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WAKE UP!! IT'S YER OPIUM OF THE MINORITIES...

SchNEWS, Issue 684, Friday 17th July 2009

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GOOD PLAN, 'STAN


AS THE BODY COUNT MOUNTS, WE LOOK AT THE UNWINNABLE WAR IN
AFGHANISTAN

There seems to be a real sense of surprise that eight British
soldiers were killed in 24 hours, during the ‘fiercest fighting
yet in Afghanistan’. The Taliban have changed their strategies
from massed wave attacks to the hit-and-run guerilla insurgency that
stopped the US occupation dead in its tank-tracks in Iraq.

Whilst the patriotic coverage of “Our Boys” is not
surprising, the fact that the Taliban can fight back isn’t
either. After all they the product-of / heirs-to the Mujahideen that
defeated the Soviets in the 80s. Afghanistan is called ‘the
graveyard of empires’ for good reason. The British were defeated
there (just like in Iraq) in the heyday of the British Empire. In
1842, Afghans killed over 16,000 British soldiers and auxiliaries in a
single battle. The Brits remained bogged down in Afghanistan for
decades, eventually giving up in the 1920s. The Russians tried a few
decades later. They quit after ten years with 14,000 dead on their
side.

Since then Afghanistan has been in a near-constant state of war. The
Taliban years meant a kind of harsh peace for many, although their
brand of knuckle-headed Islam only really held any real appeal to the
2 million shellshocked survivors in the refugee camps.

It’s hard to guess at the numbers of dead in the latest US-UK
phase of their war. Human Rights Watch has managed to put together
some figures; their minimum estimates (including only known, recorded
deaths) suggest something like 1,000 every year - almost certainly a
gross undercount.

With such high stakes it’s obvious that this war is very
important to Western leaders and NATO generals. Considering that the
invasion was basically an act of revenge in the first place,
it’s worth taking a moment to ponder why ‘our boys’
are still being sent to die nearly eight years after 9-11.

KABULSHIT

But first we need to be clear about is what the war is not about.
It’s not about oil. Or pipelines. Or bases. It’s not about
the War on Terror™ (sorry, Overseas Contingency Operation).
It’s not about the war on drugs.

Yes, there is a school of thought that says that the war in
Afghanistan is part of a grand plan to control the world’s
energy resources - gas and oil especially. Some claim Afghanistan is
perfectly placed to take gas from central Asia on to Europe, bypassing
dodgy states like Russia and Iran. But these schemers’ plans
involve routing gas through such dangerous and unpredictable territory
as northern Pakistan, Kurdistan and Afghanistan - a bad idea from the
start, hugely expensive and impossible to defend.

A strongly worded communiqué from any one of a dozen rebel
groups in the area is enough to send energy prices soaring. And
anyway, this is only one of at least three mega pipeline projects
crisscrossing Central Asia.

Russia, China, Iran, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and India have all been
investing heavily in pipelines which don’t need either America
or Afghanistan.

OK, Afghanistan does have one multi-billion dollar export - opium.
But a side effect of toppling the Taliban caliphate in 2001 was that
opium cultivation and production skyrocketed. About the only nice
thing the UN ever said about the Taliban was about their success in
eradicating opium. But in the lawless post-invasion environment,
Afghans now produce some 90% of the world’s supply with the
anti-drug Taliban showing their pragmatic side - needing cash to fund
their insurgency, they encourage and then tax opium farming. A clever
plan would be to buy opium directly from farmers (distributing
processed opiates to hospitals maybe) but this has been vetoed by the
Americans, who can’t be seen to be soft on drugs.

So if the Afghan war is about anything, it’s about pride. The
US (and us) can’t be seen to be defeated by a ragtag group of
peasants and refugees - because when you look at the globe, there are
a lot of people that match that description and the last ten years
have shown that it’s exactly these types of forces that can
defeat modern armies. ‘Our’ forces can’t win, and
they can’t retreat; the only solution
chickenhawk politicians suggest is to throw more young lads into
the line of fire and drop more explosives on more people, escalating
the conflict. It’s worth recalling the suggestion of a US
general during the last years of the Vietnam War: “Can’t
we just declare victory and leave?”

