IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) URGENT - ATTEMPT TO BAN STOP THE WAR MARCH
2) DEMONSTRATE: PARLIAMENT MONDAY 8 OCTOBER
3) NOT ONE MORE DEATH POSTCARD
4) GORDON BROWN OPEN LETTER PUBLISHED 3 OCTOBER

****************************************
1) URGENT - ATTEMPT TO BAN STOP THE WAR MARCH
On Monday 8 October the Stop the War Coalition will be marching
from Trafalgar Square to Parliament calling for all troops in
Iraq to be brought home immediately.

After a series of relatively co-operative meetings, the police
now say they have been instructed not to allow the march to take
place and that all demonstrations are banned within a mile of
Parliament whilst in session.

This is a new development which threatens our democratic rights.
When Gordon Brown became prime minister he promised to liberalise
the laws on protest, saying that one of his principles would be,
"civil liberties safeguarded and enhanced". Government ministers,
including Gordon Brown, have lined up to support the right to
protest in Burma. It is important that these same ministers also
defend the rights of people in this country to protest
peacefully.

We are determined to march to make our views known to parliament
on 8 October, when Gordon Brown will make his long awaited
statement on Iraq. We urge everyone who opposes the war policies
of our government to join the call for all British troops to come
home immediately and to help defend our civil liberties now under
attack. We have produced a petition calling on the authorities to
review the decision to ban the march.

SIGN THE PETITION ONLINE aimed at defending our right to protest
peacefully. You can do this here: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE PETITION
Collect as many signatures as you can and send filled petition
sheets to Stop the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, WC1X 9JP
Download for printing here: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

Please spread the word as widely as you can about the
demonstration on Monday 8 October (full details below).

****************************************
2) DEMONSTRATE: PARLIAMENT MONDAY 8 OCTOBER
NOT ONE MORE DEATH - BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW
ASSEMBLE FOR RALLY 1.0 PM TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Speakers include:
TONY BENN
MARK STEEL, comedian and writer
BEN GRIFFIN, ex-soldier who served in Iraq
BOB WAREING MP
GEMMA TUMELTY, president, National Union of Students
LINDSEY GERMAN, national convenor, Stop the War
BILLY HAYES general secretary, Communication Workers Union
For more details, see: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

****************************************
3) NOT ONE MORE DEATH POSTCARD
The Stop the War Not One More Death postcard, designed by eminent
artist David Gentleman, is now available from the Stop the War
office. The postcard is being used in a write-in campaign to
Gordon Brown, calling for a change in government policy, to break
Britain's subservience to George Bush's warmongering. Stop the
War local groups plan to distribute the postcard at every tube
station, bus terminal, train station, in workplaces and community
centres, churches and mosques.

Contact the Stop the War Office to order postcards in bulk. If
you would like to distribute the postcards in your local
community, college, school or workplace or among friends and
relatives, please contact us.
Phone: 020 7278 6694
Email: office@stopwar.org.uk

SEE THE POSTCARD DESIGN HERE:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

****************************************
4) GORDON BROWN OPEN LETTER PUBLISHED 3 OCTOBER
Stop the War's open letter to Gordon Brown calling for the
withdrawal of all British troops from Iraq will be published in a
full page advert, funded by supporters of Stop the War, in The
Guardian on Wednesday 3 October (See http://tinyurl.com/3xafku).
Among the hundreds of signatories are:
Tariq Ali, Iain Banks, Tony Benn, Ian Brown, Caryl Churchill,
Harry Cohen MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Bob Crow (Gen Sec RMT) Brian
Eno, George Galloway MP, Rose Gentle (MFAW) David Gentleman,
Lindsey German, (Convenor STWC), Bill Greenshields (National VP,
NUT), Ben Griffin (ex SAS soldier), Kelvin Hopkins MP, Kate
Hudson (Chair CND), Jean Lambert MEP, Dr Caroline Lucas MEP,
Alice Mahon, Prof Kamil Majid, Miriam Margolyes, John McDonnell
MP, Adrian Mitchell, Greg Mulholland MP, Andrew Murray (Chair
STWC), Michael Nyman, Adam Price MP, Sami Ramadani, John Rees
(Sec Respect Coalition), Yvonne Ridley, Paul Rowen MP, Mark
Rylance, Prof David Seddon, Alan Simpson MP, Linda Smith, Chair
Respect Coalition, Prof Andrew Spencer, Hans von Sponeck, Prof
Phil Taylor, Mark Thomas, UNISON (London Fire Authority), Walter
Wolfgang, Tony Woodley (Joint Gen Sec UNITE), Cllr Salma Yaqoob,
Susannah York, Haifa Zangana, Benjamin Zephaniah

