Bristol-Stop-The-War Newsleter : January 2006

Hello Libcommers,

Here's the latest Bristol-Stop-The-War Newsletter

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Bristol Stop The War Newsletter - January 2006

BRISTOL-STOP-THE-WAR NEWS

January 2006

It’s nearly three years since the US and Britain invaded Iraq. Over a hundred thousand Iraqis have died, over two thousand US soldiers and nearly one hundred British soldiers. The infrastructure of Iraqi society lies in ruins; the recent elections have done little or nothing to improve the everyday life of Iraqis.

The International Peace Conference last month was vastly over-subscribed. 35 people went to from Bristol, representing the wide spectrum of people, organizations and communities in the city that are opposed to the occupation of Iraq. See the section below for a fuller report. Come to the Report Back meeting on 19th January to hear all about it

You would think that our government would have learnt something from its military adventures in Iraq. Maybe not though - from next month, Britain is increasing the number of troops it has in Afghanistan – there will be over half as many as in Iraq. And Britain is backing the US in its threats against Iran.

Some interesting articles from recent weeks:

Try ‘What I Heard About Iraq In 2005 ‘ by Eliot Weinberger (an American poet, or perhaps it’s just someone with the same name) in the January issue of the London Review Of Books. Mainly US material but interesting.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n01/print/wein01_.html

This is a sequel to ‘What I Heard About Iraq’ by the same author published in the London Review of Books in February 2005, also published separately by Verso. http://www.lrb.co.uk/v27/n03/wein01_.html

Joseph Stiglitz, a leading US economist, has produced a report on the true cost to the US economy of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. See this Guardian article http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1681078,00.html. The full report (rather technical in places) is at

http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/Cost_of_War_in_Iraq.htm

The resistance of the Iraqi people to the occupation and their overwhelming insistence that the occupiers should leave have prevented there being much sign of economic gains for the US from the occupation in the near future. Perhaps this, and a realisation of the costs detailed by Stiglitz, may lie behind this story explaining that the US don’t intend to spend any more of their money repairing the devastation they have brought upon Iraq. Or was the plan always to make the Iraqis pay anyway?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1676911,00.html

You will probably have seen reports of the vast amounts of money, supposedly earmarked for rebuilding Iraq, that have been stolen since the invasion. A journalist investigating this for Channel 4 and the Guardian was recently arrested by the US in Iraq. http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1682208,00.html

To remind us that it’s not all about money - people are dying in Iraq - an Aljazeera report on the increased use of air attacks by the US and Britain

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3D38A39E-D8B2-499D-9FA4-2C941EBB8332.htm

Lastly a former high-ranking British army general adds his voice to those calling for Blair to be impeached.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1682807,00.html

If you come across any interesting articles you think we should circulate please email the details to bristolstopwar@hotmail.com.

This newsletter contains mainly Bristol news and events. Our next newsletter, in March, will contain more regional events. Please keep an eye on our message board, and other links provided, for events and news publicised between newsletters. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bristol-stop-the-war-coalition/

CONTENTS

* New Section... ^ Updated Section...

~ Bristol Events... + National/International Events...

01) *+~ International Peace Conference Report Back – Thursday January 19th

02) ^~ Death of 100th British Soldier

03) *+~ National Demonstration – Saturday March 18th

04) *~ Campaign Against Arms Trade Public Meeting – Friday 20th January

05) *~ Plymouth CND Conference – Saturday 28th January

06) *+ AWE Aldermaston - Laser Facility - Call For A Public Inquiry

07) *~ Local Book Publication

08) *~ ‘Beyond Fear: Peace Making For The 21st Century’ - Evening Course

09) ^~ More Bristol & Bath ( + Some National) Events

10) ^~ Local Peace Vigils & Planning Meetings

GROUP DESCRIPTION : Bristol Stop The War Coalition produces this newsletter to publicise events & activities in opposition to the so-called 'war on terror'. We are composed of groups & individuals with a wide variety of political & religious views. We are politically non-aligned, but we are also committed to oppose any racist backlash ...... Bristol STW is not a 'membership' organisation. Anyone or group opposed to the war on terror can consider themselves part of Bristol STW, or can continue to be publicised by us while choosing to organise independently of the Coalition ...... We don't claim (or seek) a monopoly over anti-war sentiment & activity in the city & recognise that many groups & individuals have their own ways of opposing the 'war on terror'. We are dependent on individual donations for our funding, so if you are able to make a donation please send a cheque or postal order, payable to: Bristol Stop The War Coalition.

Post To: BSTW, 23 Monmouth Road, BRISTOL, BS7 8LF.

