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Lots of useful facts here. But the perspectives for possible action are politically off. On the one hand, Vijay puts faith in Iran and/or Hezbollah and/or Muqtada al-Sadr to form Shia-based but Sunni-inclusive fighting forces to stop ISIS (quotes below). On the other hand, he is dismissive of independent unionists' claim that Iraqis are mostly nonsectarian, and so rules them out as actors with any potential. One would think Iran and Hezbollah's participation in the genocide in Syria, and the simple fact that they're both bourgeois political forces, would have dispelled illusions in their capacity, not only for uniting Sunni and Shia, but more generally for playing any progressive role in the region. As for al-Sadr, on top of his sectarian base must be added his long history of selling wolf tickets. Even if it's true that the unions are exaggerating Iraqis' nonsectarianism -- and we have no evidence that that's so -- OUR job, besides demanding no US intervention, is to do everything we possibly can to help the unions -- and women's groups etc. -- to get out the word about their activities, to help them stay safe, even to help them get their own arms if need be. From Vijay's article: "Calls from the trade unions of Iraq that the people are ready to resist ISIS on a nationalist platform, such as by Falah Alwan <http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/18143/on-recent-events-in-mosul-and-other-cities-in-iraq> of the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq, will go unheard. Few can appreciate it when Alwan says that 'demands to be rid of sectarianism are clear and direct' – noble statements no doubt – but inaudible before the harshly sectarian guns of ISIS.... "US promises to bomb ISIS from the air are not a tonic. They would only stop its advance, but not break its power, which stretches from parts of Syria’s Aleppo to the outskirts of Iraq’s Baghdad. It is Iran that has the most to lose here. It has already sent sections of its Revolutionary Guard Corps to help form a line of defense in the province of Diyala, whose main city Baquba was the origin of the Islamic State of Iraq. This is a part of Iraq where Shias and Sunnis live, and it would be a test of their unity against ISIS and for something other than the sectarianism of al-Maliki. Al-Sadr, I am told, is interested in the creation of an Iraqi version of Hezbollah, rooted in the Shia community of Lebanon but with pretensions of being an Arab nationalist force. The creation of such a force would contribute toward a non-sectarian platform from which to combat ISIS. It will be more effective than a bombing campaign." On Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 11:21 AM, Prashad, Vijay via Marxism < [email protected]> wrote: > ====================================================================== > Rule #1: YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > ====================================================================== > > > News does not get better from Iraq. There is stasis outside Baghdad. The > city is tense. Troops dash about. Is there a strategy? Is the oil boiling; > are the arrows sharp? The siege of Baghdad has commenced, but only from the > north. > > Here is my report for Counterpunch, > http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/06/17/iraqs-night-is-long/. It relies > upon Sinan Antoon's great translation of the Darwish poem, on the reports > of Radwan Mortada, Martin Chulov, Jenan Moussa, Falah Alwan’s statement > (via Ali Issa), and my own reporting from Iraq and Greater Syria. It is a > painful story to write. > > If you want the movie version, here is my report to the Real News last > night, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7EUz95nOiU< > https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dk7EUz95nOiU&h=OAQHqFuDe&s=1 > >. > > Here is the depressing precis, "There is no objective basis for Iraqi > nationalism, as there is none for Syrian nationalism. These are fractured > countries, broken by war. Syrians and Iraqis are prisoners in a burning > prison. There are no easy, unbarred exits.” > > Warmly, Vijay. > > ________________________________________________ > Send list submissions to: [email protected] > Set your options at: > http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/acpollack2%40gmail.com > ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
