STOP THE WAR COALITION NEWSLETTER No. 0507 27 February 2007 Email office@stopwar.org.uk Telephone 020 7278 6694 Web: www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS BULLETIN: 1) THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE 2) MAGNIFIENT DEMONSTRATION ON 24 FEBRUARY 3) TONY BLAIR PEACE SINGLE IN THE TOP TEN 4) THE POLICE AND DEMONSTRATION NUMBERS ---------------------------------------------

1) THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE Few people in this country, other than Tony Blair, would deny that the Iraq war has been a disaster and one of the worst foreign policy decisions in British history. An illegal and unnecessary war, now entering its fifth year, has left Iraq in ruins, with as many as 650,000 Iraqi civilians dead, and the country on the verge of civil war. Democracy in the country is a sham, with the Iraqi government routinely ignored by the US occupiers. At home, Britain has suffered terrorist atrocities as a result of the war and in its wake Tony Blair has implemented sweeping attacks on our civil liberties and basic freedoms.

It is therefore a scandal almost beyond belief that the British parliament has rarely debated the war. The voice of the majority in this country, which has always opposed the war, has rarely found expression in the democratic process.

That is why Stop the War has convened a special People's Assembly at Westminster on Tuesday 20 March � the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion � to hold THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE, which will be open to all. Tony Benn, who will be chairing the debates, says, "The Assembly will provide an opportunity for a full and open debate on the war and how to end it."

The escalation of the war in Afghanistan and the threats of an attack on Iran have reinforced the pressing need for this debate. Fifteen MPs from five different parties have already agreed to attend and more will be added soon. Academics, other expert witnesses and politicians from the United States will also participate. (For a list of speakers, see http://tinyurl.com/2ut7jh)

Political parties, trade unions, faith organisations, campaigning and community groups have been invited to send delegates, the aim being to give the greatest possible weight to the debates.

The Assembly is already attracting very high interest and early registration is advisable to secure places. For details of THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE and how to register, go to: http://tinyurl.com/2kgcou

PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY: TUESDAY 20 MARCH CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER 2.00-8.00PM THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE DELEGATE FEE: �7: INDIVIDUALS: �5

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Bob Wareing MP (Lab), John McDonnell MP (Lab), Michael Meacher MP (Lab), Linda Riordan MP (Lab), Jeremy Corbyn MP (Lab), Katy Clark MP (Lab), Harry Cohen MP (Lab), Sarah Teather MP (LibDem), John Hemming MP (LibDem), Lynne Featherstone MP (LibDem), Alex Salmond MP (SNP), Adam Price MP (Plaid Cymru), Elfyn Llwd MP (Plaid Cymru), George Galloway MP (Respect). Also attending will be playwright David Edgar, Iraqi academic Sami Ramadani and comedian and broadcaster Mark Thomas. More speakers will be added soon.

REGISTRATION FORMS: To receive a registration form by post: * Telephone 020 7278 6694 * Send an email with the subject title PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY and your address to office@stopwar.org.uk or telephone 020 7278 6694

* A registration form is also available online for downloading and printing, here: http://tinyurl.com/2upj7l

--------------------------------------------- 2) MAGNIFIENT DEMONSTRATION ON 24 FEBRUARY Stop the War has been flooded with emails saying how magnificent the TROOPS OUT / NO TRIDENT demonstration was last Saturday. Anyone who was there will know that it was one of the largest and most lively anti-war demonstrations since the Iraq invasion four years ago.

Lindsey German, national convenor of Stop the War, caught the mood of the day in her speech to the marchers: "We are fed up with a government that is addicted to wars that are spreading from Afghanistan to Iraq, Somalia to Lebanon. Now they want to attack Iran. If they do we will be on the streets in even greater numbers. We will demonstrate and take action until all these wars are at an end." (To see video of all the speeches at the Trafalgar Square rally, go to: http://tinyurl.com/3x5u2x)

As well as calling for all occupying troops to be withdrawn from Iraq and no replacement of Britain�s nuclear weapons system, the slogan Don't Attack Iran also featured prominently. (For more on Iran, see: http://tinyurl.com/284etf)

The issue of the numbers given out by the police and accepted by much of the media is covered below. Links to pictures and more video of the demonstration will be available on the Stop the War website very shortly.

