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



********

-----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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