SIGN STOP THE WAR'S LETTER TO GORDON BROWN
HELP FUND ITS PUBLICATION IN THE GUARDIAN
TROOPS OUT DEMONSTRATION: 8 OCTOBER 2007

Dear Supporter,

Stop the War has issued a statement to Gorden Brown asking for a change of
foreign policy. Our statement, printed below, will be published as an advert in
The Guardian newspaper. We are asking our supporters to add their names and in
the process help fund the publishing costs.

If you would like your name added please send a donation of £20 (£15 for
concessions) to help cover the cost of the advert. Names will be added on a
first come first serve basis.

STATEMENT FOR PUBLICATION IN THE GUARDIAN:

Dear Prime Minister,

We urge you to use your October statement to signal a break from George Bush's
foreign policy and to bring all the British troops out of Iraq immediately,
regardless of US plans.

It is clear the presence of British troops in Iraq is a pointless waste of
life. The majority of Iraqis want them to go. Most soldiers have been withdrawn
to base outside Basra where they play no active role but are coming under fire
regularly and taking heavy casualties. It is time to go.

We need a change of course.

*********************************************************

DEMONSTRATE - MONDAY 8 OCTOBER, CENTRAL LONDON
Prior to Gordon Brown making his statement to MPs Stop the War is
organising a demonstration in Central London on the day that Parliament returns
after its Summer recess. Our aim will be to urge MPs to respond to the wishes
of the vast majority in Britain, who want the troops brought home from Iraq
now.

We will send you full details of this demonstration soon.

STOP THE WAR COALITION
27 BRITANNIA STREET
LONDON, WC1X 9JP
020 7278 6694 / office@stopwar.org.uk
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SIGN STOP THE WAR'S LETTER TO GORDON BROWN
HELP FUND ITS PUBLICATION IN THE GUARDIAN
TROOPS OUT DEMONSTRATION: 8 OCTOBER 2007

Dear Supporter,

Stop the War has issued a statement to Gorden Brown asking for a change of
foreign policy. Our statement, printed below, will be published as an advert in
The Guardian newspaper. We are asking our supporters to add their names and in
the process help fund the publishing costs.

If you would like your name added please send a donation of £20 (£15 for
concessions) to help cover the cost of the advert. Names will be added on a
first come first serve basis.

STATEMENT FOR PUBLICATION IN THE GUARDIAN:

Dear Prime Minister,

We urge you to use your October statement to signal a break from George Bush's
foreign policy and to bring all the British troops out of Iraq immediately,
regardless of US plans.

It is clear the presence of British troops in Iraq is a pointless waste of
life. The majority of Iraqis want them to go. Most soldiers have been withdrawn
to base outside Basra where they play no active role but are coming under fire
regularly and taking heavy casualties. It is time to go.

We need a change of course.

*********************************************************

DEMONSTRATE - MONDAY 8 OCTOBER, CENTRAL LONDON
Prior to Gordon Brown making his statement to MPs Stop the War is
organising a demonstration in Central London on the day that Parliament returns
after its Summer recess. Our aim will be to urge MPs to respond to the wishes
of the vast majority in Britain, who want the troops brought home from Iraq
now.

We will send you full details of this demonstration soon.

STOP THE WAR COALITION
27 BRITANNIA STREET
LONDON, WC1X 9JP
020 7278 6694 / office@stopwar.org.uk
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STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER No. 1014
Monday 22 August 2007
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) DEAR PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN
2) STOP THE WAR EXCLUSIVE: ILLEGAL ATTACKS
3) AFGHANISTAN: SLIDING INTO CHAOS
4) WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH: BLAME IRAN
5) CND CONFERENCE: TOWARDS A NEW COLD WAR?
6) A WORLD WITHOUT WAR
7) SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: SAYING NO TO WAR

************************************
1) DEAR PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN
Gordon Brown will make a statement on the war in Iraq when parliament returns
in October. Stop the War has begun organising a new mass campaign calling on
Brown to bring all the British troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately
and to use his October statement to signal a break from George Bush's foreign
policy. An open letter to the Prime Minister is printed below and you can add
your name online now at: http://www.stopwar.org.uk. ;;;;

Between now and October, local Stop the War groups across the country will be
organising troops out activities to help build the pressure on Brown to change
policy, with Saturday 29 September designated as a day of action, to include
the lobbying of MPs in their constituencies. On Monday 8 October, Stop the War
is organising a national troops out protest at Parliament, at which MPs will
again be lobbied to reflect the opinion of the vast majority of people in
Britain.