Much more than Israel’s attacks on Palestinians, Afghanistan is
as clear a case of complicity from the UK government as you could get.
The attacks are ordered by our politicians with the active help of
British corporate backers. Take EDO/ITT for example: while they
don’t like to admit they make cash supplying components to the
Israelis, they are proud to admit they make entire bomb racks for
British warplanes, used to murder farmers and shepherds in
Afghanistan. EDO’s bomb racks are specifically designed to be
used with the Paveway bombs regularly used in ‘close air
support’ missions’ to ‘facilitate reconstruction and
the extension of government authority’ - i.e. bombing missions
to you and me.

And EDO must be rubbing their hands as the UK government makes
galvanising claims that the Afghan war is ‘showing signs of
success’ - despite that fact that after eight years the Taliban
now control something like 40% of the country. Even areas
theoretically under Coalition/‘Afghan Government’ control
often have to sway back to Taliban law at night, when the US/UK
military are back at their bases.

But it’s been difficult to get people on to UK streets to
protest the war in Afghanistan lately. Understandable as most folks
are reluctant to be seen supporting the Taliban, undeniably amongst
the most humourless bunch of bastards you could ever hope not to
meet.

Another reason may be that, much more than Iraq, there just
isn’t much media coverage from the other side of Afghanistan.
Very few images of Afghan dead permeate the mass media filters. Apart
from the odd Channel Four special, and Robert Fisk in the Independent,
what we see is what we’re spoonfed - squaddies in rough terrain
doing a tough job, alternately doling out sweet to local kids and
lobbing mortars at enemy positions.

When the Trots are the most active force agitating against the war,
we’ve really taken our eye off the ball.

Information About Afghanistan

* www.tomdispatch.com (US alternative news source that’s kept
focussed throughout)

* www.atimes.com (Asia Times Online - their reporter, Syed Saleem
Shahzad, seems to have really good sources within the Taliban)

Information For Action

* www.antimilitaristnetwork.org.uk

* www.stopwar.org.uk (reluctantly)

* www.smashedo.org.uk

EDO are exhibiting in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle military
conference on July 22nd-23rd. Anyone wanting to give them a warm
welcome should get themselves down to the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel in
Newport on the 22nd and 23rd of July. www.smashedo.org.uk



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CRAP SEARCH OF THE WEEK

…..for an arresting aroma

On their way to this year’s Workhouse festival in rainy North
Wales last weekend, one van load of would-be revellers got pulled over
on the Welsh border by West Mercia police.

Apparently as they were going to a festival they might be
“bringing drugs in from outside the area” (only local
drugs here please!). After one copper got a noseful of a
‘suspicious’ smell they searched the van top to bottom,
suspecting ‘the presence of cannabis’ –
unfortunately for the keen-nosed cops the smell came from a pot of
pungent organic pesto.



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CALL OFF THE HOUNDS!

The Crawley and Horsham (C&H) foxhunt’s attempt to crush
hunt monitors under the weight of an injunction has collapsed
ignominiously! As we reported back in SchNEWS 637, the C&H, backed
by the Countryside Alliance, had engaged the services of Timothy
Lawson-Cruttenden - pioneer of liberty-busting lawsuits under the
Protection from Harassment Act (See SchNEWS 581) to prevent monitoring
of their activities. On Tuesday (14th), hunt monitors received notice
that the case was being dropped.

The injunction would’ve seen huge areas of Sussex closed off to
monitors – who could have been arrested regardless of what the
hunt was doing. Since the ban came into effect in 2005, hunts have
tried every trick in the book to ensure that they are still able to
set dogs on wildlife. With senior cops making it clear that they
weren’t interested in enforcing a ban, it’s been left up
to hunt monitors to procure the evidence to ensure that the
blood-junkies end up in the dock. Monitors and sabs are the last
obstacle to the resumption of hunting. Having solicited donations from
across the world to fight for blood-sports, it’s clear that the
Countryside Alliance saw this as a flagship case and were hoping to
roll out similar injunctions across the country.

Chichester based monitors Simon and Jane Wilde have long been at the
forefront of getting evidence of hunt cruelty. This year, using an
undercover infiltrator, they were able to get hold of conclusive
evidence that the plaintiffs - who said that they were being harassed
by the Wilde’s activities - were engaged in illegal hunting. The
principle plaintiff, Simon Greenwood, was filmed using his hounds to
chase a fox to ground and then call in terrier-men to dig it out and
throw it to the hounds.

