Thousands Converge In U.K. To Protest War

Marchers Demand All British Troops Out Of Iraq, Protest Plans For Missile Defense System

(CBS/AP)  Anti-war protesters converged on London Saturday to call on Prime Minister Tony Blair to withdraw all of Britain's troops from Iraq and voice fears over a potential conflict with Iran.

A few thousand people joined the march through the rainy capital, according to initial police counts. That was far fewer than the numbers predicted by organizers, who hoped to top the several hundred thousand people who turned out for a 2004 London rally to contest Britain's role in the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Blair said Wednesday that Britain would withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq over the coming months and aims to cut its 7,100 troop level to below 5,000 by late summer — if Iraqi forces can secure the southern part of the country.

"Whether 2,000 troops come home this year or not, it is too little too late and we must intensify our call for all troops to be withdrawn now and for Britain to break the link with George Bush's foreign policy," said Lindsey German, head of the Stop The War Coalition, which organized the demonstration. "We think that the announcement that some troops will be withdrawn has made people more determined to join the demonstration."

She said marchers were also protesting Blair's plans for a new multi-billion dollar nuclear missile defense system.

Lawmakers are due to vote later this year on Blair's recommendation to replace Britain's four nuclear-powered submarines, which are each capable of carrying up to 16 nuclear-armed Trident missiles and expected to end their operational life by 2024.

"It hasn't just been about Trident, it has been about getting rid of American bases from British territory, because as long as we have their bases, we are going to be saddled with their weaponry and their illegal war fighting and I think we have to sever that," protester Helen John told British broadcast Sky News.

Among the speakers at the rally in London were former Labour politician and veteran peace activist Tony Benn and London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

The speakers in London, and at a second demonstration in Glasgow, Scotland, also voiced fears the United States and Britain could take military action against Iran over its contentious nuclear programme.

The U.S. and some allies claim Tehran is using a civilian energy programme as a cover to develop nuclear weapons — an allegation that Iran denies.

"We have had Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, it's been a remarkable demonstration," said George Galloway, leader of the Respect party, told Sky News.

But Galloway suggested that even with the departure of Blair from 10 Downing Street later this year, his expected successor Gordon Brown may not mean a change in policy.

"I have to tell you, Mister Brown and Mister Blair are two cheeks of the same backside, there's no difference," he said. "They are both going to support policies of war and privatization, and until we make a break from that, things are not going to get better in the world. So, Mister Blair will be gone soon, but unless the policy changes, our movement will have to keep on marching."

Blair on Wednesday rejected suggestions a military conflict was likely. "No one wants to resolve the issue with Iran in anything other than a diplomatic way," Blair told lawmakers. "No one is looking for confrontation with Iran."

[lars008-2009]

Appeal for Redress

Sign this Appeal.

This site is an Appeal For Redress in support of our mission in Iraq.

An Appeal For Redress is an authorized means for active duty military to submit a grievance to Congress. It can be signed by Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard military personnel.


It is authorized by DoD Directive 1325.6 and DoD Directive 7050.6.

The wording of the Appeal for Redress is:
As an American currently serving my nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat. I also respectfully urge my political leaders to actively oppose media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home. The War in Iraq is a necessary and just effort to bring freedom to the Middle East and protect America from further attack.
If you are active duty, reservist or national guard, please Sign this Appeal.

Most service members fully support the war in Iraq and feel calls to retreat by Congress and attacks by our media on our conduct and mission act to motivate our enemy while demoralizing our support at home, directly increasing the threat we face and resulting in greater American casualties. This Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to Congress to fully support us and actively oppose media attacks on our mission and our morale.
http://www.appealforcourage.org/

[thgdriver]

All those folks protesting should get a job. If it were not for FDR and the United States they would all be speaking German.

[stevex47]

lars,

Did you know Tokyo Rose, just recently died? Do you know where she lived the last 30 years? Yep, the United States. Ain't this a wonderful country.

[homespunlady]

From the arguments you'd think we're still fighting WWII. Love the "terrorism" pretense but it just doesn't fly anymore. Merck killed more with their famous painkiller they sold and nobody went off declaring a holy war on them.

[randalds]

I remember the "Better dead the red" slogan from my youth in the 60's, but turning it around to "Better red then dead" is a crock of sh*it from the right wing.

[homespunlady]

lars 008 Why aren't we going after Saudi? latest things I've read there a lot being funneled from there to support the Sunni insurgency. 15 of 19 hijackers saudi. BIN LADEN SAUDI. The "heart" of the muslim beleifs so many christians cite as causing this is there. Bin Laden's relatives were shipped back there when no one else could fly right after 9/11. Who's REALLY the snake in the grass?

[homespunlady]

mh4cbs1 Can I hazard a guess some of that American media silence might be because of News Corp (Rupert Murdoch) and Rev. Moon (Conservative political donor and head of his own religion). Check the lists of media outlets and internet they own. Good Luck finding anyone independent outside of the net anymore.

