Photos Antiwar Rally
* Toronto Photo 1
* Toronto Photo 2
* Australia Photo

Photos, Notes: Worldwide Protests, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran -March.18.2006
By Gary Morton at http://CitizensontheWeb.ca

   Today the world saw a wave of 700 anti war rallies. Marking the 3^rd anniversary of the invasion of Iraq protesters vocally opposed the occupation there and in Afghanistan and called for the US to keep its hands off Iran.

   In spite of the worldwide protests, the Bush administration is planning an attack on Iran that may spark the entire Middle East to violence and war. Here in Canada a foolish Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn’t listening to the thousands of protesters that oppose involvement in Afghanistan. He is busy trying to play general to boost his popularity, at the expense of our troops and the Afghan people.

   Today’s global protests began in Australia with marchers stating that Iraq is a quagmire and a humanitarian disaster. The longer the occupation continues the more destabilized Iraq becomes. 2,000 demonstrators turned out in Tokyo and in London 100,000 people marched. More than 10,000 protesters filled the streets of San Francisco.

   In truth the entire Middle East and Central Asia is the central battlefield in this global resource war. It is a region extending from Sudan to Kazakhstan to the north and from Egypt to Pakistan in the east. It holds the largest portion of the world’s remaining untapped resources. This failed resource war is described as A War on Terror by propagandists and most in the Western Media. The Iraq war tab grows by at least $200 million each and every day. Total cost of this failed military mission will reach two trillion dollars if the Americans stay in for a long occupation. It is a sum that would’ve saved the world’s poor had it been used properly.

   Iran is the next target as it has huge reserves of gas and oil and is in a strategic position for control of the Middle East and pipelines. It is more likely our fears will be realized this year with a Bush-led attack on Iran. Peace remains illusive as the wasting of human life grows.
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Quotes from other media

Xinhua
           "We're here in Toronto and Canada to put Stephen Harper on notice that it's time for our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan," organizer Dylan Penner said.

       The CPA has taken part in demonstrations on the previous two anniversaries of the invasion, but the situation is more dire now than ever before, Sid Lacombe said.

    "Quite clearly, we see there is no end to the violence in Iraq," Lacombe said. "We also see that it is in fact the occupation itself that is causing an awful lot of the problems that are there. The occupation forces and the violence that they have brought upon Iraq is a significant reason as to why the violence continues."

Globe and Mail
   “What you're seeing today, with 36 towns and cities across Canada marching in the third anniversary of the war in Iraq is, I think, a resurgence in the antiwar movement,” said event organizer James Black of the Coalition to Stop the War.

“The consequence of the antiwar movement in general in discrediting the war on terror has helped build a stronger opposition in Canada to our involvement in Afghanistan.”