London in chaos for a procession anti-Islamic Stopped seven right-wing extremists

Live in London. And much of the city kept under check between yesterday and today by right-wing extremists who have staged a demonstration of the anti-Islamic far-right in the heart of the multi-ethnic city. The dreaded gathering group English Defence League (EDL) in the East of the capital has resulted in clashes with the police and around 60 arrests, but has not repeated the urban warfare scenario of a few weeks ago. As stated by the leadership of the EDL to Scotland Yard, the Group was planning a static demonstration and a sit-in to protest against the recent decision of the Minister of the Interior, Theresa May prohibit any demonstration in six areas of the capital, considered high risk.

Despite the ban, a thousand people came during the morning of Saturday armed with placards that read "this is not the Inghilterristan" and "England: love it or leave it". Police escorted the group more nourished from King's Cross station until the beginning of multi-ethnic district of Tower Hamlets, where he was a massive roadblock with agents and media.

The tension was palpable but initially under control. Shaved heads, flags, hockey masks with colors cheers, songs and English romani – a theatre that England has come to know well in recent years. The leader of the EDL, Stephen John Lennon, which was presented in disguise with fake beard, hat and dark glasses to avoid being recognized, he then took the floor, telling the crowd of violating its restrictive permission to attend the event – received a sentence for hooliganism. "Violerò any ban, today and in the future, to have the opportunity to demonstrate together with you," he shouted.

After the short speech by Lennon broke the first scuffles with the police, who occupied the area since the early morning hours – over 3000 men, scattered throughout the neighborhood and the surrounding areas. The situation was "extremely tense" and are not missed episodes of violence and unrest, but did not reach the intensity of other EDL events. If you do the damage, as Luton, Birmingham, Nottingham had a fate definitely worse in such occasions.

The scuffles continued intermittently throughout the day yesterday. Between Saturday and Sunday, there are around 60 arrests carried out by the police. The main accusations: resistance to law enforcement, violence, possession of weapons.

One of the moments of greatest tension occurred when a coach of the EDL has been "intercepted" and attacked by a group of young Asians in Whitechapel Road, not far from the East London Mosque. The vehicle, carrying 44 members of the EDL, was returning from a parallel protest in Aldgate. Passing close to one of the largest mosques of the city, some of the protesters went looking for the clash with groups of immigrants. The bus is then broken down, to stop only a few meters after due to a fault. It is at that moment that a hundred Asian youths surrounded the bersagliandolo with stones, pebbles and improvised rockets.

"We intervened promptly," commented the police, who has uploaded the 44 EDL on another bus to guard them away – and then stop. "It was necessary to get the protesters quickly from the area to avoid things they worsened." Police in riot structure, had a lot to be done to hold off the more than 1500 demonstrators anti-fascist groups organized under the theme United Against Fascism.

"The strategy was to prevent the EDL to spread to the streets, but was no less important to avoid any contact with other groups," said a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police. "Police men were human barrier between the two sides." The meeting of Tower Hamlets – one of the most multi-ethnic of London – had been planned for some time, attracting the ire of the local population and community groups, who had repeatedly asked to forbid it. Following the massacre of Oslo and investigations – still underway – on possible links between the killer and the extreme right British Home Office has banned the March. After the riots of the past few weeks, it was imperative to maintain order in the city. The urban warfare scenario of the riots has not yet occurred, and London can now breathe a sigh of relief.

London cancelled the March anti-IslamMa the police prepares for possible clashes

Their goal was clear but – at least according to the British policy – dangerous: protest against ' Islamic ' in the London district populated by the largest Muslim community in the United Kingdom. Judging risky the project of the members of the English Defence League, now, it was Theresa May, the Minister of the Interior, who feared possible clashes and riots less than a month of riots that have affected the capital. So the March scheduled for tomorrow at Tower Hamlets has been cancelled. With great relief for the local population, the Mayor of the borough and for leaders of the Islamic and Jewish communities.

Yet on their site, sympathizers of the EDL you give anyway appointment in neighborhood pubs and promise – as the March is banned – a ' static ' event. The Indymedia network, Socialist Worker, and many other left groups promise of counter-demonstrations. So, tomorrow, the risk is that the police fulfil, on both sides, "kettling" technique of containment of the crowd already seen on the streets of London during the student protests when the protesters were encircled and left without water, food and toilet also for hours.