--------------------------------------------- 3) TONY BLAIR PEACE SINGLE IN THE TOP TEN Thousands of marchers on last Saturday's demonstration bought the spoof Tony Blair record for peace, WAR! (WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?), by using their mobile phones to text PEACE1 to the number 78789. This has taken the record into the Top Ten, according to the mid-week charts, which will make it a definite hit next Sunday, if we keep the sales going.

As well as humiliating Blair and raising funds for Stop the War Coalition, this will bring huge media coverage around the world for the anti-war message.

This is a once in Blair's political lifetime opportunity. If we keep the ball rolling for WAR! (WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?), we are on the verge of a media breakthrough. If you haven't yet bought the record, see below for how you can do so now.

If you have bought it, please encourage everyone you know who opposes Tony Blair's warmongering to buy the record now. Email all your contacts with the links to the website for the Ugly Rumours (Tony Blair's band), where Tony explains why he has released a peace record: http://tinyurl.com/y8pldw

TO VIEW TONY BLAIR SINGING WAR! (WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?) GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/25nzk4

THERE ARE TWO METHODS FOR BUYING THE RECORD: * BY TEXT MESSAGE "PEACE1" to "78789" * BY DOWNLOAD AT http://tinyurl.com/33j4oj

Make history get a British prime minister into the top ten singing a song for peace, instead of making war.

--------------------------------------------- 4) THE POLICE AND DEMONSTRATION NUMBERS Whatever the issue, campaigners and protestors, are now used to the farce of the estimates given out by the police for the numbers on demonstrations when contrasted with the experience of those participating. The most notorious example was the initial figure of 70,000 given out on 15 February 2003 for a demonstration which was the largest in British history, with up to two million protestors on the streets.

Last Saturday was another milestone in the endlessly repeated saga, when the police gave their initial estimate as 2 to 3,000. Following complaints, this was quickly raised by the police to 10,000, a figure that was then adopted by most of the media.

How do we know the figure of 10,000 was nonsense? The combined total of placards distributed at the start of the rally by Stop the War, CND, BMI and just two other organisations affiliated to Stop the War was over 10,000. Many more placards were distributed by other groups. Look at any picture of the march and it is clear that only a minority carried placards. The ratio is around 5-10 people not carrying placards to one person carrying a placard. The maths is quite simple for the whole demonstration.

Stop the War has made a formal complaint to the Metropolitan Police and sent a copy of the complaint to all media sources in the country. We know that many of our supporters have sent complaints to newspapers and television news programmes. What the motivation is for the ever predictable under-estimating of numbers attending demonstrations is anyone's guess! -- To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank e-mail to stwc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net

STOP THE WAR COALITION 25 February 2007 Email office@stopwar.org.uk Telephone 020 7278 6694 Web: www.stopwar.org.uk

HELP GET TONY BLAIR INTO THE TOP 10 NOW

Thousands of protestors on yesterday's magnificent TROOPS OUT / NO TRIDENT demonstration used their mobile phones to buy the Tony Blair spoof record WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? (See Tony Blair singing the song: http://www.uglyrumours.com)

The record is selling fast and all indications are that it will enter the pop charts on Sunday 4 March. This is a brilliant opportunity to get huge media coverage for this anti-war message and to raise funds to support Stop the War Coalition, which will receive all profits from the record.

We need your help. Join the many thousands who have already bought WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? and we can get it into the Top 10. Buying the record is extremely simple. There are two methods:

If you have a mobile phone, all you have to do is text PEACE1 to 78789. This will charge �1.50 to your mobile phone bill and you will immediately get a text message explaining how you will receive WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

To buy the record online, go to http://tinyurl.com/33j4oj and follow the instructions for downloading WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

For just �1.50 you can get a prime minister into the charts with a song for peace, but of course we want to do more than embarrass Tony Blair. We want his warmongering in Iraq and Afghanistan to end immediately. We want to help stop plans to attack Iran. We think Tony Blair should be held accountable for war crimes. Getting the spoof Blair record into the Top 10 can play a part in publicising the anti-war message, which represents the view of the majority in this country who oppose the Bush-Blair wars.

Please buy WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? now and encourage as many people as you can to do the same.

