9/11 - Five Years On - A Bristol Perspective

bristol | miscellaneous | feature Monday September 11, 2006 13:01 by Bristol Indymedia Editorial Group - Bristol Indymedia

Living in the Shadow of Bin Laden

Anarchist606 writes: I heard about the first plane from a work colleague who was sat on the desk next to me. It seemed pretty unreal. I checked the net to see what was going down. Breaking news was a plane had hit the world trade centre ... In 2001 incidents of terrorism are running at about 1700 per year, globally ... Flashback to then. As the second plane hits, the net goes down. I can not remember a time then or since that this had happened. At first the BBC site went to a text only version, then that too would go ... Soon after this Bu$h would declare that either you are with him or with the terrorists. Rumsfeld would take the Iraq war plans off the backburner and once more put them into motion. In Afghanistan, Bin Laden would argue with Al-Zarqawi about how the US would respond to his attacks. Al-Zarqawi says they will attack Iraq and set off there to prepare for their coming.

Now – there is a vigil in Bristol each day to protest the wars. This has been going on since they started bombing Afghanistan. In Bristol there are also companies who make missiles that they use in the war on terror. Dick Cheney said that this war would not end in our lifetimes. A forever war. As if to prove this, the war in Afghanistan that we have supposedly won, still rumbles on there with no end in sight ... Now – the forever war takes in Iraq to sit alongside Afghanistan, Colombia and Palestine in their crusade for enduring freedom. During this war on terror they would use torture, cluster bombs, detention without trial, phosphorus shells, depleted uranium and bomblets ... In 2005 incidents of terrorism are running at around 5100 per year. Since that day when Bin Laden killed 2,973 people to set his agenda, the west's fury and blundering would add another 62,006 dead to the tally ... Cost of war so far: $313,693,687,636 and counting.

Before – A couple of years after 911, I would hold my nose and vote Lib Dem to oust Neo-Labour in the national election. They won in Bristol West. The media, taking their cue from Neo-Labour ... said people don't care about the war. I did. In the run up to the largest ever demo sends coach after coach from here to London to say No War. Bliar ignored us ... He said history would be his judge. Instead the dead of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine are his judge ... Now; I want us out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I want the billions spent on war to go on making poverty history. I want Neo-Labour to consume itself in an orgy of destruction ... (epitaph; 'Here lies the Labour Party 1900-2006, an opportunity lost. May future generations learn from our failure.') ... I want the court to issue an arrest warrant for Bliar on charges of war crimes. I want Bin Laden caught and put on trial in the Hague. I want the Fairford disarmers to be acquitted and offered the Freedom of the City of Bristol. Full Article

| (Image Left: U.S military uses phosphorous weapons as it flattens the Iraqi city of Fallujah in Nov 2004) | Living in the Shadow of Bin Laden | Bristol Peace Vigil: Mon - Fri @5:30-6:30pm. Sat @3:00-4:00pm. Opposite The Hippodrome, St. Augustines Parade, Bristol City Centre | Fairford Trials: Paul Milling and Margaret Jones : Verdict Expected By Next Wednesday | Also Of Interest: Profiles of Bristol based Arms Companies | Bristol arms manufacturers are targetted | Palestine Zaytoun Olive Harvest Tour | Bristol Stop The War Newsletter : September 2006 |

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