Against the "War on Terror"

Workers' Daily Internet Edition: Article Index :

Against the "War on Terror"

Moving the Motion on the Demand for Anti-War Government

Resolution 19: The Demand For Anti-War Government

Resolutions Presented to the Stop the War Coalition National Annual Conference 2006

Stop the War Campaign Conference Report

by Andrew Murray, National Chair

The Stop the War Coalition held a highly successful annual conference on Saturday, June 10, 2006. Despite well-advertised competing attractions, such as England's first match in the World Cup, 660 delegates registered, which is more than for any annual conference since January 2003, when the country was aflame in opposition to the then-impending aggression against Iraq. This alone is testament to the enduring strength of the anti-war movement and its continuing hegemony over opinion throughout the left and beyond on the central issues of our time.

A particular highlight of the day was the session devoted to the remarkable Military Families Against the War campaign. This has now grown out beyond its roots among the families of soldiers who have died in Blair's war to include the parents of serving soldiers as well. Because these men and women were generally not particularly political before the conflict (and some in fact supported the war at its outset) their speeches are especially vivid and compelling. They extend the reach of the anti-war message to broad sections of the British people which might otherwise be hard to reach.

And it is not, as critics might suggest, a matter of wallowing in grief or engaging in a form of therapy to cope with loss, understandable though that would be. They are mainly very angry because the trust that they, as military families, have placed in the government has been betrayed as their sons and daughters have been sent to fight and perhaps die on an entirely false prospectus. It is the military families' campaign which doubtless more than any other single factor accounts for plummeting army recruitment and the more than 1,000 desertions of the last year or so.

The conference also heard a powerful speech by Iraqi academic Sami Ramadani. He took on those who, like Niall Stanage, ignorantly or deliberately confuse the "thug and butcher" Zarqawi (Sami's words) with the broad Iraqi resistance to the increasingly bloody occupation and its numerous unrecorded Hadithas.

Other points to note? The growing commitment of the trade unions to the anti-war movement is one. Political support for ending the Iraq occupation is nearly unanimous among the unions, and their financial backing for the Coalition's work is also more generous than at any point in the past.

Also an interesting contribution by Dr Azzam Tammimi, the Muslim scholar establishment opinion loves to hate about the desirability of uniting the global left with Muslim opinion around the world in opposition to imperialism.

The conference agreed plans to hold a major demonstration in Manchester on September 23, the day before the Labour Party conference opens in the same city. It will be demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq and no attack against Iran. I don't predict a riot, but I do predict massive popular pressure on the Kaiser Chief in Downing Street.

Meanwhile, the "war on terror" raged on outside our conference hall. A British solider dies in Afghanistan protecting a regime "accused of orchestrating massacres, torture, mass rape and other war crimes".

A triple suicide by Muslims who have been detained for four years at Guantanamo Bay outside any legal process whatsoever leads to accusations by the US head of "public diplomacy" that the dead were cunningly conducting "asymmetric warfare" – presumably this means the US shall kill lots of people with the most advanced weaponry, and the people can fight back by killing themselves with bed linen instead.

And an entirely innocent British Muslim living in east London is shot in the shoulder by the Met in the course of trashing his house in a hunt for chemical weapons that were not there.

With the "war on terror" proceeding like this, I don't expect the Stop the War Coalition to lose support any time soon.

Roger Nettleship from Tyneside Stop the War Coalition

Delegates, Chair: Not only are we subject to illegal wars but subject to illegal debate promoting those wars and we are subject to pro-war governance. As we heard this morning, it is now almost illegal for us to protest against this pro-war governance at a time when there is a need to shift anti-war governance into government.

As you will know, the possibility of anti-war government was opened up after the Second World War and with the United Nations which demanded an end to resolving international conflicts through military means. A crime against the peace – something that Blair and Bush have committed over the last few years time and time again – was considered the most serious war crime.

So, as you know, after the Second World War what we got in spite of the high hopes of the people was pro-war government. The US and Britain used the excuse of "containing communism" for pro-war government, and as we heard in the workshop on Korea this afternoon they committed genocide against the Korean people and then in Vietnam to name just two. But today that excuse has gone for the time being so they have created another excuse for pro-war government: the excuse of the "war on terrorism".

But today 60 years have passed and what is more significant is that the people of the world have placed on the agenda the need for anti-war government and February 15, 2003, was a defining moment for this movement.

