The Auckland Women's Centre
4 Warnock St, Grey Lynn, Auckland,
Tel:3763227 Fax: 3761817

November 20th , 2002.


To:

Helen Clark, Prime Minister,
Fax (04) 4733579;

Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Fax (04) 4958444,

Marion Hobbs, Minister of Disarmament,
Fax (04) 4958467,

Mark Burton, Minister of Defence,
Fax (04) 495 8465


Parliament Buildings,
Wellington.

Dear Prime Minister and Ministers,
The Annual General Meeting of the Auckland Women's Centre, on November 8th, 2002, passed the following resolution unanimously:

"The Auckland Women's Centre calls upon the New Zealand Government not to support or participate in any United States or United Nations led attack upon Iraq; and to stop economic sanctions against Iraq."

In April this year we wrote to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, congratulating the Government on its nuclear- free policy, and asking the Government not to support a new attack upon Iraq or to continue sanctions.

We wrote :

"As the Bush Administration is preparing for a military attack
against Iraq, we urge you to remind President Bush of the price that the
innocent civilians of Iraq ,particularly the women and children ,have paid,
due to the sanctions and the continued bombing imposed on their country;
and to convey our advice that the sanctions should be lifted, the bombing
cease, and that a further military attack cannot be condoned by the people
of New Zealand."

Noting that the United States has not ruled out use of weapons of mass destruction against non- nuclear powers, including the possibility of first strike using nuclear weapons, we also wrote:

"We ask you to propose to the President the need for the
international inspection of United States laboratories and plants engaged
in storing and manufacturing bacteriological weapons such as anthrax.

We ask you to take the opportunity to raise these issues courageously with
the President in order to stop the escalation of this war and the use of nuclear weapons".

We received a reply assuring us that the Government had no plans to support an attack upon Iraq. Therefore we note with concern recent press statements indicating a greater willingness to consider it; as well as the decision to send the frigate Te Kaha to the Persian Gulf.

The women of the Auckland Women's Centre do not support any attack upon Iraq, whether led by the United States or the United Nations.

Yours sincerely,


Paulette Benton- Greig,
Coordinator.