Bring the troops home

Money for jobs and services not war and occupation

A Christmas Message from George W Bush ANOTHER Ł520 million for war in Iraq. That's how much Gordon Brown announced in his pre-budget report on 2 December.

That's Ł520 million that could have been spent on our hospitals, schools and other public services. Money that could have been used to increase rather than attack pensions as New Labour are doing.

"A Christmas message from George W Bush" - Cartoon by Alan Hardman

Instead, the money will be used to kill more Iraqis and put more soldiers' lives at risk.

Tony Blair says that British troops will stay in Iraq "until the job is done". But when will that be? Even if elections go ahead in Iraq on 30 January (which is far from certain), resistance to occupation by US and British troops will still continue. Elections could even trigger an escalation in the violence.

An official at the Iraqi interior ministry has said that troops will have to stay for at least 10 years! The eventual cost of war will be much more than the Ł5 billion that New Labour have wasted so far.

The Black Watch have been told that they will be flown home for Christmas. We say bring all the troops home, not just the Black Watch, and not just for Christmas. The occupation should be ended now and the Iraqi people allowed to decide their own future.

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In The Socialist 11 December 2004:

Bring the troops home