I think that, in New Zealand at least, one of the key reasons for the relatively small size of the active anti-war movement is a feeling that nothing can be done about the situation in Iraq. The vast majority of Kiwis oppose Bush's war - even before the invasion an opinion poll put the figure at 70% - but many of these people feel that protesting in the streets is no longer a worthwhile activity, because Kiwi troops are not directly involved in the conflict.

This is one of the reasons why I think that the anti-war movement should be highlighting the role of New Zealand forces in what can be considered the Asia-Pacific front of the War of Terror being conducted by US imperialism and its allies around the world. The occupations of the Solomon Islands and East Timor are cut from the same cloth as the operation in Iraq, and the Clark government is up to its neck in both.

Less than two weeks before the actions on the 17th, Kiwi troops were directly involved in an operation that led to the killing of at least four East Timorese. In the aftermath of those killings NZ troops were involved in putting down anti-occupation demonstrations in the East Timorese capital Dili. They were also involved in the Mugabe-style eviction of 8,000 people from a refugee camp on the edge of Dili earlier this year, and there are claims that, together with the Australians, they are systematically depriving opponents of the Horta-Gusmao regime of vitally needed supplies of rice.

All this is going on in our backyard, yet most New Zealanders are ignorant of it. Swathes of the left and the anti-war movement seem ashamed even to mention it. At the demonstration in Auckland last Saturday GPJA representative John Minto led chants that recalled the memory of Fallujah, Abu Ghraib, Bagram prison and a number of other sites of US atrocities in the years since 9/11 - but he had nothing to say about the bloody Anzac operation in East Timor on March the 4th, let alone the invasion of May the 25th last year.

GPJA had invited Keith Locke to speak at the end of the demonstration. I have no objection to anyone taking advantage of the open mike that should be fixture of anti-war demos, but is Locke really somebody who should invited to speak at an anti-imperialist? He is, after all, one of the most enthusiastic local supporters of the occupations in the Solomons and East Timor.

Locke's party endlessly expresses its approval of the role NZ troops are playing in both countries, and even sent an MP to give the thumbs up to the fraudulent elections held last year in the Solomons. There is very little to separate the Greens from Labour and National, when it comes to Anzac imperialism in the Asia-Pacific region.

It was good to see some young people on last Saturday's demo turn their backs on Locke and burn a New Zealand flag. The anti-war movement should take its lead from them, and confront New Zealand nationalism head on, instead of buying Locke's spurious argument that Kiwi and Aussie troops are baddies in the Middle East but goodies in East Timor and the Solomons.

This week the Clark government is sending more troops to bolster the failing Australian-led occupation in East Timor. We know that there is massive popular opposition to Anzac occupation in East Timor and the Solomons. When are we going to express our solidarity with them?
(Scott)