CND Action Bulletin 16.01.2007
Ask Defence Secretary Des Browne about Trident Replacement
You can submit questions now for a webchat with the Defence Secretary Des Browne which will take place at 16:00 tomorrow (Wednesday 17th January). Details are below. Click here to submit your questions for the webchat.
CND encourages you to send in questions on the proposed replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system.
You may want to focus on the following areas:
a) Relevance to national security
b) The cost
c) The lack of public consultation
d) The undermining of Non-Proliferation treaty commitments
Here are some sample questions you may want to refer to when formulating your questions to Mr Browne:
1. On what basis can the UK Government insist that other countries halt their nuclear ambitions while seeking to justify the replacement of its own nuclear weapons system?
2. Is the government not concerned that its arguments for maintaining a nuclear weapons system could equally be argued by current non-nuclear weapon states?
3. What initiatives are the government engaged in to start multilateral disarmament negotiations?
4. Is it intended that the replacement for the Vanguard submarines will use similar but updated designs as those used for Vanguard or Astute? If so, why does the government think that so much time is necessary to develop a replacement?
5. On the 28th of June 2006, Tony Blair announced in the House of Commons that the launch of the White Paper on Trident replacement would be accompanied by an announcement on the means of consultation for the fullest possible debate. How is the government facilitating that consultation?
6. Tony Blair has stated that nuclear weapons provide no protection from terrorists. Should the government not adapt its defence policy to changing international circumstances and direct funding elsewhere?
7. The many billions of pounds Trident replacement will cost could pay for thousands of doctors, nurses or teachers, investment in renewable energy sources, or be used on defence and intelligence resources better suited to meeting the challenges the UK faces today. Can such spending be justified above other priorities?
For some useful information, see
CND’s Trident replacement Q&A at http://www.cnduk.org/pages/Q&A.pdf and
CND’s Trident replacement briefing at http://www.cnduk.org/pages/binfo/ntr06.pdf
Webchat with Des Browne, Defence Secretary
http://www.webchat.pm.gov.uk/index.asp?webchatID=31
The PM has delivered the sixth in his series of Our Nation's Future speeches - this time the subject was defence. He spoke about the kind of threats Britain will face in the future and the forces we will need to deal with them. He highlighted the major choices we as a country must take.
You now have the chance to question Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, about the PM's speech or the UK's defence policy in the latest of our popular webchats.
Pose your question now and log-on at 1600 GMT next Wednesday to watch or join the chat live.
Instructions for use
· You can submit your question in advance of the live event, just follow the instructions below.
· To submit a question, enter your name. Click Login and you will be taken through to the web chat page.
· The web chat window is at the top of the page. At the bottom of the page is an area for you to submit questions.
· To submit a question, simply type in your question.
· Click Send to submit.
· Please come back on the day of the web chat a few minutes before it is due to start.
Please note:
· The web chat will be moderated.
Turning Baghdad into Vietnam STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER No. 2007/01
13 January 2007
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Telephone 020 7278 6694
Web: www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) JANUARY 24: ALL EYES ON PARLIAMENT
2) NO TO TRIDENT / YES TO TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
3) TURNING BAGHDAD INTO VIETNAM
4) NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION: 24 FEBRUARY
5) MORE WAR CRIMES IN SOMALIA
6) TONY BLAIR ON TRIAL
7) ISLAMOPHOBIA - THE NEW RACISM
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1) JANUARY 24: ALL EYES ON PARLIAMENT
Predictably, Tony Blair is virtually alone among world leaders in supporting George Bush's "new strategy" for Iraq. Blair says the plan "makes sense". Is this the same Tony Blair who barely one month ago welcomed the Iraq Study Group's report, saying, "It is practical, it's clear, and it offers also the way of bringing people together"? The ISG report called for a phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and dialogue with Iran and Syria -- in other words, the opposite of Bush's "new strategy."
There is one group that has always had the power to stop Blair's compulsive subservience to George Bush: members of parliament. So far, the majority have acquiesced in every stage of Blair's warmongering. On 24 January, Iraq will be debated and voted on in parliament. Stop the War has called for a lunchtime lobby of MPs, followed by an evening demonstration outside the House of Commons (details below). Between now and then we need to do everything possible to ensure that MPs know that they must not repeat their abject performance on 31 October 2006, when only 12 Labour MPs voted for an inquiry into the whole Iraq disaster. (See http://tinyurl.com/y95y6q)
Stop the War is organising a concerted campaign over the next two weeks to put pressure on MPs - particularly Labour MPs -- to stop collaborating with Blair's war policies. Round the country, all local Stop the War Groups are being asked to organise protests and lobbies at MPs' surgeries, where the local MP can be urged face-to-face to say yes Troops Out of Iraq. We have launched a postcard write-in campaign (see below), for MPs' constituents to write to their local MP and ask how he or she will be voting on Iraq and on Trident missiles (see below).
