single word
on Iraq and Afghanistan. Not one. No doubt it was Alistair
Campbell, one of his speech writers -- and notorious as a
warmonger in his own right, being the architect of the
"dodgy" dossiers Tony Blair used to dupe parliament into
supporting the Iraq war - who whispered continually in
Brown's ear, "Don't mention the war, don't mention the war."
And he didn't.
*************************************
3) HOW'S TONY BLAIR DOING TODAY?
Tony Blair is no doubt thankful that his war politics are
safe in Gordon Brown's hands but it seems that he still has
an itchy trigger finger. Hence this exchange last week with
TV satirist Jon Stewart:
BLAIR: Al-Qaida are precisely those forces of terrorism in
Iraq, based on a perversion of Islam and Iranian-backed
militia, and they're the people fighting in Afghanistan, and
whether it's in the Yemen or Algeria or Palestine or
Pakistan, there's a struggle going on.
STEWART: What was that list?
BLAIR: No, I'm not saying you have to take military action
on all of them!
STEWART: So it's one country at a time?
BLAIR: No, no I don't say that ...
Stewart's tender barbs stopped well short of the key
questions to ask Blair. Like "Why did you lie to parliament
and the British people when making the case for war against
Iraq?" Or "How does it feel to be implicated in the
slaughter of over one million people?" Or "Why did you
support Israel's barbaric attack on Lebanon in 2006?"
And when Blair admitted that he was "shocked" at the
"bloodshed that there's been and the difficulty" in Iraq,
Stewart could have asked if he regretted ignoring the vast
majority of the British people, who took to the streets in
unprecedented numbers to oppose Blair's illegal and immoral
warmongering, and who predicted before the "shock and awe"
onslaught of March 2003, that mass slaughter and destruction
on an unimaginable scale would be the inevitable outcome for
the Iraqi people.
Blair did however have one moment of truth in the interview
when he said, "I can tell you there's a fundamental struggle
going on. There are two sides." There are indeed. On one
side are the war criminals like George Bush and Tony Blair,
who violate innumerable international laws and whose endless
"war on terror" has killed hundreds of thousands of
civilians, created millions of refugees and made the world
frighteningly unstable. On the other side are those who
oppose these warmongers and who believe that Blair and Bush
should be IN-side -- facing trial for their unprovoked
aggression against other nations, regarded by international
law as the supreme war crime.
For now Blair has other worries on his mind. He is
apparently only just scraping by on the six million pounds
he's earned in the past year, from a book deal (4.5m),
public speaking (1m), part-time advisor to the US investment
bank JP Morgan* (half a million), plus the small change of
£150,000 a year he gets from the British taxpayer for his
pension and office expenses. Blair has to find £16,000 a
month to pay the mortgage on his main London home, added to
which is now the mortgage on his newly acquired country
mansion, which cost 5.75 million pounds earlier this year.
Then there's his private office in Mayfair, costing half a
million a year in rent. (SEE http://tinyurl.com/42x56w )
Oh dear, how the war criminals of the world suffer for their
crimes against humanity.
*NOTE: Bankers JP Morgan pay Blair half a million pounds a
year for 2-3 days work a month. In return he is providing
"strategic advice and insight on global political issues and
emerging trends". No doubt this is payback for Blair's
undying support of the Iraq war, remembering that in 2004
JP Morgan was chosen by George Bush to manage the Iraq trade
bank, through which a consortium of foreign private banks
control Iraq's imports and exports, not least the oil
revenues.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=9848
*************************************
4) CAMPAIGNING FOR A WORLD WITHOUT WAR
The need for the anti-war movement to be sustained was never
greater, with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan still
raging without respite, and threats hovering to spread more
war to Pakistan, Iran and the Caucasus. Whoever leads the
governments in America and Britain, all current leaders and
prospective candidates are agreed that these war policies
are going to continue unabated.
Stop The War is asking all of its supporters to turn
themselves into national members of the Coalition by taking
out a monthly standing order, which can cost as little as £2
a month.
All of our campaigns and events, such as last Saturday's
demonstration at the Labour Party conference, are funded by
donations from our members and supporters. We have no big
benefactors to bail us out, unlike super-rich bankers and
city speculators, now being showered with dollars and
pounds, whose corrupt gambling has squandered trillions of
ordinary people's money.
We are planning a series of events for the autumn and
winter, including the launch of anti-war campaigns at army
bases and a day school on Afghanistan. We will also be
mobilising support for the international anti-Nato
demonstration in Strasburg next April. An increase in our
regular income from national memberships will help us
tremendously in funding these campaigns and in our aim to
raise higher the profile of the anti-war message.
