Article from the Sept. 2006 issue of the Socialist
newspaper of the Socialist Party, Irish section of the CWI

Iraq…Lebanon…Afghanistan…Palestine

END THE OCCUPATIONS

By Paul Murphy, Dublin Socialist Youth

PALESTINE, Afghanistan, Iraq and now the Lebanon… the list of occupied countries in the Middle East continues to grow. In every one of these countries, occupation has been a disaster bringing death, destruction and increased poverty.

Over 150,000 Iraqis have now been killed, while the number of US soldiers dead now tops 2,500. The Irish government is complicit in this war, spending €10,000 per day in getting over 300,000 US soldiers through Shannon airport to Iraq. Living standards in Iraq have plummeted, with unemployment now at 70%. In addition, the horror of civil war is becoming a reality, with 20,000 people forced to flee areas that were previously mixed between Sunni and Shia muslims. After Israel’s brutal assault against the Lebanon, killing over 1,300 Lebanese people and injuring thousands, the Israeli occupation forces are in the process of being replaced by an international UN occupation force. The head of an Israeli Defence Forces rocket unit has described the use of over a million cluster bomblets in Lebanon as "insane and monstrous, we covered entire towns in cluster bombs."

The oppression of Palestinians was stepped up at the same time as the attack on the Lebanon. Palestinian villages were bombed by the Israeli Defence Forces and leaflets dropped explaining how all in the village would be held responsible for any actions of Hamas. Half of the democratically elected Palestinian government has now been taken prisoner by the Israeli forces. The disaster that is the occupation of Afghanistan is becoming clearer every day. Tens of thousands of Afghans have been killed by occupation forces and the oppression of women and workers by Islamic fundamentalists continues. In addition to these brutal occupations, the growing threat of an attack on Iran is another reason you should join the international day of protest against war and occupations on 23 September. Join the Socialist Youth / Party contingent on the demonstration, demanding all occupation troops out now, an end to the use of Shannon by the US military, and no attack on Iran!

National Anti-War Protest

Show your opposition to war and occupation. Come to the national anti-war protest! 1pm 23 September at Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, Dublin. For more info: 086 1688050