On Sunday, despite the floods, a small group gathered in Brisbane to mark the 20th anniversary of first US led attack on Iraq. We joined others around the world gathering at the same time.
We remembered all those killed in the wars Australia has supported since then, especially those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I started with an overview of the wars in those countries. I mentioned Pope John Paul 11’s strong opposition to the first Gulf War, when he prophetically called it the “Seed of death”. The war helped spark a never ending spiral of violence- “war-terror-war-terror-war……..”
We read an article by Robert Fisk written 3 weeks after the start of the 1991 war, in which he details the horrific scene of women and children shredded by US cluster bombs.
Next we read Martin Luther King’s “Six Principles of Active Nonviolence” – a real alternative to the never ending violence.
Slowly we read names of some of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan – the names of coalitions soldiers alternatively with the names Iraq or Afghani civilians.
We concluded with our own prayers and then headed to nearby home to watch the 17minute video for which Bradley Manning is presently being tortured in a US prison. The film “Collateral Murder” depicts the seemingly mindless slaughter of innocent civilians by US helicopter pilots taken from one of the helicopters.
WE left - hopefully more determined to continue the struggle.
For coverage of the vigils and speakouts that occurred around the world in places such as the UK, US and New Zealand visit the following article on Indymedia Ireland