Fwd: Fw: Bin Laden dead: where now for the "war on terror"?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: William Gladys <william.gladys@tiscali.co.uk>
Date: Wed, May 4, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Subject: Fw: Bin Laden dead: where now for the "war on terror"?
To: world_Politics@googlegroups.com
Cc: Al-Hilal <Al-Hilal@sky.com>



----- Original Message ----- From: "Stop the War Coalition" <office@stopwar.org.uk>
To: <stwc@lists.riseup.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2011 10:22 AM
Subject: Bin Laden dead: where now for the "war on terror"?

STOP THE WAR COALITION
Newsletter No. 1199
4 May 2011
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7801 2768
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stopthewarcoalition

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) BIN LADEN DEAD: WHERE NOW FOR "WAR ON TERROR"?
2) CAMPAIGNING IN THE COMING WEEKS
3) END THE SIEGE OF GAZA: NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION 14 MAY
4) CONFRONTING ANTI MUSLIM HATRED IN BRITAIN AND EUROPE
5) AFGHANISTAN AND THE WAR ON TERROR TEN YEARS ON
6) STOP THE WAR'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

********************************
1) BIN LADEN DEAD: WHERE NOW FOR "WAR ON TERROR"?

Bin Laden is dead but the "war on terror" continues as before.
2011 is the most violent year in Afghanistan since the invasion
ten years ago. April was Iraq's most deadly month since 2009. The
war on Libya, still being sold as "humanitarian intervention" to
protect civilians,  has sunk to the level of killing three of
Gaddafi's grandchildren, all under the age of twelve.

As Andrew Murray, national chair of Stop the War, wrote in his
recent Guardian article, bin Laden's death is a fork in the road
in world politics. The choices are stark: end the "war on terror"
now, or else continue with a policy "which only offers the
promise of thousands more Bin Ladens arising, vowing to take the
fight to the western powers in the only way they see available".
(READ FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://bit.ly/jcCgGA )

The day after Bin Laden's death Stop the War issued the following
statement:

HOW TO DRAW A LINE UNDER 10 YEARS OF WAR SINCE 9/11

The killing of Osama bin Laden by US Special Forces in Pakistan
has been hailed a turning point in the 'war on terror'. The
assassination, it is claimed, will draw a line nearly 10 years
after 9/11. But if the US really wants to draws a line under
these wars it needs to adopt very different policies from those
which it is now pursuing.

The US and other NATO forces must now withdraw all troops from
Afghanistan. The capture or killing of bin Laden was a stated aim
when the attack began in October 2001 -- 'wanted dead or alive'
in the words of George Bush. Since that time, tens if not
hundreds of thousands have died in Afghanistan, the Taliban have
gained in strength, and the pro US government is one of the most
corrupt in the world. There is no justification for the war.

The US and Britain should remind themselves of the grievances
which bin Laden claimed in 2001: the presence of US troops in the
Middle East; the treatment of the Palestinians; and the continued
sanctions against Iraq. All of these grievances have worsened in
the last ten years. There are now western troops in Iraq,
Afghanistan, US bases all over the region, and an intervention
including troops and airstrikes in Libya. The Palestinians suffer
even more, and have been subject to aerial attack by Israel. Iraq
suffers full scale occupation as a result of the war in 2003.

The war has been extended into Pakistan, not just with Special
Forces operations such as the killing of bin Laden, but with
drone attacks which have killed thousands of Pakistanis and
created great instability in the country.

The US and its allies have followed a policy of backing dictators
and despots across the Middle East. Only the uprisings of the
peoples in these countries has in any way altered that policy,
and even now, while waging war in Libya, the west turns a blind
eye to the atrocities in Bahrain and the repression in Saudi
Arabia.

The war against Libya is not about humanitarian intervention but
about the western powers _ especially the former colonial powers
in North Africa_ trying to regain control of the region. The
airstrikes should stop immediately and all troops including
Special Forces and advisers should be withdrawn.

These policies have not helped to end terrorism, but have made it
more likely. Al Qaeda barely existed outside Afghanistan 10 years
ago; now it is a presence in a number of Middle Eastern
countries. The latest events will in all likelihood lead to more
attacks by al Qaeda, including in Europe and the US. The only way
to end terrorism is to change the policies which create space for
it to flourish in the first place.

THE STATEMENT IS REPRODUCED ON OUR WEBSITE, HERE:
http://bit.ly/mJZzTP

********************************
2) ANTI-WAR CAMPAIGNING IN THE COMING WEEKS

President Obama will be making a state visit to Britain at the
end of May and Stop the War will announce shortly the details of
a protest to denounce his continuation of the war policies of his
predecessor George W Bush.

