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The first was to oppose the rise of Arab and other liberation movements in the Middle East and South Asia. The second purpose was for it to be another in a series of military alliances— NATO, SEATO and ANZUS were the others—encircling the socialist camp of the Soviet Union, China, Eastern Europe, North Korea and North Vietnam. Iraq, the core of CENTO, was independent only in name. The British maintained military airfields in Iraq. While the country was extremely rich in oil, having 10 per cent of the world's reserves, the people lived in extreme poverty and hunger. The rate of illiteracy was over 80 per cent. There was one doctor for every 6,000 people; one dentist for every 500,000. Iraq was ruled by a corrupt monarchy under King Faisal II and a coterie of feudal landowners and merchant capitalists. Underlying Iraq's poverty was the simple fact that Iraq did not own its vast oil reserves. The first was to oppose the rise of Arab and other liberation Over the next three decades, the US government applied many movements in the Middle East and South Asia. The second tactics designed to weaken and undermine Iraq as an independent purpose was for it to be another in a series of military alliances— country. At various times—such as after Iraq completed the NATO, SEATO and ANZUS were the others—encircling the nationalisation of the Iraqi Petroleum Company in 1972 and socialist camp of the Soviet Union, China, Eastern Europe, North signed a defence treaty with the USSR—the United States gave Korea and North Vietnam. massive military support to right-wing Kurdish elements fighting Iraq, the core of CENTO, was independent only in name. The Baghdad and added Iraq to its list of "terrorist states". British maintained military airfields in Iraq. While the country The United States supported the more rightist elements within was extremely rich in oil, having 10 per cent of the world's the post-revolution political structure against the communist and reserves, the people lived in extreme poverty and hunger. The leftist-nationalist forces. For example, the United States applaud- rate of illiteracy was over 80 per cent. There was one doctor for ed the suppression of the Iraqi Communist Party and Left-led every 6,000 people; one dentist for every 500,000. labour unions by the Ba'ath Party government of Saddam Hussein Iraq was ruled by a corrupt monarchy under King Faisal II and in the late 1970s. a coterie of feudal landowners and merchant capitalists In the 1980s, the United States encouraged and helped to fund Underlying Iraq's poverty was the simple fact that Iraq did not and arm Iraq in its war against Iran. US domination of the latter own its vast oil reserves. was ended by Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979. In reality, though, the US aim in the Iran-Iraq war was THE IRAQI REVOLUTION to weaken and destroy both countries. But on July 14, 1958, Iraq was rocked by a Ex-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger powerful social explosion. A military rebel- revealed the real US attitude about the war lion turned into a countrywide revolution. when he said: "I hope they kill each other." The king and his administration were sudden- The Pentagon provided Iraq's air force with ly gone, the recipients of people's justice. satellite photos of Iranian targets. At the same Washington and Wall Street were stunned. What moves US time, as the Iran—Contra scandal revealed, the In the week that followed, the New York policy toward Iraq United States was sending anti-aircraft mis- Times, the US "newspaper of record", had vir- . . siles to Iran. tually no stories in its first 10 pages other than In 2002 IS the same The Iran-Iraq war was a disaster, killing a those about the Iraqi Revolution. objective that million people and weakening both countries. While another great revolution that took place just six months later in Cuba is bet- ter remembered today, Washington regarded the Iraqi upheaval as far more threatening to its vital interests at the time. President Dwight D. Eisenhower called it "the gravest crisis since the Korean War". The day after the Iraqi Revolution, 20,000 US Marines began landing in Lebanon. The day after that, 6,600 British paratroopers were dropped into Jordan. motivated Washington and Wall Street 80 years ago: oil. COLLAPSE OF THE USSR AND GULF WAR When the Iran-Iraq war finally ended in 1988, developments in the Soviet Union were posing a new and even graver danger to Iraq, which had a mili- tary and friendship treaty with the USSR. In pursuit of "permanent détente" with the United States, the Gorbachev leader- ship in Moscow began to cut its support for its allies in the developing world. In 1989, Gorbachev went further and This is what came to be known as the withdrew support for the socialist gov- "Eisenhower Doctrine". The United ernments in Eastern Europe, most of States would intervene directly—go to war—to prevent the spread which then collapsed. This sharp shift in the world relationship of of revolution in the vital Middle East. forces—culminating in the collapse of the Soviet Union itself two US and British expeditionary forces went in to save the neo- years later—constituted the greatest victory for US imperialism colonial governments in Lebanon and Jordan. Had they not, the since World War II. It also opened the door for the US war popular impulse from Iraq would have surely brought down the against Iraq in 1991, and more than a decade of sanctions, block- rotten dependent regimes in Beirut and Amman. ades and bombings that have devastated Iraq and its people. But Eisenhower, his generals and his arch-imperialist Secretary Today, the Bush administration is seeking to win public support of State John Foster Dulles also had something else in mind: for a new war against Iraq, by talking about "weapons of mass invading Iraq, overturning the revolution and installing a new destruction" and "human rights". The reality is that Washington puppet government in Baghdad. is concerned about neither Iraq's diminished military capacity nor Three factors forced Washington to abandon that plan in 1958: human rights anywhere in the world. What moves US policy the sweeping character of the Iraqi Revolution; the announcement —_ toward Iraq in 2002 is the same objective that motivated by the United Arab Republic, which bordered Iraq, that its forces Washington and Wall Street 80 years ago: oil. oo would fight the imperialists if they sought to invade; and the . Editor's Note: emphatic support of the People's Republic of China and the Soviet - ' . . Union for the revolution. The USSR began a mobilisation of Richard Becker’ s article comes via the Workers World News troops in the southern Soviet republics close to Iraq. Service and is reprinted from the October 31, 2002, issue of The combination of these factors forced the US leaders t Workers World. For further information, contact WWNS, 55 st the existence of the Iraqi Revolution. But Washineton West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA, email accept the existence of the Iraqi Revolution. But Washington > : . never really reconciled itself to the loss of Iraq. ww@wwpublish.com, website http://www.workers.org. policy toward Iraq in 2002 is the same _ Motivated Washington and _ Wall Street _ Editor's Note: Richard Becker's article comes via the Workers World News Service and is reprinted from the October 31, 2002, issue of Workers World. For further information, contact WWNS, 55 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA, email ww®@wwpublish.com, website http:/Awww.workers.org. NEXUS 23 What moves US objective that 80 years ago: oil. DECEMBER 2002 — JANUARY 2003 www.nexusmagazine.com