Or you can email us privately: bristolstopwar@hotmail.com

Please Note: Internet links & emails are included for your benefit in case you wish to go online at an internet cafe, library, etc, or at some time in the future

1. INTERNATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE REPORT BACK – THURSDAY JANUARY 19TH

Time: 7.30pm

Date: Thursday January 19th

Venue: Malcolm X Centre, 141 City Road, Bristol, BS2 8YH

Map: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=359452&Y=174116&A=Y&Z=1

35 people went to the conference from Bristol, representing the wide spectrum of people, organizations and communities in the city that are opposed to the occupation of Iraq. This meeting is an opportunity to hear them report back on the conference and discuss how we use the experience of the conference to help us build the campaign against the occupation of Iraq locally. We hope to have some video excerpts of the conference as well. All welcome.

There is a lot of information about the conference on the national Stop The War website (www.stopwar.org.uk) including audio and video clips. The main report on the web site reads:

Well over 1200 people packed into the Royal Horticultural Society Hall, London for the peace conference. More were in an overflow hall and still more were turned away in the days before the conference began. They came from the US; a sizeable delegation of activists from the east and west coasts and points between. From Iraq, Iran, as well as from Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Canada, Poland, Greece, Italy, Spain and many other European countries, to share experience and plan activity and organisation for the future. Delegates and individuals came from across Britain; including national delegations from PCS, Amicus, CWU, TSSA and NATFHE. It was one of the biggest conferences of its kind and definitely the most diverse, with many different nationalities represented, young and old, students, school students, peace activists, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and Christians. They came to hear the Iraqi delegates - although the British government refused to allow entry to the al Sadr representative, Hassan al Zargani. We were joined by Sheikh al Khallisi from the Iraqi Foundation Congress, Hanna Ibrahim from the Women's Will Organisation, and Hassan Jumaa from the Iraqi Oil workers' Union, and to hear from US visitors, including Cindy Sheehan, Judith le Blanc from United for Peace and Justice and Phyllis Bennis.

The session on military families was a major highlight as we heard from former soldiers and relatives of the dead some of the most moving personal stories and political analysis of why they opposed the war and occupation. Other sessions were on bringing Bush and Blair to account and building an international movement. All stressed the importance of immediate troop withdrawal, the need to guard against other forms of military or economic intervention, the connection between the war and attacks on our liberties and, of course, our opposition to torture.The conference heard from Anas al Tikriti, who has been in Iraq trying to obtain the release of kidnapped peace activist, Norman Kember, and issued a statement calling for his release. We also issued a statement for more international coordination, an international weekend of action on March 18/19 2006 and for continued campaigning around other issues.

The following statement was passed overwhelmingly by a show of hands at the end of the conference:

This international conference, embracing representatives of the Iraqi, British and American and many other peoples, drawn from all parts of society, declares that the crisis caused by the invasion and occupation of Iraq is the central problem in world politics today and demands urgent resolution.

It affirms that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was unlawful, in breach of the Charter of the United Nations and justified by the invading powers with lies designed to manipulate public opinion.

It declares that the occupation of Iraq by US and British military forces has brought misery and suffering to the people of Iraq. The occupation represents the denial of their national rights, impedes social, economic and political development and threatens the wider peace in the Middle East and the world. It has accounted for the loss of tens of thousands of lives of the Iraqi peoples, as well as more than 2,000 soldiers from the occupying armies.

This conference therefore demands an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq, as called for by the majority of the Iraqi, British and American peoples. It demands the withdrawal of the occupying military forces and the return of full sovereignty to the Iraqi people, who should be allowed to determine their own future free of external interference.

We salute the struggle of the Iraqi people for national freedom and the worldwide movement against the war and the occupation. We pledge to step up our campaign against the occupation until it is ended. To this end, we call on the anti-war movement in all countries to:

· Organise international demonstrations on March 18-19 2006, the third anniversary of the war and invasion, calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops and an end to the occupation.

· Campaign for a full international public inquiry into the assault on Fallujah last year.

· Give full support to the campaigns of military families in the US, Britain and the other occupying countries.

· Develop an international coordination from this conference to plan further events.

· Campaign against the privatisation of Iraqi oil.

· Oppose any attack on Iran or Syria.

2. DEATH OF 100TH BRITISH SOLDIER

Across the USA events took place to mark the death of the 2000th US soldier. Over a hundred thousand of Iraqis have died as a result of the invasion and occupation. Unfortunately, it can’t be long before the 100th British soldier is killed. To mark the British death toll reaching this level and the continuing rise in Iraqi casualties, Bristol Stop The War Coalition is calling on its supporters to join the Peace Vigil on the Centre on the day they hear that number has been reached. The Vigil is from 5.30pm-6.30pm on Mondays to Fridays and 3pm-4pm on Saturday. It is planned that similar protests will take place in at least 100 towns and cities across the country.

