US Out of Iraq
From SP Boston
[edit] US Out of Iraq
- January 16, 2007
- Eric Chester, Convener of the International Commission of the Socialist Party USA.
President Bush's declaration that he intends to send an additional 20,000 combat troops to Iraq represents yet another step further into the quagmire. The United States had no legitimate reason to invade Iraq in March 2003, and there is no justifiable ground to prolong the occupation now.
The United States is not occupying Iraq to free the Iraqi people or to somehow impose a non-sectarian regime in a country deeply divided by religious and ethnic enmities. These are just pious platitudes intended to cover the true goals of U.S. foreign policy. Already, the U.S. backed government is preparing to open Iraqi oil fields, among the richest in the world, to private investment. Oil giants such as Exxon will be granted thirty-year leases to restore production, thus enabling them to reap bonanza profits. The lives of our young men and women are once again being sacrificed to the rapacious greed of the wealthy few.
Iraq was cobbled together by British colonialists in the aftermath of World War I, with its boundaries set by the British to maximize the control of valuable oil fields. From the start, Sunnis were set against Shias and Arabs against Kurds. Given this historical context, a centralized Iraqi state is not a viable option. A loose federation of the three major groupings, Shia, Sunni and Kurds, could provide the basis for an end to the current wave of sectarian violence. Three-sided negotiations would be needed to establish boundaries that result in an equitable distribution of oil fields among the three autonomous zones, with the understanding that the rights of all citizens, no matter their ethnicity or religious preference, would be respected. Although the international community may be able to facilitate such negotiations, ultimately only those living in Iraq can resolve the current impasse. In any case, none of the colonial powers, specifically neither the United States nor Britain, can positively contribute to this process.
As the situation in Iraq has deteriorated, and the war has become increasingly unpopular, Democratic Party politicians have been calling for a phased, strategic withdrawal of U.S. troops. Recently the Iraqi Study Group has put forward a plan that has gained the support of many Democrats, as well as some Republicans. This would replace U.S. combat troops with Iraqi soldiers. U.S. troops would withdraw to military bases and be used as advisors to Iraqi forces. This is a formula to continue the occupation for the indefinite future. The Socialist Party emphatically rejects the proposals coming from the Iraqi Study Group, and reiterates the call for an immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Iraq, and a permanent closing of all U.S. bases in the region.
Unfortunately, the liberal anti-war opposition has become entirely subservient to the Democratic Party. It therefore focuses its protests on Bush's call for more troops, and avoids confronting the implications of the Iraqi Study Group proposals. The Socialist Party will not be deterred by the timidity of the liberal opposition. We will participate in protests against the war on the basis of the immediate withdrawal of all troops, and we will continue to criticize the links between anti-war liberals and the Democratic Party.
The United States is occupying Iraq, in part, to further its goal of dominating the entire Middle East. There are already indications that the United States is planning to attack Iran. The primary justification for such a war will be the alleged need to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, in spite of the fact that it will take several years for Iran to reach this goal. The Socialist Party calls for the creation of a nuclear free zone throughout the Middle East. Iranian stockpiling of nuclear weapons will only make the potential for a disastrous confrontation more likely. At the same time, the Israeli decision to build a nuclear arsenal has greatly heightened tensions throughout the region.
The Socialist Party will oppose the expansion of the war to Iran. Underlying U.S. aggression against Iran is the desire to topple the current regime and to replace it with a more pliable one. Iraq provides us with a model. If the United States can provoke a war, a devastated Iran will be cajoled into ceding control of its oil fields to Exxon. NO BLOOD FOR OIL.
The occupation of Iraq is directly linked to the increasing militarization of U.S. society. Essential civil liberties are being eroded, as the United States openly engages in torture in furtherance of its 'war on terrorism.' President Bush proposed an increase of 100,000 in the total number of soldiers and Marines, and immediately received the support of the Congressional Democratic leadership. As the military budget balloons, vital social services are reduced. U.S. imperialism threatens all of us.
The Socialist Party demands a drastic reduction in the size of the armed forces, and an immediate 50% cut in the military budget. We further entirely reject the contention that civil liberties should be forfeited in this period, while calling for the immediate closing of Guantanamo and the termination of the extraordinary rendition program of illegal kidnappings.
Capitalism causes war. Only democratic socialism can bring peace.