No War!

The U.S. government is preparing war against the people of Afghanistan. Hundreds of warplanes and battleships (including nuclear-armed submarines) and tens of thousands of troops readied for "sustained land combat operations" are being deployed in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, surrounding Afghanistan and threatening the entire region. Bush's September 20 speech was tantamount to a declaration of war.

The entire conduct of the U.S. government since the horrendous attack on the World Trade Center has proven that the government is not interested in bringing the criminals to justice but in using the attack as a pretext for war. Bush has arrogantly refused to follow standard protocols of international law and refused even to talk or negotiate with the Afghan government. In his September 20 speech, Bush presented Afghanistan with a set of demands which can only be satisfied by allowing U.S. troops to occupy the country and make the law.

And attacking Afghanistan is only the beginning. Bush has declared an "international war on terrorism" in which the U.S. regards every nation that "provides aid or safe haven to terrorism" as a "hostile regime." Already, the U.S. government has an official list of "terrorist states and organizations" which include 7 countries (North Korea, Sudan, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan) and several organizations fighting for national liberation in Colombia, in Palestine, in the Philippines, Ireland and other countries. Yet more. Bush, insisting that "every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists," is demanding that every country march to the war drum of U.S. imperialism and come under its dictate. Already, the U.S. is applying intense economic, diplomatic and military pressure against Pakistan, demanding that Pakistan allow the U.S. to set up military bases and use the country as a base of aggression. Other countries are under similar pressures. Leading spokesmen in the U.S. administration are threatening to unleash a new war against Iraq. Bush's "war against terrorism" is already being used as a new pretext for the U.S.-Israeli aggressors to step up their war on the Palestinian people.

Bush's war against international terrorism is part of the "new world order" in which U.S. imperialism has appointed itself judge, jury and executioner. Instead of an international system which recognizes the sovereign equality of every country and in which states work to resolve problems through international law and without resort to the use of violence and war, U.S. imperialism seeks a world in which its military power gives it the "right" to make the law and trample on the sovereignty of the countries. Appointing himself Grand Inquisitor of this "new world order," Bush contends that he is ridding the world of "evil-doers" and that the countries and peoples of the world can only purify themselves of the devil of terrorism by assisting U.S. imperialism in its wars of domination.

No, Bush's "war on international terrorism" does not aim at bringing criminals to justice nor ending terrorism. Rather it aims to legitimize and fortify U.S. imperialism's system of state-sponsored terrorism.

Over the last 10 years and more, it is U.S. imperialism which has committed untold crimes against the peoples. It is U.S. imperialism which for weeks reigned bombs on civilian populations in Yugoslavia in order to carve up the country and grab part of its territory. It is U.S. imperialism which for ten years has waged war to keep Iraq under its thumb, bombing the people and imposing economic sanctions which have claimed the lives of millions of Iraqis. It is U.S. imperialism which arms and directs the Israeli aggressors in a war of subjugation and genocide against the Palestinian people. It is U.S. imperialism which organizes death squads in Colombia and is waging a counter-insurgency war against the people of that country, a war of which has already claimed the lives of more than 100,000 workers and peasants.

It is U.S. imperialism which continues its forty-year, illegal blockade against Cuba and which continues to organize and carry out covert, terrorist operations against the Cuban people. It is U.S. imperialism which stations tens of thousands of troops in south Korea and maintains, by force of arm, the partition of Korea. It is U.S. troops which are stationed throughout the world, trampling on the sovereignty of peoples and militarizing the globe. It is U.S. imperialism which terrorizes the peoples with nuclear weapons and other instruments of mass destruction. It is U.S. imperialism which has set-up aggressive military alliances and supports the most reactionary regimes all over the world. It is has been and is the C.I.A. which organizes military coups d'etat and carries out sabotage and terror throughout the world.

These crimes against humanity, this foreign policy of militarism and war, arise from the monopoly capitalist class and the imperialist system. The very social existence of the U.S. ruling class is based not only on the exploitation of the American workers but also on the superexploitation and domination of peoples throughout the world. Today, as the crisis of capitalist-imperialism intensifies, the U.S. is relying on its war machine to shift an ever greater burden of exploitation onto the peoples, to grab new spheres of influence and domination and extend its empire.

But while U.S. imperialism is preparing to unleash new disasters on the peoples, the people too are preparing -- organizing and fighting against war and imperialism.

Already, even some of the closest U.S. "allies" are warning Bush against war. Various countries are refusing to give way to the pressure of imperialism and maintaining independent stands in defense of international law, the sovereignty of countries and peace amongst the peoples.

Most importantly the peoples are coming out in opposition to war. Massive meetings and protests against U.S. intervention have already been organized in Pakistan, Egypt and throughout the Middle East, in Europe, Canada and throughout the world.

In the U.S., tens of thousands of people have already joined in anti-war actions in nearly every major city. In the face of the hysterical chauvinism of the government and the monopoly-controlled media, people are working to create new space in which they can calmly deliberate over their interests and express their opposition to war and militarism. This movement can only grow stronger and stronger.

The immediate task is to bring the broadest possible sections of people out against chauvinism and militarism and stay the hand of the imperialist warmakers.

So too, we must use this time as a new starting point in the struggle for a democratic foreign policy -- a policy which ends U.S. militarism, interference and aggression and recognizes the sovereign equality of all peoples.

The attack on the World Trade Center once again reminds the American people that it is our brothers and sisters who are the casualties of the aggressive foreign policy and militarism of the capitalist class. Once again, the American and world's people are facing the prospect of war. Once again, the democratic rights and liberties of Americans are under attack.

We cannot let this state of affairs continue -- we cannot let the vital decisions of war or peace be made by the capitalist warmakers. The people must take things into own hands. This is the time to lay down the foundations for a broad, popular front against war and imperialism by strengthening our independent political movement.

Oppose the War Plans of U.S. Imperialism!

Peace is the Sacred Cause of the Peoples!