One of the stated purposes of this web journal is "Research Clearinghouse." One of the points I have tried to make over and over again is that we ought not frame the situation in Iraq as "U.S. versus terrorists" with no other side being represented. Indeed, in my opinion, the healthiest position for progressives to take is a skeptical refusal to align ourselves with either side when both sides are, essentially, using terror and violence as their primary tools...and when neither of those sides will outright reject the loss of innocent life as a side-effect of their politics.

I think there's a chance that in posting Falah Alwan's speech below, a few more people will read it than if I didn't, so here it is, courtesy of the English version of the web page for the Workers' Communist Party of Iraq.

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Falah Alwan’s speech, leader of the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq at the demonstration held in Bern-Switzerland on March 20, 2004

A year of war against the Iraqi Masses

A year of living under dark scenario

On Behalf of the Iraqi workers, the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq and on my own behalf, I extend warm greetings to everyone in this demonstration.

I take this opportunity to thank all freedom-loving people, civilised humanity, antiwar activists and opponents of terrorisms and occupation for their support for the Iraqi people.

Human tragedies and destruction caused by the latest war by the USA and its allies against Iraq are enormous. This war not only devastated the infrastructures but also caused deep suffering and human catastrophes across the country.

People around the world saw through the media coverage, how innocent people, including children, the elderly, and women were killed. We have once again seen the scene of corpuses and destroyed buildings lying everywhere as the result of this barbaric war.

America lunched its war in the name of democracy and fighting terrorisms.

However, what kind of democracy has America created for the Iraqi people?

The result was thousands of innocent victims as the direct result of American war and occupation or as the result of the daily bombings as a consequence of this occupation, insecurity, uncertainty, millions of unemployed and thousands of displaced people, the rise of extremely reactionary and terrorist forces which are trying to impose their reactionary policies on the society, and possibility of ethnic and sectarian wars.

Amid these horrible circumstances, the Iraqi workers are standing up to the USA policies and the policies of the Iraqi Governing Council hand picked by the USA and formed of the most reactionary religious, and ethnocentric groups, head of tribes and mercenaries.

The progressive section of the Iraqi workers is in the forefront of the fight against war, and occupation and for freedom and civility.

While the bourgeois forces are in fierce fight on power and to define the society along religious, racial and ethnic lines, the Iraqi workers have demonstrated that they are the only force which strugglers for the unity of the society and against ethnic and sectarian conflicts.

The USA wants to enforce its New World Order and is trying to make Iraq a model. This has been through two destructive wars, which turned Iraq to a field for settling international conflicts and striking new balances among international forces and reactionary poles.

The labour movement should also set its model in Iraq and world widely which defends civility and save the humanity using civilized and humanist methods.

The progressive workers and freedom loving people in Iraq have been in frontline in the struggle against the policies of the USA and the reactionary forces in Iraq.

Let’s make Iraq the starting point for building such powerful labour movement

Lets escalate our protests for brining an end to the war of terrorists and for a better world. A world where people are free and equal. A world free of exploitation, poverty and deprivation, free of reactionary movements and thoughts, free of national and religious discrimination and free of reactionary ideas and thoughts.

Lets escalate our struggle for building a world of unconditional freedom of belief, expression and thinking. A world of full and unconditional equality between men and women. This can only be achieved by a strong freedom loving movement on the scale of the world united on the basis of these humanist aspirations.

Support the labour movement in Iraq

Support its representative, the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq

Long live the international movement for freedom and equality.

Falah Alwan

Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unison in Iraq

March 20,2004