TO BUY: 1) Mobile Phone text message PEACE1 to 78789 or 2) Download at http://tinyurl.com/33j4oj

SEE TONY BLAIR SING THE SONG: http://tinyurl.com/33r9l9

SEE TONY BLAIR INTERVIEWED BY BRIAN HAW (TWICE!) 1) http://tinyurl.com/3dglkv 2) http://tinyurl.com/33r9l9

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STOP THE WAR COALITION NEWSLETTER No. 0407 22 February 2007 Email office@stopwar.org.uk Telephone 020 7278 6694 Web: www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS BULLETIN: 1) PROTEST WORKS: SAY NO TO BLAIR'S WARS ON 24 FEB 2) DON'T ATTACK IRAN 3) PEACE CAMP AT DOWNING STREET 4) THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE 5) "BLAIR" RECORD IN TOP 20 NEXT WEEK? ---------------------------------------------

1) PROTEST WORKS: SAY NO TO BLAIR'S WARS ON 24 FEB Tony Blair's announcement that 1600 British troops will be withdrawn "within a few months" gives even more impetus to the national Troops Out demonstration on Saturday 24 February. He has made identical statements before, which came to nothing. And, as before, the media has predictably taken Blair's word that this is the beginning of the "Iraq endgame".

Whether we take Blair's announcement at face value or not, it is a clear admission of failure in Iraq. His justification for making the announcement now is simply nonsense. There is no improvement in the conditions in Basra to explain why troops were not brought home in 2006, or earlier. In fact, the situation in Basra is incomparably worse than it was before the invasion and it continues to deteriorate, with British troops rarely leaving their barracks and when they do facing almost certain attack, which has led this year to an increased rate of deaths and serious injuries (see http://tinyurl.com/yl2kme).

As Jonathan Steele writes, Blair's announcement of troop reductions "is driven by poll ratings not by conditions in Iraq" and the size of the reduction is strictly limited so as not to cause George Bush embarrassment. (See http://tinyurl.com/383rp6)

The timing of the announcement in itself shows that protest makes a difference and now is the time to use every opportunity to increase the pressure on Blair, especially with his typically slavish support for US threats to attack Iran and his intention to build a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons.

All the signs are we are going to have a very big protest on Saturday, with coaches coming from around 150 towns and cities across England and Wales (Scotland has its own demonstration: See http://tinyurl.com/q3y4k).

Everyone who has opposed Blair's warmongering over the past five years should aim to join us. Whether two thousand troops come home this year or not, it is too little too late, and we must intensify our call for all troops to be withdrawn now and for Britain to break the link with George Bush's foreign policy, which has brought so much death and destruction to the Middle East and -- through the bogus "war on terror" -- de-stabilised the world generally.

NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION Called by Stop the War, CND AND BMI SAT 24 FEBRUARY 12 NOON * NO TRIDENT * TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ ASSEMBLE SPEAKER'S CORNER HYDE PARK MARCH TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE

ROUTE: Speaker's Corner Hyde Park, Park Lane, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square: MAP http://tinyurl.com/32cnbl

SPEAKERS: Speakers at the rally will include Tony Benn, a number of MPs including John McDonnell MP, comedian Mark Thomas, Caroline Lucas MEP, Bruce Kent (CND) and Lindsey German (Stop the War).

MUSIC AT THE RALLY: The rally in Trafalgar Square will include musical contributions from Ed Harcourt, who will sing the Bob Dylan Classic "Masters of War" and folk singer Julie Felix. The singer of the "Tony Blair" spoof single will sing the anti-war classic: "War � What is it good for?" (see below)

STEWARDS: We have had a tremendous response to our call for stewards to help organise the demonstration. Because we anticipate that this will be a very big protest, we still need more stewards to ensure that we make the day as successful as possible. If you are able to help, please contact the Stop the War office on 020 7278 6694. ---------------------------------------------

2) DON'T ATTACK IRAN As the situation in Iraq becomes ever more desperate, George Bush searches for a scapegoat to justify his disastrous war policies. A US attack on Iran looks increasing likely, with the BBC already reporting leaked plans (see http://tinyurl.com/2ftxag) and the media once again shown that there are no limits to its gullibility, by publishing the same kind of lies and distortions about Iran that were used in 2002-3 to justify the Iraq invasion (see: http://tinyurl.com/284etf).

