Leaks about the next steps in the war against terrorism are coming out of the Pentagon and State Depart-ment fast and furious. Opinion is obviously divided about how and when to attack Iraq but clearly it has been decided that Saddam Hussein must be removed from power – at any cost. No voices against are heard from our government although some uncompromising MPs are asking questions in Parliament. Blair’s response that we’ll discuss it when the decisions are actually about to be taken falls short of allowing the full debate needed on such a critical issue.

Unless we are very careful, in Shirley Williams words, we will ‘sleep-walk into war on the coat-tails of Uncle Sam’. As both the US and UK governments state that they would consider using nuclear weapons even against non-nuclear attack, that war could well become the first in which nuclear weapons are used since 1945. Paul Rogers recently reminded us that since WW2 25 million people have died in wars and a further 75 m. have suffered appallingly as a direct result. It doesn’t take any imagination to realise how vast the casualty list and devastation would be in a nuclear war. Yet some of our leaders seem to lack that imagination. [But see p8 for one congressman’s inspirational vision to start to build a road to peace.] The message, loud and clear, coming from everyone who spoke at a packed anti-war meeting last week in Chester was – don’t wait for war to start , don’t wait for the next demonstration (Sept. 28th in London). Talk to your family, friends, neighbours, fellow worshippers, leafllet, petition, write to your MP, join the network of resistance online at: www.justicenotvengeance.org DO ALL YOU CAN NOW!