http://www.active.org.au/sydney/news/front.php3?article_id=2122&group=webcast
Removing Saddam is a job for the peoples of Iraq by Socialist Alliance 9:40pm Thu Feb 13 '03 - article#2122 address: PO Box A2323, Sydney South 1235, AUSTRALIA - phone: Dick Nichols 0418 281 424 - Riki Lane 0400 877 819 - Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713 [EMAIL PROTECTED] MEDIA RELEASE - 11 February 2003 The Socialist Alliance today reaffirmed its opposition to any military intervention in Iraq—whether the unilateral US-British-Australia “coalition of the willing” or the UN-backed variant being floated by France and Germany. -- Also: Union action is the key to stop the war on Iraq PLUS: Model motion for trade unions on action against war on Iraq -- MEDIA RELEASE - 11 February 2003 Removing Saddam is a job for the peoples of Iraq The Socialist Alliance today reaffirmed its opposition to any military intervention in Iraq—whether the unilateral US-British-Australia “coalition of the willing” or the UN-backed variant being floated by France and Germany. “The disagreement between France and Germany and the Bush administration over how to handle Iraq is a falling-out among thieves intent on grabbing Iraq’s oil”, Dick Nichols, National Co-convener of the Socialist Alliance, stated. “While the French-German plan for an occupation of Iraq by a UN-force would avoid a war if it were agreed to by the Iraqi government, it would still represent an illegitimate interference in the affairs of that country.” Nichols added: “The problem with the Iraq debate is that most sides accept the basic premise that the UN Security Council—a club of five superpowers supposedly representing the ‘international community’—has the right and duty to remove the weapons of mass destruction that Iraq is claimed to be concealing.” “People then get trapped in a totally false discussion about whether there are better methods than war for eliminating these weapons—which no-one has yet been able to find.” The Socialist Alliance spokesperson stressed: “The only grounds on which this approach would be remotely valid would be if disarming Iraq were simply a part of an international plan for eliminating all weapons of mass destruction—whether they be held by Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, India, France, England or the United States.” Nichols pointed out that such a plan was a “pipe dream” in a world order dominated by Washington. The US was not only refusing to sign on to any international agreements that would even remotely infringe on its own powers (such as the International Criminal Court or the Kyoto agreement), it was increasing its own biological warfare capacity and harbouring terrorists of its own—such as Luis Posada Carriles, guilty of placing a bomb on a Air Cubana plane in 1976. In answer to the often-asked question as to what to “do about Saddam” Nichols pointed out that Saddam had only dared to use weapons of mass destruction (in Iraq’s 1980s war against Iran) when he was sure of the full support of the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1986 these two powers had vetoed UN resolutions condemning Iraq for gassing Kurdish villages. Nichols said: “Now that the Bush-Blair-Howard axis of warmongers wants to whip their sceptical and unwilling populations into supporting their war for oil, they have discovered Saddam’s atrocious human rights record and Alexander Downer weeps crocodile tears over the Shiite and Kurdish minorities of Iraq. “Let no-one be fooled. Western governments greedy for oil won’t help the democratic struggle in Iraq one iota. As always, the struggle against dictatorship is the job of the people who suffer under that dictatorship. The responsibility of other peoples and nations, like us in Australia, is to give solidarity and moral and material support to those in struggle.” “Only mass, people’s struggle ensures that dictatorship gives way to democracy and not to another form of dictatorship”, the Socialist Alliance spokesperson added. “As for the US’s war—that will only produce another Saddam—or worse.” The Socialist Alliance spokesperson noted that more and more political forces around the world were moving to the only possible principled position vis-à-vis the threat of war on Iraq—unconditional opposition. Nichols concluded: “Leading parties of the Socialist International—in particular the French Socialist Party—are not just saying that a US-UK-Australian unilateral war on Iraq would be unjustified. They are also calling for the French government to exercise its Security Council veto, in recognition that there is no justification for a war on Iraq. “It’s high time for the Simon Crean and the ALP to make it equally clear that, even if a second Security Council resolution supporting war wins French government approval, such a war would still be a crime—to be opposed in parliament and by helping build the most powerful anti-war movement