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Derry Anti War Coalition Statements

DAWC statement on British troop withdrawl from Iraq

Thursday December 18th. 2008

The Derry Anti War Coalition welcomes the news that British troops will be withdrawn from their illegal occupation of Southern Iraq by 31 July 2009. This is a victory for the Anti- War movement and the fearsome resistance from the Iraqi people. British forces have been effectively confined to Basra airport for months now and the Iraqi resistance and in particular the movement of Muqtada Al Sadr control much of Southern Iraq.

The ridiculous notion that British troops would be welcomed as heroes by the Shia of Southern Iraq, a liberating force from Saddam Hussein has proved to be yet another lie in this disgraceful war.After the 1991 conflict, Britain and America urged the Shia and the Kurds to rise against Saddam and then allowed Saddam to brutally slaughter them. The sanctions and constant bombing from 1991 until the illegal occupation in 2003 have cost over a million lives. The British occupying force were never going to be welcome in Iraq, how could the Iraqis welcome the army of a foreign power that had inflicted so much suffering on them?

The DAWC calls for all British troops to also be withdrawn from Afghanistan, where again they act as a brutal occupying force. The War on Terror has been a plunder for the resources of the Middle East, Muslims have been sacpegoated to cover up the sick economic agenda of the US led 'coalition'. The removal of British troops from Iraq must be the start of a new British foreign policy, there must be no military aid to Israel while they continue to illegally occupy the West Bank and lay seige to the people of Gaza. If these wars are about spreading democarcy as President Bush claims, then why have the Palestinian people been punished so badly for holding free and fair elections?

The DAWC would like to thank all those who have supported us over the past year and wish you all seasonal greetings and a happy and peaceful New Year. David McAuley





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