LFF speaks to Stop the War's Lindsey German on the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
Anti-war campaigners have issued a stark warning over the US’ extra-judicial killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani – arguing we are at risk of a major war with global ramifications.
Lindsey German, convener of the Stop the War (StW) coalition told Left Foot Forward that the movement behind the Iraq War protests in 2003 are planning a demonstration on Saturday against military conflict with Iran – and are considering a major national march in the next couple of weeks.
“[The killing] is an act of international terrorism – it is completely dangerous and will provoke reaction from Iran and Iraq too. We’ve already seen citizens in Iraq urged to leave, [Israel’s PM] Netanyahu returning back. Any escalation will involve a wide number of powers, including Russia, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.” German said she was ‘absolutely certain’ Iran will retaliate – potentially including US targets in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
The StW convener told LFF the conflict was ‘becoming global’. “You don’t want to look at the worst case, but you can see it potentially escalating very badly. There are still US troops in Iraq, other spots around the Middle East.”
“We’ve said for years that if this [situation in the Middle East] isn’t resolved it will come to war.”
Lindsey German accepted that the UK – who might normally support joint action with the US – are ‘extremely nervous’ at the situation knowing the risk of escalation, but added: “In the end they will come in behind the Americans – which will put the UK in danger, including British lives and troops at some point in the future. We have to learn the lessons from the last interventions.”
Asked to outline a resolution to the growing conflict, German called for a complete US withdrawal from the Middle East. “They may have no choice but to leave.” However, the US is stepping up its number of troops in the Middle East.
Iran’s military is ranked as the 14th most powerful in the world, with around 900,000 potential troops at its disposal.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP said:
“The US assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani is an extremely serious and dangerous escalation of conflict in the Middle East with global significance.
“The UK government should urge restraint on the part of both Iran and the US, and stand up to the belligerent actions and rhetoric coming from the United States.
“All countries in the region and beyond should seek to ratchet down the tensions to avoid deepening conflict, which can only bring further misery to the region, 17 years on from the disastrous invasion of Iraq.”
Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “The assassination of General Soleimani is a hugely provocative act in a massively volatile region.”
Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.
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17 Responses to “As the US attacks Iran, are we at risk of a Third World War?”
Michael McManus
So Iran’s kidnapping of innocent women, attacks of shipping, daily rocket attacks of Israeli housing, backing of the worst elements among Palestinian terrorists had nothing to do with this? That was all judicial was it? Like their elections? Like their arresting, whipping, raping and hanging young women who don’t want the hijab scarf of shame. Like the 38 year sentence on the lawyer who defended those girls, a family woman who will also receive 148 lashes?
Have you never met an Iranian exile? They are leaping for joy at the prospect of Iran provoking more attacks and the end of this filthy depraved perverted regime. There is nothing socialist, still less Labour, in that rats’ nest. Let’s hope this is goodbye.
steve
Trump is doing his bit for the weapons corporations.
As with Bush and Blair, the only outcome will be death, instability and mayhem.
Alice Aforethought
Aaaaaaaaaaand bang on cue, the left goes in to bat for the terrorists.
How quickly we forget!
nick W
Lindsey in her long long history in the SWP displayed a particular brand of discrimination in terms of what was acceptable in terms of violence in support of political ends, I really don’t think she has anything of value to bring to a balanced debate, continual instability and death are not a ” problem ” in the Middle East they are now and have for sometime been a fact, this act of violence may move war forward on the calendar but it will not the sole reason, we intervened in Iraq to remove a evil man and the result was chaos, we didn’t act to remove an evil man in Syria and the result has been the same, I am not sure if there is a solution but I am sure that those simply see the issue as a problem caused and sustained by the west, do not have any answers.
Rico
War is not a solution