Place: City Centre (Opposite The Hippodrome. St. Augustines Parade)

Map: http://www.streetmap.dll?G2M?X=358518&Y=172858&A=Y&Z=1

3. NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION – SATURDAY MARCH 18TH

It was agreed at the Peace Conference that 18/19 March (see above) would be days of international protest against the occupation and for the immediate withdrawal of troops. The London demonstration will be on 18 March and will be marching to Trafalgar Square. Full details will be available soon. We will be running coaches from Bristol. Please put the date in your diary and watch out for more information. Tony Blair hopes the anti-war movement will fade away and his war crimes will become a faint memory. March 18 will show him that as long as he and George Bush are killing in Iraq we will be marching and demonstrating to get the troops out.

4. CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMS TRADE PUBLIC MEETING – FRIDAY 20TH JANUARY

Title: Corruption and the International Arms Trade

Time: 7.30pm

Date: Friday 20th January

Venue: Victoria Methodist Church,

1A Whiteladies Road

BRISTOL

BS8 1NU

Map: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=357834&Y=173451&A=Y&Z=1

Speakers include: Joe Roeber - Transparency International

Roger Berry, Labour MP for Kingswood, Chair of the Parliamentary Quadrapartite Committee for arms exports.

Joe Roeber is a former top oil industry executive who now investigates corruption in multinational business for Transparency International, focusing in particular on the arms trade. His work has highlighted the endemic and systematic corruption which he believes is not merely a side-effect, but actually a principle driver of the arms trade.

For further information contact Sam Perlo-Freeman (perlofreeman@yahoo.co.uk)

5. PLYMOUTH CND CONFERENCE – SATURDAY 28TH JANUARY

Title: The End of Nuclear Fission?

Time: 9.00am to 6.30pm

Date: Saturday 28th January

Venue: The Upper Guildhall, Armada Way, Plymouth.

Conference Seminar Topics Include: Depleted Uranium ; Disposal Of Old Nuclear Submarines and Reactors;

Local (Plymouth) Nuclear Pollution Issues; Renewable Energy Versus Nuclear Energy; Trident WMD Nuclear Weapons Disarmament; Nuclear WMD Non-Proliferation Treaty

All Welcome To The Conference With Stalls. Food & Kids Corner.

Sponsored So Far By National CND and Plymouth Unison.

For Stalls and Information contact: Shirley Law, Secretary of Plymouth CND on: (01752) 318625.

6. AWE ALDERMASTON - LASER FACILITY - CALL FOR A PUBLIC INQUIRY

This is an edited version of a statement issued by Aldermaston Women's Peace Campaign. They are asking people to act promptly on it:

West Berkshire Council at their last planning meeting deferred their consideration of the Ministry of Defence's Notice of Proposed Development for a "Replacement" laser facility because the committee had not all seen

a Strategic Sustainability Appraisal and Site Development Context Plan submitted by AWE Aldermaston (this plan appears to be their response to a request for an Environmental Impact Assessment, which they still have not done.

The decision was also deferred because of the strength of the objections sent in, and voiced at the meeting by several groups and individuals, the large number of objectors at the meeting, and the consistent work throughout 2005 in presenting objections to the planning committee. They are due to consider the NoPD again on 26 January 2006.

There is now a real opportunity to stop this application - and with it the building at AWE Aldermaston of facilities to build the next generation of nuclear weapons.

It has become clear, including to West Berkshire Council, that the developments at AWE Aldermaston are more than a local matter, and that'swhy we want you to write to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and ask him to call in the laser application, and establish a public inquiry. He is not obliged to do this, but if we send enough letters then there is a good chance. A public inquiry would stop the developments for now, and probably take at least two years, which would give us more time to build a real opposition to any replacement for the Trident weapons system. Send a copy of your letter to Dr John Reid, Secretary Of State For Defence

We have been successful in getting this far. AWE imagined their plans would go through without any problems, and from the number of portakabins they have already moved onto the site, they obviously still think they can pull the wool over everyone's eyes.

This may be our best chance yet to stop the development of the next generation of nuclear weapons at Aldermaston,

Contact Aldermaston Women’s Peace Campaign

Post: 157 Lyndhurst Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11

Phone: 07969 739 812

Email: info@aldermaston.net

Web: http://www.aldermaston.net

Their web site has loads of background information for use in writing a letter.

