Iraq Follow

"THE ENORMOUS oil wealth of Iraq is there for the Iraqi people, which is why we have said it should go in a trust fund for the Iraqi people—not for America, not for Britain, not for any outside power—but for the Iraqi people."

Events in Iraq today are familiar, argues Michael Paris, if we look at the country's past.

THE LIARS who took us to war aim to perpetrate the biggest fraud yet next week. They want the world to believe that a "handover" of power in Iraq will take place on Wednesday.

The army AT LEAST 140,000 US troops will remain in Iraq after 30 June. Right wing US columnist Jed Babbin recently admitted, \"If they are not subjected to the law and authority of the new Iraq provisional government, how can they be anything other than an occupation force?\"

Kill and cover up TWO MISSILES fired by US warplanes killed 22 Iraqis in Fallujah last Saturday. Fallujah was the scene of fierce resistance to the occupation of Iraq earlier this year. US forces were forced to withdraw from the city and give control to the \"Fallujah brigade\" made up of Iraqi troops.

THE OFFICIAL US commission into the 9/11 attacks has delivered a devastating blow to the lies that launched the war on Iraq. Last week the commission ruled out any link between Iraq and Al Qaida. The commission is a mainstream body made up of establishment US politicians. But it found there was \"no credible evidence that Iraq and Al Qaida cooperated on attacks against the United States\".

MARXISM 2004 starts in two weeks time. It is the biggest festival of socialist ideas in Europe. Over 200 different meetings, forums and debates will take place on everything from \"Iraq: war and resistance\" to \"Life after capitalism\", from \"What sort of democracy do we want?\" to \"Islam, secularism and socialism\".

On 2 March, over 270 Iraqis were massacred in a series of horrific bomb attacks in Kerbala and Baghdad. The BBC's Six O'Clock News devoted less than ten seconds to the atrocity. By contrast, the Madrid train bombings on 11 March, which killed around 200 people, received continuous, impassioned coverage for more than two weeks.

TONY BLAIR is trying to explain away Labour's humiliation in the 10 June elections by portraying it as a passing "protest vote" against the war in Iraq. He had been trying endlessly to "move on" from Iraq. Now New Labour is prepared to talk about the war-but only to dismiss the views of its opponents. Nevertheless, the government is now admitting that the Iraq war is a major reason for its unpopularity.

PUT AN X wherever you see the name Respect, the Unity Coalition (George Galloway) on the ballot paper. Make sure you fill in all the ballot papers. For the European elections (except in all postal vote areas) local polling stations will be open on Thursday from 7am to 10pm. You do not have to have a polling card to vote. If you are registered, just go along and give your name and address.

NO ONE should have any illusions about the fact that the occupation of Iraq is in deep trouble. To see why you have only to look at the chaotic formation of the new "provisional government" in Baghdad last week. As sold by George W Bush and Tony Blair, this was meant to be a decisive step towards Iraq regaining its sovereignty.

BUSH AND Blair's occupation of Iraq is threatening economic chaos as oil prices spiral. Now the siege in Saudi Arabia has triggered a new leap in prices. The impact on the world's poorest could be catastrophic.