Socialist Party Australia - Spanish bombing/Iraq: It's Australia's time bomb

Editorial in April/May 2004 issue of the The Socialist

Over 12 million Spaniards turned out to participate in memorial marches the day after the bombings. Within a few short hours tens of thousands again took to the streets in spontaneous demonstrations in Madrid and other cities.

This time the sombre mood had changed to anger and bitterness directed at José Maria Aznars government and his party, Partido Popular (PP). These events and the defeat of the PP in the election which followed have triggered a political earthquake which have had tremendous repercussions throughout Europe, the US and internationally.

Aznars rightwing conservative Partido Popular attempted to manipulate the bombings for its own electoral advantage. By putting the blame for this brutal attack which left 200 dead and 1,400 injured on the Basque nationalist paramilitary organisation, ETA, and withholding information, they hoped to avoid blame being heaped on themselves because of Aznars enthusiastic support for the invasion of Iraq.

The Socialist Party has actively opposed the imperialist wars against Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries, which have caused the slaughter of tens of thousands of workers, peasants and others. We also condemn the bombings carried out in Madrid. Such methods only cause further suffering to working people and do not challenge leaderslike Aznar or capitalism, which is the root cause of the sufferings faced by the peoples of the world. Socialists have nothing in common with reactionary, right wing groups, like al Qaeda. A political upheaval has taken place in Spain. It has resulted in the first overthrowing of a government which enthusiastically supported the war against Iraq. The defeat of the PP now haunts and even terrifies Blair, Bush and Howard. In the coming Federal election, Howard could suffer the same fate as Aznars’ right wing Government, a massive defeat. In Spain the PSOE was elected but like Latham’s ALP they are just as pro-capitalist. Nothing fundamental will change under an ALP government.

There was no justification for the invasion of Iraq. There are no weapons of mass destruction. Now Latham has said he will pull out the Australian ground troops in Iraq by Christmas if there is no hand over of power to the Iraqis or the United Nations. Everything Latham will do between now and the Federal election will be to convince Australian people, including the capitalists that he is fit to govern. Howard has seen this move as the first chink in Latham’s armour and has gone on the attack opening up a ferocious battle in parliament between the old dog of the Liberals and his pack of hounds and the new pup of capitalism. The bomb that awaits Howards pack is the realisation that the Howard government has lied to the Australian people with no regard to the well being of any Australian barthe bosses and the Liberal Party.