[lars008-2009]

During WW II, the Japanese were searching for a way to demoralize the American forces that they faced. Their psychological warfare experts came up with a message that they thought would work well.

They gave the script to their famous broadcaster, "Tokyo Rose," and every day she would broadcast this same message packaged in various ways, hoping to have an impact on American GI morale. What was the message?
It had three main points:
1. Your president is lying to you.
2. This war is illegal.
3. You cannot win the war.

Sound familiar? the Democratic Party has picked up the same message and is broadcasting it to civilians domestic and abroad, and to our troops and our enemies. The only difference is that they claim to support our troops before they demoralize them.

Come to think of it, Tokyo Rose used to tell the troops that she was on their side.

I am often struck by how similar the rhetoric from the left is to the rhetoric from our enemies. Consider this transcript of a taped al qaeda message:
http://memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=802

[perception5]

......"Better Red Then Dead !!"

Posted by perception5 at 03:22 PM : Feb 24, 2007

No one and I do mean no one ever said that. I lived during that time too (I'm 50) and it's a crock of shi*t that Socialists ever said that. It did not happen. It is a lie.
Posted by RandalDS at 11:12 PM : Feb 24, 2007

Dear Randal1DS, there you go again..... learn your history........ this slogan appeared over and over again during the millions that protested against Reagan sending in nuclear tip Pershing II missles into Europe.......are you going to say next that that didn't happen either.......Bottom line is these protesters are as wrong as the ones that protested back in the 1980's
......Randal1ds.......learn your history and stop lying............. if you can..

[grumpas]

RandalDS: If I remember distinctly the slogan was "Better dead than Red"! I am in my 60's so remember the era well! Some folks in those days were just as fearful of Communism as people are of the Islamic Fundamentalist's these days! There is always the element in society that over-reacts to a threat! They spent their time seeing communist's or terrorist's around every corner! And there have always been those that exploit that fear for their own benefit! In the 50's it was Joseph McCarthy today it is George Bush!

[victoriarum]

Pray for Peace.

God Bless

[hillaryin08]

What are they protesting about they are leaving!

So I guess the day after they get out of Iraq, no more terroism threat in the UK eh?

[mh4cbs1]

CBS pro-WAR bias is evident again. Here they cover 1 few thousand protesters in UK.

On January 27th, a few HUNDRED THOUSAND had a massive rally in Washington D.C. Filled the mall and packed the streets surrounding the capitol.

Yet CBS gives almost NO coverage to US protests. There were massive Pre-Invasion protests by all those how knew that Bush was LYING about WMDs (all you had to do was read the fine print on page A14) to KNOW that Bush was LYING.

CBS was cheerleader to Bush/Cheney. NO antiwar viewpoints expressed. Not even questions being asked by former daddy-Bush administration officials, let alone numerous other Americans in key goverment position, former UN inspectors....

CBS and the corporate media DO NOT and HAVE NOT covered this WAR fairly and completely. They have done virtyally nothing to expose the LIES to the public. Yet the public is finally starting to wake up and is attempting to get their country back from these NeoCon fascists that have hijacked the GOP. No thanks to CBS.

[randalds]

......"Better Red Then Dead !!"

Posted by perception5 at 03:22 PM : Feb 24, 2007

No one and I do mean no one ever said that. I lived during that time too (I'm 50) and it's a crock of shi*t that Socialists ever said that. It did not happen. It is a lie.

[randalds]

In the end history will show Nixon and Ford did far more to end the cold war than Ronny's hot air & saber rattling. Not to mention the fact the Soviet system itself was non-sustainable and would have collapsed on its own sooner or later.
Posted by macusweil at 07:36 PM : Feb 24, 2007

Amen! I get so sick of people giving Reagen credit for the collapse of the Soviet Union when it would have fallen apart under it's own weight id Pee Wee Herman had been president at the time. Ronny RayGun just happened to be in office at the time it happened and no more.

[macusweil]

Dear Miss Perception5--

You REALLY gotta knock off drinking that neo.con koolade. RR sold illegal weapons to the Iranians, supported torture loving regimens Central America and did nothing but spend record tax dollars and ring up record deficits. He did fool a lot of people including a lot of Dems as well as Repubs.

In the end history will show Nixon and Ford did far more to end the cold war than Ronny's hot air & saber rattling. Not to mention the fact the Soviet system itself was non-sustainable and would have collapsed on its own sooner or later.

[j-whitman]

Lieberman,,, Nazi appeasers ?? -- Like both of Bush's paternal grandfathers ???

[dallison7]

Dubya's misadventure is a total and complete failure and disaster. You lose chimp!! It's time to get the hell out of there and let them fight it out. The winner will get the oil and sell it on the open market at market value.

[j-whitman]

Lieberman,,, Have you ever figured out why Bush want's the Sunni's (UAE)to control New York & New Jersy's air space ??? -- 9/11 Terrorists where Sunni' & most where from the UAE.. -- Then, why are we fighting a Sunni Civil War for the Sunni's ??

[j-whitman]

The same things happening in Austrailia,,, 70% of thier people are against the Iraq War.