Anti-war group: US facing Vietnam-style defeat

The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) has welcomed the planned withdrawal of Polish and Honduran troops from Iraq saying it further weakens the US occupation of the country.

The movement believes that the US is now facing a Vietnam-style defeat in Iraq.

The IAWM said that following a similar announcement by Spain in recent days, the Polish and Honduran decision represents a major victory for the Iraqi opposition to the occupation and the world-wide anti-war movement.

They said the humiliation facing the US in Iraq has implications for the Government who continue to support Bush.

Richard Boyd Barrett, chairperson of the Irish Anti-War Movement said: “Poland and Honduras’ announcement that they are pulling out of Iraq is body blow to the US occupation.”

“Poland and Honduras, like every other country saw huge protests against the war on Iraq last year. They just about got away with supporting the US but now that all the lies about WMD and liberation have been exposed they simply cannot justify supporting Bush in Iraq.”

“The US’s big plan was to use rapid and decisive force to take Iraq and thus silence the huge opposition seen before the war. In the first few months after the fall of Baghdad the US thought they had got away with it because the numbers on protests dwindled. But the opposition to the occupation world-wide and in Iraq had not gone away. In fact, as the lies about WMD were exposed and the reality of the occupation became apparent, the size of the opposition to the US war agenda has actually grown.”

Mr Boyd Barrett said that even American soldiers and their families are turning against the war in Iraq.

“Everybody can see now that all the war has achieved is the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians, hundreds of young US soldiers and an escalating cycle of violence in Iraq and across the Middle East.”

“Bertie Ahern would now do well to ponder the fate of Aznar’s Popular Party in Spain. If Ahern continues his craven support for Bush and the occupation of Iraq by allowing the US military to use Shannon, this Government will be driven from power just as Aznar’s government was.”

He added that the movement would be staging enormous protests against Bush and the Government when the US President comes to visit in June.