Marching for peace in Leeds
It is important to record the feelings of power and joy felt by the participants in the huge anti-war march and rally in Leeds. The demonstration along with all the subsequent protests is reflecting something new in world politics. The twenty million plus who have protested against the war represent a qualitative and as well as quantitative leap from, but connected to, the anti-globalization movement. My old intellectual friend Matthew Caygill described the event in Leeds in a short article in the Weekly Worker:
Spring came to Leeds on Saturday March 15 in the shape of a marvellous and huge demonstration against the threat of war on Iraq.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reported the organisers' estimate of 10,000 people, and although it might not have been quite that big it was certainly the biggest in Leeds in living memory. The demo, led by people carrying a coffin and the Leeds Coalition Against War banner, was one of the liveliest political events to hit the city. There were numerous local groups with their banners. The diversity of the protestors and the energy of so many young people in the face of such a serious situation was a real boost.
There was one weakness - the scarcity of trade union banners: Leeds Trades Council was there, and Leeds National Union of Teachers, but I did not see any others. The final rally had at least a dozen speakers, including representatives of the Muslim community, local Labour MPs Harold Best and John Trickett, and Julie Waterson of the Socialist Workers Party.
What made the demonstration even more impressive was that it was only called 12 days prior. The Leeds Coalition Against War gatherings every Monday have been the most dynamic political meetings in the city for a while, regularly attracting over 40 people eager to get involved in activities against the war.
For the first time a number of local New Labour councillors took part in the march. When challenged by Garth Frankland (an avid reader of this column) over why they had opposed a resolution attacking the war they claimed it had been worded wrongly. Garth commented that it meant they had lost the ability to move amendments.
It was also the first outing for the Alliance for Green Socialism banner in Leeds, attracting a number of favourable comments.
Protests continued throughout the week. On Thursday hundreds of city centre workers, students and schoolchildren left their desks and sat down in the Headrow to protest about the outbreak of war. A march which left the Art Gallery on March 22nd was initially quite sparse (since many protesters were in London) but soon filled up as shoppers joined in.
Incidentally, anyone who tried to follow Saturday's march on London's jamcams would have been disappointed to find that nearly all of them were mysteriously out of order. Strangely, the same thing happened on February 15th.
Parliamentary misrule
The parliamentary rebellions over Iraq by 121 Labour MPs - including 19 from the Yorkshire and the Humber region - are a sharp shock to Mr Blair's authority. The issue that united many of the MPs was their opposition to a war without a specific, second United Nations resolution.
The Yorkshire Post reported this as follows:
And amid signs that some Labour MPs - including Mr Burgon - had then held back only to give the Prime Minister more time to win that resolution there was widespread speculation that the second rebellion could involve almost half the 411-strong Parliamentary Labour Party.
But yesterday Labour Party bosses launched a huge operation to limit the rebellion, with Leeds East MP George Mudie - who is backing the Government - given an "arms-length" job by the Whips to persuade colleagues. [Hence the report on Radio Four that one MP "felt that a tank had been called in to roll over a mouse"].
"Elmet MP Mr Burgon, who last month told the Yorkshire Post that he wanted a second UN resolution, specifically blamed the French government's determination to veto any British proposals at the UN. He accused France of "sending an Exocet through the whole UN procedure".
Earlier, City of York Labour MP Hugh Bayley - who had originally insisted there had to be a fresh UN resolution but was now backing Mr Blair - said France's position "has in effect disarmed the United Nations instead of disarming Iraq".But Selby Labour MP John Grogan announced he was joining the rebels " with great sadness". He said that without clear UN backing, "I doubt whether this war can truly be called a Just War"
Both Burgon and Bayley have simply ignored the fact that the French did not use their veto. Bush and Blair with all their threats and bribery had only managed to persuade Bulgaria to vote with them on the Security Council. In other words there is no UN mandate for the war. This kind of unprincipled low behaviour put them in line for the Yorkshire award of the Clare Short medal for political duplicity. And ensuring Burgon will not be invited to any of the French wine and cheese parties to be held across his constituency this April.
The real reason is that Bush and Blair are isolated worldwide over the war.
The office of French President Jacques Chirac said in a statement the United Nations Security Council opposed the move, and that ignoring international opinion would carry a "heavy responsibility."
"This unilateral decision is contrary to the wishes of the Security Council and of the international community, who wish to pursue the disarmament of Iraq in accordance with (U.N.) resolution 1441," the Elysee presidential palace said. "Whatever the objective pursued, France recalls that only the Security Council has the authority to justify the use of force ... Shirking the legitimacy of the United Nations, privileging force over justice, that would be taking on a heavy responsibility," the statement said.
France wants weapons inspectors to continue their work, saying that there is evidence inspections are producing results and war should always be a last resort. Paris backed resolution 1441, which was unanimously voted through by the Security Council last year, demanding Saddam disarm or face "serious consequences."
As for George Mudie, has he finally lost his powerful previous ability to put the voters of Harehills and Seacroft in front of parliamentary ambition?
The fight against terrorism
Many critics of the war on Iraq have argued that it is a diversion from the war against terrorism. They said Saddam was the least likely person to connections with Bin Laden etc. Bush and Blair have attacked this position and tried to make links without presenting any proof that could stand up in court.
However it seems the view that war is a diversion is shared by Rand Beers, the top US National Security Council official in the war on terror. He has resigned for " personal reasons". But other sources say the move reflects his concern that the war with Iraq is hurting the fight against terrorism. He denies this.
But in the US many current and former intelligence officials say there is a broad consensus in the anti-terrorism and intelligence community that the invasion of Iraq would divert critical resources from the war on terror.
