Iran

After eight months of protest, originally part of a regional and international movement against oppression, unemployment and misery, here involving Druze, Sunnis, Christians, Kurds, men, women and children, events in Syria have continued to take a darker turn with new, dangerous developments

The text we are publishing below was sent to us by a comrade who has commented on our web site under the handle "Internationalist". We think it is valuable in unmasking the reality of the reformist and democratic mystification represented by Mosavi's "Green movement" opposition, and as such we hope that it will engender more discussion.

Britain's role in meddling in Iranian politics in the past is well documented, such as its part in overthrowing the elected government in 1953 alongside the USA. At the same time no brutal, corrupt and hated regime anywhere in the world will ever admit to the existence of any discontent that has not been stirred up by outside forces.

This movement started as a protest about cheating in the elections and protesters were originally mobilised in support of Mousavi. However, the slogans quickly became more radicalised. There is a huge difference between Mousavi's feeble protests to the supreme leader about the ‘unfairness' of the elections, and the crowd's chants of "death to the dictator and the regime".

It is 30 years since the so-called ‘Iranian Revolution'. We have reprinted a statement that was put out across the ICC press in response to the powerful propaganda that filled the pages of the left and right wing media at the time. It ridicules the notion that some kind of bourgeois or bourgeois democratic revolution had taken place.

On the 17th October President Bush insisted that he "had told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them [Iran] from having the knowledge necessary to make nuclear weapons". This could be dismissed as another example of Bush's exaggerated rhetoric, but underlying this statement is the real threat that the wounded bear that is US imperialism will strike out at imperialist rivals that are constantly baiting it.

The seizure of 15 British military personnel by Iran represents a serious escalation of the tensions between the occupying powers in Iraq and the Iranian state. It has been used by the regime in Tehran to strike a propaganda blow not only against Britain, but also against the US, and could be used a bargaining chip to secure the release of Iranian agents held by the US in Iraq.

“I don’t know how many times the president, secretary Rice and I have had to repeat that we have no intention of attacking Iran” (Guardian 10/2/07). These were the words of US Defence Secretary Gates in February a few days after President Bush threatened Iran with retaliation for its involvement in Iraq and as a US fleet of some 50 ships, including two aircraft carriers and others with cruise missiles, moved within striking distance of Iran...

The first few weeks of the new year have seen renewed tensions over Iran, leading to a decision to send the issue to the UN security council...This prompted a chorus of disapproval from around the world, including from China and Russia, who have traditionally been supportive of the country, and resulted in the unanimous decision to report Iran to the UN security council. However, this apparent unity of the great powers is no more real today than at any time over recent years.

We have recently received a letter from Iran that raises a number of issues. In this response we will focus on the part of his letter that deals with the unions. We have made some minor changes to the text but have left the language unchanged.

Following the Bam tragedy, the Iranian state launched an international appeal for aid, and in the name of human solidarity the great powers of this world sent in rescue and aid teams. From the accounts of several members of non-government organisations, there was a veritable competition between the aid teams to see who would impose their presence first. Their lack of coordination added further confusion to the chaotic state of the local aid agencies. The television teams from France, Britain and Russia produced some frankly indecent publicity about their own teams of rescuers and sniffer dogs. This tragedy was even the occasion for grand gestures between the US and Iran. Whatever the media might say, the sending of American rescuers was simply a 'humanitarian' mask for imperialist ambitions; the speeches about the purely humanitarian nature of the rescue effort were purely lies. The earthquake provided a good opportunity for the US authorities to make an approach to Iran; the latter has a huge influence on the Shiite community in Iraq, which is currently causing considerable difficulties to the American occupying force. As for the Iranians, they are hoping that the US will rein in the armed Mohajedin opposition it has been supporting against the Tehran regime.