The silence of the "left" of New Labour on the massacre of civilians in Iraq by American occupation forces says it all. When it is down to former diplomats and Tory MPs to voice opposition, you know the game is up with those who, we are told, are proposing to "reclaim the party".

The tame MPs who swan around parliament are only thinking of their positions, especially as a general election begins to draw near. Their political cowardice allows Blair to tell parliament that he supported the attacks on Fallujah using overwhelming firepower in civilian areas "to restore order".

Only the Tory Sir Peter Tapsell spoke up for the Iraqi people, when he asked the prime minister if he supported "the murder and mutilation of hundreds of women and children in Falluja" as an appropriate response to the killing of four Americans. Of course Blair does, along with the rest of the New Labour regime.

An invasion launched on a pretext and a series of lies had as its aim the remaking of Iraq in the image of "democracy" as practised in London and Washington. This, in simple terms, is made up of compliant political regimes presiding over market economies dominated by transnational corporations. The occupation has resulted in the deaths of 10-15,000 civilians. No one actually knows, because the occupation forces do not keep a count of non-military deaths. No wonder more and more Iraqis have come to reject this "democracy" delivered down the barrel of a gun and have justifiably taken up arms against the occupation.

In their unprecedented letter, the 52 former British ambassadors, high commissioners and senior officials, said: "All those with experience of the area predicted that the occupation of Iraq by the coalition forces would meet stubborn resistance, as has proved to be the case. To describe the resistance as led by terrorists, fanatics and foreigners is neither convincing nor helpful."

Their widespread condemnation of Blair's Middle East policies, for all its powerful language, actually misses the point when it urges Blair to distance himself from the White House if he cannot persuade Bush to change course. New Labour and the Bush regime are, in fact, as one on Iraq and Israel because they share the same reactionary world view. Blair, a recent book reveals, was given several opportunities by Bush to remove British troops from the invasion plans - and declined them all.

As a result of the invasion, Britain is now a prominent target for a terror attack. This in turn has become a cover for the introduction of ID cards and inflammatory, racist attacks on refugees and "foreign" workers. The authoritarian New Labour regime, and the capitalist state it represents, cannot be supported in any shape or form. As for the idea of "reclaiming" the party, the silence of the lambs - sorry, "left" MPs - and the "awkward squad" of union leaders is deafening. Draw your own conclusions about the chances of that happening. Put your money on a second coming instead.

Movement for a Socialist Future
29 April 2004