Hani Lazim to Speak in Waterford

The Waterford branch of the Irish Anti War Movement is to hold a meeting with a major Iraqi activist against the US occupation of Iraq. Hani Lazim of Iraqi Democrats Against the Occupation will speak in the ATGWU Hall, Keyser Street, Waterford on Tuesday 8^th February at 8.00pm. The topic of the meeting is "IRAQ AFTER THE ELECTIONS: WHY US/UK TROOPS MUST GET OUT", and all members of the public are invited to take part in the discussion.

The US is heralding the elections in Iraq as a credible exercise in democracy and a step towards peace and normalisation of Iraqi society. As with weapons of mass destruction, this is another lie from the Bush/Blair axis. Four of Iraq’s eighteen provinces could not vote, disenfranchising millions of people and over seventy political parties boycotting the vote, on the basis that elections could not be organised under military occupation.

Over 100,000 Iraqi’s have been killed since the start of the occupation and the American security forces believe that as many as 200,000 are active in the resistance to the occupation. A Coalition Provisional Authority poll last May showed that 86% of Iraq’s wanted the US to leave immediately or directly after the elections. However the Americans have no plans to leave the country and will continue to impose their imperial control of Iraq long after the elections.

World-wide opposition to the occupation continues on the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq with an international day of action against the occupation on March 19^th which will see major protests across the world including in Dublin at 2pm in Parnell Square. Thousands will march in Dublin under the banner of ‘End the Occupation – US Military Out of Shannon’. The Fianna Fail/PD government have made Ireland party to the carnage in Iraq by allowing the US military to use Shannon airport as their hub in Europe. A staggering 350,000 US troops have passed through Shannon over the last three years.

Hani Lazim came to Britain in the '60s, having won a scholarship to study overseas from Iraq's oil ministry. His family were poor and had a background of involvement in radical politics. He returned to Iraq to visit them in 1968 and found himself in the middle of the Baathist coup. Several members of his family were arrested but he eventually managed to get out and return to Britain. Since then he has been politically active with other exiles he organised against Saddam. They organised against the first Gulf war led by Bush's father. They also organised against the sanctions, against the war and now they organise against the occupation.

Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation (IDAO) is formed by a group of progressive Iraqi activists who have been involved since 1991 in the committee of IRAQI DEMOCRATS AGAINST WAR AND SANCTIONS. The formation of IDAO is in recognition of the new political situation inflected upon Iraq, and will continue the campaign of solidarity with the Iraqi people in their struggle to end the illegal military occupation and to build a free, democratic and united Iraq.

All members of the public are invited to the meeting by Hani Lazim to hear an Iraqi perspective on the occupation.

E-Mail: waterfordantiwar@yahoo.ie

Start Date: 2005-02-07 19:00:00-05

End Date: 2005-02-08 06:59:59-05

Event E-mail: waterfordantiwar@yahoo.ie

Event URL:

Created By: Roy Hassey