No War against Iraq!

Workers' Daily Internet Edition : Article Index :

Tony Blair's Role as Global Salesman for "War against Terrorism":
No War against Iraq!

"A threat that Britain cannot ignore":
What Dossier?

Scottish and Welsh Nationalists Demand Recall of Parliament

Condemn the Stepped up Attacks against Iraq!

Iraqi Foreign Minister Asks UN to Investigate US Spying in Iraq

Arab States Declare Support for Iraq against US Attack

The Prime Minister has been making statement after statement in his capacity as global salesman for George W Bush's so-called "War against Terrorism". He is seeking to rally public opinion behind war against Iraq, and his theme has been that Iraq presents a "real and a unique threat", that this was an issue not just for the US but for Britain and for the wider world.

In order to attempt to provide aggression against Iraq with an ideological justification, the British government has been working overtime. Ministers have been further sophisticating their rhetoric on "failed and failing states" to shore up the conception that the "international community" has a moral and strategic imperative to act against such states. The promotion of "discussion and dialogue" has had the extremely cynical aim, not of involving the people in decision-making, but, as it were, brain-storming for further options and justifications for aggression and intervention in Iraq. The government is also working overtime to cook up a "dossier" on Saddam Hussein's alleged "weapons of mass destruction" to provide some backing for demanding "weapons inspectors" be accepted by Iraq, which can be used as another pretext for war against Iraq along with the allegations that the regime is in "violation" of UN resolutions.

It is breathtaking that all this is being done as the anniversary of September 11 approaches. The unfolding of the "war against terrorism" is coming to a head with the threat of armed aggression against Iraq. It is showing that this "war against terrorism" has an aim which is to create acceptance that the method of force and terror, as exemplified by the state terrorism of Anglo-US imperialism, should be used as the norm to impose Anglo-American values. But it is precisely this aim which the people do not accept. Not accepting that the method of force and terror should be the norm, the people are also questioning the justifications behind using force and terror. Not only is it the case that the "war against terrorism", whether in Afghanistan or against Iraq or in depriving the vulnerable of their rights, is not solving the problem of the method of force and terror that superficially it is declared it is to eradicate. But it is also the case that it is designed to entrench pro-force, pro-state terror administrations as the US and British governments are demonstrating themselves to be.

The response of the working class and people must be to reject such methods. In rejecting them and declaring "No War against Iraq!" and "No to Force and Terror to Resolve International Problems!", they will be laying the foundations for creating the alternative, for the people resolving their problems on a just and peaceful basis.

Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien has said that the dossier on Iraq, mentioned by the Prime Minister in his press conference on September 3, would "set out the whole case" on what has been happening in Iraq before and after 1998.

The dossier, Mike O'Brien said, would be published "at the appropriate time" during the "process" of setting out the case for "why we need to deal with a threat which is a very serious one to Britain and to the world".

The question everyone is asking is, why not publish the dossier now? The situation is reminiscent of the dossier that was alleged to provide "proof" of Osama bin Laden's role in the terrorist acts of September 11, but was little more than that individual's religious statements of hatred for the US and those that conciliate with it.

But the Foreign Office minister's remarks also contain a further sleight of hand, when he lists some "facts" about Iraq's weapons in the past, and then continues: "...we cannot ignore this threat and we cannot wait for him to develop the capacity to cause us damage and we must make sure that we deal with that and we get the inspectors in."

In other words, the dossier, if published, would not contain facts about alleged "weapons of mass destruction" with which Saddam Hussein is threatening the world, but would point out the threat should the Iraqi leader develop those capabilities. This is taking up the US administration's theme of "pre-emptive" strikes for their own strategic and geopolitical goals.

The International Atomic Energy Authority has no evidence that Iraq is developing nuclear weapons. Many researched reports have indicated that there is no evidence of the three-pronged allegation of nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and biological weapons. Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, who looked for weapons in Iraq from 1991 until 1998, when he was called back to the United States two days prior to a US attack on Iraq, has said that the US administration is using weapons inspections as an excuse to go to war. He noted that the US authorities had used information gleaned from the inspectors to target their attacks.

Furthermore, who is it that stockpiles weapons of mass destruction and is threatening their use? It is the US administration itself, backed by the British government. To that could be added the weapons of mass destruction possessed by Israel, their genocide against the Palestinian people, and their flouting of UN resolutions.

