On Saturday April 14, Iran attended talks on its nuclear programme with six world powers in Istanbul. In the end, this ‘summit’ was little more than talks about talks - to take place in May in Baghdad. The uneasy stand-off continues and the strong possibility remains of an attack on Iran within months. Indeed, the outcome of the meeting has provoked a degree of cynicism, with press outlets in the US, the UK and Israel pointing out that Syria now seems to have learned the ‘Iran method’ - that is, agree to talks simply to buy time and postpone intervention. ... read full story / add a comment

RSVP - 5 pm Tuesday April 24th. *"Free Bradley Manning" Vigil at U.S. Embassy, London
*Please RSVP if you can - helps us organise the event!
** If you can't make it to London or Ft. Meade, consider standing publicly whereever you are in solidarity with Bradley Manning!
*** Bradley was shipped trhough Shannon Airport to the war in Iraq. His maternal grandfather came from Dublin.
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Theresa is serving 6 months for crossing the line at the School of the Americas, Ft Benning, Georgia, USA last November on the anniversary of the slaying of 6 Jesuits & 2 Salvadoran co-workers (mother & daughter). They were murdered by Salvadoran troops recently returned from training at S.O.A. Ft Benning. There was a solidarity vigil last November at the U.S. embassy Dublin while the nonviolent resistance wa taking place to close this School of Assasins at Ft. Benning. ... read full story / add a comment

A national organization representing thousands of military veterans is calling on the US Army to abandon court martial proceedings against Private Bradley Manning, the accused Wikileaks whistleblower. The young soldier, who has been imprisoned for 21 months, will be formally arraigned today (Thursday, Feb. 23) at Fort Meade, Maryland. Army prosecutors say they will file 22 charges against PFC Manning, including “aiding the enemy,” a crime that can be punished by the death penalty or life in prison. ... read full story / add a comment

I was present in the Commons on January 24, when foreign secretary William Hague made a statement on European Union sanctions against Iran. In response to a question, he said that, while the UK was “not calling for, or advocating, military action”, it is “the job of our armed forces to prepare for many contingencies” and “all options remain on the table”. This was reflected on the Labour front bench by shadow foreign secretary John Spellar, that well known progressive politician (there’s no irony in Hansard, but I hope it’s not the same in this meeting). Spellar reflects the same attitude - that we should be ready for military action ... read full story / add a comment

Make your voice heard against war and repression, urges Hands Off the People of Iran chair, Yassamine Mather

The war drums against Iran are beating ever louder. The new embargo on Iranian oil, to come into force on July 1, is only the latest in a long list of measures imposed by US and EU imperialism. It bans all new oil contracts with Iran, and cuts off all existing deals. Also, all of the Iranian central bank’s European assets are to be frozen.

We are told that the sanctions are designed to weaken the regime and “force Iran back to the negotiating table” over its nuclear programme. This is clearly nonsense:

In reality, the ‘nuclear danger’ is used by imperialism as an excuse to deal with an increasingly unstable situation in the Middle East. Imperialism has recently lost a number of friendly regimes in the region (like Egypt) and needs to reassert control in this oil-rich area. War is also a useful distraction from economic misery and the current crisis of capitalism. ... read full story / add a comment

16 Catholic Workers closed and occupied the Main Entrance of Northwood Military Headquarters. Scott and Maria Albrecht, Henrietta Cullinan, John Lynes and Rachel Wood pitched tents, knelt and prayed in front of the main gate for 2 hour while others vigiled holding signs. ... read full story / add a comment

FREE BRADLEY MANNING! END THE WARS! *Ft. Meade, Maryland, USA http://www.bradleymanning.org/news/march-rally-for-brad...aring *U.S. Embassy, London http://wiseupforbradleymanning.wordpress.com/2011/11/30...ning/ ... read full story / add a comment

An anti-war solidarity vigil will be held outside the High Court, The Strand, London on Monday Dec 5th against the extradition of Julian Assange. The vigil is organised by Veterans for Peace http://veteransforpeace.org.uk/ and London Cathoic Worker http://londoncatholicworker.org/ The vigil will start at 8.30 a.m. Vigil updates and more info Phone/Text 079 392 90576 http://wiseupforbradleymanning.wordpress.com/2011/11/28...ndon/ ... read full story / add a comment

Hands Off the People of Iran unequivocally condemns the ratcheting up of sanctions on Iran in the aftermath of the much-heralded report of the International Atomic Energy Agency on that country’s nuclear capability on November 8. The report did little more than confirm the assessment that Hopi arrived at some time ago: that at worst Iran may be interested in the so-called ‘Japanese’ option. This is nuclear development that stops just short of the capacity to produce a nuclear weapon - but only by a month or so. But this is something that has been commented on many times before.

