JOE GLENTON'S FIRST PUBLIC SPEECH SINCE RELEASE

STOP THE WAR COALITION    
Newsletter No.1164   
22 July 2010   
Email office@stopwar.org.uk   
Tel: 020 7801 2768   
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk   
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER   
1) JOE GLENTON'S FIRST PUBLIC SPEECH SINCE RELEASE   
2) I'M A WARMONGER, GET ME OUT OF HERE    
3) HOW TO LOBBY YOUR MP   
4) TONY BLAIR'S PROVEN CULPABILIY IN MASS MURDER   
5) NEW LOCAL STOP THE WAR GROUPS   
6) SONG OF THE WEEK: WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE

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1) JOE GLENTON'S FIRST PUBLIC SPEECH SINCE RELEASE

On Monday 26 July, Joe Glenton, the soldier who said no to the    
war in Afghanistan, will make his first public speech since his   
release from military custody. He will speak at Stop the War's    
Time To Go rally in London, when he will be joined by Caroline    
Lucas MP, Mark Steel (comedian and Independent journalist) and    
Ross Williams, another soldier jailed for refusing to fight an    
unjustified war (full list of speakers below).

Joe Glenton suffered months of imprisonment for making his stand   
against the war, and has shown great courage and principle   
throughout (SEE http://bit.ly/reppW ). The anti-war movement owes   
him a great debt and we hope everyone living in the London area   
who can, will be there on Monday when we show our appreciation.

Please circulate details of the rally to welcome Joe's release    
and encourage as many people as you can to join us on 26 July.

RALLY: AFGHANISTAN - TIME TO GO   
MONDAY 26 JULY 7PM   
CONWAY HALL, 25 RED LION SQUARE,   
LONDON, WC1R 4RL

SPEAKERS: Lance Corporal JOE GLENTON, just released from prison   
following court martial for refusing to fight in Afghanistan,    
ex-soldier ROSS WILLIAMS, jailed in 2008 for refusing to fight in   
Iraq, CAROLINE LUCAS MP, JEREMY CORBYN MP, MARK STEEL, comedian   
and columnist, LINDSEY GERMAN, Stop the War Coalition, YASMIN    
KHAN, War On Want.

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2) I'M A WARMONGER, GET ME OUT OF HERE

Joe Glenton's release coincides with the vindication of all the   
reasons he gave for refusing to return to Afghanistan.

Thirty-four British soldiers have died in the last ten weeks,    
including ten in the last ten days. The rush from politicians to   
name a withdrawal date is a clear sign that they recognise the    
obvious: they are losing the war.

"We need to find a way of declaring victory and getting out," was   
in reality the conclusion of the Kabul Conference on 20 July,    
attended by 40 foreign ministers from the US and its allies (SEE   
http://bit.ly/beCvEt ) .

The same reasoning lies behind the British government's   
announcement that all UK combat troops will be withdrawn by 2015,   
"if the conditions in the country are right to do so".

This is a critical moment for the anti-war movement. We face at   
least five more years of Afghan civilians and invading soldiers   
dying in a war which has no other purpose than to save the face   
of the warmongers.

At the current rate of dying, we can anticipate another thousand   
British soldiers being killed and many thousands of Afghan   
civilians.

We need to mobilise the widest opposition to reflect the view of   
the vast majority in Britain that there should be no more   
pointless deaths and the troops should all come home now.

Stop the War has called a national Troops Home demonstration for   
November 20, the day that Nato meets in Lisbon, when Afghanistan   
will be the main issue for discussion.

Between now and the national demonstration we will organise a    
range of events, both national and local, to raise the profile of   
the anti-war majority, including a lobby of parliament in early   
September, when MPs will debate and vote on a motion on   
Afghanistan - the first time it has done so since the invasion in   
2001.

Leaflets for the national demonstration on November 20 will be    
available from the Stop the War national office very soon:   
Contact office@stopwar.org.uk or 020 7801 2768.

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3) HOW TO LOBBY YOUR MP

Local Stop the War groups will be lobbying their MPs at   
constituency surgeries this weekend and we are encouraging all    
our supporters to join the campaign ahead of the debate in   
parliament in September by using our online lobbying resource.    
LOBBY YOUR MP NOW: http://bit.ly/cJv5Id

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4) TONY BLAIR'S PROVEN CULPABILIY IN MASS MURDER

Devastating evidence given to the Iraq Inquiry by Carne Ross,    
former UK diplomat to the United Nations, and Baroness    
Manningham-Buller, former head of the British secret service,    
effectively implicated Tony Blair in mass murder, including the   
deaths of 52 people in the 7 July 2005 bombings. However, the    
chances of the Iraq Inquiry producing in its final report   
anything that would lead to Blair's indictment for war crimes    
remain less than zero. (SEE http://bit.ly/cZk42i )

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5) NEW LOCAL STOP THE WAR GROUPS

It's very encouraging that new local Stop the War groups are   
being formed (Canterbury is the latest). If there is no local    
group in your area, or school or college,  and you would be   
interested in setting one up, the Stop the War national office    
can provide help and advice. We can also give contact details if   
there are other Stop the War supporters where you live, who may   
be interested in getting involved.

STOP THE WAR NATIONAL OFFICE:    
 office@stopwar.org.uk or 020 7801 2768.

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6) SONG OF THE WEEK: WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE

In keeping with the sentiments of the warmongers and soldiers    
alike (no doubt endorsed by the Afghan people), we have made our   
song of the week WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE, which became an   
anthem for the anti-war movement in the Vietnam war. (SEE VIDEO:   
http://bit.ly/c1kVOH )