Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its serious concern at the belligerent and obdurate attitude adopted by the USA, which appears determined to go to war against Iraq irrespective of the results of the UN Weapons Inspection team. The chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix has stated that Iraq has provided full cooperation for the inspectors and permitted access to all places. While stating that there were no obstacles to the process of inspections, the chief, however, makes a specious distinction seeking similar cooperation on “substance” of inspections. For full two months the inspectors could not find any evidence of weapons of mass destruction. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency in his report stated categorically “we have found no evidence that Iraq has revived its nuclear weapons programme since the elimination of the programme in the 1990s.”

Based on these reports, the UN Secretary General has suggested more time be given for further inspections to determine whether Iraq possesses any weapons of mass destruction. The USA rejected, with contempt and without any substance, this suggestion. US imperialism is seeking to give the impression that since the inspectors have not found any weapons of mass destruction, this means Iraq is hiding them! Even if this were true, then the answer is for permitting the inspectors to continue their work to establish if this is a fact. But this, the USA is not willing to accept because even after that, if no evidence against Iraq can be shown, then the US premise to attack would be untenable. The USA hence is seeking to push the world into approving its war against Iraq whose real purpose is to control the oil resources and enhance America’s interests in the region. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) calls upon the international community and the government of India to see through the subterfuge being adopted by the USA to militarily attack Iraq to strengthen its hegemony in the world.