previous The Arab ancien regime The Middle East has always been a neuralgic point of the imperialist world system. To simplify: there is Israel and petroleum. It is not by accident that the Palestinian resistance continued while after 1989/1991 nearly all other popular movements against the imperial capitalist elites ceded. Under these extremely unfavourable conditions this continued resistance, however, suffered deformations. In the absence of mass movements there was militarism. The other deformation was culturalism tending towards sectarianism. Its highest expression was al-Qaeda type Jihadism with its gesamtkunstwerk [all-embracing, holistic artwork] 9/11. It could deal some important symbolic blows to imperialism but without the masses it could not win. The old Middle … [read more]

previous First stage: peaceful and anti-interventionist When the democratic movement in Syria started, inspired by the advances in North Africa, there was the hope for quick victory as with its precedents. But the Assad regime refused to take the same road as his homologues in Tunisia and Egypt. The succession of Assad junior had evoked hopes for reform, but they have been frustrated since. All during the last decade the Baath apparatus did not allow them. Why then should they do so now? The only strong explanation for this total inability to respond at least partially to the democratic mass movement is the sectarian Allawi character of the Baath regime encapsulating itself. As in the other Arab countries the Islamist forces played no driving role in this first stage of the … [read more]

While direct military imperialist intervention remains unlikely, mainly Turkey is projecting power onto Syria. Also military means can no longer be excluded within a medium term range. Turkish intervention is, however, limited by the political constraint to appear in line with the Arab spring, for which Ankara wants to serve as a model and take the lead. The Arab revolt comes in the context and is an expression of the crisis of the US-centred imperialist system, which is both an economic and political crisis. The new and decisive factor is the popular mass movement, which scattered the imperialist ancien regime in the region. Thus the US needs to re-organise their order. They essentially try to do so by embracing sections of the movement and by co-opting these sections into the US … [read more]

• We assert the importance of Jerusalem‬ politically, culturally and religiously to the Palestinian people and humanity as a whole. We call for the protection of the Holy Places and all archeological sites and consider all the efforts made to change its Arab and cultural identity as a crime against humanity. We call on all international institutions to do their duties towards the city. • The defense of‬ Jerusalem and its liberation are a duty of all free people around the world and we call on all institutions, organizations, and individuals to participate in this duty. • We condemn the Zionist campaign of ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine including all ongoing policies intended to change the demographic and geographic situation in the city and aimed … [read more]

According CPI (Maoist) statement issued to the media on today, Kishanji was arrested and tortured and then brutally killed. This murder looks much similar to that of Azad’s in July 2010, when Azad was brutally tortured and killed while he was dealing with the Union Government’s offer of peace talks through union Home Ministry appointed interlocutor. In these circumstances, the Joint Forces’ story of a fierce gun battle in Burishol forest of Paschim Midnapore district comes out to be a concocted one. It is significant that the mother of Kishanji, Ms. Madhuramma while maintaining it is a fake encounter has also demanded a judicial enquiry. Under the circumstances, we demand: 1. The fake encounter killing of Kishanji should be investigated by a Judicial Enquiry Committee of a … [read more]

Short-sighted Muslim Brotherhood’s calculus The spectrum most keen to go to the polls is the Islamist one with its two branches, namely the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the various Salafis. This might seem paradoxical as it does not fit into the European islamophobe prejudice and also the claim of some Salafi trends that elections do contradict the sovereign rule of good. Their rationale, however, is all too terrestrial. The MB is the best established opposition party and well prepared for electoral campaigning while the Salafis are lavished with Saudi money. They can expect a landslide victory enhancing their stance in the political system despite the severe limitations to the prerogatives of the parliament. It is nearly impossible to predict their share of votes but observers … [read more]

There is shooting and this strange nerve gas all the time and at around 10:30 p.m. yesterday night the shebab [youth, people] were attacked for one hour by 30 unknown uniformed special forces in black with different live ammunition and gas, no street lightning at all, the scene only lit up by the fire of the guns, the dim light of the moon and some strange phosphoric light at the end of the street leading to the Ministry of Interior. After an hour, they reconquered Bab El Louq square where I am living with nothing than stones and unbreakable determination and solidarity. Into the face of the shooting and the attacks onto their bare bodies, the shebab were shouting into the night "hurriya" (freedom) and "madaniya" (civil state)... not "ilsamiya" (islamic)... In parallel, Tahrir … [read more]

