Ten years of the Iraq War

Anglo – American imperialists must pay for their most horrific crimes

Ten years to the day after the Anglo – American imperialists launched an unprovoked attack on March 19, 2003 and more than a year since the last combat troops were officially withdrawn – the conflict they unleashed shows no sign of winding down.

Anglo – American imperialists must pay for their most horrific crimes

Ten years to the day after the Anglo – American imperialists launched an unprovoked attack on March 19, 2003 and more than a year since the last combat troops were officially withdrawn – the conflict they unleashed shows no sign of winding down. The Iraq war ranks as one of the most horrific wars ever unleashed in the history of mankind. Punishing those responsible for these horrendous crimes against humanity is an important task for all justice – loving people.

The Anglo – American imperialists brazenly spread the wildest canards about the erstwhile government of Iraq in order to justify the invasion. They claimed to have “proof” that Iraq had stockpiled “weapons of mass destruction” and was about to unleash them on other countries. Later on, it was clearly proved that the accusations against Iraq had been deliberately concocted by the Anglo- American imperialists as a pretext to justify the invasion. The war to recolonize Iraq was clearly launched and is being continued to this day in order to further the economic and strategic interests of the Anglo – American imperialists in the oil rich West Asian region.

The invasion of Iraq was met with unprecedented mass protests world over, and in particular in the US and Britain. Undeterred by these mass protests, the imperialists rained death and destruction over Iraq and overthrew the Saddam Hussain regime. They destroyed schools, hospitals and homes, as well as looted priceless artefacts of an ancient civilisation from the museums of Iraq. They used the most bestial torture and barbaric methods to humiliate the Iraqi people and bring them to their knees. Abu Ghraib can never be forgotten. They deliberately incited sectarian violence between different religious sects. The oil wealth of Iraq was taken over by Anglo American companies. They installed a regime in the style of the “democracies” of US and Britain which would defend the interests of the imperialists.

The invasion and recolonisation of Iraq was and remains a grim message from the Anglo American imperialists to the freedom loving peoples of the world that these imperialists would stop at nothing to establish their unbridled domination over the whole world. All countries and peoples, who wish to determine their own destiny, and have their own economic and political system are in danger of imperialist aggression and war. The subsequent invasion and recolonisation of Libya, the imperialist moves in Africa, their open attempts at regime change in Syria and Iran, and threats against Cuba and North Korea leave no room for a shadow of doubt on this score.

The peoples of Iraq have continued to wage a heroic struggle against the imperialist aggressors. The anti imperialist peace loving peoples of the world, have never given up their struggle to get the imperialist forces out of Iraq and to punish the perpetrators of this monstrous crime against humanity. 

The people of Iraq are seeing the cynical character of the “democracy” imposed on them by Anglo-American imperialism. Civilians are still being killed at a rate of at least 4,000 a year. Torture is rampant, thousands are imprisoned without trial, and disappearances and state killings are routine. Power and sewage systems barely function, more than a third of adults are jobless. Oil workers are being jailed for the crime of organising strikes.

Over 1.4 million people – or 5 % of the population of Iraq – have been killed so far in the war. The horrific nature of the war in Iraq continues to disgust freedom – loving people to this day, ten years on (see box). It is only fitting that Bush and Blair, who started this war, and all the top politicians and generals who furthered it must be made to pay for the horrendous crimes they have committed against humanity.

War in Iraq 29,200 US/UK AIR STRIKES were carried out in 2003, followed by another 3,900 over the next eight years. 1.4 million people DIED as a result of war, i.e. 5% of Iraq’s population 4.2 million people were INJURED 4.5 million people were turned into REFUGEES USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS white phosphorous, depleted uranium and a new kind of napalm have increased dramatically birth defects, cancer rates, and infant mortality INFRASTRUCTURE DESTROYED includes water supplies, sewage treatment plants, hospitals, bridges, electricity supplies etc., which are still not repaired MONEY SPENT BY US for the war: Five trillion dollars