Weekly Worker 471 Thursday March 13 2003
The US and Britain are in trouble in the UN. No majority in sight and the threat of a French and Russian veto. As a result Tony Blair’s government faces paralysis. Backbench MPs, cabinet ministers and trade unions are rebelling. Donald Rumsfeld talks of the US going it alone against Iraq. Britain is a weak-link. Meanwhile, meeting in London, the People’s Assembly for Peace unanimously agreed - after debate and amendment - what is an historic ‘Declaration’. No one pretends it is perfect. The pacifist and legalistic illusions are obvious. Nevertheless the anti-war party is beginning to equip itself with the outlines of a political programme and illusions will surely fall away in the course of struggle.
Declaration of the People’s Assembly
“This assembly of representatives of the British people, gathered under the threat of impending war, declares itself against any attack on Iraq by the British and US governments and asserts that any such war will not be undertaken in our name.
Representing the views of the great majority of our people, as demonstrated in the historic marches on February 15, the assembly:
- Believes that no case for war has been made, that the war threatened is in defiance of international law, and holds that it is possible to resolve the present international crisis by exclusively peaceful means.
- Condemns the British government for its military support, almost alone in the world, for a US-led attack on Iraq and believes that the government has thereby ceased to represent the interests of the British people on this issue.
- While unreservedly condemning the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, and supporting the cause of democracy in all the countries of the Middle East, expresses its solidarity with the civilian women, men and children who will be the main victims of any war.
- Urges Members of Parliament to act in support of this policy of peace, believing that a failure to do so will represent a dereliction of their democratic duty and an abrogation of representative democracy.
- Invites all the British people and their organisations to express their support for this declaration and take whatever action may be required to ensure its adoption as the policy of our country.
- Calls on Tony Blair to resign if war breaks outs.”
