RW ONLINE: The Euro-Imperalist Track: \"Give Inspections a Chance\"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Euro-Imperalist Track: \"Give Inspections a Chance\"\r\n<\/p>
Revolutionary Worker #1185, February 2, 2003<\/i>, posted at rwor.org<\/p>\"The allies want to be able \r\nto show their skeptical voters that they have gone the last mile and made every \r\neffort to avoid a war.\"\r\n<\/i>
<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n<\/i>
New York Times , January 24<\/p>\r\n
France and Germany have said, \"Inspections need time\"--meaning the U.S. \r\nshould postpone the war. The French government has even suggested that they \r\nmight use their veto in the United Nations Security Council to prevent UN \r\napproval of any immediate U.S. invasion. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld \r\ngrowled that France and Germany are \"a real problem\" for U.S. plans.<\/p>\r\n
There is much less <\/i>here than meets the eye.<\/p>\r\n
A lot of people are looking at these controversies and hoping that French and \r\nGerman opposition may stop Bush from launching this war. But while millions of \r\npeople in these countries are intensely opposed to a U.S. war on Iraq, the \r\nFrench and German governments are playing a much more complicated game.<\/p>\r\n
France and Germany have different imperialist interests from the U.S. They \r\nare dependent on Persian Gulf oil for their energy needs. France and Russia have \r\nbusiness deals going on with the current <\/i>Iraqi government. They promoted \r\nthe intrusive UN inspections--because they don't mind tighter imperialist \r\ncontrol of the Persian Gulf, if <\/i>it is <\/i>through the UN where France \r\nand Russia have veto power. But they are not <\/i>happy with unilateral \r\nAmerican <\/i>seizure <\/i>of these strategic regions.<\/p>\r\n
If the U.S. move can be postponed, France, Germany, and Russia increase their \r\ninfluence in the region (and maintain their current deals with Iraq and Iran). \r\nBut by this same twisted imperialist logic, if the U.S. war isn't <\/i>going \r\nto be postponed, the pressure is strong for France, Germany and Russia to \r\nsupport that war in various ways.<\/p>\r\n
And the U.S. government already has reasons to think the French and German \r\nimperialists may come on board one way or another. The German government has \r\nquietly offered the U.S. the use of German airspace for bombers, and extra \r\nprotection for the American bases in Germany that are used to launch war on \r\nIraq.<\/p>\r\n
French foreign minister Villepin held a press conference to ask that \r\ninspectors be given more time. But Powell has said he hopes that the French \r\ngovernment can be convinced to endorse a war in mid- February--clearing the way \r\nfor a UN green light for the invasion.<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/b>
And, in reality, the U.S. does not expect full military participation of \r\nother countries in the invasion itself. As the former head of the Central \r\nCommand, Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, points outs: \"While the U.S. government would \r\nwelcome the assistance of the United Kingdom and other countries, at the end of \r\nthe day this will be a U.S.-led operation in which the bulk of the troops and \r\nthe preponderance of combat forces will be American.\"<\/p>\r\n
In short, when the European imperialists say \"give the inspectors a chance,\" \r\nthey are really saying \"if the U.S. wants to go to war with our blessing, we \r\nwant a guarantee that a U.S. occupying force will respect our influence--and oil \r\ncontracts--in Iraq.\" And the moment the European governments decide to join the \r\nU.S. invasion--that argument can quickly turn to \"We gave <\/i>the inspectors \r\na chance, and this war is now ok.\"<\/p>\r\n
\r\n\r\n
This article is posted in English and Spanish on Revolutionary Worker \r\nOnline
rwor.org
Write: Box 3486, \r\nMerchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 773-227-4066 Fax: \r\n773-227-4497
<\/p>\r\n\n","contact":"","link":"www.rwor.org","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"The opposition of countries like France and Germany represents much *less* than meets the eye","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2003\/02\/rw_online_the_euro-imperalist_track_give_inspections_a_chance.htm","filesize":"4.2 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2003\/02\/27843.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}