Stephen Garvey, Melbourne
On June 28, 2300 people packed the Melbourne Town Hall to hear British-based Pakistani author Tariq Ali talk about the US occupation of Iraq.
Ali said it was ironic that the supposed handover of national sovereignty to the Iraqi people had occurred in secrecy on June 28 — two days prior to the previously announced date. Ali explained that the supposed handover to a US-appointed Iraqi government would not fool Iraqis into thinking the US occupation was over. Nor would it fool other Third World peoples who have previously experienced Western colonial rule. However, it might fool some people in the Western countries.
Ali went on to talk about the Iraqi resistance movement, describing it as "unique" compared to national liberation struggles in the 20th century. He identified two distinguishable qualities. The first was that the resistance took only a matter of weeks to organise attacks against the occupying troops. The other was that the Iraqi resistance movement does not have the support of any other nation-state and so it fights the US military machine alone.
Ali dispelled the myth frequently propagated by the Western media that the resistance movement is trying to terrorise Iraqis who want to be liberated by the US. He argued that the resistance has purposefully targeted two groups — the occupying troops and contractors of foreign corporations.
Ali argued that the Iraqi resistance was growing stronger with every day, citing the increasing number of attacks against the occupation forces — up from 15-20 per day in 2003 to at least 45 per day this year.
Ali argued that the outcome of the Iraq war would determine the politics of the 21st century. Already, the strength of the Iraqi resistance has stopped the US rulers from invading Syria and Iran — the second phase of their grand plan to reorganise the Middle East according to US corporate interests.
He emphasised the necessity of keeping the anti-war movement thriving in Australia and the rest of the world. He explained to all of those who felt demoralised after Bush, Blair and Howard ignored massive protests in February 2003 that "it is very rare to convince governments just like that". Warmongers like Bush, Blair and Howard had to pay a political price, Ali argued, by being voted out of office.
From Green Left Weekly, July 7, 2004.
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