Proletarskaya Gazeta
The imperialist powers, led by the U.S. imperialism, in their propaganda present themselves as ‘the civilized world.’ This proclamation of themselves as ‘civilized’ parasites allows them to portray the rest of the world as barbarians and savages.
The kamikaze attack of September 11, 2001, crashed Boeings together with their passengers and crew into the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. This resulted in the destruction of the buildings and the deaths of several thousand people, which provided bourgeois propaganda with a great excuse to build up a mythical threat to the ‘civilized world’ from ‘international terrorism.’ The ruling classes of the USA have declared their intention to strike an unprecedented military blow in retaliation in order to ‘to destroy bases of terrorists’ in various countries and ‘to liquidate terrorists, as well as those who shelter them.’
What is behind the provocation of September 11?
The provocation of September 11 in New York and Washington created the conditions for the U.S. to secure military control over oil routes and created favorable conditions for the stiffening of political and military pressure on oil-extracting countries to strengthen the pressure on OPEC and its executive committee.
The price of oil had been steadily increasing over the past years, something that the U.S. government was not very happy with. The U.S. government has increased its military pressure and has resorted to carrying out terror in the region of the oil-extracting countries of the world in order to frighten their governments by complementing political and economic pressure with military aggression. The military blackmail and direct military aggression by the imperialists are meant to secure low prices for oil.
Additionally, this new aggression further boosts the profits of the military industry in the U.S.
Therefore, the provocation of September 11th, which has taken the lives of thousands of civilians, serves the economic interests of U.S. imperialism.
It is necessary to note that before the tragic events of September 11th, economic data had clearly pointed to a recession that could lead to a deep global economic crisis. This insanity about an alleged threat to U.S. national security by ‘international terrorism’ is meant to divert the attention of the American public from the economic crisis and its consequences for the American people.
The military aggression against Afghanistan had been planned before the tragic events in New York and Washington. Many documents released by the U.S. government and several government committees bear witness to this. The U.S. capitalists had already calculated the economic benefits of a military occupation of Afghanistan.
The industrially developed West is not expected to increase its consumption of oil and gas in the foreseeable future. In order to consume the oil and gas extracted from the region of the Caspian Sea, new emerging markets are required. International corporations expect the demand for oil and gas to grow significantly in Asia. Specialists have emphasized that the main regions of oil and gas consumers will be India, Pakistan and China. Due to its geographical location, Afghanistan is a necessary transit point for gas and oil supplies to the countries of the Far East. Afghanistan is located between Turkmenistan and Pakistan, and also near India and other countries in the region. In order to allow gas and oil supplies from the Caspian Sea and Bashkiria to reach the Far East, it is necessary to build expensive gas and oil pipelines. Due to the complicated mountain geography of Kyrgyzia and Tadzhikistan, the Afghan route is the best solution for the construction of gas and oil pipelines.
In October 1997 the governments of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan (the Taliban), Pakistan and an American company created a corporation and signed a memorandum for the construction of pipelines through the territory of Afghanistan.
In particular, the Taliban regime agreed with foreign corporations and the governments of Turkmenistan and Pakistan on the construction of a 48-inch diameter pipe that would run 1270 kilometers along the Herat-Kandahar road to Pakistan.
However, in June 1998 the American partner (which owned 46.5% of the corporation) pulled out, due to the continuing civil war and the unstable political situation in the country.
During this period the U.S. government refused to recognize the Taliban government. The U.S. government did not believe that the Taliban would ever be able to establish a stable government in the country and become a stable partner of U.S. imperialism in this region. The ruling Taliban understood this and decided to fight for its own economic interests in a different way.
In April 1999, the governments of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan resumed talks and revived the corporation by inviting a major Saudi Arabian oil company. It is no coincidence that a number of U.S. officials conceived of the possibility of carrying out ‘retaliatory’ strikes on the territory of Saudi Arabia. The U.S. imperialists faced the possibility of losing control over the transit of oil and gas to the Far East through Afghan territory, as a new potential source of profits.
The construction of a pipeline with local resources would boost the economic independence of the countries in the area. The U.S. imperialists were adamantly opposed to this development, as it would prevent the U.S. corporations from controlling the new emerging markets. U.S. imperialism is aiming at establishing political and military control in Afghanistan in order to impose its conditions on the countries of the Far East and the countries that produce gas and oil in the region of the Caspian Sea. The control of the transit of gas and oil would allow U.S. corporations to impose high tariffs prices. The prices of gas and oil provided to the emerging markets would come closer to world prices. This would give the U.S. imperialists the ability to influence the development of the emerging markets. This mechanism would also influence the price of Russian gas and oil supplies to Europe. This way, U.S. imperialism would be able to influence the economy of the European Community.
The governments of the European Community have tried to get the US government to show restraint in its campaign of retaliation in general, and its campaign against Afghanistan in particular. Shortly after the defeat of the Taliban, several West European countries showed readiness to send ground troops to Afghanistan in an attempt to secure some of the profit from the ‘Afghan deal’.
The provocation of September 11th triggered an unambiguous reaction from the Russian bourgeoisie. The mass media all of a sudden were filled with anti-Islamic propaganda. All of a sudden the mass media recalled the bombing of houses in Russia and the deaths of innocent civilians. President Putin was quick to declare that the Russian authorities were right in declaring a crusade against the terrorist evil. At the same time, the Russian authorities are trying to justify the atrocities committed by the Russian military in Chechnya, leading to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.
