An Appeal to All who Oppose War on Iraq

national | miscellaneous | news report

Tuesday November 05, 2002 13:52

by John O'Neill - anti war

passltd at eircom dot net

087 6804009

A few anti war activists based in Finglas are trying to start a locally based campaign against the war anyone interested?

An Appeal to All who Oppose War on Iraq

Dear Friend,

As you are no doubt aware, George Bush's plans for war in Iraq are already well advanced. Newspaper reports point out that up to 50,000 US troops are already converging on the Middle East in preparation for war.

The arguments used by the US government and its allies to justify their planned war are spurious. Former UN chief weapons inspector Scott Ritter has pointed out that Iraq's capability to develop and use weapons of mass destruction is less today than when Saddam Hussein was a favoured US ally before the Gulf War of 1991. It was during that period when Saddam Hussein's regime used chemical weapons on Iraq's Kurdish population without a whisper of criticism from the US who were then backing him to the hilt.

There is no credible evidence linking Saddam Hussein to Al Qaidi or to September 11th. Instead it is pretty plain that control of the region's oil is Bush's real motivation for this war. The Irish Anti War Movement is a broad based coalition organising
opposition to the war. It has organised several major protests over the last
period -- most recently the September 28th demonstration in Dublin. This attracted over 3,000 participants. Two weeks later it organised a protest of several hundred outside Shannon Airport to protest at its use for refuelling US warplanes.

The Irish Anti War Movement has now called a National Demonstration to the US Embassy on December 7th. It has suggested that local anti-war activists get organised in local groups to build the resistance to the coming war in whatever way they feel fit. A number of us in the Finglas area are therefore calling a meeting to set up a local anti war group based on as broad participation as possible. We are
contacting as many of those local activists from whatever political background (and none). The meeting is open to all who oppose the war.

The meeting will take place on:-
Thursday November 21st at 8.00pm
PASS Office
3A Main Street
(Above Fred's Fashions)
Finglas Village

We hope you will be able to attend. If there is anything you would like to
discuss you contact as below.

Yours in Peace

Kevin Wingfield (086-3074060)
John O'Neill (087-6804009)

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Comments (12 of 12)

interesting link

by silo

Tue Nov 05, 2002 14:03

http://www.stormcentre.net/elections/people/w/wingfield_kevin.html

by Robert the Glove

Tue Nov 05, 2002 14:08

Silo what has that link got to do with fighting against the war? If you are not prepared to add a constructive comment or do something about the war yourself you can at least quit acting like a child.

Tue Nov 05, 2002 14:50

Agreed, it may have been somewhat unnecessary. Sorry for any unintended offence.

However, I was attempting to illustrate the point that certain groups will occasionally attempt to use wider campaigns for their own ends. People becoming involved with these campaigns deserve to know the context in which they are being organised. Apart from that, I wish the group all the best in organising against any agression in Iraq. Sorry if there was any misunderstanding.

What precisely is your allegation, Frank?

by Frank

Tue Nov 05, 2002 15:21

Have you a problem with people calling a meeting to set up an anti war group in Finglas?

Have you a problem with the political background of any of the participants?

Is it a good or a bad thing thing they took the intiative?

Where, then, does that leave your clumsy smear?

3,000?

by MG

Tue Nov 05, 2002 15:31

Firstly, I totally oppose the imminent war on Iraq and support anybody who else who opposes it.

However, it is damaging to the anti-war cause when blatantly false statistics are used in press releases like this one.

There was not 3,000 people at the Sept 28th demonstration and anybody who was there will know that. At most, 1,000 people attended the event.

Exaggerating the figure just makes people feel that anti-war activists are spinning the story in an effort to make it seem more important than it is.

That's not to say that opposition to war isn't important, but blatant untruths will not enamour people to the cause.

I *was* there and there *were* 3000

Tue Nov 05, 2002 15:55

But for their own small minded and sectarian reasons some frequenters of Indimedia have set out to rubbish the efforts of the Irish Anti War Movement at every turn.

Instead it would be better if MG and his friends saved their bile for George W Bush and his cronies.

Re: Kevin's politics

by John O'Neill - ISN

Tue Nov 05, 2002 16:20

Kevin is a member of the SWP. I am not. We both want to try to organise an anti war group in Finglas. EVERYBODY is welcome irrespective of their politics even the people who posted silly replies. I have never worked with the SWP but I have spoken to Kevin and we both want to make this group as broad and representative as possible.

peoples front of judea/ judean peoples front?

by seeker

Tue Nov 05, 2002 16:43

:: unity in diversity ::

Red baiting

by mountain man - Anti Anti Communist League

Tue Nov 05, 2002 17:04

The ghost of Mc Carthy lives on

by as do many many other ghosts

Tue Nov 05, 2002 17:09

or are these the same thing

by red baiting or SWP Baiting - this is nuspeak

Tue Nov 05, 2002 17:12

Baiters are baiting the SWP - not general reds.
50's politics like 50's lingo needs updating

Oh dear...

by Fresher

Wed Nov 06, 2002 11:50

I have never worked with the SWP but I have spoken to Kevin and we both want to make this group as broad and representative as possible.

You're in for a nasty surpise mate.

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An Appeal to All who Oppose War on Iraq

Comments (12 of 12)