Jane’s solicitor Victoria von Strandmann told SchNEWS that
these proceedings were an oppressive attempt by a powerful group
seeking to use the courts to stop individuals concerned about the
welfare of animals, in order to flout a law that they have
unstintingly opposed. In the process, they were seeking to stifle
legitimate opposition and rights to free speech, and prevent
individuals from going about their everyday lives.

Simon Wilde told us: “The Crawley and Horsham hunt has been
forced to withdraw from an action that the Countryside Alliance had
originally engineered as a master plan designed to defeat the Hunting
Act by preventing monitoring. If they had achieved this, it would have
spread nationwide and been game, set and match for hunting. Now we
have turned the tables, and the hunt will have to write out cheques
for hundreds of thousands of pounds for legal fees, having achieved
nothing.”

Twos-up on yer new Land Rover then Simon!

* To contact West Sussex Wildlife Protection call 07990522712

* See also www.hsa.enviroweb.org



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DOW AND NOWT

This Monday (13th) the international campaign to bring justice for
the survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide (UC) chemical spill in Bhopal
held a demo at Dow Chemical’s office in Staines. Dow bought out
UC in 2001, but they are doing their utmost not to take ownership of
Bhopal’s deadly legacy.

The world’s largest industrial accident (See SchNEWS 580) on
the night of December 3rd 1984, saw 42 tonnes of methyl isocyanate gas
pouring out of the UC pesticide plant, killing up to 10,000 within the
first 72 hours, with a subsequent death toll of an estimated 25,000.
The mess was never cleared up, let alone due compensation paid out,
and the toxicity continues to wreak havoc.

The 20 campaigners at Staines included Sathyu Sarangi, long-term
Bhopal activist, and founder of the Sambhavna Clinic which treats
survivors. Sathyu estimates that up to 150,000 people are still
chronically ill as a result of the spill. Involved since day one of
the disaster, Sathyu’s efforts to help victims and bring the US
corporation to account have seen him serve three prison sentences,
endure beatings and have a contract put on his life.

The demo was accompanied by the latest stunt from pranksters The Yes
Men who, on the same day, ‘launched’ a new brand of
bottled mineral water, B’eau-Pal, featuring water from hand
pumps near the disaster site. The minerals in this water pack a punch:
tests show that it holds 2000 times the EPA limit of Carbon
Tetrachloride – a deadly compound which affects the nervous
system, liver and kidneys. Worryingly, this figure has tripled since
1999, demonstrating the way toxins continue to leech into the water
system. Other chemicals present in B’eau-Pal include the
carcinogenic Dichlorobenzene. A report by the Sambhavna Trust shows
that groundwater, vegetables, and breast milk in the area are
contaminated by toxic quantities of nickel, chromium, mercury, lead,
and volatile organic compounds.

This year is the 25th anniversary of the disaster, and, in the
build-up, the campaign are touring Europe in a bus, starting in
Germany in October. There will be international demos this December
– for more see www.bhopal.org

* For more about B’eau-Pal see
www.theyesmen.org/blog/dow-runs-scared-from-water



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VA-VA-BOOM!

Following a spate of ‘bossknappings’, blockaded ports and
barricaded factories, feisty French workers have gone one step further
and are now threatening to blow up their factories in response to job
losses.

Car parts manufacturer New Fabris, in the town of Chatellerault in
central France, went into liquidation in April, making every one of
its 366 staff redundant with, at most, two months wages in
compensation.

As the operations were winding down, workers decided to take action
and occupy the factory. After hanging black cardboard cut-outs in the
shape of coffins noting workers’ names, they dragged machinery
from the factory into the courtyard and torched it. Then, deciding to
get really serious, they placed 20 canisters of acetylene and butane
all around the factory and rigged them to explode.

They are now threatening to detonate the canisters if their demands
for a 30,000 Euro per person redundancy package are not met by 31st of
July.

Blockaded in the factory with the workers is millions of pounds worth
of machinery and equipment. The workers are now offering the return of
the machinery (that hasn’t yet been toasted) in negotiations
with car makers Renault and Peugeot, the two customers of New Fabris,
whom they hold responsible for its demise.

The action has provoked copycat incidents at Nortel Networks research
centre in Châteaufort, near Paris, and at US construction
equipment-maker J.L.G., in the Lot-et-Garonne region where workers
loaded gas canisters on top of aerial platforms and threatened to blow
them up.

