Brigades
to Iraq against the War 'Mohammad Belaidi'
February 5, 2003.
CSCAweb (www.nodo50.org/csca)
 On
Sunday, 16 February, the first 'Brigade to Iraq against the War',
comprised of volunteers from Catalonia, will depart from Spain.
This is to be followed each Sunday after that by new brigades
from other parts of the country. 'Brigades to Iraq against the
War' is a new initiative of the 'Spanish Campaign for Lifting
the Sanctions on Iraq' (SCLSI).The objective of the initiative
is to maintain from that date onwards a continued, indefinite
presence in Iraq of people from all parts of Spain as a collective
gesture of solidarity with the Iraqi civilian population, and
in denunciation of both the war and the Spanish government's
implication in it.
On Sunday, 16 February, the first Brigade to Iraq against
the War, comprised of volunteers from Catalonia, will depart
from Spain. This is to be followed each Sunday after that by
new brigades from other parts of the country: Andalusia, Asturias,
Madrid and both Castilles, the Basque Country, the Valencian
Community, and so on.
Brigades to Iraq against the War is a new initiative
of the Spanish Campaign for Lifting the Sanctions on Iraq (CELSI)
in protest to the USA's war plans against this country. The
objective of the initiative is to maintain from that date onwards
a continued, indefinite presence in Iraq of people from all parts
of Spain as a collective gesture of solidarity with the Iraqi
civilian population, and in denunciation of both the war and
the Spanish government's implication in it. If the US and its
allies go through with their plans to attack Iraq, we will maintain
our presence there alongside the stricken population.
Why, and
for what end, have we created the 'Brigades to Iraq against the
War'?
After Iraq's acceptance of resolution 1441, UN disarmament
inspectors have for the past weeks been carrying out their task
of evaluating the possibility of the country's re-armament.
In spite of this, the Bush Administration is proceeding with
its preparations for an attack, as well as intensifying in recent
weeks its pressures to obtain international support for its war
plans, particularly from the governments of NATO member countries
and from Iraq's neighbours. The danger of war is now imminent:
everything seems to indicate that the US will initiate in the
coming weeks its final assault on Iraq, installing en Baghdad,
after the invasion and occupation of the country, first a US
military government and then a regime subservient to US strategic
interests.
The Iraqi people formed the vanguard of the anti-colonial,
republican struggle for the national and social liberation of
Arabs, and was the first country which dared to nationalize its
petroleum-based wealth. Those who decide to participate in these
Brigades to Iraq against the War will not be going to
defend a political regime; they will be going to stand side by
side with the Iraqi people in protest to the neo-colonial plans
for domination which the US has decided to impose on the men
and women of this country and on the entire Arab region, as well
as its future generations.
The overwhelming majority of the Spanish population are opposed
to a war on Iraq, as opinion polls show, with percentages of
more than 75%, even if the war finally receives the sanction
of the UN. Even so, the Aznar government has already promised
Spain's support in this aggression against Iraq by allowing the
unrestricted use of joint Spanish-American military bases, violating
institutional regulations and the Constitution. With time, after
the Bush Administration's demand that NATO member states take
part in the war, Spain's implication will be double, as it would
also be violating the terms of the referendum for its entry into
NATO.
With this in mind, those who participate in the Brigades
to Iraq against the War want to warn President Aznar that
Spanish citizens will be on Iraqi soil alongside the Iraqi people,
and if the war which he supports does indeed break out, he will
also be endangering their safety by his attitude of submission
and subservience to US interests.
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