English

Socialist Equality Party and World Socialist Web Site public meetings in Britain: "Why we oppose the war in Afghanistan"

Sheffield
Thursday 8 November, 7.30pm
St Matthews Meeting Rooms
Carver St, S1 4FT

Leeds
Saturday 10 November, 2.15pm
The Congreve Room
West Yorkshire Playhouse
Quarry Hill, LS2 7UP

London
Sunday 11 November, 3.00pm
Room 2A, University of London Union
Malet St, WC1E 7HY
(Nearest tube: Goodge Street)

Manchester
Tuesday 13 November, 7pm
International Society, William Kay House
327 Oxford Rd, M13 9PG
(Opposite Manchester University Students Union)

The September 11 attacks and the subsequent US-led war against Afghanistan mark a turning point in world affairs. The Bush administration and its allies are seeking to exploit the justifiable revulsion felt over the loss of innocent lives in the US to stampede public opinion into supporting military aggression against one of the world’s most backward countries.

In Britain, New Labour stands full square behind the US war drive. British troops are being despatched to carry out search-and-destroy missions inside Afghanistan, a country thousands of miles from London and which has not launched any offensive action against the UK. At home, the Labour government is preparing to introduce draconian “anti-terrorist” legislation, threatening basic civil liberties.

Despite the support for the war by all the main parties, many people have serious doubts and questions about what is taking place. Where is the evidence linking Osama bin Laden to the September 11 attacks? Why has Afghanistan been made a target, and who will be next? What are the consequences of this open-ended US intervention in a region that is a tinderbox of competing interests and tensions? What are the implications of the “war against terrorism” for fundamental democratic rights?

To answer these questions, it is necessary to critically examine the self-serving explanations offered by the Bush administration, the Blair government and a largely compliant media. The events since September 11 must be placed within a broader historical and international context. The Socialist Equality Party and World Socialist Web Site invites readers to attend our public meetings in Britain, where speakers will address these issues and advance an alternative socialist perspective. Ample opportunity will be provided for questions and discussion.

For more information: email office@wsws.org.uk or telephone 0114 244 3545.

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