****************************************
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) SAVE THE CHILDREN – UNLESS THEY ARE IRAQIS
2) NOT ONE MORE DEATH DEMONSTRATION
3) STOP THE WAR FULL PAGE IN THE GUARDIAN
4) MASS WRITE-IN TO GORDON BROWN
5) STOP THE WAR'S ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
6) THE WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE
7) RHYTHMS OF PEACE CONCERT
8) BOOK: WAR WITH NO END

************************************
1) SAVE THE CHILDREN – UNLESS THEY ARE IRAQIS
Gordon Brown had a lot to say about children in his speech this week to
the Labour Party Conference, quoting from the Bible, "Suffer the little
children to come unto me", and ending with this plea, "Surely in this 21st
century human compassion can lift the pain from the face of a suffering
child."

Unless, of course, they are children in Iraq, which got just a single
mention in Brown's speech. Little wonder, because what has the Iraq war –
which Brown has supported without reservation from its outset to the
present day – brought to the children of Iraq?

* Iraq's Ministry of Health estimates that half of the country's children
suffer from some form of malnutrition. According to a recent study by
UNICEF, 10 percent of Iraqi children under five are acutely malnourished,
while another 20 percent are chronically malnourished. As many as 260,000
children have died as a result of the occupation, according to one
estimate reported by The Independent.

* Less than a third of Iraq's children now attend school, compared to 100
percent attendance before the March 2003 invasion. For those that do go to
school, a recent survey of Baghdad primary schools showed that 70 percent
of them suffer symptoms of trauma-related stress, due directly to the
destruction, mass slaughter and chaos caused by war and occupation.

* The war has orphaned countless numbers of Iraqi children and, as the
United Nations reports, "Thousands of homeless children throughout
Iraq...survive by begging, stealing or scavenging garbage for food. Only
four years ago, the vast majority of these children were living at home
with their families."

* The virtual collapse of the Iraqi health service – once the highest
quality health provision in the Middle East – has been particularly tragic
for Iraqi children. Earlier this year, 100 prominent British physicians
wrote an open letter to Tony Blair expressing their extreme concern over
the impact of the occupation on Iraqi children: "We are concerned that
children are dying in Iraq for want of medical treatment. Sick or injured
children, who could otherwise be treated by simple means, are left to die
in their hundreds because they do not have access to basic medications or
other resources. Children who have lost hands, feet and limbs are left
without prostheses. Children with grave psychological distress are left
untreated."

If Gordon Brown is sincere in his concern for children, he has a real
opportunity on Monday 8 October in his speech to Parliament on Iraq to
make a difference. Instead of continuing to support an American foreign
policy which has brought nothing but disaster to the children of Iraq, he
can announce in that speech that all British troops will be withdrawn from
Iraq immediately. He can also announce that in the interests of the
children of Afghanistan, all British troops will be withdrawn from the
other unwinnable war where Britain is doing George Bush's bidding. And
Brown can state categorically, in the interests of the children of Iran,
that Britain will not support any attack by the USA on that country, as is
now looking increasingly likely.

The vast majority of people in Britain are opposed to this country's
support for George Bush's warmongering, whether it be in Iraq, Afghanistan
or Iran. The Stop the War Coalition aims to maximise the pressure for a
change in government policy that reflects this majority view. Our
activities over the next two weeks include:

* A NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION outside Parliament on Monday 8 October, when
Gordon Brown makes his statement to the House of Commons (details below);

* A MASS WRITE-IN to Gordon Brown on Wednesday 3 October, using a postcard
designed for Stop the War by graphical artist David Gentleman (details
below);

* A FULL PAGE IN THE GUARDIAN on Wednesday 3 October to publish our Open
Letter to Gordon Brown and to help build support for the demonstration
(details below).

* A NATIONAL LOBBY OF MPS – Contacting local MPs in the next two weeks to
urge him or her to support the call for British troops to be withdrawn
from Iraq now.

We are urging everyone who has watched in horror as our government has
followed slavishly wherever American war policies have beckoned, to attend
this demonstration and to participate in the mass write-in to Gordon
Brown. Please help publicise these activities as widely as possible and
encourage everyone you know, who opposes Brown's war policies, to join us.

************************************
2) NOT ONE MORE DEATH DEMONSTRATION
On 8 October MPs return from their long summer break and they will hear on
that day Gordon Brown's long awaited statement on the war in Iraq. A
national demonstration, called by Stop the War Coalition, is aimed to
ensure that Gordon Brown and MPs are left in no doubt as to what the
majority in this country believe should be at the heart of his statement.

