The Hindu : Centre faulted for not opposing war on Iraq

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Centre faulted for not opposing war on Iraq

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD March 1. "The hi-tech war that is poised over the Gulf is a naked proclamation of imperialist right to change the face of the world', said N. Ram, Editor, Frontline.

Clearly a war for regime change in Iraq, it was a threat to humanity under which millions of civilians would be affected, he told the eighth conference of Jana Vignana Vedika here on Saturday. Unfortunately the Indian Government had not taken any serious position against war. By not offering any opposition to the war, the Government seemed to collaborate with the US in the attack on Iraq as it did against Afghanistan.

Mr. Ram faulted the main Opposition, Congress, too for not taking a bold stand. By avoiding to be part of the delegation to express solidarity with the Iraqis, the Congress showed its `timidity' to provide leadership.

He described the worldwide anti-war protests as an unprecedented resistance in living memory before a war actually began. India missed a great opportunity to oppose the war while the biggest ever resistance was witnessed in the rest of the world. The protests in UK forced the Blair Government to make the UN Security Council's approval as a precondition for war.

The US made false arguments not backed by reasoning that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. The truth was it was an `oil for blood' battle. The US quest for controlling oil prices and ensuring a supply for itself beating down the control of OPEC led it to intimidate and constrain Iraq's sovereignty and then attack.

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