News & Analysis

Selected news and analysis articles. Click on a headline to view the full article in a separate window.

Renowned Author & Reporter for The Independent - daily reports

Yes, thankfully, there's still such a thing as a real 'investigative journalist' - someone reporting as a first-hand witness to events without disgracing themselves to the requirements of the censors or propaganda merchants.

US dirty tricks to win vote on Iraq war

Martin Bright, Ed Vulliamy, Peter Beaumont, 2 March 2003, The Observer

The Observer newspaper has obtained a top secret memo from a US spy agency which shows how the US is conducting a secret 'dirty tricks' campaign against undecided UN Security Council members to win votes in favour of war against Iraq.

Blair Hypocrisy

by John Pilger, February 28, 2003

The outstanding journalist John Pilger tears into Blair's "moral case" for war.

Anti-war activists lock arms across British military runway

AP World - General News, Thu Feb 20,11:43 AM ET

A fantastic and inspiring example of British citizens performing an act of civil disobedience. We should all heed their call: "We're calling on everyone opposed to this war to get up and act to prevent it. The lives of countless innocent Iraqis depend on our action."

LONDON - With their arms locked together, four anti-war activists on Thursday lay across the runway of the Royal Air Force base from where British troops are being flown to the Persian Gulf.
The Oxford Pledge of Resistance Group said the protesters at the Brize Norton base, in Oxfordshire, central England, wanted to stop the buildup by Britain to an "insane war" with Iraq.
"The government has made it clear it isn't going to stop the war. Now it comes down to the people of Britain," the group said in a statement.
"We're calling on everyone opposed to this war to get up and act to prevent it. The lives of countless innocent Iraqis depend on our action."
A spokeswoman from the Ministry of Defense said the protesters were lifted off the runway still locked together with metal cylinders, and military police were working to remove the arm bands.
She said it appeared the four had breached the main security perimeter fence to reach the runway.
"There will be an inquiry to find out how they were able to get through or over the fence," she said on condition of anonymity. "This sort of thing will always concern us."
Some 1,000 British air force personnel flew to the Gulf region from the base on Wednesday to prepare for a possible war with Iraq. Another 360 troops are to be flown out from the base to join them.
The Ministry of Defense said the protest had little effect because none of those flights were scheduled to depart Thursday afternoon.
Britain, one of America's strongest supporters regarding Iraq, has sent about 40,000 British troops to the Gulf, despite strong public opposition at home to a war without U.N. Security Council approval.

Anger over 'quit Labour' call

BBC News Online, 20 February 2003

Labour MP Ann Cryer has reacted with fury at a Labour member's call for fellow Labour activists to tear up their party cards. These courageous Labour activists hope that a credible threat of mass-resignation from the party will force a change in Blair's policy. If you are a Labour activist and wish to know more about this campaign, and perhaps consider resigning from the party, please visit www.cutitup.co.uk

Archbishops doubt morality of Iraq war

BBC News Online, 20 February 2003

Blair's "moral case" for war has suffered another set back. The leaders of the UK's Catholic and Anglican churches have cast doubt on the simplistic argument suggested by Blair that you can either bomb the people of Iraq, or you leave them to suffer at the hands of Saddam Hussein.

Retreat in Downing Street: Blair's spokesman says Saddam can stay in power if he is disarmed

Paul Waugh, 18 February 2003, Independent

Barely two days after Blair presented his latest reason for bombing and invading Iraq, his "moral case" has been exposed as yet another lie. "Ridding the world of Saddam would be an act of humanity," Blair told us, and leaving him in power would, "in truth," be "inhumane," with "consequences paid in blood." His spokesman added that Saddam Hussein is a "dictator who runs his country like a butcher's shop." But now Downing Street has admitted that Saddam Hussein would be allowed to remain the butcher of Iraq if he disarms of weapons of mass destruction. So much for Blair's "moral case."