If you are not a Stop the War member, please consider
becoming one now. It only costs £2 a month (please give more
if you can). You can join in the following ways:
* ONLINE: http://tinyurl.com/3dhzpn
* BY DEBIT / CREDIT CARD: Call 020 7278 6694
* BY CHEQUE: £24 paid annually, made payable to "Stop the
War Coalition" and sent to Stop the War Coalition, 27
Britannia Street, London, UK, WC1X 9JP.
*************************************
5) WIN DVD DONATED BY NEIL YOUNG
CSNY: DÉJÀ VU is a milestone musical documentary, a feature
film of lasting political and social relevance. Directed by
Neil Young, one quarter of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young,
CSNY: DÉJÀ VU documents the band's 2007 'Freedom Of Speech
Tour' tour of the United States. You can win one of five
copies of the DVD, to be released on Monday 29 September, by
answering the following question:
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF AFGHANS HAVE ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY?
Email your answer to comp@stopwar.org.uk by Monday 29
September to have a chance of winning. Selection of winners
will be by lottery.
*************************************
6) UNDER SIEGE: ISLAM, WAR AND THE MEDIA
Early booking is recommended for the conference Under Siege:
Islam, War and the Media ( SEE http://tinyurl.com/3tavez ).
Hosted by Media Workers Against the War, it is open to all
and has a very impressive list of speakers, including:
* Sean Smith, award winning war photographer for The
Guardian
* Peter Oborne, Daily Mail columnist, former editor of the
Spectator and author
of Muslims Under Siege: Alienating Vulnerable Communities
* Inayat Bunglawala, Muslim Council of Britain
* Lauren Booth, Mail on Sunday journalist and Palestine
campaigner
* Nick Davies, investigative journalist and author of Flat
Earth News
* Moazzam Begg, author of Enemy Combatant and former
Guantanamo inmate
* Jeremy Dear, general secretary, NUJ
* Eamonn McCann, leading Irish journalist and Raytheon 9
campaigner
* Explo Nani-Kofi, editor of the Kilombo, a Pan-African
Journal
With this line-up the conference is very likely to be
over-subscribed, so book now by email or online to avoid
disappointment (details below).
UNDER SIEGE: ISLAM, WAR AND THE MEDIA
Conference hosted by Media Workers Against the War
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2008
LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS
2PM TO 6.30PM
TO BOOK TICKETS: £15 / £10 concessions
* Email info@mwaw.net OR
*Pay securely online using PayPal: http://tinyurl.com/3tavez
MORE DETAILS: http://tinyurl.com/3tavez
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7) STOP THE WAR'S XMAS PARTY
FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER, 6.30 - 10.30 PM
Canal Museum, 12/13 New Wharf Road
London N1 9RT
MUSIC: GREEN (current and ex-members of Amy Winehouse's
Band)
Bar. Tickets are limited, so early booking advisable.
BOOKING: Tickets - £10 (includes food).
* CHEQUES: Made payable to "Stop the War Coalition" and sent
to Stop the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, London, UK,
WC1X 9JP.
* BY DEBIT / CREDIT CARD: Call 020 7278 6694
*************************************
8) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 3487
Tanks, helicopters, fighter jets, missiles, remotely piloted
aircraft, warships -- just some of the 32 billion dollars
worth of weapons and other military equipment which the US
Department of Defense is selling or transferring to foreign
governments this year. This is nearly three times US arms
sales in 2005. About 60 countries get annual military aid
from the United States, totalling 4.5 billion dollars a
year, to help them buy American weapons. Israel and Egypt
receive more than 80 percent of that aid.
When asked to explain the leap in arms sales and transfers,
Bruce S. Lemkin, the US Air Force deputy under secretary,
who coordinates many of the biggest deals, said, "This is
not about being gunrunners," said. "This is about building a
more secure world." ( SEE http://tinyurl.com/3em9ej )
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STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1057 16 September 2008
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRY
2) PROTEST WHEN NATO COMES TO LONDON
3) "DEEPLY SADDENED" AGAIN AND AGAIN
4) GEORGE BUSH DESPERATE FOR "TROPHY STRIKE"
5) IRAQI ART UNDER OCCUPATION
6) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 2847
*************************************
1) THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRY
Iraq is the most dangerous country in the world. With at
least a million civilians killed since the illegal invasion
in 2003, the daily toll of death and destruction outstrips
any other country, however much the mainstream media peddles
George Bush's propaganda that his "surge" is working.
Journalist Patrick Cockburn, described recently the all too
frequent reality for the Iraqi people:
"A car bomb exploded in the Shia market town of Dujail,
north of Baghdad, killing 32 people and wounding 43 others.
