People's Democracy

JOINT CALL OF COMMUNIST, WORKERS & LEFT PARTIES

 Stop The Aggressive War On Iraq!

A number of communist, workers and left parties from across the globe have issued the following statement, expressing their strong condemnation of the US-UK attempts to unleash a deadly war against Iraq for the sake of their global imperialist domination. These parties are also determined to contribute their best to rousing the people against the looming menace of a war.

WE find ourselves in a critical period, when the USA and Britain are escalating preparations to unleash a new imperial war, which NATO also decided to support during its Prague summit. The extensive military capacity of US bases in Europe is being activated for the purpose of conducting this war. The preparations being made for this war of aggression have led to violations of the constitutions, laws and international treaties of specific countries.

In recent days, the US administration has asked its allies, through NATO, for additional facilities on their territory and their military participation in the “occupation of Iraq.”

There can be no doubt that preparations for the war were decided upon in advance, regardless of UN resolution 1441 and the work of the UN inspectors, and regardless of the accommodating measures taken by Iraq in the face of UN demands. It has become increasingly obvious that the planned war will pursue the military aim of gaining control of a strategic area, oil and markets. It is at the same time an attempt by the US government to overcome its economic crisis and solve its problems at the expense of others. 

The war will result in huge losses among the Iraqi people, who have already suffered severe hardships as a result of years of embargo, air strikes and the policies of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

The war on Iraq, which has cooperated with the UN inspectors, will further the military aims of the US in the Near East, and contrasts sharply with its support for the government of Israel and its toleration of the repressive occupation of the Palestinians’ land.

Aggression against Iraq, which is based on the new US doctrine of “pre-emptive” strikes, threatens to destabilise the whole region and bring grave consequences for human civilisation as a whole. It poses a huge threat to international peace and the system of international law and creates a precedent for other arbitrary acts of aggression. No argument or sleight of hand can legitimise any imposed support by the UN for this war.

We condemn the attitude of the governments and political leadership of those EU countries, which have failed to take the necessary steps or made any effective effort to halt this unjustified war of aggression and therefore in practice are supporting the US pro-war policy.

International tension is being further escalated, international relations are being militarised, military budgets are being increased and new national, EU and NATO “rapid deployment forces” are being created.

On the other hand, the threat of war has led to justified protests throughout the world. There is an unprecedentedly broad mobilisation of world opinion against the war, against the US bases and NATO and against the militaristic policies of governments. 

Many states, including movements of the politically uncommitted, intellectuals, artists, politicians and diplomats, are calling for a diplomatic, peaceful settlement of the issue.

Our parties, which have already taken various initiatives, are playing an active part in this broad anti-war movement and are calling for an even more massive mobilisation of the people. We must intensify the anti-war campaign among the population, at workplaces, in the trade unions and the media, in parliaments and wherever there is an opportunity to do so.

We must stop the aggressive war on Iraq. We must warn against attempts by the big powers to blackmail the UN. We must oppose any form of European support for the war or participation in it. We demand that our countries do not provide the US with military or other facilities to carry out its aggressive aims.

The following parties are the signatories to the statement:

AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People) Cyprus; Algerian Party for Democracy and Socialism; Bulgarian Communist Party; Communist Party in Denmark; Communist Party of Australia; Communist Party of Austria; Communist Party of Belarus; Communist Party of Belgium; Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia; Communist Party of Britain; Communist Party of Canada; Communist Party of Catalonia; Communist Party of Chile; Communist Party of Denmark; Communist Party of Denmark (ML); Communist Party of Finland; Communist Party of Germany; Communist Party of Greece; Communist Party of India; Communist Party of India (Marxist); Communist Party of India (ML); Communist Party of Ireland; Communist Party of Israel; Communist Party of Norway; Communist Party of Peoples of Spain; Communist Party of Poland; Communist Party of the Russian Federation; Communist Party of Slovakia; Communist Party of Spain; Communist Party of Sweden; Communist Party of Syria; Communist Party of Turkey; Communist Party of Ukrain; Communist Party of USA; Communist Workers Party of Russia; Danish Red-Green Alliance; German Communist Party (DKP); Hungarian Workers Party; Iraqi Communist Party; Jordanian Communist Party; New Communist Party of Britain; New Communist Party of the Netherlands; New Communist Party of Yugoslavia; Party of Communists of Belarus; Party of Communist Refoundation (Rifondazione) Italy; Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) Germany; Party of Italian Communists; Party of the Mexican Communists; Party of Yugoslav Communists; Popular Socialist Party of Mexico; Portuguese Communist Party; Romanian Socialist Party; Socialist Labour Party of Croatia; Socialist Party of Latvia; Sudanese Communist Party; Syrian Communist Party; The Action of Chad for Unity and Socialism; Tudeh Party of Iran; United Left Movement in Luxembourg (déi Lénk); United Left of Spain (Izquierda Unida); Workers Party of Belgium; Workers Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Worker Party of Ireland.

 Among others, the following parties and groups have also endorsed the above statement, and some more are likely to sign or endorse it soon:

 Communist Network of Italy; Coordination Communist, France; the Cercle Barbusse, France; Convergence Communist Patricia Latour, France; Vifs Rouge, France; Israeli Communist Forum; and United Communists of the Netherlands.