This will culminate in the two events at parliament on 24 January. Please join us if you can and encourage as many of their friends, work colleagues, fellow students, etc, to be there too. See the Stop the War website for further details: www.stopwar.org.uk
*JOIN THE LUNCHTIME LOBBY AT PARLIAMENT
WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY AT 1.00PM
STOP TRIDENT / TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
HOUSE OF COMMONS, PARLIAMENT SQUARE
*JOIN THE EVENING DEMONSTRATION
WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY AT 5.00-7.00PM
STOP TRIDENT / TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
HOUSE OF COMMONS, PARLIAMENT SQUARE
(MPs vote on the Iraq motion at 7.00pm)
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2) NO TO TRIDENT / YES TO TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
Stop the War and CND are organising a postcard write-in campaign aimed at every MP. We are asking all our supporters to get as many people as possible to send their local MP a special postcard, which is available free of charge from the Stop the War office. The postcard calls for a commitment from the MP to vote for Troops Out of Iraq and against Tony Blair's plans for a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons. The postcards are available from the Stop the War office (office@stopwar.org.uk or 020 7278 6694). The design and text of the postcard can be viewed on the Stop the War website here: http://tinyurl.com/y5ky5k
****************************************
3) TURNING BAGHDAD INTO VIETNAM
There is nothing "new" about George Bush's latest plans for Iraq. The same strategy has been used repeatedly, twice before in Baghdad, in Falluja, in Ramadi, in Tal Afar and many other places. The intention and the result have always been the same. Devastating military force aimed at pacifying a town or city doesn't achieve its aim but turns much of the target into rubble, slaughters countless civilians, drives thousands from their homes and destroys the local infrastructure.
This time the consequences have the potential to be more horrific than anything we have seen before in Iraq. The main aim of the "new strategy" is to destroy the resistance to the US occupation which has made Sadr City, home to two million of Baghdad's poorest citizens, a virtual no-go area for the occupying army. This is a dramatic escalation of the Iraq war but the Bush plans don't stop there. The "new strategy" includes open threats against Syria and Iran, which -- coupled with the leaks that show Israeli has it own plans for bombing Iran -- means that we may be on the brink of a Middle East conflagration with results too horrendous to contemplate.
For these reasons, this is a pivotal moment for the anti-war movement, particularly in Britain and the US, home to the two war criminals who instigated the Iraq catastrophe. The stakes are very high. The "new strategy" is George Bush's last throw of the dice, aimed at disproving what everyone else knows: America has lost the Iraq war.
We have been here before, as Senator Hagel from Bush's own Party reminded us when he said the "new strategy" "represents the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam." In 1968, America had clearly lost in Vietnam but it was six more bloody years, in which two million people were killed, before the US military was driven out.
The worldwide anti-war movement has to do all it can to help stop a repeat of the Vietnam experience. Time is short but the opposition to Bush's plans is huge. Seventy per cent of Americans and over 70 per cent of Iraqis oppose the "new strategy". In Britain, over 60 per cent of people have consistently opposed Tony Blair's warmongering and his slavish support for George Bush. Millions of British people have been involved in anti-war activity over the past five years.
The American anti-war movement has called a March on Washington on 27 January and there are now campaigns in every US locality to pressure US Congressmen and Congresswomen to stop Bush's strategy in its tracks.
(See http://tinyurl.com/sz2s4)
In Britain, on 24 January, when parliament will debate and vote on Iraq, Stop the War is organising two protests, including an evening demonstration at the time MPs will be voting on the Iraq motion (see above and www.stopwar.org.uk).
On 24 February, CND and Stop the War have called a national demonstration combining the call for Troops Out of Iraq with the Stop Trident campaign (see below and see http://tinyurl.com/y9c7z5).
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4) NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION: 24 FEBRUARY
Hot on the heels of parliament's debate and vote on Iraq on 24 January will be the House of Commons debate and vote on another strand of Tony Blair's war policies -- his intention to spend a projected 75 billion pounds on a new generation of weapons of mass destruction (see http://tinyurl.com/y6y8os). The Trident debate will take place in early March. CND and Stop the War Coalition have called a national demonstration on 24 February which will have a twin purpose: Stop Trident / Troops Out of Iraq.
Coaches are now being organised around the country to bring protestors to London for this crucial demonstration. We will be publicising details on the Stop the War website as we get them (see http://tinyurl.com/y9c7z5). If there are no coach details yet for where you live, contact the Stop the War office and we will put you in touch with the local group organising transport.
Local groups, often in conjunction with CND, are organising Stop Trident / Troops Out of Iraq public meetings and rallies, details for which can be found on our website here: http://tinyurl.com/q3y4k
If you are not involved in a local group and would like to help build support for the demonstration on 24 February, contact the Stop the War office and we will give you contact details for anti-war activists in your area.
NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION
STOP TRIDENT / TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY
ASSEMBLE HYDE PARK 12 NOON
MARCH TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE
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5) MORE WAR CRIMES IN SOMALIA
George Bush's bombing of Somalia this week broke innumerable international laws but you wouldn't know it from the mainstream media, which hasn't questioned the legality of a bombing campaign that has devastated four villages, killing over 100 Somali civilians, without any indication that any of the supposed Al-Qaeda targets of the bombing were killed. This is yet another indication of the barbarity that has characterised much of Bush's foreign policy. These Somali civilians were killed by attacks which were to a large extent publicity exercises aimed at softening opposition to the "new strategy" in Iraq and an attempt by Bush to re-assert his "right" to order mass slaughter anywhere he pleases in his bogus "war on terror".