The latest opinion polls show that two thirds of the British people want the
troops out of Iraq now and only six per cent think the war in Afghanistan is
being won. Leaders of the British military have made it clear that they think
the game is up in Iraq, or as Major General Richard Dannatt puts it, "We
should get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the
security problems".

There have been three hundred attacks in the last two months on Britain
troops, who are now being killed at a higher rate than at any time in the past
four
years. In the words of one soldier, they are on a nightly "suicide mission".
So
many soldiers have been voicing their opposition to the war that the
government
has now gagged anyone in the armed forces from making their views public.

Stop the War is urging all of its supporters to sign the Gordon Brown open
letter and to encourage as many of their friends, work and study colleagues,
relatives etc to add their names also. Over the next two months Stop the War
groups all over the country will be collecting signatures in their local
communities, workplaces, colleges, schools, churches, mosques, trade unions
etc. A petition to use with the open letter can be downloaded here:
http://tinyurl.com/2rqctm

If you would like to join us in helping to build the troops out now campaign,
contact the Stop the War national office and we will explain how you can get
involved: Telephone 020 7278 6694 or email office@stopwar.org.uk

OPEN LETTER TO GORDON BROWN:
Dear Prime Minister
We urge you to use your October statement to signal a break from George
Bush's foreign policy and to bring all the British troops out of Iraq
immediately, regardless of US plans.
It is clear the presence of British troops in Iraq is a pointless waste of
life. The majority of Iraqis want them to go. Most soldiers have been
withdrawn
to base outside Basra where they play no active role but are coming under fire
regularly and taking heavy casualties. It is time to go.
The occupation of Afghanistan is sliding in to chaos so familiar from Iraq
and the troops should be brought home. An attack on Iran would be a disaster
for the population and would increase instability in the region.
We need a change of course.

SIGN THE LETTER: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN: Tel 020 7278 6694, email office@stopwar.org.uk

SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER: LOCAL DAY OF ACTION
Lobby MPs in their constituencies

MONDAY 8 OCTOBER
National Troops Out Protest at Parliament
Lobby MPs to call for troops out now

************************************
2) STOP THE WAR EXCLUSIVE: ILLEGAL ATTACKS
Ian Brown, ex-singer of the landmark British rock group Stone Roses and
Creator of four highly acclaimed solo albums, this week launched his latest
single
'Illegal Attacks' as a Stop the War exclusive. The video for the track
premiered on the Stop the War website and can be viewed here:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk. ;;;;

'Illegal Attacks', predicted to be a top ten hit, is a no punches pulled
anti-war song and Ian Brown is joined in a powerful duet by Sinead O'Connor.
Shot in London and directed by Colin O'Toole, the video tells the story of a
young British man who enlists in the army and is sent to war. On a night
operation a house is raided and a mother and father are taken hostage. The
video ends with a poignant and ironic twist.

Quote from the 'Illegal Attacks 'lyrics: "It's a commercial crusade, 'Cause
all the oil men get paid, And only so many soldiers come home, It's a
commando crusade, A military charade, And only so many soldiers come home,
Soldiers, soldiers come home, Soldiers come home".

The launching of this anti-war single with a Stop the War exclusive has
received widespread coverage in the mainstream media, eg:

THE GUARDIAN
http://tinyurl.com/3ym8lv

THE INDEPENDENT
http://tinyurl.com/3xrtvs

NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS
http://tinyurl.com/2n5v7z

ILLEGAL ATTACKS: ANTI-WAR SINGLE
BY IAN BROWN AND SINEAD O'CONNOR
VIEW AT: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

IAN BROWN'S WEBSITE:
http://www.ianbrown.co.uk/ ;;;;

CHECK THE STOP THE WAR WEBSITE FOR ANTI-WAR CONCERTS AND OTHER CULTURAL EVENTS
TAKING PLACE DURING THE COMING MONTHS.

