Sunday, February 04, 2007

And the war drags on . . .

MARJORIE COHN: Oh, thirty seconds? It was about if the Shah of Iran, you know, was overthrown, comes to the U.S., and then the Iranian government says, you know, give him back to us, he was a torturer and murderer, and if you don't we will invade you. And if that would be lawful the same way -- if Bush's attack on Afghanistan was also lawful. And then I said that the war in Yugoslavia was also unlawful because it violated the Security Council, violated the U.N. Charter, and that regime change is illegal, kicking out Milosevic. And so, because the prosecutor was eliciting this testimony from me, the judge then made that statement, that, in fact, the prosecution had just successfully proved that any seaman recruit has reasonable cause to believe those wars were illegal. And the gist of my testimony during the sentencing phase, where the legality of the war was put on trial, was to corroborate the reasonableness of Pablo's beliefs that the war is illegal, that U.S. troops that participate in the war are put in a position to commit war crimes, and by boarding that ship and delivering Marines to Iraq to fight in an illegal war and possibly commit war crimes, Pablo would have been complicit in those crimes and therefore the orders to board that ship were illegal, and Pablo had a duty to disobey them, both under the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Uniform Code Of Military Justice.

We're opening with that for a reason. It's from Democracy Now!'s "War Resister Pablo Paredes Wins Surprise Victory: Military Judges Orders No Jail Time For Refusing Deployment Orders."
Now I understand that a lot of people are just not aware (we'll go with "not aware") and certainly the bulk of independent media can't help them but there are just too many lies appearing in the mainstream media. Tom Zeller Jr. can call Ehren Watada a deserter in the New York Times -- which is not correct. Refusing to correct it makes it a lie. Watada is not a deserter. He couldn't be convicted of it because he does not fit the definition. He has reported for duty on the base every day. He has not deserted. He is charged with missing movement for his decision to refuse to deploy to Iraq.

Gareth noted an idiot (Gareth used a stronger word -- one I agree with but we'll stay with "idiot" to keep it work safe.) The idiot, writing in a mainstream British publication wants to talk about Watada's stand that the Iraq war is illegal and immoral. Now he can disagree with Watada. That's his right. He can't go on to make false claims that aren't correct. In Pablo's trial, he was allowed to present a defense and, per the judge's statement after Cohn's testimony, the case was proved. So if you're a dumb ass who wants to write that something's never happened, you might try doing a little research first about WHAT HAS HAPPENED or you might try using this phrase "To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever . . ." Now maybe that qualifiers too difficult to use because you want to portray yourself as all knowing. You aren't and anyone who's followed reality (hard to do when so much of independent media is all about The Elector) knows what went down even if you don't. (Cohn is the president of the National Lawyer's Guild.)

In one of the first entries, noting the slaughter of Falluja, there's an entry entitled "Here Come The Madmen" (borrowing from Carly Simon's "Share The End," Anticipation) and maybe today and tomorrow should be called "Here Come The Gasbags"?

That's why independent media's silence on Ehren Watada was harmful. By not getting out front on the story (that's the bulk of them, there are exceptions, we've noted them before), they've created an environment where Watada can be called a "deserter" even though he's not charged with that and even though he does not fit the legal definition.

With the story thus far, Jill notes Melanthia Mitchell's "Watada court-martial begins Monday" (AP):

Denied a chance to debate the legality of the Iraq war in court, an Army officer who refused to leave for Iraq now goes to trial hoping to at least minimize the amount of time he could serve if convicted of missing movement and unbecoming conduct.
The case has drawn national attention since Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada announced last June that he would refuse to go to Iraq with his unit, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
Now the 28-year-old Watada faces four years in prison if convicted on one count of missing movement and two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer. His court-martial is set to begin Monday at Fort Lewis, south of Seattle.
Since concluding the war is illegal, Watada has publicly spoken out against U.S. occupation in Iraq, calling it "not only morally wrong but a horrible breach of American law."
"As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must as an officer of honor and integrity refuse that order," Watada said in a video statement released at a June 7 news conference.
Charges later filed against the soldier did little to quell his actions. In August he spoke at a Veterans for Peace rally in Seattle, in which he again criticized the war. "Though the American soldier wants to do right, the illegitimacy of the occupation itself, the policies of this administration, and the rules of engagement of desperate field commanders will ultimately force them to be party to war crime," Watada said.

