Speech of Costas Christodoulides, Responsible of the International Relations and European Affairs Department of the C.C. of AKEL
International Seminar ”The struggles of young people against the imperialist interventions in the Middle East” organized by EDON
8TH July 2015, Nicosia
It is inevitable that during this phase of capitalism, the imperialist predatory wars that were waged in the 19th and 20th centuries will continue and intensify. Especially in the Middle East, the role of the British, French and others historically was not just colonial and parasitic, but also divisive and destructive in cultivating hatred among the peoples and manipulating class, ethnic and religious divisions.
The repetition of such attacks is at the core of the system and in fact constitutes its essence. It is repeating the same imperialist colonial wars of militarist, finance and industrial capital that led to a History of bloodshed in the 19th and 20 century. Only socialism will overcome the root causes of this barbarism.
Regardless of this objective conclusion, it is our belief that it is not inevitable that people are defeated in these wars. That is why the Communist and Workers’ Parties, the truly progressive forces in the region, the organized peace movement in the countries where interventions are underway or being planned surgery have as their political destiny the obligation to stand at the forefront of the struggle of the masses against these plans.
We express our full solidarity in every way with the struggles of the peoples; with the people of Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran; with the peace-loving forces in Israel, against previous, current and upcoming occupations, against the sectarian divisions and chauvinism.
Our own country, Cyprus is also a victim of the imperialist designs. Foreign forces succeeded by utilizing the nationalist spirit and “Great idealism” of the bourgeois forces to divide our homeland whose people are currently suffering from the Turkish occupation. Cyprus today is the unsinkable aircraft carrier of Britain and NATO, a NATO spy base and launching pad in the eastern Mediterranean. Our Party is committed to the full independence, freedom and reunification of Cyprus together with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots. Under the slogan “One homeland – One people” we are struggling to break the shackles of prejudice and hatred, to march forward together on the difficult path of the common struggle against the foreign, mercenary interests.
Dear comrades,
Certain facts are of great importance in shaping the situation in the region.
The cooperation of the US with the monarchies of the Gulf states is of a strategic nature, as well as the deployment in the Arab Gulf countries and Turkey of elements of the so-called missile defense of NATO-American origin.
The mother of every war and conflict continues to be the Israeli occupation in Palestine. The re-election of an aggressive, militarist government under Netanyahu is unfortunately a guarantee for non-positive developments on the Palestinian issue.
Four additional elements must be viewed in our opinion in the light of an overall plan, a roadmap that is followed by the most unscrupulous reactionary forces:
The first is the revolts and interventions of the Western forces and others, accompanied by the change in the regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
War and the threat of Iraq being divided into three parts.
The interventions and the war in Syria for the overthrow of the regime and control of the country.
Finally, the initial support given to extremist-terrorist organization by the US, UK, the EU, Gulf monarchies and Turkey.
All these facts must be perceived in the light of the plan for the creation of the so-called New Middle East. The US plan seeks to render as attractive the theory that the cause of instability and conflict in the region is – supposedly – the mistakes committed in the borders between states in the region. The plan for the so-called new Middle East that was elaborated in 2000 by the Bush administration includes the creation of Governments friendly to the US, aiming at the control of the region and the rich productive resources up to and including Iran
NATO and the EU are on a common course. With the so-called European Security Strategy, the goal is set out for both parties, namely the EU and US, to become a “colossal force for good” in order to combat the threats of humanity. In reality, the danger of the destabilization of the imperialist order, that they represent, are interpreted as constituting threats. The interventionist role of the EU is being institutionalized as a strategic conception for the first time.
Today, four years since the beginning of the war in Syria there are two key issues that revolve around the so-called Islamic State. One refers to an aerial or ground attack in Syria. The second concerns an attack by Israel following a provocation in Iran. There are samples that sooner or later this is the path which the imperialists and their gendarmes want to pursue. It is not accidental relevant, The relevant recent statements made by the British Defense Minister M. Fallon and the Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu, who has designated Iran as a greater danger than the Islamic State, are not accidental.
Furthermore, new elements are being added to the equation. The discovery and extraction of huge gas reserves in Israel, the discovery of gas reserves in Cyprus constitute a new pole of interest for the imperialists while, at the same time Israel aspires to use the natural wealth of the region for the fulfillment of its expansionist designs. It is no coincidence that the naval blockade of Gaza is continuing, given that in the region significant reserves worth more than four billion dollars have been identified.
The war for the “black gold”, gas and energy routs is the driving force for the division and re-division of the markets and raw materials between a handful of imperialist formations. One hundred years after writing “Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism”, Lenin not only continues to be timely, but developments confirm him.
The imperialist forces that maintain the exploitative system are currently waging, covertly and overtly, dozens of wars. The figures on armaments expenditure during this period of the ongoing capitalist crisis are indicative. While the peoples are loaded with the burden of the crisis, US armaments spending in 2014 amounted to 609 billion dollars. In the United Kingdom, armament expenditure has risen to 36 billion pounds and Germany’s at 35 billion Euros. Overall, NATO’s military expenditure for 2014 was close to 900 billion dollars. All these elements, together with the decisions taken by NATO, the USA and the EU, prove that they want to make the 21st century the most bloody century in History.
In this reactionary context, a series of fascist, extremist, sectarian forces are reviving.
We welcome the fact that EDON, together with other youth organizations in the region, are developing a special interest and activity on the issue of peace. Of course, this is not an academic issue, especially when referring to the Middle East, who is suffering from the consequences of wars.
The cooperation, the joint struggle of parties and of our youth organizations the hope of rousing the struggle of the peoples. Your own struggle, no matter how difficult it may be represents a shining example for the generations to come. Your struggles are annoying the warmongering forces because it represents the only alternative solution to the issue “war or peace”.