"The smoke filled my house and the shrapnel broke some of
the windows," said Hussein al-Dujaili. "I went outside the
house and saw two dead bodies at the gate which had been
thrown there by the explosion. Some people were in panic and
others were crying." (See http://tinyurl.com/5tgp9d )
There are 4,500 British troops in the midst of this brutal
occupation and the horrific instability it has brought in
its wake. They almost never leave their base at Basra
airport, on the outskirts of the city. Their only function
-- at a cost to the British taxpayer of around one billion
pounds a year -- is to provide political cover for George
Bush's continuing aggression against the Iraqi people and
the pillaging of the country's resources.
The most recent polls show that the majority of Iraqi and
British people continue to want all foreign troops to be
withdrawn. But, just as George Bush insists he plans to
reduce US troop levels (they are in fact as high as they
have ever been in the last five years), Gordon Brown has
reneged on the promises he made when he became prime
minister that he would make sizeable reductions in 2008. In
practice, the number of British troops withdrawn from Iraq
has been pitifully low.
Stop the War's demonstration at the Labour Party's national
conference on Saturday 20 September will include the call
for all British troops to be withdrawn from Iraq now. It's a
message we will do all we can to press home for as long as
there is a single soldier left in Iraq.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD - STOP THE SPREAD OF WAR
DEMONSTRATE AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER: ASSEMBLE 12.30PM
ALL SAINTS, MANCHESTER M15
Updates: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
TRANSPORT DETAILS: See http://tinyurl.com/696px8 or call 020
;
7278 6694
LEAFLETS: Call 020 7278 6694 or download at
http://www.stopwar.org.uk
*************************************
2) PROTEST WHEN NATO COMES TO LONDON
NATO defence ministers are meeting in London on Thursday 18
September and Friday 19 September. They will be here for
'talks about NATO reorganisation' and the discussions will
be chaired by our very own defence minister Des Browne.
Items on the agenda include Afghanistan, US incursions into
Pakistan and the 'Star Wars' missile defence project.
Well might the NATO warmongers discuss Pakistan, which has
been a key ally of the US in the 'war on terror', against
popular opinion in the country which says the alliance has
brought nothing but violence and instability. The risk of
igniting a regional war is clearly contained in the illegal
US attacks on Pakistani territory, which in the past two
weeks have killed at least 60 Pakistani civilians. The
chilling shadow over George Bush's decision to sanction
covert military action is that Pakistan is a nuclear armed
state.
The US Missile Defence Shield is also on the NATO agenda.
The Georgian crisis a few weeks ago has prompted
acceleration of the 'Star Wars' project. The Polish
government, despite widespread opposition in Poland, has
agreed to provide bases for the US Interceptor missiles, yet
another potential provocation to war in Eastern
Europe.
Stop the War Coalition and the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament are calling a joint protest at the NATO meeting
on Thursday 18 September and we're asking all our supporters
in London to be there if they can and to help make this a
noisy protest. Please publicise the protest as widely as
possible.
NATO COMES TO LONDON
STOP THE SPREAD OF WAR
NO TO US MISSILE DEFENCE
Thursday 18 September, 12.30pm
Lancaster House
Stable Yard Road,
London SW1A 1BB
(Nearest tube Green Park)
FURTHER INFORMATION:
A Stop the War briefing on NATO by Kate Hudson, Chair of
CND, is available here: http://tinyurl.com/6ml2ty
NO TO NATO DEMONSTRATION APRIL 2009
On 4-5 April 2009, an international protest, supported by
Stop the War and antiwar organisations across Europe, is
being organised outside the NATO conference in Strasbourg,
France, which will mark the 60th anniversary of NATO's
foundation. The call will be for NATO, a driving force
behind global war, to be dismantled. More details to follow.
*************************************
3) "DEEPLY SADDENED" AGAIN AND AGAIN
UK defence minister Des Browne's well of sadness is clearly
very deep. In the past week he was three times "deeply
saddened" by the deaths of three more British soldiers in
Afghanistan. This brings to 120 the number of military
casualties killed so far in this unwinnable war.
It's always worth recalling that when Browne's predecessor,
John Reid, deployed British troops to Helmand --
Afghanistan's most dangerous province -- he certainly didn't
anticipate being "deeply saddened" on a weekly basis. Rather
he looked forward to the troops leaving "without a shot
being fired".
With George Bush announcing a "quiet surge" of more troops
to be sent to Afghanistan and British defence officials
talking of the British army staying there "for a
generation", there's clearly going to be a lot more
pointless death and destruction.
The anti-war movement has always insisted that there is no
hope of progress in Afghanistan while it is occupied by
foreign forces. It is our task to mobilise all available
pressure on the government to act in accordance with the
majority view of people in this country and in Afghanistan
that all troops should be withdrawn. Which is why we will be
demonstrating on Saturday 12 September, at the Labour
Party's annual conference, with the clear message, Troops
Home Now.
