Volume 4, No. 8, August 2003

The mujahideen continue to force the Americans to taste affliction;

In every city, in every district, in every street,

on every foot of the land of great Iraq,

the earth heaves up like a volcano,

the trees and the stones proclaim resistance;

Speech itself has fallen silent,

save the whistling of the bullets that

crack the skulls of the Americans;

save the thunder of the bombs tearing them limb from limb.

On May 1 Bush declared the end of the Iraq war. The world media showed the people ‘celebrate’ with the pulling down of the Saddam statute. Baghdad, it appeared, collapsed overnight in the face of US forces. America seemed to have conquered its prize catch — the great fertile land of Mesopotamia, with its gigantic oil wealth. Unofficially documented (IBC —Iraq Body Count), 8,000 Iraqi civilians killed. The actual figure probably over 25,000; thousands more wounded. The ‘liberators’ then ravaged the country. They continue to mow down ordinary citizens, including women and children, who peacefully demonstrate against the occupation of their country.

As stated by a dispatch on IslamOnline.net (IOL) :

"What did the U.S. do to us? It stole our oil, laid us off, cut off water and electricity and brought nothing but drugs, crimes and scourge of war. And after all that, it now seizes even the junk weapons and military equipment. The Anglo-American occupation of Iraq has left Iraq’s workforce, some 10 million Iraqis, in both the private and public sectors jobless…….."

Then came the fight-back — mass demonstrations combined with consistent guerrilla attacks on the occupation forces and their puppet police. The Iraqi forces were not defeated. They took their weapons and melted away into the civilian population. While mass demonstrations were gunned down by US fire-power, killing large numbers; guerrilla and partisan warfare have turned into an effective weapon creating panic in the enemy ranks. Now, officially one to two US/British soldiers are being killed daily and many more injured. The official head-count, so far, since May is roughly 70. The actual figures are much more. The Iraqi resistance has taken on an organized form and includes not only forces from the Baathist Party, but also from the Shia community, which was previously opposed to Saddam.

In fact, for all the US’s hi-tech intelligence network, its financial and military muscle, and its huge source of ‘experts’ in all fields, its calculations backfired on all fronts. These included: miscalculating the reaction of the UN Security Council; misjudging Turkey’s reaction; failure to decapitate the Iraqi leadership or capture most of its important elements; misjudging the caliber of the Iraqi dissident groups in exile (in fact the army of its main stooge, Chalabi, trained by the US forces, has recently been disbanded without even being used); not able to implement any clear-cut plan for the post-war period, due to miscalculations; inability to setup a government involving locals; and, most important, failure to understand the Iraqi mood. To use Mao’s phrase, the US has lifted a rock to drop it on its own feet, and proved to be a paper tiger, notwithstanding its gigantic power, and is now begging for troops from 85 countries of the world to do its dirty work of policing Iraq, for it.

But even its major allies are not willing to commit much to replace the 1.5 lakh US and 12,000 British troops. Quite naturally the others are hesitant as the greedy US has cornered all the lucrative contracts and oil fields, leaving little even for its partners So, for the present, Italy has 3,000 troops, Spain 2,300 and Poland 2,300, which control the core of Iraq’s four military zones. Portugal has refused to send troops and has agreed to 120 paramilitary police. Most other countries are also hesitant to do America’s dirty work in Iraq. It was only the servile BJP that had sought to send a huge force of 20,000 to help the US ‘stabilize’ Iraq. But more on India’s servility later. First, to give a few examples of the type of resistance being put up by the great Iraqi people as reported on the internet:

The Iraqi national resistance carried out the first martyrdom operation that targeted U.S. troops stationed in Baghdad airport, Iraqi sources told IslamOnlin.net.

A statement obtained by IOL’s office in the Iraqi capital said that a man called Abu Abdullah, a truck driver, carried out the operation leaving between 10 to 15 U.S. soldiers killed and dozens others wounded.The statement further said that three armored vehicles and one tank at least were destroyed during the operation.

A message e-mailed to IOL in June, attributed to the Iraqi resistance, said its fighters had recently launched 14 al-Samoud 2 missiles at the a camp of the U.S. occupation soldiers in the airport area, destroying 23 helicopters, killing more than 20 soldiers and officers and injuring 30 others.

In the City of al-Fallujah the al-Faruq Brigades attacked an American armored vehicle carrying American and British paratroopers. It destroyed the armored vehicle, which was on a
patrol near the American military camp inside al-Fallujah. A number of American Special Forces attempted to determine the location of the guerrillas who were attacking them. They followed the major group as it headed toward its den and fell into an ambush in the wooded area north of the city of al-Fallujah. There they fell after they were treated to the machine guns
of the mujahideen. The Aggressor’s losses were as follows: One American Bradley armored vehicle destroyed, all aboard killed. Six of the commandos who were pursuing the mujahideen were killed.

