According to the United Nations, Iraq has shifted "from relative affluence to massive poverty" with infant mortality rates among the world's highest, at least a fifth of the population starving, and 5,000 children under 5 dying each month from disease and hunger.

Now the United States and Britain are moving their vast military machine to the Middle East for another war with Iraq to impose 'regime change' by forcibly removing Saddam.

A belated attempt has been made to find allies from other members of the UN Security Council through bribery and coercion.

But Bush still issued an ultimatum to go it alone if the UN could not "show its relevance". The US has refused to rule out pre-emptive nuclear strikes.

The US's tactics would be disastrous, not just in Iraq but for all the region's peoples. At best, this war would result in rule through a more 'America-friendly' despot - a change of leader not regime.

In almost every other Arab nation, leaderships already struggling to suppress internal dissent, openly fear US military action will ignite more significant uprisings.

All that has been done in the name of War Against Terrorism has increased conflict and uncertainty.

The recent assassination attempt on Afghan leader Mohammed Karzai, and continued in-fighting amongst the warlords, reveal how little Afghanistan has really stabilised since 'liberation'.

Across the world, Muslims are held accountable for the actions of a few right wing Islamic groups. The words 'Muslim' and 'extremist' have become almost synonymous. Civil liberties and the Geneva Convention have been flouted with Asians in particular suffering a rise in racial harassment.

Protests in Kashmir against Capitalism and Imperialism on May Day A swathe of nations have increased surveillance and legislation specifically targeting Arabs and Muslims, and many Governments now believe they have a green light to imprison without trial or legal representation.

We are told 'failure to support the US is to ally with Saddam'. This argument must be rejected. Saddam is a brutal dictator with much blood on his hands and the Iraqi people are desperate for an end to his rule.

Saddam has used 12 years of allied bombing and sanctions to increase his stranglehold on Iraq. But American and Western leaders offer no solution to the problem; they were quite happy to support Saddam when he was at war with Iran.

The US attacked the Afghan people for harbouring Al-Qaida, yet took no responsibility for their own arming, training and resourcing of Al-Qaida.

Bush stands on American democracy for his moral authority yet secured his presidency by disenfranchising thousands of poor, black voters.

But both Bush and Blair now aid military dictators such as Pakistan's General Musharaf, who has weapons of mass destruction.

Western leaders cannot resolve global conflict because they will never give up power to ordinary people. Military action will only further impoverish the Iraqi people and lead to the loss of thousands of lives. It took a mass uprising in Serbia to remove Milosevic from power, so any solution to the problems of the Iraqi people must come from within.

A mass protest movement against US military action involving Black and Asian communities, young people, trade union members and others is developing in Britain, Europe, the US and worldwide.

Unison worker on strike for higher pay Left trade union leaders in the UK have spoken out against the war, but now must call action to stop Bush and Blair's war machine.

But the future of the Iraqi people lies in them securing the wealth of the country, both mineral and human, for the benefit of all the people not just the powerful and privileged minority.

A socialist programme could mobilise those who produce Iraq's wealth, the working people, to overthrow Saddam and to struggle for a democratic and socialist plan of production which could use the resources of Iraq to end poverty and suffering of its people.

This would be a powerful weapon for the Arab masses to overthrow the other despotic rulers in the Middle East and establish a socialist confederation of the region.

28 September 2002

For a new mass party to End Racism

Palestine: Who can live like this? Who can die like this?

We demand the right to live without racism, racist violence and discrimination.

An end to racial violence.
Anti-racist defence of our communities to be organised democratically by trade unions, and Black, Asian and other immigrant working-class people.
For religious freedom. The right for all to follow whichever religion they choose, or to follow no religion, without harassment or repression.
Drive out Fascists like the British National Party and the National Front.

We demand jobs for all.

No more racism in hiring, training and promotion. Immediate re-instatement for all victims of racist dismissal.
End cheap labour. For a minimum wage of �8 per hour (based on the European Decency Threshold.) No exemptions.
End unemployment. For a 35 hour week with no loss of pay.
For the right to decent benefits, training or a job without compulsion.

We demand decent homes and equal education.

Reverse spending cuts in local government.
A massive public spending programme to create more houses, schools, hospitals and all the facilities we need.
For free, good quality education for all from nursery to university. A living grant for all students. Abolish the tuition fees now!
For anti-racist education in all schools, to include the history of Blacks, Asians and the oppressed.

We demand no more police harassment.

An end to repressive laws.
Scrap the Criminal Justice Act and the so-called 'Terrorism' Act.
A completely independent police complaints procedure.
Democratic control of the police. Elected local authority police bodies to control resources, discipline, training and day-to-day policing policy.

Justice for Asylum seekers

End the scapegoating of asylum seekers.
No more deportations. No detention without trial.
For the right of asylum seekers to work.
End the dispersal scheme.
The scrapping of the Asylum and Immigration Act and all other racist laws.

Against imperialism

No to Bush's New World Order.
No to Bush and Blair's brutal war on Iraq. Organise and build international mass protests against the war.
Support the struggle of the oppressed peoples to overthrow all the dictatorships and the puppets of imperialism throughout the world.
Abolish third world debt. For the neo-colonial countries to refuse to pay.
Abolish the IMF and the World Bank.

For system change

Take into public ownership the top 150 companies, banks and building societies that dominate the economy, under democratic working-class control and management. Compensation to be paid on the basis of proven need.
Campaign to form a new mass party of the working class and the oppressed.
An end to the rule of profit and exploitation. For a socialist society and economy run to meet the needs of all humanity, instead of the profits of a few.

Socialism in the 21st Century - The way forward for anti-capitalism.

Hannah Sell makes a powerful case for socialism.

This new book, a 90 page paperback edition, sells for �5. For bulk orders of 5 or more the cost is �4.

"An essential read for anti-capitalists, trade union activists and socialists" - The Socialist

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