Just to clarify, it was not a "rally in Seattle." It was conference. We never called it a rally here. I did use the word "convention" interchangeably with "conference" until I was (rightly) corrected on that in an e-mail. (After that "convention" only shows when we're quoting someone and they use the term.) It was a multi-day conference. It was not a "rally." [FYI, if the flow breaks in these brackets, this is added. I called the friend who corrected me because his correction was funny when he first made it. He notes tonight, "This wasn't Amway. We weren't selling a product. This wasn't the Shriners. This was a conference." True. And thank you for catching my mistake and correcting me on it back in August.]

Ehren Watada is part of resistance within the military today and he's part of resistance historically. There are connections to be made here. Micah notes one report that makes the connections, Khurram Saeed's "Chestnut Ridge man sees history repeat itself" (The Journal News, White Plains):

Forty-one years ago, David Mitchell was sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to fight in Vietnam because he believed the war to be illegal.
Tomorrow, the Chestnut Ridge man will attend the first day of a court-martial proceeding against 1st Lt. Ehren Watada in Fort Lewis, Wash. Watada is the first Army officer to publicly refuse to report to Iraq because he considers the invasion "illegal and immoral" and believes that participating in it would violate international law.
Like Watada, Mitchell did not refuse to take up arms because of religious convictions or a deep-seated belief that all war is wrong.
"I wasn't a conscientious objector. I wasn't a pacifist," Mitchell said. "I would fight in another context."
Watada, who faces up to four years in prison, has said he was prepared to deploy to Afghanistan. What both men share is not only a willingness to go to prison for their beliefs, but also a desire to put their respective wars on trial.
"The stand is the same," said Mitchell, 64, who has little doubt that Watada, 28, will be convicted.
Mitchell, a member of the Rockland Coalition for Peace and Justice, met Ehren Watada's father and stepmother last year when they spoke at the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Upper Nyack. The couple asked Mitchell to attend their son's court-martial.

Ehren Watada's story has happened before and will most likely happen again. And when people play dumb or silent, they have no right to 'applaud' someone forty years after. To toss out an 'online exclusive' full of praise for a previous war resister from a previous war and feel that they've done anything. (Again, Stevie Wonder's "You Ain't Done Nothing" comes to mind.) But the echoes, the Buffalo Ghosts, are still present today as history repeats.

They're just there to try and make the people free,
But the way that they're doing it, it don't seem like that to me.
Just more blood-letting and misery and tears
That this poor country's known for the last twenty years,
And the war drags on.
-- words and lyrics by Mick Softly (available on Donovan's Fairytale)

Last Sunday, the American military fatality count in Iraq stood at 3084 (AP). Tonight? 3092.
Today (actually Monday -- it's already Monday in Iraq), the US military announced: "Coalition Forces from Task Force Lightning were conducting combat operations in Diyala province when they received small-arms fire from insurgents. A Soldier died of wounds as a result of injuries sustained during the attack Feb. 4." The count goes higher, more die, more are wounded. And the giddiest Gabor in the Green Zone gets a little honest. BBC reports: "Maj-Gen William Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad that although investigations were incomplete, it appeared the helicopter crashes 'were all the result of some kind of ground fire'."

To clarify something for visitors (who don't get the community newsletters), yes, we hit hard here right before the helicopter was shot down with 12 on board. Thanks for the kind words, but the reality is that we hit hard on the issue of the helicopter coverups last month because of the fact that two friends in the Air Force serving in Iraq were brining that issue up. The attacks, many never reported because helicopters didn't go down, were increasing. The way it was going was the US military flacks issued their "we have an investigation that's ongoing" while stating that they didn't believe it was anything other than 'mechanical' issues or something similarly inane. And the press is limited in Iraq. They're limited in their movements, they're limited in their access. (That's not a slam, that's reality.) They're limited in number and there is daily violence they have to cover as well as stories they are working on from a human interest angle, from an investigative angle, etc. It wasn't being followed up on and the military flacks knew they could count on that. They knew that there was so much to do (for reporters) that they could issue a statement (blatantly false) and it would be picked up and then the matter would be dropped.