Stop the War has organised an all-London public meeting on Wednesday 17 January to discuss the escalating crises in Somalia:
PUBLIC MEETING: HANDS OFF SOMALIA
WHY US INTERVENTION WON'T HELP
WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY 7.00PM
ROOM G50, SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES
THORNAUGH STREET, LONDON WC1
Speakers:
DAHABO ISSE (Somali Civil Liberties And Human Rights Organisation)
LINDSEY GERMAN Stop The War Coalition
JEREMY CORBYN MP
All welcome.
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6) THE TRIAL OF TONY BLAIR
You have always hoped it would happen but feared it never would: the indictment of Tony Blair for war crimes. Well, next Monday he will be held to account exactly as we always wanted. Unfortunately, it's only a television drama but the track record of the anti-war playwright Alistair Beaton, who has produced some of the best and funniest satires on Bush and Blair's warmongering, makes this an unmissable event. Who knows, maybe it will presage the real thing.
The feature length film is on More 4 on Monday 15 January at 10pm and repeated on Channel 4 on Thursday 18 January. See: http://tinyurl.com/y7oxos
****************************************
7) PUBLIC MEETING: ISLAMOPHOBIA - THE NEW RACISM
A public meeting in London will discuss, Islamophobia which featured so prominently in the media over recent years. Speakers include Guardian journalist Gary Younge and human rights lawyer Lousise Cristian. All Welcome.
Public Meeting:
ISLAMOPHOBIA - THE NEW RACISM
Speakers:
GARY YOUNGE (Guardian)
URMEE MAZHAR (Bangla TV)
LOUISE CHRISTIAN (Lawyer for Guantanamo detainees)
CRAIG MURRAY (Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan)
CHRIS NINEHAM (Stop the War Coalition)
DATE & TIME: Monday 22 January, 7.30pm
VENUE: Bloomsbury Central Church Hall, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2 (Directions www.bloomsbury.org.uk)
Organised by Media Workers Against the War
Contact: mwaw@btinternet.com
Resistance Anarchist Federation bulletin - Resistance 90 - December 2006/January 2007
Also read/download now in PDF format from http://www.afed.org.uk
Contents of the December 2006/January 2007 issue:
HOME BY CHRISTMAS and other stories - government lies and conspiracy theories.
BASTARD OF THE YEAR - it's John Reid of course!
POLICE FINGERPRINTING TECHNOLOGY GOES MOBILE - "Will that be one finger, officer, or two?"
HOW TO BE GREEN AND GREEDY - government tries to convince companies that being green is profitable.
"MASTER RACE? YOU'RE HAVING A LAUGH" - BNP Blackpool Conference, eyewitness report.
ANTI-ID NATIONAL GATHERING REPORT - feedback from the Nottingham Defy-ID gathering.
CHRISTMAS CHEER - Christian hate.
SUBVERT - events in December and January.
HOME BY CHRISTMAS and other stories
It’s clearer than ever you shouldn’t believe a word that the state is saying. How many people believed in 2003 that the Second Gulf War in Iraq would be over in a couple of months and that British troops would be “home by Christmas”? In the years between then and now, the words of the press have shifted from ‘operation’ to ‘war’ to ‘invasion’ to ‘occupation’, and most recently to ‘civil war’. Politicians here and abroad have made various pledges that have not been fulfilled, like the Australia Labor Party who said its troops would be back by Christmas 2004.
Now as soldiers approach their fourth Christmas in Iraq we are hearing signs of more bullshit about a Spring withdrawal from the government who know that public opinion is turning against the bloodbath they have helped create, whereas army chiefs have planned to stay until 2010 at least. The military might be worried about losing battles if they stay, but they also have their eyes on cuts in military funding if they pulled out sooner. Never mind the reason they are there in the first place - to secure oil supplies.
Secrets and lies
The Spanish government cynically blamed the Madrid train bombing on Basque separatists, ETA, which turned out to be nonsense. Secret service claims that they have uncovered 30 terror plots in Britain, or 200 depending on which newspaper you read, just seem laughable.
You can add to all this a growing disbelief about Labour’s motives for promoting NHS electronic records and ID cards. Plus, the Tories may pretend they are now against ID, but they tried to introduce them in 1995 when they were still in power, so that’s an obvious lie by a party who will say anything to get elected.
Conspiracy theories
The big question is, with all these lies around, who is left to trust? How many people believe anarchists when we say we’d be better off without governments and capitalism? Will more people turn to anarchism if they see that lies are all around them? The answers are not at all clear.
We respond in many different ways to being lied to. For instance, there are signs of a vocal movement that claims that the September 11 twin tower collapse was an inside job by the US secret services to justify the Iraq war, using planted explosives, or that the Pentagon was hit by a missile rather than an airliner. Supporters of 9/11 Truth and the home-grown July 7 Truth campaign are organising in Britain, setting up websites and supplying thousands of leaflets CDs and DVDs at anti-war and anti-ID events to ‘prove’ their theories. And we are told that more than half of British muslims do not believe that ‘arabs’ were involved in 9/11.