The point that the British government is making – that "if Saddam Hussein has nothing to hide then he's nothing to fear from the UN inspectors. He should allow them unfettered access" – is the standard cry for the violation of civil liberties and human rights. The British government would not take kindly to Iraq demanding that inspectors should allowed into Porton Down and Aldermaston.

The promise to publish a dossier in due course is just one more cynical manoeuvre designed to justify the barbarous violation of all international norms as regards the stepped up aggression against Iraq and the possibility of open war against the regime of Saddam Hussein.

Nationalist Westminster MPs have demanded the recall of parliament to debate the threat of war with Iraq.

The Commons Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru group have written to the Prime Minister formally seeking an immediate recall to discuss the latest Gulf crisis.

SNP and Plaid leaders, Alex Salmond and Elfyn Llwyd, are demanding "a full policy debate on the developing crisis and threat of military action in Iraq".

"In the United States, President Bush has pledged that Congress will have the opportunity to debate US policy on Iraq before a decision on military action has been made. There needs to be a debate on Iraq in this country now," they write.

Alex Salmond and Elfyn Llwyd continue, "Given the belligerent statements made by hawkish members of the United States administration in recent days, there must be an immediate recall of Westminster, and a substantive debate on Iraq so that MPs can pass a precise policy that is binding on the government."

The MPs have added their voices to Labour backbenchers calling for a recall and a new UN mandate before military action is taken against Iraq.

"The UN is the proper world authority, and there must be a democratic opportunity for its leading role to be written into a policy approved by MPs in a recalled Westminster parliament," they say.

Alex Salmond accuses Downing Street of "denying MPs the opportunity to discuss and amend a specific policy resolution". "It is unacceptable that the government are seeking to resist a substantive debate at Westminster on action against Iraq, and are prepared to contemplate going to war without democratic approval," he said.

Elfyn Llwyd attacked the government's "drift to war". "Tony Blair is trying to dodge democratic debate on Iraq, because he knows that he doesn't command his own party on this crucial issue, never mind the people," he said. "There is no moral, political or legal authority for military action against Iraq, and the SNP/Plaid Cymru will continue to campaign against Blair's drift to war."

Over 100 British and US aircraft took part in an attack on Iraq's major western air defence installation on September 5 in the biggest single operation over the country for four years. The raid appeared to be a prelude to the type of special forces operations that would have to begin weeks before a possible US-led war.

It was launched two days before a war summit between President George W Bush and Tony Blair in the US. The Prime Minister promised that Britain would be alongside the Americans "when the shooting starts".

The raid, according to commentators, seemed designed to destroy air defences to allow easy access for special forces helicopters to fly into Iraq via Jordan or Saudi Arabia to hunt down Scud missiles before a possible war within the next few months.

Although only 12 aircraft dropped precision-guided bombs on to the H3 airfield, 240 miles west of Baghdad and close to Jordan, many support aircraft took part.

The strikes were carried out by nine American F15 Strike Eagles and three RAF Tornado GR4 ground attack aircraft flying from Kuwait.

At least seven types of aircraft took part. Fighter cover was provided by US F-16 Fighting Falcons and RAF Tornado F3s from Saudi Arabia. RAF VC10 tanker aircraft flying from Bahrain were among the support aircraft.

These also included EA6b Prowlers, which send out signals to confuse enemy radar, and E3a Awacs aircraft that co-ordinate operations and carry out reconnaissance of any response. RAF Tornados also took part in the reconnaissance.

The Ministry of Defence in London refused to confirm that RAF aircraft had taken part, but defence sources said that Tornado ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft played a key role. The attack on what the American central command described as an "air defence command and control facility" was the first time that a target in western Iraq had been attacked during the patrols of the southern no-fly zone.

As well as blinding Iraqi radar to any special forces helicopters, the loss of the H3 installation would allow allied aircraft mounting major raids on Iraq a trouble-free route into the country.

In a further sign that US is preparing for war, a Pentagon official confirmed that heavy armour, ammunition and other equipment had been moved to Kuwait from huge stores in Qatar.

These attacks over the so-called "no-fly zones" have always had the intention of spying out and keeping in check Iraq's defensive military capabilities. It is clear that they are now being stepped up in preparation for a full-scale war against Iraq. It may even be the case that no day can be singled out as the day when the "invasion" of Iraq has begun, in other words that an undeclared war has already begun, as has been the case since the 1991 Gulf War. WDIE once again condemns in the strongest terms the stepped up attacks against the sovereign country of Iraq, and demands that the British government immediately end these attacks. It is the British government, along with the US, that should be tried for such crimes against international law.

