Global Peace And Justice Auckland Newsletter #19, January 30, 2003
Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09)
8463173 mailto: mailto:jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 0212547440
miket@pl.net Web page - Geraldine Peters (09) 3570655 mailto: mailto:bern@ihug.co.nz
Donations can be sent to GPJA, 84 Paice Ave, Sandringham, Auckland. All
communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be
addressed to mailto: mailto:gpjamailinglist@xtra.co.nz
MOBILISE AGAINST WAR
GPJA FORUM AND ORGANISING MEETING MONDAY, FEB 3(7.30PM TRADES HALL)
MARCH ON SATURDAY, FEB 15 (12 NOON, QEII SQUARE)
PEACE CONCERT SUNDAY, FEB 16 (1PM, POTTERS PARK)
Dear friends,
The march towards war is accelerating with Bush's so-called State of the
Union address being used to rally support for a war. He announced that the
UN Security Council was to be "summoned" to hear a report from his Secretary
of State Colin Powell. We can expect that to be an ultimatum to the other
"great powers" to support the war or be sidelined in decisions to be made
for a post-war Iraq.
Helen Clark continues to promise support for the invasion if it gets the nod
from the UN Security Council and places the responsibility on Iraq for
failing to "comply in full with the (UN) resolution and the requirements of
UNMOVIC." This she says "will clearly provoke war with or without Security
Council sanction." (see
In the face of a war with devastating consequences for the people of Iraq and the world this academic detachment is
irresponsible in the extreme. There has not been a word on criticism of the US war drive. The decision to replace the
frigate Te Kaha with the frigate Te Mana in the Gulf sends a clear signal that the NZ government has no problem being
part of the armada gathering in the Gulf. If war breaks out it will be impossible to claim it is only there to look for
al Qaeda suspects when its official duties include "escorting coalition vessels through the Straits of Hormuz".
You can help organise opposition to this war and any NZ participation in it by coming to the next GPJA meeting this
Monday, Feb 3, 7.30pm, Trades Hall,147 Great North Rd. Publicity will be available to pick up to advertise the protest
march planned for the international day of action on Saturday, February 15 and the Peace festival in Potters Park on
Sunday, February 16th.
A great line-up of artists have volunteered to perform on the 16th including: Don McGlashen, Shona Laing & Karen Hunter, Golden Horse, Caitlin Smith, The Weather, Taos, One Voice Choir, Brenda Lydiard and Mark Laurent, Selwn
College Band, Salon Kingsadore, Michele Acourt. NB STARTING TIME CHANGED TO 1PM.
POSTERS AND LEAFLETS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM http://gpja.pl.net/ These will be posted over these next few days.
DONATIONS URGENTLY NEEDED
Building an antiwar movement costs money. We are often given helpful suggestions on how we could advertise our events
more effectively. The simple fact is that the biggest constraint is that we depend on donations for everything we do.
That means people like you. Send a cheque to GPJA, 84 Paice Ave, Sandringham, Auckland. Better still make a small
monthly Automatic Payment - Contact our treasurer Brian Vandam for a form: mailto: mailto:vandam@math.auckland.ac.nz
WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND WILL BE UPDATED NEXT NEWSLETTER
FROM DAVOS - A capitalist war?
".If we go to war, we will use force in the most economical way possible." - Policy Planning Director, Richard Haass,
U.S. State Department to host Nic Gowing, during the Special BBC World Debate held at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland, 26/01/03.
BEST ON THE WEB
ANTIWAR MOVEMENT
Anti-war protesters announce Feb. 15 rally for `millions' NEW YORK - Anti-war protesters on Wednesday predicted
"literally millions" of people in New York, San Francisco and more than 30 international cities would march the weekend
of Feb. 15 against war in Iraq.
See also: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
NZ Protests - Devonport, Waihopai, Wellington
US war plans stirs protestors
It was a sight rarely seen in Blenheim since the days of the 1981 Springbok tour.
More than 200 people, concerned at American aggression towards Iraq, took to the streets on Saturday morning to protest
against a possible war in the Middle East http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/marlboroughexpress/0,2106,2221199a6008,00.html
Kiwi among 'human shields' heading for Iraq
Sunday, January 19: On Sunday, people from the McMurdo Station in Antarctica joined with the millions of others around
the world in calling for peace not war. With the Antarctic Mt Range in the background we laid on the ice in a symbolic
call for peace. Seven continents united." http://www.vicpeace.org/iraq/actions/19jan-antartica.html
In timing and in size, last weekend's antiwar protests made history http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/3612389.html
Front pages of an antiwar tabloid!
Not in our name statement published as two-page add in New York Times http://www.nion.us/NION.HTM
US Churches preparing for civil disobedience against war http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,881282,00.html
PILGER AND FISK
Pilger: Blair is a coward
William Russell, the great correspondent who reported the carnage of imperial wars, may have first used the expression
"blood on his hands" to describe impeccable politicians who, at a safe distance, order the mass killing of ordinary
people.
Robert Fisk: The wartime deceptions: Saddam is Hitler and it's not about oil http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=373102
Robert Fisk: The coffee table war
American publishers have been churning out glossy memorials to the Twin Towers and bullish pro- war propaganda. But do
their arguments stand up?
IRAQ WAR
IMAGES: This is what the Gulf war looks like http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0301/S00125.htm
Playing hide and seek with Saddam - Mark Steel
Counting the dead
In the event of war, how many Iraqi civilians will die? And how many will starve, or be displaced? In secret, the UN has
been doing the sums http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,884356,00.html
Bush is losing it
It was a bad week for the Bush administration, and it's likely to get worse. The American people are beginning to
understand the folly and greed that inform its economic policy. And most of the civilized world has turned decisively
against the Iraqi adventure.
Troops in Gulf to use uranium shells
We're going for oil
US accused of using torture during interrogation
An engineered crisis
The desire for hegemony over the Middle East - not Iraq's weaponry or even its oil - is America's real motivation for
war, writes Brian Whitaker http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4592284,00.html
US hypocrisy over biological weapons
America's dreams of empire
War Whatever
Bush aide: Inspections or not, we'll attack Iraq http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12377231=full&
The other State of the Union
The Nazi connection of Granddad Bush
In October of 1942, under the Trading With the Enemy Act, the U.S. government halted operations at New York's Union
Banking Corporation. A bank official was charged with "Running Nazi front groups in the United States." His name:
Prescott Bush.
GLOBAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT
"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing" - Arundhati Roy;
January 28, 2003 Porto Alegre, Brazil
Global Justice movement stronger than ever - George Monibot http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,883654,00.html
"Argentina: A new kind of revolution" Guardian's Weekend magazine.
Kelsey on GATS: "Spread the word!"
More than 100 people crowded into Wellington City Council chambers yesterday evening to attend the launch of Professor
Jane Kelsey's "Serving whose interests?", a shocking expose on what the secretly negotiated GATS (the General Agreement
on Trade in Services) means for New Zealanders.