Stop the War Coalition
07951 235 915
 office@stopwar.org.uk
PO Box 3739
London E5 8EJ

MEDIA RELEASE 14 NOVEMBER

* "This war is still going on and it is still wrong - stop it now!"
* Massive turn-out expected for anti-war demo on Sunday, 18 November

"The fall of Kabul has only exposed to ever greater scrutiny the hypocrisy, injsutice and dangerous ambiguity underlying this war," said a Stop the War Coalition spokesperson today (14 November).

"When the so-called war against terrorism was declared, at no time did its aims include the handing-over of Kabul and other Afghan cities to the warlords of the Northern Alliance.

"This war is still going on and it is still cruel, unjust and counterproductive - stop it now!

"The triumphalism of the pro-war faction in our media is yet further evidence that this war has nothing to do with securing justice for the victims of 11 September in the USA.

"Contrary to claims in some sections of the media, at no time has the anti-war movement in this country supported the Taliban or indeed any other armed faction within Afghanistan. What all these factions have in common -
including both the Taliban and Northern Alliance - is their contempt for democracy and human rights and their reliance on sponsorship and weaponry supplied by outside powers.

"What the people of Afghanistan need from us now is food, material assistance and an immediate end to military action. What they do not need is another arrogant carve-up imposed by a super-power.

"The Stop the War Coalition is also gravely alarmed at the indications that some factions in Washington seek the expansion of this war into Iraq. Such a move would have appalling consequences - in loss of human life, in
abuses of human rights, and in political instability and social conflict - and we will resist it with all our might.

"We also note that the war is continuing to be used as an excuse by the British government to take away our civil liberties and human rights. Our demonstration on Sunday will also be a reminder to the Blair government
that there is massive opposition to these new restrictions - which make a mockery of the values of democracy and tolerance that our government claims to be fighting for.

"We also condemn the US bombing of the al-Jazeera TV offices in Kabul - on the very morning that the US allies in the Northern Alliance moved on the city. We have a right to see what is being done in our name. Reports
form Mazar-i-Sharif and elsewhere indicate that there are hundreds of revenge killings being carried out by the US-UK sponsored coalition forces.

"The demonstration organised by the Stop the War Coalition for Sunday 18 November promises to be the largest yet against the US-led military action in Afghanistan. People in their millions in Britain are extremely
disquieted by this war and that disquiet will be reflected on Sunday."

For more information contact: Andrew Murray (chair, Stop the war Coalition steering committee 0777 3764455 or Lindsey German (convenor, Stop the War Coalition steering committee) 07810 540584

Speakers at Sunday's Stop the War Coalition rally will include:

MPs: Paul Marsden, George Galloway, Jeremy Corbyn, and Alan Simpson MP.

Journalists: John Pilger, George Monbiot, Germaine Greer, Yvonne Ridley, Tariq Ali.

Trades unionists: Bob Crow (RMT Assistant General Secretary), Andy Gilchrist (General Secretary, Fire Brigades Union), Paul Mackney (General Secretary, NATFHE), and Bernard Regan (National Executive, NUT) - all in
personal capacity

Peace movement: Bruce Kent, Canon Paul Oestricher, Carol Naughton (chair, CND)

Muslim organisations: Dr Gyasudddin Siddiqui (Muslim Parliament), Aslam Ijaz (London Council of Mosques)

Civil liberties activists: Asad Rehman, Mike Mansfield, Louise Christian

Plus: Tony Benn, Angela Royal (War on Want), Socialist Alliance, Green Party, Bianca Jagger, John Haylett (editor, Morning Star), Houra Quadir (Scottish Coalition for Justice and Peace), Lindsey German (editor, Socialist
Review), Sait Akgul (Federation of Kurdish Associations in UK), Green Party, and a Palestinian speaker.

International guests:

* Ahmad Ben Bella, former president of Algeria and leader of the anti-colonial movement

*Michael Letwin, convenor, New York City Labor Against the War (NB: Michael Letwin is a New York City public sector work and trades unionist who will explain why he and an increasing number of New Yorkers reject the
war being made in their names).

* Dr Jonathan Farley, an African-American academic based in Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, currently on a Fulbright Scholarship to Oxford University - he will respond to the accusations made by Chelsea Clinton.

Note: the Rally will assemble at Hyde Park from 12 noon and march to Trafalgar Square for a rally to commence about 3pm. There will be speeches (and speakers available for media interview) at both ends of the march. At
sunset, those demonstrators who wish to will join together for iftar, the ritual breaking of the Ramadan daily fast. (Ramadan begins on the previous day, Saturday, 17 November).