Iraq Follow

THE LIES told by Tony Blair to justify war on Iraq are coming back to haunt him. This week the conference of Britain's fourth biggest union, the GMB, called for a public inquiry into events leading up to the war. If Blair was found to have lied, said the motion, he should resign. The conference also supported the Stop the War Coalition and voted to review its links with Labour MPs.

THE neo-conservative warmongers in the White House have taken critical steps towards attacking more countries even as occupation brings further suffering to the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan. The two states next on George Bush's "axis of evil" list are Iran and North Korea.

THE ANTI-war movement has to be seen in the context of what we built when we opposed war not just on Iraq but on Afghanistan. The strength of our movement was its breadth and its depth. The core of the movement has been increasing in size and in depth of knowledge.

DELEGATES TO the conference of the train drivers' union Aslef unanimously reaffirmed the union's support for the anti-war movement and condemned the war against Iraq. Conference adopted an executive committee report condemning the "unnecessary, immoral and unlawful" war.

AROUND 200 people came to hear George Galloway speak in Ealing in west London on the continuing occupation of Iraq last week. There was a great mix of people at the meeting, all united in their anger at Blair and his lies, while support for George Galloway was stronger than ever. This meeting proved wrong anyone who had thought the anti-war movement had disappeared. There was a real feeling that action against Bush and Blair must continue. George Buckerfield

"He has plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, which could be activated within 45 minutes" Tont Blair, 24 September 2002

TONY BLAIR is facing his most profound crisis. Politicians have been caught lying and cheating many times before. Blair's lies over Iraq are of a different order. He lied so he could join in killing thousands of Iraqi people.

SOME 240 people packed into Willesden Library, north west London, on Thursday of last week to hear George Galloway and others slam the occupation of Iraq. The meeting, called by Brent Stop the War, drew people who had attended protests during the war and newer forces.

IN EVERY debate at last week's CWU conference there was anger about various aspects of New Labour policies. This wasn't just shown over the war on Iraq (see here). CWU delegates condemned New Labour for their treatment of the firefighters during their recent pay dispute.

OPPOSITION TO the war in Iraq goes deep into the union movement. The tone was set this week at the CWU union conference for postal and telecoms workers in Bournemouth. In his opening address general secretary Billy Hayes said, "We can't buy into Bush's plans for the world.

GEORGE BUSH, the butcher of Iraq, is arriving in Europe this weekend. He is flying into Evian in France to meet with his fellow leaders of the "G8" richest industrial countries. He comes determined to hammer home his victory in Iraq - even though every day there are reports of more deaths and killings in the country he claims to have liberated.

HUNDREDS OF people have been shot dead in Iraq over the last three weeks. They are the victims of both US patrols and of rival gangs who have exploited the power vacuum created by the occupying powers. The UN children's agency UNICEF also warns that the humanitarian crisis in the country is getting worse - with continuing blackouts, untreated sewage pouring into drinking water, food shortages and epidemics.