Marches Condemn Anglo-US Occupation of Iraq

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Marches Condemn Anglo-US Occupation of Iraq

Indian Defence Minister Accuses US of Misleading World on Iraq

Let Us Learn

Bush, Blair Must Be Tried Under War Crime Charges: IMWU

by WDIE correspondents

London took its place as part of the anti-war movement’s international Day of Action against the Anglo-American aggression and occupation of Iraq on Saturday, April 12. With actions in 38 countries the capital saw its third massive march in as many months. The demeanour of more than 100,000 marchers contrasted with the chastened and defeated movement predicted by the monopoly-controlled media. Condemnation of Blair and the government typified the slogans and chants heard throughout the day. Defiance of the psychological war intended to persuade of the aim and methods of the war was the overriding mood. As well as the now customary denunciation of Bush and Blair hand-made placards depicted photographs of the victims of the aggression alongside the colours, insignia, posters and placards of organisations representing the whole spectrum of the society. With local Stop the War Coalition placards and banners representing cities and towns from throughout the country, and all major trades unions, youth, pensioners, national minorities, children, families, women, students, drummers, political parties and organisations, religious, cultural and social groups marched from York Road in Waterloo and Victoria Street in Victoria, converging at Parliament Square where a two-minute silence commemorated the victims of the aggression before the route processed along Green Park to its destination at Hyde Park.

3,000 people also marched through the streets of Glasgow last weekend. The protest was organised by the Scottish Coalition for Justice not War. Sandra White, member of the Scottish National Party MSP, warned of ongoing threats against Syria and Iran. "We want no part of any war for US imperialism", she declared.

The Indian Defence Minister, George Fernandes, has accused the US of misleading the world about Iraq’s possession of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons for its own interests.

The Defence Minister during his one-day visit to Kolkata [Calcutta] on Saturday, April 12, condemned the Bush administration for playing a nasty power- game. He alleged that it was conquering Iraq for its own interest and had destroyed a free nation in the name of freedom of the country, in spite of protests from all over the world.

José Reinaldo Carvalho(*) April 10, 2003

"Learn with Iraq", said in a menacing tone the United States’ Under Secretary of Arms Control and International Security John Bolton. Speaking at a collective interview yesterday, he affirmed that his country expects that "many regimes learn the lesson taught to Iraq", mentioning namely Syria, Iran and North Korea as countries that develop programs of weapons of mass destruction.

In an even more significant declaration, US Vice-President Richard Cheney said that what has happened to Iraq is a "clear message to all countries engaged in terrorism". Such declarations were made as the US troops of aggression occupied the central area of the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the imperial administration take the final measures to take hold of Iraq. The massacre is not yet finished and the US imperialism poses new threats and chooses future targets. Once more, as in the present case, based on false pretexts.

Doubtlessly, there is a lot to learn with the episodes taking place since they present the most serious threats to world peace, to the safety of humankind, to freedom and to the independence of countries and peoples. Let us learn then.

First, we should learn to forget the illusions of a world of balance, democracy and peace, illusions that were sold throughout the 1990’s when, with the fall of the Soviet Union, the US imperialism felt able to exclusively take hold of the world power. As the war with Iraq closes to an end, it teaches us that the superpower, under the ultra-conservative administration of George W Bush, is not willing to be detained by anything at all and may even commit unnameable crimes against humankind as the one perpetrated during the last three weeks. The American people was not shown the images of the horrors sowed by their generals, but it will be impossible to wipe out the impression that war crimes were committed and, if there were a juridical order, those who see themselves as owners of the world would be taken to the International Criminal Court.

Let us learn that the world is facing a grave disruption under the menace posed by the imperialist administration of either accepting to be a slave to the United States or to live under the rubble as Iraq. Let us learn that a new neo-fascist doctrine is in effect, a doctrine designed to support the execution of the US strategy of domination, allowing the development of concepts such as "infinite war" and "preventive war", where any kind of weapons may be used.

Let us learn that, according to that strategy, the UN is a fiction, diplomacy is a fake, and the multilateral system is a chimera. The international order is ruined and it is over those ruins that US imperialism intends to erect a new order corresponding to its dominion.

Let us learn that, according to those who planned that order, there will be no room for contestation or for the appearance of other regional or global powers of forces.

For all those reasons, let us learn as a people and a nation to understand our position in the world. Building a great country will require discernment and shrewdness to design and put into practice a great national project that includes economic development, brave and sovereign foreign and defence policies, along with a system of international alliances, allowing us to neutralise and overcome the threats, for we too are not free from being labelled as part of the "axis of evil" for some reason.

 

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(*) Journalist. Vice-president of Communist Party of Brazil - PCdoB, responsible for International Relations.

Lahore, Monday, April 14, 2003: International Muslim Women Union (IMWU) has unanimously demanded of the United Nations to try US President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in International Court of Justice for committing war crimes and genocide in Iraq. Addressing a joint news conference here Monday after conclusion of third international congress of IMWU, MNA Raheela Qazi and Senator Dr Quasar Ferdos informed that participants of the congress were unanimous in their demand that President George Bush and Tony Blair must be tried under war crimes and genocide charges.

Raheela Qazi, daughter of senior Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Qazi Hussein Ahmed, also demanded convening of emergency session of United Nations General Assembly to come up with such a strategy to stop Bush administration from committing aggression against other countries in future.

Angry over the US and British policies, she described the Anglo-American led aggression against Iraq as "international terrorism" demanding stricter action against them.

Earlier, in a joint declaration adopted by IMWU after the end of third international congress, it urged all the Muslim countries to sever all defence pacts with United States and its allied countries.

It also demanded of the Muslim States to expel American troops stationed in their countries on emergency bases.

Underlining the need for forging unity, the declaration called upon the Islamic world to join hands together in order to foil ulterior motives of America and its allies against the Muslim States.

The joint communiqué also criticised the United Nations of being biased against the Muslim countries.