Iraq war protesters in spray paint attacks on city targets

ANTI-WAR protesters struck at four sites across the Capital to mark the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq.

Members of the F*** The War Coalition struck at "strategic" targets in the city in the early hours of this morning in protest at the ongoing military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, they said.

Chancellor Alistair Darling's office on Rutland Square was one of the first places to be targeted in the blitz this morning. Protesters used a stencil to spray-paint slogans on the front door of the constituency office which Mr Darling shares with fellow Labour Party Member Sarah Boyack. Shortly afterwards the group struck at the nearby Army Recruitment Office on Shandwick Place and smashed three windows in the property.

They also targeted the US Consulate in the New Town and the offices of city-based company Selex which makes radar and other equipment for the armed forces.

The group claimed they had carried out the early morning attacks across the Capital.

They said they had carried out previous attacks on properties but never harmed people.

A spokesman for the group said in a statement sent to the Evening News: "We want to bring the war home to those who profit from imperialism.

"We did these actions to draw attention to two recent studies. One that puts the civilian dead as a result of the war in Iraq at a shocking 1.2 million, and a poll which shows that the majority of Iraqis believe that the imperialist forces are doing more harm than good, and that they need to withdraw immediately."

The statement added: "The time is long overdue for more direct measures to prevent this bloody war from continuing."

It also said it had carried out acts of vandalism across Scotland, including attacks on the offices of MPs who voted for the war, and targeting companies involved in the arms trade.

Jane McGirk, spokeswoman for Selex Galileo, said: "We do everything we can to look after the security and well-being of our staff and we are very pleased that none of our employees were injured.

"We condemn acts of vandalism like this"

A police spokesman said inquiries were continuing. And he added: "We would appeal for any witnesses who saw or heard anything suspicious to come forward."