STOP PRESS - ALDERMASTON BLOCKADE 30TH JANUARY 2006

If the Committee approves the application for the laser on 25th January, the direct action-campaign Block The Builders will carry out a publicly announced blockade on the following Monday, 30 January 2006. Please put this date in your diary now and encourage others to join us - you don't have to be a pledger to take part in the blockade. This may be the big one, and if so we need to be big too!

See http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk for confirmation of the blockade. Information will be posted by 26 January.

7. LOCAL BOOK PUBLICATION

Dave Chapple, a Bridgwater trade unionist, socialist and anti-war activist has published his first book. The book, entitled “Henry Suss and the Jewish Working-Class of Manchester and Salford”, is Dave’s 90th birthday tribute to a remarkable Mancunian, now living at a home for the blind at Burnham on Sea.

Henry Suss, born the son of a Galician Jewish pedlar in 1915, was a life-long clothing worker in Manchester, who became an active socialist against Mosley’s Blackshirts in the Cheetham Hill district during the 1930’s, when no less than 34 relatives in Europe were being rounded into concentration camps. Henry in his teens joined the local socialist Theatre of Action, and campaigned for “Aid to Spain” during that country’s tragic civil war. Five years in the Army in World War 2 were followed by Henry re-joining the clothing trade, and eventually becoming a militant and well-respected trades unionist for the Tailor and Garment Workers right up to the 1980’s.

Henry joined the Cheetham Hill Branch of the Communist Party in 1936, and remained a member for 50 years. In Pendlebury, near Salford, Henry campaigned on the issue of rents and slum housing so effectively that in 1964, at the height of the Cold War, he was elected a Communist Party Councillor, and re-elected in 1967.

Paul Robeson, Ewen Macoll, Harry Pollitt, Tommy Jackson, Mick Mcgahey, Abe Moffatt,the Rev Ettienne Watts, Dame Anne Loughlin, Frank Allaun are just a few of the radical personalities Henry encountered during his long active service for his fellow workers.

Henry is still politically active in spite of advanced years and failing sight, in the Sedgemoor Peace Group, which campaigns against the war in Iraq, the International Brigade Association, the Working Class Movement Library in Salford, and, a few years ago, led a fight to save his local Post Office at Burnham.

The book is a large-format A4 softback, 216 pages, with over 100 historic photographs, maps and illustrations. It can be obtained at the socialist price of £10 waged and £5 unwaged/part-time, plus £2 postage and packing, only from:

Somerset Socialist Library, 1 Blake Place, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 5AU.

Telephone 01278 450562. E-mail: dave@davechapple3.wanadoo.co.uk

8.) ‘BEYOND FEAR: PEACE MAKING FOR THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY’ - EVENING COURSE

This course, featured in our last newsletter, starts on 11th January. If you have got to the first session and are still interested, there may still be places available. It runs for eight weeks and covers the causes of violent conflict and strategies for peace. Organised by WEA it takes place on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 pm at the Windmill Hill City Farm. Contributors include Diana Francis (Past President International Fellowship of reconciliation) on conflict transformation ,Lara Coleman (Bristol University |) on the World Order, Roger James (Oxfam campaigns ) and Karen Bell (Bristol University ) on Poverty Peace and Development and Anna Stavrianakis(Bristol University ) and Sam Perlo Freeman (UWE) on The Military Industrial Complex and the Arms Trade.

For further information ring Richard Henderson on 0117 949 9093 or email rhbr27360@blueyonder.co.uk

9. MORE BRISTOL & BATH (+ SOME NATIONAL) EVENTS

a) World Development Movement – Public Meeting – Wednesday 8th February

b) Bath Stop War Coalition Strategy & Energy Workshop - Saturday 4th February

c) National Demonstration - Justice For The British Residents In Guantanamo Bay ~ Bring Them Home – Saturday 21st January.

d) Anti-War And Freedom To Protest Activists On Trial. - January 23rd 2006

a) WORLD DEVELOPMENT MOVEMENT – PUBLIC MEETING – WEDNESDAY 8TH FEBRUARY

This is part of a national World Development Movement series of meetings

Title: MAKE POVERTY HISTORY - SO WHERE NEXT

Time: 7.30pm

Date: Wednesday 8th February

Venue: Unitarian Meeting Room, Surrey Lodge, Brunswick Square, BS2 8PE.

Map: http://www.streetmap.dll?G2M?X=359295&Y=173661&A=Y&Z=1

Speakers: Benedict Southworth - new director of World Development Movement

Kofi Mawuli-Klu - Pan-African Task Force for International Dialogue.

