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Dita Sari joins mission to Baghdad

BY IGGY KIM Dita Sari, head of the Indonesian National Front for Workers' Struggle, was in Baghdad on March 14-18 as part of high-profile Asian peace mission to Iraq. Mission members visited hospitals, orphanages and schools. They met with

Socialist Alliance records strong vote for anti-war message

BY LAURIE SAUNDERS MELBOURNE — Socialist Alliance candidates recorded respectable results in the Maribyrnong and Brimbank local council elections on March 15. Maurice Sibelle scored 6.1% of the vote in McKay, a ward of the Brimbank council

PHILIPPINES: Government divided over war in Mindanao

BY NICK SOUDAKOFF The Philippines government has threatened to label the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) a "terrorist" group. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on March 10 stated that "actions, including the sabotage of [electricity]

Vote 1 Socialist Alliance, preference the Greens

BY LISA MACDONALD With the recent rise of the Greens as a real force in electoral politics, the question is posed: why is the Socialist Alliance bothering to contest elections. The answer is simple. The Socialist Alliance strongly supports the

1000 people protest war in Hobart

BY ROHAN GAISWINKLER HOBART — More than one thousand people protested against war on March 15, in a protest organised at less than a week's notice in response to the escalation of US plans for war. The rally, called by the Peace Coalition,

Denzel Washington's 'love letter' to the US Navy

REVIEW BY JOHN ESTHER Antwone FisherWritten by Antwone FisherDirected by Denzel WashingtonWith Derek Luke, Denzel Washington, Joy Bryant and Salli Richardson It is a Hollywood fairytale come true. Antwone Fisher was a security guard at Sony

Thousands march in Darwin

BY OSCAR JUKES & RUTH RATCLIFFE DARWIN — Cries of "UN, USA — no war, no way!’‘ woke up the usually sleepy Smith Street Mall as 2500 people took to the streets on March 15. Larrakia activist June Mills opened the rally saying: "No more

Wollongong to secede to France?

BY CHRIS WILLIAMS WOLLONGONG — Illawarra NoWar is calling on the government of France to use its veto against any plans for war put to the UN Security Council. On March 11, a delegation from NoWar took their message directly to the French

Howard moves speech, rally follows

BY JAMES CAULFIELD CANBERRA — Around 800 people came to Parliament House on March 13 for an anti-war rally to coincide with Prime Minister John Howard's speech to justify Australian involvement in a US war on Iraq. Howard's speech was

IRAQ: Washington's bid for UN backing stumbles

BY DOUG LORIMER On March 9, US Secretary of State Colin Powell declared that Washington was "in striking distance" of getting "nine or 10" votes on the UN Security Council to pass a draft resolution giving Iraq until March 17 to "disarm" or face an

Left-wing unions cave on ACTU war demand

BY SUE BOLTON MELBOURNE — At a March 11 caucus of the national left unions in the leadup to the Australian Council of Trade Unions executive meeting on March 25-26, there was a discussion about whether to propose a motion to toughen up the ACTU's

'If there is a war, students will not behave'

BY GRANT COLEMAN Following on from the spectacular March 5 Books not Bombs student strike against the war on Iraq, students are getting ready to walk out of classes again on March 26. Students voted unanimously at the March 5 rallies to