Making sense of a world that seems to be (and ultimately is) run by a bunch of ruthless liars is not trivial. The majority of the middle class may be comforted that they can buffer themselves against the insanity of capitalism by keeping their heads down and trying not to think too much whilst the poor are left to rot. A minority of the middle class who dares to think more deeply may start to be swayed by conspiracy theories bolstered by internet forums and their would-be celebrity leaders, or succumb to depression, or both. They may be fascinated by freemasonry and Da Vinci codes. Their problem is they think too much, complain, but mostly do not act. This is not surprising. How can you fight something that so mysterious, secret and hidden? Capitalism may result in a crazy system full of lies, but its roots are not really so hidden. Land, money and power is held by a few and the systems set up to maintain this inequality are out there in our everyday lives. Laws that protect private property are the basis of nation states and these laws are written down. The military and secret services have training colleges and are supplied by arms companies that are registered in Companies House. Even religious ideology is not too difficult to understand if you can be bothered to read the Bible or Koran.
Workplaces are set up to give bosses power over our daily lives, but these bosses are real people with homes even if they live in another country. Local councils are involved with implementing government plans for ID cards and databases which will include giving planning permission for biometric interview centres. The same goes for CCTV or traffic surveillance schemes.
The whole system is complex but it can be fought by collective action, often locally, and if not by building national networks and international solidarity. There is no more a need to invent a Big Brother than to believe in Santa Claus.
BASTARD OF THE YEAR
It's John Reid of course!
John Reid wins the award hands down for 2006, and he’ll be a good candidate 2007 too because of the wave of repression and misery he has in store for us.
Reid’s job as Home Secretary since May 2006 has been to implement the ID scheme with an ‘entitlement card’ and National Identity Register. To do this, he needs to classify foreigners as freeloaders so that everyone else will accept it. We must all give up personal privacy to prove whether we are entitled or not. If you doubt this is about restricting and monitoring everyone, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate says, “ID cards will implemented as rapidly as possible, starting with biometric residence permits for foreign nationals in 2008, and rolling to UK nationals thereafter”. Worse still, the government wants to make sure that the only non-EU nationals who come here ‘legally’ are business people, wealthy tourists or high fee-paying students.
Next, to convince us there is an ‘immigration problem’ and that the government has the right ideas for dealing with it, the IND expressed delight in July that “removals of principal asylum applicants increased by 91% from 1997-2005” and “applications for asylum are at around a quarter of their peak level”. This is surely not because the world is 4 times safer than it was before! Racist border police will be expected to profile anyone suspected of being ‘foreign’ and to monitor and make records of absolutely everyone going on holiday or whatever. Biometric visas and other paperwork will be needed to get on planes and will have to be gained before people leave their home country. We are told this is to “establish who people are and whether they are entitled to enter, and to ensure that they do not get here if they are not welcome”.
People ‘genuinely’ needing to flee persecution will not have the time, security and money to apply for a visa, nor produce legally supporting paperwork to prove that they are in danger of death, torture or imprisonment in their ‘home’ country. Reid also announced plans to allow anyone to shop those involved with ‘illegal’ employment through the ‘Crimestoppers’ phoneline. Although this is supposedly directed at employers, it will be used against illegal workers who are doing nothing worse than working for a pittance to survive, and also hurt ‘legal’ migrants and British ethnic minorities because of the racist suspicions it encourages.
On the other hand, you can win British citizenship if you are prepared to risk your life in Iraq or Afghanistan to get it. Commonwealth soldiers are to be offered ‘fast track’ British passports by Reid for this service to our colonial regime. This will encourage the 7,150 Commonwealth soldiers to stay in a force that sees 9,000 British soldiers leave it each year. This does nothing to solve the economic hardship that is the reason a Commonwealth citizen would take such a dangerous job in the first place.
POLICE FINGERPRINTING TECHNOLOGY GOES MOBILE
"Will that be one finger, officer, or two?"
During November, 10 police forces across the UK announced they were testing a roadside fingerprinting device. Stopped drivers were asked to prove their identity and, if unable to convince police of their name, offered the ‘choice’ of either having their fingerprints taken electronically at the roadside or of going to the police station for several hours while checks were made.
How you ‘convince’ police of a real name remains unclear, though not looking ‘dodgy’ and not questioning officers’ instructions probably help. A good citizen apparently has nothing to fear from allowing their fingerprints to be scanned and transmitted to police headquarters by this device. The biometric system makes checks against a database of 6.5 million fingerprints, which is set to grow hugely once ID cards and the national identity register come in.
The cops promise us that fingerprints aren’t stored in the system (for this test at least). But considering that if you are arrested now, fingerprints and a DNA sample are taken and permanently stored, even if you are released without charge, there would seem to be plenty of reasons not to trust them. The state is intent on collecting data on everyone and no one should be surprised if this is extended to cyclists, as well as motorists.
