How to Stop the War Decisively

Following the launch of our campaign ‘Don’t Stop the War – except through Islamic Politics’, many who support the ‘Stop the War Coalition’ campaign have presented arguments to try to justify their position. As yet these arguments have not addressed the daleel (evidence) used nor presented even a shubhat daleel (semblance of evidence) regarding their position. What we have received, however, are arguments that are built upon the mind. The main argument used is ‘how can we stop the war except by lobbying the British government?’

We have felt it necessary to address this question in some detail, such that those who support the ‘Stop the War’ campaign and still intend to march on the 15th of February can reconsider their position.

Any political campaign waged by Muslims should be characterised by two things – firstly it must conform to the Shari’ah, and secondly the actions conducted should be consistent with the political aim. Therefore, lobbying the British Government, British Parliament, the US Administration or the United Nations is both incompatible with the Shari’ah and the aim of achieving the objective of stopping the war.

The contradiction with the Shari’ah is because through lobbying these entities, sovereignty is conceded to the taghoot. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) says,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَنْ يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا

“Have you seen those who claim to believe in the revelation revealed to you and the revelation revealed earlier. They seek the ruling of taghoot (non-Islam) although they have been ordered to disbelieve in it” [TMQ An-Nisa: 60].

This ayah of the Qur’an decisively forbids referring to solutions that come from Kufr sources, institutions or ideologies.

Additionally, the action is also inconsistent with the aim of stopping the war as these nations are colonialist in their outlook and therefore decide actions based on the interests of the capitalists and not the interests of the common man. This is clear when we read the history of Britain and America in their dealings with the Islamic world.

Consequently challenging and accounting the Muslim rulers is the action that both conforms to the Shari’ah and is consistent with the aim of ensuring a war against Iraq does not happen. There are a number of myths in this debate advocated by many in the ‘Stop the War’ movement – these are that America is the only cause of the bloodshed in Iraq, that Bush has the final say on this war, that the Muslim countries are impotent and that it is futile to challenge the Muslim rulers as they are helpless.

The myth that the Muslim countries are mere spectators in this dispute completely contradicts the reality. It is clear that there is a systematic and unambiguous blood trail that exists from the capitals of the Muslim countries to the deaths of Muslims in Iraq. It is also clear that rather than being in a weak position, the Muslim countries will have an effective veto on this war. This can be illustrated using clear evidences from the political reality.

It is clear that since the US and the UK do not share a physical land border with Iraq, they rely extensively on the assistance and help of countries from the region. This assistance constitutes unparalleled support for America and without it any war on Iraq would become a fanciful philosophy. What follows is an illustration of the main components of this unparalleled support:

1. The US military, as well as the wider US society, relies on importing 50% of its oil needs every day – this constitutes almost 10 million barrels of oil per day. Its allies such as Japan and Europe are also heavily reliant on imported energy resources. According to a report issued a couple of years ago by Dick Cheney, the US will need to import at least 60% more energy resources than it does now by 2020. America and its allies are heavily reliant on oil from Muslim lands to the extent that America even imports oil from Iraq currently (500,000 barrels of oil per day), while at the same time she is prepared to attack the very same nation. The consequences of an oil boycott by the Muslim countries would have devastating impact on America, her allies and the world economy and would make any war more problematic. However instead of making moves to a boycott, Saudi Arabia in the last OPEC meeting announced an increase in oil production to further smooth the worldwide energy situation. This was a missed opportunity as the price of oil has been rising on the back of war jitters in addition to the production problems being currently faced by Venezuela.

2. The US Navy has been assembling its armada and war fleet so as to be in a position to launch an attack against Iraq. Many people are in awe of the US Navy with its armada of aircraft carriers, destroyers and cruisers. However what is less well known is that for these ships to get from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea they must pass through the Egyptian controlled Suez Canal. On just one day, last week, nine US and allied ships sailed through the Suez Canal as part of the war build-up. If the Egyptian Government were to close the Suez Canal for military warships operated by the allies this would create significant problems for America in getting her navy into position. Many cite the huge dependence of Egypt on Suez Canal shipping fees (about $2 billion in 2002), however any war will undoubtedly impact normal merchant shipping anyway and the Canal authorities have already factored in a 10% loss in income yields.

3. In addition the US Navy’s 5th Fleet is actually housed by the Bahraini Government, thus providing it with invaluable logistical and political support. If the Bahraini Government refused to act as a host nation for the 5th fleet, where could this US armada realistically go? This is the same 5th fleet that will be firing hundreds of cruise missiles at Iraq.

4. In the last Gulf War the US military build up took five months to conduct. However since 1991 the US has been busy developing many roots in the Gulf States, building a formidable array of bases crammed with ‘pre-positioned’ equipment. In Kuwait the US training base of Camp Doha, built in 1991 as a temporary facility, has become permanent home to about 10,000 US troops; a second permanent facility is being built at Camp Arifjan. Tens of thousands more allied troops are also on their way to Kuwait, so providing a perfect platform for America and Britain to attack Iraq from the south.