DEMONSTRATE: PARLIAMENT MONDAY 8 OCTOBER
NOT ONE MORE DEATH – BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW
ASSEMBLE FOR RALLY 1.0 PM TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Speakers include:
TONY BENN
MARK STEEL, comedian and writer
BEN GRIFFIN, ex-soldier who served in Iraq
BOB WAREING MP
JEMMA TUMELTY, president, National Union of Students
LINDSEY GERMAN, national convenor, Stop the War
BILLY HAYES general secretary, Communication Workers Union
For more details, see: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

***********************************
3) STOP THE WAR FULL PAGE IN THE GUARDIAN
Hundreds of Stop the War supporters have signed the Open Letter to Gordon
Brown and helped fund its publication in a full advert in The Guardian
newspaper. The letter will be published on Wednesday 3 October. You can
still add your name to the letter here: http://tinyurl.com/3xafku

************************************
4) MASS WRITE-IN TO GORDON BROWN
Stop the War has named Wednesday 3 October as a day of action dedicated to
letting Gordon Brown know what the people of this country feel about the
Bush and Blair wars, now being continued by Gordon Brown. Graphical artist
David Gentleman has designed a special Not One More Death postcard to be
sent to Brown in their thousands. The postcard will also publicise the
demonstration on 8 October. Stop the War is asking its local groups across
the country to organise distribution of the postcard at every tube
station, bus terminal, train station, through workplaces and community
centres, churches, mosques etc.

All of our local STW groups should contact the Stop the War Office to
order postcards in bulk. Anyone who wants to distribute the postcards in
their local community, college, school or workplace, and among their
friends and relatives, should also contact the national office:

MASS WRITE-IN TO GORDON BROWN
WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER
Contat the Stop the War office for specially designed postcard:
TEL 020 7278 6694
EMAIL office@stopwar.org.uk

***********************************
5) STOP THE WAR'S ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
This year's annual national Stop the War conference, on Saturday 27
October, is very timely, with Britain still embroiled in Iraq, waging an
ever worsening war in Afghanistan, and with the daily intensification of
George Bush's threats against Iran. Our discussions will centre on how
Stop the War aims to respond in the coming year to the continuing war
policies of the US and British governments. There will be keynote speakers
in all sessions. Anyone attending the conference can contribute to the
discussions. The conference is open to delegations from organisations
affiliated to Stop the War and to individual national members. Affiliated
organisations are reminded that to attend they will need to have
re-affiliated for 2007. Individuals who are not members of Stop the War
are welcome to join now, entitling them to attend the conference.

STOP THE WAR NATIONAL CONFERENCE
SATURDAY 27 OCTOBER
FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE
173 EUSTON ROAD, LONDON NW1 2BJ

CONTACT:
020 7278 6694
office@stopwar.org.uk
http://www.stopwar.org.uk

***********************************
6) THE WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE
We are now taking bookings for the Stop the War Coalition WORLD AGAINST
WAR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, which will be held in London on Saturday 1
December. This is our follow up to the highly successful international
conference we hosted in 2005. The WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE will take
place in Westminster Central Hall, London, and is open to all, whether
individuals or representatives of organisations, We are expecting
delegates from Iraq, Palestine, South America, the Middle East, USA, South
Asia, Canada and Europe. We have also invited Polish and Czech
organisations who are opposing the Bush 'Missile Defence' plan. The
conference 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.

TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE CALL STOP THE WAR ON 020 7278 6694.

***********************************
7) RHYTHMS OF PEACE CONCERT
The evening before the WORLD WITHOUT WAR conference (see above), there is
a tremendous line-up of actors, musicians, writers and campaigners for the
RHYTHMS OF PEACE benefit concert for Stop the War Coalition. Book your
ticket early. There will be very high demand for this concert:

FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2007
7PM (DOORS OPEN AT 6.30 PM)
ST JAMES'S CHURCH, PICCADILLY, CENTRAL LONDON
Compere: ANDREW MURRAY, introducing:
TONY BENN; actors JULIE CHRISTIE, PRUNELLA SCALES and TIMOTHY WEST;
campaigning journalist JOHN PILGER; South African percussionist EUGENE
SKEEF; novelists IAIN BANKS, AHDAF SOUEIF and HAIFA ZANGANA; Ex-Ambassador
CRAIG MURRAY; mezzo soprano JANET SHELL and pianist KEITH BURSTEIN; poet
TONY HARRISON; musician DAVE RANDALL (Slovo and Faithless); LINDSEY GERMAN
convenor of Stop the War Coalition; JOHN REES Respect Party; JEREMY CORBYN
MP and KATE HUDSON Chair of CND; plus surprise guests

TICKETS: £15 FROM STOP THE WAR COALITION
To pay by credit card call 020 7278 6694
or send a cheque to
Stop the War Coalition
27 Britannia Street
London WC1X 9JP
[include your address for ticket(s)]

***********************************
8) WAR WITH NO END BOOK
A new book entitled WAR WITH NO END will be published in November by Verso
in conjunction with Stop the War Coalition and United for Peace and
Justice (USA). This follows the highly successful Stop the War / Verso
book NOT ONE MORE DEATH published in 2006.

