Brothers and sisters, comrades!
Our conference takes places at a decisive historical moment. Only three months ago the Lebanese Resistance defeated the Zionist state’s attempt to occupy Lebanon. Yet the major imperialist powers are still seeking to transform Lebanon into a disarmed buffer zone for Israel. The latter continues to kill and starve the Palestinian people and transforms the Gaza Strip into a huge, open-air prison with not a word of protest from the “civilised” western powers. At the same time the barbarous occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan by the US and EU continues. As if this is not enough they are also threatening Iran and Syria with similar atrocities.
But their plans for a “new Middle East” are facing growing obstacles. The Zionist State was able to murder 1000 civilians in Lebanon, it smashed the country’s housing, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals but it could not defeat the Lebanese people’s resistance. In Iraq and Afghanistan the imperialist occupiers and their local puppets suffer escalating casualties. Despite its enormous military superiority Israel fails to break the steadfastness of the Palestinian people. Inside the “belly of the beast” the USA, Britain and the other imperialist powers – public hatred of the war and the politicians that dragged them into it is growing by leaps and bounds.
At the same time the imperialist ruling class faces massive resistance at their home front. A growing number of workers and youth have joined the anti-war movement and demand an end to the hypocritical “war on terror”. Since 15th February 2003 – when 15-20 million people worldwide marched against the US invasion in Iraq – hundreds of thousand of workers and youth again and again take the streets to stop the barbarous war drive of the imperialists.
But despite the massive popular resistance both in the Middle East and in the imperialist heartlands the warmongers are pressing on with their attacks. Both the greed of the multinational corporations for oil and new markets, and the geo-strategic plans of the generals and rulers guarantee that the imperialist “permanent war” will continue in the years ahead. Only a fool could believe that Israel will not take the first opportunity to bomb Lebanon, Syria or Iran. Only a fool could believe that the US and EU imperialists will give up their plans to subjugate any state and people which defies their plans.
Therefore we have to take our resistance to a higher level. At the moment there are various national anti-war movements, trade unions and youth movements who organise the struggle in their respective countries. But these activities are very weakly coordinated, if at all. True, following on from the magnificent February 15 2003 worldwide day of action there have been several such coordinated mobilisations. But these protests have not stopped the war mongers. Now we have to take an ambitious but vital step forward. Our enemy is globally well-organised. The imperialist rulers and their diplomats regularly discuss, coordinate and plan their activities. But we – the anti-war movement – don’t. We meet irregularly and even then we hardly make any practical decisions. This must change. This must change now!
We must create a real international and effective resistance against war. This means a mass movement which acts as an international movement, with global actions and common demands and which coordinates its activities on a permanent basis. If we organise a global boycott campaign against Israel, if we can react immediately to the threat of a new war (for example against Lebanon or Iran) and organise days of actions, strikes and mass demonstrations around the world, if we issue common international statements immediately in emergency situations – if we do this we can make a massive step forward in our struggle against the imperialist war drive.
We propose that this conference adopts a declaration which includes the following positions:
* Stop the Israeli aggression on Lebanon! Israeli troops out of the Shebaa Farms! Release all prisoners of imperialist war and occupation!
* UN/European troops – Out of Lebanon! Lebanon must not become an international Protectorate of the great powers.
* Stop Israel’s strangling of the Palestine people! Throw the Israeli occupiers out of Palestine! No to the imperialist occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
* Solidarity with the Resistance in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.
* Hands off Iran and Syria! No to any sanctions.
* The Beirut Conference should issue a call for a global economic and political boycott of Israel organised by the international trade unions and anti-war movements – isolate the aggressor!
* To show our solidarity with the Resistance we must organise an international tour of its representatives from Lebanon and other countries with mass public meetings.
* The Beirut Conference should issue a call for mass protests around the globe on Day X in case of another aggression of Israel against Lebanon or an attack on Iran or Syria.
* The Beirut Conference should issue a call for an international day of action against war and occupation on 17th March 2007 at the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
* The Beirut Conference recognises that imperialism threatens those who resist its aggression and plunder, in Latin America (Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia etc.) in Asia (North Korea) and in Africa too. We must support all resistance to economic and military blockades, CIA-engineered coups and invasions.
To coordinate these activities and react quickly if new situations arise we propose setting up an international committee with delegates from all countries to meet several times a year and maintain regular contact in between (via e-mail, telephone etc.) Such a body would be able to issue statements in emergency situations and to internationally coordinate our activities. Brothers and Sisters, this is what the Beirut conference can and what it should achieve.