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February 15, 2003 saw the largest ever demonstration in Britain, with around two million taking to the streets of London as part of a worldwide day of demonstrations against war on Iraq. As Blair hid away, worried that he might have to leave his job, people from all sections of society – but most importantly many workers and young people – rejected his and Bush’s justifications for the ‘War on Terror’. It was also clear to many who demonstrated against the war on Afghanistan and Iraq, that these wars had in fact nothing to do with protecting ordinary people in the US and Europe from terrorism, but were about the interests of US and UK imperialism in the Middle East, in particular the control of oil.

A few weeks before, and on the day the war did start, there were mass school student strikes and local demonstrations, with many Socialist Student members playing a leading role. At the time, Socialist Students pointed out that despite the massive scale of the anti-war movement, it would have been extremely difficult to stop the war without mass industrial action and credible political opposition in the form of a mass workers’ party, although there is no doubt that the anti-war movement did shake Blair.

After the US/UK ‘victory’ in Iraq was declared, although many ordinary Iraqis were happy to see the back of Saddam, it soon became clear to them that the occupation has nothing to do with their rights and everything to do with control of the economy. While nothing was done about looting and attacks on schools, hospitals and other services, the oil pipelines were well guarded by occupation troops. It was only the heroism and organisation of Iraqi workers and communities, particularly in the hospitals, that prevented an even higher rate of death and injury.

This brutal occupation is oppressive and repressive, involving roadblocks, heavy handed treatment and the shooting of suspects. We call on the troops to immediately pull out of Iraq and for the Iraqi people to democratically decide their own future. But we argue that, if the struggle against the occupation is to lead genuine national liberation, rather than ethnic and religious conflict, or even a new ‘home-grown’ dictator, it should be based on organisations of the working class and the poor that can unite across religious and ethnic divides.

After the slaughter of over 1,000 civilians by US troops in Falluja, Sunni and Shia forces came together, showing the potential for a united movement. We support the building of united workers’ organisations in Iraq, including democratic multi-ethnic defence forces. The movement against the occupation should fight for an Iraqi-wide government of the working class and urban and rural poor that could involve a democratic and socialist programme.

The development of struggles of workers in Iraq, hardly mentioned in the press in the west, is central to the struggle against the occupation. There have already been strikes and protests coming from teachers, oil workers, engineers and many other workers demanding the removal of senior members of Saddam’s Ba’ath regime from positions of power, decent wages and rights at work. It is through this kind of mass action that links can be made with the labour movements in the US and UK for united action against imperialism.

The recent cases of abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison show the brutal reality of ‘liberation’ of Iraq. Such images, together with increasing military casualties in Iraq and a feeling amongst the troops that they are not welcome, have had an enormous effect on the consciousness of a layer in US and UK societies. People who may initially have supported the war as a means of removing Saddam can now see the reality of this war and are increasingly moving into action against it. Ordinary Americans do not want a drawn-out, unpopular occupation reminiscent of Vietnam, when US imperialism was defeated by the Vietnamese resistance and opposition in the US itself. The ‘handover’ of power last summer has not and will not significantly change the situation. It was clear from the outset that US and UK troops were going to stay in Iraq regardless of what the government said – although of course the members of the government would be carefully chosen by the occupying forces! Real national liberation for Iraq is not possible on a capitalist basis; this will not come about with so-called fair and free elections. National liberation from imperialism in Iraq, and the whole region for that matter, is only achievable when the main industries, including oil, are returned to public ownership under the democratic control of the working class.

Socialist Students opposes imperialism in all its forms, whilst recognising that the struggle against imperialism must be linked to the class struggle if it is to be successful. The long-standing and brutal Israeli occupation of Palestine has not been defeated either by the rotten compromises of Arafat or the divisive tactics of Hamas and Jihad. Sharon is able to push through his attacks on the living standards of Israeli workers by keeping them scared of terrorism, a fear that enables him to continue political murders, house demolitions and the construction of the expansionist wall in the West Bank. A mass movement of Palestinian workers and youth against imperialism and capitalism could link up with a similar movement in Israel and would undercut support for Sharon and form the basis for a lasting peace with a socialist Palestine next to a socialist Israel, working as part of a broader socialist confederation of the Middle East.

Thomas House – Sussex Socialist Students