A few days back the new eruption started when a group of victims of Mubarak’s tyranny and their relative staged a protest against the impunity of the former torturers. The significance of their demand is underlined by the fact that many activists have been sentenced to prisons terms by military councils while the trial against Mubarak is being steadily delayed. The police intervened with utmost brutality. Instead of chasing out the protesters their call for solidarity was well received. Tens of thousands came to their rescue engaging in battles with the police. Within a few days millions are back to the streets unifying around the central demand: down with the military council – a civil transition government to be formed immediately. This pivotal conflict is, however, intertwined … [read more]

Since the Zionist occupation of 78% of Palestine in 1948, and the subsequent occupation of Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine in 1967, we have witnessed growing efforts to Judaize Jerusalem and colonize Palestine. These crimes against humanity are done under the political protection and full support of successive American administrations and enforced by its veto at the United Nations. The goal of the Zionists is to force Palestinian residents out of Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine through acts of state terrorism, economic pressures, legal restrictions, and outright expulsions. The Holy city of Jerusalem is falsely called “the eternal capital of Israel” by Netanyahu and other Zionist leaders who clearly state that Jerusalem is non-negotiable. Such statements and related … [read more]

The resolutions adopted by yesterday’s EU Summit put its stamp on the bankruptcy and the, now formal, transformation of Greece into a protectorate. The resolutions of this EU Summit include the permanent installation of the IMF-EU-ECB troika in Greece and, in reality, and the takeover of the government by the international "protectors". Seventy-one years after 28 October 1940, a new occupation is imposed on our country. The last remnants sense of popular sovereignty and national independence are reduced into ashes. The leaders of the Eurozone are ordering the immediate sell-out of Greece and they leave no doubt that our people will pay dearly, with permanent foreign control accompanied by extreme pauperization. The government of PASOK has lost any shame. After playing a walkon … [read more]

Big and small enterprises and shops ceased any activity during the general strike. Millions of working people took active part in the strike, both in the public and the private sector. It is now totally undisputed that this “government” of the IMF-EU-ECB troika’s lackeys has no more the slightest legitimacy. The general strike was a loud political statement by the Greek people: “The troika and its government must leave immediately”. Nothing less than that. The struggle goes on, the struggle shall further escalate! It is obvious that this government will not fall down by itself. It will not be obliged to resign under the pressure of the majority’s MPs, who pathetically keep offering their consensus, each time “for the last time”. The internal contradictions and quarrels … [read more]

Editorial comment: As Anti-imperialist Camp we absolutely refuse any foreign military intervention as an attempt to destroy the revolutionary popular movement in Syria. It is the Muslim Brotherhood which has asked for such an intervention by Turkey. Following interview does not express our opinion. (Nov 20, 2011) Q: How you refer to the democratic demands and its highest expression, the constituent assembly? A: By burning himself, Mr. Mohammad Bouzizi lit the torch of freedom in the entire Arab world and opened a window of hope in the public mind. He encouraged the Arab youth to fight for the freedom and dignity that the Arab world has been dreaming of for decades. Since then, thousands of citizens in Syria have sacrificed their lives peacefully against the regime’s death machine … [read more]

Their hunger is ours. Thus, a solidarity strike has been initiated by a group of Palestinian youth from within the Palestinian occupied territories 1948, from all factions and political groups. We declare an open hunger strike and sit-ins in the city of Haifa that will commence on Saturday October the 8th, in solidarity with the demands of the Palestinian captive movement, and with the fierce struggle against the occupation and its prisons. The aim of this step is to declare full support for the demands of the captive movement. The most important among those demands is complete freedom from captivity. In addition, we wish to raise awareness and recruit public and institutional support and for the prisoners and their suffering, and to prepare the ground for a genuine popular protest … [read more]