The English Defence League is a far-right group founded in Luton, North of London, in 2009. At the moment boasts a few thousand members throughout England. The EDL is said "non-racist Association, multireligious and multiracial ', but, by statute, is opposed to Islamic radicalism. Now the EDL, always on his site, claims that have prevented the manifestation of tomorrow was a "big mistake". And, with the post "ten reasons to prove at Tower Hamlet", suggests their subscribers to carry on anyway, on that day, some form of protest is not static. A March on London with cries of "Allah is the evil», to put it mildly.

But the decision of the Minister of the Interior, however, came after a request from the same Metropolitan Police who feared to racial unrest tomorrow. The May said it would defend ' communities and their property "and that the ban is the best tactic to prevent every problem. To applaud his decision also Nick Lowles, Searchlight, a magazine "against fascism and racism". Second Lowles, "this is a victory of common sense". Because, in many today in England, it cannot extinguish a fire buttandoci over gasoline.

Yet other associations were levelled against the ban, valid for the next thirty days. The fear is that oppose a group judged by many little democratic with equally undemocratic means is not the most productive move. And the Council for the future is to try to organize counter-demonstrations able to oppose the ideology underlying the EDL – certainly not in the direction of inclusivity and multiculturalism – showing the people what the true feelings of most Britons.

At the beginning of August the Minister, had banned a March at Telford who was holding the same, although without incident. Of course, that bond emerged with the right-wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik, the slayer of Oslo and Utoya, does not help the members of the EDL. On his Facebook page and on his manifesto, repeatedly Breivik had praised the work of the group, however, after the Norwegians had immediately distanced himself. And on the website of the English Defence League continues to be followed with great attention the investigation.

di Matteo Impera

London and Washington ready to intervenirein Iraq even without UN permission

United Kingdom and United States agree to attack the Iraq of Saddam Hussein even without UN approval.

A letter from the Secretariat of the former British premier Tony Blair reveals the agreement reached with the United States George Bush to proceed inland military five months before the start of the conflict.

The document, written by the then British Secretary Matthew Rycroft on October 17, 2002, says that in the event UN inspectors had found violations to the UN resolution 1441 on weapons of mass destruction which the Bush administration, have been held by Saddam, would not have expected a second resolution to attack.

"The only way to keep the United States in cooperation with the UN was being clear on the fact that, if Hans Blix (the head of UN inspectors, ndr) had found violations of the resolution on the part of Iraq, Saddam would not have had a second chance," writes Rycroft.

"In other words – adds in his letter – if for some reason will not be approved a second resolution, us and the States we will proceed with the action".

The content of the document addressed by the Secretariat of the former premier to some close associates, including the British Ambassador to the UN Jeremy Greenstock, is in sharp contrast to statements made publicly by the British Government during the same period. In fact, the then Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, continued to reaffirm the need to wait for the go-ahead of the glass palace. Same story as regards the press releases issued by Downing Street.

Before launching a military offensive was however required a further Council resolution that Blair and Bush had, however, chose to ignore – also because Blix not found no violation. A shortcut in the regulation, which contains the question mark on the real capacity of the United Nations as a supranational and its real power.

Although Blix had not found violations by the country in the Middle East, Blair speaks of "irrefutable" proof of the presence of weapons of mass destruction. A strategy to justify the attack. As is known, even after the invasion and the fall of Saddam, weapons were never found, so much so that the former head of the British Government is under investigation by the Chilcot on lies that have pushed the armed intervention.

But there is more. Even the secret service of his Majesty warned Blair on the inconsistency of the charges against Saddam: "Iraq does not pose a threat to the United Kingdom". The Baroness Manningham-Buller, Director General of the services at the time of the invasion, had described the campaign in Iraq as "a distraction" in relation to the objectives to be pursued, such as terrorism and Al Qaeda.

And not only: according to the counter-espionage, the war in Iraq would have had heavy repercussions on public order. Testifying last year before the Chilcot, Manningham-Buller said that the invasion led to the radicalization of groups of young British Muslims. Were "huge increase" in cases of domestic extremism by young Muslims, believe that the West was at war against Islam.

The Chilcot Inquiry final report is expected in the coming months, and only then will track the overall picture of events that led to the conflict. A picture is far from clear where, as the last elements would assume, the cowboy from easy gun was not only the Texan George Bush.