USLAW/UFPJ Sponsor Pro-Occupation Iraq Labor Speaker in LA

This month, US Labor Against the War, United for Peace and
Justice (UFPJ) and the American Friends Service Committee are sponsoring an "Iraq Labor Tour" to various U.S. cities.

These speakers will be coming to Los Angeles this weekend, June, 8-10th.

A couple of years ago a similar tour of Iraq labor leaders came to LA, who were very strongly opposed to the US Occupation.

This time one of the featured speakers represents the Iraq Federation of Oil Workers <http://basraoilunion.org/>, which spearheads opposition to privatization of Iraqi oil and demands immediate U.S. withdrawal.

However, the tour also includes a representative of the General
Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW). The GFIW (formerly IFTU) is
sponsored by the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) and former U.S.-installed Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

These parties not only oppose immediate U.S. withdrawal, but support Bush's "surge," and demand that the Iraqi puppet regime crush Iraqi resistance -- positions that are echoed by the GFIW. (See Details Below)

NYC Labor Against the War (affiliated w/ US Labor Against the War)
is urging those who attend these public meetings in LA or elsewhere to question the
sponsors and GFIW representatives on these issues.

FRIDAY, June 8th , 2007, 5:00 PM
UCLA Downtown Labor Center
675 S. Park View, LA 90057

SATURDAY, June 9th , 2007, 7:30 PM
United Teachers Los Angeles
3303 Wilshire Blvd., 2nd Floor

SUNDAY, June 10th , 8:30 AM:
Vist to Arlington West
Next to Santa Monica Pier


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-----Original Message-----
From: NYCLAW@rly-ma01.mx.aol.com
To: LaborAgainstWar <laboragainstwar@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 2:38 pm
Subject: [NYCLAW] Iraq: USLAW/UFPJ Again Sponsor Pro-Occupation Speaker

This month, US Labor Against the War, United for Peace and
Justice (UFPJ) and the American Friends Service Committee are sponsoring
an "Iraq Labor Tour" to various U.S. cities

<http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?list=type&type=103>.

One of the featured speakers represents the Iraq Federation of Oil
Workers <http://basraoilunion.org/>, which spearheads opposition to
privitazation of Iraqi oil and demands immediate U.S. withdrawal.

However, the tour also includes a representative of the General
Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW). The GFIW (formerly IFTU) is
sponsored by the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) and former U.S.-installed
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

These parties not only oppose immediate U.S. withdrawal, but support
Bush's "surge," and demand that the Iraqi puppet regime crush Iraqi
resistance -- positions that are echoed by the GFIW.

This is the second such tour in which the U.S. organizers
inexplicably deny these well-documented facts (see, e.g., Trojan
Horse in the Antiwar Movement: Facts About the IFTU, New York

City Labor Against the War, June 20, 2005,
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LaborAgainstWar/message/2264>),
which are confirmed by recent evidence (below).

NYCLAW believes that such support for pro-occupation forces undermines genuine solidarity with Iraqi workers, weakens the fight for immediate U.S. withdrawal, and has no place on an antiwar platform. We also believe that tour organizers owe an explanation for ther continuing misrepresentation of GFIW's true position.

We urge those who attend these public meetings to question the
sponsors and GFIW representatives on these issues.

------------

Political Affairs, November 25, 2006

As Iraqi Minister of Science and Technology, Raid Fahmi is also a
member of the Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist party. . . .

We think that it's not possible to call for an immediate withdrawal.
The country is united on this front. . . . At this point, we can say
that the maximum period for withdrawal should not surpass three years. As for the military bases, the Iraqi government has not yet dealt with this question.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/4453/1/32/

------------

People's Weekly World, November 30, 2006

Iraqi Communist Party viewpoint

A national consensus is emerging in Iraq, among the major political
forces, that there should be a clearly defined objective timetable for
a speedy withdrawal of the occupying forces, linked to rebuilding the
Iraqi armed forces. . . . [A]n immediate withdrawal is widely seen by
Iraqis as not feasible.

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/10226/1/148/

------------

Philadelphia Citypaper, January 31, 2007

While [antiwar] protesters would applaud [U.S. withdrawal], Abdullah
Muhsin, international representative of the Iraqi Federation of Trade
Unions (IFTU), says the prospect of a U.S. withdrawal is to be feared.

. . .

"[T]he removal of foreign troops should happen at a time when the
Iraqis have security forces which are fully loyal to Iraq and its
constitution, and a police to maintain law and order. . . . If the
American troops leave, Iraq will become a bloodbath and turn toward
the dark ages."

An official with the national oil union in Iraq who identified himself
as Abdull-Latif during a telephone interview last week has a different
perspective. "We are against any occupation," he said in Arabic. "It
was imposed on us and we want Iraq to be completely sovereign so we
can make our own decisions."

http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2007/02/01/occupational-hazards
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