The War Stops Here

Press Release

28 March 2008

Basra Assault Confirms Presence of British forces a Threat to Political and Trade Union Rights in Iraq

In a series of telephone calls from Basra over the past 48 hours, Iraqi trade union activists appeal for solidarity and describe how the so-called ‘Security Plan’ started midnight 24 March with intense shelling and fire from all kind of weapons.

The attacking forces now besieging Basra stretched all the way to the city from Dhi Qar province. Two armoured divisions are deployed, in addition to thousands of policemen, backed by US and British planning and air cover.

They have cut off electricity supplies, food and water on the city of1.5 million people. Hundreds have been killed or injured in a savage, premeditated and unprovoked attack, now spreading to much of Iraq as the people protest and show solidarity with Basra’s beleaguered people. Continue reading Naftana (UK) Report On Basra Assault…

The Iraqi Federation of Oil Employee Union (IFOU) organised a celebration in honor of women’s and mothers’ day in Basra. This included a bazaar in support of the Iraqi women. All organizations and political parties were invited to participate.
Continue reading Iraqi Oil Union: International Womens Day Celebration…

Admin’s note: This entry contains the F-bomb. 

Whatdya think folks, is this better/worse/the same as the Times Square Bombing? My inclination is that it was not nearly so bad as that, if only because it wasn’t an EXPLOSIVE DEVICE in a city that associates that with horrific terrorism. But was it a good action? I’m not impressed. If they want to, figuratively, throw stones at the Stop the War Coalition (which they’re surely justified in doing) they really ought to be at their march leading breakaway actions that other frustrated activists can actually take part in, a la the SDS/Black Bloc action at the Capitol last year. Problematic in its own right, but it certainly managed to engage plenty of non-radicals in a fairly militant and empowering act.

This is F[***] the War Coalition, and we want to bring the war home to those who profit from imperialism.

This morning we attacked 4 targets around Edinburgh on the 5th anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq.

We attacked the US consulate with paint-bombs and paint stripper; smashed the Army Recruitment office on Shandwick Place; vandalised the corrupt chancellor Alistair Darlings office; and the arms company SELEX had its windows smashed.

Continue reading Scotland: Antiwar Group Claims Responsibility for Property Destruction…

Earlier in February, workplace sit-ins by the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Union in Iraq (FWCUI) occurred in Basra, Hilla, Musayab, and Kut, following the failure of the Electricity Minister to accede to demands by workers.

After a few hours of sit-ins by thousands of workers on 4 February, Minister Karim Wahid Hasan called FWCUI leaders with a readiness to hear those demands. FWCUI called the sit-ins successful for that result, saying in a statement that it was “a courageous step for all workers of Iraq.”

Continue reading Iraqi Union Federation, FWCUI, Stages Electrical Sector Sit-In…

Well apparently they weren’t all Grannies,

……but they were definitely ragin’ in the best nonviolent sense and it certainly was an interesting demographic that kept knocking on the London Catholic Worker (LCW) door the previous night. Knocking for a meeting that was down at the Catholic Worker cafe. So my humble role of redirecting more militant traffic in the direction of the last fine tuning meeting remained constant. <!–

Related Links:

–>I got to play a minimal support role. Did my best to maximise the support by dragging along Amy the Aussie visiting the LCW from Perth’s Peace Tree community, my cousin heading to work near Victoria and Amanda visiting London from Dublin. Admittedly the cousin and Amanda didn’t know what they were going to before they got there, but hey these are the high security “need to know” norties we’re operating in!

Continue reading Report from Lockheed Martin HQ Shutdown (London, England)…