The attacks on Washington and New York have shocked the world. The thousands who died were mainly ordinary people with no power or influence. The manner of their deaths was appalling. Our hearts go out out to their friends and families and everyone affected by the attacks.

However the response of the western powers to these tragedies is itself a disaster. Already threats of strikes against Afghanistan have forced the withdrawal of UN and other aid agencies at a time when famine is threatening a ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ in Afghanistan.

Ground or air attacks against Afghanistan, Iraq or adjacent countries will only lead to the deaths of thousands more innocent people in one of the most impoverished regions of the globe. Attacking Afghanistan now would be like attacking Ethiopia in the middle of the famine of 1985. It also risks destabilisation in an extremely volatile region with almost unthinkable consequences.

The enormous pools of misery and suffering in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world are largely products of the neo liberal economic policies imposed around the world by the big powers. In Iraq, Somalia, Columbia, Libya and many other countries these policies have been backed up with military force.

Further military action can only deepen despair and anger. What we need are measures that address the roots of economic and political injustice. It is up to ordinary people in every region to determine their futures - but western governments can help. They should cancel all third world debt, drop all economic sanctions, end arms exports and military and economic support to undemocratic countries. They should also end all military intervention abroad.

We are heartened at the resistance to war that is springing up around the globe. 2,000 people attended the first anti war meeting in London on Friday, 3,000 came on the vigil next day and there were hundreds strong vigils in cities up and down the country at the same time. Reports of anti war demos in the US are flooding in - and anti-capitalist groups there have converted next Saturday’s anti World Bank demo into a day of action against war.

We urge all members and supporters of Globalise Resistance to throw their energies into campaigning against the drive to war and to continue to build the growing international movement for peace and justice.

A world without weapons is possible.