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People of Lebanon and humanity are the real losers and victims of the war Fateh Sheikh
Israel’s war against Lebanon has stopped after 34 days. The loss of hundreds of civilian lives, dislocation and homelessness of a quarter of the population and the destruction of a considerable part of the country’s infrastructure are the latest count of the cost of this war. The Israeli government has hailed the UN resolution 1701 as the product of its military success in “disarming the Hezbollah”. As far as Israel is concerned the war has not ended and the UN resolution is a diplomatic avenue to pursue its military objective. The Israeli government will, under the pretext of disarming the Hezbollah, by-pass the UN diplomacy and will resume its military campaign. Israel has openly declared that it will continue with its military show down and mussel flexing in the region. This is the gist of the joint US and Israel strategy in imposing their brand of “New World Order” which has befallen on the people of Lebanon. The unconditional support afforded to Israel by George Bush and his recent remarks all reinforce the view that this military campaign could serve as a precursor to a planned US and Israeli offensive against Iran. It is now apparent that the weakening of Hezbollah in Lebanon, although a secondary aim of the joint US and Israel policy, and not its cause, served as an excuse, just as the Iranian nuclear issue serves as pretext to advance the “New World Order” strategy. This war has further unsettled and militarised the region. During this period Iraq has witnessed one of the bloodiest and darkest episodes of the consequences of the New World Order in the last three years. Palestine and the Gaza strip have been the subject of the Israeli clamp down and the skirmishes over the nuclear issue with Iran is nearing a danger level. And under this political environment the Islamic Republic is clamping down on any sign of dissent. In one word the world after the war in Lebanon has become a more dangerous place for humanity. And as far
as the Hezbollah as the specific target (or specific excuse) of this war is
concerned has benefited from an improved standing in Lebanon. Furthermore
the position of the Islamic Republic and the entire political Islam in the
region has been strengthened. Hassan Nassrollah, the Hezbollah leader in
Lebanon and the Iranian leaders have hailed the ceasefire as a “historic
victory” for Islam. The truth of the matter is that Hezbollah has emerged
from this war with an increased political and social clout to retain its
weapons and is in a better position to extend its reactionary grip over the
lives of the war stricken people of Lebanon. The real losers and victims of this war are the people of Lebanon and the humanity, enduring the brunt of this barbarism. The damage and suffering are not limited to loss of life and destruction of the livelihood of the war wary people of Lebanon but rather the dire consequences of strengthening the influence and control of the reactionary Islamic forces and the Hezbollah over the lives of the people of the region. This is the real disaster. The Israeli fascism breeds and gives credence to the Islamic fascism of the Hezbollah brand. The Israeli fascistic onslaught plays into the hands of the Islamic fascism of Hezbollah to extend its influence over the people of Lebanon in the name of resistance and opposition to Israel’s occupation and offensives. Similarly this war is exploited by the Islamic Republic of Iran to intensify its oppression and has provided the political Islam with an opportunity to drive a harder bargain for its reactionary share of power and influence. Ending this war and preventing it from happening again and putting its perpetrators on trail is a just demand. The UN resolution 1701 does not provide for this. This document confirms the support of the so called “International Community” for the Israeli government’s aggression. Furthermore the Israeli government would, as it has done with previous resolutions, discard this resolution and will resort to its military bullying whenever it pleases. The only way to end this cycle of terror and carnage is to build a strong and independent movement and of people led by the working class and the communists to withstand the US and its allies’ bullying. This is the only way to muzzle the US and its allies and defuse the evil of Islamic reaction and nationalism over the lives of the people. The condition for such an approach is ripe. The revolutionary resolve and action of the communist organisers and labour leaders are needed.
This article was first appeared in Farsi Communist no 107,August 18, 2006, the weekly paper of the WPI-Hekmatist
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