The recent internecine fighting between different factions
in Gaza has
temporarily calmed down after an agreement was patched together to form a
government of national unity. This will eventually break down as none of the
pressing problems of the Palestinian people will be solved.
George W. Bush last night announced his “new strategy” for Iraq. His speech consisted of the usual rhetoric about “establishing democracy” and “defeating the terrorists” but particularly a lot of wishful thinking. Like an about to be defeated poker player, US imperialism faces the problem every gambler has when he is losing: if he leaves the table, he won’t be able to win back his losses. But a final bet can prove fatal too.
The execution of Saddam Hussein could not have been a more cynically
calculated PR event if a banner proclaiming "mission accomplished" had
been placed above the gallows. His hanging will not provide a day of
relief from the misery, humiliation, and violence the Iraqi people are
enduring under the occupation, or absolve imperialism of its role in
Saddam's rise to power and decades of brutal rule.