itals divided on Gulf War While Britain was clear from the start on backing the United States to the hilt and in pinning its future on being the lap dog of US imperialism, other European countries have faced more complex decisions, argues GILL LEE.
In return for defending the interests of all imperialist nations in the Gulf War, and smashing the 'upstart" Saddam, the United States will expect massive trading concessions from Europe and Japan. In launching such an adventure now at least part of the US war aims include heading off the development of a powerful united Europe, based an economically strong, united Germany.
While the success or failure of the US plans will largely depend on the military course of the war, and on the political developments which will follow it in the Middie East, decisions made by the individual European ruling classes will also play a role.
Jacques Delors has warned that the dream of European Union could fade if Europe does not respond to the Gulf crisis by redoubling efforts at political union, including a common foreign and security policy. But while the fighting continues, and the main European countries are being pushed into further economic and military support for US policy in the Gulf, the European imperialist powers have so far been unable to reach a united or decisive response.
Due to its economic weight, a reunited Germany would be the obvious leader of a politically, economically and militarily united Europe. But Germany has so far been unable to play any significant independent role in the Gulf crisis. While its constitution forbids deployment of German troops outside NATO territory, it is also clear that any attempt to involve Germany militarily in the Gulf would meet huge resistance from the population as a whole.
Berlin
While public opinion changed dramatically after the beginning of the war - from 80% against the war prior to January 15th to 70% in favour of the US action after the war began - this does not necessarily imply public support for the use of German troops. Mobilisa SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 30, February 1991
GULF SPECIAL
IN THE
Let's build on the lessons of other countries tions against the war continue to be huge - an estimated 250,000 took part in demonstrations in Bonn and Berlin on January 26th.
Since fighting broke out Chancellor Kohl has been attempting to move Germany further behind US policy. Under increasing pressure to pay towards the imperialist war effort, Kohl has intimated that Germany and Japan together may pay for up to one third of the cost of a three month war, about £23 billion. And Germany has also agreed to give "humanitarian aid" to Israel, while Kohl has explicitly criticised the "anti-US' edge to antiwar demonstrations.
However Germany could yet be drawn directly into the war through an attack on Turkey. Kohl has sent 18 fighter planes and 270 troops to Turkey as part of the NATO defence force, despite opposition from the Greens and the SPD. Use of German troops, even in 'defence" of NATO territory would be sure to result in huge internal problems for the Kohl govemment, already substantially weakened one year after unification.
The involvement of Turkey in the war, and any such generalised activation of NATO commitments, could also produce huge strains in other European countries.
Stoppages in Spain
Two million workers stopped work for two hours in the Spanish state to protest the outbreak of war and hundreds of thousands joined demonstrations. Although the actual forces sent by the Spanish state to the Gulf are minimal, other assistance has been given. The runways at Torrejon near Madrid have been used for half the US flights to and from the Gulf, while Spanish intelligence has wamed Israel of forthcoming Scud raids.
Felipe Gonzalez has also promised to pay $500 million (or about one day's war costs) to the Gulf operation, but further backing from the Socialist Goverment for the war against Iraq will surely encounter even greater resistance than has resulted from this minimal aid. Spanish workers remember only too well the support given to the Franco dictatorship by the United States, and are extremely unwilling to see their country involved in a US-led war.
STOP WAR John Harris CULF
The Greek government also faces a hard task in sorting out how to balance intemal op position with its own long term interests. Faced with a huge wave of student unrest, it was already in a state of crisis. The Greek governent is also facing pressure to become more involved in the Gulf war to counter Turkey's growing alliance with the US.
Greece had previously hoped that Cyprus might be on the agenda of any international Middle Easter conference and had compared Iraq's occupation of Kuwait to Turkey's occupation of Cyprus. The Greek ruling class must now fear that the US may back Turkey's interests as a reward for its current support for the US war in the Gulf.
Ambivalent
France too is moving increasingly behind the US, despite playing an ambivalent role at the beginning of the crisis. This reflects the real tensions within the ruling class, which for decades backed and armed Irag with modem Mirage fighters and Exocet missiles.
This long term alliance with Irag could also be seen in the French attempts to find a negotiated solution right up to the January 15th deadline, and by the continued survival in govemment of Mitterrand's Minister of Defence Chevenement, who has led parliamentary opposition to the war.
The Mitterrand government wants a leading role in any peace settlement which might flow out of the Gulf War. Once war started, France was scared of being left behind and isolated from the powers which may now run a post-Gulf War world. However in throwing in its hand with the United States, France also has to confront a strong anti-war movement, the backbone of which is increasingly found among the five million North African immigrants living in France.
In the opening stages of the war it is inevitable that the imperialist powers of Europe are facing pressure to join in behind the US or risk being left behind in any post-war settlement. However in doing this they face resistance. As the war progresses, and imperialist losses escalate, such resistance will surely increase.
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Students rock Greek government
The new, right wing, New Democracy gov