Among the great powers it is France that is most interested in such a compromise. The reason is simple enough. Over the past 15 years of privileged relations with Saddam Hussein France has built up a considerable stake in Iraq. French imperialism fears a military explosion that could destroy Iraqi industrial potential, wipe out French hopes of getting back the credits they have granted that country, and bury any hope of keeping Iraq as a favoured client of France. Aziz praise for French diplomacy is, from this point of view, music to French ears, even if it is causing some embarrassments with the other imperialist powers.
De Gaulle and the Arabs
The Iraqi Foreign Minister's eulogy draws on the tradition of friendly relations with Arab nationalism established by De Gaulle. This was a useful rampart for the General in confronting his AngloSaxon competitors in this part of the world. The secret French approaches concerning a peaceful solution to the crisis, referred to by Tarek Aziz, are, furthermore, supported by most Arab regimes, terrified of the prospect of an armed conflagration.
The only Arab rulers opposed to a compromise are - besides the Kuwaiti emir himself — the Saudi King Fahd and the Egyptian and Syrian presidents. These three share the common feature of being direct rivals of Iraq for regional hegemony, and the first two are deeply implicated in the American intervention, the Syrian leader being involved in a wide-ranging deal with the Saudis and
GULF CRISIS rightly fearful of the disastrous political consequences of an armed conflict. This fear has been there since the beginning of the crisis, and was much intensified after the October 8 Zionist massacre in Jerusalem.
The inability of the US administration to step out of its habitual role as the guardian of Israel in the United Nations even in such delicate and exceptional circumstances has exasperated even Washington's traditional Arab allies. Since October 8 the Intifada/Zionist repression cycle has resumed with increased intensity and the overall political conditions for an American assault on Iraq are about as bad as they could be in the eyes of the Arab rulers. Furthermore these latter do not on the whole feel any particular sympathy for the Kuwaiti ruling family, renowned for its arrogance and stinginess. They are thus perfectly willing to contemplate the idea of compensating an Iraqi withdrawal with territorial concessions.
An important faction within the ruling family/class of Saudi Arabia has taken the same line, expressed by Prince Sultan. He called a press conference during which he made proposals of a very conciliatory nature towards Iraq, where he went as far as to recommend that Kuwait grant Iraq access to the sea.
### Bush repeats himself
Such statements, along with the behind the scenes diplomacy that is going on, have annoyed the American administration intolerably. As we have explained in previous articles (see TV 190, 191), this latter wants to settle accounts with Saddam Hussein and neutralize Iraqi military potential, aims which require the unconditional capitulation of Baghdad. Bush's reaction has been immediate — on October 23 he repeated himself in comparing the Iraqi dictator to Hitler and stating that there could be no question of a compromise. He described the Kuwait as the worst outrage in the second half of this century, an assessment of such self-serving hypocrisy that it defies further comment.
The US president went even further, upping the ante by making new demands on the Iraqi regime. Washington will no longer be satisfied with Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait — Iraq must now pay war reparations. A new UN Security Council resolution has been passed to this eitect — with the support of the Kremlin, so that this extra demand too can claim the force of "international law". This escalation means, more or less, that the White House has closed off every option except war.
The race is on between Washington and the forces of compromise. This contest is a temptation to the American government to go into action as soon as possible, perhaps after the November legislative elections in the US. The antiwar mobilization must be maintained and stepped up. *
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3
Anti-war mobilizations intensify same commitment. Already, the Bush and Mitterand governments have dealt out harsh punishments to those young soldiers who have opposed their war drive - Pascal and Frédéric have been confined to their units whilst another
US soldier, Jeffrey Patterson, who refused to leave with his unit for Saudi Arabia, is in prison in Pearl Harbour and will be court martialled. *
International Viewpoint #194 • November 12, 1990
GULF CRISIS GERMANY A SMALL rally against the Gulf war took place on October 20, 1990 in Berlin, called by the Group of Revolutionary Socialists (East German members of the Fourth International), the United certain sectors of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and other organizations.
