THE BIGGEST naval buildup since World War Il is assembling in the Persian Gulf. It has only one purpose. That has nothing to do with ensuring 'freedom navigation', or securing peace'. It is aimed at a military attack against Iran.
It is one of the most squalid and cynical operations every undertaken even hv imperialism. For seven vears the United States and Britain have been letting the war in the gulf drag on. Britain, in particular, has allowed London to be used as the centre for arms buying Israelis, and, as now known, the US have been secretly supplying arms to Iran. The United States, openly, the USSR, and France have been supplying arms to Iraq. The aim has been to of allow themselves to death. the regimes the The aim, as has been quite openly explained by both imperialism and the Israelis, is that neither decisivelv win the war for ran the war started as a just defence against Iraqi attack. But Khomeni's regime has long since defeated the Iraqi attack and has prolonged the war for its own internal purposes The justify repression against the Iranian working class and political opposition inside Iran itself. From the point of view of the working class there would be nothing progressive whatever in the victory of Iran over Iraq. Both are bleed brutally anti-working class regimes.
perialism the entire bloody game has now got out of hand. Britain has done its work rather too well in allowing side should Iran to be armed. It has been clear since the spring that ran has the possibility of decisively defeating Iraq.
perialism.
- above all to ment, have to be crystal clear on this.
There is nothing progressive whatever But from the point of view of im- long JUIC Khomeni.
murderer or le that is unacceptable to im- Khomeni.
Socialists, and the labour movein Britain's operations in the gulf. It is an attempt to stage a war in which the British working class has not a single interest. Any regime installed by Britain and the United States, who for so supportea me snan or iran. would not be more progressive but reactionary than inal The dictator the British navy is being sent to protect, butcher as bloody working class as It is also the height of cynicism that the British government, which gulf! through London, suddenly discovers that these should be cut off just at the when the US fleet approaches Iranian shores. No support should be given to the demand those shipments end. On the contrary while Iran's war against Iraq, when Iraq has been forced to make it clear it wants it halted, is reactionary, Iran has every right to defend itself against the United States, Britain and their allies. And socialists should support it in that struggle.
The entire labour movement must demand: • British and US warships out of the
Socialist Action 11 Sept 1987 ACTiON SoCiAlist