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War and Occupation
George Bush and Tony Blair have created disaster in Iraq and are repeating the process by ratcheting up the threats against Iran – another Muslim country with very large oil reserves – accusing it of using its nuclear power programme to develop nuclear weapons.

This from countries with vast nuclear arsenals linked directly to their own nuclear power plants.

Blair wants us to forget that he took us to war on a pack of lies – or that the war has been declared illegal by the UN Secretary General. It is time for Blair to pay the price for his lies and deception, his support for Bush and his role in the war drive.

In Iraq over 100,000 civilians have been killed. Major cities such as Falluja and Tal Afar have been attacked and destroyed. The horrors of the Abu Ghraib torture chambers shocked the world.

British troops are revealed to have been doing the same. Torture is sub-contracted to oppressive regimes. Iraq’s natural resources and facilities have been privatised and plundered. The occupation, and the breakdown in society it has brought about, has taken Iraq to the brink of civil war.

Respect calls for the immediate end of the occupation of Iraq.

The elections and the formation of a puppet government have changed nothing. The bulk of those voting were not voting to support the occupation but were looking for a way to end it. The issue is not, as we are constantly told, one of democracy against dictatorship, it is one of resistance versus occupation. Nothing will change as long as the occupation continues. The only force which can reorganise Iraq and end the conflict are the Iraqi people themselves – and the precondition for that is the exit of the occupation forces.

Only then can the Iraqi people begin to rebuild their country and their lives.

At the same time the anti-war movement in Britain and internationally has come onto the streets time and again in opposition to this barbarity. The voices of soldiers refusing to serve in this illegal war and of the families of those who have died are becoming louder daily. We are proud to be part of this magnificent movement.

RESPECT SAYS:

> End the occupation of Iraq; bring the troops home now.

> Stop the threats against Iran.

> Self-determination for the people of Iraq..

> Support the Iraqi trade unions and anti-occupation women’s groups which have sprung up under the occupation.

> Close the torture prisons of Abu Ghraib, Bagram air base, Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere.

> End attempts to detain and deport Iraqis and support their right to stay.

> Support the Stop the War Coalition and Military Families Against the War.
 

News and articles of interest

Here are some articles and news reports we think are worth looking at

From Triumph to Torture by John Pilger
Two weeks ago, I presented a young Palestinian, Mohammed Omer, with the 2008 Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism. Awarded in memory of the great US war correspondent, the prize goes to journalists who expose establishment propaganda, or "official drivel", as Gellhorn called it.

SATs school tests criticised by official report by Harvey Thompson and Linda Slattery
In May, millions of school children throughout England undertook their Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) in English, mathematics and science. The statutory tests are widely considered to be flawed and almost universally reviled by teachers and children alike.

Health: Who asked for choice? - Morning Star
IF Health Minister Ben Bradshaw believes that there is political capital to be made by taking on our NHS doctors, he will quickly come unstuck.

Afghanistan troop deaths outnumber those in Iraq by Angela Balakrishnan and agencies
Militants in Afghanistan killed more US and Nato troops than those in Iraq in June after a fresh spate of rebel attacks that highlighted the growing strength of the Taliban.

Iran legally entitled to develop nuclear energy, says UK MP
Iran is legally entitled to develop nuclear energy under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to a British MP visiting Tehran for the first time. George Galloway, who was expelled from Britain's ruling Labor Party for his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, also criticized the hypocrisy of Israel's belligerence towards Iran, which has its own illegal stockpile of nuclear weapons.

In the Cause of Fear and Ignorance by John Pilger
Muslims are alone as they watch the British state, with its "obstinate incomprehension" of their faith, do to them as it would never do to those of other faiths. Imagine Jews treated this way. You cannot imagine it; the profanity is too great. The silence of British Jews, who have the history, is also great.

Migrant Myths by Adam Ford
As part of her degree course, Kurdish migrant Filiz Celik researched the conditions that workers from overseas face in the United Kingdom. The full text of her study can be read here, but this summary by Adam Ford gives some idea of the reality behind the media-generated myths.

Tesco shareholders reject TV chef's chicken welfare call
Tesco shareholders today voted against a resolution from TV cook Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall which called for the retail giant to improve its chicken-rearing standards.

Academies expelled 10,000 pupils
Academies have been accused of excluding disproportionately high numbers of students after it emerged that they excluded nearly 10,000 pupils for poor behaviour last year.

Let companies run state schools for profit, says Sir Simon Milton
Private companies should be allowed to run state schools at a profit and be free to dismiss teachers who are not up to the job, the head of the Local Government Association (LGA) said yesterday.

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