PAMPHLET: AFGHANISTAN: WHY WE SHOULD GET OUT
Stop the War has published a new pamphlet, called
Afghanistan: Why We Should Get Out, with an introduction by
John Pilger. It will be on sale for £1 (reductions for bulk
orders) at Saturday's demonstration in Manchester and can be
ordered from Stop the War's national office: Tel 020 7278
6694
*************************************
4) GEORGE BUSH DESPERATE FOR "TROPHY STRIKE"
George Bush has signed a secret order allowing US troops to
operate in Pakistan, without permission from the Pakistani
government or agreement by the United Nations, contravening
numerous international laws and conventions. Bush says the
recent ground assault by US commandos and the big increase
in the number of US missiles fired from unmanned aircraft
are directed at al-Qaeda leaders, but the Pakistani
government and local observers say that most of the dozens
killed in these attacks have been civilians, the majority of
them women and children.
The Guardian newspaper suggests a different interpretation
for these attacks: "Bush is thought to be in a desperate
push for a trophy strike… before he leaves office." No doubt
part of the calculation is the hope that this will boost the
electoral chances of John McCain in his campaign to succeed
Bush as president. (See http://tinyurl.com/68jpda )
Since 1945, American has bombed 25 countries round the
world, killing many millions of people (some estimates put
the figure as high as 20 million). But George Bush has a
message for all the families grieving as a result of his
contribution to this horrendous scale of mass slaughter. He
recently expressed his sorrow, following the US attack in
Afghanistan which killed 90 civilians: "I am a partner in
your loss and that of the Afghan people."
And, of course, all those grieving families will be
comforted by an earlier Bush pronouncement: "America is a
Nation with a mission -- and that mission comes from our
most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no
ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace -- a
peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and
woman."
*************************************
5) IRAQI ART UNDER OCCUPATION
RIDING ON FIRE is an exhibition of paintings and sculptures
which have been created by Iraqi artists who are determined
to keep art alive while everything around them is falling
apart. It opens in London on 19 September and is highly
recommended to all our supporters as a testament to how
artists manage to remain creatively active, producing
stunning works of art, in an unimaginably hostile
environment.
It is only through overcoming hurdles and hazards which can
be literally a matter of life and death that these
twenty-two artists have been able to create their paintings
and sculptures and get them transported to us in London.
Stop the War is proud to have helped in the organisation of
RIDING WITH FIRE: IRAQI ART UNDER OCCUPATION, which will run
at the Artiquea Gallery in south London from 19 September-31
October. ( See: http://www.artiquea.co.uk )
RIDING WITH FIRE:
IRAQI ART UNDER OCCUPATION
19 September - 31 October
Artiquea Gallery
82 Wandsworth Bridge Road
London SW6 2TF
FOR MORE DETAILS:
WWW: http://www.artiquea.co.uk/
TEL: 020 7731 2090
EMAIL: info@artiquea.co.uk
*************************************
6) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 2847
"Things are better in Iraq. Life is returning to normal."
This is the propaganda story from George Bush and the puppet
Iraqi government, a story dutifully spread -- to its
continuing shame -- by the mainstream media,. One supposed
indicator of the good life returning to Iraqis is the
announcement of lavish plans to build the Baghdad Eye, aimed
to be the world's largest Ferris wheel. Baghdad citizens
will be pleased to know that their city, in which there is
usually only two hours of electricity a day -- and never
enough to meet essential energy needs -- will at least find
the power to rotate a 650 feet tall Ferris wheel, carrying
30 passengers in each of its air conditioned compartments.
*************************************
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STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1056 10 September 2008
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) WHY WE'RE MARCHING ON 20 SEPTEMBER
2) WHAT 'PROGRESS' LOOKS LIKE IN AFGHANISTAN
3) WHAT 'WINNING' LOOKS LIKE IN IRAQ
4) PAKISTAN INVADED: NOTHING SAID
5) INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR WAR
6) OBAMA AND McCAIN: SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
7) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 2761
*************************************
1) WHY WE'RE MARCHING ON 20 SEPTEMBER
What will British foreign secretary David Miliband say in
his speech to Labour's annual conference in Manchester? It's
all too predictable. 'We' are 'winning' in Iraq, making
'progress' in Afghanistan, defending 'democracy' in Georgia,
confronting Iran to protect world 'security' and waging
endless war against 'global terrorism'. 'We' stand "shoulder
to shoulder" with George Bush and whoever his successor may
be in following slavishly wherever US foreign policy takes
'us'.
There will be no place in Miliband's speech for the views of
the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and anywhere else
that the Bush wars have brought, or threaten to bring, mass
slaughter and destruction. Only last weekend a mass
demonstration of Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad to
call for all foreign troops to get out of Iraq, confirming
country wide polls which show this to be the view of an
overwhelming majority.
And David Miliband will not have a word to say about the
large majorities in both Britain and the United States who
have consistently opposed the warmongering carried out in
their name and insisted that the US and British troops all
be withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan.
