Dear Comrades,

I was preparing to write greetings to Green Left Weekly on its 800th issue, when I received the leaflet issued by Socialist Alliance on Iran. GLW reflects the views of SA. Subsequently, I learned that the Democratic Socialist Perspective was in agreement with the SA leaflet.

As a long-time supporter of Green Left Weekly over the years I strongly urge SA and DSP to issue a correction.
My major objection to the leaflet is that it calls on the imperialist Australian government to intervene in Iran in the name of “democracy.”

Australian imperialism fully backs the 30-year campaign by the U.S. to overthrow the remaining gains of the 1979 revolution and install a regime subservient to Washington. At present this includes economic sanctions, and threats of a military assault by the end of the year, possibly by the proxy state of Israel, unless Iran gives up its peaceful nuclear program.

Washington and Jerusalem say that they will not tolerate an Iran which has the capacity to enrich uranium, because this could enable Iran to build nuclear weapons. This from two governments which are armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons, one of which has been the only government to actually use nuclear weapons against civilian targets – twice.

Any intervention by imperialist Australia in Iran, under whatever cover, whether to promote “democracy” or to keep this “rogue state” from building even one nuclear weapon, would only be part of U.S. imperialism’s campaign against Iranian sovereignty.

Australia has no right to intervene in Iran! You are dead wrong to urge your imperialist government to do so. It is very wrong to urge the Australian imperialists to take a position on what armed forces Iran may have. Australia has no right to demand new elections in Iran as you urge. Australia has no right to demand “international observers” of any election that is held in Iran. Australian imperialist troops are in Afghanistan, which borders Iran. These troops will be “international observers” of the coming elections in Afghanistan, and I’m sure you oppose them in this role and are against them crossing the border to “observe” any Iranian elections.

My second objection is that nowhere in your statement do you even mention once the imperialist campaign against Iran. We should be raising in every imperialist country “Hands Off Iran!” Without a clear anti-imperialist framework, our support to the economic and social aspirations of the Iranian people boomerangs into appearing to justify imperialist intervention.

The strong anti-imperialist stands Socialist Alliance and the Democratic Socialist Perspective have taken in the past makes me confident that you will correct your position.

U.S. and Australian hands off Iran!

Comradely,
Barry Sheppard