We hit hard on it because the attacks were going up (even though the crashes weren't at that point). What ended up happening after we hit hard was that the attacks ended up downing several helicopters and you better believe the nonsense from flacks was being noticed (by reporters) and it's also true that US troops who knew realities were beginning to talk to reporters. That's why the press hit hard.

We were only out of the gate early on that because one friend was very upset and the other was outraged (by the way this was being ignored). Whether it's friends or community members, if my words up here hit hard, it's because they've expressed important to them. That was true of our Australian community members who early on made Jake Kovco an issue. We followed that for that reason. (It was important but we could have taken a pass -- many did outside Australia.) So let's clear that up. I'm not afraid to run with something and look 'unreasonable' or not 'tone' worthy if it's something that really matters to someone. In the case of the helicopter crashes, two friends in the Air Force were upset by it (by the fact that nonsense was issued by flacks and it wasn't followed up on and by the fact that the attacks were rising) and I said, "We'll address it." That was due to them, not due to me. Give them credit for it. (And give the mainstream credit for hitting hard on it once they were made aware of it via troops serving in Iraq. They could have taken a pass and, a few years back, they might have. They did step up on this issue. And the proof of that is that Willie Caldwell had to say what he said, had to acknowledge some of the truth. That's the press using their power and they deserve credit for that.)

They also deserve credit for covering Ehren Watada -- especially when you consider how many in independent media have refused to and continue to refuse to. In Hawaii Saturday, there was a panel dicussion on his stand and the issues involved. On that panel, Joan notes this from Gene Park's "Soldier calls war a fraud: 1st Lt. Ehren Watada reiterates his defense in a panel discussion" (Honolulu Star-Bulletin):

"He didn't expect to win," said Karen Nakasone, a panelist and past president of the Japanese American Citizen's League of Honolulu. "Sometimes you take a position to make a point, and you go public with it because your position is still right under a higher law."
Yesterday's panel also included University of Hawaii ethnic studies professor Jonathan Okamura and Ernie Kimoto, senior staff attorney for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a retired Marine Corps major and former Marine judge advocate.
[. . .]
"My parents always told me, 'Don't be the nail that sticks out, because you'll be hammered down,' " Nakasone said. "In my generation we haven't had this kind of person, and I think it's been a wakeup call for many of us in our generation, whether you agree or disagree with him."

A wakeup call for those who know the story. In Hawaii, there's been strong coverage. There's also been strong coverage from the Seattle press. A name we should recognize by now is the reporter of Charlie's highlight, Hal Bernton's "Fort Lewis officer's words, deeds focus of court-martial" (Seattle Times):

At a court-martial that begins Monday, his fate will be placed in the hands of at least five of those officers, leaders at an Army base that has sent thousands to fight in the war.
The officers will form a "panel of peers," the military equivalent of a jury, and determine whether Watada spends up to four years in prison in one of the most high-profile cases to be tried at Fort Lewis.
It unfolds at a time when the Bush administration is under attack in Congress for its conduct of the Iraq war. Peace activists have rallied around Watada, planning demonstrations outside Fort Lewis and smaller vigils elsewhere to mark the start of the court-martial.
This will be a general court-martial, reserved by the Army for the most serious offenses. It emerged as the Army's option after Watada coupled his refusal to deploy with appearances and interviews during which he denounced the administration for conducting an "illegal war" founded on "lies," and he blasted the Army for committing war crimes in Iraq.

In Iraq today, the violence continued. It hasn't stopped, it hasn't abated. The 'crackdown' in Baghdad cracked up months ago. Reuters notes the following bombings: mortar attack in Baghdad claimed 18 lives and left 56 injured while a car bombs (two) claimed eight more lives and a roadside bomb left four police officers dead, and a car bomb in Khalis killed four police officers; shootings: twelve people shot dead in Baghdad, Sheikh Khalil al-Maliki was shot dead in Basra, and an Iraqi soldier was shot dead near Riyadh; and one corpse was discovered near Hilla.

