On Resistance
Press Action
Sunday, September 19, 2004
http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/spinoza09192004/
By Abu Spinoza
Solidarity with the Iraqis and with Iraqi resistance, blemishes and all, is critical. The challenge for Iraqis and for the world public is to get rid of the Anglo-American occupation of Iraq. What comes after the liberation of Iraq if the Anglo-American forces are compelled to withdraw is the sovereign right of the Iraqi people, something that cannot be dictated or willed by any one else. If conservative and anti-libertarian replace the imperialist occupation, so be it. The military odds are so much stacked against the Iraqi resistance, it is rather academic to contemplate a victory of the resistance. But the leading role of the Islamic forces and conservative social grouping should not be stumbling bloc for solidarity with the Iraqis and their resistance.
Resistance is not an apple pie. Many of the groups and forces that participate in the Iraqi resistance do not share progressive views on (say) birth control, sex, gay rights, psycho-analysis, suicide, animal rights, non-violence, and so forth. However, it would be cavalier for those who enjoy the relative freedom and material privileges to lecture a people under occupation and their resistance forces. It is also astonishingly naïve and arguably morally repugnant to expect that the oppressed must recognize the humanity of the oppressors. Groups involved in nation liberation under foreign occupation cannot be like saints. Of course, there are international laws and rules of warfare and resistance. Everyone ought to adhere to universal human rights and rules of warfare. But surely the first-order priority is to ask that Anglo-American occupiers and occupation forces obey these rules. The Anglo-American occupiers have refused to abide by the minimal standards of human rights. The occupiers have deliberately inflicted collective punishment and torture. They have attacked civilians, including women and children. The occupiers have knowingly destroyed Iraq infrastructure, including water treatment facilities. The resistance is acting in response to lawless and arbitrary cruelty of the occupier.
The Iraqi resistance is not a homogenous group. While the Islamists (of different hues and of different sectarian persuasions) play a leading role, the resistance is broad-based, and includes secularists. There is no full-fledged unified command or chain of responsibility and hierarchy. It therefore does not make any sense to seek to tarnish the image of the Iraqi resistance for the spate of kidnappings, terrorist attacks against civilians, beheading of foreigners, and other immoral and irresponsible acts. These are, of course, occurring and should be condemned, but it is essential to discern real acts of resistance from acts of terrorism and arbitrary actions of violence.
Iraqi resistance is largely non-violent and widespread throughout society. It is Iraqi civilians that have borne the brunt of Anglo-American aggression right from the first war on Iraq through the decade of sanctions to the current occupation.
The armed struggle has been mainly directed against occupation troops and collaboration forces. A people under foreign occupation are entitled to military resistance under international law. There is no question that under international law, Anglo-American occupation is illegal. Before anyone has the audacity to instruct Iraq to stop the armed struggle it would be incumbent on them to demand the Anglo-American forces to end their violence military occupation.
Iraqi resistance can succeed in overturning the occupation if the international peace movement can build on the momentum of spontaneous anti-war feelings of the people. But demonstrations, speeches, and web logs alone will not go anywhere unless there are mass organizations and political alternatives to warmongers and electoral defeat of the architects of war. The Iraqi resistance will require the peace movement to offer not just moral support but also material assistance to mitigate the enormous damage that Anglo-American forces have brought on.
Abu Spinoza is an international economist.