Iran will feature prominently on the national demonstration this Saturday. Stop the War Coalition has produced special "Don't Attack Iran" placards and a dedicated banner. Our website now includes a page on Iran with links to essential background and comment articles: http://tinyurl.com/284etf

Stop the War also has an online petition, signed by Tony Benn, a number of Iranian exiles and MPs such as Clare Short, Mark Fisher and Jeremy Corbyn. We want as many people as possible to sign the petition prior to it being handed into Tony Blair at Downing Street. Signatures are already flooding in. To sign, people simply email the Stop the War office with the subject heading "Iran".

The petition is available online (http://tinyurl.com/284etf) for downloading and printing. this can be used to collect signatures and send to the Stop the War Office at 27 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JP ---------------------------------------------

3) PEACE CAMP AT DOWNING STREET To coincide with the TROOPS OUT / NO TRIDENT demonstration, Military Families Against the War, representing families who have lost relatives in Iraq, will be holding a peace camp outside Tony Blair's home in Downing Street from Friday 23 February to Sunday 25 February. They will be very appreciative of any support they get from visitors to their camp. Further details are available at: http://tinyurl.com/295l8r ---------------------------------------------

4) THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2007: 2.00PM - 8.00PM CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER, LONDON SW1 On Tuesday 20 March, Stop the War has organised a Pople's Assembly entitled "The Debate Parliament Won't Have", which will take place opposite Parliament at Cetral Hall, Westminster. We have invited a wide range of MPs, anti-war politicians from the US, academics and other expert witnesses to join the debate. Tony Benn, President of Stop the War, who will chair the debate, writes:

�The Iraq war has been a disaster. The majority of our citizens believe that we should end our involvement in George Bush�s wars and yet there have been few debates in the House of Commons and public anxieties have rarely found expression in the democratic process. That is why I would like to invite you to take part in this People�s Assembly which aims to provide an opportunity for a full and open debate on the war and the way to end it."

The assembly is open to all and delegates are invited to represent communities, workplaces and organisations across the country, to give greatest possible democratic weight to the debates.

Leaflets giving full details of the Assembly, including a registration form, will be available at the national demonstration on Saturday 24 February or can be ordered by contacting the national office on 020 7278 6694 or office@stopwar.org.uk.

Online registration will be available soon at http://www.stopwar.org.uk/register

---------------------------------------------

5) "BLAIR" RECORD IN TOP 20 NEXT WEEK? The spoof Tony Blair record, WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?, has a good chance of entering the Top 20 next week, following strong sales over the last week. The record is being promoted with a series of videos, including two must-see films of peace campaigner Brian Haw interviewing "Tony Blair". To see all the videos and how to buy the record, go to: http://www.uglyrumours.com

The singer on the record will sing WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? at the Trafalgar Square rally which ends the Troops Out / No Trident demonstration on Saturday 24 February.

The producers of the record believe that with enough momentum behind it, the record can make the Top 10. This will be acutely embarrassing for Blair, create a news story promoting the anti-war message and help raise funds for Stop the War Coalition.. Buying the record is extremely simple. It can be done either by texting "PEACE1" to 78789 or by downloading from http://tinyurl.com/33j4oj

Please buy this record and encourage as many people as you can to do so also. Email to everyone you can the link to the website which has full details, including a video preview of the song sung by Tony Blair and his band Ugly Rumours: http://www.uglyrumours.com -- To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank e-mail to stwc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net

STOP THE WAR COALITION NEWSLETTER No. 2007/03 17 February 2007 Email office@stopwar.org.uk Telephone 020 7278 6694 Web: www.stopwar.org.uk

TONY BLAIR WRITES TO STOP THE WAR AND MEETS BRIAN HAW

Stop the War Coalition is shocked but very pleased to receive this message from Prime Minister Tony Blair and to hear of his interview with award-winning peace campaigner Brian Haw.

"DEAR STOP THE WAR COALITION,

Unfortunately, I can't join your national demonstration against my war policies in London on 24 February (see below for details), but I'm very pleased to hear that my record WAR - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? will be featured at the protest. You can read my reasons for making this record, see my video for the song and find out how to buy it on this website: http://www.uglyrumours.com/

If enough of you buy WAR - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? it will go into the charts, which the media won't be able to ignore. This will spread the peace message and help bring the troops home. The record is available to buy now, either by texting PEACE1 to 78789 or by download at http://tinyurl.com/33j4oj

Any profits made from the record will go to Stop the War Coalition and help them continue campaigning against my slavish support for George Bush and his warmongering, which has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan and which George and I are now planning to spread to Iran. Please buy WAR - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? and forward this message to everyone you can.

