[fse-esf] Patience?

[Sotiris Kontogiannis]

Dear All,

There is no doubt that the decision taken in Athens was clearly for the total withdrawal of all troops from Iraq and Afganistan. I do not undersand those of you who are attacking Piero and Cobas for their decision to demonstrate against the military parade and for the complete withdrawal of all foreign troops on the 2nd of June. 

Franco Russo is saying that "D'Alema corrected himself by affirming that the withdrawal from
Iraq will be complete, not partial". But this is not good enough. 

The question is not whether the occupation troops will or will not leave Iraq –the question is when they will do that. Will D’Alema withdraw the Italian troops from Iraq in July 2006, in July 2007 or maybe in July 2010?

Secondly there is Afghanistan. We all of us know too well (we have discussed about it many times) that the US is desperate to disengage from Afghanistan in order to concentrate their efforts in the Middle East –in Iraq and most probable in Iran too. The gap left behind will be filled by non American NATO troops. Their task will be no different from the tasks that the occupying forces have in Iraq: to fire on demonstrators who are fighting against the occupation. Just look at the news from Afghanistan today –the worst riots since the fall of Kabul- and you will get an idea of what “our” troops will be engaged there.

Italy is one of he major powers in the world. A decision by the new Italian government to stop supporting this war would be a severe blow to the warmongers. A decision to go on supporting the occupation in Afghanistan –by keeping the Italian troops there- will be a blow to peace all over the world.

Some of you are proposing to the Italian comrades “to be patient” and trust the new government and its good intentions. Is the invitation to Tony Blair to attend the Military Parade a sign of good intentions? Personally, I think it is a huge provocation for our movement. Prodi, seems to me like, someone who is balancing between different and contradicting pressures: speaking about “occupation” in Iraq in order to please the antiwar feelings of the Italian people who have voted him into power and then inviting Blair to attend a military parade in order to show to the fellow Great Powers in the “Coalition of the willing” that these are just words… 

In such a situation, I think the worst error which the movement in Italy could do is to relay on the government and its promises, stay at home and wait when this marvelous day will come when the troops will be back. Indeed, as Franco Russo is almost saying “Peace is  too  important an issue to be left to up to… words”.

I wish Piero and the comrades from Cobas a big success on Friday. You are fighting for all of us

Sotiris Kontogiannis
Stop The War Coalition Greece

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