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Dear friends (& comrades ?),
the report of the Iraqi CP on the Cairo Conference is not a very coherent
piece of analysis. It is more a series of insults & outrages, unworthy of a
communist party. It doesn't help anyone, only the Iraqi CP abroad and the
"compradore" Iraqi bourgeoisie abroad. I have met during my past visits
several Iraqi communists in Baghdad, who are willing to defend their country
against foreign aggression.
I'll copy here a joint statement of 42 communist parties, INCLUDING the
Iraqi CP, dated mon, 3 feb 2003. This statement is at least a decent
analysis, and reflects the official position of the communists worldwide.
So please, let's not SPLIT the peace-movement on subjects like the Cairo
conference that took place a long time ago (in december the 18th 2002), but
let's try to find out how we can work together against the warmongers Bush &
Blair. That should be our main concern now.
Joint Statement of Communist, Workers ' and Left Parties
----------------------------------------------------------
From: Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, Mon, 3 Feb 2003
mailto:leftnews@kscm.cz
============================================================================
=========
Joint Statement of Communist, Workers ' and Left Parties
Stop the aggressive war on Iraq!
We find ourselves in a critical period, when the USA and Britain are
escalating preparations to unleash a new imperial war, which NATO also
decided to support during its Prague summit. The extensive military capacity
of US bases in Europe is being activated for the purpose of conducting this
war. The preparations being made for this war of aggression have led to
violations of the constitutions, laws and international treaties of specific
countries.
In recent days, the US administration has asked its allies, through NATO,
for additional facilities on their territory and their military
participation in the "occupation of Iraq"
There can be no doubt that preparations for the war were decided upon in
advance, regardless of UN resolution 1441 and the work of the UN inspectors
and regardless of the accommodating measures taken by Iraq in the face of UN
demands. It has become increasingly obvious that the planned war will pursue
the military aim of gaining control of a strategic area, oil and markets. It
is at the same time an attempt by the US government to overcome its
economic crisis and solve its problems at the expense of others.
The war will result in huge losses among the Iraqi people, who have already
suffered severe hardships as a result of years of embargo, air strikes and
the policies of Saddam Hussein ' s regime.
The war on Iraq, which has cooperated with the UN inspectors, will further
the military aims of the US in the Near East and contrasts sharply with its
support for the government of Israel and its toleration of the repressive
occupation of the Palestinians ' land.
Aggression against Iraq, which is based on the new US doctrine of
"pre-emptive" strikes, threatens to destabilise the whole region and bring
grave consequences for human civilisation as a whole. It poses a huge
threat to international peace and the system of international law and
creates a precedent for other arbitrary acts of aggression. No argument or
sleight of hand can legitimise any imposed support by the UN for this war.
We condemn the attitude of the governments and political leadership of those
EU countries, which have failed to take the necessary steps or made any
effective effort to halt this unjustified war of aggression and therefore in
practice are supporting the US pro-war policy.
International tension is being further escalated, international relations
are being militarised, military budgets are being increased and new
national, EU and NATO "rapid deployment forces" are being created.
On the other hand, the threat of war has led to justified protests
throughout the world. There is an unprecedentedly broad mobilisation of
world opinion against the war, against the US bases and NATO and against
the militaristic policies of governments.
Many states, including movements of the politically uncommitted,
intellectuals, artists, politicians and diplomats, are calling for a
diplomatic, peaceful settlement of the issue.
Our parties, which have already taken various initiatives, are playing an
active part in this broad anti-war movement and are calling for an even more
massive mobilization of the people. We must intensify the anti-war campaign
among the population, at workplaces, in the trade unions and the media, in
parliaments and wherever there is an opportunity to do so.
We must stop the aggressive war on Iraq. We must warn against attempts by
the big powers to blackmail the UN. We must oppose any form of European
support for the war or participation in it. We demand that our countries do
not provide the US with military or other facilities to carry out its
aggressive aims.
