The Gulf war: no peace no victory Rolly • Thursday 20th June • 7pm • Friends Meeling House Committee for a Jusi Peace in the Middle East The recent Victory Parades in the USA bear witness to the racist triumphalism whipped up to mask the deepenint a nomic, social ›olitical crisis in th vorld's leading imperialis country.
In Britain, talk around the Victory Parade on 21 June has been much more low-key. After Major's near political fiasco with the 'remembrance servicé in Scotland, the last thing the Tories need is to mess about with popular support for 'our boys' back from the Gulf.
The huge demonstrations in che run up to, and during, the war showed the potential of the anti-war movement. This was why it was absolutely necessary for Bush and Major to, in the words of one Iraqi woman, bomb Iraq back to the twelfth century and achieve a rapid military victory.
Although any action rapidly dissipated after the ceasefire. the need for a strong anti-imperialist international solidarity movement grew all the more necessary. whole, the left has failed to recognise the importance ol this. This is shown by the tired response of the left to calls for solidarity action with the Kurdish and Palestinian people The Victory Parade provides an excellent focus to reverse this trend. There has to be a demonstration of opposition to the imperialist war-mongers. Even those who reluctantly supported the war have been extremely uneasy about an event to celebrate it.
Ever since the ceasefire, antiwar activists have been discussing what counter-action is needed around the Parade in Britain. This has been frustrated all the more by the bureaucratic nature of the Committee for a Just Peace in the Middle East (ex-Stop the War), led by supporters of Socialist Action. In fact one SA supporter actually said that 'it would be maniacal to try organising anything.
Women Against War in the Gulf, along with broad sections of the anti-war movement inside and outside of the Committee, have organised a 'Nothing to Celebrate' candlelit vigil in Trafalgar Square on the eve of the parade.
Socialist Outlook supporters in London should actively sup port both the vigil and also the rally organised by the Committee earlier in the evening. Many people will attend both and will not see them as counterposed.
In the current climate there is always the possibility that one, or even both, events may be a focus for fascist mobilisation. It is irresponsible in the extreme for anyone on the left to let petty sectarianism stand in the way of unity in action.
Alex Feeney