[lbo-talk] Worker Communist Party of Iraq, April 4, 2004

Grant Lee grantlee at iinet.net.au
Wed Apr 14 18:45:44 PDT 2004



> >>>We repeat the demand of the masses for immediate withdrawal of the
> >>>US forces from Iraq. We call for transfer of the task of security
> >>>and stability to a government formed of the representatives of the
> >>>masses in collaboration with multinational forces, excluding the
> >>>US and other countries, which participated in the war coalition.
> >>>This interim government should disarm all militia forces and
> >>>ensure security, freedom and the requirements of a decent life and
> >>>also provide suitable situation to enable people to choose their
> >>>government freely and consciously.
> >>
> >>No doubt this call will be greeted in some quarters as an
> >>endorsement of the white man's burden.
> >> Doug
> >
> >It's worse than that, haven't you heard? The Iraqi communists are
> >really social democrats...the horror, the horror.
> >
> >Grant
>
> It's neither the white man's burden nor social democracy, both of
> which have been practiced in the real world. "[M]ultinational
> forces, excluding the US and other countries which participated in
> the war coalition," are not on this planet.
> --
> Yoshie

Huh? There are only 45-50 member states (containing only one in five humans) in the coalition of the willing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.-led_coalition_against_Iraq http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/news/20030327-10.html

And I would suggest that "unwillingness", in an overwelming majority of cases, indicates a disapproval of the use of force to remove Saddam and does not imply a desire to see either (1) the Ba'ath reinstated, (2) a Shia Islamist government and/or (3) the civil war which would result from (1) or (2).

(The Wikipedia article adds that the "Nations unwilling" include: "Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada (but some Canadian troops on exchange programs are involved)[8], Cape Verde, Chile, People's Republic of China, Comoros [9], Croatia (but is providing airspace), Cuba, the Czech Republic (but is supplying anti-chemical specialists), Djibouti [10], Ecuador, Egypt [11], France, Germany (airspace use), Greece (airspace use), Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan [12], Lebanon [13], Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritania [14], Mexico, Morocco [15], Mozambique, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway (but will provide humanitarian aid), Oman [16], Pakistan, Palestinian Authority [17], Russia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia [18], Serbia, Slovenia (providing air space), Solomon Islands (protested against being called coalition members: [19][20]), Somalia [21], Sri Lanka, Sweden (but will provide humanitarian aid), Switzerland, Sudan [22], Syria [23], Tunisia [24], Ukraine (providing anti-chemical weapon troops to Kuwait), United Arab Emirates [25], the Vatican, Venezuela, Yemen [26], Zimbabwe. Total: 64 confirmed."

"Nations declared neutral or with a non-aggressive stance: Ireland (declared neutrality), Singapore (declared itself a member of the 'coalition for the immediate disarmament of Iraq,' not the 'coalition of the willing'), Thailand (declared neutrality) Total: 3 confirmed."

"Nations that have not announced a stance or whose intentions are yet unclear (1991 participants are in italics): Andorra, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Chechnya, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Finland (but see: Anneli Jäätteenmäki), Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, the Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of the Congo, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Suriname, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Zambia. Total: 86.")

regards,

Grant.



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