Speakers include Merseyside CND Co-Chair, Peter Wilson and Co-founder of the Stop The War Coalition, Chris Nineham
As the crisis in Ukraine escalates the drum beats for war get louder. Join us at the Casa to hear how the anti-war movement should respond.
Merseyside Stop The War condemns the movement of Russian forces into Ukraine and urges that they immediately withdraw. We call for an immediate ceasefire alongside the resumption of diplomatic negotiations to resolve the crisis.
This dispute could and should be resolved peacefully, and that remains the only basis for a lasting settlement, rather than the imposition of military solutions. That it has not been resolved is not, however, the responsibility of the Russian or Ukrainian governments alone.
The conflict is the product of thirty years of failed policies, including the expansion of NATO and US hegemony at the expense of other countries as well as major wars of aggression by the USA, Britain and other NATO powers which have undermined international law and the United Nations. The meeting will be chaired by Audrey White from Merseyside Stop The War and speakers will include Chris Nineham from Stop The War.
With the Coronavirus crisis having unprecedented effects on the planet we must bear in mind that the last two decades of Western invasions, sanctions and bombing campaigns have helped to create conditions in which it can thrive. Sharp foreign policy changes are needed to help stop the spread of the disease amongst some of the most vulnerable populations on earth.
Meanwhile, vital funds that could have been invested in the NHS and our public services have been wasted to fund unnecessary wars and illegal military interventions for two decades.
President Donald Trump is banging the drums of war as he ratchets up tensions with Iran. The recent attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman have increased the possibility of war, as the US claims – without providing evidence – that Iran is responsible for the attacks. Their origin is unknown and while that remains the case, the UK government should desist from apportioning blame to Iran.
We urge all our members and supporters to contact their MPs to help prevent a war. We went into the catastrophic war on Iraq, in 2003, on the basis of false information and this cannot be allowed to happen again.
The origin of the current crisis with Iran lies with Trump’s attempts to trash the Iran Nuclear Deal which had effectively removed any possibility that Iran might develop nuclear weapons.
US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal was a step towards war
President Trump announced US withdrawal last year. The withdrawal, fresh sanctions and a ramping up of the US military presence in the Middle East, has led to serious doubts about the future of the deal – and of peace in the region.
As tensions increase, it should now be clear to all that the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal was a prelude to a much bigger confrontation.
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has announced that he will halt some of the commitments agreed under the accord, in line with a dispute resolution mechanism included in the deal. He has appealed to the other signatories to make good on their commitments to the deal, to ease the economic difficulties inflicted by US sanctions. If this happens Iran will revert to full compliance
CND General Secretary, Kate Hudson, said:
“The responsibility for the unravelling of the Iran nuclear deal lies at Trump’s door. It began with the US withdrawal last year, at a time when the deal was working and preventing nuclear proliferation.
“With increased economic pressures on Iran, and the recent deployment of US aircraft in the Middle East, it seems tensions are being ratcheted up ready for Trump’s security adviser John Bolton to make the case for a new war. It is essential that the other signatories step up to the plate and meet their financial commitments to the deal. They must not allow Trump to bully them into the destruction of a crucial diplomatic achievement.
“Because of Trump’s actions the world is a more dangerous place. He’s withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal, he’s withdrawn from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and more recently the Arms Trade Treaty.
“The US President’s trashing of the international rules-based system is a great danger to world security. It’s crucial that the UK government works for a peaceful solution to the current crisis. War with Iran would be catastrophic.”
