Statement of the ISG PC - The terror attacks in the US and the consequences
The terror attacks in the US and the consequences
Statement by the Political Committee of the International Socialist Group
The massive terror attack on the World Trade Centre, which has killed
thousands of office and other workers, is indefensible in any terms. The
political conditions which probably created it, however, are not so
obscure. The perpetrators are not known at this time (despite all claims by
the CIA), but the driving force behind them is most likely to be a deep
hatred of US imperialism generated by US foreign policy - past and present.
We share the grief of the relatives of those who have lost their lives at
their place of work. The civilian victims, like the great majority of the
American people, cannot be held responsible for the barbarous policies of
their government. But for the first time in recent times the USA is
confronted with a huge attack on its own territory. Previously this has
been the fate of the Vietnamese, the Cambodians, the Iraqis, the Yugoslavs,
the Somalis, the Nicaraguans...you could a dozen more.
For years the US government, and US multi-national companies, have been
imposing their will on the world by military force and financial power.
They have been destroying local economies, imposing structural adjustment
programmes, overthrowing popular governments, and putting the Suhartos, the
Pinochets, the Marcoses, and the Mobutus in power - dictators subordinated
to the US who did not hesitate to slaughter their own people in the cause
of US policy.
Under today's globalised economy, the rich are getting richer and the poor
are getting poorer, and increased repression is used to keep the poor in
their place. The mass misery which US policy has imposed, backed by the
major Western Powers (particularly Britain), on the majority of the world's
population has created the conditions for the new feature in terrorism and
resistance - the suicide bomber and now the suicide pilot.
In occupied Palestine there is no shortage of young men willing to
sacrifice their lives in order to strike a blow against the Israeli
oppressor. Again, although such acts, particularly against civilians,
cannot be supported it is easy to see how they come about. Palestinians are
dying every day at the hands of an Israeli war machine supplied, backed,
and bankrolled by the USA. The war criminal Sharon is totally backed by
George Bush - who is also no longer even interested in the so-called peace
process`.
In Iraq 1m civilians have perished through US sponsored sanctions and the
destruction of the infrastructure of the country including the water supply
and treatment plants. Today US and British planes continue to bomb Iraq on
a daily basis.
None of these crimes by US imperialism justifies the killing of thousands
of US civilians, but they do help to explain the anger which is felt
against the USA and its symbols of power.
It is said that this attack is the biggest act of terror of all time. But
this would only be that case if it is non-state terror. Many acts of state
terror surpass it, for example the nuclear annihilation of Japanese cities
and the carpet bombing of Dresden in WW2. Suharto killed 1m people in
Indonesia. Millions were killed in Vietnam. The USA dropped more bombs on
Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam war that were dropped in the whole of
the WW2. If Bin Laden is a terrorist he is not the biggest - even if he has
done everything the US accuses him of.
The irony, in any case, is that Bin Laden was a creation of the CIA during
the Soviet occupation and the Taliban - accused of harbouring him - was
brought to power by the US and its allies. In fact the proxy war between
the USA and the USSR in Afghanistan facilitated the development of
well-trained, anti-socialist, Islamic militia network across the Middle
East and further afield. Now we are told, in the most racists terms, that
the civilised nations of the west are under threat from the uncivilised
peoples of the East.
Bush has said that the USA is now in a state of war. Not only will those
regarded by the US as the perpetrators of the terror attack be punished
(which may well be on flimsy or non-existent 'evidence') but the countries
accused of harbouring them will be attacked as well. Blair has immediately
said that he will back anything the US decides to do (and no doubt provide
bases and aircraft). But more than that his nominee at NATO, Lord
Robertson, has declared that NATO will do the same. In fact NATO has
declared that the attack is an attack on all NATO members and that the
response will be in the name of all NATO members. Remarkably the TUC called
off the TUC congress because of the attack, in a display of national unity,
allowing the most important debate on the agenda, on privatisation, to drop
off the agenda.
The UN has also backed Bush - and by a unanimous vote. Putin is backing
Bush on the basis that it proves that what he is doing in Chechnya is right
- since in his view the Chechens are terrorists as well. The Chinese
bureaucracy is happy that it will give them a freer hand to repress human
rights.
All this is carte-blanche for action against individuals and organisations
accused of terrorism and against so-called rogue states accused of
terrorism, and shows that the attack is not only indefensible it is
counterproductive
Whoever carried out the attacks in the USA the result of all this will be a
new period of reaction. New political conditions more conducive to global
capital are being created by this. Already anti-Muslim sentiment and
anti-Arab racism is being stepped up - at time when Muslim communities are
already under attack from the far-right. Asylum seekers will be targeted
even more. New levels of repression are being prepared against those
labelled by the authorities as potential terrorists. That will mean new
repression against Tamil, Kurdish, Turkish and other organisations in
Britain. Those organisations already banned by Straw will face further
repression.
The effect that these events are going to have on a world economy is net
yet clear. However, with the world economy moving towards recession before
this happened it could push it over the brink. Certainly this has been one
of the prime concerns of leading representatives of international capital
as these events unfolded.
The job of the left will be to oppose this new reaction, defend civil
rights, continue to support oppressed peoples, continue to defend asylum
seekers and increase campaigning against the fascists. We have to oppose a
new wave of xenophobia, defend those who are victims of the new reaction,
and protest and organise against acts of war unleashed by Bush and his
allies in the name of fighting terrorism. One thing is sure, the result of
acts of war by US imperialism in the present circumstances will be to
create the condition for such acts of terror to be repeated.