In Al-Anbar Province, after a special reconnaissance squadron of al-Faruq Brigades had observed and followed the movements of the enemy, they designated a position belonging to the American Forces Command in al-Anbar, located in the city of ar-Ramadi. In a heroic operation, members of the al-Muntasirun bi-Allah (Victors by God) Squadron infiltrated into the environs of the target position and planted high explosives in the area. Then members of the squadron spread out and shelled the position with locally-developed S.A. M. 13 rockets. As soon as the shelling started, officers of the American command took cover in their interior shelter in the command post and called for reinforcements. At this point the al-Muntsirun bi-Allah Squadron executed a military tactic by temporarily withdrawing and feigning defeat so that the forces encircling the enemy camp could come out to launch a counter attack. And in fact the Commandos who guard the American Command launched an attack immediately the Squadron withdrew to the rear. At this point the Squadron detonated the explosives they had planted, inflicting a large number of casualties on the defending troops. Then a strong and concentrated attack was begun in which the Command center was totally destroyed. It is not known whether any of the American commanders were killed in the attack but the number of those killed in the attack is estimated at 10 soldiers. Three armored vehicles were destroyed.

After gathering information and following movements in the Iraqi port of al-Bakr, Iraqi Special Forces infiltrated into the port and prepared to ambush American military boats taking a number of American engineers to their work in the oil fields. When the boats left the port heading for the sea on their way to the Iraqi port of al-Faw, the Iraqi Special Forces
opened fire with Iraqi-upgraded, French-made MM33 surface-to-surface missiles, which resemble the French Mistral missiles. Three boats were destroyed and all those aboard were killed. Two boats fled in the direction of the Iranian regional ports.

Sharpshooter units belonging to the al-Faruq Brigades have attacked American troops and killed more of them in various locations in order to spread panic among them and speed up their psychological deterioration. A squadron of the al-Faruq Brigades attacked an American checkpoint in Baghdad, destroying the checkpoint and killing three American soldiers. The American troops were unable to bring in supporting forces or enter the area until six hours after the attack by the mujahideen, even though the attack by the mujahideen only lasted a few minutes.

Then there have been a series of killings of American Intelligence Officers in Iraq. Two martyrdom attackers ambushed an American Hummer Jeep carrying three American intelligence officers and a soldier driver. The Hummer was traveling together with an armored vehicle. They were heading towards an Iraqi nuclear facility west of Baghdad. As the Jeep passed by, the first martyrdom attacker approached the Jeep and blew himself up, damaging and setting fire to the Jeep. One of the officers who had been sitting in the back was able to get out, though he was wounded, and tried to flee to the armored vehicle that was approaching. But the second martyrdom bomber caught up with him, pulled him up to the side of the armored vehicle and then blew himself up there. The wounded officer was killed and the armored vehicle was damaged, but it fled in blind fear that there might be
more human bombs in the area.

The al-Faruq Brigades in Mosul destroyed an American checkpoint and also destroyed an American tank in the town of Ba’qubah, killing those aboard. These attacks have the American Forces on the alert because the attackers are employing new tactics. When the American forces sent a part of their forces to al-Fallujah after the battles in which they were attacked there, the al-Faruq Brigades struck the American forces deployed in eastern Iraq. Then when the American Command announced that it would be sending more soldiers to the south, the al-Faruq Brigades struck in the north of Iraq. Thus the entire country has become a staging area for attacks and for hit and run.

The Battles of Baghdad: the General Command of the Iraqi Armed Forces, the Command of the al-Faruq Jihad Brigades, and the Command of the Popular Resistance and Liberation began to coordinate a plan for an offensive on Baghdad on 28 May. The Iraqi Intelligence Branch had obtained information on the date when an American military transport aircraft would arrive at Saddam International Airport with many military commanders and some traitor lackeys aboard. A specific plan was drawn up to attack the American forces in Baghdad. The operation was carried out successfully, the aircraft was brought down. Here are the details of the heroic operation. The Iraqi Armed Forces, the al-Faruq Jihad Brigades, and Fedayeen launched a comprehensive and fierce attack on American forces at the moment when the target aircraft arrived at Saddam International
Airport. Units of the Divisions of the Special Forces of the Iraqi Armed Forces attacked American Forces in southern Baghdad. The al-Faruq Jihad Brigades launched a comprehensive attack on the northern front of Baghdad. Fedayeen at the same moment launched martyrdom operations on American ammunition depots and command posts in the center of Baghdad. This attack crippled the movement of the American forces inside the city of Baghdad and brought about the encirclement of a division of British paratroopers, killing a number of them in their camp inside Baghdad in the process., Simultaneously, a special force proceeded to Saddam International Airport and was able to demolish its reinforced gate and to enter the airport and get to the runway where it met the target aircraft at the time of its arrival and struck it with three French Mistral infrared radiation rockets that scored direct hits on both sides of the craft. The aircraft ascended one more time but it then exploded over western Baghdad and plunged to the earth. All who were aboard were killed. The blast of the explosion could be heard throughout the entire Iraqi capital. The attacking forces also destroyed three American positions in which the US forces had encamped. Everyone saw the smoke and fire rising from these positions. Then, in coordination, the attacking forces withdrew and completely disappeared. The Americans were left baffled at the qualitative nature of this heroic and sudden operation, which reminded them of the Battle of the Airport.