5. In Qatar the US has use of one of the longest runways in the region at about 5,000 yards at the al-Udeid airbase, recently upgraded to American specifications. The airbase was built at a cost of $1 billion and is used exclusively by the American airforce, with no Qatari planes in sight. The kingdom also houses the largest stockpile of US military equipment abroad and will house General Tommy Franks and the CENTCOM central planning unit from where the war will be conducted and orchestrated. US commanders also launched a dry run of their ability to oversee the command and control of a conflict from Qatar, the first time such a war game has taken place outside the US. Such an exercise will prove invaluable experience for American forces in any upcoming desert war.

6. In Turkey, nearly 2,000 US Airforce personnel fly daily missions to patrol the no-fly zones from the bases at Incirlik and Diyabakir. America has also sought to house thousands of army troops in Turkey so as to assist in any land attack against northern Iraq. Turkey also provides valuable assistance as a member of NATO to America by ensuring that America’s military responsibilities in other theatres are addressed while she is free to attack Iraq.

7. In Saudi Arabia the US still maintains 10,000 troops and the prestigious operational centre at the Prince Sultan airbase. This airbase is considered a state of the art facility and was used in the Gulf war and during the war against Afghanistan. Saudi officials despite their public statements have assured America that the facility will be used to lead the air campaign against Iraq.

8. The provision of these military bases, use of air space, logistical help, access of waterways and air bases combined with other US bases present in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan provide invaluable launch pads from where America can engage in its attack. It is a complete distortion of the reality to say that America could effectively prosecute this war against Iraq without such help.

9. Though America has numerous aircraft carriers in their arsenal, these as mentioned before can only operate within the region due to the acquiescence of the Muslim rulers. In addition these carriers are unable to house the heavy bombers that will be needed to effectively do the job in Iraq. Only missions from land airfields can carry the heavier weapons needed to open deep bunkers or carpet-bomb bigger targets. In addition a land invasion from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or Turkey is eminently easier than one attempted from the sea. A US Professor of National Security at the Joint Forces Staff College, Ehsan Ahrari, admitted the reliance on help from the region when he said, “We are not 100% dependent on availability of those facilities, even though it would make military operations imminently more doable”.

10. However the above series of points simply illustrate the huge damage that could be done to the war plans of the Western countries from Muslim countries that simply desist from assisting the Western forces. The above realities clearly demonstrate that America and Britain could not possibly initiate this war without the assistance of the Muslim rulers, yet what would happen if Muslim countries actually engaged in military operations to support Iraq?

11. For example Iran, Syria and Jordan have all declared neutrality in any upcoming war – however this is a dishonourable position. These nations should stand shoulder to shoulder with the Muslims of Iraq, and if they did this would completely destroy any American plan to colonise Iraq. This, allied to the denial of bases, waterways and a refusal by Turkey to house thousands of troops, would mean America would not be able to fight this war.

12. In addition if Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia stopped co-operating with America in its ‘war on terror’, America would have to divide her resources. If these nations made unilateral attacks on America’s interests in South/Central Asia and South East Asia, America would find it very difficult to fight on so many fronts. This can be seen clearly from America’s inability despite Pentagon protestations to simultaneously defeat both North Korea and Iraq at the same time.

13. The Central Asian states such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, in response to a war on Iraq, could also decide to close down their pipelines and oil/gas production. This would jeopardise the world economy at the same time that America was seeking to fight Iraq. Economic damage could also be done to the Western economies if the Arab countries that have billions of dollars invested abroad decided to divest their monetary and other financial assets from America and Europe.

Conclusion

We find today that the very groups who are calling to support the ‘Stop the War Coalition’ are in fact the same groups who avoid discussing the rulers in the Muslim world – the ones who can decisively stop this war. Their silence on this is deafening and if it continues they will end up joining these rulers in their crime. They are funded by these corrupt states for the work of ‘Da’wah’. We find it ironic that Yusuf al-Qaradhawi, the Sheikh of Qatar, host of American troops, comes to the UK to endorse the ‘Stop the War’ march. Yet he keeps silent about the crime of the Qatari Government and the US troops garrisoned there, ready to strike at our brothers. Indeed he is promoted by them as the official authority of Islam, such that he comes to Britain to promote Muslims to lobby the Western governments.

It is therefore clear that without the political, economic and military assistance provided by the Muslim countries, that America and Britain cannot possibly fight this war in any successful fashion. Effectively the Muslim lands and their rulers have the real right of veto and the destiny of the Muslims of Iraq lies in their hands. The Muslim leaders appear to the masses as being lukewarm to this war – however this is not driven by their love for the Muslims of Iraq but rather their fear for their own survival due to the deep hatred the Muslims of the region have for them. They are all in vulnerable political positions, which is why they are forced to promise America and Britain everything in private. By Muslims engaging in a concerted and powerful political campaign in Britain and all around the world, we can assist this global struggle in putting substantial pressure on these regimes to be replaced, so that they do not further any assistance to the 21st century US and UK crusaders.

We ask you to stop the war only through the Islamic political work. This is the correct Da’wah we call you to. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’aala) be a witness to this.

وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
“And say: work (righteousness) soon will Allah observe your work and His Messenger, and the believers” [TMQ At-Taubah: 105].

Hizb ut-Tahrir – Britain
29th January 2003 / 26 Dhul Qadah 1423 Hijri