STWC: IRAQ AND GORDON BROWN'S 'SHARED VALUES'

STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER No. 1013
Thursday 2 August 2007
Email office@stopwar.org.ukT: 020 7278 6694Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) IRAQ AND GORDON BROWN'S 'SHARED VALUES'
2) AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR
3) WORLD AGAINST WAR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
4) MILITARY OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS
5) STOP THE WAR NATIONAL CONFERENCE
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1) IRAQ AND BROWN'S 'SHARED VALUES'Gordon Brown told George Bush this week that Britain has a "shared destiny" with the United States" founded on "shared values". Even as Brown spoke, the consequences of those "shared values" in Iraq were spelt out in horrific detail by a report from Oxfam and over 100 other NGOs.
* 43% of Iraqis are in absolute poverty;
* 28% of Iraqi children are malnourished;
* 32% of internally displaced persons who need food rations can't get them;
* 70% of Iraqis don't have adequate water supplies;
* 80% don't have effective sanitation;
* 4 million Iraqis are in dire need of humanitarian assistance
* 11% of new born babies are underweight. (SEE http://tinyurl.com/2tkt3j)
Unemployment in Iraq is running at over 50 per cent.
Up to one million Iraqis have been killed over the past four years as a result the illegal US-UK invasion.
Four million Iraqis -- one seventh of the population -- have been displaced from their homes, with two million fleeing the country. This is, as journalist Patrick Cockburn writes, "The greatest mass exodus of people ever in the Middle East and dwarfs anything seen in Europe since the Second World War." (SEE http://tinyurl.com/ypvtmq)
Eight British soldiers were killed in Iraq in July, supposedly in the cause of these same "shared values", but in reality serving no purpose other than to give George Bush political cover for a war which over two thirds of the American people oppose, making Bush the most unpopular president in recent US history.Any hopes that Gordon Brown would distance himself from Tony Blair's abject subservience to US foreign policy objectives were dashed when Brown confirmed that there was "no plan to withdraw British troops before the Iraqi army is deemed capable of maintaining security", which is doublespeak for "no plans until George Bush says it's ok".
Brown displayed his continuity with Blair's war policies despite the government's first official acknowledgement, in a report published recently by the Ministry of Defence, that there is little or no public support for the war in Iraq. (SEE http://tinyurl.com/3dhu6y)
The people of Iraq want the foreign occupiers out of their country immediately, so they can be free to decide how they want to be governed and to control their own resources, not least the second largest reserves of oil in the world. The views of the Iraq majority were expressed this week by the captain of the Iraqi football team, following its victory in the Asian Cup, "I want America to go out. Today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn't invade Iraq and hopefully it will be over soon."The anti-war movement must maintain the pressure on Gordon Brown to make him respond to the values of the vast majority in this country who always opposed the illegal war in Iraq and who want all British troops brought home now. Similarly, it is essential that we continue to build the widest possible opposition to the "shared values" of Gordon Brown's and George Bush, which promise only more war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the escalation of the arms race and intensified threats against Iran.
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2) AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WARFor
Gordon Brown the war in Afghanistan is the front line in the "war on terror" but for the Afghan people of Afghanistan it has brought the same catalogue of horror as detailed above for Iraq. Bush and Brown's "shared values" are now increasing delivered by US and British aerial bombardment, killing hundreds of Afghan civilians. There are now more British troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq -- and they are being killed at a higher rate, four soldiers having died in the last five days of July. Despite being chronically under-reported in the mainstream media, the Afghan war is now opposed by almost 50 per cent of people in Britain, according to the MOD report cited above.
A Stop the War Day School, under the title AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR has been organised for Saturday 15 September (see below for details). Speakers will include Dr Elaheh Rostami Povey (author of a new book entitled Afghan Women, Craig Murray (ex UK ambassador to Uzbekistan) and Lynda Holmes (Military Families against the War). Also speaking from Stop the War Coalition will be Lindsey German, Jane Shallis and Andrew Murray. A Stop the War Briefing on Afghanistan is available from the Stop the War Office: Tel 020 7278 6694. AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WARSATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER, 9.30 - 5PMROOM 101, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON UNION MALET STREET, LONDON,WC1E 7HY(Nearest tube: Euston, Warren Street, Goodge Street, Russell Square, EustonSquare station)BOOKING FEE: £4 CONCESSION / £6 FULL PRICE Contact Stop the War National Office for a booking form:Tel 020 7278 6694
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
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3) WORLD AGAINST WAR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEThe prospect of endless war in the name of "freedom and justice" is the background against which Stop the War Coalition has called its second international peace on Saturday 1 December 2007, entitled THE WORLD AGAINST WAR. Our highly successful International Peace Conference in December 2005 brought together 1500 delegates from across the world. For this second event, Stop the War Coalition is inviting delegates and representatives from Iraq, the movements in Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, Venezuela and Cuba, and from anti war organisations from across Europe and the USA.The Conference will focus on the movement's central demands of ending the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and organising against any attack on Iran. It will also look at the broader struggle against war and for independence, against the threat of US intervention.For more information on the conference go to http://www.stopwar.org.uk/ or phone+44 (0)20 7278 6694 or contact office@stopwar.org.ukWORLD AGAINST WAR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCESATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 07CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTERSTOREY'S GATE, LONDON SW1H 9NH, UK
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4) MILITARY OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS Largely due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 10,000 soldiers leave the armed forces every year and the military is facing a recruitment crisis, with more people leaving than joining. For this reason, the military have stepped up their campaign to recruit in schools. School Students Against War have started a campaign to stop the military recruiting in our schools and will be organising actions around the country and working with school students, teachers, parents and trade unions. If you would like more information or would like to get involved, please contact:Sam: Tel 079 4746 0945Email: london@ssaw.org.ukWeb: http://www.ssaw.org.uk/
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5) STOP THE WAR NATIONAL CONFERENCE: This year's Stop the War National Conference will be held on Saturday 27 October at Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ.Details will be available soon on the Stop the War website: www.stopwar@office.org.uk
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