WAR ON WAR

11-03-2010

Corporal Sarah Bryant from Worcestershire was “unlawfully killed” according to a coroner when she and three colleagues were blown up in Snatch Land Rover in Afghanistan. Barbara Panvel offers a solution to the seemingly endless killing.

This country’s foreign policy is barbaric - killing its own often ill-trained and ill-equipped young soldiers and civilians in the countries under attack.

It is renegade: disobeying Article 2.3 & 2.4 of the United Nations Organisation:

All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security and justice are not endangered.

All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

The majority of people in civilised European countries are opposed to this slaughter and political repercussions are being felt. In January the French President reaffirmed that France will not send combat troops to Afghanistan.

Very little coverage has been given to the December resignation of the former German defence minister, the Bundeswehr’s chief of staff and the defence ministry state secretary, following the attempt to cover up the wounding and killing of civilians, including children, in a NATO airstrike which they had ordered.

Two months later the Dutch government fell, the deputy prime minister and other Labour ministers resigning rather than give in to pressure from NATO allies and Washington to continue and even extend the Afghan mission, despite its pledge to withdraw 1,600 troops this year.

Several countries have refused to send troops to attack Afghanistan, others agreeing only to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure - an honourable cause and not without danger. Their citizens need not be ashamed of them as I am of my government.

How many tributes to dead soldiers shall we see before the end of what World War 1 veteran Harry Patch called organised murder – “the calculated and condoned slaughter of human beings - not worth one death let alone all the millions”.

A million or so demonstrators did not stop the government from embarking on the illegal invasion of Iraq: so what will?

Civil disobedience?

All those who want to see the slaughter stop could decide to declare frequent days of mourning, and stay at home from work and from retail therapy. Even the threat might work.

Corporate lobbies, fearing a downturn in profits, could then do something of value for once, by pressing government to listen to the majority who, according to the polls, are opposed to this senseless destruction.

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