Middle East

We received this article a few days ago from a Turkish Marxist, who looks at the reasons behind the failure of Turkey's parliament to pass a motion giving the US the right to move its troops across Turkish territory into Iraq. Now it seems the Turkish government is attempting to get a second motion authorising the US to use Turkish air space to bomb Iraq, and this is to be voted on tomorrow.

Belgium: an explosion of anger pushes youth into the streets

The indignation of tens of thousands of young people exploded in the streets of many Belgian cities Thursday morning. At breakfast many families had heard the reason for their revolt: the US and UK armies had started to bombard Baghdad. In many schools the students had become restless. Some schools did not even need a walk out because many students had refused even to enter school. Not today, no way! Not only immigrant youth of Arab origin felt angry - many young people did.

Just as we predicted, Hans Blix has stabbed the Iraqis in the back. As the UN Security Council met in a private session to discuss the Anglo-American draft resolution that would pave the way for military action, a copy of the latest report by the chief weapons inspector was published by the BBC. In it, Hans Blix said it was "hard to understand" why measures now being taken by Iraq "could not have been initiated sooner", and that repeated demands for Iraq to disarm had shown only "very limited" results. The latest double talk in the deadly game of diplomacy means only one thing - war.

In every war in history, God is always on our side. That is what Tony Blair and George W. Bush fervently believe. And as the armies of the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain mass in the Gulf, preparing the serious business of mass slaughter in Iraq, the Almighty is being mobilized for war service, along with everyone else in sight and out of it.

On March 5, in the USA and Canada a student strike against the war has been called by several left wing and progressive organisations. The In Defence of Marxism web site totally supports this mobilisation and calls on students around the world to organise strikes, rallies, assemblies for that day and link up with the American students who are taking such a brave stance. There are going to be student strikes in many countries. The Spanish School Students' Union (Sindicato de Estudiantes) is mobilising to turn this into an international day of action and we are publishing their latest statement in support of the March 5...

The long awaited Blix report to the UN has solved nothing. It is worded in such a way that anyone can use it to argue for immediate attack on Iraq or… for more inspections! Thus the United Nations is demonstrating once again that it can solve nothing. The real decisions will be taken by the major powers, in this case the United States, the only real superpower on the planet.

Parts of the antiwar movement are basing their opposition on the fact that there is not yet any UN backing for action against Iraq. Fred Weston looks at who is on the UN Security Council and how the USA can bribe and bully most of them into supporting their war effort. And concludes that we must oppose the war, with or without UN support.

This is the text of the Youth for International Socialism (YFIS) leaflet against the war, which can be used on the coming demonstrations.

The war that is being prepared by the USA is a blatant act of aggression against the Iraqi people. It has not a single atom of progressive content. All the arguments used to justify this monstrous war are false to the core. This war is not in the interests of anyone except the imperialists and the big oil companies that stand behind the White House clique. Let us unite to organise a massive campaign of agitation against the war, with demonstrations, pickets, leafleting and mass meetings in every workplace, school and college.

The words of George Bush’s annual state-of-the-union address were full of lofty sentiments. But the President aims were more prosaic. There is growing opposition at home to his war plans. And half way through his first term of office, his popularity ratings are falling. He is worried that he may not get re-elected in two years’ time.

Sharon's victory in yesterday's Israeli elections was a foregone conclusion. The Israeli right wing's position in the Knesset [Israeli parliament] has now been consolidated as never before. A superficial examination of these voting patterns would indeed lead to a very pessimistic view of the situation. But if we look a little closer at the process a different picture emerges. On the basis of a closer analysis no one can say that all the Israeli people voted for Sharon! Far from it!

The western alliance is now deeply fractured on the question of war with Iraq. Divisions within the Security Council are growing. France and Germany have pledged to try to prevent a war, even if that means not supporting America in a UN vote. Does this negate what we wrote concerning the position of France and Russia? Not at all. It was always clear that the French, Russians and Germans were opposed to the policy of the USA in relation to Iraq. They have different interests and therefore different policies. That was never in doubt. But the point is that this will not deflect the American imperialists from carrying out their declared aims.

The so-called "struggle against terrorism" is nothing but a cynical pretext for feeding the voracious appetite of the greatest economic and military power in the world. The arrogant war-mongering of George W. Bush reflects the brutality of the American ruling class, which in its struggle for the control of resources, raw materials, markets, trade routes and spheres of influence, is ready to destroy any obstacle it finds in its path.