International

The SP's parliamentary group this morning elected Lilian Marijnissen as its new leader. She will succeed Emile Roemer who yesterday announced his decision to hand on the leadership. Marijnissen was one of two candidates to replace him.

It's beyond belief that the new government is doing nothing for the one in nine children growing up in poverty in the Netherlands, yet has chosen to make a gift of €1.4 billion to foreign investors and multinationals. This was the theme running through SP Senator Bastiaan van Apeldoorn's speech in the Senate during today's debate on the budget for the coming period.

Van Apeldoorn wants to know how the government will be implementing the motion proposed by his SP colleague Tiny Kox and approved last week by a majority in the Senate. The motion calls for the government to come up with a concrete plan to address child poverty in the Netherlands. Below are a résumé of and selections from Senator van Apeldoorn's contribution to the debate.

Last week in the Parliament in The Hague there was a hearing on the large number of civilian casualties of the struggle against ISIS. Many of those contributing pointed to the fact that after more than three years of war the terrorist group's breeding ground in Iraq has not disappeared. On the contrary, they argued, Al Qa'ida 3.0 is in the making. It's of the utmost importance that the Dutch government listen closely to this disturbing but accurate warning.

The SP is alarmed by the trade treaty which the EU concluded with the Japan today. Japan is undermining international agreements on both illegal forest clearance and whaling. In addition, there are concerns about data protection for the public. To cap it all, national parliaments will have no right or opportunity to express their views on the treaty.

The accuracy of the SP's concerns regarding food quality, deforestation and damage to the climate as a result of the Mercosur treaty has been confirmed in an analysis by Greenpeace, and the party is urging an end to be put to the negotiations. Greenpeace has leaked six of the fifteen chapters of the proposed treaty between the European Union and the Mercosur countries – Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

SP members took to the streets in three cities at the weekend and on into Monday to speak out against the government's decision to prolong three military missions. Under the slogan 'Permanent war? Not in my name', flyers were distributed in The Hague, Leiden and Amsterdam.

Shortly after the horrific attacks of 11th September 2001 in New York, George W. Bush unleashed the War on Terror. Once and for all, terrorist organisations like Al Qa’ida had to be dealt with. The War on Terror began in October of the same year with the invasion of Afghanistan, where the Taliban regime was ousted, and there followed the attack on and invasion of Iraq, which put an end to Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Years and years of occupation followed in both cases.

Issues of autonomy and independence must be settled by peaceful dialogue, not violent repression.

The War on Terror has failed. Yet despite everything, it continues, and with the support of the Netherlands. This must stop.

The War on Terror began in 2001 with the invasion of Afghanistan. There then followed Iraq (2003), Libya (2011), and Iraq once more, together with Syria (2014). Over the same period secret wars have been launched in a number of countries, including Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia.

Contrary to what was promised, these large-scale military attacks have not led to a reduction in terror. Attacks and threats have instead increased. More than a million people have died and millions more have been forced to flee their homes. Tensions between different population groups have intensified.