The organizers have published a common declaration other things; "The conservatives of the Christian Democratic Party (the CDU) wish to change the constitution so as to permit German troops to participate in the invasion. Thanks to their "logic of war", they wish to justify an imminent reduction of social and democratic rights and also to encourage racism. Every one of us will be affected - in the first place, forcigners and women, but also all democratic opposition to the unity of the German state. With this "logic of war" the government can justify an increase in taxes, even if, for the moment, it claims that this will not take place. As usual, the costs of the war will fall on the shoulders of the workers. This is not our war! If Kohl wants to wage war, let him go and do it by himFRANCE
AT the instigation of a collective of 75 personalities and numerous political par-
French Communist Party (PCF), the CGT trade union federation (linked to
PCF), organizations close to the PCF, the that this expedition would cost "at least" 3 billion francs for 1990 could reinforce their anti-war sentiment, at a time when mobilizations against austerity are multiplying in the public sector. * ITALY traditional international march" between Perugia organized every year by the Italian pacifist organizations, was bigger than anybody had predicted this year - more than 100,000 people marched on October 7, 1990 to protest against the "logic of war" that the Italian government wishes to
Alongside numerous pacifist commitreligious organizations, the members of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) were there in great numbers (behind their leaders Achille Occhetto and Aldo Torotorella) to demonstrate their opposition to the bellicose preparations in the Gulf.
The organizing committee demanded a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict, the withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait and a genuine and efficient action on the part of the UN to resolve the crisis in the Gulf, but also the Palestinian question.
Numerous foreign personalities were also present and spoke, including a deputy of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), a representative of the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) in Italy, a US conscientious objector, and others. * UNITED STATES THE streets of New York, Washington, Atlanta, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities reverberated to anti-war slogans on October 20, 1990, in response to the call of trade unions, veterans' associations and religious organizations. In all, demonstrations against the US military intervention in the Gulf were
Around 20,000 people (among them veterans of the Vietnam war and activists in the solidarity movement with Central America) demonstrated in New York to cries of "Hell, no, we won't go, we won't die for Texaco!". Around 8,000 demonstrators in San Francisco and 1,000 in Boston also responded to the appeal of the
"Against a new demanding the withdrawal of the 200,000 US soldiers stationed in the Saudi Arabian deserts. * JAPAN MORE than 23,000 people formed a human chain around a US base in Tokyo on October 21, 1990, to protest against the prospect of Japanese troops being sent to the Gulf. The demonstrators demanded that the bill to modify the Constitution to allow the sending of Japanese troops abroad should be withdrawn. *
SOLDIERS AGAINST WAR
Greens and the far left organizations
(among them the Ligue Communiste
OPPOSITION to war in the Gulf is beginning to find an echo inside the west-
Révolutionnaire, French section ern armies engaged in the conflict.
Fourth International), a demonstration of
In Washington, Patrick Colclough, aged 21, and Matthew Brown, aged 20, more than 12,000 pcople demanding the announced their refusal of the call-up for active service in the symbolic context withdrawal of French troops from the of the memorial inscribed with the names of the 57,000 US soldiers who died in
Gulf took place in Paris on October 20,
Vietnam. Patrick explained, "I hope that my action will help, in one way or another, to stop a new Vietnam. My generation does not want another Presi-
A dynamic and colorful cortege passed dent's war. We do not want another memorial for the victims of our disaster".
through the streets of the capital to cries
In Paris, Pascal Bidaux and Frédéric Poncet, soldiers on military service, led of "Oil is not worth a drop of blood", "No the march against the war on October 20, 1990. They have, by their example,
"We won't die for Esso", and shown their opposition to a war against the Arab peoples of the Middle East on so on. Other unitary actions of the same behalf of the interests of feudal sheikhs and multinational oil companies.
type took place in the principal French
The exemplary attitude of these young soldiers, which has already met an towns, with notably around 1,000 people important echo, should inspire all opponents of the war to build a campaign of at Rouen and Lyon, and more than 700 at active solidarity with soldiers who refuse the imperialist butchery. This has already been taken up by the forces who called for the Paris demonstration. In mobilizations, despite their the United States, the coordinators of the anti-war movement have made the importance, represent only the tip of the iceberg — indeed, according to the latest surveys, French public opinion is increasingly hostile to the presence of its troops in Saudi Arabia, and, even more so, to the launching of a war. The announcement by
4 the Ministry of Defence on October 22