Text of report by Iraqi news agency INA web site

United Nations, 5 September: Iraq has demanded the United Nations open an investigation into the US exploitation of UN activities, using them as cover for aggressive acts of espionage, threatening the national security of states and belittling the United Nation's independence, integrity and credibility.

In a message to the UN secretary-general, which was conveyed to him today by ambassador Muhammad al-Duri, Iraq's permanent representative to the United Nations, Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, commenting on a statement by Rolf Ekeus, chairman of the dissolved UNSCOM [UN Special Commission on Iraqi disarmament], said that Ekeus's statement was yet further proof, to be added to previous documented evidence, that the United States had used UN activities as a cover for aggressive acts of espionage, threatening the national security of states. These US acts also displayed the United States' disdain for the United Nations, its integrity and credibility.

Sabri said that, in view of this revelation by Rolf Ekeus, we reaffirm our request that the United Nations open an investigation into this issue, declare this fact to the international community, and call to account those accused of neglecting their duty. At the same time, strict work rules should be made to prevent exploitation of UN activities for spying on countries and threatening their national security in the interest of other countries.

In his message, Foreign Minister Sabri stressed that in accordance with international law Iraq wants to assert its right to demand compensation for damage and human, material and psychological losses resulting from the acts of espionage and subversion carried out by certain members of the weapons inspection teams and by the monitoring teams of UNSCOM and the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] for the US, British and Israeli military and political espionage agencies. These teams fabricated false evidence, claiming Iraq's non-compliance [with UN Security Council resolutions.] A case in point was the VX scandal, which was aimed at prolonging the embargo, threatening Iraq's sovereignty, independence and domestic and foreign security.

Sabri pointed out that the continued comprehensive and inhuman embargo imposed on Iraq was a result of those acts of espionage. He noted that by early August 2002, the embargo has caused the deaths of 1,732,000 Iraqi citizens, the majority of whom were children and elderly people. The acts of espionage also facilitated targeting Iraq's industrial, cultural, and scientific installations and public and medical facilities during repeated US attacks on Iraq, which have jeopardised Iraq's national security.

It is to be recalled that Rolf Ekeus, chief of the dissolved UNSCOM, made a statement to Swedish Radio on July 28, 2002, which was also published in the Swedish newspaper Dagbladet. In his statement Ekeus said that the Americans exploited UNSCOM for spying purposes on Iraq. He noted that the United States succeeded in incorporating spies into UNSCOM as experts. He admitted that the United States wanted to obtain information on the Iraqi security agencies and their strength as well as on the places of residence of President Saddam Hussein. The Americans also tried to install bugging devices and audio and video transmitters in numerous Iraqi sites, and installed a monitoring control centre in UNSCOM headquarters to analyse the information.

Arab states declared their support for Iraq on Thursday, saying that US threats against Baghdad were threats against the whole Arab world. Concluding a two-day meeting in Cairo on Thursday, the Arab League repeatedly warned that a strike against Iraq would "open the gates of hell in the Middle East".

In the final communiqué at the end of the meeting, Arab foreign ministers registered their "total rejection of the threat of aggression on Arab nations, especially Iraq". They also re-affirmed that these threats to the security and safety of any Arab country are considered a threat to Arab national security.

"Any threats or attack against any Arab country is considered directed to the whole Arab world, it is quite clear," said Lebanon's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hamoud in a news conference.

The Arab League's Secretary-General Amr Moussa meanwhile said Arab nations would continue to work to avoid military action against Iraq.

"It was unanimously adopted by the summit that we cannot be part, we cannot co-operate, we cannot accept the attack or the threats against any Arab country including in particular the threats addressed to Iraq to address a strike, a military strike against Iraq. This has been unanimously dealt with and the position was unanimous in the Arab summit and it was unanimous today" Mr Moussa said.

He also accused the world community of double standards – that while it insisted Iraq obey UN resolutions, it failed to measure Israel by the same yardstick concerning its occupation of Palestinian territory.

Arab foreign ministers called for talks between the UN and Iraq as the best way to resolve the crisis over whether Baghdad possesses weapons of mass destruction.

They also pointed out that all UN members states, including Israel, should implement all UN Security Council resolutions. Several Arab states had earlier also called on Iraq to allow in UN weapons inspectors as a way to defuse the crisis.

Thursday's communiqué did not mention the inspectors, but applauded Iraq for its "initiative to renew dialogue with the UN".