It's not about plane spotting!

IssueApril 2005
News by Margaret Jones

“The summer time is coming and the leaves are sweetly blowing” - and in Iraq the slaughter goes on. And the plundering of Iraq's resources by the occupying powers.

What can a few idealists setting up a peace camp hope to do about it? Even if it is set up at RAF Brize Norton - largest UK air base and gateway to Iraq for thousands of British soldiers?

Clearly, the four-day presence of a peace camp, even though its events do include a march led by veterans opposed to the occupation of Iraq, and the toppling of a 12-foot statue of Tony Blair - can have only minimal effect on global power games, as played out by the US, and its stooges in Britain.

Let Iraq live!

The organisers of the Brize peace camp hope their links with Veterans for Peace, and similar groups, will lead to dialogue with local military families, and with soldiers themselves. Through non-confrontational discussions, they hope everyone will gain better understanding of the varieties of wool our rulers (ahem, I mean our elected representatives) are still pulling over our eyes.

Everyone needs reminding, from time to time, that the war in Iraq is far from over. The camp highlights a real place - “here” in Britain, in the very heart of Oxfordshire, where soldiers fly from all the time - that connects us with “there”. At present, few people have even heard of Brize Norton. We aim to change this.

We're going to Brize to be peaceful - but also colourful, and vocal. To shout it from the rooftops - “WAR CRIMINAL! Bring the soldiers home ! Self determination for all the people. Let Iraq live”.