Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Marxism 2004 on Iraq. posted by Richard Seymour
Ibrahim Allawi, of the Iraqi Democrats Against the Occupation spoke at this year's Marxism event, and key extracts of his speech are available at their website. Here's a particularly noteworthy passage:(1) The US occupation has failed, and faces an impasse and can't withdraw without loosing face.
(2)There is a gradual loss of control; city after city is falling to the control of various militias although still nominally under central government control.
(3) Such a situation cannot continue for long because of the loss of security, which hampers the repairs to infrastructure.
The alternative to anarchy and destruction is to:
Setting up national coalition of political parties, which can appoint an interim administration to organise national election. The prospects for this are possible after a certain period of re-alignment of the various political forces and the mass of the people. The favourable factors for this is the widespread rejection of civil war by all sections of society and the direction for national unity, coupled with political realignment of patriotic forces that have seen once powerful parties that accepted the occupation loosing popular support. If this trend continues it will encourage the formation of broad alliance of the anti-occupation organisations. I think we are living at a turning point in the world as Iraq emerged as the fault line of the world balance of power; this is because of its geopolitical position and the oil reserves of the area.
I feel the present international anti-war movement could change the face of the earth where it continuous in its growth and sharpens its focus. This current struggle must not only be waged in the streets of Iraq but by the mass democratic movement in the streets of world capitals. This is an international aggressive war and needs to be confronted by an international solidarity movement.