David Miliband, Gordon Brown and the rest of the Labour
government, who have so seamlessly adopted the war policies
of Tony Blair, hope that the ever dutiful mainstream media
will help delude people in this country into believing that
'we' are 'winning' and making 'progress' in our support for
illegal invasions.
This is why Stop the War, the Campaign for Nuclear
Disarmament and the British Muslim Initiative are organising
a demonstration at the Labour Party conference in Manchester
on Saturday 20 September, to ensure that the voice of the
anti-war majority that opposes the government's warmongering
is prominently represented.
Please publicise the details of the demonstration as widely
as you can and join us in Manchester on 20 September.
Leaflets are available for downloading or from the Stop the
War national office. Transport details for protestors
travelling to Manchester from outside London are available
on the Stop the war website (http://www.stopwar.org.uk) or
by calling 020 7278 6694.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD - STOP THE SPREAD OF WAR
DEMONSTRATE AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER: ASSEMBLE 12.30PM
ALL SAINTS, MANCHESTER M15
TRANSPORT DETAILS: See http://tinyurl.com/696px8 or call 020
7278 6694
LEAFLETS: Call 020 7278 6694 or download at
http://www.stopwar.org.uk
*************************************
2) WHAT 'PROGRESS' LOOKS LIKE IN AFGHANISTAN
On 22 August, the US military reported that an airstrike in
Herat province in Afghanistan killed 30 militants and no
civilians. Local villagers said more than 90 bodies, mainly
women and children, were pulled from the rubble. When this
figure was confirmed by a United Nations investigator and
the Afghanistan government, the US military changed its
story to seven civilians killed. Now eyewitness evidence has
been backed up by an eight minute video shot by a doctor
with his cellphone. (See http://tinyurl.com/6xhgpy. WARNING:
The video has harrowing images.)
This is the consistent pattern of lying used by the US to
cover up the sharp increase in civilian deaths in
Afghanistan, which have tripled in the past year. A Human
Rights Watch report concludes, "There has been a massive and
unprecedented surge in the use of air power in Afghanistan
in 2008… in the months of June and July alone the US dropped
approximately as much as it did in all of 2006."
To which George Bush had his response this week, when he
said, ominously, "For all the good work we have done in that
country, it is clear we must do even more."
*************************************
3) WHAT 'WINNING' LOOKS LIKE IN IRAQ
REFUGEES: Displaced Inside Iraq: 2,255,000. Displaced in
Syria & Jordan - 2.1 million to 2.25 million
UNEMPLOYMENT: Between 27 and 60 per cent
CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM MALNUTRITION: 28 per cent.
PERCENT OF PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE LEFT IRAQ SINCE 2003: 40
per cent, including one third of Iraqi physicians.
AVERAGE DAILY HOURS IRAQI HOMES HAVE ELECTRICITY: 1-2 hours.
NUMBER OF IRAQI HOMES CONNECTED TO SEWER SYSTEMS: 37 per
cent.
IRAQIS WITHOUT ACCESS TO ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLIES: 70 per
cent.
THE COST OF DEPLOYING ONE US SOLDIER FOR ONE YEAR IN IRAQ:
390,000 dollars.
For more about what 'winning' really means in Iraq, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/fzryo
*************************************
4) PAKISTAN INVADED: NOTHING SAID
Pakistan has been attacked four times in the last two weeks,
the latest attack destroying a school, killing at least
twenty-three people, including women and children.
(http://tinyurl.com/5v3n3w)
We're still waiting for George Bush (quote: "In the 21st
century nations don't invade other nations.") or Gordon
Brown or any other representative of the 'international
community' (also known as the USA and its acolytes) to
condemn this blatant violation of international law, the
consequences of which could be horrifying in further
destabilising a region already in upheaval.
These attacks on Pakistan were by the US military and are
yet another example of the breathtaking hypocrisy of George
Bush and his fellow aggressors. Let's hope it doesn't
escalate to the scale of the mass murder of civilians in
Cambodia and Laos, killed by carpet bombing and chemical
warfare during the Vietnam war, another occasion when the
USA spread war to the neighbouring countries of a country it
had invaded illegally.
*************************************
5) INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR WAR
David Miliband is showing how quick he is developing the
appetite for war and all the deception and hypocrisy that
requires. His absurd speech in Ukraine, in which he
threatened Russia -- the second most powerful nation on
earth -- with all manner of consequences if it didn't
capitulate to NATO demands, included this gem: "It is very
important that the principles on which our stability has
been based -- territorial integrity of countries, democratic
governance and international law -- are upheld."
Not a hint of course that Russia's action in South Ossetia
was provoked by Georgia's prior invasion. Or that the
instigators of the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions are hardly
in a position to lecture anybody about "territorial
integrity of countries". Or that maybe Russia has some
legitimate concerns about the way in which the US government
is using NATO to create a line of antagonistic countries in
Russia's Caucasus backyard, creating yet another arena for
more conflict and instability.
