Solidarity with Lebanon and Palestine
Tony Blair actively encouraged the Israelis in their attack on Lebanon, and his government allowed US planes to deliver weapons to the Israelis through British airports.
Many of the cluster bombs now littering the streets of Lebanese villages will have come through Britain. They are continuing to kill and maim today and will do so for years to come. The Palestinians have been the forgotten victims of this new Israeli offensive. Attacks by Israeli tanks and aircraft on the miserable slums of Gaza intensified during the war on Lebanon.
Troops Out of Iraq and Afghanistan
The demand for Troops Out of Iraq and Afghanistan has never been more urgent. On 23 September the walls of the Labour Party conference in Manchester echoed to the sound of a huge demonstration as the anti-war movement in Britain made its voice heard.
Over the last two months a record number of civilians have been killed in Iraq, according to UN figures. The UN’s chief anti-torture expert, Manfred Nowak has also said that abuse of detainees is “out of control” and that torture in Iraq may be at a higher level now than it was under Saddam Hussein.
In Afghanistan it has become increasingly clear that the war in that occupied country is far from over. 1600 Afghans have died in the last two months as a result of the occupation, with resistance spreading beyond the ranks of the Taliban.
As far back as 2002 pre-emptive military action was a central tenet of US security policy with regards to Iran. The talk of Iranian nuclear weapons development is nothing but a smokescreen. US allies Pakistan, India and Israel all have nuclear weapons, to say nothing of those held by the imperialists themselves.
No to Imperialism and Racism
Racism is not far from the surface of this discourse. While police officers made tongue in cheek comments about introducing the crime ‘travelling while Asian’ newspapers were carrying articles on the merits of checking passengers with Muslim names more stringently than everyone else.
American and British imperialism have reached the limits of the types of settlement they can impose by force on the Middle East. It is increasingly difficult for Blair and Bush to get away with arguing that their mission is one of bringing “civilisation” to the region.
The same policies and alliances have brought only death and misery to Gaza, Iraq and Lebanon. Socialists now have to make them pay the political price at home. This means that we have to vigorously defend civil liberties and continue building a political alternative, which in England means building Respect. It is well past time for Blair to go.