'New World Order' in the wake of the Gulf War.
By this he was announcing two things simultaneously: the proposed political and military domination of the United States as the world's only superpower, and a new era of peace and freedom in which injustice would be quashed by the 'intemational com munity.
Of course only the first was the reality, the second pure propaganda. Since the two things are indeed contradictory, Bush's vision was always likely to unravel is people saw the reality.
Nowhere has the propaganda hype unravelled more than in Somalia, where it is becoming obvious that the US intervention is far removed from any attempt to secure aid for the ordinary people.
The New World Order is being exposed in numerous other places. In ex-Yugoslavia western intervention has meant an arms cmowxo on bus* nia, disabling resistance to Serb and Croat ethnic cleansing'.
But ethnic cleansing is the fate of the people of Kurdistan and of the marshlands of souther Iraq as well.
The Marsh Arabs face the short-term destruction of their community, one which has existed for at least der threat on three sides. And the West, above all the United States, Is complet in the genocide being stored up for these The Marsh Arabs have been dam Hussein's forces ton months. They are being targeted as a dissident force because of the role of the predominantly Shia community in the post-war uprising against Saddam.
The marshes are being drained, depriving the Arabs of their livelihood and even drinking water. A unique ecology is being vandalised to destroy a people, and open new areas for agriculture and oil exploration. Daily the Arabs are bombarded by shelling and missiles. thousands have fled to Iran.
Saddam's forces have continued to exert pressure on Kurdistan, preparins an ar-out assault waich ine West's 'no fly zone' will not prevent.
Turkey and Iran both have continued military operations against the Kurds in northern Iraq, while Turkey continues its military offensive against the Kurdish community in its own country.
Thousands of people are dying. and hundreds of thousands could die war. Why? Tens of Syria and Iran. in the marshes of southern Iraq. But the West is not sympathetic to their plight, and actively opposed the uprising against Saddam after the Gulf George Bush wanted Saddam removed but only from inside his own entourage. Popular rebellion against Saddam, especially one aided from Iran as the revolt in southern Iraq undoubtedly was, sent shivers down the spines of the Gulf oil sheikdoms which the West was defending.
And an independent Kurdistan threatens to destabilise the imperialist order on the borders of Turkey, Like the Palestinians, both Kurds and Marsh Arabs, as well as Bosnians, are entirely dispensable as far as the West is concerned. Far from being identical with the New World ment.
new "Sus' law which is being systematically deployed against the black community. Black motorists stopped by the police (and if you are young and black and drive a by the police) will now be routinely checked to see if they are 'overstayers'. Order, the ideals of peace, freedom and justice are in complete contradicThe West in general, and the United States and United Nations in particular are not just failing to prevent ethnic cleansing, they are is acure acents.
Almost by definition, ethnic cleansing takes place against those who have little or no power.
Sanctions
The Kurds and Marsh Arabs, the Palestinians and Bosnians, the Iraqi people suffering disease and hunger at the hands of UN sanctions.
All these people need active solidarity from the working class movement in the West. anars why we need a new anti-imperialist move-