Fighting terrorism

It was a strange decision to declare war on an entire country, when the objective was to bring to justice the terrorists responsible for the attack on the twin towers. Especially when the ruling Taliban had offered to give up the terrorists hiding in Afghanistan’s mountains for trial in an international court. The knee-jerk military response has proved a disaster. The war is now seven years old, and has been bloody, costly and unsuccessful, and there is no end in sight: those in charge expect the troops to be deployed for many years yet. Equally strange has been the general acceptance of the need for this war. Some analysts who reckon the Iraq war a mistake continue to hold that the war in Afghanistan was necessary.

Our doughty Welsh activist Lisbeth Rowlands-Hughes has sent an editorial from the winter 2001 issue of Heddwch (Peace), the magazine of CND Wales. The predictions it makes a month after the troops were deployed are accurate, and its wise advice relevant today.

H.D.

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CND Cymru wholeheartedly condemns terrorist atrocities anywhere in the world. Nothing can justify these terrible crimes.

We oppose military retaliation against Afghanistan, Iraq or any other countries. War can not and will not reduce the risk of terrorist attacks. The root causes of terrorism must be addressed. Violence breeds violence. War and preparation for war cause massive environmental damage, increase the sense of injustice felt by the oppressed and disempowered world wide and create a fertile environment for terrorist recruitment. Real security for all people of the world can only come from justice, co-operation, understanding and respect and not from ever-mounting military expenditure.

We believe that the United States and Britain should proceed on the basis of international law, following the U N Charter, and working through the normal channels of extradition law, to bring the perpetrators of any atrocities to justice. The process of law, not the process of war, would be a far more intelligent solution.

There must be an end to anti-Muslim attacks and prejudice and an active programme to encourage understanding between groups and individuals within Wales.

We reject the erosion of our civil liberties in the name of anti-terrorism. We cannot defend freedom by destroying it.

We are committed to campaigning against this ‘war’ solely by non-violent means.