THE imperialist powers are now working overtime to explode the Mediterranean region, from Libya to Turkey, into one huge raging fire.
The UN Security Council on Friday approved a European military operation to seize and destroy boats used by migrant smugglers in the Mediterranean, after thousands have died in dangerous crossings, driven out of their homes by the imperialist wars on Iraq, Libya and then Syria from 2003 onwards.
This approval raises the spectre of the Royal Navy, or other EU naval or air forces sinking ships packed with refugees, if their trafficking masters refuse to surrender. The British-drafted resolution specifically authorises the use of force. EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini described the resolution as ‘an important political endorsement by the international community’ of the EU maritime force and its operation on the high seas.
Refugees will no longer just have to survive the perils of the sea and the traffickers, they will also have to take their chances against the guns, bombs and the boarding parties of the European navies and air forces. The 15-member council adopted the measure by a vote of 14 in favour, with Venezuela abstaining after refusing to vote for a motion that grants the right to the EU’s military forces to open fire on refugee carrying ships.
Not content with this great British UN victory, Syria is to be discussed in the House of Commons today, to prepare the way for a vote for British military intervention. The latest news is that up to 50 Labour MPs are now ready to OK bombing Syria and attacking the forces of President Assad.
In fact, Labour MP Jo Cox alongside Tory MP Andrew Mitchell are forming a parliamentary group to support UK military action in Syria, to establish a secure no-fly zone without the permission of President Assad’s government.
This manoeuvre comes as the direct result of Labour Shadow Chancellor McDonnell’s ‘offer’, made at the Labour Party conference that Labour MPs should be allowed to vote to bomb Syria if that is what their malign consciences dictate. This is despite the fact that the conference carried an emergency resolution that only the Security Council could authorise legal military action against Syria.
In a joint article in the Observer, Cox and Mitchell declare that: ‘We need a military component that protects civilians as a necessary prerequisite to any future UN or internationally provided safe havens. The creation of safe havens inside Syria would eventually offer sanctuary from both the actions of Assad and ISIS, as we cannot focus on ISIS without an equal focus on Assad. They would save lives, reduce radicalisation and help to slow down the refugee exodus.’
A UK military intervention to establish secure, no-fly zones, inevitably means a conflict with the Syrian army, and with Russia and Iran behind it. It is a recipe for a major war which will see hundreds of millions of refugees all across the countries of the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, just across the Golan Heights a whole Palestinian nation is being beaten to death by Israel, with the full support of the US and UK governments, and with the US and the UK providing Israel with all of its military needs to continue the slaughter and maintain its 67-year occupation of Palestine. There is no special debate and vote on a secure zone for Palestine in the House of Commons!
The US and UK trade unions must speak up and act on these decisive issues. The UK trade unions must give their full support to Palestine and to Syria. They must tell the UK government that they will take strike action if UK troops or planes are ordered to take military action against Syria.
In fact our enemy is at home and is the British bankers and bosses. The best way for us to show our solidarity with Syria and Palestine is to bring down the Cameron government and bring in a workers government that will put an end to British capitalism and imperialism to make the world a much better and safer place to live in!