We are asking all local Stop the War groups to organise events in
their communities, with public meetings, street stalls,
petitioning etc, to raise the profile of the anti-war majority in
this country that opposes the escalating aggression of the
western powers, and, specifically, to call for the immediate
withdrawal of all British troops from Afghanistan and an end to
the bombing of Libya.

Campaign leaflets and petition sheets are available to download
from our website.

If you would like to get involved in a local Stop the War group
in your area, contact our national office: Email
office@stopwar.org.uk or call 020 7801 2768.

********************************
3) END THE SIEGE OF GAZA: NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION 14 MAY

The plight of Palestinians continues to deteriorate, as Israel
maintains its siege of Gaza, denying its people basic resources,
and escalates its theft of Palestinian land and property on the
West Bank and in East Jerusalem.

Stop the War has joined with Palestine Solidarity Campaign, CND,
British Muslim Initiative and Palestinian Forum in Britain, in
calling a national demonstration on Saturday 14 May against
Israel's endless violations of international law. The
demonstration is supported by many other organisations. Full
details are available here: http://bit.ly/mLTDTI.

END THE SIEGE ON GAZA - FREE PALESTINE
JOIN THE PROTEST SATURDAY 14 MAY 2011
ASSEMBLE 12NOON DOWNING STREET LONDON SW1A
For updates, go to: http://bit.ly/mLTDTI

********************************
4) CONFRONTING ANTI-MUSLIM HATRED IN BRITAIN & EUROPE

The West's assaults on three Muslim countries in the last ten
years have been accompanied by a chorus of anti-Muslim
propaganda, which will no doubt swell further in the aftermath of
the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

To discuss the effects of Islamophobia and how to campaign
against it, Stop the War, as part of the Enough Coalition, is
organising a day conference which will bring together community
figures, campaigners, academics, experts, and victims of
anti-Muslim attacks, from Britain, Europe and the USA.

Speakers include Seumas Milne (The Guardian), Salma Yaqoob, Daud
Abdullah, Tony Benn, Lindsey German, Peter Oborne (Daily
Telegraph), Marwan Muhammed from France, Dr. Sabine Schiffer from
Germany and Professor John Esposito from the USA (FULL LIST OF
SPEAKERS HERE: http://bit.ly/f43fUZ ).

The event if free but places are limited, so early booking is
advisable. Please register to book your place at
info@enoughcoalition.org.uk.

CONFRONTING ANTI MUSLIM HATRED IN BRITAIN & EUROPE
CONFERENCE: SATURDAY 21 MAY 11AM - 6PM
LONDON MUSLIM CENTRE WHITECHAPEL, LONDON E11JX
Leaflet: http://tinyurl.com/65f7zu9
Register place: info@enoughcoalition.org.uk

********************************
5) AFGHANISTAN AND THE WAR ON TERROR 10 YEARS ON

Anger against the western powers will only be increased by recent
events. The Taliban have just announced the start of the fighting
season in Afghanistan, Pakistan is deeply destabilised by the
"war on terror". The British government has now admitted that the
war on Libya could be "a long haul".

Stop the War's day conference on Saturday 11 June will highlight
the disasters of the Afghanistan war and put it in the context of
wider imperialist intervention. Central to the discussion will be
the next steps in the campaign to get the troops home.

Speakers include Tony Benn, George Galloway, Tariq Ali, Lindsey
German, David Swanson from the USA, Pankaj Mishra, Mehdi Hasan
(political editor of New Statesman), Joan Humphries from Military
Families Against the War and David Gentleman, the artist who
designs the now legendary bloodspot placards and posters for Stop
the War.

AFGHANISTAN AND THE WAR ON TERROR 10 YEARS ON
DAY CONFERENCE: SATURDAY 11 JUNE
25 RED LION SQUARE LONDON WC1R 4RL
For updates, go to: http://bit.ly/gjt1qE

Admission is £5. Please book in advance by emailing
office@stopwar.org.uk or phoning 020 7801 2768.

********************************
6) STOP THE WAR'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Stop the War's YouTube channel, started just a few months ago, is
proving very popular, with close to 100,000 views already. Over
50 videos have now been posted and we are adding new films every
week. The two most recent are:

* Osama Bin Laden's death and the day America declared war on the
world.
* Look who came to the royal wedding: dictators, torturers, human
rights' abusers

WATCH STOP THE WAR'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/stopthewarcoalition

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