Fingerprints certainly aren’t infallible. Despite multiple experts being consulted, former detective Shirley McKie was wrongly accused of leaving her print at a murder scene, and came extremely close to facing 8 years. And that was a cop! If you are young or black or both, or your eyebrows are too close together, what chance will you have? Never mind that biometric scanners are only ‘94-95% accurate’ and errors get more likely as the database grows.
So when you get stopped and fall into that 1-in-20 margin where the machine can’t identify you or mistakes you for someone else, or you just don’t see why you should submit to dodgy technology to justify yourself to the cops - as they’re taking you in, just remember: if you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear.
ON THE FRONTLINE
Storm in a teacup
Following the partial defeat of their cuts agenda this summer, Merseyside Fire Authority is trying to get its own back. Workers had struck to save essential frontline services. Three weeks ago, letters were served to fourteen emergency crew members, calling them to hearings over incidents during the walkout, including one for ‘smiling aggressively’. Now, a firefighter faces disciplinary proceedings after being caught having a cuppa while working at Buckley Hill fire station in Netherton. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service insists tea breaks can be taken only at certain times, and had emailed staff to say so.
Managers launched an investigation and told the firefighter, who was doing his daily checks and tests in the appliance room and had taken a hot drink with him, he would be put on a charge, and face disciplinary proceedings pending an initial interview. He could get a written warning on an otherwise exemplary service record, but the ultimate sanction is that he could lose his job.
Merseyside firefighters have a lot to smile about following their tremendous victory, which was won thanks to great solidarity, in spite of a corporate media campaign against the Fire Brigades Union. Not surprisingly, the bosses who tried to break the strike can’t bear to see happy - or even relaxed - workers.
For in-depth analysis of the dispute, visit http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/liverpool/2006/09/351022.html
HOW TO BE GREEN AND GREEDY
In a classic appeal to corporate greed, the government sponsored ‘envirowise’ advice line have launched a publicity campaign ‘Dnt b wstfl’ with the byline MinimiseWasteMaximiseProfit. Geddit? It’s going to take more than losing a few vowels and spaces to save the planet, when capitalist growth is the main driver for global resource and energy use!
In launching this scheme, the government are playing along with the latest business obsession with ‘Lean Thinking’ which is all about stripping their operations down to the bone. This redrafting of the idea of ‘downsizing’ means a lot more than saving money (sorry, trees) by printing on two sides of the photocopier paper. It’s got much more to do with working out which employees have the biggest impact on ‘customer satisfaction’ and getting rid of the rest of us - human waste, if you like.
For a more in-depth analysis of economic growth and the environment, check out the latest issue of the AF’s magazine Organise!
"MASTER RACE? YOU'RE HAVING A LAUGH"
BNP Blackpool Conference - Eyewitness report by a Liverpool Anarchist
In a desperate attempt to portray themselves as just another political party, the fascist British National Party held their annual conference at a seaside town on the weekend of November 25-26. Not quite having the numbers to fill the Grand Hotel in Brighton, they plumped for the rather less grand New Kimberley in Blackpool, presumably having been turned away from several of the hundreds of other equally down-at-heel hotels.
Unlike the other parties, they found it necessary to keep the location of their conference secret for fear of attracting protesters. It was all in vain as the intrepid local anti-fascists tracked them down anyway and so on Nov 25th a march was held from the city centre to where the fash were lurking. Despite a fairly disappointing turnout (about 200 people), a long walk along a very chilly prom was made more bearable by the number of people who saw us on the street and took leaflets (and the very friendly gent who, when I offered him one, said “I don’t need one of those to know they’re a load of shite”).
When we got to the hotel, we were cheered by the sight of how small it was and were informed that there were only 50 of them inside as many others had been told not to come till the following day when there wasn’t a demo on. “Shit party, shit hotel” as we sang to them. Media reports that 600 were expected to attend can be discounted as laughable – the hotel wasn’t big enough for more than 200 at a push. The few who turned up goaded us from the window, safe behind the lines of police who seemed more keen to watch us for any prohibited hand gestures, although one wannabe hero who came to the window and started posturing was soon sent running away like a naughty schoolboy when a cop tapped on the glass to tell him off.
An encouraging demo then as, despite a few boneheads Sieg Heiling when protected by the watchful eye of the police, the fascists were pretty shy and heavily outnumbered by antis. However, there is no reason to become complacent. In other areas of the North, the BNP do have numbers and serious support from voters, and we need to continue challenging them and exposing the reality of what they stand for, not what they tell the people they want votes from. We also need to send more people from Liverpool to the demos as only 7 people went this time in a hired 24-seat minibus, which meant money raised at benefits had to be wasted on empty seats. Yes, it’s important to show support with your spare cash at fundraisers but we need enough people to turn up on the day as well to show the BNP we won’t stand for their racist bilge.