It is this movement of all of us, it is this human factor and social consciousness which reflects the high road of civilisation which today can no longer remain on the sidelines but must find its expression in the governance of the country. To this end the anti-war movement has given birth so far to significant initiatives to bring this about: not only the idea of the People’s Assembly but in members of the coalition intervening in the political process with anti-war candidates and involving the peoples more and more in every possible way to break the hold of the warmongers

The motion embodies the demand to outlaw British involvement in wars of aggression both in word and in deed and to renounce the use of force in settling international affairs. Most importantly, it embodies what this broad coalition of the people stand for: the need to strengthen their unity and keep the initiative in our own hands and work with all our might to make a reality the demand to bring the troops home now. I move.

RESOLUTION 19

Tyneside Stop the War Coalition

The Demand For Anti-War Government

Recognising that the agenda for discussion in political life and in the media is whether, or not, the government is justified in committing war crimes by invading and occupying Iraq and its attempt to create "debate" over whether it is justified to launch a criminal invasion of Iran and other countries.

This conference resolves to place on the agenda that such a "debate" by any government and politician and the covering media is a crime against the peace that should be challenged under international law and is also an incitement to terrorism on a state level which is a crime.

Therefore the Stop War Coalition resolves to place on the agenda the demand for anti-war government as a constitutional matter that no such wars of aggression can be advocated, or supported in word or deed, that ensures that Britain ends its collaboration in all aggressive military alliances with the United States, Europe and other countries; that it renounces the use of force in resolving and settling conflicts in international affairs amongst nations and pursues an anti-war policy in international affairs.

That it forthwith withdraws all of its troops from foreign soil and outlaws the stationing of British troops on foreign soil; that it stops the breaches of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and ensures its implementation in Britain with elimination of all weapons of mass destruction and that the government pays reparations for the crimes it has committed in Iraq and other countries.

There were 25 motions presented to the conference, 25 being an emergency motion from the NUJ on the French journalist Frederic Nerac who disappeared in Iraq, believed to be one of 20 journalists whose deaths are connected to US fire. This motion called for an independent investigation into all unlawful killings of journalists by coalition troops.

Twenty of the motions were passed, and five were defeated.

Besides Resolution 19, which we have highlighted, we reproduce a number of the other motions which now become Stop the War Coalition policy.

All the resolutions which were passed can be found at:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/documents/ConferenceMotionsPassed.pdf

RESOLUTIONS

RESOLUTION 1

Stop The War Coalition Steering Committee

Conference notes:

1. The situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate. The rate of deaths remains high and must be considerably higher than the 100,000 estimated in the Lancet report 18 months ago. There has been evidence of torture and ill treatment of prisoners. The US forces now have 50,000 prisoners of whom only 1.5 % have been brought to trial. Malnutrition is a major problem, unemployment stands at 50% and incomes have halved.

2. Oil production has halved and reconstruction has halted _ witness the inability of the regime to restore adequate levels of water and electricity for the mass of the people.

3. The political process has failed millions of Iraqis, since power still remains in the hands of the US forces, along with their close allies among the Iraqis.

4. The troops meet an increasing level of resistance, and are widely opposed or resented, to judge by the election results last December and by poll evidence. They are not playing a peacekeeping role, nor are they part of the solution in Iraq, since they are upholding an occupation resented by millions of Iraqis.

5. The US and British governments, far from learning the lessons of their disastrous intervention in Iraq, are increasing their intervention elsewhere. More troops are being poured into an increasingly war torn Afghanistan, while the US is spearheading a process which is likely to end with an attack on Iran.

Conference resolves:

1. To show support for the people of Iraq who oppose the occupation and who want the troops to leave.

2. To organise practical solidarity where possible, and to continue to invite speakers from Iraq to Britain, as we did at the highly successful international peace conference last December.

3. To continue to campaign for the immediate withdrawal of British troops.

4. To oppose through demonstrations and other activities an attack on Iran by the US and Britain.

5. To organise and call for a mass campaign to stop war with Iran, including mass protests, direct action and civil disobedience. This should include calls for union members to stop work in the event of an attack, and for stoppages, walkouts and strikes involving workers, students and school students across the country.

6. To organise another international peace conference in conjunction with our international allies.

 

RESOLUTION 2

Stop The War Coalition Steering Committee

Civil liberties and the Muslim community

1. This conference opposes the new terror laws, including the clause on ‘glorification of terrorism’. The response to last year’s London bombings should be to try to find political solutions to the problems of terrorism, and especially to see the connection between the rise of terrorism and the war on Iraq. We believe that there are already adequate laws to deal with bombings and other terrorist attacks, and that these laws represent the scapegoating of one section of the community.

2. We oppose increased stop and search which is aimed disproportionately at young Muslims and can only help to criminalise the community.

