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The Anti-War Movement

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:

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

The Iraq War & the Economy: The New York Times report on 5th-anniversary antiwar protests claimed that "while the banners and bullhorn rhetoric were strident, the mood among some was pessimistic. 'The war is not going to end,’ said Bob McGee. 'It doesn't matter who wins the election. The only thing that's going to stop it is the destruction of the economy.'" 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

U.S. Balancing Act in Iraq Becoming More Precarious: Despite all the hype about the effectiveness of "the surge," that is, the deployment of additional U.S. troops in Iraq, the major U.S. success has been the achievement of an alliance with local Sunni gangs against al-Qaida and other insurgents. However, this relationship has been unstable from the beginning because of a number of basic problems.continued

Turmoil Erupts in Tibet: Tibet is again the topic of conversation around the world. And this time it’s not the result of some Hollywood movie, but rather the bloody clashes that have broken out there between Tibetan protesters and Chinese police. While a lot of details are still hazy as a result of a systematic attempt by Chinese authorities to control the news coming out of the region, the clashes appear to have begun with a series of demonstrations organized by Tibetans to mark the 49^th anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising against China. The demonstrations began on March 10. By March 14 the demonstrations appear to have evolved into riots in which non-ethnic Tibetans were attacked, and numerous shops, cars and other properties, including a mosque, were set on fire. 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

Is Obama an “Antiwar” Candidate? Credit Senator Barack Obama and his staff for running an enormously successful primary campaign. Shrugging off a disappointing defeat in New Hampshire, he has, by late February, beaten former frontrunner Hillary Clinton in 11 straight primary and caucus elections and is poised to capture his party’s nomination for president. 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 in Iraq. Three days later in a debate between leading Democratic presidential candidates, Clinton, Obama, and Edwards were each asked to commit to withdrawing all U.S. troops from Iraq by 2013 if elected president. All said that they could not. continued

Is Iran the 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 in Lebanon: 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