“Homeland security” will not stop liberation struggle from US Empire
On July 1, 2005, the US provider Westhost closed down our website antiimperialista.org which it had been hosting since 2000. The reason given by its vice president was “because of terrorist activity (or even more specifically, raising money for the Iraqi resistance)”.
This move has been preceded by a media campaign which climaxed in an article of the weekly “US News” on June 26 titled “National Security Watch: Eurolefties fund Iraq insurgency” . This was taken up by various smaller outlets and websites proofing the continued control of the chauvinist pro-war and pro-occupation forces over the US public opinion. One of those boosting to have helped to silence us was for example politicalfailures.com which is not even neo-con but can be categorised as close to the military.
“10 Euro for the Iraqi Resistance”
Main target of the American Empire´s forces remains the campaign “10 Euro for the Iraqi Resistance” launched by the Anti-imperialist Camp right after the inception of the occupation of Iraq. At that time we took this initiative in order to indicate a way out of the failure of the anti-war movement to really stop the war. The movement had hoped for the European powers to hinder the US aggression. But they did nothing as they are integral part of the imperialist system. While big parts continued with the wrong and reactionary formula “neither war nor terror” equalising the resistance against the Empire with terrorism and thus indirectly legitimising the permanent war launched by Washington against any opposition to their tyranny, we openly proclaimed: The only forces able to stop and eventually defeat the Empire is the resistance of the popular masses and first of all the Iraqi one. It was the period in which the US still tried to pose as “liberator” while the Resistance was springing up to the surprise both of imperialism as well as of the anti-war forces.
We collected money for the Resistance not because it was in urgent need for it. They not only stated once and again that they have no shortage in arms, money and manpower. Our contribution also was too modest in financial respect. But what they really need and what we could really contribute was POLITICAL SUPPORT.
Those thousands and thousands who donated 10 Euro together with their names to be published expressed that the Resistance including the armed one against foreign occupation is a legitimate right as was the struggle against Nazi occupation of Europe. The campaign therefore was at the same time directed to defend the acutely menaced elementary democratic right of free expression if favour of a just liberation struggle – something the Empire cannot tolerate.
While the European ruling classes celebrate themselves as anti-fascists they in fact are in connivance with the new expansive and aggressive empire coming up. What they actually did was to cover the new imperialist wars and aggressions as “humanitarian” and “anti-fascist” ones. Where ever new “Hitlers” are discovered the bombs follow suit. It is the Anti-imperialist Camp and the supporters of the popular anti-imperialist resistance who defend the anti-fascist legacy that is the struggle against capitalist imperialism no matter whether with a fascist or a liberalist face.
For the time being the collected funds were spent only in Austria where the cargo flight worth some Euro 2000 for two tons of medicaments for the Al Anbar province was paid. The rest of the money remains on the bank accounts for it was destined for the use of a political front of the Resistance which has not been constituted yet.
Homeland security department
In blogsforbush.com the vice president of Westhost stated that already in March 2004 the homeland security department had come up with a court order to control our logfiles.
So far we were, however, not able to procure this court order. We will keep trying to do so and to take legal action against this violation of the basic political rights. Our friends in the US signalled that they will help us both on a legal as well as on a political level. Our case is a further proof of the successive dismantling of the democratic rights in the US proportionally to the construction of the their empire
This repressive act shapes part of a chain of moves against the Anti-imperialist Camp both in the US and in Europe, especially in Italy. On April 1, 2004, three leaders of the Camp alongside two Turkish militants were arrested for “membership in a terrorist organisation”. This was the climax of a powerful press campaign against the Italian supporters of he Iraqi Resistance. Later the Italian comrades had to be set free and the accusation changed to “support to a terrorist organisation”. On June 30, 2005, the house of Emanuele Fanesi was searched as part of an investigation into the 10 Euro campaign. He is the bearer of the bank account on which the collected funds remain. Without naming others it become, however, clear that indictments against several persons are being prepared.
All this suggests a close co-operation with — or better a subordination of — the European repressive apparatuses to the US. All signs indicate that the campaign against the 10 Euro campaign and the Anti-imperialist Camp is masterminded in Washington.
Conference in support of the Iraqi Resistance
For the forthcoming autumn an International Conference in Support of the Iraqi Resistance International Conference in Support of the Iraqi Resistance is scheduled in Italy of which the Anti-imperialist Camp is once again a driving force. The recent moves against the Camp can only be interpreted as being in view of this major event.
The importance of this Resistance conference, for which high-ranking representatives from Iraq have signalled their readiness to attend, is obvious also given the panic the Italian ruling classes have been beset with after the bomb attacks of London. As the major non-Anglo-Saxon supporter of the US war drive they know that they could be the next target in this asymmetric war. While the government mimes the roaring lion promising bold measures in US-style, even the most stupid regime official understands that only the withdrawal of the troops can avert the danger.
So the European and Italian people will understand that the Resistance conference is a big chance as it is promoting to leave Iraq in peace by withdrawing the troops from Iraq and respecting the Iraqi right to self-determination.
The temporary closure of our website (today July 13 we went online again) will not and can not stop the growing liberation movement against the US empire and the imperialist system in general, a tendency of which the Anti-imperialist Camp is a vocal mouthpiece. On the contrary the development of our activities from the 10 Euro campaign to the Iraqi Resistance conference indicate the enormous growth of the consensus the political positions we stand for wield. While the 10 Euro were a vanguard action to create the basic awareness for the Iraqi Resistance at its onset, the conference is an ripe proposal to Europe´s masses to dissociate from the US tyranny and war.
Anti-imperialist Camp
July 13, 2005
