06) ALL OUT AGAINST WAR ON MARCH 19

People’s Voice Editorial

            March 19 marks the 13^th anniversary of a massive war crime: the illegal US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, which followed a decade of sanctions and the deaths of an estimated half a million people, largely children. The occupying powers killed thousands of civilians and destroyed the secular Iraqi state, with deadly consequences to the present day, including the strengthening of violent fundamentalist movements in the region.

            In this context, the decision by the Trudeau Liberal government triple the number of Canadian Armed Forces troop trainers on the ground in Iraq is a recipe for further disasters. As the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War points out, “The west has spent 15 years and more than $25 billion to train troops in Iraq and all these attempts have been a failure. This is not because they haven’t tried hard enough. It is because the Iraqi people have a deep anger and distrust of western military interventions.”

            Look at the record. Western-backed interventions and wars in Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and other countries have killed millions, created the biggest refugee crisis in decades, and fuelled racism and attacks on civil liberties here at home.

            Despite the welcome end to Canada’s bombing in Syria, the latest changes to the Canadian military mission in the Middle East do nothing to change this overall pattern. We welcome the plans for anti-war rallies and pickets on March 19 in seven cities from Halifax to Vancouver. It’s time to demand the immediate recall of all Canadian troops from Iraq and Syria, and the cancellation of Canada’s military sales to Saudi Arabia, which is a key player in imperialist war strategies in the Middle East. For details, visit the Canadian Peace Congress website, www.canadianpeacecongress.ca.

The above article is from the March 16-31, 2016, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)