Author and intelligence expert James Bamford cited a recent address by President Bush that cited documents, which allegedly proved Iraq was continuing to pursue a nuclear program, that were later shown to be forgeries.
"It is absurd that the president of the United States mentioned in a speech before the world information from phoney documents and no one got fired," Bamford said. "That alone has offended intelligence professionals throughout the services."
The CIA warned Congress last year that an invasion might lead to a rise in terrorism. This, they say, is evidence there's more than just ambivalence about the war among the spy community.
Reporting the news as it is
The BBC has apologised to the Bush administration for broadcasting images of the President before he was ready to face the world. Unsuspecting viewers were treated to Bush being pampered for his broadcast -- his eyes darting to and fro as a female stylist sprayed, combed and patted down his hair.
"The facts are that it was an unauthorised use of footage and video," a senior White House official.
Surely it was the viewers who should be apologised to.
Clare Short
We predicted in Umbrella 54 that Clare Short would meet "St Blair on the road to Baghdad" and end up supporting the Government. She supported the government on the vote on Iraq and keep her cabinet post. This was a marked contrast to Robin Cook's resignation. Conspiracy theorists would say this was precisely the result that Blair wanted, Cook being the only member of the Cabinet to regularly challenge Blair's shallow approach to politics.
Short says she remains "very critical" of the way the crisis has been handled. She said: "I know I will be heavily criticised for my decision and many people will feel I have let them down. But I am doing what I think is right in the circumstances which we are now in." She also claimed she would be "vilified".
The BBC took a suitably jaundiced view:
Finally she spent a presumably sleepless night agonising over whether she should execute one of the most breathtaking about turns in recent political history and stay in the government. She did. Busted flush? Some say she did it because she wants to be involved in the "caring" bit of this war - rebuilding a country that has been devastated by US and UK action. Others suggest that Chancellor Gordon Brown urged her to stay because he cannot afford to lose yet another of his gang from the cabinet.
The Leeds branches of the Alliance for Green Socialism are going to inaugurate a local "Claire Short" award for political duplicity. There are many possible candidates for the award.
A US voice of principle
Senator Robert Byrd, the oldest voice in the U.S. Congress, last week offered a final pre-war warning that President Bush's march to battle is dangerously misguided.
"Today I weep for my country," said West Virginia Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd. "No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. ... Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned. "We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance," Byrd said, adding: "After war has ended the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe." "May God continue to bless the United States of America in the troubled days ahead, and may we somehow recapture the vision which for the present eludes us," Byrd said. As the white-haired senator concluded his remarks, a number of people in the visitor's gallery rose and applauded before they were admonished to be quiet. At 85, Byrd is now the oldest member of Congress as well as the longest serving. He was first elected to the Senate in 1958, after six years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"The case this administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence," Byrd said. Despite administration suggestions to the contrary, Byrd said, "There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11." The senator said, "We cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice."
The French hit back
Don't like Bush? Send him a pretzel (www.bretzelforBush.com). A French website is urging people unhappy with the Bush Administration to buy a pretzel ("bretzel" in French), which will then be sent to the White House. Part of the pretzel's cost also goes to charity.
The Alliance for Green Socialism is considering hosting a number of French cultural events cumulating in a calvados tasting.
The West Yorkshire Ambulance Service in crisis
The West Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Trust has had to have a £10m Government bail-out. This was exposed in Audit Commission report.
The trust set up a number of companies including NHS Professionals and WYMAS Private ambulances which on the face of it appear to have nothing to do with providing a rapid responsive ambulance service for the people of West Yorkshire. They were earlier this month accused of falsely claiming they were meeting 999 response-time targets,
The failure of the ambulance to arrive in time to save the life of the late MP for Leeds Central, Derek Fatchett, could be directly blamed on this lack of focus by the management and Trustees. It also explains why the West Yorkshire Fire Service repeatedly is the first of the emergency services to arrive at accident scenes.
The trustees should resign and a proper elected and publicly accountable board set up to replace them.
Children's hospital
A parents' group fighting for a dedicated children's and maternity hospital for Yorkshire is planning to blitz the region with posters calling on people to support their campaign. CHUMS - Children's Hospital Uniting Maternity Services - was formed by a group of concerned parents who want to see a service which will focus the best available care in a regional hospital. The Yorkshire Post has supported their campaign for a dedicated maternity and children's hospital.
However, those with longer memories recall the destruction of the Children's Hospital at Killingbeck in East Leeds. Each brick of this hospital was paid for one pound at a time by the citizens of Leeds. Its central sanatorium has been preserved and would make an excellent centre for a new hospital. However my long-standing friend and former Councillor Cliff Martin told me that he feels that the NHS are preparing to sell this valuable site off for redevelopment. He also commented that in Richmond Hill, part of George Mudie's East Leeds Constituency, Labour Councillors don't appear to last very long. Another has just been replaced ready for the May elections. This might be a very dangerous strategy for New Labour as the ward has been held by the Liberal Democrats and they were a very close second last year.
Prescott to impose fire pay deal
The Government is to introduce legislation to impose a settlement in the fire-fighters dispute.
The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott (and former strike leader) said the Fire Brigades Union had not been reasonable in rejecting a "generous" offer worth 16% over three years. He told MPs that following rejection of the proposed deal by FBU delegates, the time had come for legislation.
He said the Gulf conflict and the heightened threat of terrorism had made action more urgent. The Government will publish a new Fire Services Bill, giving authority to impose terms and conditions in the fire service, Mr Prescott announced.
You will obey. Control freakery becomes legislation.
-- Half-Celestial Khan
