International A.N.S.W.E.R. is a post-9/11 creation of the International Action Center, one of many front groups for the Workers World Party. The Workers World Party:

» supported the Chinese government's 1989 Tienanmen Square massacre

http://www.workers.org/ww/tienanmen.html

» supports the "socialist" North Korean dictatorship of Kim Jong Il

http://www.workers.org/ww/2002/korea0425.php

http://www.workers.org/ww/2002/korea0509.php

» and views Iraq's Saddam Hussein as a beacon of anti-imperialist resistance

http://www.workers.org/ww/2001/iraq0125.html

» defends the genocidal Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic

http://www.iacenter.org/yugo_milosdeligation.htm

http://www.workers.org/ww/2002/larry0228.php

http://www.workers.org/ww/2001/milosevic1108.php

http://shadow.autono.net/sin001/clark.htm



For these reasons, as well as Workers World's poor track record of relations with other groups, some people refuse to attend A.N.S.W.E.R. events, including the January 18 anti-war protest.

On the pro side, A.N.S.W.E.R. has proven skill at organizing massive demonstrations. Most who attend the group's protests know nothing about their actual political leanings and merely wish to express their opposition to war in Iraq

And many people and groups who are repulsed by A.N.S.W.E.R.'s support for genocidal dictators choose to attend their anti-war protests anyway, because they feel it is so urgent to stop the Iraq war.

See, for example, Z Magazine's Q&A on the topic (A.N.S.W.E.R. is discussed in #8):

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=2527)

To help you make up your mind, we've assembled links to a range of writings on the topic - some more factual, some more polemical, from various points on the political spectrum:

* http://slash.autonomedia.org/article.pl?sid=01/12/03/1946241&mode=nocomment&

Lengthy, detailed expose of International Action Center's politics

* http://www.infoshop.org/texts/wwp.html

Anarchist critique of Workers World Party

* http://www.laweekly.com/ink/02/50/news-corn.php

David Corn critique of A.N.S.W.E.R.'s October 26 D.C. anti-war march

* http://www.salon.com/politics/feature/2002/10/16/protest/

Salon reporter's critique of A.N.S.W.E.R. and other far-left anti-war groups

* http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2002-11/11dominick.cfm

A critical response to Corn and other A.N.S.W.E.R. detractors

* http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20020513&s=featherstone

An example of A.N.S.W.E.R.'s relations with other groups

* http://www.journalofaestheticsandprotest.org/1/BenShepard/index.html

Why the A.N.S.W.E.R. style of political mobilization is inherently disempowering

Thanks to Kimberly for putting all this info in one place. I will begin sending a link to this story to anyone who asks me why everyone's so upset about ANSWER.

ANSWER/Worker's World/IAC/etc. generally takes the stance that they support any government that is against the US. (Why can't a thinking, critical person be against every crummy government?)

HOWEVER, we shouldn't make the same mistake. Just because ANSWER/WW/IAC/whatever is against the war doesn't mean we have to be for it. Don't be baited into this simplistic thinking. We can be against the war and still be critical of others who are against it too.

(Just a reminder to all those out there who think The Movement is some single entity or "you're either with us or against us". Nothing is that simple.)

Can someone say Red-baiting. Yes, I have been to International Answer's demonstrations and no, I don't know much about their political leanings- but it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that they are organizing more effectively than any other organization out there against the impending war with Iraq. It's easy to criticize from the sidelines. At all of Answer's major rallies which I've attending, I have never had the feeling that an ulterior political agenda was being advanced. None of their political posters or speakers ever advocate the type of political agenda you're talking about. In fact, the only agenda I've ever heard advocated is one of peace. We must stop the infighting within the peace movement. International Answer is a incredible organization which has been able to organize some of the most powerful demonstrations in history. Regardless of their political orientation, they deserve our respect and admiration- we should all be in this for the cause and not for politics.

I think the important issue to remember is that it was a gathering to protest the new Iraqi conflict.

There were no speakers advocating revolution, communism, or any other of the topics prosented by the WWP. It was a peoples protest to advocate solidarity.

People like to confuse the issue by using "ad hominem" and "red herring" style arguments to take away the real issue of the protest, "NO WAR FOR OIL".

These people who are so conserned with ANSWER should look at the past history of "dubya", "rumsfeld" and "cheney".

These rich businessmen have histories of trading weapons and inciting armed revolutions abroad.

Look at Enron, the Carlyle group, Honeywell, the Council on Foriegn Relations, the trilateral commission.

These are our leaders, they have the power.

YOU ARE UNDER CONTROL!!!

I think the important issue to remember is that it was a gathering to protest the new Iraqi conflict.

There were no speakers advocating revolution, communism, or any other of the topics prosented by the WWP. It was a peoples protest to advocate solidarity.

People like to confuse the issue by using "ad hominem" and "red herring" style arguments to take away the real issue of the protest, "NO WAR FOR OIL".

These people who are so conserned with ANSWER should look at the past history of "dubya", "rumsfeld" and "cheney".

These rich businessmen have histories of trading weapons and inciting armed revolutions abroad.

Look at Enron, the Carlyle group, Honeywell, the Council on Foriegn Relations, the trilateral commission.

These are our leaders, they have the power.

YOU ARE UNDER CONTROL!!!

OK so if it ws 1930's adn I wanted my trains to run on time then it would be ok for me to protest under the Nazi banner?

Remember that you are giving power and credibility to certain people. the left of all people should be wary of giving excessive power to certain people without knowing what their motives are.

"red herring" style arguments to take away the real issue of the protest, "NO WAR FOR OIL""

Now THERE'S a red herring. The phrase of the day for all the silly lemming trolls out there..."no war for oil". And as this isn't a war for oil (unless you're French, German or Russian) I guess your sorta right.