To publicise your demonstration and to promote my musical plea for peace, I have given an interview to the anti-war campaigner Brian Haw, which you can view here: http://tinyurl.com/3dglkv

By the way, Stop the War tell me that coaches are coming from all over the country to be at Saturday's demonstration. It's very gratifying to hear that my reputation � what I call my legacy � can draw such huge crowds to the capital. You can find a coach in your area here: http://tinyurl.com/3ytfyv

I also hear that hundreds of thousands of leaflets and postcards will be distributed across London this week and that Wednesday 21 February has been designated LEAFLET THE TUBES day, when Stop the War hopes to publicise its demonstration at every tube station in the city. Anyone who wants to help or leaflet their neighbourhood or workplace, should contact 020 7278 6694 for leaflets or postcards.

I'm very pleased to learn that you have organised THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE on 20 March 2007 � exactly four years after George and I invaded Iraq. MPs, politicians from the USA, a range of experts, campaigners and other witnesses will discuss the Iraq war and its consequences. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you, as it's my policy never to be present when the Iraq war is discussed seriously. Judging by what an easy ride my war policies have had in parliament, this seems to be the policy for most MPs too. (See below for details of March 20 event.)

I do of course wish your demonstration on 24 February every success (not). You will be representing the vast majority in this country who have always opposed my warmongering and I've always said that my government should be the voice of the people.

Yours, as nauseatingly hypocritical as ever,

TONY BLAIR Prime Minister 10 Downing Street ------------------------------------------------ NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION Called By Stop the War, CND and BMI SAT 24 FEBRUARY 12 NOON TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ - NO TRIDENT ASSEMBLE HYDE PARK - MARCH TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE ROUTE MAP: http://tinyurl.com/32cnbl COACHES: Drop off Park lane � Pickup Embankment ----------------------------------------------- STEWARDS MEETING We need volunteers to help organise the demonstration. If you can help, please contact the Stop the War office on 020 7278 6694. There is a Stewards' Planning Meeting at 6.30pm on Tuesday 20 February at Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, WC1. Open to all willing to help us make the demonstration run as smoothly as possible. ------------------------------------------------ PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY TUESDAY 20 MARCH THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER, 2PM TO 8PM The assembly will be open to all. Political organisations, trade unions, faith and community groups are invited to send delegates. The assembly will publish a declaration to provide the basis for further mobilisation against the Bush-Blair wars. Full details for how to register, speakers and assembly timetable will be published shortly at: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/index.htm ------------------------------------------------- -- To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank e-mail to stwc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net

STOP THE WAR COALITION NEWSLETTER No. 2007/02 11 February 2007 Email office@stopwar.org.uk Telephone 020 7278 6694 Web: www.stopwar.org.uk ------------------------------------------------- ALL LONDON RALLY: Troops Out Of Iraq, Thursday 15 February 7.00pm Speakers: Tony Benn, George Galloway MP, John Mcdonnell MP, Lindsey German (StWC), Sophie Bolt (CND). Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, WC1. FULL DETAILS: www.stopwar.org.uk ------------------------------------------------- IN THIS NEWSLETTER: 1) IRAQ: CAN IT GET ANY WORSE? 2) COACHES FROM 100 TOWNS AND CITIES 3) FINANCIAL APPEAL FROM TONY BENN 4) ALL-SCOTLAND DEMONSTRATION: 24 FEBRUARY 5) PEACE CAMP IN DOWNING STREET 6) BRIAN HAW MEETS TONY BLAIR 7) WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? 8) THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO HAVE 9) THE US MASSACRE THAT NEVER WAS 10) MUSIC, ART AND WAR ------------------------------------------------- 1) IRAQ: CAN IT GET ANY WORSE? Month by month in Iraq, the scale of death and destruction reaches new levels of horror, with the slaughter of thousands of Iraqi civilians and US and British casualties now higher than at almost any time since the 2003 invasion.

George Bush's response is to escalate the war with his troop "surge", which Tony Blair says "makes sense." Virtually everyone else thinks it is madness. In Britain, the Liberal Democrats have become the first of the three major parties to call for the complete withdrawal of British troops by the end of 2007. In America, much of the establishment which supported Bush's war crimes in the past can now see the game is up. Calls for the troops to come home are heard across the political spectrum and Barack Obama, the latest media sensation in the US, has put ending the Iraq war at the centre of his bid to become US president in 2008.

