While there has been no declaration of war against Iraq since the bombings earlier in the year - cynically timed to delay Clinton's impeachment hearings, there is no doubt that the Iraqi people are being subjected to a prolonged military offensive. The Kirkuk pipeline, recently bombed by US, is the prize of south Kurdistan for imperialism. Currently under Iraqi state ownership, the Pentagon is dangling a deal in front of the apparently good Kurds of Iraq ( in contrast with the supposed bad Kurds of the PKK), Barzani (KDP) and Talabani (PUK). The trade off they suggest is that the oil will be privatised in exchange for some supposed measure of independence. In practice this will be little different from the current supposed safe havens - which have only proved safe for imperialist interests not the people who live there. While it is unclear whether these Kurdish leaders will accept the deal, it certainly seems that imperialism is prepared to consider redrawing the map of the Middle East yet again. Unfortunately protests against this barbaric offensive have been extremely muted -as if bombs without a declaration kill less people than if they have been announced.
Serious effort needs to be put in to ensure the maximum possible turn out for the demonstration against sanctions on April 19 - the only national focus for opposition to imperialism's crimes against the Iraqi people.