ACCORDING TO Tony Blair and George Bush, the "moral purpose" of the war in Iraq is to remove a dictatorial leader who has brutalised his people. The war is one for democracy, to "liberate" the Iraqi people.
Yet the entire history of both Britain and the USA has been one of consistently upholding the power of unpopular dictators and repressing democratic and popular liberation movements.
Here is a sample of the bloody regimes installed by or propped up by the US since ... 1945:GREECE 1944-64: $2 billion in military aid to prop up vicious anti-communist regime. 1967-1974: US backing for "Colonels" junta. SPAIN 1945-75: sustained US support for General Franco, Europe's main surviving fascist ruler, in exchange for military bases. KOREA: 1950-53: Full-scale US-led war killing millions, to preserve the vicious Syngman Rhee dictatorship after Rhee's party had heavily lost the election in South Korea. 196l: US backing for military takeover in Seoul. IRAN 1953: CIA-organised coup to oust Iranian nationalist Mossadeq who had nationalised oilfields. Installed Shah - who remained in dictatorial power with full US backing until 1979. VIETNAM: 1954-1975. Escalating military and financial support to prop up repressive dictatorship in South Vietnam. Eventually concluded with chaotic US evacuation from Saigon 1975. GUATEMALA 1954: CIA-backed coup to oust nationalist government BURMA: military coup 1962 HONDURAS: military take-over 1963 BRAZIL 1964: military take-over heralds 30 years of dictatorship ZAIRE 1965: Mobutu's vicious dictatorernment. Mass murder of trade unionists and opposition URUGUAY 1973: brutal military dictatorship takes power THAILAND 1976: military coup ARGENTINA 1976: Videla dictatorship takes over with US endorsement NICARAGUA from 1979: after their favoured stooge dictator Somoza was ousted by Sandinista revolution, the US sponsors an escalating covert terror campaign by the contras, partly funded from sales of hard drugs. SOUTH AFRICA: US and British governments consistently opposed sanctions against apartheid regime, seen as bulwa against communist threat.
These are just a few brief case histori but they demonstrate a consistent patte on no occasion in the post war period t the US intervened to establish democr or to overturn a military dictatorship t complied with their strategic and econor interests.
The promise of "regime change" in case of Iraq is no more likely to resuk progressive change than the long lis reactionary interventions already ar out by or on behalf of the imperials in Washington.
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8 soclalist resistance April 2003 .... Alan Thornett
It a very positive meeting of the A
Socialist Alliance Executive held in Birmingham on Saturday March 29, it was reported that the Alliance is to field over 100 anti-war candidates in the local elections in May.
They will stand in the name of "Socialist Alliance against the war" and that is what Socialist Alliance/Scottish Socialists Alliance leaflets distributed including one addressed to young people on the demonstration. Maximum attendance at the demonstration was urged.
It was felt that the Alliance profile at the last demonstration on March 22 was positive. 400 placards and 14,000 leaflets were distributed- the best response we have ever had.
The Alliance has been less successful, cities or regions to organise teach-ins on imperialism and the war, with a open and inclusive format, with the aim of involving young people.
It was also agreed to step up the campaign on "where is Labour going", launched at a rally in London recently. A new pamphlet will be produced to advance the debate on the need to build the broadest possible socialist alternative to Blairism,