 |
 |
 |
|
Haringey Council Workers Against the War | |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|||||||||
| A local group in the Haringey Stop the War Coalition | ||||||||||
| Not in our name! |
The hijackings and destruction in New York and Washington were a terrible, brutal horror. But Bush’s and Blair’s response will dwarf the atrocity in the States, lead to more terrorist reprisals and could plunge the world into World War 3.
Bombing Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, does nothing to secure justice for the people who died in the atrocities of September 11th. It does nothing to deter terrorism. It makes all of us, everywhere, less safe.
The war is increasing violence and instability across south Asia and the Middle East, creating a real risk of confrontations between nuclear powers such as India and Pakistan. Nor does the war deter terrorism. On the contrary, western bombs and double standards encourage it. Every orphan has been given a reason to strike back at the west. Violence begets violence.
We are faced with the obscene spectacle of the world’s richest country pounding one of the worlds poorest with state-of-the-art bombs and million-dollar missiles in a pointless war. Military intervention is not the solution for Afghanistan. It is the problem. Bombing Afghanistan after 25 years of war and 3 years of drought is like carpet-bombing Ethiopia in 1986 instead of launching Live Aid.
Already 7.5 million people are starving in Afghanistan. Half a million have fled for their lives. Charities from Oxfam to Christian Aid have said that unless the bombing stops immediately there will be an absolutely massive humanitarian disaster because no-one can get to the starving people with the food they so desperately need.
Regardless of these consequences, Bush and Blair have brushed aside these criticisms and remain determined to continue their assault. George Bush openly talks of a “ten year war” against terrorism. Blair and Bush might want a ten year war for their own reasons. But we cannot let them get away with it. Our duty, both to ourselves and the world, is to construct an absolutely massive alliance of ordinary people against this war. We need a mass peace movement like the Vietnam anti-war movement.
Despite the media silence there is massive opposition to the war. On Saturday 13th October, 50,000 people demonstrated in Central London. A quarter of a million protested in Italy. People are protesting locally, nationally and all over the world. We have to be part of this growing anti-war movement and add our voices to those speaking out against this atrocity.
Blair and Blunkett are using the war as an excuse to attack our civil liberties. The war encourages a climate of racism against Muslims. Many companies are grabbing the opportunity to force through mass sackings. As trade unionists, responsible citizens, as human beings, we have to stand together to resist this madness.
|
|
|
|
EVENTS & ACTIVITY | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
STOP THIS WAR | |
|
STOP THE RACIST BACKLASH | |
|
DEFEND CIVIL RIGHTS | |
|
JOBS NOT BOMBS | |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