Blair's 'moral' case for war in Iraq is shot full of holes

Simon Tisdall, 17 February 2003, The Guardian

Saturday's unprecedented march demonstrated that Blair has lost the argument over war. Millions of people are not convinced there needs to be a devastating assault on Iraq. Blair is now on the run. He ran from the people of Glasgow on Saturday and is now running from his own arguments. During his nervous speech on Saturday he produced a new reason why we have to launch a huge attack: there is a "moral case" for war. So it's no longer about weapons of mass destruction, or supposed links to al Qaeda. The latest reason is that we should bomb the people of Iraq to save them from Saddam Hussein. Simon Tisdall explains that this "moral case" is shot through with holes - it is but another excuse for the inexcusable.

France and Germany pursue peace plan

BBC News Online, 9 February 2003

While Bush and Blair prepare for war, France and Germany demonstrate that not all peaceful solutions have yet been exhausted. The French and German governments are trying to push a new peace plan which would see the strengthening of the weapons inspectors mission and the deployment of UN peace-keepers.

Glasgow City Council Opposes a Pre-emptive Attack on Iraq

Resolution Against Pre-emptive Attack on Iraq

The City Council unanimously backed the following resolution on Thursday 30 January 2003 and asked that it be publicised to allow Glasgow citizens to record their view.

"The Council considers that a pre-emptive attack on Iraq is neither necessary nor justified and that it would produce incalculable risks to international peace and stability.

The Council further considers that British participation in such an attack would be likely to have seriously damaging effects on Glasgow's social and economic welfare and to endanger the safety of it's citizens.

The Council accordingly calls upon Her Majesty's Government not to commit British forces to a pre-emptive attack on Iraq."

Dismissing Powell

Scott Ritter, 7 February 2003

Former weapons inspector Scott Ritter comments on the evidence U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented to the United Nations. "There's nothing here that's conclusive proof that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction," he says. He calls a "fabrication" Powell's assertion that Iraq may have mobile biological laboratories. Ritter calls for the weapons inspectors to be given sufficient time to do their job.

Powell Presentation - It Was Like Something Out Of Beckett

Robert Fisk, Independent, 6 February 2003

Robert Fisk presents his view of Powell's evidence to the UN. He points out some factual inaccuracies and fraudulent suggests, and concludes that Powell's evidence carries no authority for war.

Leaked intelligence report rejects Iraqi al-Qaeda link

BBC, 5 February 2003

Has Tony Blair been caught out lying or attempting to mislead us? This is what he said in the House of Commons just last week: "We do know of links between al-Qaeda and Iraq. We cannot be sure of the exact extend of those links." His spokesman was even more specific, saying we know al-Qaeda is being sheltered in Iraq.

But today, in an unprecedented move, a British intelligence agency has leaked an official, internal, top-secret intelligence assessment. This assessment, dated January 12, directly contradicts the Prime Minister. It says that "while there have been contacts between al-Qaeda and the Iraqi regime in the past, any fledgling relationship foundered due to mistrust and incompatible ideology. Though training of some al-Qaeda members in Iraq may have continued, bin Laden views the regime as an apostate. His aim of restoring an Islamic caliphate whose capital would be in Baghdad is in ideological conflict with present day Iraq."

Iraqi water and sanitation systems could be military target, says MoD

Jo Dillon, Independent on Sunday, 2 February 2003

Our British Ministry of Defence has admitted that it could target bombs and missiles at Iraqi water and electrical distribution systems - infrastructure that is essential to the health and sanitation needs of millions of ordinary Iraqi families. Oxfam notes that "under the Geneva Conventions it is against international humanitarian law for 'any objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population' to be targeted during military action. In the case of Iraq, these objects include infrastructure such as ports, railways and roads vital for the distribution of food aid across the country as well as the water and sanitation system, powered by the mains electricity supply."