************************************
3) AFGHANISTAN: SLIDING INTO CHAOS
Stop the War's Day School on Afghanistan on Saturday 15 September couldn't be
more timely. In the words of the Independent, "Afghanistan is sliding into
chaos and is fast becoming one of the gravest crises facing the new Prime
Minister, Gordon Brown." (SEE http://tinyurl.com/2w4v6b). According to The
Times, British soldiers have a one in 36 chance of dying on the Afghan
battlefield. "Battalions are now taking very serious casualties. This is an
experience that the Army as a whole hasn't had since World War Two." (SEE
http://tinyurl.com/ywf8qk)

STOP THE WAR DAY SCHOOL
AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR
SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON UNION
SPEAKERS INCLUDE Craig Murray, Dr. Elaheh Povey and Lynda Holmes from Military
Families Against the War
TICKETS £6/£4 CONCESSIONS
BOOK YOUR PLACE OR ORDER BOOKING FORMS IN BULK:
PHONE 020 7278 6694
Download flyer here: http://tinyurl.com/29ytfu

SIMON JENKINS WRITES: Afghanistan was always the "good" war and Iraq the "bad"
one.
It is permitted for ministers to assert that they were "privately opposed" to
Iraq so long as
Afghanistan is seen as a worthy cause…Iraq is post-imperialism for fast
learners, Afghanistan
for slow ones. READ MORE HERE:
http://tinyurl.com/2xywe5 ;;;;

************************************
4) WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH: BLAME IRAN
British Defence Minister Des Browne told the Guardian that he had 'no doubt'
that the Taliban was getting weapons from Iran. George Bush is poised to
announce that the US is to treat Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a 'global
terrorist' organisation. Deaths in Iraq are now routinely blamed on Iranian
weapons, expertise and general interference in the region…This looks like a
war which will get worse before it gets better. It has all the makings of a
long, colonial war with increasing casualties, loss of support from the local
population and a growing sense domestically that it is unwinnable.
QUOTE FROM LATEST BLOG BY LINDSEY GERMAN, STOP THE
WAR NATIONAL CONVENOR. READ MORE: http://tinyurl.com/ysrxka ;;;;

************************************
5) CND CONFERENCE: TOWARDS A NEW COLD WAR?
Not content with pursuing pre-emptive war in the Middle East, the US
administration is developing a provocative new weapons system - National
Missile Defence (NMD) - often known as 'Star Wars', leading to a new nuclear
arms race. While the US portrays this as a defensive system, in reality it
will allow the US to launch attacks on other countries without fear of
retaliation.
Britain already hosts NMD bases at Fylingdales and Menwith Hill in Yorkshire,
without any public or parliamentary consultation. Now, the US wants to put
bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.

CND is organising a conference on Saturday 1 September to help build the
European-wide campaign to stop US National Missile Defence. Come along, find
out more and get involved. Speakers include: Kate Hudson, CND, Andrew Murray,
Stop the War Coalition, Jon Trickett MP, Caroline Lucas MEP, Bruce Gagnon,
USA, Ivona Novomestská, Czech Republic, Alex Sólyom, Hungary, Polish speaker,
Professor Dave Webb, Yorkshire CND, Ian Davies, BASIC, Dr Elaheh Rostami
Povey, SOAS, Helen John, Menwith Hill Women's Peace Camp, Gemma Tumelty,
NUS President.

CND CONFERENCE: TOWARDS A NEW COLD WAR?
SATURDAY, 1ST SEPTEMBER, 10AM - 5PM
SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES (SOAS)
THORNHAUGH STREET, BLOOMSBURY, LONDON, WC1

For more information: call 0207 700 2393,
e-mail campaigns@cnduk.org
or visit CND's website at www.cnduk.org

************************************
6) THE WORLD AGAINST WAR
The Stop the War Coalition will be holding an international peace conference
in London on 1st December. The World Against War conference is a follow up
to the successful international conference we hosted in 2005. It will discuss
the
occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and opposition to any attack on Iran. It
will also look at the broader struggle against war and for independence
against all the threats of the US administration.

