Iran: Barack Obama’s ‘diplomacy’ is War by another name.

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Wednesday April 01, 2009 14:42 by Chicherin - Hands Off the People of Iran

Barack Obama’s Newroz message, which is supposed to represent a “new beginning” for relations between the US and the Islamic Republic has been greeted in many quarters. But we should more closely examine Obama's project in the Middle East and what he he wants to gain from Iran. This is no new beginning. The speech is just a continuation of the gunpoint diplomacy initiated by Dubya and continued by Obama. Bush himself gave out numerous messages of a similar nature during his presidency. The only difference is that Obama actually addresses the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic directly.

But Obamas demands remain the same:

.Iran should give up uranium enrichment and accept international offers to provide fuel for nuclear power
.Iran should stop arming Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza
.Iran should stop threatening Israel
.Iran must help in achieving peace in Afghanistan and Iraq

Obama is pursuing regime change from above. But what happened in Iraq clearly shows that real democracy must come from below, from the people themselves. Just like Dubya, Obama has no belief in the Iranian peoples ability to liberate themselves.

By strengthening the existing sanctions against Iran he is undermining the efforts of many workers, students and women’s organisations who are fighting against the theocracy. Sanctions disorganise the working class as people squander their fighting energies on day-to-day struggles to simply survive. Sanctions dramatically reduce the ability of the working people to struggle collectively on their own account, to refashion society in their own image, to organise and fight.

It is odd that Obama has used Iran’s supposed support for ‘terrorism’ as the justification for his new round of sanctions.The US are anxious to get Iran to attend their ‘Afghanistan conference’. It seems that when the Iranian regime acts in the interests of the US, they become an acceptable ‘partner’.

Hands Off the People of Iran is clear: US-led imperialism, whoever is at its helm, is the greatest enemy of the people of Iran and the peoples of the whole world. There can be no ‘peace’ based on gunboat diplomacy or a ‘deal’ between one section of the Iranian theocracy and US imperialism - this would actually entrench the US project in the Middle East and provide backing for the disastrous war in Afghanistan, currently being stepped up by Obama. Hopi fights for a nuclear-free Middle East as a step towards a nuclear-free world.

HOPI also fights for:

No to imperialist war! For the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of US/UK troops from Iraq and all the Gulf region!

No to any imperialist intervention. The immediate and unconditional end to sanctions on Iran.

No to the theocratic regime

Opposition to Israeli expansionism and aggression

Support to all working class and progressive struggles in Iran against poverty and repression

Support for socialism, democracy and workers' control in Iran