As the British war dead reaches 331in Afghanistan, British expenditure on both wars flows over £20 billion, Blair promises conscience profits form his autobiography to the British Legion and Bradley Manning remains in custody for the wikileaks revelations - the recession meets the need for more cannon fodder in our local low income neighborhood of Dalston.

The army are running a "showroom" in a shopping centre on Kingsland Rd.. The showroom is "home to a virtual battlefield simulator which gives vistors a chance to use their friends as target practice with a replica handgun . Outraged Mothers Against Guns, Lucy Cope, have stated it is grossly insensitive to house the showroom in a borough that has been plagued by gun violence." Hackney Gazette

The showroom which is the first of its kind in the country provides a virtual battlefield simulator for use for those 14 years and over. The British and Russian militaries are the only European militaries that recruit as young as 16. The military plans to open such showrooms across the country....next one is planned for Croyden.

Non-officer recruitment in Britain draws mostly on young people from 16 years of age living in disadvantaged communities. At the Showroom children are introduced to the potential benefits of a forces career but not to its risks. At the Showroom warfare is glamourised and sanitised.


The Army's Six Year Trap for Under 18's

A new recruit may give 14 days notice and leave - but only between the second and sixth month of service, after that they must remain in the army full time until 22 years old. They cannot buy themselves out. If the recruit is under 18 years of age the Commanding Officer has discretionary power of discharge but this may be refused. After leaving the army they must remain in the reserves for another six years. They may not be free to leave even when over 22.if they signed up for certain army training courses. The MoD estimates that that 2,200 soldiers go absent without leave (AWOL) each year,risking a criminal conviction an detention

In the Catholic Worker tradition to "vigil" is to stay awake while society slumbers. After vigiling outside the Showroom today, it is evident that nine years into this war on Afghanistan there is no popular support for this war on the streets. Alas, there is also little evidence of popular or visible oppositon. We spoke to two young women who had just enlisted. Our oppostion to the war was affirmed by a number of mostly older folks. One man who had lost his father in the final year of WW2 was disgusted that the British Legion was accepting "blood money" from Blair. One young man interpreted our vigil as anti-soldier. We informed him tha the most significant opposition and resistance to this war is presently coming from within the U.S. and British military and from military families.

We will continue to return to the Army Showroom in Dalston on a weekly basis. Our sister Catholic Worker communities carry out vigils in Oxford the town in which the post mortems on the British military war dead are carried out and at Northwood Headquarters.


* Thanx to Forces Watch
www.forceswatch.net