ANTI-ID NATIONAL GATHERING REPORT
60 people attended the event hosted by Nottingham Defy-ID at the Sumac Centre on November 25th from (at least) London, Surrey, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Burnley, Coventry, Lincoln & Notts. In the morning, the conference covered themes including how and why we have arrived in this state of intense surveillance, and a range tactics that had worked in other struggles that might (or might not) work for ID cards and databases. In the afternoon the meeting covered ideas to take the fight forward – anti-ID arguments, direct action and networking amongst activists. The meeting concluded by agreeing to prevent opening of 69 Identity and Passport Service ‘Authentication by Interview’ centres that are currently being set up around the country by a private contractor, Mapeley.
See Defy-ID: http://www.defy-id.org.uk
Defending Anonymity is a free pamphlet by the Anarchist Federation. Send an SAE for a copy or find it on our website.
CHRISTMAS CHEER
We anarchists like a good party as much as anyone. Most of us like to put our feet up, eat too much, have a few drinks and relax with our families and friends. So on the whole, we pretty much enjoy ourselves over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
But there are a load of things that really annoy us too. Firstly, the way the shops use it as a way to con people into spending more than they can afford. Secondly, the credit card companies that make obscene profits by conning people into borrowing more than they can afford. Thirdly, all the nonsense that the Christians come out with. We’re sick of hearing about “Baby Jesus, Meek and Mild” and his “Loving Father”.
Let’s have a look and see how loving their God really is. These were some of the Bible’s instructions of what to do with sinners:
- Children that disobey, eat too much and get drunk should be stoned to death.
- Women who wear showy jewellery and clothing shall be punished by misery, baldness, ugliness and death.
- People who eat too much should die of the plague. A bit of a problem around Christmas time, we think.
- Jesus said that anyone who has sex before marriage will wind up in Hell.
- Single parents shouldn’t be punished, but their children will go to Hell.
- Women who have sex with more than one man should have their noses and ears cut off.
- Those who failed to sell everything they had and give it up to Jesus were struck dead.
- All gays should be killed.
So, we hope you have (or had) a good holiday, steer away from too much debt and remember what a load of bollocks religion is.
We got the information for this piece from our favourite church website: http://www.landoverbaptist.org. We thoroughly recommend it.
Wishing a happy new year to all our readers too ...
SUBVERT - events for December and January
December 2006
5 - Smash The Big Brother Exhibition. This December Olympia hosts the Counter Terrorism World exhibition, where security and police forces from around the world meet, and this time they will be looking at new surveillance equipment, software for sifting through emails and tapping phones. Prominent guests include a large Israeli contingent. There will be a demonstration outside Olympia at 1pm (Olympia tube). More info from: http://www.londonclasswar.org
11 - Block the Builders at AWE Aldermaston, Newbury, West Berks - where Britain’s Trident nuclear warheads are assembled. AWE is spending millions of pounds recruiting scientists, building the huge new ORION laser facility – capable of simulating nuclear weapons tests – and many more buildings at enormous public expense. The action will take place in the morning, and free accommodation is available for the night before - tel: 0207 700 2393. For more info visit: http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk, http://www.cnduk.org, email: btb@aldermaston.net
15 - Just Defy! Anti-repression benefit gig, at the RedStar bar, Camberwell Green, London. From 10pm, 5 pounds on the door. DnB, Breaks Techno, Grime, Dubstep, Post-punk, Ska, Reggae, Electroclash and Indie.
January 2007
28 - Social Centres Gathering - space for discussion, practical workshops, sharing ideas, skills & experience followed by MAYHEM cabaret and cocktails at the 1in12 Club, Albion Street, off Fulton Street, Bradford, BD1 tel: 01274 734160 web http://www.1in12.com. Accommodation available contact 01274 745002 or hive@riseup.net
29 - Phone In Sick Day - bring the country to a stand still, by encouraging nation to phone in sick! For more info call 07737 020 496, email: johan@thesicknote.com web: http://www.thesicknote.com
Anarchist Federation
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Permanent Alaskan driling ban?
bbc.co.uk wrote:
Legislation has been tabled in the United States aimed at making a ban on oil drilling at a wildlife refuge in Alaska permanent.
The full report is here
This has failed several times in the past - wonder if they will push it through now the democrats control the houses?
President Ford Supported Invasion of East Timor that Killed a Third of the Population [media]http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2006/dec/video/dnB20061227a.rm[/media]
"We begin our coverage of Ford's time in office with a look at his support for the Indonesian invasion of East Timor that killed one-third of the Timorese population. Gerald Ford served as president until he lost to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 election. In 1975 He ordered the final pullout of U.S. troops from Vietnam. He later offered amnesty to Vietman era draft resisters. Gerald Ford surrounded himself by advisers who would later play key roles in the current Bush administration and in shaping Bush's Iraq war policy. Donald Rumsfeld served first as his chief of staff and then as Secretary of Defense. Dick Cheney also served as Ford's chief of staff. Paul Wolfowitz served in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency..."
http://images.democracynow.org/
Death sentence to Saddam Hussein Should he be executed or should he be in jail ?
The Iraqi prime minister has hailed the sentencing of Saddam Hussein to death by hanging for crimes against humanity as "a verdict on a whole dark era".
Nouri Maliki said he was a criminal who deserved the punishment he was given.
