What can Iraq do to avert war?

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported “We have found no evidence that Iraq has revived nuclear weapons programme since the elimination of the programme in the 1990s.” The Chief Weapons Inspector has reported “Iraq has decided in principle to provide cooperation on process, notably access.” The team of inspectors acknowledged “unconditional and immediate access” provided by Iraq.

From the reports given by the inspectors one would assume that threat of war looming on Iraq has receded even by the standards of arm-twisting of a small third world country by a superpower in a unipolar world. But US Admin. does not think so. They want Iraqi Govt. to display its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and destroy them. They are little bothered that Iraq is denying their existence and the inspectors are not able to find any. Their convoluted logic is if the inspectors do not find them, it is because Iraq Govt. has hidden them.

In short, they want Iraq to own up having weapons of mass destruction so that they can attack Iraq. They are anyway ready to attack Iraq even if inspectors fail to find any. Heads we win, tails you lose!

It is clear that the game is not about any weapons, not even WMD, but about deposing of the current Iraq Govt. US President Bush, of warmongering pedigree, has made it clear that their war is not to destroy any offensive capacity that Iraq may or may not have. It is about Iraq itself. In his State of the Union address, Bush has not failed to betray his designs about the other countries of his “axis of evil”, namely Iran and North Korea. It is just a matter of time. Iraq with its wealth of oil comes first.

So what can Iraq do to avert war?

It is clear that Iraq can do precious little, except to allow US to establish its control over Iraq, allow US to impose its puppet regime on the lines of Karzai of Afghanistan. Iraq has the choice of committing suicide or being destroyed by the merchants of death and destruction!

But people of Iraqi are doing much to avert the war in other parts of the world and slow down war juggernaut of US imperialism. Like any self-respecting nation they are ready to defend their honour and sovereignty; not to bow before the superpower trampling over the sovereignty and rights of the people the world over. They will undoubtedly be called upon to make a lot of sacrifices and they will do so not only for themselves, but for the people of all third world countries, in fact for the people of the entire world.

Who can act to avert the war?

But other people and countries can do much to avert war. The people and governments of third world countries, particularly Arab countries can do a lot. US control over Iraq and the destruction of war will spell disaster for them, their natural resources and their people. But most of these kings and Amirs are despised by their people and propped up by imperialists. They are finding fault with Iraq Govt. Not to be left behind, our neighbour Gen. Parvez Musharraf, the US ally in the global war against ‘terrorism’, too is trying to carve out a role for himself by holding Saddam Hussein responsible for war! He probably wants that like him Saddam too should agree to be a vassal of US imperialism and retire from power leaving it to US to decide who is to rule Iraq.

People and govts. of European powers can do much. They well understand that the present war on Iraq is aimed at US establishing control over the oil resources of the Gulf, placing these countries on oil ration. They are opposing the US designs. But how far will these govts. hold out while some of them make a beeline for a share of the cake? In fact if any big power decisively comes out against the US war designs, it will make it difficult for US Admin. to launch war causing a breach in the imperialist front.

People of USA too can do much if they decisively come out against the war designs of their government. The injured innocence of “Why people hate USA?” should give way to informed opposition to “Why does US establishment want to trample the countries of the world? Why are they out to kill and maim the innocents in third world? Why should US monopolize the resources and products of labour in third world?” It is a happy sign that people of USA are raising such questions and there is rising anti-war movement in USA which is becoming uncomfortable for the US Govt.

Iraq, with its second largest oil reserve and cheapest cost of oil exploration, is too strong a temptation for the imperialist superpower to resist. It is after all their ‘burden’ to make them peaceable and harmless, it is the ‘duty’ of third world countries to watch US does it! Any other conduct is obviously against the peace in the world. As power becomes naked, as greed becomes overpowering, the logic runs thin and gradually giving way to the law of obvious and rule of might.

What should Indian people do?

India is a large third world country, rich in natural resources and labour power. We have a history of two hundred years of rapacious and barbarous colonial rule and over fifty years of semi-colonial exploitation and plunder. Our people have given tremendous sacrifices to liberate our country from the yoke of colonial rule and are still fighting to overthrow the yoke of imperialist and feudal oppression. The danger to our country has increased manifold with US imperialism having its troops in Afghanistan and Pakistan and increasing its military presence in South Asia. But Indian rulers are forging closer ties with US imperialism lulling the Indian people into believing the “commonality of interests in the war against terrorism”. They are ignoring the lessons of Iraq – how US and western imperialist powers had supported Iraq in war against Iran and then turned against it. At all times their aim was the same – to dominate the oil-rich Persian Gulf, only targets changed. Probably there is a ‘commonality of interest’ between US imperialism and the Hindutva leaders as both of them are against the interests of Indian people.

Indian people should rise against US war designs and in support of right of the Iraqi people and government to defend itself. With or without UN approval, US alone or in alliance with the willing, US has no right whatsoever to attack Iraq. Let all political forces, democratic organizations and peace and justice loving people stand up and be counted. People of Iraq are waging a struggle in defence of the world people and it must be recognized by all who cherish freedom and peace.

US imperialism in its mad drive to secure its world hegemony is attacking the world people particularly countries and people of third world. Let the world people give it a fitting reply. As the lesson of struggle against Hitlerite fascism, the earlier the better. Let us not forget the lessons of history for we can only do so at the peril of reliving it.