AKEL ( Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus)
Bulgarian Communist Party
Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Austria
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
Communist Party of Britain
Communist Party of Canada
Communist Party of Chile
Communist Party of Denmark
Communist Party of Finland
Communist Party of Greece
Communist Party of Ireland
Communist Party of Israel
Socialist Labour Party of Croatia
Party of the Mexican Communists
Communist Party of Norway
Communist Party of Poland
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Communist Party of Slovakia
Communist Party of Spain
Communist Party of People of Spain
Communist Party of Syria
Communist Party of Turkey
Danish Red-Green Alliance
German Communist Party (DKP)
Hungarian Workers ' Party
Iraqi Communist Party
Izquierda Unida (United Left of Spain)
New Communist Party of Britain
New Communist Party of the Netherlands
New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
Party of Communists of Belarus
Portuguese Communist Party
Rifondazione (Party of Communist Refoundation, Italy)
Romanian Socialist Party
Socialist Party of Latvia
Sudanese Communist Party
Syrian Communist Party
Tudeh Party of Iran
United Left Movement in Luxembourg
Workers ' Party of Belgium
Workers ' Communist Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The List of Signatures is open until 12th February
----- Original Message -----
From: "Greater Manchester Coalition Against Sanctions and War"
<mcr_coalition@yahoo.co.uk>
To: <MCR_Coalition@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 1:49 PM
Subject: [casi] iraqi opposition and the Cairo Conference
>
> Dear friends,
> here is a report by the iraqi communist
> party on the cairo conference. more info on the party
> can be found on their site at www.iraqcp.org.
>
> best,
> hussein
>
> Cairo Conference .. A Scandal for Saddam's Supporters
>
>
> The following are the main points of the report
> published in the latest edition of the party paper
> (Tareeq Al-Shaab, Jan 2003) under the headline "A
> Scandal in Cairo for the Conference of Saddam's
> Supporters":
>
>
> The Conference of solidarity with Saddam Hussein's
> regime, held on 18 Dec. 2002 in the Egyptian capital
> in the name of combating globalism and rejecting war
> on Iraq, was dealt a heavy blow when the great leader
> Nelson Mandela and the author and journalist Mohammed
> Hassanein Haykal refused to participate in it, while a
> prominent participant protested against turning it
> into an event for supporting the dictatorship in Iraq.
>
>
>
> No reason was given for Mandela's refusal to attend
> the Conference, but observers said that he has
> apparently sensed "a bad smell" coming from amidst the
> conference organisers who were later to be exposed
> when the truth about the conference itself was
> revealed. Haykal, however, whose name had been
> included by the Conference organisers as being among
> its prominent sponsors, said that he had originally
> linked his participation with Mandela's attendance.
>
>
> Press reports from Cairo said that the Conference
> actually turned into an event for supporting the
> dictatorial regime in Iraq, despite the attempts by
> many participants to prevent it sinking to this lowest
> level, and to keep it as a demonstration against
> American war threats and in support of the Iraqi
> people rather than the regime.
>
>
> This situation prompted prominent figures
> participating in the Conference, such as the German
> writer Harold Chauman, the author of the well-known
> book "Globalism Trap", to express openly their
> disappointment and resentment. Chauman told
> participants that he feels deep regret for the
> speeches made at the opening of the Conference, "as if
> we came here to defend the dictatorship in Iraq". He
> said that he personally did not come for this purpose,
> but "I have come to defend the Iraqi people, and
> because of my concern about the consequences of war
> for the region".
>
>
> The German writer went on to say: "It is shameful for
> us not to do anything to support the Iraqi opposition
> against the ruling dictatorship in Baghdad. We are
> here to discuss the available alternatives {for the
> situation which exists in Iraq], not just to condemn
> the American position, and that is it!".
>
>
> Chauman, who is considered to be one of the prominent
> critics and opponents of US policy, explained that
> what he had heard from speakers at the Conference is
> only condemnation of the US, to which he has no
> objection "and which we have declared before leaving
> our country on our way here. But this is half the
> truth. The other half is that America is strong with
> democracy, and you are weak because democracy in your
> country is weak".
>
>
> Chauman stressed that it was the US which created the
> phenomenon of Saddam Hussein, pointing to the visit by
> the present US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld to
> Baghdad in 1983 and his meeting with Iraq's dictator,
> and the secret deal he made with him to supply him
> with banned weapons and equipment and material to
> produce them.
> He said: "Therefore, when the US, and Rumsfeld in
> particular, insist that Saddam is lying, it is because
> they know the truth, and they were THE ones who
> supplied him with those weapons".
>
>
> The German author called in his speech, which he
> delivered in the second session of the Conference, "to
> stand against this dictatorship, and to mobilize
> everybody around the principles of democracy and
> justice, in order to triumph in our battle".
>
> It was reported that some who accompanied the
> representative of the Iraqi regime, Nabil Najem, to
> the Conference tried to harass the German author when
> he objected to the speech delivered by this thug in
> the second day of the Conference.
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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