WAR WITH NO END has an extremely impressive list of contributors, which
include: author JOHN BERGER, whose books include Ways of Seeing, Here Is
Where We Meet and, most recently, Hold Everything Dear; NAOMI KLEIN,
author of the bestselling No Logo and just published The Shock Doctrine;
novelist and script writer HANIF KUREISHI; best selling science fiction
writer CHINA MIÉVILLE; ARUNDHATI ROY, whose many books include the Booker
prize-winner The God of Small Things; AHDAF SOUEIF, author of the Booker
short listed The Map of Love; writer JOE SACCO, whose works include
Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde, and Iraqi novelist HAIFA ZANGANA.

Full details of the book are available here: http://tinyurl.com/2eafxl

***********************************
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) STOP THE WAR NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE
2) REPORT ON AFGHANISTAN DAY SCHOOL

******************************
1)STOP THE WAR NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE
Report by:
Andrew Murray, National Chair, Stop the War Coalition
Lindsey German, National Convenor, Stop the War Coalition

The Steering Committee of the Coalition held a highly successful and
well-attended meeting at the weekend, at which we discussed the full rage
of issues pressing on us in our campaign to end British involvement in
George Bush's wars.

Our immediate priority, the committee agreed, remains the demand to get
the British troops out of Iraq. Indeed, this issue has acquired a new
urgency with the redeployment of some British troops to the border with
Iran. This makes clear the connection between the occupation of Iraq and
the stepped-up preparations for extending the conflict to Iran.

That is why the BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME demonstration on October 8, the
day MPs return to the Commons, is so important. It is not only about
ending the disastrous and unwanted occupation of Iraq, but about
preventing Britain getting sucked into a further war. Many local Stop the
War groups have already booked coaches for this demonstration, which will
take our message right to the doors of Parliament, and they are making
plans to lobby their local MP. Every group should now try to do so, so the
government can really get the message. And there is still time to get your
name on the TROOPS OUT ADVERT which will be appearing in The Guardian
newspaper in advance of the demonstration. For details – and material
promoting the protest – contact the office or visit our website:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk

The Steering Committee debated the situation around Iran at some length.
While we are far from fatalistic, and recognise that any attack would
cause the US great problems, we have to take seriously the stated intent
of Dick Cheney and others not to leave office with the Iran "problem"
unsolved. Among other initiatives, we are developing plans to meet the
imminence of any further aggression with direct and workplace action on a
broad scale. The Committee agreed to make opposing any attack on Iran the
central theme of the STOP THE WAR ANNUAL CONFERENCE, to be held on 27
October. The conference will be an opportunity to deepen and extend our
discussions on building the movement at this critical moment. It is open
to delegates from organisations affiliated to Stop the War, local STW
groups and individual members of the Coalition. Contact the Stop the War
office for further details and delegate application forms: Tel 020 7278
6694.

These issues highlight the demand of the Coalition – shared by millions of
British people – for a break with US foreign policy. We are now part of a
huge worldwide movement challenging Bush and the US drive for world
domination. Our WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE in London on 1 December will
bring that movement together. We are expecting speakers and delegates
from all continents and a multitude of struggles including, of course,
those in the Middle East. Please plan now to ensure that your community
is represented there.

DEMONSTRATE: PARLIAMENT MONDAY 8 OCTOBER
NOT ONE MORE DEATH – BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW
ASSEMBLE FOR RALLY 1.0 PM TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Speakers include:
TONY BENN
MARK STEEL, comedian and writer
BEN GRIFFIN, ex-soldier who served in Iraq
JEMMA TUMELTY, president, National Union of Students
LINDSEY GERMAN, national convenor, Stop the War
BILLY HAYES general secretary, Communication Workers Union
For more details, see:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

STOP THE WAR COALITION ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The StWC National Conference will be held on Saturday 27 October at
Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ.

******************************
2) REPORT ON AFGHANISTAN DAY SCHOOL
by Jane Shallice, national officer of Stop the War Coalition

On 15 September Stop the War held a well attended and highly successful
day school on the war in Afghanistan. While the mainstream media has its
focus on Iraq and the increasing noise about Iran, the importance of the
Afghan adventure for the British must not be overlooked. British generals
think is a "good and winnable war" and Afghanistan is the place that the
new Foreign Secretary chose to visit as his first overseas engagement.