The former Iraqi leader was convicted over the killing of 148 people in the mainly Shia town of Dujail following an assassination attempt on him in 1982.
US President George W Bush said the verdict was a "milestone" for Iraq but the EU urged it not to execute him.
Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants will be given the right to appeal, but that is expected to take only a few weeks and to end in failure for the defendants.
According to the BBC's Mike Wooldridge, several doubts have also emerged over how soon the sentence can be served.
Iraq's President Jalal Talabani, one of two people who must authorise the death sentence, is known to oppose the penalty.
Moreover, some legal experts have argued that Saddam Hussein's ongoing trial for atrocities committed against the Kurdish population should be allowed to reach a verdict before he is executed.
At present, there are no plans to delay the former leader's execution in order to complete his second trial.
In Iraq celebrations broke out among Shia Muslims, but Sunni areas saw protests and some clashes.
Almost three years since his capture, soaring sectarian violence has brought Iraq to the brink of civil war - and correspondents say few Iraqis think the trial verdict will ease the conflict.
Joy and fury
The deposed Iraqi president denounced the court, the judge and the US-led occupation force during his sentencing in Baghdad.
As the judgement was delivered, Saddam Hussein shouted out "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Great) and "Long live Iraq! Long live the Iraqi people! Down with the traitors!"
Mr Maliki welcomed the conviction in a televised address, saying it did "not represent a verdict for any one person", but "a verdict on a whole dark era... unmatched in Iraq's history".
"Maybe this will help alleviate the pain of the widows and the orphans... and those who have paid at the hands of torturers," he said.
President Bush called the verdict a "milestone" in the efforts of the Iraqi people "to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law".
But the EU called on the Iraqi authorities to work for reconciliation and refrain from carrying out the execution.
The Vatican joined several human rights groups in attacking the sentence, described it as a legacy of "eye for an eye" vengeance.
Shortly after the verdict there were jubilant scenes in the Shia district of Sadr City, and in the holy city of Najaf.
But in Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit there was fury, as supporters of the former president defied a curfew to parade with photographs of their hero.
Co-defendants
The Baghdad court also passed death sentences on Saddam Hussein's half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti and Iraq's former chief judge Awad Hamed al-Bandar.
THE VERDICTS
Saddam Hussein, former Iraqi president: found guilty and sentenced to death
Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Saddam Hussein's half-brother: found guilty and sentenced to death
Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Chief Judge of Revolutionary Court: found guilty and sentenced to death
Taha Yassin Ramadan, former Iraqi vice-president: found guilty and sentenced to life in jail
Abdullah Kadhem Ruaid Senior Baath official: found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in jail
Abdullah Rawed Mizher, Senior Baath official: found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in jail
Ali Daeem Ali, Senior Baath official: found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in jail
Mohammed Azawi Ali, Baath official: acquitted
Former Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan got life in jail and three others received 15-year prison terms.
Another co-defendant, Baath party official Mohammed Azawi Ali, was acquitted.
Many critics have dismissed the trial as a form of victors' justice, given the close attention the US has paid to it.
Saddam Hussein's defence team have also accused the government of interfering in the proceedings - a complaint backed by US group Human Rights Watch.
The process was marked by frequent interruptions by defendants and their lawyers and problems with security.
And the former leader's lawyers have attacked the timing of the planned verdict, which comes days before the US votes in mid-term elections.
Mr Bush's Republican Party is at risk of losing control of Congress, in part because of voter dissatisfaction over its handling of the Iraq conflict.
Saddam Hussein's reaction on the sentence!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news/video/64000/nb/64521_16x9_nb.asx
12
arrested for losing a sock mate of mine had a visit form teh old bill last week, they had found his sock in a stolen car 4 years ago and had just collected his DNA recently in relation to parking tickets. he had to explain why his DNA was in a stolen vehicle. he was stumped for ages, then remembered that he has housed a old mate of ours who went criminal and is in jail now. the criminal dude must have "borrowed" a pair of his socksand left one in the car.
he was in the nick for 8 hours for losing a sock. and the police were doing their job to the letter.
beware giving your DNA up, it can lead to some wierd situations...
From Bolivia to Baghdad: Noam Chomsky on Creating Another World in a Time of War Watch: http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2007/jan/video/dnB20070101a.rm&proto=rtsp&start=
World-renowned scholar and linguist Noam Chomsky recently spoke an event titled, "What's Next? Creating Another World in a Time of War, Empire and Devastation." He talked about the recent elections in the region, which have brought leftist, governments to power that are challenging U.S foreign policy. Chomsky also spoke about Iraq and Iran in the context of Latin America.
http://www.democracynow.org
The Hanging of Saddam Hussein: A Roundtable Discussion on International Law Watch: http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2007/jan/video/dnB20070102a.rm&proto=rtsp&start=10:57
"It was a grisly scene. Just after dawn Saturday, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging in Baghdad.
