Spring 2003

NO TO WAR IN IRAQ

George Bush's plans for military intervention in Iraq, with the support of Tony Blair, are becoming more immediate with each passing day. Earlier on, the American president sought to justify this intervention on the basis that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. Today, following Iraq's agreement to allow the return of UN inspectors, he emphasizes the dictatorial nature of the regime and the absence of human rights.

While Saddam Hussein's regime is in fact a dictatorship, there are unfortunately many such dictatorships all around the world with which the United States is not particularly bothered. The true reasons of course lie elsewhere. It's a matter of controlling the region and above all, its oil.

A military intervention would have dramatic consequences for a civilian population already victim of an embargo which has caused the death of thousands of children in the last twelve years. One must also consider the impact on the Arab population in general, and in particular the consequences for the Kurds and Palestinians, and the risks of setting the region ablaze.

Everything possible must be done to prevent this war, especially through the mobilization of public opinion. Thus, FSU expresses our solidarity with the ongoing anti-war mobilization in the United States. We also appeal to the UN to find the way to enforce resolutions which exclude recourse to war. These negotiations should also seek to remove the embargo of which the primary victims are the civilian population, and which works in favor of strengthening the dictatorial regime. Relief from the sanctions would serve to return hope to the Iraqi people and all those who struggle to end the dictatorship.
FSU asserts our opposition to the war in Iraq. We demand that the French government oppose any military intervention and work towards this aim within the European Union and the United Nations. On this basis, FSU will participate in initiatives for peace.
September 2002

Spring 2003