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From: Communist Party of Greece, Wed, 19 Sep 2001
http://www.kke.gr , mailto:cpg@int.kke.gr
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STATEMENT BY THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, COMMUNIST PARTY OF GREECE
Concerning the new situation being shaped following the terrorist blow taken place in the USA

The Central Committee in its meeting on 15th September, 2001, examined the dangerous situation for the world's peoples, created following the terrorist blow taken place in New York and Washington. It expresses its sorrow for the thousands of victims and points out that such actions, on the basis of international experience, constitute «butter on the bread» of the staff imperialist planning. The blows are being used and utilised in order to open a new page of criminal attack against peoples, countries, popular movements, resisting the «new order of things» at a national and international level. Against those who claim the right of each people to determine the road of development to be followed by their country, defend their borders and sovereign rights.

The tragic victims of New York and Washington are added to the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Vietnam, Grenada, Chile and Nicaragua, of the three rounds of war in the Balkans, of Rwanda, to all millions of victims of imperialism. The peoples' victorious struggle against imperialist barbarism, against class exploitation, will not be achieved by some kamikaze type actions or by aircraft carrying death and
directed against civilians, but by the mass political action, the united struggle that confronts effectively the attacks against it and knows how to defend its gains.

The sympathy towards the victims and the tried American people can not and must not turn into good graces and forbearance for the state policy of the USA and the other imperialist forces, which organise the state and parastate terrorism, set up and train terrorist groups, armed mercenary death squads, such as UCK in the Balkans. In such circumstances the identity of whoever has led the terrorist act, is difficult to come to the surface. The USA leadership has no interest in the truth being revealed, but in the domination of suspicion against rival states and peoples, so that their new attacks and illegal acts are justified.

The main question, on which the attention of the Greek people must be concentrated, is the decision by USA to declare a state of war, aiming at a significant number of countries and peoples movements. The danger is even greater, in view of the fact that a number of coexisting factors must be taken into account, such as:

For the first time since World War II the crisis embraces simultaneously all three centres of imperialism, USA, Europe, Japan. The inner imperialist antagonisms have been intensified and the USA are interested in strengthening their position as the world's gendarme, while the EU claims for itself a proportional expanded role at international level, besides the role of gendarme it occupies in the old continent.

The aims being set by the USA refer to countries and regions of strategic importance, such as Afghanistan, Iraq and other Arab countries. It concerns an objective to conquer totally all of the oil roads, to exercise an offensive policy, on the one hand, against Russia, against other states which came into being by the dissolution of the USSR, and on the other, against China. The region of the Middle East also remains on their special aim. A major question, but not unexpected, is the willing commitment of the EU, but also of a big majority of countries outside of NATO, to the activation - for the first time since the organisation's foundation - of Article five, on the pretext of the list of suspicion prepared by USA.

Whatever objections and reservations are expressed concerning the counter attack, reflect inner imperialist contradictions, they also express, however, the pressure exerted by the peoples for non participation in unjust wars.

The C.P.G. estimates that we are confronted with an especially dangerous staff plan, which will endanger security, peace and stability in broader areas of the planet, with unforeseen consequences in the process, since a great number of countries will be involved and the inner imperialist contradictions will assume a more open form.

The C.C. of the C.P.G. rejects the psychosis being developed against the Muslim peoples, against the Arabs. It condemns any discrimination against peoples on the basis of culture and religion, the theories about conflict of civilisations. Such theories do not only offer forgiveness for the crimes committed by imperialists, but seek to legitimise all the criminal warlike plans from now on.

The C.C. hopes that the war hysteria launched by USA, will come up against the reaction of a significant portion of the American people, in a period it is subjected to an all front attack against its living standards, since it has gone through the experiences of the Seattle movement and of the other international mobilisations. The American people has provided with similar examples in the past with its stand taken against the war in Vietnam, with its action against racism.

The Greek government, in such critical moments, shows once more its provocative willingness to stand by US government and the imperialist forces, offering multiple support, political and military, if asked for it, to the new round of the global attack against peoples. It utilises the acquiescence of the party of New Democracy, but the propaganda and stand of some parties, as well as political personages, who on the occasion of the blow at USA, put forward provocatively reactionary and retrogressive views in support of «western free societies», namely the imperialist countries which are barbarously attacking the whole of humanity.

The consequences will be even greater for the Greek people, due also to the overall situation in the Balkans, in the broader area. On the pretext of the Olympic Games and under the new pressures by USA, the Greek government will proceed to a new wave of authoritarianism, to new measures of curtailing democratic and political liberties, in the face of the new cycle of anti-people measures already designed (in health services, pension schemes, privatisation, welfare etc.).

The C.C. calls upon the Greek people, the democrats, patriots, the anti-imperialist forces, the movements of the working class, small business people, the peasantry, women, all the movements opposed to the new doctrine of NATO, to the USA policy, the imperialist forces, to meet in a multiform common front of struggle, with multiform initiatives against the war campaign, the cold war psychosis, against our country's participation, in whatever form, political or military. The Greek people must remain in vigilance, awareness, in a state of rallying, so as to confront internal consequences resulting from the activation of Article five. To confront with militancy and decisiveness the planned attack for even greater curtailment of democratic and trade union liberties, under the slogan of defence of the «international legal order», namely the economic and political interests of imperialists.

It especially calls upon people of science and culture, with their courageous voice and their knowledge, to contribute to the information, to the confrontation of every type of brainwashing and anticommunist campaign, to stand by the side of other working people, to resist the attempt to use them for the people's guidance and deception. To strengthen its struggle against Greece's participation in the NATO operations, against the status of American and NATO bases in Greece, which constitute an additional threat in conditions of multiplication of the war beds.

The C.P.G. will continue and will increase its action for the upsurge of the international anti-imperialist movements, in order to bring into shape a world movement of condemnation of the new round of imperialist war, a movement directed at the heart of the policy and domination of the multinational capital.


Athens 15th September
The C.C. of the C.P.G.


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