Tony Blair’s remarks on Iraq today

Labour Leader Tony Blair told the party conference in Gateshead that “I learnt that on some issues, sometimes you just have to agree to disagree, like Iraq, though hopefully now, with 8 million people in Iraq coming out to vote, we can all agree, however we got here, we should stay as long as the Iraqis want us to help ensure democracy not terror determines their future.”
LFIQ brings together people who took different sides on the war but we are determined to play a positive role in assisting post-war Iraq to rebuild itself and we believe that Iraqi unions are a key part of this process of democratic reform.

Christians in Iraq

Aaron Glantz of the IPS news agency examines the position of the Christian minority in Iraq, reporting that thousands of Christians have fled Arab parts of Iraq. One man is quoted as saying that “It’s not so bad for the men, because we can blend in with the Muslims. But the women, they don’t wear Islamic headscarves.”

Troops out when?

Stop the War leader Lindsey German explains in this week’s Socialist Worker why “Getting the troops out is still the key demand after the Iraqi election.” She says that “Every major political party had the end of the occupation as a central plank of their campaign. Therefore, you can only conclude that Iraqis voted for the troops to go.” Iraqis want the foreign troops to go but not immediately, regardless of the security situation. When will the SWP acknowledge this and stop abusing those who are trying to rebuild their country through a UN mandated process? (Gary Kent)