Iraq end the occupation
By Jeremy Corbyn MP

Aggression
By Jim Mortimer

Budget bravado
By Kelvin Hopkins MP

Mandelson tries to resurrect 'third way'
By Diane Abbott MP

Listen to the unions
By Billy Hayes, General Secretary CWU

Foundation hospitals threaten the NHS
By Lynne Jones MP

Get tough with the BNP not refugees
By Lee Jasper, National Assembly Against Racism

Westminister news
All the latest news from the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs

Challenging Bush's war agenda

Defend Palestine
By Richard Burden MP

No witchhunts
By John McDonnell MP

US out of Iraq
By Sabah Jawad, Secretary Iraqi Democrats Againt Occupation

The media reports that former US General Jay Garner is the ruler of Iraq and that troops are guarding the oil refineries, oil wells, the oil ministry and banks. In Basra the British troops are guarding money to ‘preserve the value of the currency’.
To give a degree of normality to the extraordinary scenario in Iraq the US administration — sorry, Office for Reconstruction — has handed out contracts to take over the port of Um Qasr. The contracts are for putting out oil fires and rebuilding infrastructure. There was no tendering, no advertising and, linked with the US wish to now end the sanctions policy, we can only assume that General Garner expects to gain control of the oil revenues to finance this. The common denominator of the contracting companies is that they are American and contributed to George Bush’s election funds. Longer term projects already set in motion include the re-opening of the mothballed — since 1948 — pipeline from Mosul to Haifa.
Despite the fabled ‘efficiency’ of the coalition forces, they seemed curiously unable to protect public buildings and institutions from looting and stood by as Mesopotamian history was stolen to order. Journalists from western news organisations seem to have unfettered access to government buildings to loot files at will. So much for the International Convention that ‘occupying forces’ have to respect and protect all civilian institutions.
In the UK there has been a huge political change since 11 September. Tony Blair has deftly moved his government from a va-guely pro-European/western alliance position to slavish adherence of all things US. He has risked a huge backlash amongst western European leaders and given space for France to assert itself in the Middle East and Arab world and revive a link between Paris and Moscow. Life in Europe will never be the same again.
At home, the sycophantic support for Blair from Iain Duncan-Smith meant that during parliamentary ‘scrutiny’ of the war the leader of the opposition’s questioning of the Prime Minister would have done credit to a New Labour clone. Until war broke out the Liberal Democrats were part of the anti-war grouping. From day one on, the Labour opponents of the war and the nationalists were the opposition. This consensus did not start with the war against Iraq. Anti-terrorist legislation from autumn 2001 onwards was the foundation of a war consensus. Our liberties have all been affected. Guantanamo Bay and the maximum-security section of Belmarsh prison have quite a lot in common.
The other effect of war has been very different. The Stop the War Coalition was formed in September 2001 and grew rapidly as an organisation that could attract millions. Potentially riven with difference, it has stayed together. All the national demonstrations have been a success. There was a time when a demonstration of 50,000 was seen as respectable, 100,000 incredibly successful and beyond that part of history. Until 15 February the CND rally in October 1983 was the biggest ever, apart from the Chartists in the 1840s. We now have the benchmark of a million in Hyde Park to measure future events by. These mobilisations had two features: they were multi-ethnic and brought out the youth of the Starbucks and McDonalds generation.
However, the blunt truth is that the war happened, at least 5,000 have already died, more bodies will emerge and cancers and unexploded bombs will kill and maim for years to come. The US and Britain clearly intend to use Iraq as a base to control the region. Even if forced to leave by a combination of religious and popular feeling the clear impression is that bases will remain: a permanent reminder to every Arab country that the US has the military muscle and the disrespect for international law to protect its ‘interests’.
Immediate priorities must be the withdrawal of all US and UK forces, a UN organised relief effort and the establishment of an Iraqi government. The alternative is the new US colony of Iraq.
Further, is the need for a stronger sense of internationalism by all labour movements. Iraq is where the media have been for the past six months. May Day is the day of internationalism — perhaps the aftermath of war is the time to dedicate ourselves to that.