Author: garykent

Many people have used the third anniversary of the Iraq invasion to impart their opinion on the Stop The War coalition. Tim Hames argues that they may have succeeded and that no more totalitarian dictators will be removed from office and that there may be no more openings for civil and religious liberty. And Harrys Place publishes leaked e mails which show some tension within the Stop the War leadership over its orientation towards sectarian forces. (David Spector)

To mark the third anniversary of the Iraq war, Progress will be hosting a debate on the lessons of the conflict for Labour. The next issue of Progress magazine will also feature a special report on the subject. Three years on: the lessons for Labour from Iraq, will take place on Tuesday 21 March in Committee Room 16 in the House of Commons between 6 and 7.30pm. The panel will comprise of Sadiq Khan MP; Gisela Stuart MP; Gary Kent, director, Labour Friends of Iraq; and Oliver Kamm, author of Anti-Totalitarianism: The Left-wing Case for a Neoconservative Foreign Policy. Stephen … Continue reading Progress debate lessons for Labour from Iraq

President Jimmy Carter rejects a pre-emptive withdrawal of US troops but urges the Bush administration to drawdown its forces in Iraq. The US ambassador to Iraq compares the toppling of Saddam Hussein to opening a Pandoras Box. It might be argued that, as Zalmay Khalized makes so few public statements, and even fewer as frank as this one, there is a significant debate at the highest level of American government regarding the timing of any troop withdrawal. (David Spector)

Calling for the Speedy Formation of National Unity Government to Defeat Terror and Sectarian Sedition and Build a Free Democratic Iraq Organised by Iraqi political organisations and groups in UK. Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 4.00 – 5.00 p.m. The Iraqi Embassy, 9 Holland Villas Road, London W14 8BP

This report and this report suggest that Iraqs new parliament could be called into session by March 12th, and possibly by the end of this week. The significance of this date is that the constitution requires parliament to hold its first meeting no later than four week after the election result is certified. Once parliament meets, they have 60 days to elect a president and approve a prime minister and cabinet. Even if parliament were to be convened, these subjects could still prove divisive. It was reported earlier that President Jalal Talabani was now attempting to block the Shiite prime … Continue reading Parliament Could Be In Session By End Of The Week

The Iraqi Ambassador to Canada Howar Ziad says Iraq is in a struggle between truth and falsehood, between decency and depravity, between democracy and dictatorship and between freedom and slavery. Before its liberation in April, 2003, Iraq was not a peaceful democracy, nor was it a country of social justice, or of ethnic, religious and linguistic tolerance as this great country Canada is. No, Iraq was a country occupied by a foreign ideology, the fascist idea of Baathism; a country in which the regime was at war with the people; a regime that was at war with its neighbours and … Continue reading Building a rights-based, federal democracy

EDM 1689 reads as follows: Iraqi Trade Unions That this House supports the independent and democratic Iraqi trade union movement, mainly centred around the newly merged Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF) and the Kurdish trade unions, which play an important role in re-building of its devastated national economy and consolidating the current political process in order to create a democratic, united and federal state after years of repression and hardship at the hands of the deposed dictatorship of Saddam; is, therefore, deeply disturbed that on 8 August 2005 the Iraqi council of ministers issued Decree 8750 which declared that union finances … Continue reading Dave Anderson, LFIQ Chair tables Commons motion in defence of Iraqi trade unions

The International Crisis Group suggests that although the sectarian violence may die down in the short term, the structural dynamic still indicates that civil war is likely. CNN has interviewed the Iraqi national security adviser who remains more optimistic. However, at least one Iraqi blogger suggests that the reported violence may have been exaggerated. (David Spector)

Jabbar Hasan Director Of The Iraqi Community Association In London tells the Mirror his views of the current situation in Iraq. I think all Iraqis were guilty of wishful thinking when they denied the danger of sectarian conflict. We have just seen an act of terrorism timed and planned to spin Iraq into civil war. It is up to community leaders and politicians to get a grip of the situation, but Saddam’s Ba’athist party members, jihadists and foreign powers are all interested in destabilising the situation further. In a civil war the only winners will those who are against the … Continue reading The stakes are very high

Public Meeting To Defeat Terrorism and Sectarian Sedition and Consolidate Iraqi National Unity Organised by: Co-ordinating Committee of Iraqi Democratic Forces (UK) Saturday, 25 February 2006, 7.00 p.m, The Polish Centre, Malinowa Room, 2nd Floor, 238-246 King Street, London W6 0RF (Nearest underground: Hammersmith or Ravenscourt Park) ** Speakers will include representatives of Iraqi political groups in Britain. The meeting is open to all members of the Iraqi community, as well as British friends and the media. Our homeland Iraq is going through extremely difficult days and a deep political crisis as a result of the repercussions of the criminal … Continue reading Co-ordinating Committee of Iraqi Democratic Forces public meeting Saturday 24th February