All Welcome. For further information contact Barbara Charnock barb.charnock@btinternet.com

b) BATH STOP WAR COALITION STRATEGY & ENERGY WORKSHOP,SATURDAY 4TH FEBRUARY

Time: 1 pm to 5 pm

Date: Saturday 4th February

Venue: Friends Meeting Hous, York St, Bath, BA1 1NG

A time to take stock, review what's been achieved, devise mental and physical activities to give us new energy, and re-focus on objectives and strategy. This will be happening on the afternoon of Saturday 4 February in the Friends Meeting House (straight after the vigil).

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" - Gandhi. But campaigns (and campaigners) sometimes hit low levels of energy and inspiration part way through that sequence, and we detect just that at the moment. The prescription for this malaise is to have a party (see 14 December event above), then take stock, review what's been achieved, devise mental and physical activities to give us new energy, and re-focus on objectives and strategy. Whatever kind of supporter you are - regular on the vigil, turning out for national demos when numbers count or quietly sitting at home writing letters to MPs - your input can help keep everyone going.

Further information from Bath Stop The War Coalition : postmaster@bathstopwar.org.uk

c) NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION - JUSTICE FOR THE BRITISH RESIDENTS IN GUANTANAMO BAY ~ BRING THEM HOME – SATURDAY 21ST JANUARY.

Saturday 21 January 2006 Assemble 12 noon Tothill Street, London (nearest tube St James Park) March via Downing Street to the American Embassy in Grovesnor Square.

Support the Hunger Strikers; Shut down all illegal US jails

Called by The Save Omar Deghayes Campaign The Birmingham, Guantanamo Campaign, The Manchester Guantanamo and Belmarsh Campaign supporting Families of the British Residents in Guantanamo Bay. For more details go to: http://www.save-omar.org.uk or contact info@save-omar.org.uk

d) ANTI-WAR AND FREEDOM TO PROTEST ACTIVISTS ON TRIAL. - JANUARY 23rd 2006

Protest against the trial of five activists arrested on 7Aug 2005 during an unauthorised demonstration in Parliament Square to protest against the recent criminalisation of such protests. For background see

http://www.parliamentprotest.org.uk

Meet Monday January 23rd, 10am, Bow Street Magistrates Court.

10. LOCAL PEACE VIGILS & PLANNING GROUPS

a) THE DAILY BRISTOL PEACE VIGIL: TIMES: MON-FRI 5:30-6:30pm & SAT 3:00-4:00pm.

PLACE: City Centre (Opposite The Hippodrome. St. Augustines Parade). The Independent Bristol Peace Vigil is an open space for discussion, as well a crucial focus to Bristol's campaigns. We've kept vigil every night (except Sundays) since a few days after 11th Sept 2001, & we'll keep Vigil into the future, but we do need your support to keep our flame alive. If you can only make it for 15 minutes, or a couple of times a month, please still come. Everyone's welcome at the Bristol Peace Vigil.

b) EASTON PEACE VIGIL: Every Friday. 5:00pm-6:00pm.

On the Corner of Robertson Rd & Stapleton Rd. Easton, Bristol.

c) BATH PEACE VIGIL: Every Saturday 11.30am-12.30pm. Bath Abbey.

(Off York Street. From the railway station or bus station walk up Manvers St)

d) THE BRISTOL-STOP-THE-WAR PLANNING GROUP: Everyone's welcome. We hold a Bristol-Stop-The-War meeting every week, as a forum for local groups to inform each other of their intentions, of finding people to work together on projects, & as a venue where large scale Bristol events are agreed & planned. We don't vote at these meetings, as we're not here to force adherence to a consensus view. We do instead discuss issues until we reach broad consensus. DATE: Every Thursday. TIME: 7:00-8:30pm. PLACE:

Victoria Methodist Church

1A Whiteladies Road

BRISTOL

BS8 1NU

This is at the bottom end of Whiteladies Road, next door but one to Habitat and next door to the Royal West Of England Academy. For a map go to:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=357834&Y=173451&A=Y&Z=1

e) BATH-STOP-THE-WAR PLANNING GROUP: Hold Regular Meetings. For details:

Tel: 01225 315480 Email: postmaster@bathstopwar.org.uk Visit: www.bathstopwar.org.uk

For general enquiries email: bristolstopwar@hotmail.com

For News Around Bristol Visit: http://bristol.indymedia.org

"Even those of us who have tried to follow the war closely are not aware of a fraction of the horrors unleashed in Iraq." - Author Arundathi Roy at the World Tribunal on Iraq, Istanbul, 2005. http://www.worldtribunal.org/

SAY YES 2 PEACE ..... SAY YES 2 PEACE ..... SAY YES 2 PEACE