The World Joins Opposition To War With Iran, Calls For US Out of The Middle East
On January 25, a Global Day of Protest was called in solidarity with the people of Iraq and Iran. There were protests in more than 210 cities in 22 countries. The protest was organized by numerous antiwar organizations including the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), the ANSWER Coalition, CODE PINK, Black Alliance for Peace, the International Action Center, Popular Resistance and many more.
UNAC pointed out that Iran has been a victim of US aggression since the 1953 coup against the democratically-elected president Mohammed Mossadegh. This was followed by the brutal rule of the US-supported Shah of Iran until the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Sanctions were immediately imposed on Iran and from 1980-1988 the US fueled the Iran-Iraq war, which killed more than one million people. In 1988, the US shot down an Iranian civilian passenger plane, killing more than 290 Iranian civilians, for which the US has still not apologized for or explained. The US has imposed escalating crippling sanctions that have devastated Iran's economy and the lives of its citizens. Trump's unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear agreement has led to even more sanctions. Donald Trump's order to assassinate General Soleimani was the culmination of his campaign of "maximum pressure" against the Islamic Republic of Iran supported by both Democrats and Republicans.
CODEPINK sent an open letter to the people of Iran expressing that the people of the United States are "horrified by the actions of our government to provoke a war..." and apologizing for the reckless actions of President Trump. They expressed opposition to the withdrawal of the United States from the nuclear agreement, the maximum-pressure campaign and the assassination of General Soleimani writing, "Poll after poll reveals that the American people do not want a war with Iran. We want to end the Middle East wars that the U.S. has engaged in for far too long."
This weekend's massive protests were the second protests since the US reignited the risk of war in Iraq and war against Iran. One day after the January 3 assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the renewed antiwar movement called for protests and thousands of protesters rallied in more than 82 cities in 38 states involving tens of thousands of people.
The world saying, "US out of the Middle East and no war on Iran," and governments are also siding with Iran to end US hegemony. There are many countries coming to the side of Iran, perhaps most important are the Chinese-Iranian economic agreements, which have undermined US sanctions and integrated Iran into a Chinese-led Eurasian Belt and Road Initiative. The US deems this an imminent threat. In 2016, Iranian President Hassan Rohani announced during a visit from China's President Xi Jinping that Iran and China had created a $600 billion dollar, 25-year political and trade alliance.
The military alliance developing between China, Russia, and Iran is another major threat to US domination. Iran, China, and Russia held joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman, a "normal military exchange" that reflected the nations' "will and capabilities to jointly maintain world peace and maritime security," just days before the murder of Soleimani.
China and Russia have been critical to multiple countries under economic attack and military threats by the United States. This includes Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, North Korea, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and many others. A new balance of power is developing. The US peace movement needs to understand these realities and join a global movement against US imperialism.
Getting Out of the US War Quagmires in the Middle East
The United States needs to reverse course after decades of mistakes, destruction, chaos and death in the Middle East. The US is not welcome in the region and will face increasing costs if it stays.
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif sent a biting tweet to Donald Trump where he urged him to act on facts, not FOX news headlines, and linked to an interview with Der Spiegel highlighting a small portion:
DER SPIEGEL: Do you rule out the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. following Soleimani's murder?
Zarif: No, I never rule out the possibility that people will change their approach and recognize the realities. For us, it doesn't matter who is sitting in the White House. What matters is how they behave. The Trump administration can correct its past, lift the sanctions and come back to the negotiating table. We're still at the negotiating table. They're the ones who left. The U.S. has inflicted great harm on the Iranian people. The day will come when they will have to compensate for that. We have a lot of patience.
Conflict resolution expert Diane Perlman sees
hope in the potential for ratcheting down conflicts between the US and Iran and Iraq. The proportional response by Iran for the assassination of General Soleimani, and the non-escalation by President Trump to that response are positive signs. Donald Trump has said the Middle East wars have cost trillions of dollars for no useful purpose. Iran does not want war. Iraq does not want its nation used as a battlefield. The US public and peace movement want our troops out. The nations of the world do not want another protracted Middle East war. She points out that de-escalation could "address different fundamental needs for each party." The US leaving Iraq is a "potentially elegant solution," especially when the "unthinkable alternative" is escalation and more war.
We must continue to demand that the US follow the rule of law, respect the sovereignty of other nations, end the illegal coercive economic measures and get our bases and troops out of other countries. We urge you to participate in the upcoming events such as the day of action against sanctions and the conferences in New York and Cyprus.
Join Us At This Important Conference Against US Imperialism. The World Peace Council And The Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases Are Organizing A 2-Day International Conference Titled "Confronting Imperialism's War Machine The Global Struggle For Peace, Social Justice, National Sovereignty And The Environment," On March 28-29, 2020, In Larnaca, Cyprus. Register Here.
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