January
2003January
2003Synaspismos expresses its opposition to the Bush government plans to go forward with a new war against Iraq. It condemns the policies of the neoliberal circles of the USA, which are trying, in the name of a preventive war, to establish their universal hegemony: economic, military and political.
We have already entered a new, crucial stage of international developments, which tends to render military interventions a permanent tool for shaping international co-relations on a wold wide level. The terrorist attack of the 11th of September cannot constitute a pretext for continuous military campaigns. The target for the new assault has been openly admitted: the control of the energy sources and their transport and the reinforcement of the US military presence in the region. Such a development breeds grave danger for humanity, with negative political, economic, social and cultural consequences.
1. It will reinforce the militarist options at the expense of the necessary democratization of the United Nations and of International Law. The international mobilization must avert the transformation of the UN to an organization that ratifies any military aspiration; it has a duty to contribute to the democratization of the highest instrument of the international community and to the upgrading of the authority of the General Assembly; it should render diplomacy and politics the decisive tool for the settlements of disputes; it should guarantee the principles of peaceful co-existence and cooperation of countries and peoples.
2. The imminent war will deal an irreparable blow to the Middle East, where the unsolved Palestinian issue bleeds endlessly. In today’s heavy atmosphere we consider the resolution of the Palestinian issue and the creation of an independent Palestinian state to be of paramount importance. This is the only way these two people, Israelis and Palestinians, can live together in peace to the benefit of both sides, to the benefit of safeguarding peace in the region.
3. The negative consequences on all the Arab countries will be extremely serious. The people of these countries suffer from a lack of democracy, economic development and social cohesion. The war will deepen these deficits and will worsen the situation. We have the responsibility to avert such an eventuality, to the benefit of the Arab people, of the European Community and our country.
4. This war is a war against Europe. It will undermine the prospect of a Unified Europe that will play an active part in international developments in a peaceful direction and will constitute a factor of solidarity and security. On a short term it will gravely damage the economies of the European countries with unpleasant social consequences at the expense of the working people of Europe.
Thousands of innocent victims will pay with their lives the planned military invasion. The Gulf War did not contribute to the democratization of Iraq. On the contrary, it struck a heavy blow on any resistance to the dictatorial regime of Sadam Hussein. The economic embargo that has been going on for the last 12 years besides killing hundreds of thousands of innocent children it also annihilates any efforts for an organized opposition and democratization. Democracy is not built through foreign military interventions and the perpetuation of foreign military presence. The recent developments in Afganistan are one more tragic confirmation of this fact.
The UN must contribute directly to the return of the inspectors to Iraq accompanying this decision with the lifting of the embargo and with measures of political control aiming at the democratization of the country.
The imminent war will create additional difficulties to the solution of the Cyprus issue especially at this sensitive final stage when the Republic of Cyprus is ready to become a member of the European Union.
In addition, this war generalizes and legitimizes the use of military force as a means for the solution of international problems.
The efforts for the improvement of the climate between Greece and Turkey will stagnate at this crucial, for Turkey’s political future, time period.
For all the above mentioned reasons we ask the Greek Government to intervene immediately to the EU and the international community in order to avert the possibility of war. (In its position at the Presidency of the EU it has added responsibilities and obligations to contribute effectively to put a stop to the war.) The Greek government should also commit itself that there will be no Greek participation in the campaign against Iraq and no facilities will be provided to the trigger-happy Bush administration.
The risks by the imminent war cause grave concern to large sections of the public in the US itself, in Europe and in Greece. Social movements, intellectuals as well as political forces have started mobilizations in the US and in Europe.
Synaspismos calls on the Greek Parliament, the political forces, the mass movements and the social movements to contribute to safeguarding peace and averting a new war.
The democratization of the international community needs transparent political negotiations and not war shouts. All nations need these processes and the younger generations even more so.
Synaspismos will take up a number of initiatives in this direction.