*************************************
6) OBAMA AND McCAIN: SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
There is a real difference between the two US presidency
contenders in their policies on Iraq. John McCain wants US
troops to stay in Iraq "until victory… for 100 years, if
necessary". Barack Obama is committed to withdrawing all
combat troops and US military bases from Iraq within 16
months of taking office.
On all other issues, the promise from both candidates is for
more war following George Bush's agenda. McCain and Obama
are united in wanting to escalate the war in Afghanistan, in
supporting the invasion and bombing of Pakistan, in
threatening Iran, in antagonising Russia by intervening in
the Caucasus and in giving undiluted support to Israel, the
country flouting more international laws than any other in
its barbaric policies towards the Palestinians in Gaza and
the West Bank.
It's clear that whoever succeeds George Bush, an active and
vocal anti-war movement will be as necessary as it has been
throughout the Bush-Blair-Brown years of endless war,
torture and attacks on civil rights.
*************************************
7) YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP: NO. 2761
When the US military claimed that all but seven of the
victims of its airstrike on Afghanistan on 22 August were
"Taliban terrorists", it cited for corroboration the
"independent journalist", Oliver North.
Could this be the same Oliver North who twenty years ago was
at the centre of the Iran-Contra scandal, under which
President Reagan's government used the proceeds from secret
arms sales to Iran to fund the Contra terrorists, trained by
the CIA to undermine Nicaragua's democratically elected
government? It certainly could.
Could it be the same Oliver North who organised cocaine and
marijuana trafficking from Central and South America into
the United States to help fund those same Contra rebels? It
certainly could.
In 1989, North admitted lying to the US Congress and was
indicted on 16 felony counts. But why should enlisting the
support of a convicted liar and instigator of mass murder
concern the US military, when it is scurrying around looking
for "corroboration" from an "independent journalist" to
dispute the evidence of yet another massacre of civilians by
a US bombing raid?
*************************************
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD - STOP THE SPREAD OF WAR
DEMONSTRATE AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER: ASSEMBLE 12.30PM
ALL SAINTS, MANCHESTER M15
*****************************
STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1055 05 September 2008
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) STOKING THE FIRES FOR MORE WAR
2) AFGHANISTAN:THE 'GOOD' WAR TURNS BAD
3) JOIN STOP THE WAR AND HELP STRENGTHEN THE MOVEMENT
4) SAY NO TO NATO: DEMONSTRATE 4-5 APRIL 2009
5) NATO, RUSSIA AND THE NEW THREAT OF WAR
*************************************
1) STOKING THE FIRES FOR MORE WAR
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD - STOP THE SPREAD OF WAR
DEMONSTRATE AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER: ASSEMBLE 12.30PM
ALL SAINTS, MANCHESTER M15
Events in Georgia have raised the terrifying prospect of big
power confrontation between the US and Russia. NATO
expansion was the prime cause of the crisis in the first
place, disgracefully, the British Government's response has
stoked up more tension.
David Miliband's trip to the Ukraine, aimed at building an
alliance to contain Russia, was obviously going to be highly
provocative. As the Guardian recently argued, the
frightening thing is that NATO and Russia are on a collision
course over the Caucasus.
Our government's response to the crisis in Georgia and
Gordon Brown's recent announcement of 4,000 extra troops for
Afghanistan, confirms the policy of continuing subservience
to Washington.
In these circumstances the demonstration to the Labour Party
Conference on September 20 -- called by Stop the War, CND
and the British Muslim Initiative -- takes on a new
significance.
Stop the War Coalition is asking all our supporters to come
to Manchester to make sure that the Labour Party understands
that the overwhelming majority in this country believes that
Labour should break with the disastrous war policies of the
Bush years and withdraw all British support, whether it be
in Iraq, Afghanistan or any other threatened region.
FOR LEAFLETS AND LOCAL TRANSPORT DETAILS:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/ or tel: 020 7278 6694
*************************************
2) AFGHANISTAN: THE 'GOOD' WAR TURNS BAD
The situation in Afghanistan is reaching breaking point.
Civilian and military casualties have risen sharply over the
last few months. The death of another British soldier this
week brings to 200 the number of foreign soldiers killed in
Afghanistan this year.
The level of NATO bombing is up 40% on last year's levels
and the mainstream press here has had to start reporting on
the innocent dead as a result. Two weeks ago a raid in
western Herat Province left 90 dead. US sources are still
claiming that only Taliban were killed in the village. A
joint UN/Afghan investigation found the dead were civilians.
Local residents were able to confirm the number of
casualties, including their names, age and gender. In the
last few days, other attacks have been reported, including
one bombardment in Helmand that is believed to have led to
the death of 70 people.
