Statement of the Politbureau of the Iraqi Communist Party

At dawn yesterday Iraq has suffered what we have always feared and warned against, time and again, in recent months. The US forces launched their first missile attack on Iraq, thus signalling the breakout of the war they had been threatening to wage under the pretexts of either "regime-change" or the elimination of the country's weapons of mass destruction, as well as other declared objectives.

All these objectives could have been achieved by using peaceful means that would have spared our people and country further suffering and devastation, and which would have also paved the way for the democratic change that the Iraqi people been aspiring for. However, the US administration has chosen to adopt the worst available means, thus endangering people's lives, damaging the economy, and jeopardizing peace and security in the area. It should also be noted that the decision to go to war was not only unilateral but also, more importantly, lacked international legitimacy, having not exhausted the various diplomatic means.

Our people have thus been exposed to another catastrophe of enormous proportions, compounding the wounds that had already suffered as a result of the regime's previous wars.

Although the war is now in its second day, and despite the fact that the invading forces have already penetrated Iraqi territories, it is possible and essential to put an immediate end to it, and resume political and diplomatic efforts, to preserve the lives of the innocent, and protect the country and its infrastructure from further devastation.

While we raise our voices to demand an immediate end to the war, we cannot at all overlook or ignore the Iraqi dictatorial regime's pivotal responsibility in precipitating this war, as it has done before. During the past 12 years, it has neither eliminated the banned weapons, nor implemented most of the UN Security Council resolutions, thus providing the US administration with the pretext to unleash this new war.

The tyrant heading the Iraqi regime continues to oppress our people, while missiles rain down on them, despite many appeals to relinquish power and leave the country, and thus spare the Iraqi people the calamities of war.

The removal of this murderous adventurous regime continues to be a basic urgent task that should only be accomplished by the Iraqi people, their armed forces and the patriotic opposition forces that aspire to a unified federal democratic Iraq.

The tragic ordeal of our people, caught up between the war and the disastrous policies of the regime, makes it urgent for our people, the armed forces and the patriotic opposition forces to rally around the national cause and tirelessly struggle together to defeat attempts to marginalize and deprive them from exercising their rights, especially the right to determine the future of their country, with neither foreign intervention nor patronage, as well as the right of the Kurdish people to have their cause settled peacefully and democratically.

Our people and their patriotic forces, while confronting the current tragic situation in our country, and striving to defend life and existence, look forward to active solidarity and support from brethren and friends as well as peace and freedom loving public opinion around the world, in the struggle to stop the war, to rid the country from the dictatorial regime and build an Iraq of peace, freedom and dignity, a democratic federal Iraq

Shaqlawa, Iraqi Kurdistan

21st March 2003

		Druckversion
	21.03.2003 \| Iraqi Communist Party Statement of the Politbureau of the Iraqi Communist Party At dawn yesterday Iraq has suffered what we have always feared and warned against, time and again, in recent months. The US forces launched their first missile attack on Iraq, thus signalling the breakout of the war they had been threatening to wage under the pretexts of either "regime-change" or the elimination of the country's weapons of mass destruction, as well as other declared objectives. All these objectives could have been achieved by using peaceful means that would have spared our people and country further suffering and devastation, and which would have also paved the way for the democratic change that the Iraqi people been aspiring for. However, the US administration has chosen to adopt the worst available means, thus endangering people's lives, damaging the economy, and jeopardizing peace and security in the area. It should also be noted that the decision to go to war was not only unilateral but also, more importantly, lacked international legitimacy, having not exhausted the various diplomatic means. Our people have thus been exposed to another catastrophe of enormous proportions, compounding the wounds that had already suffered as a result of the regime's previous wars. Although the war is now in its second day, and despite the fact that the invading forces have already penetrated Iraqi territories, it is possible and essential to put an immediate end to it, and resume political and diplomatic efforts, to preserve the lives of the innocent, and protect the country and its infrastructure from further devastation. While we raise our voices to demand an immediate end to the war, we cannot at all overlook or ignore the Iraqi dictatorial regime's pivotal responsibility in precipitating this war, as it has done before. During the past 12 years, it has neither eliminated the banned weapons, nor implemented most of the UN Security Council resolutions, thus providing the US administration with the pretext to unleash this new war. The tyrant heading the Iraqi regime continues to oppress our people, while missiles rain down on them, despite many appeals to relinquish power and leave the country, and thus spare the Iraqi people the calamities of war. The removal of this murderous adventurous regime continues to be a basic urgent task that should only be accomplished by the Iraqi people, their armed forces and the patriotic opposition forces that aspire to a unified federal democratic Iraq. The tragic ordeal of our people, caught up between the war and the disastrous policies of the regime, makes it urgent for our people, the armed forces and the patriotic opposition forces to rally around the national cause and tirelessly struggle together to defeat attempts to marginalize and deprive them from exercising their rights, especially the right to determine the future of their country, with neither foreign intervention nor patronage, as well as the right of the Kurdish people to have their cause settled peacefully and democratically. Our people and their patriotic forces, while confronting the current tragic situation in our country, and striving to defend life and existence, look forward to active solidarity and support from brethren and friends as well as peace and freedom loving public opinion around the world, in the struggle to stop the war, to rid the country from the dictatorial regime and build an Iraq of peace, freedom and dignity, a democratic federal Iraq Shaqlawa, Iraqi Kurdistan 21st March 2003 WADI e.V. \| tel.: (+49) 069-57002440 \| fax (+49) 069-57002444 http://www.wadinet.de \| e-mail: