suggest further perialist involvement in the Middle East war on the sides of the Iraqis, Brian Grogan replies in detail to recent letters in Socialist Challenge.
Dave Bailey declared that Iran/Iraq war 'is a war between two bourgeois governments'. LF Holley (Letters, 9 OCUI agrees: 'socially Iran and Iraq are at present essentiany laenuical One can almost hear the sigh of relief. Now that's out of the way there's no need to take sides. But politics is a bit more complicated than that. The character of the war can't be reduced to the class nature of the states involved unless this put overall political context.
If Iraq wins, it will mean bloody terror against the Iranian masses. It will be a major step restabilising perialism in the region, and a discouragement to the masses in the Arab East from taking on like 'upstart' Iranians, The victory of Iran on the ober hod we ld be a further hold perialism. It would undermine the Baathist domination Socialist Challenge FOLLOWING disclosures that the Kurdish guerillas in Iran had ceased hostilities against Tehran in order to fight against the Iragi invaders, Le Monde' has now revealed the actions of the Iraqi Kurds. Taking advantage of Baghdad's invasion of Iran they have launched a new offeasive of their own against the Baathist regime. Lullary chauvinism masses (LF Holley, 9 Oct).
What, pray Hussein and Kurds of Iran be set free?
Imperialism is more clear-sighted Jimmy warned King Hussein of Jordan not to get involved in the war as it cond lead King's overthrow. perialism has military capacity Arabia, dred advisers and warned Iran not to attack Saudi Arabia or the other Gulf states or face on the the Iranian revolution.
The led by Khomeini Sadr, Carter choice between the US im- poisoning beefed up the meini and to Saudi scil in several nunthe poisoners religious this is an imperialist backed invasion to smash the gains of Finally, current Iranian regime, and Bani is also a threat to the But in a death at the hands of Iraq and ly spurious offered by KhoBani Sadr it makes sense to choose the latter. It gives time to organise against invaders equally war was an bigotry of the mullahs means something that British workers are free from religious prejudices.
historical analogies have to have a passing similarity with each other Bailey's invocation of the at- illuminating Dave Times titude of the Bolsheviks under Lenin to the German invasion of Russia in mid 1917 is total- try!
Lenin called on the masses to fight to fight both the Provisional government and the German oppose because the inter-imperialist war. Russia was still an imperialist country with an imEmpire enslaving aims of the bourgeois government instaled in the February revolution were still imperialist and tied the allies. They still called for annexations and indemnities IN Iran itself contradictions are opening up for the Khomeini The fedayeen guerillas and left-wing organisations, recently driven underground by the clergy, have now publicly resurfaced.
They have their own offices and arsenals and are participating in the struggle against the Iraq cording to the 'Sunday to subjugate further millions. Iran is a semi-colonial counWe recommend socialists alongside the Kho meini and Bani Sadr regime to the Iraqi invasion that is the best position from which to fight for the interests of the masses throughout the Middle East.
publishers themselves,
----- pull-quotes -----
will hapen if wins? Will the Arabs
The left re- emerges