All Stop the War local groups are being asked to build for this important conference, pushing for delegations from unions, colleges, mosques, churches, political organisations, including local Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green party, and Respect branches, local councillors groups, local campaigns and every single anti-war organisation. This conference can be critical in taking the next step for the anti war movement both in Britain and across the world.

There is a new leaflet out for the conference, specially designed by artist David Gentleman. Phone the Stop the War office on 020 7278 6694 to order the leaflet.

Booking for the conference can be made by post, telephone or online: National delegates  £25, Local delegates  £15, individuals  £10 /  £8. TO BOOK:
ONLINE: http://tinyurl.com/3cpum5
BY TELEPHONE: 0044 (0)207278 6694
BY POST: Cheques made payable to 'Stop the War Coalition'. Send to Stop
the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JP.

WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE
LONDON, SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER
WESTMINSTER CENTRAL HALL
SPEAKERS CONFIRMED (more to follow):
Dennis Halliday, Hans Von Sponeck, former humanitarian co-ordinators in Iraq, Hassan Juma, President Basra Oil Workers Union, Jawad Al Khalassi, General Secretary Iraq Foundation Congress; Hannah Ibrahim, Women's Will Iraq, Ivona Novomestsk? ? Czech No Bases Campaign, A campaigning journalist from Iran, Mark Thomas, campaigning comedian, Craig Murray, ex-British Ambassador to Uzbeckhistan, Sami Ramadani, representatives from United for Peace and Justice (US), Communist Party of Lebanon, UNT union confederation, Venezuela,

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2) STOPPING WORLD WAR III
The idea that Iran -- which has an economy the size of Finland and which has not invaded another country since the late 18th century -- is intent on provoking World War III is preposterous. That doesn't stop the mainstream media yet again acting as willing dupes for George Bush's war policies, dutifully helping to prepare the ground for an attack on Iran, just as it did for the invasion of Iraq.

The country which truly has the potential to start World War III is the United States, with an economy 68 times larger than Iran's, defence spending 110 times greater and a long history of intervening in other countries – having invaded or bombed over 20 since 1945. A new book and film by the US author Norman Solomon, titled WAR MADE EASY, shows how the same methods of “threat inflation” have been used time and again to soften up the American general public for their governments' endless war policies (See http://tinyurl.com/yq22wa)

Pointing out how the warmongers are once again using lies and deception to justify another illegal war in no way implies support for the Iranian regime, any more than the anti-war movement supported Saddam Hussein's brutal tyranny when we opposed the Iraq war. It is for the Iranian people -- and certainly not George Bush -- to decide how they are to be governed. What is undeniable – as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan show -- is that the freedom to make that choice becomes impossible in a country which has been devastated by mass carnage and “shock and awe” bombing.

You would think that Gordon Brown, having seen how disastrous the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have turned out, would be wary about supporting another illegal war provoked by George Bush. Not a chance. He has already indicated that his support will be unconditional.

We opposed the Iraq war because it was illegal and we predicted it would bring horrific levels of death and suffering to the Iraqi people. In this we have been proved tragically correct. The same fate awaits the Iranian people unless we mobilise the largest possible opposition to the war policies of our leaders.

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3) DON'T ATTACK IRAN DAYS OF ACTION
The intensifying threats against Iran were also central to Stop the War's annual national conference on Saturday 27 October, attended by around 500 delegates and observers from 118 different groups attended, showing the continuing breadth of our coalition.

The conference voted to organise a DON'T ATTACK IRAN national day of action. On Saturday 24 November , to include die-ins, pickets, protests and public meetings. It was also agreed to start planning protest action, if an attack on Iran becomes imminent, and to encourage the widest possible support for Stop the War's Iran Pledge (see: http://tinyurl.com/2uaowv).

One of the most encouraging aspects of the conference was the high representation from student organisations, reflecting the recent growth in anti-war activity in colleges across the country. Eighty student delegates attended an activist meeting at the conference to discuss building the movement and specifically to plan for mobilising a students' DON'T ATTACK IRAN national day of action on Thursday 22 November.

Among the platform speakers from the platform were Annas Al Takriti from the British Muslim Initiative, the Guardian's Seumas Milne, Lawyer of the Year Phil Shiner, currently exposing British torture in Iraq, Kate Hudson from CND, Lindsey German from Stop the War, George Solomou from Military Families against the War, Iraqi journalist Sami Ramadani, Campaign Iran's Somaye Zadeh, and MPs George Galloway and Jeremy Corbyn.

A wide range of delegates spoke from the floor on issues ranging from Islamophobia and civil liberties to growing western intervention in Africa. With the media once again collaborating in laying the ground for yet more war, a media worker spoke about the importance of the Media Workers Against the War organisation, which has an upcoming conference on Saturday 17 November, titled WAR, TRUTH AND THE MEDIA TODAY (see: http://mwaw.net/conference/ )

FOR AN AGM REPORT, DETAILS OF RESOULTIONS PASSED AND VIDEO OF THE SPEECHES, GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/2oxzhc

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4) RHYTHMS OF PEACE CONCERT: TICKETS GOING FAST
Last year, hundreds of people were disappointment because they didn't book early for the Stop the War Concert we organised at St James's Church, Piccadilly. Our benefit concert this year on Friday 30 November has an equally impressive list of performers (see below). Predictably, ticket sales are already brisk, particularly from international delegates to the WORLD AGAINST WAR conference, which takes place the day after the RHYTHMS OF PEACE concert.

TICKETS  £15. BOOK NOW:
ONLINE: http://tinyurl.com/3cpum5
BY PHONE 020 7278 6694
BY POST: Cheques made payable to 'Stop the War Coalition'. Send to Stop the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JP.

RHYTHMS OF PEACE CONCERT
FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER, 7PM
ST JAMES'S CHURCH, PICCADILLY, LONDON

ANDREW MURRAY will introduce
* Actors, JULIE CHRISTIE, DAVID SOUL, JANET SUZMAN, PRUNELLA SCALES AND TIMOTHY WEST
* Campaigning journalist, JOHN PILGER
* US comedian DAVE LIPPMAN
* South African percussionist, EUGENE SKEEF
* Novelists, AHDAF SOUEIF and HAIFA ZANGANA
* Ex-Ambassador, CRAIG MURRAY
* Mezzo soprano, JANET SHELL
* Pianist & composer, KEITH BURSTEIN
* Cellist, CHARLES WATT
* Musician, DAVE RANDALL, (Slovo and Faithless)
* LINDSEY GERMAN, Convenor of Stop the War Coalition
* JOHN REES, Respect Party,
* JEREMY CORBYN MP
* KATE HUDSON, Chair of CND

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STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER No. 1025
31 October 2007
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T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk