"We are realists... we dream the impossible" - Che Fire This Time! Canada's Imperialist Canada Out of Iraq! REMEMBERING Ambitions CHE GUEVARA Pages 8 & 18 Cartoon by: Tom Pokinko Tom Cartoon by: Page 2 Page 24 Art by: Zekhar Krylov Zekhar Art by: Page 6 EVO MORALES & THE ENVIRONMENT Hey HANDS OFF VENEZUELA! Page 10 KAEPERNICK, TRUMP & RACISM VENEZUELA ¿CUÁL ES LA DISCUSIÓN? Page 25 Page 26 Volume 11 Issue 10 October 2017 • In English / En Español • Free • $3 at Bookstores www.firethistime.net WHY WE MUST OPPOSE CANADA’S IMPERIALIST AMBITIONS AND BUILD A BROAD ANTI-WAR, ANTI-OCCUPATION MOVEMENT By Nita Palmer In 2008 the Conservative government and around the world, has increased followed with their own Canada First exponentially since 2001. ISIS/Daesh, one Defense Strategy, a $490 billion plan to of the most brutal terrorist organizations Sixteen years have now passed since the increase Canada’s military over the next 20 in the world, has gained a foothold in ‘war on terror’ began with the invasion and years. Afghanistan. The official government has occupation of Afghanistan. The decade and For the first time since the Korean War, little influence beyond Kabul. Much of a half which has passed since the September scores of Canadian soldiers began returning the country remains under the control 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade home in coffins. Military recruitment ads of the Taliban, or worse, the corrupt and Centre has been characterized primarily by popped up everywhere, urging young people bloodthirsty warlords often supported a new era of war and occupation around the to “Fight Fear. Fight Boredom.” Parks and directly or indirectly by the US and NATO. world – a war drive which has killed and even city streets have occasionally become Tens of thousands of Afghans have died injured millions and forced millions more military training grounds. in this war, although there is no official to flee their countries. Under the vague Afghanistan count. Each year has brought an increase in justification of ‘combating terrorism’ and civilian casualties. Sixteen hundred civilians ‘building democracy’, the United States Afghanistan became the longest war in were killed in the first half of 2016 alone. and their allies have bombed, invaded, and Canada’s history, with as many as 2,500 Nearly all were children. occupied countries in the Middle East and troops there for 12 years. Canadian Forces throughout the world. played a leading role in the NATO combat Nearly a million people are internally mission in Kandahar province, one of the displaced in Afghanistan, and around six The beginning of this new era of war million are refugees abroad. The number of and occupation also marked a significant most heated battle zones in the country and a hub of Afghan resistance to the US/ people displaced by fighting continues to increase in Canada’s war drive and combat grow. missions abroad. Canadian Forces deployed NATO occupation. One hundred fifty- to Afghanistan in 2001, playing a major eight Canadian soldiers were killed in For the vast majority of Afghans, nothing role in occupation of that country. The Afghanistan; an additional 54 took their has improved since the war began, and Liberal government released a White Paper own lives after returning home from the in fact they face more insecurity from on Defense in 2005 calling for Canada to battlefield. fighting than before. Taliban rulers have make its mark in the world diplomatically, Today, Afghanistan remains in shambles. been replaced by corrupt warlords, often economically, and militarily, noting that For all the talk of ending terrorism and flush with cash from NATO reconstruction Canada had to “break through the glass bringing democracy and human rights to contracts. ceiling of its middle-power status” and the country, little, if any, has been achieved. This is the legacy which Canada has left to “compete in a world of rising giants”. Terrorism, both within Afghanistan Afghanistan. Yet the war there is not over 2 FIRE THIS TIME Volume 11 Issue 10 October 2017 yet – the US currently has 11,000 In addition, the Canadian Air Force has aircraft were deployed to the country, along troops stationed in Afghanistan flown over 3,000 missions, including with JTF-2 commandos. The Canadian and over 3000 more are soon to refuelling missions for bombers Air Force dropped 240 bombs on the be deployed. Some foreign policy and reconnaissance country and supported other NATO critics suggest that Canada operations. aircraft in bombing operations. should rejoin the NATO Libya The NATO mission succeeded not only in mission there. overthrowing Gaddafi, who they labelled Iraq a dictator, but also set the country back While Canada did not decades in terms of development officially send troops and human rights. The to Iraq in 2003, the country, which once was government of Canada the wealthiest