The day school, a recording which will be available shortly on the Stop
the War website, began with the history of western intervention in
Afghanistan, with specific reference to how the USA engaged in training of
Mujaheddin fighters in the 1980s, funded by Saudi money and trained by
Pakistan security forces. These fighters became the backbone of the
Taliban, Al Qaeda and the jihaddis.

The next session on women in Afghanistan examined the way "feminist"
arguments have been used to justify an invasion that has been a disaster
for Afghan women.

The final session looked at recent developments; the "victory" over the
Taliban and the gradual increase in opposition to NATO forces. The period
has been marked by a massive increase in opium production, huge but
unrecorded numbers of civilian casualties, a rising death rate amongst the
coalition troops, no reconstruction and growing chaos in Pakistan.

The central message coming from the discussions was that, as Gordon Brown
switches troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, the anti war movement must
spotlight this so called good war, point out that British troops have no
more business in Afghanistan than they do in Iraq and re-energise the
national campaign to get the troops out.

As a first step Stop the War is asking its local groups to organise public
meetings on the subject and circulate the fact sheet, available from the
Stop the War office, as widely as possible.

RECORDING OF STOP THE WAR DAY SCHOOL ON AFGHANISTAN AVAILABLE SOON:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk

STOP THE WAR AFGHANISTAN FACT SHEET: Tel 020 7278 6694--
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) THE 'SURGE' SCAM IN IRAQ
2) NOT ONE MORE DEATH DEMONSTRATION
3) STILL TIME TO SIGN GORDON BROWN LETTER
4) FROM SCHOOL TO DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN
5) ANOTHER STOP THE WAR MUSIC DOWNLOAD EXCLUSIVE
6) WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE
7) STOP THE WAR COALITION AGM

DEMONSTRATION 8 OCTOBER: NOT ONE MORE DEATH
ASSEMBLE TRAFALGAR SQUARE FOR LUNCHTIME RALLY 1PM
See below for further details. Postcard and stickers available now from
the Stop the War office: 020 7278 6694.

**********************************
1) THE "SURGE" SCAM IN IRAQ
This week has shown conclusively why it is essential that the antiwar
movement stays as active and as visible as possible. Stop the War's NOT
ONE MORE DEATH demonstration at Parliament on Monday 8 October (see below)
will insist that Gordon Brown's House of Commons statement on Iraq should
reflect the majority view of people in this country, who want all British
troops withdrawn now. Brown should certainly not be allowed to use the
lies and deception about the so-called Baghdad 'surge', spread this week,
to justify Britain's continuing participation in the Iraq occupation.

General Petraeus' 'progress report' to the US Congress, and George Bush's
subsequent speech, were quite simply a scam aimed at pacifying public
opinion at home, where two thirds of the American people want US troops
withdrawn. Bush and Petraeus claim that the 'surge' of increased troops
numbers is 'working' and where it isn't, this is due to 'malevolent'
intervention by Iran, which the Pentagon says – without producing a single
shred of evidence– is directly implicated in the deaths of dozens of US
soldiers.

Every indicator of reality in Iraq shows an endless downward spiral of
devastation and mass slaughter, caused largely by the bombs and bullets of
the occupying forces. A new poll just published suggests that up to 1.2
million Iraqis have been killed as a result of the US/UK invasion (see
http://tinyurl.com/2acokq). The latest figures on Iraqis displaced from
their homes by the war and occupation are almost beyond belief. 60,000
Iraqis are fleeing their homes every month and a staggering one in seven
of the population is now either an internal refugee or has fled the
country.

The verdict of Iraqis on the occupation, as expressed in authoritative
polls published recently by the BBC, is hardly surprising. They show that
the Iraqi people are more opposed to the occupation, more in support of an
immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops and far more negative about
their lives than at any time since the invasion four years ago (see
http://tinyurl.com/2fbsrb).

Gordon Brown plans to keep British troops in Iraq solely as a favour to
George Bush, who made clear this week that he is still intent on a
permanent US occupation of the country and control of its resources.
British troops are now serving no purpose other than to provide Bush with
political cover. And Brown showed that, while the troops are there, this
political cover will be extended to supporting any provocative or
belligerent threats against Iran, as was clear this week when 350 British
troops were sent to the Iraq/Iran border, just as America's ambassador in
Iraq was claiming to the US Congress -- once again without evidence --
that Iran was fighting a "proxy war" in Iraq (SEE
http://tinyurl.com/28oeyd).

Stop the War has called a demonstration for Monday 8 October. The
demonstration will be at Parliament, on the day it reconvenes, and will
insist on NOT ONE MORE DEATH of either Iraqis or of British soldiers (see
below for details). Please join the demonstration, publicise it as widely
as you can and encourage your friends, relatives, work colleagues, fellow
students etc to join us.

