The 'surge' scam in Iraq

STOP THE WAR COALITIONNEWSLETTER No. 1016
14 September 2007
Email office@stopwar.org.ukT: 020 7278 6694Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) THE 'SURGE' SCAM IN IRAQ
2) NOT ONE MORE DEATH DEMONSTRATION
3) STILL TIME TO SIGN GORDON BROWN LETTER
4) FROM SCHOOL TO DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN
5) ANOTHER STOP THE WAR MUSIC DOWNLOAD EXCLUSIVE
6) WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE
7) STOP THE WAR COALITION AGM

DEMONSTRATION 8 OCTOBER: NOT ONE MORE DEATHASSEMBLE TRAFALGAR SQUARE FOR LUNCHTIME RALLY 1PMSee below for further details. Postcard and stickers available now fromthe Stop the War office:
020 7278 6694.

1) THE “SURGE” SCAM IN IRAQThis week has shown conclusively why it is essential that the antiwarmovement stays as active and as visible as possible. Stop the War’s NOTONE MORE DEATH demonstration at Parliament on Monday 8 October (see below)will insist that Gordon Brown’s House of Commons statement on Iraq shouldreflect the majority view of people in this country, who want all Britishtroops withdrawn now. Brown should certainly not be allowed to use thelies and deception about the so-called Baghdad 'surge', spread this week,to justify Britain’s continuing participation in the Iraq occupation.General Petraeus’ 'progress report' to the US Congress, and George Bush'ssubsequent speech, were quite simply a scam aimed at pacifying publicopinion at home, where two thirds of the American people want US troopswithdrawn. Bush and Petraeus claim that the 'surge' of increased troopsnumbers is 'working' and where it isn’t, this is due to 'malevolent'intervention by Iran, which the Pentagon says – without producing a singleshred of evidence– is directly implicated in the deaths of dozens of USsoldiers.Every indicator of reality in Iraq shows an endless downward spiral ofdevastation and mass slaughter, caused largely by the bombs and bullets ofthe occupying forces. A new poll just published suggests that up to 1.2million Iraqis have been killed as a result of the US/UK invasion (seehttp://tinyurl.com/2acokq). The latest figures on Iraqis displaced fromtheir homes by the war and occupation are almost beyond belief. 60,000Iraqis are fleeing their homes every month and a staggering one in sevenof the population is now either an internal refugee or has fled thecountry.The verdict of Iraqis on the occupation, as expressed in authoritativepolls published recently by the BBC, is hardly surprising. They show thatthe Iraqi people are more opposed to the occupation, more in support of animmediate withdrawal of all foreign troops and far more negative abouttheir lives than at any time since the invasion four years ago (seehttp://tinyurl.com/2fbsrb).Gordon Brown plans to keep British troops in Iraq solely as a favour toGeorge Bush, who made clear this week that he is still intent on apermanent US occupation of the country and control of its resources.British troops are now serving no purpose other than to provide Bush withpolitical cover. And Brown showed that, while the troops are there, thispolitical cover will be extended to supporting any provocative orbelligerent threats against Iran, as was clear this week when 350 Britishtroops were sent to the Iraq/Iran border, just as America's ambassador inIraq was claiming to the US Congress -- once again without evidence --that Iran was fighting a “proxy war” in Iraq (SEEhttp://tinyurl.com/28oeyd).Stop the War has called a demonstration for Monday 8 October. Thedemonstration will be at Parliament, on the day it reconvenes, and willinsist on NOT ONE MORE DEATH of either Iraqis or of British soldiers (seebelow for details). Please join the demonstration, publicise it as widelyas you can and encourage your friends, relatives, work colleagues, fellowstudents etc to join us.
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2) NOT ONE MORE DEATH DEMONSTRATIONThe Stop the War demonstration on Monday 8 October, the day Parliamentre-assembles, will begin with a lunchtime rally in Trafalgar Square, atwhich the speakers will include Tony Benn, Mark Steel, ex SAS soldier BenGriffin, NUS President Jemma Tumelty, Stop the War's National ConvenorLindsey German and Billy Hayes, General Secretary of the CommunicationWorkers Union.TO GET COPIES OF THE NEW POSTCARD AND STICKERS PUBLICISING THEDEMONSTRATION, CALL THE STOP THE WAR OFFICE ON 0207278 6694DEMONSTRATE: PARLIAMENT MONDAY 8 OCTOBERNOT ONE MORE DEATH – BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOWASSEMBLE FOR RALLY 1.0 PM TRAFALGAR SQUARESpeakers include:TONY BENNMARK STEEL, comedian and writerBEN GRIFFIN, ex-soldier who served in IraqJEMMA TUMELTY, president, National Union of StudentsLINDSEY GERMAN, national convenor, Stop the WarBILLY HAYES general secretary, Communication Workers UnionFor more details, see:http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
