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PHILIPPINES: 'War on terrorism' targets the left

BY NICK SOUDAKOFF The Philippines government, in alliance with Washington, is using the "war on terror" as cover for a full-scale assault on the revolutionary left. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks in the US, Manila announced its backing for

Building workers rally in support of union leader

BY VANNESSA HEARMAN MELBOURNE — Ten-thousand building workers marched from Trades Hall to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on February 6 in support of Martin Kingham, Victorian state secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union

Workplace motion on Iraq war

[The following is a model motion for trade unionists on action against a war on Iraq. It is being circulated by members of the Socialist Alliance. If your union or workplace adopts it, please inform the Socialist Alliance at

PAKISTAN: Fighting for women's rights

BY TAMARA PEARSON LAHORE — The first thing I did after crossing the border into Pakistan was catch a bus into the city. Buses in Pakistan are divided in two by a barrier. The first quarter of the bus is reserved for women and their

John Pilger: Why Bush lies about Iraq

US President George Bush's plans to invade Iraq have nothing to do eliminating "weapons of mass destruction", preventing terrorism or ending human rights abuses. An attack on Iraq will be the first phase of a pre-existing strategy to increase US

Socialists run anti-war election campaign

BY LINDA WALDRON MELBOURNE — The Gellibrand Socialist Alliance branch decided on February 5 to contest the March 15 Maribyrnong and Brimbank council elections. The Socialist Alliance promises a “working council for working people”. The

A woman's place is in the struggle: War won't liberate the women of Iraq

Living conditions for Iraqi women deteriorated dramatically after the 1991 Gulf War. US-enforced sanctions have wrecked Iraq's economy, depriving people of everything from medical supplies and school textbooks to the European beauty products that are

'Don't just vote, change the system!'

BY SUSAN PRICE “Elections results don't change very much for ordinary people.” Surprisingly, this comment was made by Lisa Macdonald, a candidate in the March 23 NSW state elections. But perhaps her comment was not so surprising, since

Arundhati Roy: 'terrorism is the symptom not the disease'

The Algebra of Infinite JusticeBy Arundhati Roy Flamingo, 2002305 pages, $21.95 (pb) REVIEW BY PHIL SHANNON "How many dead Iraqis will it take to make the world a better place?", asks a waspishly angry Arundhati Roy in The Algebra of Infinite

Librarians strike for pay rise

BY ALEX MILNE MELBOURNE — On February 4, librarians employed at the State Library of Victoria, staged a one-day strike in support of their demand for a 6% pay rise and worker representation on the SLV board. SLV librarians are among the lowest

SCOTLAND: Scots prepare warm welcome for Blair

BY MATT PRESTON GLASGOW — Tens of thousands of Scots anticipate giving British Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair a warm welcome on February 15. Scotland is set to become one of the pivotal points of protest against the impending war on Iraq.

AFGHANISTAN: Has the US liberated women?

BY NICOLE COLSON "Many people outside the country believe that Afghan women and girls have had their rights restored. It's just not true" — that's the conclusion of Human Rights Watch official Zama Coursen-Neff, co-author of a report released in