Statement for the situation on the Middle East
In the framework of the 28th Pancyprian Youth and Students Festival, EDON hosted an International Meeting under the slogan “The struggle of youth against the imperialist interventions in Middle East”, in which many foreign organizations participated.
In this framework, EDON note the following:
- The importance of energy routes and resources in the Middle East and their control which was always among imperialism’s priorities took a more huge character due to the competition and needs created for the monopolies by the global capitalist crisis.
- The NATO-US led invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq were only the beginning of the plans for the rearrangement of the region and the creation of the "New Middle East" project as it was referred to in the NATO circles. The chain of events that followed the so-called "Arab spring" were dictated by the intervention of NATO, EU and their Allies in the region (Turkey, Israel and the Gulf States especially), in order to take a share in the control of the new developing situation.
- Within that framework, by backing extreme fascist groups and other elements, the US and EU intervened in Libya causing an ongoing chaos and with the same tactics proceeded to the intervention in Syria that led to a civil war that is out of control. They supplied, armed, trained and financially assisted dangerous groups and organizations aiming to use these groups for the further destabilization of the region.
- In this way they have released the backward forces of the “Islamic State” which proceeded in committing barbaric atrocities against the local populations. Nevertheless, this is not out of line with the plans of NATO and their allies in the region. In reality the activity of “Islamic State” is serving their interests in the region as it is a major factor of destabilization and chaos and creates an open space for future direct military interventions.
- The Middle East continues to be a vast battle ground. Afghanistan and Libya are still being kept in a chaotic situation with infighting between religious and other fractions. Iraq faces the danger of being separated in three parts. Syria is being torn apart by the ongoing civil war and the foreign intervention. The war in Syria is also affecting neighboring countries such as Lebanon which faces the continuous Israeli provocations. At the same time the religious and sectarian conflicts that were supported throughout the region by NATO and in particular their Allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, are spreading. The situation in Yemen with the bombing conducted by Saudi Arabia forces is one of the examples.
- The Palestinian people continue their struggle against the Israeli occupation under the shadow of war that has covered the region. The State of Israel is intensifying the faits accomplis of the occupation of Palestinian territories. Through the escalation of colonization and the murderous attacks waged against the Palestinians, Israel is undermining the efforts for the establishment of an independent, and viable Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its Capital, on the borders of 1967.
- Under these conditions, ongoing unsolved international problems (Cyprus, Kurdish and the Palestinian) continue their course in an even more complex international and regional situation.
In this framework, the mass struggle of the youth against imperialist plans is more than necessary for the immediate end of all interventions in the Middle East which regenerate violence, chaos and bloodshed and create the worst conditions for the peoples of the region.
We call on the youth to take the path of organized struggle and forge a front of resistance against any reactionary, obscurantist, fascist or religious fundamentalist forces. Young people need to actively support and participate in the national and international anti-imperialist and peace movements that are genuinely fighting against imperialism, the system that creates wars, occupations, fascism and exploitation.
We strongly believe that the future of the peoples and the youth cannot be depended on the various imperialist agendas, inter-imperialist contradictions and antagonisms. We therefore call on the peoples and the youth to take control of their future and struggle for lasting peace in a society that will ensure freedom, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace and social justice.