A new Pentagon directive outlining the place of the U.S. military in leading “stability operations,” as in Iraq, is another step along Washington’s course to transform its military in order to defend more effectively the interests of the wealthy U.S. ruling class around the world. In the next imperialist wars, the U.S. armed forces are to take over the role of rebuilding security forces, jails, courts and “encouraging entrepreneurship” in U.S.-occupied countries.

Washington’s goal in Iraq is to consolidate a relatively stable regime that will cooperate with U.S. imperialism in the pursuit of its aims worldwide under the banner of the “war on terrorism.” It will use the Pentagon to help get this job done.

In Iraq as in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the U.S. rulers are also seeking to deal further blows to their imperialist rivals over control of markets, territory, and natural resources such as oil.

No longer facing down massive Soviet bloc troops and armored divisions across Europe, Washington has begun implementing a fundamental shift in the strategy, global deployment, and structure and leadership of its armed forces—a military that is more lightly armored and more agile, with special operations forces taking the lead. This “transformation,” as the Pentagon calls it, aims to prepare for an increase in military conflicts between states, not for fighting a ghostly enemy that transcends borders. This includes holding states accountable for any “terrorist” group they finance or harbor, or that operates back and forth across their national boundaries. Washington is preparing for battles over the future of Iran and Syria, Pakistan and India, China and Taiwan, Kazakhstan and other former Soviet republics, and beyond.

There is no debate among the Democratic and Republican parties over this fundamental course. As the Washington Post, a liberal critic of the White House, acknowledged in a December 1 editorial, “there is substantial agreement in Washington on the strategy for Iraq outlined yesterday by President Bush.” There is “a simple absence of choices,” it said—meaning that Democratic politicians present no alternative to further the interests of the ruling U.S. billionaires.

What marks U.S. capitalist politics today is not debate over strategy but ever-sharper factionalism, demagogy, and degradation of the political discourse. That is the source of all the shouting about “failed intelligence” and “lack of an exit strategy” by Bush’s Democratic opponents. This factionalism is bred by a vague but growing awareness among the ruling families of the economic vulnerability of their crisis-ridden system and their inability to find a course that they are confident can overcome that crisis.

The interests of working people do not lie with either of the parties of the ruling rich. Their war against Iraq is the international extension of their war against the wages, social gains, and rights of working people at home. We should support the right of the people of Iraq and other countries in the region to determine their own affairs, free from the predatory intervention of Washington, London, and other powers. All imperialist troops out of Iraq now! Hands off Syria and Iran!
 
 
Related article:
Washington expands ‘post-conflict’ operations of U.S. military  
 
 
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