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3) STILL TIME TO SIGN GORDON BROWN LETTERBrian Eno, Iain Banks, Miriam Margoles, Bob Crow, Suzannah York and AdamPrice MP are just some of the hundreds of people who have signed anddonated towards the cost of publishing our open letter to Gordon Brown inThe Guardian newspaper. The letter, in conjunction with the demonstrationat Parliament on 8 October, is aimed to help maximise pressure on GordonBrown prior to his speech on Iraq in the House of Commons. There is stillspace for some more names on the full page advert. Names will be includedon a first come first serve basis. Go to the Stop the War website to seethe text of the letter and how you can add your signature and help fundits publication with a donation:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
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4) FROM SCHOOL TO DEATH IN AFGHANISTANFour British soldiers have been killed over the last week in the so-called'winnable' war in Afghanistan. It certainly won’t be winnable for Ben Fordfrom Chesterfield, just 18 years old and recently arrived in Afghanistanfor his first tour of active duty. He was one of the four British soldierswho were killed. Ben is more than a statistic. As always, the army and themedia humanised him with comments from his family, friends and commandingofficer.No such treatment for the hundreds of Afghan civilians who have beenkilled this year and who are dying in ever rising numbers, largely fromthe bombs and missiles of US and British planes. The US and British forcesare it seems able to state each day the exact number of Taliban fightersthey have killed but insist there is no way they can calculate any“collateral damage”. And we certainly don't get any details which wouldhumanise Afghan deaths -- no name, biography or comments from family andfriends for them.It is clear that Gordon Brown has promised George Bush that the Britishdeployment in Afghanistan will be intensified. Once again, Brown isrefusing to reflect the views of the British people, only 18 percent ofwhom believe the war in Afghanistan is winnable (SEEhttp://tinyurl.com/2366dw). This is why Stop the War’s NOT ONE MORE DEATHdemonstration at Parliament on Monday 8 October (see above) applies asmuch to Afghanistan as to Iraq. Parliament is meant to be the voice of thepeople, except it seems when it comes to George Bush’s wars.
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5) ANOTHER MUSIC DOWNLOAD EXCLUSIVEAnother high profile artist is following Ian Brown (ex-Stone Roses) ingiving an exclusive to the Stop the War website. Slovo, the band frontedby Faithless guitarist Dave Randall, will from Monday 17 October makeavailable for 48 hours on the Stop the War website, a free download of theanti war track 'Flag', taken from Slovo’s soon to be released and alreadycritically acclaimed new album. 'Flag' includes a contribution from awardwinning novelist and political activist Arundhati Roy and has backingvocals by Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini. Also available as a downloadwill be an interview with Dave Randall from Slovo and Faithless, whospeaks about opposing the war in Iraq through music.MUSIC DOWNLOAD EXCLUSIVEFOR TWO DAYS ONLYFROM MONDAY 17 OCTOBERSLOVO: ‘NO FLAG’http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
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6) WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCEThe Stop the War Coalition believes it is of paramount importance forBritain to end its support – almost alone in the world – for the globalwar-mongering of the Bush administration. We demand a British foreignpolicy which reflects the people’s desire for peace and social justice andwe seek to align ourselves with all those around the world opposing the USdrive to global domination. To this end, Stop the War is proud to host theWorld Against War conference in London on December 1, which aims to bringtogether all those fighting for peace, self-determination and socialjustice around the world today.Speakers already lined up include former UN officials in Iraq, DenisHalliday and Hans von Sponeck. Peace and anti-war groups from SouthAmerica, the Middle East, USA, South Asia, Africa, Canada and acrossEurope have been invited to send representatives. The World Against Warconference will take place at Westminster Central Hall, adjacent to theHouses of Parliament. Booking forms will be available soon but you canreserve your place by calling the Stop the War national office on 020 72786694.
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7) STOP THE WAR COALITION ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCEThe StWC National Conference will be held on Saturday 27 October atFriends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ. The conference, atwhich perspectives and policies for the coming year will be discussed andvoted on, is open to all current Stop the War individual members and todelegations from all affiliated organisations. Details on the submissionof resolutions, the agenda and the fee will be available soon on the Stopthe War website: www.stopwar@office.org.uk

ALL AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS ARE REMINDED THAT IN ORDER TO SEND DELEGATESTHEY NEED TO HAVE RENEWED THEIR AFFILIATION FOR 2007/ 2008.