Despite the fact that this report contained little or nothing that was new (it was little more than a compilation of UK satellite pictures and the pre-existing reports of the CIA and other western intelligence agencies), imperialist leaders have fallen over themselves to express horror and outrage at these ‘new’ findings: ... read full story / add a comment

On November 4th the main leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Army of the People (FARC-EP), Commander Alfonso Cano, was killed near Suárez, Cauca, in an operation of the Colombian government, with logistical and intelligence support provided by the USA. The small guerilla force of 14 people was hunted down by over 1,000 troops in a multitude of Arpía helicopters. The preceding months had also witnessed massive and indiscriminate bombardments in Tolima and Cauca, and a military blockade of the area, with disastrous consequences for the local population, thousands of whom were forcefully displaced. In relation to this, our organisation: ... read full story / add a comment

Statement by CPGB-ML, October 2011 - Immediate publication

Stop the War leaders are trying to stifle debate by illegally expelling those who criticise them -

On 23 September, the CPGB-ML received an email from the Stop the War Coalition informing us of a decision by the "officers group" to "reject the affiliation" of our party. We were told that this was on the basis that the CPGB-ML had been "publicly attacking Stop the War Coalition" in its publications.

We responded as follows:

No basis for expulsion

First: we have been affiliated for many years to the coalition. Therefore it is not now possible to reject our affiliation. If it can be proved that we have failed to comply with StW's constitution in some way, then we would have to be expelled. ... read full story / add a comment

With pride as a people, we commemorate a historic national event this coming September 16, the rejection of the US military bases twenty years ago ... read full story / add a comment

REPUBLICAN NETWORK for UNITY (RNU) Spokesperson, MARTIN Óg MEEHAN has slammed a forthcoming British Army Event planned for Belfast. ... read full story / add a comment

Your article in the summer 2011 edition of ‘Emma’ entitled ‘A Black Spring’ expresses concern about the possibility of a Muslim Brotherhood dominated government in Egypt in the future after the transition period. You conclude that the easiest aspect of the fight is with the violent jihadists; and whilst Bin laden is dead, the doctrine of jihad lives on. In another article*   you say: “...the gradualist approach is far more likely to win the prize of state power. All that Khomeini did before he came to power in Iran was to preach the merits of a society based on Islamic law. He did not engage in terrorism. Yet he and his followers took over Iran – a feat far greater than bin Laden ever achieved. In Iran the violence came later.”  In reality, however, ‘doctrine’ alone was not the reason behind the brutal Islamic movement’s rise to political power. In Iran, for example, the rise of Islamism was aided by the US-led foreign policy of creating a green or Islamic belt around the then Soviet Union during the Cold War. At a conference in Guadeloupe, Western powers decided to back Islamism at the expense of a left-leaning revolution that was crushed in order for the Islamic Republic of Iran to establish itself. In fact, to secure power, the regime slaughtered an entire generation. As a result, we have witnessed the rise of the political Islamic movement for several decades. ... read full story / add a comment

Several boats that are part of Freedom Flotilla Two - Stay Human have been detained and prohibited to sail by the Greek Coast Guard, including the U.S., Canadian and Spanish Boats to Gaza, and the Greek government has prohibited any boats from sailing to Gaza from Greek ports. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine calls upon the Greek government to immediately end this active complicity with the Israeli siege on Gaza and release the boats to join the Flotilla to Gaza, and calls on all popular forces and movements in Greece and internationally to demand that the Greek government end its participation in the illegal Israeli blockade and allow the Freedom Flotilla to sail!

The Greek people have demonstrated, time and again, their firm solidarity with the Palestinian people, taking to the streets en masse to stand with the people of Palestine against Israeli massacres, invasions and wars. The people of Greece have also taken to their streets in the millions in the past months, and Greek workers risen in escalating general strikes over the past weeks, to stand against an EU/IMF economic austerity plan for their country which will mean misery, subservience, and suffering for Greece's people. ... read full story / add a comment

Press Release, Friday 24th June 2011, 1pm ... read full story / add a comment

Three English Catholic Workers were today convicted at Newbury Magistrates Court of Criminal Trespass under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA), and Criminal Damage.

The convictions follows a protest at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in September 2010 organised by the Catholic Worker. ... read full story / add a comment

The Galway Alliance Against War is to hold two protests in the city next week to mark the visit of Queen Elizabeth and President Barak Obama to Ireland. According to a GAAW spokesperson the protests, which will take the shape of mock funeral processions, are being held to remember “the innocent killed by the British and US war machines in their on-going illegal wars.” ... read full story / add a comment

Over the last year workers in Iran have struggled on several fronts. The subsidy cuts coupled with the crisis in world capitalism are driving living standards down for the majority of Iranians. Basic food stuffs are rising in price at a phenomenal rate, with bread rising a massive 25% and unsubsidised fuel increasing 7 fold. This is in a country with the third largest oil reserves in the world and the necessary refining abilities to produce cheap and affordable fuel for the entire population. The sanctions regime continues to undermine Iranian industry, robbing many workers of their jobs whilst the elite continue to amass great wealth. We stand with the Iranian working class fighting austerity and call for an end to all sanctions. We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners. ... read full story / add a comment