War and OccupationGeorge Bush and Tony Blair have created disaster in Iraq and are repeating the process by ratcheting up the threats against Iran – another Muslim country with very large oil reserves – accusing it of using its nuclear power programme to develop nuclear weapons.
This from countries with vast nuclear arsenals linked directly to their own nuclear power plants.
Blair wants us to forget that he took us to war on a pack of lies – or that the war has been declared illegal by the UN Secretary General. It is time for Blair to pay the price for his lies and deception, his support for Bush and his role in the war drive.
In Iraq over 100,000 civilians have been killed. Major cities such as Falluja and Tal Afar have been attacked and destroyed. The horrors of the Abu Ghraib torture chambers shocked the world.
British troops are revealed to have been doing the same. Torture is sub-contracted to oppressive regimes. Iraq’s natural resources and facilities have been privatised and plundered. The occupation, and the breakdown in society it has brought about, has taken Iraq to the brink of civil war.
Respect calls for the immediate end of the occupation of Iraq.
The elections and the formation of a puppet government have changed nothing. The bulk of those voting were not voting to support the occupation but were looking for a way to end it. The issue is not, as we are constantly told, one of democracy against dictatorship, it is one of resistance versus occupation. Nothing will change as long as the occupation continues. The only force which can reorganise Iraq and end the conflict are the Iraqi people themselves – and the precondition for that is the exit of the occupation forces.
Only then can the Iraqi people begin to rebuild their country and their lives.
At the same time the anti-war movement in Britain and internationally has come onto the streets time and again in opposition to this barbarity. The voices of soldiers refusing to serve in this illegal war and of the families of those who have died are becoming louder daily. We are proud to be part of this magnificent movement.
RESPECT SAYS:- End the occupation of Iraq; bring the troops home now.
- Stop the threats against Iran.
- Self-determination for the people of Iraq.
- Support the Iraqi trade unions and anti-occupation women’s groups which have sprung up under the occupation.
- Close the torture prisons of Abu Ghraib, Bagram air base, Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere.
- End attempts to detain and deport Iraqis and support their right to stay.
- Support the Stop the War Coalition and Military Families Against the War.
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