[NYTr] 2 Reports from Stop the War Coalition - UK

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

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STOP THE WAR COALITION NEWSLETTER No. 1017
19 September 2007
Email office at stopwar.org.uk T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk 

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

1) STOP THE WAR NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE

2) REPORT ON AFGHANISTAN DAY SCHOOL

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1)  STOP THE WAR NATIONAL  STEERING COMMITTEE

Report by:

Andrew Murray, National Chair, 
and  Lindsey German, National Convenor,
Stop the War Coalition

The Steering Committee of the  Coalition held a highly successful and
well-attended meeting at the weekend,  at which we discussed the full
rage of  issues pressing on us in our campaign  to end British
involvement in George  Bush's wars.

Our immediate priority, the committee  agreed, remains the demand to
get  the British troops out of Iraq. Indeed,  this issue has acquired a
new urgency  with the redeployment of some British  troops to the
border with Iran. This  makes clear the connection between  the
occupation of Iraq and the  stepped-up preparations for  extending the
conflict to Iran.

That is why the BRING ALL THE  TROOPS HOME demonstration  on October 8,
the day MPs return  to the Commons, is so important.   It is not only
about ending the  disastrous and unwanted occupation  of Iraq, but
about preventing Britain  getting sucked into a further war.   Many
local Stop the War groups  have  already booked coaches for  this
demonstration,  which will take  our message right to the doors of
Parliament, and they are making  plans to lobby their local MP. Every
group should now try to do so, so  the government can really get the
message. And there is still time to  get your name on the TROOPS OUT
ADVERT which will be appearing in  The Guardian newspaper in advance
of the demonstration. For details -  and material promoting the protest
- contact the office or visit our  website: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

The Steering Committee debated  the situation around Iran at some
length.While we are far from  fatalistic, and recognise that any
attack would cause the US great  problems, we have to take  seriously
the stated intent of Dick  Cheney and others not to leave  office with
the Iran "problem"  unsolved.  Among other initiatives,  we are
developing plans to meet  the imminence of any further  aggression with
direct and  workplace action on a broad scale.  The Committee agreed to
make  opposing any attack on Iran the  central theme of the STOP THE
WAR ANNUAL CONFERENCE,  to be held on 27 October.  The  conference will
be an opportunity  to deepen and extend our discussions  on building
the movement at this critical  moment. It is open to delegates from
organisations affiliated to Stop the War,  local STW groups and
individual members of the Coalition. Contact the  Stop the War office
for further details  and delegate application forms:  Tel 020 7278 6694.

These issues highlight the demand  of the Coalition - shared by
millions  of British people - for a break with  US foreign policy. We
are now part  of a huge worldwide movement  challenging Bush and the US
drive  for world domination.  Our WORLD  AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE in
London on 1 December will bring  that movement together.  We are
expecting speakers and delegates  from all continents and a multitude
of struggles including, of course,  those in the Middle East. Please
plan now to ensure that your  communityis represented there.

DEMONSTRATE: PARLIAMENT  MONDAY 8 OCTOBER NOT  ONE MORE DEATH - BRING
ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW ASSEMBLE FOR RALLY 1.0 PM  TRAFALGAR SQUARE

Speakers include: TONY BENN

MARK STEEL, comedian and writer

BEN GRIFFIN, ex-soldier who  served in Iraq

JEMMA TUMELTY, president,  National Union of Students

LINDSEY GERMAN, national  convenor, Stop the War

BILLY HAYES general secretary,  Communication Workers Union

For more details, see: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

STOP THE WAR COALITION  ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The StWC National Conference will  be held on Saturday 27 October at
Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston  Road, London NW1 2BJ.

*************************************

2) REPORT ON AFGHANISTAN  DAY SCHOOL

by Jane Shallice, national officer  of Stop the War Coalition

On 15 September Stop the War held  a well attended and highly
successful day school on the war in Afghanistan.  While the mainstream
media has its focus on Iraq and the increasing noise  about Iran, the
importance of the  Afghan adventure for the British must  not be
overlooked.  British generals think is a "good and winnable war" and
Afghanistan is the place that the new  Foreign Secretary chose to visit
as his  first overseas engagement.

The day school, a recording which  will be available shortly on the
Stop  the War website, began with the history  of western intervention
in Afghanistan,  with specific reference to how the USA  engaged in
training of Mujaheddin  fighters in the 1980s, funded by Saudi  money
and trained by Pakistan security  forces. These fighters became the
backbone of the Taliban, Al Qaeda  and the jihaddis.

The next session on women in  Afghanistan examined the way  "feminist"
arguments have been used  to justify an invasion that has been a
disaster for Afghan women.

The final session looked at recent  developments; the "victory" over
the Taliban and the gradual increase  in opposition to NATO forces.
The  period has been marked by a massive  increase in opium production,
huge  but unrecorded numbers of civilian  casualties, a rising death
rate amongst  the coalition troops, no reconstruction  and growing
chaos in Pakistan.

The central message coming from  the discussions was that, as Gordon
Brown switches troops from Iraq to  Afghanistan, the anti war movement
must spotlight this so called good  war, point out that British troops
have no more business in Afghanistan  than they do in Iraq and
re-energise the national campaign to get the troops out.

As a first step Stop the War is asking  its local groups to organise
public meetings on the subject and circulate  the fact sheet, available
from the Stop  the War office, as widely as possible.

RECORDING OF STOP THE WAR  DAY SCHOOL ON AFGHANISTAN  AVAILABLE SOON:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk

STOP THE WAR 
AFGHANISTAN FACT SHEET: Tel 020 7278 6694