**********************************
2) NOT ONE MORE DEATH DEMONSTRATION
The Stop the War demonstration on Monday 8 October, the day Parliament
re-assembles, will begin with a lunchtime rally in Trafalgar Square, at
which the speakers will include Tony Benn, Mark Steel, ex SAS soldier Ben
Griffin, NUS President Jemma Tumelty, Stop the War's National Convenor
Lindsey German and Billy Hayes, General Secretary of the Communication
Workers Union.

TO GET COPIES OF THE NEW POSTCARD AND STICKERS PUBLICISING THE
DEMONSTRATION, CALL THE STOP THE WAR OFFICE ON 0207278 6694

DEMONSTRATE: PARLIAMENT MONDAY 8 OCTOBER
NOT ONE MORE DEATH – BRING ALL THE TROOPS HOME NOW
ASSEMBLE FOR RALLY 1.0 PM TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Speakers include:
TONY BENN
MARK STEEL, comedian and writer
BEN GRIFFIN, ex-soldier who served in Iraq
JEMMA TUMELTY, president, National Union of Students
LINDSEY GERMAN, national convenor, Stop the War
BILLY HAYES general secretary, Communication Workers Union
For more details, see:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

**********************************
3) STILL TIME TO SIGN GORDON BROWN LETTER
Brian Eno, Iain Banks, Miriam Margoles, Bob Crow, Suzannah York and Adam
Price MP are just some of the hundreds of people who have signed and
donated towards the cost of publishing our open letter to Gordon Brown in
The Guardian newspaper. The letter, in conjunction with the demonstration
at Parliament on 8 October, is aimed to help maximise pressure on Gordon
Brown prior to his speech on Iraq in the House of Commons. There is still
space for some more names on the full page advert. Names will be included
on a first come first serve basis. Go to the Stop the War website to see
the text of the letter and how you can add your signature and help fund
its publication with a donation:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

**********************************
4) FROM SCHOOL TO DEATH IN AFGHANISTAN
Four British soldiers have been killed over the last week in the so-called
'winnable' war in Afghanistan. It certainly won't be winnable for Ben Ford
from Chesterfield, just 18 years old and recently arrived in Afghanistan
for his first tour of active duty. He was one of the four British soldiers
who were killed. Ben is more than a statistic. As always, the army and the
media humanised him with comments from his family, friends and commanding
officer.

No such treatment for the hundreds of Afghan civilians who have been
killed this year and who are dying in ever rising numbers, largely from
the bombs and missiles of US and British planes. The US and British forces
are it seems able to state each day the exact number of Taliban fighters
they have killed but insist there is no way they can calculate any
"collateral damage". And we certainly don't get any details which would
humanise Afghan deaths -- no name, biography or comments from family and
friends for them.

It is clear that Gordon Brown has promised George Bush that the British
deployment in Afghanistan will be intensified. Once again, Brown is
refusing to reflect the views of the British people, only 18 percent of
whom believe the war in Afghanistan is winnable (SEE
http://tinyurl.com/2366dw). This is why Stop the War's NOT ONE MORE DEATH
demonstration at Parliament on Monday 8 October (see above) applies as
much to Afghanistan as to Iraq. Parliament is meant to be the voice of the
people, except it seems when it comes to George Bush's wars.

**********************************
5) ANOTHER MUSIC DOWNLOAD EXCLUSIVE
Another high profile artist is following Ian Brown (ex-Stone Roses) in
giving an exclusive to the Stop the War website. Slovo, the band fronted
by Faithless guitarist Dave Randall, will from Monday 17 October make
available for 48 hours on the Stop the War website, a free download of the
anti war track 'Flag', taken from Slovo's soon to be released and already
critically acclaimed new album. 'Flag' includes a contribution from award
winning novelist and political activist Arundhati Roy and has backing
vocals by Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini. Also available as a download
will be an interview with Dave Randall from Slovo and Faithless, who
speaks about opposing the war in Iraq through music.
MUSIC DOWNLOAD EXCLUSIVE
FOR TWO DAYS ONLY
FROM MONDAY 17 OCTOBER
SLOVO: 'NO FLAG'
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

**********************************
6) WORLD AGAINST WAR CONFERENCE
The Stop the War Coalition believes it is of paramount importance for
Britain to end its support – almost alone in the world – for the global
war-mongering of the Bush administration. We demand a British foreign
policy which reflects the people's desire for peace and social justice and
we seek to align ourselves with all those around the world opposing the US
drive to global domination. To this end, Stop the War is proud to host the
World Against War conference in London on December 1, which aims to bring
together all those fighting for peace, self-determination and social
justice around the world today.

