"Not in my name" - Why Cllr John Howliston joined the march

12.00.00am GMT Mon 17th Feb 2003

"Some years ago now I had the privilege to serve as a peacekeeper with the United Nations in Korea.

"As we slide towards a war in Iraq I am now asking myself this question: What is the difference between the situation then and the situation now, in terms of the relationship between America / Britain and the United Nations?

"The Korean War was sanctioned by the United Nations and involved the military support of 22 nations. The situation is now entirely different. There is now no clear-cut 'aggressor' as there was in Korea. There is no surge of public and political support for any armed response to Saddam Hussein.

"If there is to be an armed response to Iraq's alleged unwillingness to comply with UN resolution 1441 then surely it must be the United Nations itself that should be sponsoring armed action and not just two nations. People are beginning to question what is their real agenda. It certainly does not help our Prime Minister's cause when some 'real' evidence appears to have been drawn from some student's thesis!

"It also prompts the question of why no action has been taken by the world - America in particular - against Israel when that country has blatantly failed to comply with United Nations resolutions, especially nos. 242 and 338 which related to the forceful occupation and colonisation of territories.

"As President Bush himself has said: "Are Security Council resolutions to be honoured and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding or will it be irrelevant?"

"So, I believe America's case for war is based on blindness, hypocrisy and lies. I do not see why we Britons should be expected to go along with it. The case for war has not been presented using any cogent and compelling arguments. Half a century ago we felt that the war in Korea was morally justified. This threatened war is most certainly not!"