The recent widespread exposure of leading Stop the War Coalition officers as self declared defenders of the fundamental rights of the Iraqi ‘resistance’ to use any tactic they like in their struggle has caused a certain amount of panic amongst the Stoppers, particularly now that such tactics include the systematic targetting of Iraqi Trades Unionists.
In the blogosphere those with an interest in trying to explain things from the STWC perspective have a difficult task. Try this effort from someone called ‘Meaders’ who blogs here.
There’s no need to go through his posting line by line, most of the points he makes have been demolished on this site, at Johann’s, and elsewhere.
What is worth highlighting though is this passage about a ‘slander’ on the STWC:
Following the murder of Hadi Salih, international officer of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), Nick Cohen and Johann Hari (aided and abetted by their blogging sidekicks) penned disgraceful attacks on the Coalition for the national press. Both were based on the lie – the absolute, flat-out lie – that the Coalition supports civilian deaths and urges the resistance on by “any means necessary”. I dealt with the slander here; Lenin adds more to the story here and here.
The Coalition doesn’t support civilian deaths. No one ever mentioned the words “by any means neccessary”. It’s a slander. Got that ? Good.
Here’s ‘Meaders’ popping up in someone else’s comments box making things a little less clear about what those in the STWC actually think about acceptable tactics.
It’s been said before, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the “by any means necessary” formulation: “necessary means” clearly does not include the murder of trade unionists; this will do nothing to liberate Iraq.
I say that as one member of the Stop the War Coalition. Clearly, others in the Coalition will disagree with that, for all sorts of reasons. That’s fine by me. For the Coalition to work at all, as Robin says, all kinds of compromises have to be made.
Remember we are talking about a campaign of assasination of Trades Unionists here and reflect on his words one more time.
“Clearly there are others…who will disagree”
“That’s fine by me”
“All sorts of compromises have to be made”