Derry Anti-War Coalition visit to Lebanon
Over the past week I accompanied 12 members of the Derry Anti-War Coalition (DAWC), including the Raytheon 9, to visit communities in southern Lebanon which were devastated by the Israeli war last summer. We visited Bint Jbail and A'ita al-Chaab near the Israeli border, both of which received heavy bombardment from Israeli airstrikes and incursions from armoured bulldozers, tanks and troops, reducing civilian infrastructure to dust and pebble, their hearts to shock and fear, their eyes to tears for their lost loved ones. In addition to this, the DAWC protested outside the obliterated Palestinian refugee camp Nahr-al-Bared near Tripoli in Northern Lebanon.

The current Iranian regime, in power in the so-called "Islamic Republic of Iran" since the 1979 revolution against the Shah, continues to confuse many observers as to its true nature. The intrinsic confusion lies precisely in the fact that it is considered as a post-revolutionary regime.

You constantly hear the argument that whatever it is, and however bad and vicious it may be, it nevertheless is a regime which came out of a revolution against the Shah's dictatorship. Somehow, this mechanistic logic is then used to bestow a certain air of progressiveness upon a regime which for any observer with a little political sense is nothing but a semi-fascistic theocracy defending capitalism.

Torab Saleth is a member of Workers Left Unity Iran and is also a member of the Advisory Editorial Board of the journal Critique. Here, Torab provides an analysis of the class nature of the Iranian Regime.

Related Links: Iranian President’s Website | Outline of Iranian State Structure | Iran Should Cancel Televised ‘Confessions | Leading Iranian Trade Unionist Kidnapped | Jihad in the UK | Peaceful Protest for Human Rights | Successful launch of Hands Off the People of Iran in Ireland | Iran Leads the World in Executing Children | Iran continues mass expulsions of Afghan refugees | Iran continues mass expulsions of Afghan refugees | Irish Times Continues to Misrepresent Iranian 'Threat' |

The case of two éirígí members who face charges related to the recent visit of British war-criminal Tony Blair to Ireland was adjourned in a Belfast court yesterday .

Cormac Ryan and Scott Masterson were arrested along with éirígí member Dominic McGlinchey during the RUC/PSNI attack on peaceful protesters at Stormont Castle on the May 8th, 2007.

Demonstrators had gathered at the Belfast venue to ensure that Blair was not lauded as a peace-maker in Ireland while his troops continue to kill with impunity in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The three activists face a string of public order and assault charges, despite the fact that no evidence has been produced to back up the RUC/PSNI claims.

The next court date for the three has been set for June 29th.

Members of the Belfast Anti-War Movement, joined by activists from other parts of the country, gathered outside the court in a show of support that was warmly received by members of the public. éirígí spokesperson Daithí Mac An Mháisitír thanked those who turned out to show support for the accused activists.

“The solidarity that the lads have received since their totally unjustified arrests has been great to see. It’s a credit to people for seeing through the RUC/PSNI spin. Cases like this one are important to win. Not least because we need to ensure the right to peaceful protest, free from the fear of assault and arrest. June 29 has been set as the next court date and we hope people will turn out in sufficient numbers to make it clear that the casual brutalisation and judicial fit-up of political activists is not acceptable.”

"Today, a dozen activists conducted a direct action to highlight the European Union’s support for 40 years of Israeli occupation of Palestine. We tried to peacefully occupy the EU Commission’s office for 40 minutes, one minute for every year of occupation. "

In a report filed to the Neswire today, DavidL from the IPSC stated:

"The EU supports the occupier and punishes the occupied Specifically, we were protesting against EU policy of enforcing sanctions on the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories, while offering major trade privileges to Israel, the occupying power. The Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement offers trade and other privileges to Israel, which helps it sustain its economy and maintain its occupation of Palestine. This is despite the fact that Israel is in clear breach of the human rights clause of this agreement."

Related Links: June 9th Demo at Central Bank |

EU use gardai to end occupation (if only they were so enthusiastic about ending the occupation of Palestine) 0.21 Mb The protest continues 0.29 Mb Stop EU support of Israeli occupation 0.29 Mb

It's Majority Rule, right? So, Why The Pessimism?

PANA.ie published the results of a poll they commissioned on Irish people's views on the use of Shannon Airport. The Poll was conducted nationally by Lansdowne Market Research Ltd.

The Peace & Neutrality Alliance went on to describe in a press statement''Since other polls show that it is unlikely that the current war parties of FF and the PD's will return to power without the support of either the Labour Party, the Green Party or Sinn Fein, all of which opposed the war, it seems self evident that the use of Shannon airport in the war, especially now that the number of US troops using it are increasing, is and should be, an election issue.''(more from PANA.ie)

Meanwhile Ireland welcomes a new US Military Troop Carrier, Omni Air International. Retired Army Commandant Ed Horgan documented three US warplanes at Shannon for Indymedia and asks questions about Omni Air International and Bush's so-called 'surge.'

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