Libertarians against all wars!
International anarchist statement against the Iraq war

The prospect for a new Gulf war appears more unavoidable with each passing day.

At the same time, colonial wars are multiplying, in Chechnya, the Ivory Coast, Palestine, etc. The whole world is bloodied with these conflicts, either openly carried out by the rich States, or manipulated for the benefit of capitalist profit, in particular of the multinationals.

Capitalism needs war to maintain its domination. Wars are directed against poor countries in order to exploit their natural resources for the profit of the dominant countries and to the detriment of local populations. They often occur after long years of Western support for the dictatorships in place. This is the case for example in Iraq, where Saddam Hussein was helped over a long period by the rich countries before becoming a hunted man. When rich States make war, they are not worried for one second about the people, whose liberation from the dictatorship which oppresses them is, however, necessary. It is all the more indecent to make use of it as a pretext with which to bombard these populations!

The “decision makers” of the rich countries cynically recognise this: war is “good” for getting rid of economic “uncertainty”. Which, deciphered, means: the plundering of the natural resources of certain countries is necessary in order to increase the benefits to big business. To invest in armaments and “antiterrorism” rather than in the public and social services is the business choice clearly made by all Western leaders.

But these wars are above all wars of hegemony, before even any consideration of their economic motives. They are wars of influence between dominant countries, to show and reinforce their supremacy. The United States wants to show its absolute military power by silencing, through terror, anyone who calls its hegemony into question or anyone who contests the plundering of the planet for its profit.

Capitalism must terrorise populations in order to continue exploiting them. Imperialists wars carried out by the rich countries are the external echo of the repressive policies which are applied in their own territory. Military conflicts and the criminalisation of poverty are two sides of the one dollar or one euro coin!

The true “Axis of Evil”, responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths throughout the world, is capitalism, in its race for profit, and its exploitation which generates misery and despair. The Heads of State who will meet in Evian (France) next June at the next G8 summit are criminals, both war criminals and economic criminals.

The rich countries arrogate the right to decide, in spite of their elitist, classist political systems (the election by blackmail of Jacques Chirac in France, the fraudulent election of George W. Bush, the mafia-like practices of Silvio Berlusconi, Putin elected to deal with a war which he started, etc). Moreover, they impose their decisions on the rest of the world. Eight people who decide for six billion! Where is the justice in that? They violate even the most basic international law (as in Guantanamo, for example, where six hundred prisoners are held in all illegality); they ignore the decisions of the international puppet institutions like the UN, which, however, they themselves set up, to make us believe in their democratic will.

Throughout the world, our organisations, trade unions, networks and communities are opposing war and taking part in the building of a vast movement to reject this barbarity. Let there be more and more of us, so that we will be able to keep capitalism’s logic of death in check.

War always serves the rich, and always kills the poor.

* No to the war in Iraq, Chechnya, Palestine and the Ivory Coast.

* For disarmament and demilitarisation everywhere in the world.

* Freedom for the people and the right to self-determination.

* Solidarity with the victims of dictatorship.