The war in Afghanistan risks spreading violence across the
region. On Wednesday 3 September, heavily armed US
commandoes launched a surprise attack on Jala Khel, a
Pakistani town, killing at least 20 people. This was the
first such ground raid on Pakistan by US forces. The
governor of the neighbouring province in Pakistan gave this
response: "This is a direct assault on the sovereignty of
Pakistan and the people of Pakistan expect that the armed
forces ... would rise to defend the sovereignty of the
country and give a befitting reply." SEE
http://tinyurl.com/6zc8tl
Meanwhile, The Times and The Observer have reported that
Kabul is virtually under siege by various armed groups
opposing the occupation and vital aid work has almost ground
to a halt because of the increased level of violence.
The call for all troops to come out of Afghanistan will be
one of the central demands of the demonstration in
Manchester on 20 September.
Stop the War is rushing out a pamphlet called 'Why we should
get out of Afghanistan', with an introduction by John
Pilger, which will be available in a week's time cost £1. To
place your order, telephone 020 7278 6694.
*************************************
3) JOIN STOP THE WAR AND HELP STRENGTHEN THE MOVEMENT
As the risk of the spread of war becomes clearer the Stop
the War Coalition is launching a drive to widen our
membership base. We need a larger regular income to be able
to respond to any emergencies and to strengthen our
infrastructure.
Immediate projects include rationalising our database and
renewing our website. We also need more active members to
help build the coalition in every town and city around the
country.
We are urging all our supporters and e-subscribers to join
Stop The War in September, for just £5 per month or £3
student/unwaged, who will in return receive a free t-shirt,
free copies of our pamphlets and regular newsletters.
Monthly contributions provide our campaign with regular
income and have minimal administrative costs. This means
that maximum time and resources can be spent fighting
against George Bush's wars and our government's
unquestioning support for policies which have brought
horrifying levels of death, destruction and insecurity.
BECOME A NATIONAL MEMBER OF STOP THE WAR:
* ONLINE: http://tinyurl.com/6krppn
* BY CREDIT/DEBIT CARD: Call 020 7278 6694
* BY CHEQUE OR STANDING ORDER: Email for a membership form
to office@stopwar.org.uk
*************************************
4) SAY NO TO NATO: DEMONSTRATE 4-5 APRIL 2009
The Stop the War Coalition will be mobilising for the No To
NATO, Troops out of Afghanistan demonstration at the 60th
NATO conference in Strasbourg on 4-5 April next year. Given
the crisis in the Caucasus and the disaster in Afghanistan,
we expect this to be a very serious mobilisation.
*************************************
5) NATO, RUSSIA AND THE NEW THREAT OF WAR
All are welcome to this public meeting in London, organised
by Media Workers Against the War.
NATO, RUSSIA AND THE NEW THREAT OF WAR
Speakers:
PETER WILBY
Former editor of the New Statesman and the Independent on
Sunday,
now columnist for the Media Guardian
TOM DE WAAL
Caucasus editor at the Institute of War and Peace Reporting
STOP THE WAR COALITION SPEAKER (tbc)
Tuesday 9 September 7pm
Pearson Lecture Theatre
University College London
North East Entrance
Gower Street WC1
Map: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/maps/ucl-maps/map2_low_res
FOR MORE DETAILS: mediawar@riseup.net, or tel 07801 789 297
ARTICLES:
PETE WILBY on the media coverage of war in the Caucasus:
http://www.mwaw.net/2008/08/25/wilby-2/
TOM DE WAAL:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8efea3fe-68ce-11dd-a4e5-0000779fd18c.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/10/georgia.russia
*****************************
STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER
No. 1054 20 August 2008
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) A MESSAGE FROM TONY BENN
2) STOP THE WAR STATEMENT ON GEORGIA
3) AFGHANISTAN: ANOTHER DISASTER FOR NATO
4) THE STORY BURIED BY THE UK MEDIA
5) NO TO NATO: INTERNATIONAL DEMONSTRATION
*************************************
1) A MESSAGE FROM TONY BENN.
Tony Benn sends the following message urging people to join
the Stop the War demonstration at the Labour party
conference in Manchester on Saturday 20 September.
STOP THE SPREAD OF WAR
War in the Caucasus has highlighted the growing danger of
war spreading. Seven years after the start of the war on
terror, occupation continues to bring misery to Iraq and
Afghanistan, but the consequences of the war are spreading.
US policy of expanding NATO eastwards has been an important
feature of the conflict between Russia and Georgia, as has
the West's desire to control the oil and other natural
resources of the region.
The British government continues its uncritical support for
George Bush, with foreign minister David Miliband echoing
Bush's claim that invading other people's countries is not
acceptable in the 21st century. Their hypocrisy is
staggering.
