January 29, 2003: US-President Bush Determined to Wage War: Worldwide Resistance is Called for Now!

1. In his "State of the Union Address" on January 29, 2003, US-President Bush reaffirmed his intention to start the war against Iraq under any circumstances and, if necessary, without the consent of the United Nations. On Monday, January 27 2003, Hans Blix, as leader of the weapons inspectors, reported that in the more than 480 inspections carried out in the last weeks no weapons of mass destruction were found. Blix confirmed that Baghdad granted the inspectors access to armaments facilities and government buildings without major difficulties. Meanwhile, a majority in the UN Security Council with France, Germany and China unambiguously pronounce themselves against starting war on Iraq. Thus, the intention of the USA to take common action via the UN and to find a propagandistic legitimation via the weapons inspectors' activities has failed.

In his speech, Bush made it now unmistakably clear that the USA, if necessary, will start the war alone together with others "willing" to join in. At the New York stock market the speech was received as "a clear plea" for the war, "perhaps rather sooner than later and rather unilateral than multilateral" (Reuters, 29 January 2003). Bush's speech signals a decision of the US government to set a clear course for war - if necessary without the UN and without the inspectors' "legitimation." It is the attempt to win over the masses of the world for his immediate war preparations.

2. The Bush administration is in great difficulties in explaining. The US government announced that, until the UN special meeting on February 5, it will present "evidence" of Iraq's alleged threat against the USA which are armed to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction. But why has this evidence not been provided long ago? Because there is no evidence! All pieces of evidence given by the US government until now have been a flop. Embarrassing for the USA, the UN weapons inspectors' report on Monday came to realize that the aluminum tubes imported by Iraq are unsuitable for the construction of centrifuges for uranium enrichment. Yet, in his speech on September 12, Bush referred to them as evidence for the capability of Iraq to construct nuclear bombs within one year. Now the line of argumentation is to be reversed: Iraq is to furnish subsequent proof that the amount of chemical substances as claimed by the USA were really destroyed. This opens the gates to arbitrary allegations - with the central point that they can be used as reason for a war that has already been decided upon anyway.

3. The purpose of the USA is to gain unrestricted domination over the Gulf region in order to control the biggest oil resources in the world. The inter-imperialist contradictions are developing over this plan. The German Schroeder/Fischer government does not want military aggression at the moment. German finance capital already enjoys dominant influence in Saddam Hussein's Iraq and carries out brisk business there. Rather, the German government is interested towards lifting any restricting embargo. But in order not to be left out in a warlike redistribution of the spoils, it pursues a dual-track policy. It dissociates itself from a war waged with the US government's motives; at the same time, however, it explicitly supports the aggressive deployment of US troops in the Gulf region, allowing aircraft to fly over its territory, guarding US facilities and taking over tasks of the US army in Afghanistan.

4. The dilemma of the US government consists in being isolated among the peoples of the world and in the fact that the struggle for peace is strongly gaining momentum on a worldwide scale. Millions of people demonstrated at the anniversary of the beginning of the Gulf War, 500,000 in Washington alone. Forty-one Nobel prize winners signed an anti-war declaration in the USA. On January 27, day of the special meeting of the UN Security Council, 100,000 people demonstrated in Porto Alegre in Brazil. In Germany, the Monday activities have been resumed to develop active resistance, and there were demonstrations and activities in more than 60 cities all over the country. In the last weeks, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in many cities of the Federal Republic of Germany alone. Never before in the preliminary stages of a war have there been such developed vigilance and worldwide resistance.

5. Border-crossing active resistance is called for now:

Stop the war against Iraq - active resistance against Bush's "New War"!

No support for the war by the German government! Withdrawal of all German troops from foreign countries!

Ban and destroy all ABC-weapons!

FRG - out of NATO!

Dissolution of NATO, the West European Union and of intervention forces of the federal army!

For peace, freedom - genuine socialism. Strengthen the MLPD!

Important Information and Dates

On February 15, a big peace demonstration will take place in Berlin. The MLPD is calling for mass participation.

From 12 p.m. on, there will be two rallies in the beginning, one at Alexanderplatz and another one at Rudolf-Breitscheid-Platz (near Zoo Station). The big final rally will be held near the Brandenburg Gate from 14 to 16 o'clock.

On "Day X", the day of a possible beginning of the war, rallies will be organized in all cities at 17 o'clock.

On the MLPD homepage - www.mlpd.de - and the "Rote Fahne" (Red Flag) homepage - www.rotefahne.info - there will be declarations, articles etc. on the topic which are permanently updated (can be downloaded as PDF files).