Re: The Iraq Situation Today

[Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx>]

At 1:23 PM -0400 4/9/03, Louis Proyect wrote:
> The differences are over how to assess Ba'athism in its Iraqi
> manifestation. As Yoshie pointed out the other day, there simply is
> not a lot of knowledge about this. I looked in the Columbia Library
> and could not find a single thing.

I've yet to find a useful book/article in the OSU library either.  I
received the following note from Michael Hoover (in response to the
same query I posted to other lists), which I'd like to share with
marxmail subscribers:

At 11:30 PM -0400 4/8/03, Michael Hoover wrote:
> Iraqi Ba'ath (which means revitalization or resurgence) Party came
> to power via '68 coup, one of a number of governments in region in
> 50s/60s - including Algeria/Eygpt/Libya/Sudan/Syria - denouncing
> traditional Arab political leadership and advocating variant of
> 'arab socialism'...
>
> Above shared view generally prevalent in third world at time re.
> european/us imperialism, they espoused continuing struggle against
> colonialism/neo-colonialism, called for pan-arabism, iniated new
> policies to alleviate plight of masses...
>
> One of the first matters that Ba'ath gov't addressed was
> long-standing dispute with Kurds who were granted degree of local
> autonomy in 1970, followed by entry of several Kurds into gov't
> cabinet positions in 1973, and eventual granting of autonomy to
> Kirkuk region in 1974...
>
> Iraqi gov't commitment in '70s to improving life of majority was
> strong/substantive/successful, in part, no doubt, because of oil
> revenue generated by being world's second largest oil exporter
> (gov't nationalized oil fields in 1972)...
>
> Major expansions were undertaken in education and technical
> training, industrial development yielded 10% increase per year in
> industrial-related jobs during 1970s, significant agricultural
> improvements achieved...
>
> Above occurred when Saddam Hussein was deputy secretary of party
> (although he was recognized as 'strong man'), he didn't assume top
> position until '79...
>
> Saddam Hussein consolidated power amidt nervousness of immediate
> aftermath of Iranian Revo...
>
> Iraqi Ba'ath Party was secular to core, leadership was nominally
> sunni, shia make up 60%+ of iraqi population...
>
> There were uprisings in several predominantly shia cities, Khomeini
> called Saddam Hussein an atheist and urged overthrow of Iraqi
> gov't...
>
> Iraqi gov't responded with arrests/executions of iraqi shia
> political leaders who were accused of collaborating with Iran...
>
> Saddam Hussein publicly "called out" khomeini, urged arab minority
> in Iran to revolt, and began mobilizing Iraqi army in state of
> emergency/readiness...
>
> Iraqi gov't, at one time, was among handful that accepted principle
> of spontaneous settlement(more commonly known as squatting)in
> addressing housing issues...
>
> Approach involved relatively low-cost upgrading of 'shanties' with
> roads, sewer, electricity, water...
>
> Low rents & community links were sustained while infrastructure
> development created jobs...
>
> Gov't would offer people sites on which to build their
> own residences (providing construction guidance as well)...
>
> Folks received tenure security and protection against rent inflation...
>
> Education and health facilities were built to service such areas...
>
> Result was string of villages in which residents could
> preserve/practice culture, maintain/foster mutual help & support...
>
> communities helped cushion people against urban isolation/alienation
> *and* blocked use of inappropriate western planning/zoning ideas...
--
Yoshie

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