While representatives at Nortel claimed they wouldn’t have
followed through on their threats after they obtained an agreement to
stage talks, the New Fabris workers maintain that they are completely
serious. “We are at the end of the line,” union rep Guy
Eyermann said. “A lot of people worked here for 25, 35 years.
Many have given their lives to the company.” Eyermann called on
“all factories in Europe that are closing to protest and do what
the workers are doing here.”

*
www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/15/french-auto-workers-threa_0_n_233890.html



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COUP STARK

As the region’s politicians continue to attempt some kind of
political opposition to the military coup in Honduras (see SchNEWS
682), the people are still on the streets confronting the military
with non-violent direct action. Thousands of protesters have now
blockaded three of the four main roads that feed the capital,
Tegucigalpa. With union organisations in Nicaragua and El Salvador
announcing plans to shut down the borders with Honduras in solidarity,
the coup government are becoming increasingly isolated.

Desperate to cling on to power the military is resorting to terror
tactics, including arbitrary imprisonment. Last week, Jose David
Murillo Sanchez, the father of a protester shot and killed by the
military (see SchNEWS 683), went to the police station to make a
statement. While returning home he was bundled into an unmarked car by
police and taken away.

Sanchez, a member of MAO, a campesino environmental defence
organization in Olancho, is now being detained on trumped up
two-year-old charges.

* See www.narconews.com



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CALAIS BRUISE CREWS

Calais migrant-support activists have received word that a major
police operation is planned for next week. As we reported in SchNEWS
682, thousands of migrants hoping to get into the UK hide out in the
Calais area, waiting for their chance to cross the channel. The police
are said to be planning the clearance of the shanty dwellings and
squats that house the migrants on Tuesday (21st), followed by a mass
deportation of Afghani migrants on Thursday (24th).

France’s Interior Minister Eric Besson made it clear in January
that he wanted to see all migrants removed from Calais and the
surrounding area by the end of this summer. And the project has
already started, with the bulldozing of camps at Loon-Plage and
Teteghem and the destruction of squats in Calais.

Activists are sending out an urgent call-out for people to get down
to Calais to support the migrants and act as legal observers. Call
07884 040683, email  calais.press@riseup.net or see
www.calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com

* London No Borders and No Borders Brighton are calling a demo at
12.30pm outside the French Embassy, 58 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7JT
on Monday 20th July to protest the repression. (Brighton station
meet-up 10am)

* The next No Borders camp will be held August 25th-31st on Lesvos, a
Greek island which serves as a main entry point for thousands of
refugees and migrants looking to reach Europe. For details see
www.lesvos09.antira.info



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AND FINALLY

Also at the Workhouse Festival (see Crap Search this issue), one
punter enjoying a relaxing herbal smoke was surprised to be seized by
two burly blokes and informed that he was under arrest. That’s
right, plain-clothes plod bumbling round a festie and –
shock-horror! - catching someone having a joint.

Although the unfortunate toker only copped a street caution –
the crowd weren’t going to take this lying down. So shortly
afterwards, the undercovers developed a bit of a following, with two
stalkers dressed as police with one holding a sign just saying
“COPS” with an arrow. Being the centre of attention
didn’t really suit them and the two were soon reduced to hiding
behind festival security.

After a half-hour stand off they left site and weren’t seen
again all weekend, and there were no more surprise busts – pass
da rizla!



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Disclaimer

SchNEWS warns all readers - do mention the war, we didn't once but we
think we got away with it. Honest!

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SchMOVIES


'ON THE VERGE' - the Smash EDO campaign film

Screenings throughout the year, or download or order a copy.

For updates and details click here
 http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-on-the-verge.htm



TAKE THREE - SchMOVIES Collection DVD 2007
*** OUT NOW ***

This is the third SchMOVIES DVD collection featuring short direct
action films produced by SchMOVIES in 2007, covering Hill Of Tara
Protests, Smash EDO, Naked Bike Ride, The No Borders Camp at
Gatwick,
Class War plus many others. To buy a copy click here:
 http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index.html#take-three


To download (free) and watch a selection of SchMOVIES short films
click
here  http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies


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PARTY & PROTEST
What's On? Check out our Party and Protest guide at
www.schnews.org.uk/pap/guide.php - it's updated every week, has
sections on
regular events, local events, protest camps and more...


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