Condemn the U.S.-British Terrorism Against the Afghan People

Statement of the Manitoba Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), October 7, 2001

Today at 8:45 p.m. local time, under cover of darkness, U.S. and British forces carried out a massive bombing attack against Kabul and other major cities of Afghanistan. In the surprise assault, 50 cruise missiles were launched from the safety of ships and submarines, while tons of bombs were dropped by high-level bombers. The air attack was coupled with a ground assault by forces of the Northern Alliance, which has become the latest U.S. proxy army in Afghanistan. As yet there are no reports on how many Afghan people were killed in the air raids, which U.S. President Bush has pledged will be continuous and relentless.

This attack against Afghanistan was neither sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council, nor was it accompanied by a formal declaration of war. As such, it is in complete violation of international law and constitutes an act of international terrorism.

While the U.S. and its allies are justifying this illegal attack as part of a war against terrorism, various U.S. and British officials have openly stated that their aim is to overthrow the Taliban government of Afghanistan and replace it with a pro-U.S. government under the leadership the former king of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah. His monarchy was overthrown in 1973.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien has stated that the Canadian government fully supports the U.S.-British actions and has pledged to contribute military resources to the campaign.

The Manitoba Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) joins with millions of peace and justice-loving people the world over in condemning this brutal and illegal bombardment of the Afghan people, and also condemns the Canadian government for its endorsement of the bombings. Both the U.S.-British bombardment of Afghanistan and the September 11 suicide attacks that the coalition is supposedly avenging represent crimes against humanity and serious threats to the peace and security of the world's people.