A video released on the internet, filmed on a cellular phone, showed men preparing to execute Hussein. As the men with Hussein argue over how best to tie the noose, others behind the cameraman begin a series of chants including, "Muqtada muqtada," a reference to the Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr. As Saddam Hussein interrupts to mock al Sadr, the men tell him "go to hell." The jeering continues as the noose is placed around Hussein's neck. He says the testimony once, then as he is in the middle of repeating it a second time, the door below him opens and he drops to his death. Afterwards the chants continue. Hours later, the video was shown around the world, drawing massive protest..."
http://www.democracynow.org
Project Censored Project Censored is a media research group out of Sonoma State University which tracks the news published in independent journals and newsletters. From these, Project Censored compiles an annual list of 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, under-reported or self-censored by the country's major national news media.
And who says the media isn't biased...
The top 25 are:
#1 Future of Internet Debate Ignored by Media
#2 Halliburton Charged with Selling Nuclear Technologies to Iran
#3 Oceans of the World in Extreme Danger
#4 Hunger and Homelessness Increasing in the US
#5 High-Tech Genocide in Congo
#6 Federal Whistleblower Protection in Jeopardy
# 7 US Operatives Torture Detainees to Death in Afghanistan and Iraq
#8 Pentagon Exempt from Freedom of Information Act
#9 The World Bank Funds Israel-Palestine Wall
#10 Expanded Air War in Iraq Kills More Civilians
#11 Dangers of Genetically Modified Food Confirmed
#12 Pentagon Plans to Build New Landmines
#13 New Evidence Establishes Dangers of Roundup
#14 Homeland Security Contracts KBR to Build Detention Centers in the US
#15 Chemical Industry is EPA’s Primary Research Partner
#16 Ecuador and Mexico Defy US on International Criminal Court
#17 Iraq Invasion Promotes OPEC Agenda
#18 Physicist Challenges Official 9-11 Story
#19 Destruction of Rainforests Worst Ever
#20 Bottled Water: A Global Environmental Problem
#21 Gold Mining Threatens Ancient Andean Glaciers
#22 $Billions in Homeland Security Spending Undisclosed
#23 US Oil Targets Kyoto in Europe
#24 Cheney’s Halliburton Stock Rose Over 3000 Percent Last Year
#25 US Military in Paraguay Threatens Region
Robert Fisk Criticizes ‘Experts’ Cited in Iraq Study Group Report Watch: http://play.rbn.com/?url=demnow/demnow/demand/2006/dec/video/dnB20061220a.rm&proto=rtsp&start=
Robert Fisk is the Chief Middle East Correspondent for the London Independent and author of the book "The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East." He has reported from across the Arab world for the past thirty years. He was in Iraq in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war, in the early 1990s during the Persian Gulf War and most recently during the U.S. invasion and occupation.
This past weekend Robert Fisk was invited to deliver the keynote address before hundreds of Muslim Americans gathered in Long Beach, California for the sixth annual convention of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. At the convention, Fisk - who was the keynote speaker - participated in a roundtable discussion on the Iraq Study Group's implications. He took to the podium with a copy of the report in his hand.
http://www.democracynow.org/
UK : East : "Reclaim the Night" march was held in Ipswich on 2006-12-29 Taken from http://www.easf.org.uk/report.php?id=426
Unfortunately I missed this due to a family gathering, but I think its also important that men and TBH everyone who supports the right to late night fun (including relatively innocent pastimes such as clubbing) support things like this as well..
There is a lot of prejudice still against any form of late-night social activity in England - and sadly recent incidents in this town have played right into the hand of the moralists and nanny state leaders; now we must show that we the people are capable of respecting one another whatever time it is and whatever we choose to do -
if we don't the state will just limit more of our freedoms under the guise of "protecting the vulnerable"..
Hundreds show solidarity at Reclaim the Night posted on Sat 30th December, 2006 by EASF
A demonstration and march under the banner of Reclaim The Night saw 250 people from around the country march from the steps of Ipswich town hall to the centre of the red light district through a blisteringly cold night.
Candles were lit at the Corn Hill steps and the event opened with a speech from Teresa Mackay, of Ipswich TUC, reiterating the aims of the march which were to remember the five women who were recently murdered and to highlight the levels of violence towards women in the UK today, with one in nine being severely beaten every year and two women killed each week by abusive partners or ex-partners.
Both she and the second speaker Sarah from the Collective of Prostitutes demanded an end to stigmatisation and persecution of prostitutes in the UK and for priorities to shift towards care and support rather than criminalisation. The march rejected the idea that women should be told not to walk alone at night, as it 'stigmatises those who are attacked as somehow responsible and makes women who are out alone more of a target' In a statement, the organisers went on to say 'we believe safety must come from the community banding together and looking out for each other'.
After the speeches, the march walked down Westgate Street, St Matthew's Street, Civic Drive and up Handford road before arriving at the recreation ground near Portman Road. A minute's silence was held on the grass before marchers, many of whom held candles for the dead, made their way back to the corn hill.
Although it wasn't organised by any group, the march saw support from local organisations including the Ipswich and district TUC, Ipswich Anarchists, the Green Party, the Socialist Party and from more far-flung groups such as the Collective of Prostitutes and Birmingham feminists. Individuals travelled in from Cambridge, Norwich, London and Manchester.
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