Some thoughts on Iraq and anti-war activity

Since the imperialists have occupied Iraq over a million Iraqis have died over the five years. There are around 50,000 mercenaries (or euphemistically known as “private contractors”). And subsequently the horrors of Fallujah, Najaf, Basra, Haditha, Sadr City and Abu Gharib. There are the presence of US trained militias and death squads.

The whole of the infrastructure of Iraq has been shattered under imperialist occupation. And the position of women has worsened in Iraqi society as the country is becoming more theocratic. This is combined with domestic toil in a war zone.

If that is not enough, the stranglehold of occupation continues with the oil legislation along with production sharing agreements means the oil will be owned by multinationals and these contracts are long term, up to 30 years. There is no parliamentary scrutiny nor transparency. They invaded, they occupied and now have stolen the oil.

There is a growing stench about the use of mercenaries and the encouragement of death squads (shades of Colombia) to politcally control Iraqi society. And any form of fight back such as by the Iraqi Oil Federation Unions (IOFU) has been attacked by the Iraqi government as eight leading activists of the union have been transferred from Basra to Baghdad. This is a funamental attack on their human rights and the activists fear that the transfers will have dangerous implications for the workers and their families. The IFOU have been in the frontline in fighting the privatisation of the oil with courage and conviction.

Meanwhile the anti-war movement is moribund. Britain is a major player in the agression against Iraq. The issue though seems hardly to figure in British politics and where media blackouts are constant . No political price has been paid by any leading warmonger. There is no vigorous grass-roots anti-war movement of any size. A few anti-war groups function up and down Britain but there is nothing to express the level of outrage that should still be there.

We do need to raise the issues that the people of Iraq need us to raise: the plundering of the oil wealth through production sharing agreements, refugees, reparations for war damage and loss of life and other war injuries. The list of things we need to bring up are endless but these are some of the more important ones.

Iraq Occupation Focus are having a one day conference entitled Justice for Iraq in London on July 19th. The aim is to talk about raising these issues along with the need for an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces.

Council workers have voted to strike….

Council workers (55% in favour) have voted to strike after rejecting a measly 2.45% pay offer. Unison are proposing a two-day strike in July.

Many council workers earn a pittance. Some earn less than £6.50 an hour and majority are women. And this the day after Alistair Darling’s call for pay restraint. Well, seems like Unison members also say, “stuff your pay freeze” as well.

This also comes as cleaners, who are members of the RMT, will be striking on 26th June and then again for 48 hours on the 1st July.

As a Unite/T&G activist I would like to extend my support and solidarity to Unison and RMT activists who will be striking this summer. A summer of discontent?