Even Russia's President Putin � no slouch himself when it comes to war crimes in Chechnya � says that the biggest threat to world peace is a "wolf-like" American foreign policy, that "eats and listens to no one".

Bush's only answer to this tidal wave of condemnation is more war in Iraq, the intensification of the nuclear arms race and the threat of an attack on Iran (see John Pilger: http://tinyurl.com/2zmfxf). A massive expansion of the US military budget will mean that in 2007 the cost of the Iraq war alone will be 800 dollars for every American man, woman and child, paid for by draconian cuts in welfare services for the poor and elderly.

Can it get any worse in Iraq? The answer is, yes, it can, if we let it. The response to the escalation of the Bush-Blair wars must be to do all we can to make our elected representatives act in accordance with the wishes of their electorates. The US anti-war movement has responded magnificently to the challenge. Its demonstrations across America on 27 January brought hundreds of thousands onto the streets for the largest protest since the war began. Campaigns are now running in localities across America to make the US Congress stop Bush in his tracks by withholding the funding he needs to escalate the war.

We in Britain on Saturday 24 February will have our opportunity to give voice to the view of most people in this country that the war must end and all British troops must be removed from Iraq. Everyone who has opposed Tony Blair's warmongering and the spineless connivance of parliament which has allowed him to get away with it, should do all they can to help make as big as possible the TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ - NO TRIDENT demonstration in London on 24 February. Please publicise the demonstration as widely as you can and encourage your friends, family, work colleagues, fellow students etc to join us.

If you require leaflets, posters, stickers, postcards, badges etc to help publicise the demonstration, please contact the Stop the War national office on 020 7278 6694 or by email at office@stopwar,org,uk.

NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION Organised by Stop the War, CND and BMI TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ � NO TRIDENT SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY ASSEMBLE HYDE PARK 12 NOON MARCH TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE See for full details: http://tinyurl.com/y9c7z5 ------------------------------------------------- 2) COACHES FROM 100 TOWNS AND CITIES All the signs are that the national demonstration on Saturday 24 February will be very big, with coaches organised to bring protestors from over 100 towns and cities in England and Wales (Scotland has its own TROOPS OUT demonstration on the same day: see below). There are twelve coach locations in Wales alone, the highest number since 2003.

FOR FULL DETAILS OF COACHES AROUND THE COUNTRY, GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/3ytfyv ------------------------------------------------- 3) FINANCIAL APPEAL FROM TONY BENN PRESIDENT OF STOP THE WAR COALITION: The Stop the War Coalition is unable to sell honours or favours to help pay for our work and campaigning. We depend entirely on your donations. With Parliament seemingly incapable of even debating Iraq, with the vital Trident vote only weeks away and with the looming threat of the war spreading to Iran, it is important to get as many people as possible onto the streets on Saturday 24 February, at both the London and Glasgow national demonstrations. We are producing hundreds of thousands of leaflets, posters, postcards, stickers etc. Coaches are being booked and rallies held up and down the country. Press conferences are being organised. We have to fund the staging and efficient running of the demonstration. All of this and much more has to be funded. However large or small a donation you can make will be much appreciated and is very necessary. Yours in peace, Tony Benn

THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO DONATE TO STOP THE WAR: * Donate online by credit or debit card * Donate by phone 020 7278 6694 to make a credit or debit card donation * Donate by cheque made payable to 'Stop the War Coalition'. Send to Stop the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, London WC1X 9JP ------------------------------------------------- 4) ALL-SCOTLAND DEMONSTRATION: 24 FEBRUARY After the highly successful Scottish Stop the War Conference on 10 February, attended by 500 delegates, Scotland's anti-war movement is anticipating a big turnout for the its BIN THE BOMB demonstration in Glasgow on 24 February. FOR DETAILS GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/ynko4w ------------------------------------------------- 5) PEACE CAMP IN DOWNING STREET The myth of Basra as a beacon of hope for the rest of Iraq has been shattered beyond repair. Five British soldiers have been killed in the last four weeks. Many more have suffered serious injury. Daily attacks against the British army, whether they are in or out of barracks, have made life as dangerous for the occupying military as it is in Baghdad.

