Iraqi Communist Party
by Sammr- S. Abdulla

The need to join forces

Dear comrades,
Please allow me to convey to you warm comradely greetings
from the Iraqi Communist Party, together with our wishes
for the success of this meeting and that it consolidate the
special relations between our Parties. We express our
appreciation for the initiative by the comrades of the
Communist Party of Greece in organising these annual
meetings. These meetings are necessary, in the light of
continuing international changes, so that we may all leave
with common proposals for joint efforts.
Globalisation has deepened the conflicts between the
bourgeois states and has increased the gap separating north
and south. Under these complex conditions, globalisation is
facing strong rejection today not only by communist and
left parties, but by many different social forces, and more
generally by the societies in the developing countries.
The struggle for human rights has taken on international
dimensions and people's demands for social justice are
increasing. This can be seen clearly from the
demonstrations that took place in Seattle and Washington
which we all witnessed and in which various social groups
took part.
What has joined these forces together is the savage attack
by capitalism against the gains won by the working class,
particularly in the developing countries. We can already
perceive the conflicts between the major capitalist
centres.
The experience of recent years shows that there does in
fact exist a possibility of the progressive forces joining
together on a national and international level, in a broad
front to achieve greater successes and to adopt practical
policies to combat these new phenomena.
Previous experiences have shown us that dialogue can take
place between the different left and progressive forces. We
believe that we need to join our forces so as to address a
large number of problems, with a view to achieving a more
just international system that will recognise the peoples'
right to choose their own lives, and at the same time to
fight for disarmament and peace, for respect of human
rights, for democracy, and for protection of the
environment.

Dear comrades,
From the time it was established, our Party has always
called for the progressive forces to unite, not only in
Iraq, but throughout the Arab homeland, in all Arab
countries. And we called upon the Arab masses to mobilise
to confront common dangers.
Our Party took part in many alliances both secret and open.
We have often had successes, but we should acknowledge that
we have also had failures. These alliances unfortunately
constituted a field of internal battles. In our alliances,
our criterion was always to foster the interests of the
working class according to the objective conditions, and to
achieve our objectives for the good of the people and the
country, for progress and prosperity.
Experience in our country has shown that the victories of
our people have always been associated with national unity.
Our previous experience has likewise shown the importance
of preserving our Party's ideological identity as a
necessary condition for it to continue playing its national
role, and indeed a leading role.
Without civil democracy, neither the rights won through
struggle nor progressive alliances can be preserved.
Unfortunately many of our allies have at times caused
splits, but we have always maintained our independent
thought and have not succumbed to their pressures on major
issues, which would have caused us to lose our position,
our vanguard position within the working class.
We believe that there is a direct relationship between the
end and the means used to achieve it. Because alliances
cannot be ends in themselves, we should be careful and take
the necessary measures to develop our struggle within the
working class.
Dear comrades, for some years now, my country has been
living in a situation complicated by internal and external
factors. The Iraqi issue today is an international one as a
result of the behaviour of the regime in Baghdad which
invaded Kuweit, and this regime is absolutely responsible
for what Iraq is suffering today.
At our 6th Congress, we called the regime in Baghdad an
absolute, chauvinist, fascist, sectarian dictatorship,
which has expansionist designs on some neighbouring
fraternal peoples and that this regime consists of family
members of the dictator Saddam Hussein and his friends in
the leadership of the party and various armaments
manufacturers.
Our Party has concluded that we need to enter into
alliances with other forces and to unite the Iraqi
opposition, the multifaceted Iraqi opposition, so that
there can be some coordination, because the diffusion of
the Iraqi opposition will perpetuate the regime in Baghdad.
The criterion for participating in this alliance is the
Parties' stance toward the national question and against
the regime ruling Iraq today. Another condition is the
existence of a democratic government with individual
liberties and the solution of the national problem through
democratic procedures.
Based on these conditions, our Party considers that lifting
the embargo imposed on Iraq is an urgent need, regarding
which we call upon the international Community, our friends
and comrades to distinguish between the regime and the
people. That is, between the tyrant and victim. We call
for the lifting of the embargo so that the people do not
wind up paying the price. Sanctions should be imposed on
the regime only. That is, they should be diplomatic,
military and political sanctions, so that the regime cannot
repeat its crimes against neighbouring peoples, and against
its own people.
Our Party described the US Congress decision to "liberate"
Iraq as a dangerous precedent and as intervention in the
internal affairs of our country and we denounce it and
regard it as part of the American scheme to intervene
directly in Iraq.
And also, the intervention of the US in the Iraqi
opposition created various problems. We insist on the need
to mobilise the Iraqi people and the Iraqi army because
they are the only real forces that can bring about change.
But there are even forces within the regime itself that
could work to overthrow it.
We do not underestimate the influence of the foreign
factor, but we should take advantage only of our own,
national forces, asking for honest international assistance
for our people, for the implementation of UN Resolution 688
on the protection of human rights and for Saddam Hussein
and his associates to be brought to the international court
and tried for crimes against humanity.
And finally, we repeat our Party's position regarding the
need to study the possibility of cooperation and the
exchange of views and experiences among communist and
workers' parties through the organisation of contacts and
communications such as the Solid Net programme which the
Communist Party of Greece has prepared, which we hope will
be updated so as to meet modern needs.

And we would stress again the need for on-going cooperation
among us.
Thank you very much.