International anti-war mobilisation against wars and occupations.
SATURDAY 22 March 2008: Eleftheria Square, 11:00 am – march to the US Embassy.
Five years after the invasion of Iraq, the world has become a much more dangerous place. Iraq has been torn apart, with a million dead and four million displaced, as a result of the occupation.
The hidden war in Afghanistan is fast becoming a disaster mirroring Iraq. The number of dead in Afghanistan runs into tens of thousands. The turmoil in Pakistan, partly caused by the ‘war on terror’, will cause more chaos in Afghanistan. Bush is continuing to increase pressure against the regime in Iran, risking war at any time. Meanwhile, instability is spreading around the world.
Thousands of Turkish troops recently launched an attack into northern Iraq. The Turkish invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan is an extension of ‘war on terror’, adding to the growing instability created by the US invasion of Iraq.
The US supported the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, supported the Ethiopian attack against Somalia, which fueled a civil war still raging today, while the crisis in eastern Africa has reached Kenya. In the Balkans, we are witnessing a ‘renewed cold war’ taking place between the USA and Russia. The revived antagonism of the Great Powers threatens to re-ignite the whole region.
After several months of siege by Israel, the US guard dog in the Middle East, the Gaza Strip is now facing a humanitarian crisis. The recent attack by the Israeli army in Gaza has cost the lives of 150 Palestinians many of whom were children and women.
The Cyprus Republic is involved both explicitly and implicitly in the Middle East plans of Bush and Brown. It’s not just the British Bases on the island that are commonly used by the US and Britain to launch attacks in the Middle East, but there are also other facilities offered to the US, in attacking Afghanistan and Iraq, by the last two Cypriot governments. US aircraft carriers and warships used the Limassol port and its facilities that are still open and available to this day.
Between March 15th and 22nd in a number of cities from Washington to Beirut, Athens to Ankara, Sydney to Seoul, the voice of resistance will be raised in opposition to wars and occupations.
On SATURDAY 22 March we’ll march to the US Embassy from Eleftheria Square at 11:00 am. Our action is coordinated as part of the worldwide week of mobilisations against war. From 15-22 March the international movement will mark the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq with demonstrations throughout the world with the following demands:
An immediate end to the illegal military occupation of Iraq and a withdrawal of all foreign troops.
A halt to all preparations for an attack against Iran.
No more Turkish army attacks against Iraqi Kurdistan.
A withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Justice for the Palestinian people, and an end to Israeli aggression throughout the Middle East.
An end to plans for US missile defence and to the nuclear arms race between the Great Powers.
Stop US intervention in the Balkans threatening to destabilise the region.
The call for mobilisation is made by: Stop the War Coalition-Cy, New Cyprus Party (ΥΚΡ), BARAKA, ASI (Cultural Centre), Workers Democracy, Federation of Ecol. &. Envir. Organizations, Cyprus Green Party, Socialists Initiative, Hands Across the Divide, Youth against Nationalism, Rooftop Theatre Group, Follow the Women, Union of Palestinians in Cyprus, Nepalese Equality Partner Association for Liberty, Foreign Students Association, Cyprus Indymedia, Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Union (KTÖS), Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers’ Trade Union (KTOEÖS), DAU-Bir-Sen, Cag-Sen (State Workers Union), United Cyprus Party (BKP), Cyprus Turkish Physicians Trade Union (Tıp-İş), Bicommunal Democratic Party (TDP), Kibris AB Dernegi (KAB), Cyprus Publisher’s Association (Kıb-Yay).