The war on terror has been a failure and the majority of
people in Britain want the British troops out of Iraq and
Afghanistan. Their view is matched by the majority of
citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan, where high levels of
violence, death, refugees and lack of basic facilities are
all part of everyday life for millions. Despite all this,
the US is stepping up its threats against Iran.
When he came to office, Gordon Brown promised to plan troop
withdrawal from Iraq. He has reneged on that promise. We are
demonstrating in Manchester to make clear we want to stop
war spreading and we want all the troops home now. We urge
you to join us. - TONY BENN.
DEMONSTRATE AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE
SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER. ASSEMBLE 12.30PM
ALL SAINTS, CAVENDISH STREET, MANCHESTER M15
LEAFLETS
Leaflets for the demonstration are available from the Stop
the War office: Tel 020 7278 6694. Email
office@stopwar.org.uk
A copy of the leaflet can be downloaded from:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/images/download.pdf
TRANSPORT:
Transport is being organised to the demonstration from
across the country. For details see
http://tinyurl.com/696px8 or call the Stop the War office:
020 7278 6694.
FOR DEMONSTRATION UPDATES GO TO:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
*************************************
2) STOP THE WAR STATEMENT ON GEORGIA
A report on the Stop the War meeting, GEORGIA, NATO & THE
SPREAD OF WAR, with videos of all the platform speakers is
now available online:
http://tinyurl.com/6p77y8
Stop the War has published a statement on the Georgia
crisis, highlighting "a new stage in the growth of
instability around the world, threatening confrontation
between the United States and the Russian Federation". The
statement can be read here: http://tinyurl.com/6jxtww
*************************************
3) AFGHANISTAN: ANOTHER DISASTER FOR NATO
The deaths of ten French soldiers in one battle and growing
British and US casualties reveal the military reality behind
the rhetoric of George Bush's 'Operation Enduring Freedom'.
Despite Geoff Hoon's recent claims that progress is being
made, resistance to the occupation is becoming bolder and
more effective. The French soldiers lost their lives in a 36
hour gun battle just 30 miles from the capital Kabul. Most
of the south and east of the country -- which we were told a
few years ago had been 'pacified' -- is now officially
recognised as being under rebel control.
NATO air strikes are causing so much bitterness at the
number of innocent civilians being killed that even
Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai -- who was installed to
be the stooge of the US government -- has publicly demanded
that the bombing stops. The violence created by occupation
is making an already dire situation desperate for the Afghan
people. Malnutrition is widespread and child mortality rates
and life expectancy are lower now than they were before the
so called 'liberation' of the country in 2001. Security has
deteriorated so badly that aid agencies and NGOs are having
to cancel sorely needed relief programmes.
According to Gordon Brown, "We are winning the battle in
Afghanistan". In truth, as the Guardian's Seamus Milne wrote
this week, "The war in Afghanistan, which claimed more than
6,500 lives last year, cannot be won. It has brought neither
peace, development nor freedom, and has no prospect of doing
so… The only real chance for peace in Afghanistan is the
withdrawal of foreign forces." (See
http://tinyurl.com/6hgb5v)
This is the message we will be taking to Gordon Brown when
we demonstrate at the Labour Party conference in Manchester
on Saturday 20 September.
*************************************
4) THE STORY BURIED BY THE UK MEDIA
In a new book, American journalist Ron Suskind has
demolished any remaining shred of credibility for the attack
on Iraq in 2003. His book proves that both M16 and the CIA
knew there were no weapons of mass destruction before the
invasion and that both agencies made this clear to the Bush
administration. The media in Britain has largely ignored the
story, but you can see Suskind discussing his book on the US
Daily Show, available online here:
http://tinyurl.com/553g2n
*************************************
5) NO TO NATO: INTERNATIONAL DEMONSTRATION
The eastwards push of NATO is the prime cause of the recent
war in the Caucasus. UK foreign secretary David Miliband is
particularly keen to rush through Georgia's membership of
NATO. This is despite many commentators pointing out that,
if Georgia had been a NATO member when its invasion of South
Ossetia provoked a Russian response, all the countries in
the alliance would have been obligated to go to war with
Russia -- in other words, it could have led to World War
III.
Next year is the 60th anniversary of NATO's formation and it
will be celebrated as an organisation founded to preserve
peace. In reality it is engaged in spreading conflict and
war well beyond the countries of the north Atlantic. Antiwar
and peace movements across Europe -- including Stop the War
and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament - are organising a
demonstration at NATO's conference in Strasburg on 4-5 April
to call for an end to NATO expansion and the withdrawal of
all foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Further details of the NO TO NATO demonstration will be
available shortly. A briefing on NATO's expansion by Kate
Hudson, the chair of CND, is available here:
http://tinyurl.com/5unyde
*************************************--