Military Families Against the War will hold a peace camp outside 10 Downing Street over the weekend of the 24 February demonstration, to demand that all British troops are withdrawn and that Blair meet with the military families who have suffered so tragically from his war policies. FULL DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MILITARY FAMILIES WEBSITE: http://www.mfaw.org.uk/ ------------------------------------------------- 6) BRIAN HAW MEETS TONY BLAIR Congratulations to Brian Haw, who won the Channel 4 News Most Inspiring Political Figure Award with 54 percent of the vote (Tony Blair got just 8 percent). Brian has been protesting against the Bush-Blair wars day-in day-out for five years. He is still there, despite MPs passing a ludicrous law aimed specifically at getting him removed (See http://tinyurl.com/g8qxl).

Winning this award is a testament to Brian's tenacity and demonstrates the depth of anti-war feeling in Britain. Before the Channel 4 award was announced, Brian had a chance encounter with Tony Blair and their historic meeting was captured on video which you can watch here: http://tinyurl.com/3dglkv ------------------------------------------------- 7) WAR � WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? Here's another way to support Stop the War's financial appeal. A version of the classic anti-war song WAR is about to be released by Tony Blair's "re-formed" university band Ugly Rumours. The producers of the record say: "We need your help to embarrass Tony Blair. If Blair is in the charts, the media will have to report the success of "his" anti-war hit. To have a top 20 hit in the UK you need only approximately 5000 sales. The track costs �1.50 and we will donate all profits to Stop the War Coalition."

* FOR FULL DETAILS OF HOW TO BUY TONY BLAIR'S WAR, SEE: http://www.uglyrumours.com * OR ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN ORDER BY TEXTING THE WORD �PEACE1� TO 78789 ------------------------------------------------- 8) THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO HAVE The refusal of MPs to end Tony Blair war policies � apart from the usual honourable exceptions, -- has been one of the British parliament's most shameful features over the past five years. On March 20, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the anti-war movement will hold a People's Assembly at Westminster Central Hall -- opposite the House of Commons -- at which MPs who have consistently opposed Blair's warmongering and delegates from political parties, trade unions, faith and community groups etc will be represented in THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT REFUSES TO HAVE: Why Britain went to war and why the war must end now.

This will be the fourth People's Assembly organised by Stop the War, which reflects the "democratic deficit" we suffer in this country, due to the refusal of MPs to reflect the majority opinion in this country which opposes the disastrous war in Iraq. Full details of the Assembly will be available soon on the Stop the War website. ------------------------------------------------- 9) THE US MASSACRE THAT NEVER WAS On 28 January, the world's media reported that the US military had killed over 200 members of an Iraqi militia from a group called "Soldiers of Heaven" and injured many more. Since then, but largely unreported by the same media, it has been revealed that what took place was not a military operation to prevent a large-scale attack on Najaf, as the Bush administration and it's puppet Iraqi government claimed, but a massacre by the US army that slaughtered hundreds of Muslim pilgrims on their way to Najaf for a religious ceremony.

Once again we see the mainstream media's inexhaustible capacity for publishing US government lies as unchallenged facts. And we can be sure that the Najaf massacre was not a unique event but was typical of the carnage which has characterised the Iraq war since its first days of "shock and awe". FOR A FULL REPORT OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT NAJAF, GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/2hqyk6 ------------------------------------------------- 10) MUSIC, ART AND WAR Mark Wallinger's powerful art installation at Tate Britain, inspired by peace campaigner Brian Haw's five year protest outside parliament (see above) has received widespread acclaim. Details of this exhibition and other anti-war artists now exhibiting in London's galleries can be found on Stop the War's ART AND WAR webpage: http://tinyurl.com/34an7p

Musician Damon Albern has a new anti-war album � The Good, the Bad and the Queen � which is already one of the fastest selling cds of the year. It will be followed by a much anticipated anti-Bush album from the Canadian band Arcade Fire, which even before its official release has many critics naming it potential cd of the year.

There is a must-see video for Bruce Springsteen's live performance of "Bring 'Em Home", calling for troops out of Iraq, which can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/yqhfjq. The Stop the War MUSIC AND WAR webpage has more anti war performances, which range from Eminem to James Blunt: http://tinyurl.com/yrs7ub -- To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank e-mail to stwc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net