March 8, 2003: Authorization for Military Aggression against Iraq in UN Failed

The meeting of the UN Security Council on 7 March 2003 reflected the intensification of the contradictions between the imperialist big powers. While the group around the USA, Great Britain and Spain pressed for an authorization of their war of aggression on Iraq – a war that’s been a settled matter for them for a long time – the group around France, Germany, Russia and China strictly refused this.

  The USA and Great Britain already decided on March 5 to start war on March 13. They are however, in the predicament of having won neither the world opinion nor their own population for their war decision. In order to win the world public and the population in their own countries to support such a war of aggression, a new UN resolution is to be passed as authorization under international law. This undertaking has failed for the time being. Until 11 March the USA wants a decision of the UN Security Council in favor of this resolution. In case of a rejection, the Bush Administration has announced, the USA would start the war even without UN authorization. This will definitely make the UN a farce.

  Especially on the initiative of Great Britain and Spain the resolution originally submitted by the USA and intended to authorize the attack on Iraq now has been amended to the effect that an ultimatum is to be set for 17 March. By this date Iraq should prove its "full, unconditional, immediate and active cooperation". Otherwise the military attack for the overthrow of the regime of Saddam Hussein would come.

  This ultimatum is from the beginning impracticable for Iraq, because it would take months according to weapons inspector Blix to prove such a complete cooperation. The unfulfillable ultimatum is nothing else than an attempt to deceive the world population and shift the responsibility for the aggression onto Saddam Hussein.

The outbreak of the war can solely be prevented by extending and strengthening the active resistance of the masses. Therefore, it has to be welcomed when everywhere in the world there are calls for walkouts, demonstrations and other forms of active resistance. The DGB (German Trade Union Federation) and the European Trade Union Federation have decided to call for a 5-minute work stoppage on 14 March at 12 noon in protest of a military aggression against Iraq. This must be used by the workers to make the active resistance more effective by means of strikes and protest meetings in the factories.