Comment of NAR: About the communication of left organisations
20.12.15
Recently, a series of organizations of the Revolutionary Left of the Middle East and Europe issued a "joint statement against dictatorships, the imperialist interventions, Da'esh (ISIS), state repression and racism." NAR for the Communist Liberation, as reflected in a recent announcement of its Political Committee's bureau on Syria, the war developments and the role the EU has set itself the objective of creating an internationalist anti-war, anti-imperialist network in the Middle East and Europe, with the pioneering contribution of the anti-capitalist and revolutionary Left forces. From this perspective, we feel obliged to intervene in the debate that has opened in response to the developments in the Mediterranean and the Middle East (in which the joint statement of the leftist organizations (SWP, NPA, etc.) takes a position too) as we estimate that the international statement is governed by a triple belittling of essential issues which has political consequences in the analysis of the situation, but also in the orientation of the movement. First, the Communication highlights that ISIS is the creation of international and regional imperialist attacks while completely downplaying the economic and political support and contribution of the Americanand European imperialisms, the role of Turkey and the ultra-reactionary, obscurantist Arab monarchies of the Gulf in the teratogenicity of the "Islamic State". But the fact that these forces have armed, financed and exploited -both in the past and today- many reactionary organizations invoking the Islamic "Holy War" is a crucial issue. It is also absent any reference to the "Free Syrian Army" (FSA), the support of which is not unrelated to the emergence of ISIS. Second, the statement condones the attempt by the forces of the US and European imperialism to overthrow the Assad-regime. The fact that the Assad-regime is deeply undemocratic is a common assumption, there is no doubt. It is, however, a crucial issue to distinguish a necessary popular and progressive challenge to the Assad-regime, and on the other hand the reactionary plans of the US and the EU which have been trying to overthrow Assad by the means of an imperialist intervention because of the open cooperation of Assad with the competing imperialisms of Russia and China, Iran etc. Copying the Libyan scenario in Syria not only does not portend anything progressive, but on the contrary, it creates even more unfavorable conditions for the peoples of the region. Third, the announcement lacks (even as a single word) any reference to the European Union, and there is only a vague reference to "European countries" and the authoritarian undemocratic direction of Francois Hollande and the French government and finally a general condemnation of "Fortress Europe". But, through these developments, the European Union openly reveals, once again, its true face as a reactionary, undemocratic, belligerent - imperialist, racist force which has been hatching fascist, right-wing and nationalist forces. It is a group which organizes the attacks against workers and peoples, the slaughterhouse of Multinational Corporations and the European capital. On the pretext of the attack in Paris the Council of the EU defense ministers recently activated Article 42, paragraph 7 of the EU Treaty (Maastricht Treaty), which promotes military intervention in the region -and the compulsory solidarity of EU Member-States, with the provision of a fundamental role of NATO. Similar, reactionary, anti-democratic measures were agreed at the meeting of the EU Interior ministers. In our opinion, the glossing over of the EU's role and the absence of its condemnation as a key partner and accomplice in the crimes carried out with interventions, bombardments, refugee drownings (eg the role of Frontex, an EU instrument) etc. is a very serious mistake. It completely weakens the essential content of an anti-war, anti-imperialist and internationalist class movement that we need in our countries, in Europe as a whole and the Mediterranean region as well. It hampers the potential of an internationalist anti-imperialist - anti-war coordination and of initiatives that are urgent and necessary, particularly from the side of the combatant left which seeks to overthrow the existing power. The need for a rupture and a disengagement from the EU, with a labor, anticapitalist and internationalist content, is now imperative for the people and a touchstone for the policy and character of the Left internationally, particularly its subversive and anti-capitalist organizations. In any case, the debate on the necessary political framework, the objectives and the political content of the anti-war and anti-imperialist movement that will be struggling against the ongoing terrorist offensive of the capital, the NATO-EU organizations and their governments demands joint initiatives and political positions for an overall and substantial answer to the opponent's attack, (namely the capital, the European Union, the USA and NATO, Russia, and imperialism altogether). This is the way to stop their ongoing attack against the workers and peoples with wars and imperialist interventions, "emergency" situations, the intensification of authoritarianism and repression, the abolition of democratic rights, the “authoritarian armor” of the European states, the intensification of racism, fascism and xenophobia. The reformist and “managerial” Left and many parties of the official European left have already aligned themselves or showed tolerance to the military interventions. They have accepted the "extraordinary measures" in their countries and consented to the ruling policy of their governments and the EU. The anti-capitalist and revolutionary left must speak and act openly and clearly , naming and targeting the enemy and the cause of this situation in total. The only path is the brotherhood of the peoples, the international solidarity and the common struggle against imperialism and war in the prospect of the revolution, of internationalism and socialism - communism of the new era. Committee on International Issues of NAR for the Communist Liberation Athens, December 2015