Among the keynote speakers will be Dennis Halliday and Hans Von Sponeck, who
were United Nations Humanitarian Coordinators in Iraq. Peace and anti war
groups across the world be represented, including from South America, the
Middle East, USA, South Asia, Canada and Europe. Representatives have been
invited from Iraq, Palestine, Venezuela and Pakistan amongst others. We have
also invited Polish and Czech organisations who are opposing the Bush 'Missile
Defence' plan.

WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE
WESTMINSTER CENTRAL HALL, LONDON
SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2007
BOOKING FORMS AVAILABLE SOON
TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE CALL STOP THE WAR
Tel 020 7278 6694

************************************
7) SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES: SAYING NO TO WAR
The National Union Teachers (NUT) and National Union of Students (NUS) have
voted in the last few months to affiliate to Stop the War Coalition, joining
long time affiliates, the college lecturers unions NATFHE and AUT, now merged
as UCU. This reflects the growth of the anti-war movement in colleges across
the country over the past year, with new Stop the War groups being formed in
universities and colleges.

All the signs are that when students return after the Summer break in
September, the anti-war feeling will continue to grow and plans are already in
place to campaign across all colleges to build support for the Gordon Brown
open letter campaign (see above). If you would like to get involved in Stop
the War's college activities, contact Stewart at the National StWC office: Tel
020
7278 6694 or email stewart@stopwar.org.uk

Not to be left out of these very encouraging developments, School Students
Against the War (SSAW) have been active during the Summer, getting national
coverage for their campaign to keep the British military out of schools,
following the army's intensified recruitment efforts aimed at school students
(See report here http://tinyurl.com/2gosam). For details of SSAW activities
and how to get involved, go to: http://www.ssaw.co.uk/
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STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER No. 1013
Thursday 2 August 2007
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
T: 020 7278 6694
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) IRAQ AND GORDON BROWN'S 'SHARED VALUES'
2) AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR
3) WORLD AGAINST WAR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
4) MILITARY OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS
5) STOP THE WAR NATIONAL CONFERENCE

**********************************
1) IRAQ AND BROWN'S 'SHARED VALUES'
Gordon Brown told George Bush this week that Britain has a "shared destiny" with the United States" founded on "shared values". Even as Brown spoke, the consequences of those "shared values" in Iraq were spelt out in horrific detail by a report from Oxfam and over 100 other NGOs.
* 43% of Iraqis are in absolute poverty;
* 28% of Iraqi children are malnourished;
* 32% of internally displaced persons who need food rations can't get them;
* 70% of Iraqis don't have adequate water supplies;
* 80% don't have effective sanitation;
* 4 million Iraqis are in dire need of humanitarian assistance
* 11% of new born babies are underweight.
(SEE http://tinyurl.com/2tkt3j)

Unemployment in Iraq is running at over 50 per cent. Up to one million Iraqis have been killed over the past four years as a result the illegal US-UK invasion. Four million Iraqis -- one seventh of the population -- have been displaced from their homes, with two million fleeing the country. This is, as journalist Patrick Cockburn writes, "The greatest mass exodus of people ever in the Middle East and dwarfs anything seen in Europe since the Second World War." (SEE http://tinyurl.com/ypvtmq)

Eight British soldiers were killed in Iraq in July, supposedly in the cause of these same "shared values", but in reality serving no purpose other than to give George Bush political cover for a war which over two thirds of the American people oppose, making Bush the most unpopular president in recent US history.

