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Una victoria para el movimiento social contra la guerra y la ocupación, una victoria del pueblo iraquí: Comunicado del CSCA ante el anuncio de Rodríguez Zapatero de orden de retirada de las tropas españolas de Iraq - Una decisión acertada

Related links:

El presidente ordena la retirada inmediata de las tropas españolas en Iraq

Comunicado de la CEOSI:
"Zapatero: las tropas, lo primero"

En solidaridad con el pueblo iraquí: Retirada inmediata de las tropas españolas, alto la represión, fin a la ocupación

Comunicado del CSCA con motivo de los resultados de la jornada electoral del 14 de marzo: Derrotado en las urnas el partido de la guerra, las tropas españolas deben salir de Iraq

Las tropas españolas en Iraq son fuerzas de ocupación y se enfrentarán a la legítima resistencia iraquí

Cartografía básica de Iraq
Véase el despliegue de las fuerzas de ocupación


A victory for the social movement against the war and the occupation, a victory of the Iraqi people

Statement of the Arab Cause Solidarity Committee on the announcement of Rodríguez Zapatero's ordering the withdrawal of the Spanish troops from Iraq

CSCAweb (www.nodo50.org/csca), 04-21-2004
Arab Cause Solidarity Committee, 04-18-2004
Translation from Spanish by Loles Oliván and Donald Murphy

"This decision, a victory for the Iraqi people, exemplifies the real power of the broad, active and committed civic movement determined in their opposition to war and occupation. Against the logic of war and aggression -open State terrorism- waged by the US Administration, and all of the instruments it serves, principally the State of Israel, we continue to demand with our determination and our mobilization the logic of reason, the end of both the US occupation of Iraq and the Zionist occupation of Palestine, and the sovereignty for both Arab peoples in accordance with the will and rights of all the peoples of the world"

With regard to the institutional declaration of the new President of the Spanish government, Rodríguez Zapatero, issued on 18th April, 2004, in which he has made public his decision to order the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq "with the greatest security and in the shortest time possible", the Arab Cause Solidarity Committee declares:

1. Its satisfaction at the fulfillment of what has been and continues to be one of the demands of the Spanish citizenry in relation to the Iraqi occupation: namely, the withdrawal of Spanish troops from the invaded Arab country. The announcement of troop withdrawal expresses the affirmation of the Spanish people's will that was by majority opposed to the illegal military invasion of Iraq one year ago and in the same way opposes the US-led in Iraq. In consequence, this decision must be seen as a victory for the popular movement; above all, against the authoritarianism of the former Aznar government, which anti-democratically implicated Spain, first in an illegal war of aggression against Iraq, in connivance with the US and UK governments, and later, by the direct participation of Spanish military forces in the occupation of Iraq.

The decision of Rodríguez Zapatero, in response to the demands of our citizenry and, by extension, of the entire International Movement against the War and Occupation of Iraq after more than a year of pressure and massive mobilizations, dignifies popular sovereignty as opposed to governments which neither represent it nor respect it. Having taken an honorable decision in agreement with this social demand, the new President and the Spanish government as a whole have shown their understanding of the real power of the broad, active and committed civic movement determined in their opposition to war and occupation.

2. The withdrawal of Spanish troops is also a victory for the Iraqi people, who during a year of occupation have given clear, rotund and reiterated demonstrations of their collective rejection of the US and its allies' military presence in Iraq, as well as of the neocolonization process which this Anglo-Saxon invasion is attempting to impose on their country, through military power and after 13 years of holding their sovereignty hostage by means of the United Nations sanctions system.

This decision most certainly opens new and favorable prospects for the future of Iraq, as it not only affirms the failure forced by the Iraqi people's legitimate armed resistance of the military occupation and the plans of the US administration, but clears the way for a new logic regarding the role that the international community must play in relation to the occupation of Iraq.

3. The Iraqi people have proved throughout their history to be a people capable of directing their own development, of managing their resources and defining their political, social and economic organization and institutions; that is, of facing up to their sovereign future. Therefore, in accordance with the right of the people of Iraq to independence and sovereignty, and the decision withdraw Spanish troops from Iraqi territory, the ACSC demands that the new Spanish government take a firm position in demanding, in all areas of international intervention -be it the UN, the European Union or any other-, the rehabilitation of the fundamental principle of sovereignty and non-interference and, in accordance with this, work toward bringing an immediate end to the military occupation of Iraq by the US and its allies, and to give the Iraqi people back their right to determine their own future, independently, democratically and free of foreign interference.

4. The Spanish Government must reject all attempts by the Bush Administration, or any other exigency related to the occupation of Iraq, to implicate the United Nations and third-party states, including the Spanish, in the occupation of Iraq. Very specifically, it must reject the principle of internationalizing the occupation, be it by sending international troops under the umbrella of the UN -later of NATO-, under the shield of the humanitarian intervention, or through the supervision of the tutelary and illegal political process which the occupation authorities intend to impose on the country after 30th June, as seems to contemplated in the UN plan presented by Kofi Annan to Tony Blair last Thursday in New York.

5. Finally, the ACSC, in declaring its satisfaction with the decision of the new Spanish government, nevertheless reiterates the need for the social movement against the war and occupation of Iraq to remain active and in permanent solidarity with the Iraqi people, committed within their legitimate rights to resist the US occupation and its project of colonial domination.

In opposition to the logic of war and aggression -open State terrorism- waged by the US Administration, and all of the instruments it serves of, principally the State of Israel, we continue to demand with our determination and our mobilization the logic of reason, the end of both the US occupation of Iraq and the Zionist occupation of Palestine, and the sovereignty for both Arab peoples in accordance with the will and rights of all the peoples of the world.

End the occupation.
All our solidarity to the Iraqi people
All our support to the Iraqi Resistance

Arab Cause Solidarity Committee
Madrid, 18th April, 2004