press release
44 members of the US congress addressed a formal protest letter to the Italian ambassador in Washington, Sergio Vento, asking to outlaw the Anti-imperialist Camp.
On July 1 the US provider shut down our site www.antiimperialista.org. We knew of the strong pressure coming from the American right wing.
Today we know that this pressure comes from the top layers of the US regime.
On July 27 the weekly “US News” informed that 44 members of the Congress sent the aforementioned letter to the Italian ambassador, dated June 28, demanding the iron fist against the Anti-imperialist Camp. The base of the accusation against us it that we, as steadfast supporters of the Iraqi Resistance, would be “part of an international network of terrorist finance”.
What the congressmen want becomes immediately clear reading the petition: force the Berlusconi government to outlaw the Camp and to arrest is members. The article in US News states it explicitly: “If you really want to crack down, you have to arrest the people behind it.”
Nobody can deny the unprecedented boldness of this intimidation. For the Neocon environment of Bush with their conception of an American Empire it is obvious that the Italian government has to execute the orders coming from Washington as Italy is considered not much more than a colony. Thus the Anti-imperialist Camp has become the scapegoat to demand the proof for the subordination to Bush – not only of the Berlusconi government but also of the centre left. Because of our determination to defend the liberation struggle of the Iraqi people we have become the acid test for the US regime which wants to impose on the world its imperial law, dismantling the state of law in vigour in other countries, thus destroying national sovereignty.
In their protest note the 44 members of parliament eventually ask – or threaten – the Italian government to impede the international conference “Leave Iraq in peace – support the legitimate Resistance of the Iraqi people” scheduled for 1 and 2 October in Italy with the participation of dozens of delegations from Iraq and around the world.
To the government we say that it can and must refuse the pressure coming from Washington. If is does not, it is but a puppet of the US, not only betraying the democracy and the freedom it likes to talk of, but also the very independence of our country.
We call upon the parliamentary opposition to keep their promises regarding the withdrawal of the occupation troops from Iraq. It has not only to ask the government to refuse the American pressure but has also to explain in parliament what it has done and what it intends to do to rebuff this severe imperialist interference in Italian politics.
We call upon the movement against the war, upon all antagonist forces, to demonstrate against the North American request and to mobilise in defence of democracy and freedom. First of all this includes to support the legitimate right of the Iraqi people to chase away the colonialist occupation troops.
Anti-imperialist Camp
Assisi, August 4, 2005
For solidarity messages: camp@antiimperialista.org