As promised yesterday, here's Mia's highlight, Alexander Cockburn's "Who Can Stop the War?" (CounterPunch):

The respectable old antiwar "movement"-as opposed to real rabblerousers like Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin and Kathy Kelly-stirs into action once in a while for pleasant outings like last Saturday's in Washington, DC. For sure there was no chieftain in Army intelligence standing on the roof looking at the those marchers and thinking the Empire was on the verge of collapse.
The people don't like the war but this doesn't mean it won't go on so long as there's money to fund it. This brings us to Congress. There are the powder-puff nonbinding resolutions. On January 26, even as Biden and the others were grandstanding about their rhetorical stance against the war, the Senate confirmed, 81 to 0, the nomination of General Petraeus-prime military booster of troop escalation-to command US troops in Iraq. Democrats voted for him, same as they voted to confirm Abizaid's successor, Admiral Fallon, same as they voted unanimously for Rumsfeld's successor, Robert Gates.
There are various bills put forward by Senators like Ted Kennedy and Representatives like Jerry Nadler calling for timetables, ceilings on spending and the like. The question here is what actual effect they could they have. My guide here is Winslow Wheeler, who spent thirty years as a Hill staffer working on defense budgets, and who now runs the Straus Military Reform Project at the Center for Defense Information.

That is Mia's excerpt and it's from a long column where Cockburn is providing historical context, it's deep reading and not something dashed off in a few seconds. By the way Joshua Frank has a piece at CounterPunch that Susan noted. I've just read the first paragraph and it's quite an opening. We'll link to it but that cruise has been commented on at another community site, so I'll slide Susan's highlight over there. I'd be stepping on toes if I grabbed it and ran with it. Susan also notes Missy Comley Beattie's "No More Toothless Rebukes and Nonbinding Resolutions" (CounterPunch):

Rebuke? Lawmakers are working on the wording of a resolution to rebuke George Bush and Dick Cheney's plan to "surge" an additional 21,500 troops into Iraq? Yes, I'm incredulous. Because a rebuke is simply feeble and totally toothless. And so is a nonbinding resolution.
There are, now, almost 3,100 American reasons why a rebuke and a nonbinding resolution are slaps on the wrists to a man and the man behind the man who have cavalierly sent so many of our young to their deaths.
There are almost 50,000 non-mortal casualty reasons why a rebuke and a nonbinding resolution are useless. Add to this the more than half a million Iraqis who have perished. Pile on the 1,000 Iraqis a day who were displaced during 2006. And factor in the two billion dollars per week we are spending to destroy so many lives.
Each day, as our lawmakers work on the wording of their pathetically effete slaps on the wrists, more deaths and maiming occur.

Another voice of accountability. If 2006 had a valuable lesson, it was who you could count on and who you couldn't. You could count on Comley Beattie and Cockburn not to be unable to speak because their mouths were pressed to the crotches of various elected Dems. They had power because they used it and didn't toss it aside or stayed silent. They had power (have power) because they maintained their independence. They weren't the only ones but we all know the list is small. Where our 'independent' press failed, organizations stepped up. Kevin passes on this e-mail from Declaration for Peace:

