Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions

The lie that the U.S. is fighting Islamic State (ISIS) terrorism in Syria was publicly exploded on June 18 when a U.S. F/A-18 “Super Hornet” fighter jet launched from the George H.W. Bushaircraft carrier shot down a Syrian government aircraft. Syria said its plane had carried out a mission against ISIS in the countryside near Raqqa—the capital of ISIS’s proclaimed caliphate.

This is a revolution in consciousness, not only in politics, and it has transformed the lives of countless women and men for generations to come.

In the wake of the failed military coup in Turkey, and the massive wave of state repression that has followed, building solidarity with the progressive resistance in Turkey and Kurdistan is even more vital. The attention of socialists and democrats worldwide will be turned towards the reactionary mobilisation that the ruling AKP has unleashed. This will put the HDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) centre stage.

The siege of Kobani by Islamic State (ISIS) brought worldwide attention to the Syrian Kurdish PYD (Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat, Democratic Union Party), the leading force in the Kurdish-majority areas in northern Syria. The PYD calls this region Rojava—literally meaning “land of the sunset” but also translated as “West Kurdistan.”

The PKK has continued to struggle for justice in Kurdistan. But its democratic transformation leaves much to be desired.

Washington’s agreement to pursue a diplomatic route to secure the disarmament of Syria’s chemical arsenal produced sighs of relief the world over from opponents of a new Middle East war. The threat of an imminent U.S. missile attack on that nation, an attack that would undoubtedly lead to civilian deaths and a weakening of the position of the grassroots democratic elements in the struggle against Assad, has appreciably lessened.

Egypt’s Cairo Court for Urgent Matters on Sept. 23 stamped the “legal” coup de grace on the now fully unmasked face of the U.S.-backed military dictatorship. The court dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood in all respects, confiscated its assets, seized its buildings and banned all MB activities.

This view of the revolution in Libya from "A writer in Tripoli" was published on the socialistworker.org site on 20 September, 2011.

I was taken aback by the September 2nd SA statement on Libya Imperialist victory is no gain for Libyan revolt. l Previous coverage on Libya had made clear SA’s sympathy for the revolt and had sought to propose a course of action for the struggle. This latest statement is a retreat from that.

Abdirahman Dirye, an activist from Somaliland currently based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, sent us this comment. He can be reached at: mrdirye@gmail.com