By Colin Foster
The European Social Forum in Florence made a call from its concluding session for anti-war demonstrations in all the capital cities of Europe on 15 February.
"We believe", its statement said, that "this war, whether it has UN backing or not, will be a catastrophe for the people of Iraq - already suffering because of the embargo and the Saddam Hussein regime - and for people across the Middle East. It should be opposed..."
The Forum also called for immediate action on the day a war starts, and national demonstrations everywhere the following Saturday.
Additional plans for action in Britain include a Stop the War Coalition conference on 7 December (details: www.stopwar.org.uk) and a lobby of Parliament on 21 January.
The nature of the planned war is becoming clearer and clearer. Top US officials make no secret that they want the UN weapons inspections to fail, and to fail as quickly as possible, so that they can blaze away. They are moving massive forces to the region. According to one US military spokesperson, the rule once they get going will be "if it wears a uniform and it is not surrendering, we will kill it".
Iraq has a conscript army. Many thousands of civilians will be killed too, especially if the war comes down to street-by-street fighting in Baghdad with Saddam Hussein's hardcore forces.
And for what? The US State Department and the Pentagon make no secret of their contempt for each other's favourite 'new Saddams', their nominees to replace Saddam Hussein in ruling Iraq. Neither makes any promise that post-war Iraq will be democratic.
It will certainly not allow self-determination to Iraq's Kurdish minority. It will have a US military governor (one whom the USA will hope to be able to take out again once they have stabilised a pliant new Iraqi leadership - but will they be able to do that?) It will privatise Iraq's oil industry, and probably parcel it out, with French and Russian interests getting chunks to compensate them for supporting the USA in its war.
It will be designed to ensure safe US hegemony over the Gulf region, because it holds more than 50% of the world's oil reserves.
The planned war is not one for human rights, or democracy, but for oil.
Events
- Thursday 28 November. Stop the War Coalition club night.
At 'The Scala', 275 Pentonville Rd, Kings Cross, London N1. 20:00 to 02:00.
DJs Bobby Friction (Shaanti/Radio 1), Pandit G and Asian Dub Foundation DJs/MCs, Funmental, Slovo and Motive plus special guests. Tickets £10. 08700 600100 or www.ticketweb.co.uk - 'Peace Not War' CD - special double album of anti-war and pro-peace music with Coldcut, Chumbawamba, Public Enemy, Roots Manuva, and many others. From www.peace-not-war.org.
- Monday 2 December, from 10.30 at Whitehall Place, London SW1.
'Die-in' against war and sanctions on Iraq, called by Voices in the Wildnerness UK and ARROW. More: 08454 482 564.