SP Newsletter No.193
The murder of seventeen Iraqi civilians at the hands of the mercenary company, Blackwater, has exposed once more the role of war profiteers in Iraq. On 16 September Blackwater’s guards opened fire without provocation in Baghdad’s Nisoor Square. Along with the 17 dead, 24 were injured.

A report by the Iraqi government into the events of 16 September has concluded that the United States should stop using Blackwater and ordered their replacement by “a new, more disciplined organisation that would be answerable to Iraqi laws” Even the United Nations have been forced to investigate if the events constituted war crimes. This is in the wake of a congressional report that found that Blackwater intentionally “delayed and impeded” investigations into the deaths of four of their contractors in Fallujah in 2004.

Blackwater is the largest mercenary company in Iraq employing over 1,000 mercenaries. Its contracts went from $200,000 before the war to $200 million during it. Like other companies, such as Halliburton, which are making obscene amounts of profit from the blood of the Iraqi people they have important political and military links. The owner and founder, Erik Prince donated $168,000 to the Republican National Committee in 1998 and used to be an intern for Bush Senior.

Of course the Iraqi government, a puppet state of imperialism offers no real solution. These companies are allowed to operate with immunity from prosecution in Iraqi law, due to laws drawn up by the old Coalition Provisional Authority in 2004. Even worse is the fact that the Iraqi government is asking the insignificant amount of $8 million in compensation.

It is believed that there are over 100,000 mercenaries in Iraq and while Blackwater is the largest it accounts for only a small proportion. What these proposals would really mean is the replacement of Blackwater with other mercenary companies such as US firm DynCorp International. They had an income of £1 billion last year and are famous for having employees implicated in a prostitution ring in Bosnia. Or by the British company Aegis Defence Services, which raised its income from a 2003 turnover of £554,000 to £62 million in 2005, three quarters of which came from work in Iraq. Aegis is also owned by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer who was implicated in the “Arms for Africa” scandal during the Sierra Leone civil war.

Blackwater shows the nature of capitalism today. The rule of profit is put before the lives of people. While these companies are free to murder civilians the Iraqi people are subject to torture as we have seen in Abu Ghraib. While mercenaries and their bosses make a fortune, homes in Baghdad get only eight hours of electricity supply a day and only a third are connected to water mains.

Socialists of course support the kicking out of these ruthless companies paid lucrative awards to kill on demand. However this would not be enough and we demand the removal of all occupying forces from Iraq, the nationalisation of all companies which gained from the blood of the Iraqi people and the building of a socialist alternative in Iraq. Such an alternative would be able to cut across the sectarian forces in the country and build a society where the resources of the country are democratically controlled and benefit the people of Iraq.

Join the Socialist Party

If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.

We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. For more information about joining in your area contact the SP National Office. 03 9639 9111.

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Issue 39 of ‘The Socialist’ is out now! This month we have produced a federal election special edition. We have printed 30,000 copies and on top of distributing them to our subscribers and selling them on street stalls around the country, we will be letterboxing them to a large part of the seat of Melbourne where SP member Kylie McGregor will be standing.

If you can help with out letterboxing, even if it is only a few streets call our National Office on 9639 9111. Otherwise readers can pick up a copy at our regular street stalls, from our National Office or by becoming a subscriber. This month’s paper features articles on the federal election including IR laws, health, education, the economy, gay marriage, immigration, drugs, Iraq war, nuclear power and global warming.

Regional Activity

Victoria

The SP Melbourne Branch meets every Wednesday 7pm at Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets Carlton South. This week the branch will be discussing the situation in Sudan. The speaker will be ex-aid worker in Sudan Mike Hering. For more info call 96399111. All welcome.

New South Wales

To find out more info or to join SP in Sydney contact Gary - 02 9728 7727

To find out more info or to join SP in Newcastle contact Samantha - 02 4968 1545

Western Australia

To find out more info or to join SP in Perth contact John on – 08 9402 0728

Please note childcare is available at all SP meetings but only by prior arrangement please call ahead first.

News links just a click away –

Britain: Respect in crisis - what lessons for socialists?
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/10/31britaa.html

Venezuela: Hugo Chávez and Socialism
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/10/30veneza.html

Italy: Mass demonstration in Rome
http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2007/10/29italya.html

Get Active - Join the fight back, Get Militant - Join the Socialist Party.
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