3. We fully stand behind the Muslim community which has played such a prominent part in opposing the war. We oppose all Islamophobia. We oppose all racist legislation and attacks which affect Muslims disproportionately, but also affect non-Muslim black and Asian people such as the police murder of Jean Charles de Menezes. Racism in society affects us all as it can divide and therefore weaken our ability to unite against the war and the warmongers.

4. The Serious Crimes and Disorder Act has led to restrictions on the right to protest within a mile of parliament. Microphones and megaphones are no longer allowed on protests and demonstrators must give 24 hours notice and gain police permission to comply with the law.

5. Already a number of people have been arrested under this law. Brian Haw has seen attacks on his camp. Five PSC supporters involved in a protest over the attacks on Jericho jail have been summonsed for failing to obtain 24 hours notice.

6. This law means we could not, for example, demonstrate on the day of an air strike on Iran.

We call for the full repeal of this law and the right to protest around parliament. We fully support all those prosecuted under this law.

7. We support the protest at the court hearing of the PSC demonstrators on June 15 th .

 

RESOLUTION 3

African Liberation Support Campaign Network

The Stop the War Coalition advances the unity of all antiwar forces against the occupation and the neo-colonial manipulation of Iraq by US and British imperialism;

Conference also notes that western countries engage in various forms of meddling in the affairs of countries around the world and this meddling occurs in similar ways;

Conference observes that the wars across Africa, which western imperialist powers and multinationals are taking advantage of to loot Africa’s resources, are examples of this type of interference;

Conference recognizes the work done by African Liberation Support Campaign Network (ALISC Network) and School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Friends of Africa in bringing this issue to the fore within the antiwar movement and Conference has responded to this recognition by organizing the workshop on Africa’s Forgotten Wars;

Conference resolves that all local Stop the War Coalitions and affiliated organizations should be encouraged to work with ALISC Network, SOAS Friends of Africa and communities from African countries where these wars are taking place to mobilize to put pressure on the government and institutions in UK to stop any such meddling and interference in the affairs of African countries;

Conference also resolves that all local Stop the War Coalitions and affiliated organizations should be encouraged to join in the June 30 Day of Action organised by the Congolese community in the UK on Africa’s Forgotten Wars and also encouraged to implement decisions from the Conference workshop on Africa’s Forgotten Wars.

 

RESOLUTION 4

Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition

Conference notes the continued use of British Airports for rendition flights. Conference further notes the success of airport protests at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick airports organised by the Stop the War Coalition and Scotland against Criminalising Communities. Conference encourages local groups across the UK to organise protests against rendition and supports the call by Edinburgh Stop the War for protests on 24 th June 2006.

 

RESOLUTION 8

RESPECT

Civil Liberties

This Conference rejects the use of the ‘war on terror’ as an excuse to sweep aside fundamental human rights and civil liberties and to criminalise legitimate protest.

Stop the War coalition should oppose any existing laws or proposed new laws that weaken our human rights or civil liberties.

Stop the War coalition should unite with the broadest movement in our opposition to these attacks on our hard won rights.

 

RESOLUTION 10

Socialist Workers Party

Conference notes with concern the preparations being made by the Bush administration to prepare an attack on Iran. Exactly the same steps that were taken before the invasion of Iraq are now being made by the Bush administration in relation to Iran – diplomatic efforts to isolate Iran and legitimize military action, the adoption of an official US policy of ‘regime change’, and military planning based on illusions in special forces and in the support of the Iranian people for an attack.

The biggest difference is that Bush has refused to rule out the use of nuclear weapons – against Iran’s nuclear programme! The Bush administration’s political difficulties make an attack on Iran more rather than less likely, as the last desperate throw of the rightwing clique in the White House. But none of this makes a successful war on Iran inevitable. Mass mobilization around the world, together with a revitalized antiwar movement in the United States, can force a weakened Bush administration to retreat.

Conference accordingly resolves to make opposition to an attack on Iran one of the main campaigning priorities of the Stop the War Coalition. It endorses the call of the Assembly of the Social Movements of the European Social Forum in Athens (7 May 2006) for an international week of action on Iran between 23 and 30 September and pledges itself to mount the largest possible mobilization at the Labour Party conference in Manchester on 23 September.

 

RESOLUTION 14

Communication Workers Union and Rail, Maritime & Transport Union

Conference agrees that it is important to strengthen the active involvement of unions in the Stop the War Coalition.

To this end the affiliated unions and officers should work together to:

A) Increase the number of national, regional and local branch affiliations.

B) Produce briefing material which is suitable for unions, with the content being agreed with the affiliated unions.

C) Prioritise particular initiatives, including ­
· A meeting between the TUC and M.FAW
· A fringe meeting at the TUC
· Support for the September demonstration.