of Australian troops
The recent death of the eleventh Australian soldier serving in Afghanistan was a time for reflection...was this war worth fighting?...when will there be victory?...what will victory look like?...how much longer will Australian troops be stationed there? Both Rudd Labor and Turnbull were in thorough agreement over Australia�s continued commitment. They argue that leaving would give El Qaida a moral boost, allowing it to occupy as terrorists. A withdrawal, they claim, would also boost international terrorism, inspiring bombings similar to the recent Jakarta bombing.
To a certain degree this is true. However, El Qaida doesn't need Afghanistan when it can organise in Pakistan. More will probably die from the Australian and allied occupation than from any increased terrorist attack. What has been exposed is the total lack of exit strategy by the imperialists. They are redefining �victory� in terms of merely restricting El Qaida. Major General Angus Houston has finally answered the question: �When will Australian troops be leaving?� He estimates another four years.
Revolutionary communists opposed Australia�s intervention in the first place. The Taliban are certainly a ruthless bunch of counter-revolutionaries. Imperialism supported their rise to power. They were not responsible for the 9/11 terror raids on New York. Osama Bin Laden was probably in Afghanistan before the invasion. The imperialists had a responsibility to negotiate before invading. Understandably, the Taliban demanded proof before co-operating. The US sent the troops in.
The US felt it had to invade Afghanistan to save face. Australia joined the war effort out of loyalty to US imperialism. Howard was loyal to Bush. Rudd is loyal to Obama, who has a more co-operative approach but the same strategic objective as Bush � US control of the Middle East.
Workers in this country must not accept this situation. The troops must be forced back home immediately. The only way to guarantee this is class struggle. For workers' action against the war! This means strike action! This means black bans on all shipping which is directly or indirectly part of the war effort!
Rudd has made it crystal clear what side he is on. We are on the other side. We are for military victory to the resistance. Workers must break from the social-imperialist Labor Party and forge a new workers' party, a revolutionary communist party. Four more years of imperialist occupation of Afghanistan is too long!
President Obama has just asked Australia for more troops. We are confident that the Rudd Government will oblige.
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