Socialist Action & the Anti-War Movement

Introduction: The United States is an imperialist country, and as a result its foreign policy, no matter what its claims to the contrary, are motivated by the pursuit of profit and the defense of the interests of the capitalist class. We stand in solidarity with all of the victims of imperialism, and seek to organize a broad and democratic anti-war movement here in the United States.

We’ve set up this page to provide analysis, background information, reports and links to resources of use to anti-war activists. We invite your feedback on the materials posted on this page.

Anti-War News & Views:

S.A. Statement on Iran: A division in the ruling elite has opened up the way for an explosion of discontent with the reactionary clerical capitalist regime in Iran. The massive mobilizations clearly reflect the deep hatred of the government by the masses in Iran's largest city. The greater Tehran area accounts for about one-fifth of the total population of the country and is where most of the industry is based. It is the major working-class center. It was also the focal point of the 1979 revolution that overthrew the U.S.-backed crowned dictatorship of the shah. continued

Congress Votes $96 Billion for Obama’s Wars: White House officials put last-minute thumbscrews on posturing "antiwar" Democrats as Congress voted by a 368-60 margin to appropriate an additional $96.7 billion for Obama’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The May 15 vote was proof positive that the Obama administration had no intention of even paying lip-service to the Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA) that U.S. combat troops would be removed from Iraqi cities by June 30. continued

Taliban Advance in Pakistan Worries U.S. “The inescapable reality is that another domino has toppled and the Taliban are a step closer to [Pakistan's capital] Islamabad,“ the Pakistan-based News International newspaper warned last month after the week-long takeover of the Buner district, in the country’s northwest, had begun. The paper compared Pakistan to Vietnam in the 1960s—a weak and corrupt state being “nibbled away” by determined insurgents: “The Taliban have the upper hand, and they know it.” continued

When is a Withdrawal Not Really a Withdrawal? The new U.S. administration's promised withdrawal from Iraq seems to be best described by the French term, "valse hesitation," a dance that involves constantly starting and stopping and never moving very far. In fact, some aspects of it are not real change at all but only a rose by another name. continued

Thousands Protest Obama’s Wars: The first Obama-era nationally-coordinated U.S. antiwar protests saw over 3000 antiwar activists rally in San Francisco's Civic Center on March 21. Associated actions of about 6000 and 3000 respectively were organized in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. continued

Troubled History ofAfghanistan: The story of Afghanistan is in so many ways a tragic one. Afghanistan is one of the most impoverished nations of the world. It is also one of the most war-torn, most ravaged, and most beleaguered of nations. It is a nation that has been repeatedly beset by invasion, external pressure and internal upheaval since before the time of Alexander the Great. Its people are a people who have endured more than most of us can ever imagine. In fact, for many Afghans, all that has changed in the last one thousand years are the weapons which have been used against so many of them. It is therefore with great sadness and respect that we tell the story of Afghanistan. continued

U.S. Escalates War in Afghanistan & Pakistan: Perhaps the biggest land mine in the Middle East for the immediate future is the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, toward which the new White House administration has adopted an even more bellicose posture than its predecessor. continued

What Next for the Antiwar Movement? The fifth anniversary of the war and occupation of Iraq came and went in the US with only a tiny percentage of those opposed to the war mobilized in the streets. Yet in the hundreds of cities and towns where events occurred it was clear from the mood of protesters that much more could have been done to organize antiwar sentiment. continued

U.S. Occupation Sinking in a Sea of Hatred: At a time when the bills for Bush's adventure in Iraq are being totaled up, the failed offensive of the U.S. client government at the end of March and the beginning of April against the Shiite militias identified with the Islamic radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have introvertibly demonstrated that the U.S. taxpayers’ money has been poured down the drain. Al-Sadr, and his Iranian advisers, were crafty enough to stop the confrontation with Iraqi government and occupation military forces before major damage was done to the resistance forces. continued

First Open National Anti-war Conference: The U.S. war and occupation of Iraq is the central issue in world politics today. The war exposes in bold relief the fundamental contradictions in U.S. and world capitalism. It is, simultaneously, an imperialist war of conquest and a geopolitical war for U.S. hegemony in the region against its imperialist competitors. continued

Slobodan Milosevic – Butcher of the Balkans: Yugoslavia was a federation comprising six Federal Republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. There were two Autonomous Provinces, Vojvodina (majority Hungarian population) and Kosovo (80 per cent Albanian) - both within the Serb Republic. continued

Neo-Stalinists Oppose Kosovo Self-Determination: The Serbian chauvinist protests against the Feb. 17 Kosovo government declaration of independence and the subsequent recognition of a very limited form of self-determination of the Kosovar people by the major Western powers have had exactly the opposite political effect from what the post-Stalinist Serbian politicians and state authorities that organized them planned. They have been a dramatic demonstration of why the Western powers had no alternative to permitting the legal separation of Kosovo from Serbia. continued

The Russian Revolution & the Struggle Against War: To understand the Russian Revolution in its relationship to World War I, we need to start with the origins of WW I, not as it is taught--as a response to German aggression--but as it actually was. The assassination of the Austrian crown prince by a Serbian nationalist is insignificant and the catalog of German military aggression an evasion. Attributing all guilt to Germany is a ruse to cover up the class nature of WW I along with the culpability of all the imperialist powers. continued

Should We Look to Democrats to End the War? On Sept. 26 the Democrat-controlled Congress passed its second blank check for war inIraq. Three days later in a debate between leading Democratic presidential candidates, Clinton, Obama, and Edwards were each asked to commit to withdrawing allU.S. troops from Iraqby 2013 if elected president. All said that they could not. continued

Is Iranthe Next Target? By his decision to increase the numbers of U.S. troops in Iraq, President Bush is not only escalating the counterinsurgency war that the American military has been conducting there. He is also threatening to widen the war by picking fights with new adversaries, the most important of which is Iran. continued

History of Imperialist Aggression inLebanon: From its start the Zionist movement had plans for southern Lebanon. Israeli historian Benny Morris in “Righteous Victims” reports that the Zionists presented a map for their desired state to the Versailles Peace Conference that “included southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, north of which they hoped would emerge a Maronite [Christian] state.” continued

Lessons 4 Today From the Vietnam Anti-War Mov’t: Although there are important differences between the guerrilla war now being waged in occupied Iraq and the long-lasting high casualty war in Vietnam, there are many lessons to be learned from the antiwar movement during the Vietnam war that can be used by the antiwar movement today. continued