this country has ever seen.” For more information: Dick Nichols 0418 281 424 Riki Lane 0400 877 819 Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713 --- Eight socialist organisations and many individual activists have formed the Socialist Alliance. Supporters include Melbourne University academic Verity Burgmann, writer and historian Humphrey McQueen, comedian Rod Quantock, union and environmental activist Jack Mundey, Victorian Fairwear organiser Annie Delaney, Victorian Trades Hall women’s and equity officer Ellen Kleimaker and Craig Johnston, former Victorian state branch secretary of the AMWU. For more details, visit http://www.Socialist-Alliance.org/ --- 11 February 2003 Union action is the key to stop the war on Iraq Socialist Alliance, Australia's newest registered political party, today launched a national campaign urging union action to stop the Bush-Blair-Howard-Howard drive to war on Iraq. “We believe that union action will be crucial to stopping the looming war on Iraq,” said Socialist Alliance National Co-convener, Dick Nichols. “Unions WA is showing the way forward with their recent decision to back their unconditional opposition to the war with industrial action”, he said. “Other labor councils and other unions must follow their lead”. Scottish train drivers recently refused to drive trains carrying equipment and supplies for the British armed forces in Iraq. Union members were at the forefront of action against the Vietnam War, starting with union bans on using merchant marine ships, Jeparit and the Boonaroo to supply troops in Vietnam in 1966. Tens of thousands marched in demonstrations under the slogan ‘Stop Work to Stop the War’. “That is the kind of action that can stop Howard and Bush in their tracks,” added Nichols. “Some union leaders have already spoken out against the war. Now Socialist Alliance wants to actively involve union members at the grass roots level,“ said National Co-convener Riki Lane. “We will be urging unions to hold workplace meetings to discuss industrial action against the war. Socialist Alliance will be urging unionists to join the emergency actions planned to take place the day the war begins. We are urging unions to set a date for a specific union day of action against the war. We expect big union contingents for the national protests on 14-16 February,” he said. “Union members will bear the cost of the war on Iraq,” said National Co-convener, Ian Rintoul. “It is ordinary Iraqis who will suffer most from this war and it is ordinary working families in Australia who will pay with a war on their working conditions at home.” “Howard can find hundreds of millions of dollars for military operations to follow George Bush to war, but there is no money for child care or hospitals,” said Rintoul. --- Socialist Alliance model motion for trade unions: Model motion for trade unions on action against war on Iraq This meeting of [details of union body]: 1. Believes that there is no justification for the war on Iraq that is about to be unleashed by the US government. This war will be an unjust war—not a war against terrorism and weapons of mass destruction but a war for oil and for control of the Middle East. Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator, but it up to the Iraqi people, not Washington, to get rid of him. We condemn the Howard government for its support for Bush’s drive to war. 2. Notes that trade unions have played a crucial historical role in building opposition to unjust and illegal wars, for example in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. We congratulate the train drivers in Scotland who refused to transport war materials for the British army in Iraq and the growing number of US labour councils and unions that have come out against the war. 3. Therefore calls on our union to: • to oppose military preparations for war and demand the immediate withdrawal of all Australian armed forces from the Gulf; • actively participate in the anti-war demonstrations, including emergency actions called to respond to the beginning of war on Iraq; • place industrial bans on any work associated with the war effort against Iraq; • hold meetings with other unions, relevant trades and labour councils and the ACTU to develop an ongoing campaign of industrial action against the war; • urge the Labor Party to unequivocally oppose the war; • actively build the anti-war movement by holding delegate and workplace meetings and by endorsing, publicising and providing financial support to the [name of relevant anti-war organisation]. http://www.Socialist-Alliance.org/ -- `Don't just vote, change the system!' --> http://www.active.org.au/sydney/news/front.php3?article_id=2127&group=webcast -- How we can stop the war on Iraq: opinion + public meeting by Green Left Weekly --> http://www.active.org.au/sydney/news/front.php3?article_id=2129&group=webcast .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
