In recent discussions that I have had opposing a war against Iraq, I notice the attention of many now focuses on the matter of Iraq's leadership. While deploring the drive to war some of my interlocutors show signs of diminished resolve, even to the point of suggesting a war against Iraq might not be entirely bad if a leadership change follows.

Brutal, oppressive dictatorships have their own self-destruct mechanisms. For every person unjustly executed or imprisoned by a despotic regime there are probably no less than ten other people who are connected to each such person. Immediate family, friends, work mates, etc, all will stiffen their resolve to bring down the dictatorship that has murdered or harmed one of their kin. An expanding opposition calls forth more repressive measures which inturn leads to even greater increases in opposition. This process continues until the inevitable overthrow of the despotic regime.

The peoples of Greece, the Philppines, Chile, Iran, Panama, Indonesia, Angola, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Grenada, Cambodia, all have suffered varying periods of dictatorship that had US support. US perfidy probably reached its zenith in Chile. On September 11, 1973 the democratically elected Government of Salvador Allende was overthrown by a military coup. With this regime change came the death squads of Dictator Pinochet, to whose account are credited innumerable murders and the disappearance of innocent people. The CIA and Henry Kissinger are
also credited with assisting Pinochet in this, as well as assisting to bring about the regime change in Chile. Despite US backing the Pinochet regime collapsed as have other US supported dictatorships.

What then is the evidence that the Iraqi regime is tyrannical and faces inevitable collapse? This regime has stood the test of many years of cruel economic sanctions, illegal bombing raids by British and American aircraft and a torrent of propaganda aimed at the Iraqi people suggesting their leader is a murdering thug whom they should overthrow. Saddam Hussein however, remains a popular leader who has armed his people so they can defend themselves in the event of war. He seems not
to have cause to fear his people.

A tactic of potential aggessors is to demonise the leaders of their intended victims by implying these leaders are ruthless dictators. This then enables the pro-war propagandists to undermine peace movements by suggesting anti-war activists support dictators. When some in the peace movement engage in demonising Saddam Hussein they also undermine the peace movement thereby increasing the liklihood of war.

The discipline imposed by the Iraqi leadership is probably no more severe than current circumstances dictate. Of one thing we can be certain. A US engineered change of regime in Iraq would follow the same evolution as the US assisted regime change in Chile. The death squads
and other FBI-CIA intrigues would bring forth opposition that must ultimately triumph over despotism. And the fools who would risk setting their capital to work on alienated Iraqi soil will learn the hard way how capitalists also need peace if they are to prosper.

Some material sourced from Encyclopaedia Britannica and The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. PMB 121 1187 Coast Village Road, Suit 1 Santa Barbara, California, USA. Web Page www.wagingpeace.org Published by E.H. Craill for The Peace Advocate, 41 Mitchell Park, South Australia, 5043. e-mail peaceadvocat@esc.net.au

wBack