The 28th of June ‘handover’ has only replaced one set of stooges for imperialism with another. Elections are promised in January next year, but Western leaders would like to use continued unrest as an excuse for postponing the elections indefinitely. That unrest is getting out of control but the most forward thinking Western strategists would prefer an Islamic fundamentalist state to arise when their troops are forced out of Iraq (by demands for withdrawal in the West or the strength of opposition in Iraq) to any moves towards socialism, such as a radical left-wing party coming to power in the elections and seizing Iraq’s assets back from the imperialists (together with a mass movement carrying out action from below such as occupying oil rigs).

The 3rd July edition of Socialist Worker pointed out that the former US administrator Paul Bremer rushed through a law giving a seven-member commission the power to disqualify parties and candidates. However, if they used this power against a popular party or candidate, it could spark a mass revolutionary movement. Therefore, there probably won’t be elections at all in Iraq while the occupation continues.

I have set up another group (iraq-democracy) based around the struggle for democracy in Iraq and opposition to the occupation.

This group is also a suitable forum to discuss possible wars on Iran, Syria and North Korea.