Labour Friends of Iraq

Last night’s Newsnight showed a fantastic 10 minutes from Salam Pax, the Baghdad Blogger and Guardian columnist, looking at the role women are playing in building a new Iraq and quite how difficult, and dangerous, that can be. The piece is available on Newsnight until 10pm tonight. Go to video and then 33 minutes into the programme.
Jane Ashworth

David Ignatius of the Washington Post examines the possibility of a new oil pipeline through Iraq’s nastiest war zone.

Columnist Bob Herbert in the New York Times speaks to former members of the US military elite who are horrified by the torture and abuse scandal that has spread through some sectors of the US military. Brig. Gen. James Cullen and Rear Adm. John Hutson have lent their support to New York-based group, Human Rights First, which, along with the American Civil Liberties Union has issued an extraordinary lawsuit that seeks to hold Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ultimately accountable for policies that have given rise to torture and other forms of prisoner abuse.

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According to a report in today’s Independent. The report goes on to say:
The Labour Friends of Iraq has launched an attempt to defuse the issue at the election. In a campaign pack, the group admits it might have been wrong for Britain to go into Iraq, but insists: “We are where we are. Today, almost everyone wants a sovereign democratic Iraq. The last thing the Iraqi people need is for us to cut and run now. If the multinational force withdrew tomorrow, there will be a bloodbath, civil war, the Balkanisation of Iraq and the end of the hopes of all democrats and progressives.”
The group, whose joint presidents are the Labour MPs Harry Barnes and Ann Clwyd, Mr Blair’s special envoy to Iraq, denies the Prime Minister is “just Bush’s poodle”, saying that he opposed the US President on the Kyoto treaty.
It admits “grave mistakes” have been made in Iraq but insists there are “many good news stories” to tell, including the removal of Saddam, the trials of Saddam and his henchmen, the return of Iraqi refugees and the rise of a free Iraqi trade union movement.

According to a report in today’s Guardian “secular and liberal groups have launched a counter-attack against what they say is the undue influence of hardline Shia Islamists and Iran’s theocracy on the formation of Iraq’s new government“.

From today’s Guardian.
Note this passage in particular: “However, Labour Against the War itself suffered a high-profile defection last month, when founding member Harry Barnes – who is standing down at the election – left the group, accusing it of ‘giving succour to terrorists’ by demanding the immediate withdrawal of British troops.”

The colourful right-wing Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has found an unlikely political pin up in left-wing British MP and serial rebel Harry Barnes.

Continue reading Australian Foreign Minister hails LFIQ to have a pop at Australian Labour Party

Iraqi electricity workers march through the streets of Baghdad against terror.
The preparatory committee of the Electricity Workers Union, an IFTU affiliate, organized a protest on Thursday 24 March 2005 against terror. Hundreds of protesters supported by many more Iraqis gathered at al-Wazeria district in Baghdad and marched towards the Ministry of Electricity shouting “No, no to terrorism!” Once protesters reached the Electricity Ministry, they delivered a petition calling on the authority to provide security and safety for workers while carrying out their duties and to take serious steps to safeguard the wealth of the nation from criminal acts and sabotage.
IFTU executive committee
24 March 2005

We are collating views on our work and launching a major fund-raising campaign so that we can maintain and expand our work in boosting solidarity with Grassroots Iraq. Please send your views to our e mail at the bottom left of this page. With thanks, Gary Kent, Director

What people say about us
Many trade unionists opposed the war. But since the fall of Saddam the priority has been to make solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Iraq and to hold the occupying powers to account. Labour Friends of Iraq have made an important contribution to both tasks. They have got on with extending practical aid to the fledgling Iraqi unions and blistering criticism to Bush. I hope they go from strength to strength.
Kevin Curran, GMB General Secretary (personal capacity)

Continue reading Friends of Labour Friends of Iraq praise our work