Issue 467

News

BY BRONWEN BEECHEY ADELAIDE — "George W. Bush has said that anyone who is not supporting his 'war against terrorism' is standing with the terrorists. Well, we are here to tell George W. Bush that we don't stand with him or with the terrorists. We
BY GRAHAM MATTHEWS MELBOURNE — Supporters of peace and justice sprang into action as soon as they heard that US bombing raids on Afghanistan had begun, rallying in their thousands on the evening of October 8. By far the largest action happened
BY NICK FREDMAN LISMORE — Living in northern NSW, it has been impossible to miss anti-war activities with four actions in less than a week. The most high profile action was a picket of National Party member for Page Ian Causley's campaign
BY PAUL OBOOHOV CANBERRA — The October 20 elections in the Australian Capital Territory are being contested by far more than the usual major party candidates. Nurses angry about the meltdown in health, outer suburbanites disgruntled with service
BY OWEN RICHARDS SYDNEY — A student occupation of the Goolangullia Aboriginal unit at the Bankstown campus of the University of Western Sydney has entered its third week. The occupation — a rejection of a university restructure and its effects
BY SARAH CLEARY HOBART — Anti-war fever hit the University of Tasmania on October 11 as more than 200 students attended a lunch-time rally organised by the Network Opposing War and Racism (NOWAR) student group. Shua Garfield, a member of the
BY TERRICA STRUDWICK ROCKHAMPTON — Its launch was long-awaited by many on campus, but the newly formed Resistance club at Central Queensland University has burst into action with two public forums in quick succession, urging Rockhampton students,
Trade union opponents of the US "war on terrorism" have had success garnering support within the labour movement. Here is a model motion Green Left Weekly readers should move in their union: The [name of union] shares the horror of people around
BY SARAH STEPHEN SYDNEY — For two days, beginning on October 7 every section of the corporate media, from TV to newspaper, reported that a group of around 220 Iraqi asylum seekers had callously thrown their children overboard before themselves
Anti-war message comes to UCan CANBERRA — The anti-war movement came to the University of Canberra on October 19, when activists held a speakout and petition stall, with props highlighting the truth about George Bush's "war on terrorism".
BY SUE BOLTON Following in the tradition of unions which took a strong stand against the Vietnam War, some unions have adopted motions opposing US military retaliation for the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11. The
BY MIKE BYRNE BRISBANE — While originally billed as a "counter-conference" to the planned Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, a teach-in attended by over 150 activists expanded its field of vision and discussed the US war in the Middle East
BY KYLIE MOON MELBOURNE — In a win for left-wing students, activist ticket No War No Racism has won the position of education officer on the La Trobe University Students Representative Council in the student elections which finished on October
Upcoming actions Adelaide: Sunday November 4, 2pm. Victoria Square. Brisbane: Saturday October 20, 11am. Defence Force Recruiting Centre, 288 Edward Street, City. Canberra: Friday October 19, 5.30pm. Garema Place, Civic. Geelong: Saturday
BY CHRIS SLEE& SUE BOLTON MELBOURNE — Between 8000-10,000 building workers marched through central Melbourne and converged on the Collins Street headquarters of the federal royal commission into the building industry on October 10, the day of the
BY ROHAN PEARCE SYDNEY — "The attacks on Afghanistan are already costing lives. There are lots of people who can see the hypocrisy of George Bush calling for justice for the victims of the September 11 attacks and then bombing Afghanistan and

World

BY HEBA SALEH CAIRO — As the United States raises the battle cry against terrorism, Algeria's military rulers — struggling with their own Islamist opposition — can clearly see an opportunity coming their way. Often criticised for their human
BY RAMANI DE SILVA DILI — The Constituent Assembly elected in September had been in place for less than two weeks when on September 26 a demonstration of around 300 people demanded that its deliberations be opened to the people through public
BY NICOLE COLSON CHICAGO — "The only way they're going to hear us is in the streets. No to war! Yes to peace!" That was the message that Lucas Benitez had for the crowd of Chicago protesters who gathered just hours after George Bush began raining
BY SALEH AL MASRI 0nly by the latter years of the first intifada (uprising), which erupted at the end of 1987 did the buds of Palestinian military activity appear. However, this is in no way comparable with the developments witnessed in the "Aqsa
BY NICOLE COLSON CHICAGO — "I don't know of any American that hasn't been inspired with the understanding of the willingness of law enforcement to do whatever is necessary to secure the safety of American citizens." That's what Attorney General
BY SEAN HEALY US firm Kerr McGee and French oil group TotalFinaElf have won lucrative concessions from the Moroccan government, granting them permission to explore potentially rich oilfields off the coast of occupied Western Sahara. During an
More than 40,000 people marched in London on October 13 against the US-British military attacks on Afghanistan. At the same time, 5000 people protested against the war in Glasgow. The London anti-war protest, which marched from Hyde Park to Trafalgar
BY SEAN HEALY The United States has given its clearest hints yet that the "war on terrorism" will extend to many more targets than Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban and many more countries than Afghanistan. In the first days after the terrorist
BY PATRICK CRAVEN& PHILEMON LUKHELE JOHANNESBURG — Mario Masuku, president of Swaziland's opposition People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), was arrested on October 4 and charged with failing to report to the police station as required
BY NORM DIXON The day after the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state in the Nixon administration, demanded that the US government "destroy the network" of whoever committed the
BY AHMAD NIMER RAMALLAH — Over the last week a new political term has entered the lexicon of Israeli political commentators and government spokespersons: "Arafat's Alatalena moment". The reference is to the ship which was shelled by the leader of
BY LEE SUSTAR The public display of the American flag has been hailed as a symbol of "national unity" and "resolve" by George Bush, network news anchors and politicians of both mainstream parties. But many protests against the US war drive have

Culture

REVIEW BY PHIL SHANNON Howard Zinn on WarBy Howard ZinnSeven Stories Press, 2001206 pages, $34.95 (pb) With every militarist hothead in press and parliament lashing themselves into a frenzy over the war they have just started against Afghanistan,
BY LINDA WALDRON How does a working-class hero reconcile conservative ideas with a revolutionary reputation? After participating in a Melbourne press conference with Billy Bragg, I am convinced it is an amusing and confusing exercise in

Editorial

@box text intr = In a speech to the British Labour Party's annual conference on October 2, billed as the formal announcement of war with Afghanistan, Tony Blair outlined the sort of world the imperialist powers' claim they want to construct out of