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Hot News
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”The Prime Minister should call her ‘very, very, very’ close friend in Washington and tell him that this country absolutely rejects his ‘war for oil’ against Iraq” said Green MP Sue Bradford on 16 January, before joining a peace rally outside the U.S. Embassy. Read
Sue’s Press Release
.
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”National MP Gerry Brownlee’s call for an end to New Zealand’s ban on nuclear-powered ships is so devoid of commonsense as to be laughable” Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said on 10 January. Read
Jeanette’s Press Release
.
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The New Zealand Herald’s 2002 ”Backbencher of the Year Award” went to Green MP Keith Locke. The award read: “BACKBENCHER OF THE YEAR: The Greens Keith Locke. As a committed leftie, he has an agenda. But he kept his head as others got swept up with gung-ho backing of the so-called war on terrorism. Locke became the unofficial civil liberties watchdog, exposing the Government’s shoddy attempt to rewrite New Zealand’s counter-terrorism laws in secret. He also shed light on SAS operations in Afghanistan, making a mockery of the Government’s blanket ‘no comment’. Quite simply doing the job an Opposition MP should do.”
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Listener political columnist Jane Clifton also gave Keith a plaudit in her December 21 wrap up: “Top honours [in the Greens] go to Keith Locke, the bravest person in Parliament. However inconvenient and unfashionable his views on free trade and military engagement, he never ceases to articulate them”.
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Which peacenik said this? ”There are insufficient grounds for war, which is unnecessary and may lead to unpredictable and potentially disastrous consequences. It is not in Australia’s interests to take part in such a war. I stress that this is not a call to inaction, since better alternatives are available.” Answer: General Peter Gration, writing in the Melbourne Age, 7 January 2003. (Read the
full article
).
General Gration was chief of the Australian Defence Force during the Gulf War. He joins a number of other senior military and ex-military personnel in the USA and the UK who are giving sound reasons for not going to war and presenting better alternatives.
Hot Action
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Young Kiwi Green Christiaan Briggs, from Napier, leaves London for Iraq on 25 January with a convoy of peace activists going to Iraq as part of the Iraq Human Shield campaign being organised by the Universal Kinship Society. Christiaan and the Society urgently need donations to support them in this brave work. Christiaan is trying to raise $1000 for his basic expenses; any surplus will go to the Society. You can make a donation by credit card through PayPal at a
site
Christiaan has set up.
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If you have a yen (and the skills) to join a weapon inspections team looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction in a country where you are SURE to find some, and need some financial help to get there, then contact
Engineers for Social Responsibility
. ESR is offering up to $1000 in assistance to a Kiwi wanting to join the team being put together by the Canadian
Rooting Out Evil coalition
. Rooting Out Evil plans to send a team of inspectors into the USA at the end of February.
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Peace actions around the country are increasing in size and frequency – make sure you know what’s going on in your town and get involved by checking
Peace Movement Aotearoa’s website
regularly, and/or sign up to your local peace action group.
Hot Analysis
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‘He lists ”oil, oil and oil” as the main reasons for the present war plans. He also anticipates an ”incident” that will be used as a rationale for the first US strike, just as the Gulf of Tonkin incident – a supposed attack on a US destroyer – precipitated deeper US military action in Vietnam.’ Daniel Ellsberg, talking to Duncan Campbell in the Guardian Weekly, December 26 2002 – January 1 2003, p. 11. Former US Marine Ellsberg’s just released book ”Secrets” finally tells the full story of what happened when he leaked the infamous ”Pentagon Papers” in 1971. Ellsberg has been a peace activist and trenchant critic of US foreign policy ever since. His new book is a must read.
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The film ”Bowling for Columbine”, by Michael Moore, is currently playing in NZ cinemas. An indictment of US gun culture, it tells it like it is.
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Become an instant expert on Iraq – download a power point presentation and accompanying speech notes on ”Iraq: the realities of sanctions and the prospects for war” from
Dr Eric Herring’s website
. Dr Eric Herring is a senior lecturer in Politics at Bristol University and an expert on Iraq. His website contains talks and papers on Iraq that provide solid facts and figures on the past, present and possible future war.
Sue’s Press Release
.
Jeanette’s Press Release
.
full article
).
General Gration was chief of the Australian Defence Force during the Gulf War. He joins a number of other senior military and ex-military personnel in the USA and the UK who are giving sound reasons for not going to war and presenting better alternatives.
-
Young Kiwi Green Christiaan Briggs, from Napier, leaves London for Iraq on 25 January with a convoy of peace activists going to Iraq as part of the Iraq Human Shield campaign being organised by the Universal Kinship Society. Christiaan and the Society urgently need donations to support them in this brave work. Christiaan is trying to raise $1000 for his basic expenses; any surplus will go to the Society. You can make a donation by credit card through PayPal at a
site
Christiaan has set up. -
If you have a yen (and the skills) to join a weapon inspections team looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction in a country where you are SURE to find some, and need some financial help to get there, then contact
Engineers for Social Responsibility
. ESR is offering up to $1000 in assistance to a Kiwi wanting to join the team being put together by the Canadian
Rooting Out Evil coalition
. Rooting Out Evil plans to send a team of inspectors into the USA at the end of February. -
Peace actions around the country are increasing in size and frequency – make sure you know what’s going on in your town and get involved by checking
Peace Movement Aotearoa’s website
regularly, and/or sign up to your local peace action group.
Hot Analysis
-
‘He lists ”oil, oil and oil” as the main reasons for the present war plans. He also anticipates an ”incident” that will be used as a rationale for the first US strike, just as the Gulf of Tonkin incident – a supposed attack on a US destroyer – precipitated deeper US military action in Vietnam.’ Daniel Ellsberg, talking to Duncan Campbell in the Guardian Weekly, December 26 2002 – January 1 2003, p. 11. Former US Marine Ellsberg’s just released book ”Secrets” finally tells the full story of what happened when he leaked the infamous ”Pentagon Papers” in 1971. Ellsberg has been a peace activist and trenchant critic of US foreign policy ever since. His new book is a must read.
-
The film ”Bowling for Columbine”, by Michael Moore, is currently playing in NZ cinemas. An indictment of US gun culture, it tells it like it is.
-
Become an instant expert on Iraq – download a power point presentation and accompanying speech notes on ”Iraq: the realities of sanctions and the prospects for war” from
Dr Eric Herring’s website
. Dr Eric Herring is a senior lecturer in Politics at Bristol University and an expert on Iraq. His website contains talks and papers on Iraq that provide solid facts and figures on the past, present and possible future war.
Dr Eric Herring’s website
. Dr Eric Herring is a senior lecturer in Politics at Bristol University and an expert on Iraq. His website contains talks and papers on Iraq that provide solid facts and figures on the past, present and possible future war.
JustPeace is produced by Christine Dann, Tim Hannah and Keith Locke, MP