represents an alternative, minority view.
THE 1979 Iranian revolu- tries to hide all this by and other such gains. tion sent shock waves presenting the issues It is these gains that the inrougn imperlanst circies. Tengious terms. BUT LAISI anasses have con Iran under the Shah had no more religious con- tinuously mobilised to the kev imperialist flict than that in Ireiand or DrULCCi : over the past eight policeman for the whole Islamic fun- years including the The Shah's over- damentalsm is the cloak mobilisations defeat throw devastating. under which the masses Iragi in the The Gult is of central was Gulf war. strategic importance for im- aspirations. perialism. The Gulf, con- grotesque tains 57 per cent of the the world's proven oil reserves — with Saudi Arabia alone accounting for 24 per cent. have in Lotte turner conster- equating unpopular nation of imperialism, the measures the Iranian of the Iranian people have sent reverber-. police every ations throughout the aspect of life whole region.
Reagan and Thatcher this, has referring ther assemble its chatter on about Iranian massive of "de-stabilisation' of LIC COULILIY region, and about Iran's LIC revolution there were DIULCOU the Gulf war as threatening movement. Other imMass perialist which peace. • 11l1perialism's 'stability' and imperialism's 'peace' that Oppressed is their concern.
like Italy have used Fear along 25,000 US the cover TOONS.
The desparate fear of imperialism wan revealed OrganISE mintary duti in Saudi Arabia in August this year at the annual Haj The to Mecca. The • Iranian anti-US is the assembled there clearly struck since War II, chord with the downtrodden throughout the alone the land 100 ships, growing. whole of the mid-East.
This is why the response of impose government the Saudi authorities monopoly foreign under the tutelage US (aptly named the tacked This 'Great Satan'), alla fleet ferocious - massacring at Iran. least 400 Iranian pilgrims. • ULIULIS The fact of the matter is that for all imperialism's talk of the Arabs' lining on Iran. clearly up against Iran, many assault states Gulf and targets on beyond face threat tion. the govern- ritory. ic1within their own borders Despite this, the which is inspired by the peoples in Iran. tront last week imI'he capitalist media Socialist Action ing office Left the perialism generated perialism's pressed in 12 SOS Iraq has many tillery.
Economist, popular closure of tion has in London this the the Woodward DOCAINI 'the SHal Lo survive Star whose been to for the the petty A of im- talism'. has been charges to the of imintenMecca Action'?
to with the popular 11ltestimony their much aradvance, 19-25 this Socialist . with the writing Cousica • depender particularly in fundamenis it 'Great mobilisaother continuing the well founded against imperialism therefore tactics of struggle up with credit British to the entered pose drive Iran-Iraq Mates place in the The war capitalist embargo US fleets Unforposition 11war ran wal Immediately raid into Iran which ended in fiasco in the desert. •The outcome of this blocked off further direct US a gression for the time b Instead, in 1981, the US encouraged the Iraq Invasion Proxies Since that time, the US has bankrolled Iraq's wa effort through its Saudi Kuwaiti proxies Saudi Arabia alone ha contributed f25bn. France has chipped in with f8bn and a steady flow of Exocel missiles. While at tempting • US blockade of Iran, to it surd braised • raised trading extending virtuathy partner unlimited credit and pro. •viding it with subsidised food its strategic Losing Now, despite this sup is losing the war. Such an outcome would threaten a radicalisation region to the detriment of imperialism. This is why flotilla has been assembled This itself merely a preliminary stage to direct military . incursions into Iran.
Socialists today. must stand up alongside Iran demand Britain and Us out of the Gulf, oppose an arms embargo on Iran and stand for its victory ir the war.
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SOCIALIST ACTION has presented its views on the Iran-Iraq war in its pages. BRIAN GROGAN