On 7/7/03 Three American soldiers were killed in attacks in Baghdad in a 24-hour period. Four other U.S. soldiers were wounded in a grenade attack on their convoy in the restive town of Ramadi, west of Baghdad. Soldiers pursued the attackers and during an ensuing firefight, a soldier was killed.

Also, in the Shia town of Basra Six British soldiers were killed and around a dozen injured on June 23 during fighting with townspeople in the Majar Kabir area.

These are just some examples of the resistance going on in Iraq, which is taking a more and more organized form. Besides, the fighters have been systematically blowing up the oil pipelines to prevent the US from robbing their huge natural wealth. The US forces in Iraq are panic-stricken, not knowing from where they will be hit next. Besides, the 500 C temperature in Iraq is wearing them down further. Also the $3 billion a day on troop expenses, the US wants to push on to others. The US is getting bogged down in a Vietnam- like syndrome. The occupation of Iraq is becoming like a noose around its neck. The Iraqi resistance is threatening avery aspects of it despicable aggression and occupation.

It is ironic that on the very day that the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) decided to send troops to Iraq only under a UN mandate; that very day Kofi Annan, met Bush (for the first time since the war) and issued a call for international ‘peacekeeping forces’ to ‘stabalize’ Iraq. So, it is only a matter of time before the UN bails out the US from its problem, and a matter of time before Indian troops enter Iraq.

In its greed to seize all the wealth of Iraq, and not share the booty with the other imperialist powers the US sought unilateral control over that country. This was shamefully legitimized by the other powers through the UN Security Council Resolution 1443, which gave the US and Britain the right to rule Iraq indefinitely, with only a face-saving presence for the UN. Now, with the US facing problems in Iraq due to the growing resistance and guerrilla war of its people, the US is desperate to replace a large section of its forces by others. This will have a two-fold effect — it will reduce the number of body bags, that is affecting Bush’s popularity ratings back home (that too with elections due next year); and second with the appearance of an international force the war will look less like an US-Iraq affair. So, after being systematically side-lined, and even ridiculed by the US, for the past year, in steps Kofi Annan, as the pliant tool of US foreign policy.

It is clear from all the earlier statements, first of Brajesh Mishra and then Advani, during their long sojourns in the US, that they had in fact agreed to send Indian troops, even functioning under US command and at India’s cost — without the fig-leaf of the UN. This was also strongly pushed by a section of the servile big-business lobby in the country that hoped to get in return lucrative contracts in Iraq. This bribe was in fact promised by Rumsfeld to Advani in their secret dealings. Top US officials then came to India and the required atmosphere was built up by the media to get the troops there. In fact a full Division of the Army (the Bareilly-based 6th Division) was readied to be sent to Iraq at a moments notice. Also preliminary logistic plans were drawn up by Army Headquarters, with the inclusion of elements of the other two services, including 4 naval boats and IAF’s transport planes and helicopters. Even a medical team was sent as a sort of advance party, with a plan for another team to be sent before the full body of troops departs. Chiefs of the Army and the Air Force have been giving regular public statements of their readiness to send troops there, even if it was under direct US command.

The CCS’s decision not to send troops for the present was only because of the public hue and cry over it, particularly in light of the forthcoming elections. Nearly all sections of democratic and revolutionary opinion saw this as the total sell-out to the US, so much so, that the BJP and top army brass were even willing to send to their death hundreds of Indian troops, in order to please the US. It is quite clear that these politicians and officials wear their ‘patriotism’ on their sleeves and are willing to go so far as to sell Indian lives (that too of its armed forces) for a few dollars. That is: lives of Indian soldiers for lucrative contracts to Indian big-business.

Over 100 leading intellectuals printed a one-page advertisement in The Hindu opposing the sending of troops to Iraq. A large number of articles have appeared condemning this plan. Political parties also talked of the UN mandate.

But the question of the UN mandate is a hoax. With or without the UN mandate to send troops to Iraq to help consolidate US control over that country and its oil wealth is not only wrong, it is legitimizing a criminal act of aggression, which has far more serious repercussions if given a UN cover — for this gives international recognition for the US or any other big-power to attack and colonise another country. Tomorrow, if this were to happen to India there could be no logic for opposition, if such an act is supported, even if under the auspices of the UN. So the Opposition party’s so-called opposition to sending troops is nothing but a hoax, seeking the fig-leaf of UN legitimacy.

The people of the country must oppose sending Indian troops to Iraq under any conditions whatsoever — whether under UN auspices or at the ‘invitation’ of a so-called Iraqi puppet regime/council. If the troop go it will have to face the wrath of not only the Iraqi people but of all the Arab people of the Middle-East. While the top politicians and army officials stay back in air-conditioned security, it is the Indian soldiers who will die by the hundreds. Indian big-business ofcourse, will make good profits from this deal of blood for money.

Today it is the revolutionaries like the MCCI the CPI (ML)(PW) who have been the most consistent to oppose the sending of troops to Iraq no matter what the circumstances. Many democrats have also taken a similar stand. The people must rally behind this standpoint and physically stop such movements of troops to kill the people of another backward country of the world.

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