in Africa quietly supported the and boasted free education US/UK invasion and health care for all, has and occupation been fragmented into a society Canadian special forces helicopter on a mission in ruled by rival gangs and terrorist from behind the northern Iraq. February 20, 2017. scenes. Former organizations – including al- US Ambassador to Qaeda, with whom the CIA Canada Paul Cellucci noted directly worked with to overthrow that, “Ironically, the Canadians Gaddafi. indirectly provide more support for us in Far from bringing human rights to Iraq than most of those 46 countries that the country and increasing regional are fully supporting us.” stability, the NATO mission destroyed This support includedLibyan boys walk near the wreckage of a school bombed one of the wealthiest countries in $300 million to help by NATO/Canada forces in August 2011. Africa, dramatically increased the refugee ‘rebuild’ the country and crisis, and created yet another haven for train the new Iraqi police terrorist organizations in the region. This force after the invasion, as is Canada’s legacy in Libya. well as sending over one Haiti hundred soldiers there to serve with US and British In February 2004, Canada’s JTF-2 forces troops, and stationing participated in the invasion of Haiti along warships in the Persian with forces from the US and France, Gulf. overthrowing the democratically elected president Jean-Bertand Aristide. The The war in Iraq has United Nations Stabilization Mission that killed over a million followed did nothing to stabilize the people, decimated the country. In fact, the UN forces were country’s infrastructure, documented on several occasions and fomented sectarian committing terrible human violence and division Canada also participated rights abuses such as widespread along religious lines. The division, rape and mass murder. Today, instability, and desperate poverty which in the military intervention in Haitians remain in desperate the war created helped give rise to Daesh, living conditions, with which now extends its reign of terror over Libya and the nearly 60% of the country large parts of Iraq, Syria, and other areas of living in poverty (UN the Middle East and North Africa. Former Development Program). US military advisor David Kilcullen has The UN-installed declared that, “there would be no ISIS government is one if we had not invaded Iraq”. of the most corrupt The rise of ISIS gave renewed justification in the world, with for the US and their allies to continue war Haiti ranked in Iraq, fighting a monster of their own as fifteenth creation. This time, however, Canadian most corrupt troops are directly involved in the fray. A country total of 850 Canadian troops are currently in the world in Iraq, 650 of which are part of the elite by Transparency Joint Task Force 2 ( JTF-2). While the International. government of Canada claims their mission Eastern Europe and Beyond is solely to “train, advise, and assist” Kurdish Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. forces fighting ISIS, it has become clear The government of Canada’s involvement that Canadian forces are routinely engaged overthrow in wars abroad does not end at these direct in direct combat on the front lines – as o f President military interventions, however. Canada shown recently when a JTF-2 sniper was Muhammar Gaddafi. Two currently has hundreds of troops stationed celebrated for a kill shot on an ISIS fighter. naval vessels and over a dozen in Latvia, leading a NATO battle group FIRE THIS TIME Volume 11 Issue 10 October 2017 3 there, supposedly to deter the threat of a they are pursuing a policy of imperialism. Russian invasion. Why We Need an Anti-War As well, the government of Movement Canada has sold millions None of these wars have ever been of dollars worth of military about stopping terrorism. They equipment, including automatic have not made the world safer or weapons, bombs, and military expanded democracy or human vehicles to Israel and Saudi rights – quite the opposite. The Arabia, who are fighting brutal only beneficiaries of these wars are wars against Palestine and members of the wealthy elite – the Yemen, respectively. capitalist class – who are protecting What is Behind Canada’s War their economic position. Poor and Drive? working people in Canada and Why has the government of around the world have nothing to Canada, a country which once gain and everything to lose from these wars. preferred to stay behind the A Canadian soldier stands guard scenes of wars abroad, now during the 2004 invasion of Haiti. We have a moral and ethical taking a leading role? duty to defend our fellow human The world we live in today involvement in military interventions beings from what amounts to little is marked by increasingly frequent abroad. In short, the government of Canada more than slaughter. The vast majority of capitalist economic crises.