"In the United States of America, the people are sovereign, not the president. It is Congress' responsibility to challenge an administration that persists in a war that is misguided and that the nation opposes. We cannot simply wring our hands and complain about the administration's policy. We cannot just pass resolutions saying "your policy is mistaken." And we can't stand idly by and tell ourselves that it's the president's job to fix the mess he made. It's our job to fix the mess, too, and if we don't do so we are abdicating our responsibilities."
--Russ Feingold, Senator (WI), February 2, 2007
On Monday, February 5, President Bush will ask Congress for more than $100 billion to continue the disastrous and illegal occupation of Iraq. Members of Congress cannot continue to declare their opposition to the occupation while continuing to fund it year after year. Their actions over the next few weeks could mean the beginning of the end to this war and occupation that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. Your actions over the next few weeks can play a vital role in motivating Congress to take action.
The Declaration of Peace wants to help you send a clear message to Congress that the people of the United States of America are overwhelmingly against the occupation of Iraq and demand that Congress take steps to stop funding U.S. military operations in Iraq.
In November 2006, the people of the United States gave Congress a "Mandate for Peace!" The Democrats are now in the majority in both the House and the Senate. If Congress members had the will, they could block further war/ occupation funding this month, and bring about the beginning of the end of the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
Let your elected representatives know that you will support them if they publicly pledge to defund the war and work for a comprehensive Peace process. It is equally important that you let them know that you will hold them accountable if they fail to use their "power of the purse" to end the occupation.
We are giving Congress until March 15, 2007 to respond to the will of the people -- Defund the occupation and begin U.S. troop withdrawal.
Download the 2007 Congressional Declaration of Peace for your lobbying efforts.
Many of you participated in one of over 375 events that took place nationwide as part of Phase I of the Declaration of Peace, during the week of action September 21-28, 2006. Some of you were part of the 275 people arrested in 25 civil disobedience actions across the country, that week. As a result of your efforts, 11 members of Congress signed the Phase I Congressional Peace Pledge, and many more got a clear message from their constituents that the occupation must end.
Over the weekend of January 27-29, 2007, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C. to protest the U.S. occupation of Iraq -- in the streets of D.C. and in the halls of Congress -- in what was the largest post-Iraq-invasion anti-war mobilization.We have Voted. We have Vigiled. We have Marched. We have Lobbied. Now it's time to once again bring that energy to our local communities and continue to work -- over the next six weeks -- to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq!Now we will make history by taking bold and conscientious actions for Peace in cities and towns across the United States on the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, including nonviolent civil disobedience.
The Declaration of Peace is holding a national open conference call -- for all Local Organizers and those wishing to get more involved in the campaign -- on Monday, February 5 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
Phone Number: 1-218-936-6660 Access Code: 12131415 #
The Declaration of Peace has a national network of nonviolence trainers.To help you prepare for your actions, we recommend that you organize Nonviolent Action Training during the DOP National Week of Nonviolent Action Training: February 17-25, 2007, or at some other time.
Let us know if you are planning trainings, or if you need help organizing one! All across the country, a range of actions are already being planned for the weeks leading up to and including March 16-19, 2007.
If you are organizing an action, please let us know what you are planning, post your event/ activities to the Declaration of Peace website, and let us know what kind of support you may need.
"Defund the War ~ Declare Peace!"

In addition to that, actions are taking place tomorrow around the country in support of Ehren Watada who faces a court-martial Monday morning in Fort Lewis, Washington. From Iraq Veterans Against the War:

Days of Action to support Lt. Watada - Feb. 5
Friday, February 2nd through Monday, February 5th, the day of Lt. Ehren Watada's court-martial, IVAW's Olympia Chapter and IVAW Deployed will be holding a series of events/fundraisers in order to raise awareness on the importance and details of Ehren's action, and subsequently, his court-martial.
We will show up on the day of Ehren's trial with a presence and message that cannot be ignored nor denied. Our message is simple: George W. Bush and those who choose to partake in war crimes are the people that should be on trial. Lt. Ehren Watada's argument is legitimate and should be adopted by all who might be given unlawful orders.

And from Courage to Resist:


February 5 all day rally/vigil/puppet theater outside Fort Lewis; Events nationwide
On Monday, February 5th the court martial of Lt. Ehren Watada is set to begin on Fort Lewis, Washington (approx. 45 miles south of Seattle). There will be an all-day vigil, and other scheduled events, at the Interstate-5 Exit 119 gate (map image map pdf) to the Army base. Supporters are arriving early that morning (7am) to display banners in support of Lt. Watada and hold vigil as court martial begins. Below is the schedule of events including info on housing, transportation, and attending the court martial.
9:00 am Court Martial begins (how to attend the trial)
11:30 am Rally with Iraq Veterans Against the War, students and spoken word youth artists
12:30 pm Vigil outside the Gates of Fort Lewis with IVAW
1:30 pm Political Street Theater with Giant Puppet Art, Spoken word, and DJ's
3:00 pm Rally
4:00 pm to 6pm Vigil outside the Gates of Fort Lewis