So our Government is openly considering a breech of the Geneva Conventions by targeting the vital human life needs of water and electricity. Aid charities are warning that this will cause a "major humanitarian tragedy." The MoD seems indifferent. Yes they say, destroying crucial humanitarian support structure will "sadly" have "implications for civilian populations." Note the use of the detached word 'implications' - what they really mean is increased diseases, such as cholera and typhoid, and worsening malnutrition amongst an already suffering people. (Read the Oxfam warning) (Email Blair)

Primer on understanding the US-Iraq crisis

Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies, January 2003

An extensive introduction to understanding the U.S.-Iraq crisis. This excellent pamphlet is arranged in a very accessible question-and-answer format. Any questions you may have about the current crisis can probably be answered here. There is also a PDF version which you can download and then pass to others.

The recolonisation of Iraq cannot be sold as liberation

Seumas Milne, Guardian, 30 January 2003

President Bush wants us to believe that the planned mass-slaughter of people in Iraq will mean the country's "day of liberation" from a tyrannical regime. Seumas Milne points out that this is yet another flimsy argument being put forward by the pro-aggression lobby which, especially in Britain, is increasingly running scared of the people and their stubborn opposition to war on Iraq (for example, the Government is even trying to ban the London February 15 demonstrations from meeting in Hyde Park!). There are still no convincing reasons being offered for war.

Blair is a coward

John Pilger, Mirror, 29 January 2003

John Pilger exposes the lies told by Blair and describes the horrendous effects of war - "the end result of orders given far away by the likes of Bush and Blair ... the blood on their hands." He writes that this is a madness which we, "the British people, can stop."

Is Saddam hiding something? Blix gives his verdict on Iraqi weapons.

Guardian, 28 January 2003

Authoritative and sober analysis of the weapons inspection report presented by Hans Blix at the UN Security Council. Jack Straw MP ranted that the report was "unbelievable," "damning and disturbing" and showed the Iraqi regime was responding "with a consistent pattern of concealment and deceit." However the report wasn't anything like that. Iraq does still have some questions to answer, but, the UN has found no evidence to justify war. There is still no convincing reason being given for war.

The human cost - 'Does Tony have any idea what the flies are like that feed off the dead?'

Robert Fisk, Independent, 26 January 2003

Robert Fisk writes about the real, horrifying truth about war, and how it's safely shielded from our eyes. "No one acknowledges the truth of it. No one shows you what we see. Which is how our leaders and our betters persuade us - still - to go to war."

War would be insane

Noam Chomsky, BBC, 21 January 2003

A BBC summary of a radio interview with Noam Chomsky. Chomsky was asked why he opposes the war. "You never need an argument against the use of violence, you need an argument for it," he replied, pointing out that Blair must persuade us why we should go to war rather than us having to explain why we're against. Chomsky added that the only argument needed against war "is to point out that the arguments been given for it are not convincing, and that's true, they are very far from convincing."

This Looming War Isn't About Chemical Warheads Or Human Rights: It's About Oil

Robert Fisk, Independent, BBC, 18 January 2003

Veteran journalist Robert Fisk presents statistics and other facts to argue that a war against Iraq will be for control of its immense oil resources.

We Say No To Bush's War: Voices Of The Anti War Opposition

John Pilger and Anthony Arnove, Socialist Worker, 16 January 2003

Socialist Worker has compiled an excellent anti war Q&A based on interviews conducted with many different voices of the anti-war movement.

Anti-war train drivers refuse to move arms freight

Kevin Maguire, Guardian, 9 January 2003

An inspiring example of direct action. Two Motherwell-based train drivers refused to move a freight train carrying ammunition believed to be destined for British forces being deployed in the Gulf.

Act now against war

George Monbiot, Guardian, 7 January 2003

Those against an attack on Iraq must do more than shake their heads at the television. The people of these islands have an opportunity to change the course of world events. "Are you out there? Or are you waiting for someone else to act on your behalf?"