Speakers already lined up include former UN officials in Iraq, Denis
Halliday and Hans von Sponeck. Peace and anti-war groups from South
America, the Middle East, USA, South Asia, Africa, Canada and across
Europe have been invited to send representatives. The World Against War
conference will take place at Westminster Central Hall, adjacent to the
Houses of Parliament. Booking forms will be available soon but you can
reserve your place by calling the Stop the War national office on 020 7278
6694.

**********************************
7) STOP THE WAR COALITION ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The StWC National Conference will be held on Saturday 27 October at
Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ. The conference, at
which perspectives and policies for the coming year will be discussed and
voted on, is open to all current Stop the War individual members and to
delegations from all affiliated organisations. Details on the submission
of resolutions, the agenda and the fee will be available soon on the Stop
the War website: www.stopwar@office.org.uk ALL AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS ARE REMINDED THAT IN ORDER TO SEND DELEGATES
THEY NEED TO HAVE RENEWED THEIR AFFILIATION FOR 2007/ 2008.
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As you may have seen, the Stop the War Coalition are taking out an
advertisement in the Guardian demanding a complete withdrawal of troops from
Iraq. We have had over 130 signatures and thousands of pounds in donations.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the fund, but we still have to raise
much more.

The Missing Link

Some people have experienced difficulty using Paypal to donate. If you have
had
problems with the link in the previous email, follow the link below to our
website.

http://tinyurl.com/3xafku

Thanks to everyone who has contributed.
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) IRAQ: THEY'RE STILL LYING TO US
2) A MESSAGE TO GORDON
3) AFGHANISTAN: THE NEXT QUAGMIRE
4) STOP THE WAR AGM
5) WAR WITHOUT END? OR WORLD WITHOUT WAR?
6) WHERE HAVE ALL THE ANTIWAR SONGS GONE?
7) THE COST OF WAR

*****************************
1) IRAQ: THEY'RE STILL LYING TO US
They lied to get us into a war which has cost up to one million Iraqi lives and
the deaths of over 3700 American and 168 British soldiers.
They are still lying to us to keep us in the same war, which the overwhelming
majority of people in Iraq, the United States and Britain want to end now, with
all foreign troops brought home.

Gordon Brown says the British withdrawal from Basra is part of a successful
strategic plan to hand over control of the city to Iraqi forces. The truth is,
a few thousand British troops never had any control of Basra – a city of two
million people – and the attempted occupation was resisted by the Iraqi peopl
from the start. The British withdrawal to a single base on Basra airport is an
ignominious retreat from a city which is too dangerous for the occupying forces
to remain.
In short, the British army has been defeated in what The Independent calls "one
of the most futile campaigns ever fought by the British army."

It wasn't futile to George Bush, who needed the political cover of a British
presence to justify his illegal war. Now it looks like Gordon Brown intends to
maintain that presence to avoid embarrassing a president whose popularity
ratings are amongst the lowest ever recorded.
Brown is due to make a long awaited statement to the House of Commons in early
October. What he should announce is the complete withdrawal of British troops
from Iraq (an apology to the Iraqi people and a promise of reparation payments
is too much to hope for). What is much more likely is an insistence by Brown
that the British forces will stay in Iraq, at least until George Bush leaves
office. In other words, no departure from the war policies of his predecessor
Tony Blair.

This is why Stop the War has called a demonstration outside the House of
Commons on Monday 8 October, the day Parliament reassembles, to represent the
anger felt by the antiwar majority in this country over Britain's continuing
participation in one of the worst war crimes in recent history – an anger
which MPs have refused to reflect in parliament. In the words of Andrew Murray,
national chair of Stop the War, writing in The Guardian:

"Overwhelming that gap between popular outrage and parliamentary apathy is the
key to ensuring the full and final withdrawal of the troops from Iraq, where
they serve no purpose beyond covering George Bush's imperial nudity. That is
why we are organising a demonstration in London on October 8, the day
Parliament reassembles, to demand troop withdrawal from Iraq." (Read the full
article here: http://tinyurl.com/yqn53k)

Please join this demonstration and help publicise it as widely as possible. If
you would like to help your local Stop the War group build support for the
demonstration, contact the Stop the War national office:
telephone 020 7278 6694, email office@stopwar.org.uk.

TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ NOW
NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION
MONDAY 8 OCTOBER 2PM
PARLIAMENT
(Download leaflet: http://tinyurl.com/2ehlvp)

*********************************
2) A MESSAGE TO GORDON
We are getting tremendous support for the donations we need to help fund an
advert in The Guardian for our open letter to Gordon Brown, which calls for the
immediate withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.