Any hopes that Gordon Brown would distance himself from Tony Blair's abject subservience to US foreign policy objectives were dashed when Brown confirmed that there was "no plan to withdraw British troops before the Iraqi army is deemed capable of maintaining security", which is doublespeak for "no plans until George Bush says it's ok". Brown displayed his continuity with Blair's war policies despite the government's first official acknowledgement, in a report published recently by the Ministry of Defence, that there is little or no public support for the war in Iraq. (SEE http://tinyurl.com/3dhu6y)

The people of Iraq want the foreign occupiers out of their country immediately, so they can be free to decide how they want to be governed and to control their own resources, not least the second largest reserves of oil in the world. The views of the Iraq majority were expressed this week by the captain of the Iraqi football team, following its victory in the Asian Cup, "I want America to go out. Today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn't invade Iraq and hopefully it will be over soon."

The anti-war movement must maintain the pressure on Gordon Brown to make him respond to the values of the vast majority in this country who always opposed the illegal war in Iraq and who want all British troops brought home now. Similarly, it is essential that we continue to build the widest possible opposition to the "shared values" of Gordon Brown's and George Bush, which promise only more war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the escalation of the arms race and intensified threats against Iran.

**********************************
2) AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR
For Gordon Brown the war in Afghanistan is the front line in the "war on terror" but for the Afghan people of Afghanistan it has brought the same catalogue of horror as detailed above for Iraq. Bush and Brown's "shared values" are now increasing delivered by US and British aerial bombardment, killing hundreds of Afghan civilians. There are now more British troops in Afghanistan than in Iraq -- and they are being killed at a higher rate, four soldiers having died in the last five days of July. Despite being chronically under-reported in the mainstream media, the Afghan war is now opposed by almost 50 per cent of people in Britain, according to the MOD report cited above.

A Stop the War Day School, under the title AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR has been organised for Saturday 15 September (see below for details). Speakers will include Dr Elaheh Rostami Povey (author of a new book entitled Afghan Women, Craig Murray (ex UK ambassador to Uzbekistan) and Lynda Holmes (Military Families against the War). Also speaking from Stop the War Coalition will be Lindsey German, Jane Shallis and Andrew Murray. A Stop the War Briefing on Afghanistan is available from the Stop the War Office: Tel 020 7278 6694.

AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR
SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER, 9.30 - 5PM
ROOM 101, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON UNION
MALET STREET, LONDON,WC1E 7HY
(Nearest tube: Euston, Warren Street, Goodge Street, Russell Square, Euston
Square station)

BOOKING FEE: �4 CONCESSION / �6 FULL PRICE
Contact Stop the War National Office for a booking form:
Tel 020 7278 6694
Email office@stopwar.org.uk

**********************************
3) WORLD AGAINST WAR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
The prospect of endless war in the name of "freedom and justice" is the background against which Stop the War Coalition has called its second international peace on Saturday 1 December 2007, entitled THE WORLD AGAINST WAR. Our highly successful International Peace Conference in December 2005 brought together 1500 delegates from across the world. For this second event, Stop the War Coalition is inviting delegates and representatives from Iraq, the movements in Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, Venezuela and Cuba, and from anti war organisations from across Europe and the USA.

The Conference will focus on the movement's central demands of ending the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and organising against any attack on Iran. It will also look at the broader struggle against war and for independence, against the threat of US intervention.

For more information on the conference go to www.stopwar.org.uk or phone
+44 (0)20 7278 6694 or contact office@stopwar.org.uk

WORLD AGAINST WAR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 07
CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER
STOREY'S GATE, LONDON SW1H 9NH, UK

**********************************
4) MILITARY OUT OF OUR SCHOOLS
Largely due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 10,000 soldiers leave the armed forces every year and the military is facing a recruitment crisis, with more people leaving than joining. For this reason, the military have stepped up their campaign to recruit in schools. School Students Against War have started a campaign to stop the military recruiting in our schools and will be organising actions around the country and working with school students, teachers, parents and trade unions. If you would like more information or would like to get involved, please contact:
Sam: Tel 079 4746 0945
Email: london@ssaw.org.uk
Web: www.ssaw.org.uk

**********************************
5) STOP THE WAR NATIONAL CONFERENCE
This year's Stop the War National Conference will be held on Saturday 27 October at Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ.
Details will be available soon on the Stop the War website: www.stopwar@office.org.uk **********************************

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