Puppets being prepared for Feb. 5 actions. 2/1/07
Come early and stay all day
There will be a space to get warm throughout the day at the Liberty Inn located at I-5 Exit 118. Shuttles to and from to the demonstration location at I-5 Exit 119 will be provided by Friends and Family of Lt. Watada.
WELCOME EVENT (Feb. 4) in Tacoma
ART MAKING (Feb. 3, 4) in Tacoma
GETTING TO the Fort Lewis area (bus, train, auto & air)
HOUSING information around Fort Lewis
TRANSPORTATION Driving directions, regional buses and car pools to Fort Lewis (Feb. 5)
ATTENDING the court martial on Fort Lewis (Feb. 5, 6, 7)
NATIONAL calendar of events in support of Lt. Watada (Feb. 2-7)
Lt. Watada news from Courage to Resist:
Army drops activist subpoenas for Lt. Watada trial (Jan. 31)
Lt. Watada prosecutors surrender on journalist subpoenas (Jan. 28)
Judge rules "illegal war" debate forbidden during court martial (Jan. 16)
For additional information about Lt. Watada's case visit: www.ThankYouLt.org

Pru gets the last highlight. The DC rally two Saturdays ago (and the actions that went on across the country) were Americans saying "NO!" to the illegal war. In England, they're gearing up for their own mass demonstration. Here is Esme Choonara's "Activists unite against war" (Great Britain's Socialist Worker):

People are gearing up around the country for the demonstration in London on 24 February against the replacement of Trident nuclear missiles and calling for troops out of Iraq.
The demonstration is organised by the Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the British Muslim Initiative. There is also a demonstration in Glasgow on the same day.
The demonstrations take place a few weeks before parliament votes on Trident replacement and one month before the fourth anniversary of the disastrous invasion of Iraq.
They also take place as threats of an attack on Iran are becoming more and more alarming.
Across the country, activists report new people getting involved in anti-war campaigns. Manchester Stop the War Coalition steering committee met last Saturday and lots of new people came to discuss building for the demo.
Delegates included local trade unionists, members of the Labour Party, the Lib Dems and Respect, as well as Somali activists and a delegate from the Islamic Times newspaper.
Phil Turner from Sheffield told Socialist Worker that Labour and Green Party councillors were among those attending the Sheffield Stop the War Coalition's annual meeting last Saturday.
He said, "Meetings to mobilise for the 24 February demo are being organised for the Somali and Yemini communities, at mosques and for trade unionists and students."
It's not just in the big cities that people are mobilising. In smaller towns, Stop the War groups are also organising to get maximum numbers to the protest.
In Ipswich some 40 people came to a Stop the War meeting last week. Anti-war activists in Glossop in Derbyshire are planning to send a coach to the demo. Worcester Stop the War is also organising a coach.
In Lancaster, activists report a lot of interest in the demo.
Dave Weltman, who is involved in the group, told Socialist Worker, "The group in Lancaster hadn't met for a long time so we called an organising meeting to get people together – 24 people came.
"They included students, CND members, activists from Respect and the Green Party, and people who have been campaigning for Palestinian rights.
"We organised a lot of things from the meeting including a public meeting and transport to London. We held a very successful street stall last Saturday – collecting over £60 in donations.
"We are also making efforts to involve more trade unionists, Labour Party members and Muslims. The NUT teachers' union has donated £100 and the UCU lecturers' union has given £50 to the group."
Other trade union branches around the country are also supporting the demo. In Birmingham, for example, the trades council and the city's Unison union branch are putting on coaches.
In Waltham Forest, east London, the council Unison branch has invited Kate Hudson, chair of CND, to their annual general meeting to speak about the demo.
Students are also getting organised. Meetings in the last week included 350 students at University College London.
At Essex university, students have only been back at college for two weeks.
Dominic Kavakeb, a second year student at the university, told Socialist Worker that lots of new people are getting involved in building for the demo.
He said, "Last week we held an organising meeting for Stop the War. We were really pleased when 20 students came -- including people from the Islamic Society and People & Planet, as well as lots of new people.
"We are planning a day of action on 15 February to publicise the march. We are going to have a visual presence on campus all day, with a die-in, smoke bombs and other things to create a big atmosphere at the university.
"We are also organising a public meeting in early February and a banner making session.The demo is a great focus for getting organised."
Some 30 students came to the first ever Stop the War meeting at the Stoke campus of Staffordshire university last week.
Assed Baig, a Respect member at the university who is standing for NUS national secretary, told Socialist Worker that students who came along are now organising for the London demo. "We had a very enthusiastic response," he said. "We are organising transport to get maximum numbers to the demo."
The following should be read alongside this article: » US demo: half a million Americans say 'troops out now'
For information about transport to the demo or meetings in your area go to www.stopwar.org.uk
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