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.
(See full details: http://tinyurl.com/3xafku)

If you would like to add your name to the letter in The Guardian advert, please
make a donation of £20 / £15 concessions online, by post or by card over the
telephone:

TO PAY ONLINE, GO TO:
£20 donation: http://tinyurl.com/27vexo
£15 donation: http://tinyurl.com/29bxh7
TO PAY BY DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD: phone 020 7278 6694.
TO PAY BY CHEQUE: Make cheques payable to 'Stop the War Coalition' and send to:
Guardian Ad, Stop the War Coalition, 27 Britannia Street, London, WC1X 9JP.

If you would like to sign the letter online without making a donation, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/3xafku

DOWNLOAD THE LETTER AS A PETITION:
http://tinyurl.com/3cmysc

*********************************
3) AFGHANISTAN: THE NEXT QUAGMIRE
"The public are not seeing pictures like this at the moment. I don't think
anyone is getting the real story." These were the words of the father of 21
year old soldier Private Davey Graham, explaining why he was allowing the
publication of pictures showing his son shot in the stomach in Afghanistan.
They are not pictures Gordon Brown wanted to see spread across the national
media. He wants to portray Afghanistan as a "winnable" war, in contrast to the
Iraq debacle.

As with Iraq, we are being lied to and deceived over Afghanistan. Tony Blair
famously claimed in 2001, "We will not walk away from Afghanistan." At the
outset of the war, he promised prosperity and liberation for the Afghan people.
What they got was the slaughter of thousands, displacement of many thousands
more and the total destruction of the infrastructure. Even the puppet president
Karzai has been protesting against the NATO bombardments, which have killed
hundreds of innocent civilians this year, making a growing number of people
join the active opposition to the occupation.

The more observant commentators say Afghanistan has the potential to become
"Britain's Vietnam", yet Gordon Brown is likely to use his October statement
to confirm an escalation of British deployment in Afghanistan and prove once
again to George Bush that the British government will remain subservient to US
foreign policy.

Stop the War is organising a day school AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR in
London on Saturday 15 September. Speakers include Craig Murray, Dr. Elaheh
Povey and Lynda Holmes from Military Families Against the War. Tickets are
£6/£4 concessions.
FULL DETAILS: http://tinyurl.com/2euh6h

AFGHANISTAN: BRITAIN'S OTHER WAR
SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER, 9.30 - 5PM
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON UNION
SPEAKERS INCLUDE Craig Murray, Dr. Elaheh Povey and Lynda Holmes
(Military Families Against the War).
TICKETS £6/£4 concessions.
Phone 020 7278 6694 to book your space
Early booking is advisable, as tickets are selling very fast.

*********************************
4) STOP THE WAR AGM
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.
All affiliates and members are invited to attend.
Details on the submission of resolutions, the agenda and the fee will be
available soon on the Stop the War website: www.stopwar@office.org.uk All affiliates are reminded that in order to send delegates they need to have
renewed their affiliation for 2007/ 2008.
*********************************

5) WAR WITHOUT END? OR WORLD WITHOUT WAR?
Stop the War Coalition are organising 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.

We expect peace and anti-war groups from South America, the Middle East, USA,
South Asia, Africa, Canada and Europe. The conference 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.
Representatives have been invited from Iraq, Palestine, Venezuala and Pakistan
amongst others. We have also invited Polish and Czech organisations who are
opposing the Bush 'Missile Defence' plan. The World Against War conference will
take place at Westminster Central Hall. Booking forms will be available soon.
TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE CALL STOP THE WAR ON 020 7278 6694.

*********************************
6) WHERE HAVE ALL THE ANTI-WAR SONGS GONE?
It has become a media cliché that there are no more antiwar songs like there
were in the 1960's and 1970's against the Vietnam War. It's not true. One
look at all the music videos on the Stop the War web site show the range of
anti-war records that have been made, protesting against all the George Bush
wars. Ian Brown's decision to launch his new single 'Illegal Attacks' through
the Stop the War website was an innovation but the peace message of the record
was not. The difference between now and forty years ago is not that the songs
are not getting written but that they are not being played on radio or
television.
TO SEE THE VIDEOS WHICH SHOW WHERE ALL THE ANTI-WAR SONGS HAVE GONE, GO
TO: http://tinyurl.com/25fzgm

*********************************
7) THE COST OF WAR
New figures show the total cost of the Iraq war for Britain has soared to £6.6
billion, making it the most costly conflict since the Second World War. Experts
say the £6.6 billion figure still underestimates the true total because it
does not take into account hidden costs such as the long-term care for soldiers
who have suffered mentally and physically.

*********************************--
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