On September 16, 2011, he addressed a public meeting in Vienna’s Austrian-Arab Culture Centre (OKAZ) on the “Syrian Intifada between repression and instrumentalisation”. We recount his intervention and the ensuing debate:* The components of the movement The Syrian Intifada is based on the lower strata of society. Its social roots are the same as in Tunisia and Egypt. It is a revolt against unbearable social conditions while the elites close to the regime still make huge fortunes. The initial force of the Intifada has been the poor but educated youth. As the regime is unable to fully control the internet, they used it to organise the protests. Within a few months the local co-ordinations formed two different revolutionary umbrella committees. 90% of the some 30,000 … [read more]

Kick-off debate: Syria Hadidi expressed full support for the popular movement and explained that its direction is genuinely democratic. It is moving against sectarian strife provoked by the regime that is to say the intifada is secular and liberal in the best sense of the word and is as well anti-imperialist as it is struggling against a western-imposed regional order. Subhi Hadidi categorically refused any foreign military or state intervention. This is why he goes against all attempts in exile to form representations which in the last instance only serve to provide a partner and thus legitimacy for western intervention. A real revolutionary council can – according to Hadidi – only be built inside the country which will take time. He voiced great optimism that the regime of … [read more]

The Syrian people has been struggling for democracy for months now. As the Assad regime reveals its incapacity to reform day by day, answering the legitimate popular demands only with brute violence, the movement more and more turns into a revolution for which a death toll will be paid. Revolt against neo-liberalism In Europe (and also among the Syrians in exile) there is talk only about democracy – but this is dangerous, for in the last decades democracy has become a neo-colonial export product (see Iraq and Afghanistan). Without further specification democracy simply means the more or less mediated rule of the western oligarchy excluding the poorer classes, both politically and socially. In Syria as in the Arab world in general we see a popular movement against the capitalist … [read more]

Professor Burhan Ghalioun was assigned as chairman. He is one of the leading figures of the exile opposition. He heads the Center for Oriental Studies in Paris (Centre d’Etudes sur l’Orient Contemporain; CEOC) and teaches political science at the Sorbonne. He has been a vocal enemy of a foreign military intervention in Syria. Among the nominated members are Wagdy Mustafa and Riad Seif as vice chairmen as well as renowned oppositionists like Haytham Maleh, Michel Kilo, Suhair Atas, the leader of the Damascus declaration Riad Turk and the cartoonist Ali Farzat. The latter recently got attacked in Damascus and got his arms broken. The personalities nominated enjoy a certain popular consensus. The communiqué of the “Revolutionary Youth” stresses that the lack of a political … [read more]

Q: September 9 has been named by the Syrian popular movement „Friday of international protection“. Do they really call for international intervention? One must differentiate between international protection by states and governments on one hand and civil organisations on the other hand. The first ones we cannot trust as they follow their own agenda and use double standards regarding human rights. But the second idea means that NGOs like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and human rights groups should send observers. That implies also free movement for the Arab as well as the international media. Their presence across the Syrian towns could significantly curtail the brutality of the regime. This demand is different to calling upon the US or the UN who do not follow unselfish … [read more]

With regard to the danger of “regime change” by the imperialists he said that “Syria is quiet different from Libya”. The overwhelming majority of the people will refuse and fight an imperialist military intervention. Even covered and operated by Turkey the political groups and popular trends involved in the revolt “do not accept the Turkish intervention”. Kubaysi advised not to listen to the media reports which are campaigning for Western interests but do not reflect the internal situation properly. Exile politicians disturb the real picture. “We should focus on forces and groups inside Syria and I am sure that the anti-imperialist left is dominating now and will continue to do so in the future.” According to the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance’s leader there are only the … [read more]

The world imperialism for its "world order" needs to occupy more regions and set up their military bases on their strategic requirement. US and NATO have been committing such crimes in the war in Afghanistan as well. They have caused the death of more than 100.000 Afghans and not only could not restored "democracy and peace" but also deteriorated the situation more than before. They established a corrupt and weak regime which cannot stay a week without the support of US/NATO. The recently talking on strategic agreement between Afghanistan and US for legalizing occupation forces and establishment of military bases constitute the key objective of the bargaining between a master and a slave. The imperialism never have helped a nation nor brought the prosperity to them. This claim once … [read more]