After a short period of relative stability, the Russian economy is likely to go into a deep depression again. Even the government does not conceal the fact that the economic situation is unstable and may significantly worsen soon. This impending new crisis will be reinforced by the dependence of the Russian economy on the interests of international capital that dictate the economic reforms implemented by the president. The indignation of the popular masses is on the rise. The reserve of political tricks played by the ruling classes and their demagogy is exhausted. This will all lead to serious social upheavals. The Russian authorities are trying to introduce a police regime in the country, using the excuse of defence against the threat of ‘international terrorism.’ The army and police have been given special powers to suppress any expression of social unrest and political activity by the working masses against capitalism.
At the same time, the ‘Chechen terrorist attacks’ and the war against ‘international terrorism’ are being used by the Russian authorities to frighten the masses and divert their attention from the internal problems of the country.
The Russian bourgeoisie, as a producer of Caspian and Bashkirian oil and gas to be pumped into the Far East, is deeply interested in the construction of pipelines in Afghanistan. In this sense its interests are closely related to those of U.S. imperialism.
However, the actual extraction of natural resources is not the only source of profit. The control over the transit of oil and gas towards the emerging markets is also a source of profit. Therefore, the Russian bourgeoisie is also interested in establishing its own monopoly control over the transit of oil and gas through Afghan territory. In this respect the interests of the Russian bourgeoisie and the U.S. bourgeoisie are opposed and hostile to each other. This forces the Russian bourgeoisie to quickly take positions in this war of aggression against Afghanistan.
Therefore, the provocation of September 11th and the U.S. aggression against Afghanistan are politically convenient for the Russian bourgeoisie; they help the latter in justifying its colonial atrocities and diverting the attention of the masses from the internal social problems.
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan was supported by U.S. imperialism as guardian of its interests. However, the Taliban were not only unable to accomplish the task within Afghanistan but, on the contrary, they turned against their masters. The U.S. imperialists could not cope with the idea of losing such a lucrative source of profits as the control over the transit of oil and gas to the Far East. This is the real cause underlying the aggression against Afghanistan. The provocation of September 11th in New York and Washington created the excuse for waging this war, and possibly other future wars. The objects of these provocations were chosen in such a way as to best boost pro-war propaganda, not only in the U.S. but also in the rest of the ‘civilized world.’ The war in Chechnya waged by the Russian troops and the bombing of Russian houses served the interests of the Russian bourgeoisie in the same way as the provocation of September 11th and the aggression against Afghanistan serve the interests of U.S. imperialism. At the same time, with this aggression U.S. imperialism wants to teach a lesson to those who serve the U.S. in other parts of the world. It is relevant to note that, at the time of the aggression, the U.S. did not have a clear and solid replacement for the Taliban government to further safeguard its interests in the area. As a result, U.S. imperialism is not interested in the creation of a stable central government in Afghanistan. At this time they prefer a weak and divided power in the territory of Afghanistan that is easier to control by military means.
The Russian bourgeoisie is avoiding a direct intervention in Afghanistan by cunningly arguing that the defeat of the social-imperialist Soviet Union created negative conditions for future military interventions by the Russian army. However, the capitalists of Russia have never refused to gain a new source of profit. The tactics used by the Russian bourgeoisie in this respect are different from those used by U.S. imperialism. It is interesting to touch upon two main factors that have influenced the tactics of the Russian bourgeoisie.
First, the Russian army is weak and is unable to cope with the colonial war in Chechnya, let alone to intervene in Afghanistan. As of today, the Russian bourgeoisie, and especially the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is only able to crush unarmed demonstrators or to humiliate citizens in the streets.
Secondly, due to the weakness of the Russian bourgeoisie, a military action would objectively serve the interests of U.S. imperialism. A Russian military force would not be in a position to withstand the pressure from other competitors.
Therefore, the Russian bourgeoisie is trying to reach Kabul through the back door, cunningly avoiding the Northern Alliance. It is influencing political developments in that country to serve its economic interests. The Russian bourgeoisie is bidding for the creation of a strong centralized power in Afghanistan that would be friendly to the Russian government.
The statement of the Russian bourgeoisie supporting the war against ‘international terrorism’ is no more than a cunning propaganda trick. The Russian bourgeoisie is trying to secure an additional source of profit in Afghanistan, i.e. it is pursuing its own economic interests.
An analysis of the causes of the aggression by the US, Russia and their accomplices against Afghanistan bears witness to the fact that in the territory of Afghanistan the imperialist predatory interests of various countries are overlapping. The struggle over the control over the transit of oil and gas will last for a long time. In any case it is the Afghan people who will suffer the most. The Afghan people have no choice!
In the ’80s of the XIX century, the heroic Afghan people defeated the expansionism of British imperialism in its quest for world domination and blocked its advance towards Central Asia and Russia. A century later, the Afghan people resisted a new aggression and defeated the social-imperialism of the revisionist Soviet Union.
Today the Afghan people should take up arms and lead the national liberation of their homeland to a real Victory!
Proletarskaya Gazeta
No. 14, Leningrad.
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