Woolwich attack: Statement from Stop the War Coalition and CND

The attack in Woolwich yesterday was horrific. There can be no justification for a murderous attack on an individual soldier in the streets of London. It must have been awful too for the local people who witnessed it.

The Woolwich attack, carried out by two men now shot and wounded and under arrest in hospital, appears to represent a phenomenon that was pointed out nearly a decade ago by the security services in Britain: that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq would lead to a growing threat of terrorism in Britain. Many of us have long predicted that these sorts of attacks would happen because of the war on terror.

The men claimed that the killing of the soldier was in response to the killing of Muslims by British soldiers in other countries. One said that the government did not care for people and should get the troops out.

The response from the government has been to declare this a major terrorist incident. We do not yet know whether they had wider connections or whether this was a one off incident.

But the government response fails to deal with the political causes underlying such attacks. There were no such cases in Britain before the start of the ‘war on terror’ in 2001, which led to the invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. The consequences of those wars have been devastating for the people of those countries and further afield. Up to a million died in Iraq and 4 million were made refugees. Tens of thousands have died in Afghanistan. Fighting still continues and in Iraq looks like descending into civil war in some parts of the country.

The balance sheet of the last decade and more would demonstrate that the war on terror has been a failure in its own terms. It has not prevented terrorism but caused it to spread.

It has also led to a rise in Islamophobia in Britain and elsewhere. The invasion and occupation of mainly Muslim countries abroad has to lead to the dehumanising of the victims of the wars. Racists like the EDL turned up in Woolwich to try to further foster Islamophobia.

We call on all everyone to resist any racist backlash as a result of this attack.

We also call on the government to recognise the damage done by these wars and to change its foreign policy accordingly.

Lindsey German Convenor of Stop the War Coalition
Kate Hudson General Secretary of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Supported by Moazzam Begg Outreach Director, CagePrisoners

Read more on the Woolwich attack:

• Lindsey German: The lessons to learn from the Woolwich killing are obvious: but not to David Cameron
• Joe Glenton: Woolwich attack: of course British foreign policy had a role

Thousands sign First World War statement after launch

Yesterday artists, actors and writers came together to launch a statement which condemns David Cameron's plan to mark the centenary of the First World War with “truly national commemorations” which aim to stress our “national spirit” in a similar way to the “Diamond Jubilee celebrations”.

The statement, which was read out by Stop the War convenor Lindsey German, said "instead we believe it is important to remember that this was a war that was driven by big powers' competition for influence around the globe, and caused a degree of suffering all too clear in the statistical record of 16 million people dead and 20 million wounded."

Outside of poet and soldier Siegfried Sasoon's house, Jeremy Corbyn MP introduced musician Brian Eno who read a chosen passage on the suffering of a First World War soldier and actor Janie Dee read Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy's Last Post, a poem to mark the deaths of Henry Allingham and Harry Patch, the two longest surviving soldiers from the First World War. Author Michael Morpurgo read Siegfried Sassoon's Soldiers Declaration.

The full statement, which was published in the Guardian yesterday and is signed by Jude Law, Sir Patrick Stewart and Antony Gormley amongst others, can be read at ww1.stopwar.org.uk

Click here [ww1.stopwar.org.uk] to add your name to the statement, which has already been signed by more than 2300 members of the public.

Details of a series of events next year to remember the human catastrophe of the First World War, and to call for peace and international cooperation, will be announced soon.