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Just when you think Galloway can't sink any lower...

Author of this article | 17.11.2005 12:58

British MP George Galloway at Damascus University: US Army Is Defeated in Iraq. US Will Not Dare to Attack Syria. Bashar Al-Assad Is the Last Arab Leader and Tony Blair Is A Slave of Slaves

WHAT a complete and utter waste of space this pitiful excuse for a 'man' is:

Following are excerpts from a speech given by British MP George Galloway in Damascus University, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on November 13, 2005.

Galloway: Condoleezza Rice has been touring the Arab countries to speak about Syria, so I have come to Syria to speak about Condoleezza Rice.

You know, it never ceases to surprise me that Arab governments can allow a foreigner to come to their country and sit on their tables with their leaders to insult and attack another Arab country. This is the behavior of slave governments, and the Bahraini regime should have asked Condoleezza to leave when she insulted Syria in their presence, in their capital. In fact maybe it's the rulers who should leave. When she visited Cairo a few months ago, the Egyptian masses - who are still a part of the Arab world, by the way - raised the slogan about the Arab rulers: "Give them a visa ya Condoleezza," and I believe that this is a slogan which has not lost its meaning.

[...]

I want to be very clear. I was clear in July, and what I said in July has followed me all over the world by the American and Israeli propaganda machine, so I want to be very clear again. All dignified people in the world, whether Arabs or Muslims or others with dignity, are very proud of the speech made by President Bashar Al-Assad a few days ago here in Damascus.

[...]

For me he is the last Arab ruler, and Syria is the last Arab country. It is the fortress of the remaining dignity of the Arabs, and that's why I'm proud to be here and addressing you this evening.

[...]

After July he (Blair) condemned me for what I said about President Bashar, but only two years before, he was taking the president to meet Her Majesty the queen. If President Bashar is so dangerous a man, why did he take him inside the royal palace in London? The truth is, Mr. Blair changed his policy towards Syria because President Bush ordered him to. Mr. Blair too is a slave of the slaves.

[...]

The reason that Syria is facing this crisis is not because of any bad thing which Syria has done or any weaknesses within its democracy, or within its economy, or within its human rights record - and there are weaknesses in all three of these. The reason why Syria is being threatened is not because of anything bad which she did, but because of the good which she is doing. That's the reason why Syria is being threatened - because she will not betray the Palestinian resistance, because she will not betray the Lebanese resistance, Hizbullah, because she will not sign a shameful surrender-peace with General Sharon, and above all - more than any of these others - because Syria will not allow her country to be used as a military base for America to crush the resistance in Iraq. These are the reasons why Syria is being targeted by these imperial powers.

[...]

Now I warned in July that Lebanon was being sharpened as a knife to be used in the back of Syria, and I warned the Lebanese people that those who care nothing for Lebanon are preparing to use you and your government to weaken the last Arab power. And I turned out to be right. This knife has been sharpened and now they are using it.

[...]

And I warned in July about this character, Mehlis. And please don't call him Sayyed (Mr.) Mehlis. I'm not calling him Sayyed Mehlis.

Translator: We don’t call him Sayyed Mehlis…

Galloway: No, I was interviewed by several Syrian journalists today, and every time I said Mehlis, they said SayyedMehlis. No, he's not SayyedMehlis.

[...]

Just because somebody is appointed by the UN which became - you know, Lenin called the League of Nations a "Thieves' kitchen." The UN became a thieves' and beggars' kitchen, where the thieves make the decisions, and the beggars vote for the decisions, and if the beggars will not vote for the decisions, the thieves will implement the decisions anyway. Because somebody came through the UN it doesn't make them a saint. Mehlis is not a saint, he's not an impartial civil servant, he is a policeman with a record of framing Arab governments, and this is why he was given this job. He was the one who investigated the so-called La Belle disco explosion in Berlin. He named Libya as the responsible party for this crime, and Ronald Reagan used this finding to send a massive and violent attack against Libya, which killed innocent people including the daughter of Mu'ammar Qadhafi herself. This was Mehlis' job, to falsely accuse Libya of this crime, which everybody now knows Libya was not responsible for.

[...]

This record of framing Arab countries is the qualification of Mehlis for his new job of framing Syria.

[...]

This is why he was given this job, and everybody should be aware that the verdict of the Mehlis inquiry was already fixed before he began his investigation. This murder of Hariri was deliberately planned and executed precisely to implicate Syria and to set in train the events which have unfolded.

[...]

Now some people asked me here, do I think that this will all lead to a situation in Syria which can be compared to the fate of Iraq, and I say no. There is no chance of the American army invading Syria, for many reasons. The first reason is because the Iraqi resistance are defeating the American army in Iraq.

[...]

You know, when I went to the American Senate on May the 17th of this year, which seems only yesterday for me, and for the American senators - I heard myself say on a video clip the other day - I told the Senate on May the 17th that 1,600 American soldiers had died. 1,600. That was on May 17th. Today, it's almost 2,100 and rising rapidly. October was the bloodiest month of the war, with the Americans losing 107 dead soldiers in one month.

[...]

Now the Americans cannot control one single street in any town or city or village of Arab Iraq. Not one street can they control safely.

[...]

They can control the skies, but only if they don't come low enough for the RPG.

[...]

No American soldier who leaves his barracks can be sure that he will come back alive.

Translator: No American soldier who leaves his suitcases can be sure he will return to life again.

Galloway: Every Iraqi, every roadside, every car is a potential deadly ending for him. And the American army... The American army is losing the will to fight.

[...]

So America is losing the war in Iraq and she cannot dream of starting a new war in Syria. The second reason is: The public opinion in Britain and America is moving decisively against the policy of Bush and Blair.

[...]

The political strength of George Bush is beginning to seep away into the sand. He is not strong enough to declare another war against another Arab country.

[...]

And in Britain, these are the final days of Tony Blair. The British media is discussing every day whether this day Blair will resign.

[...]

And the third reason why they will never invade Syria is sitting here and is outside in the streets. It is that if they dared to invade Syria, every dignified person in the country would fight them exactly as the people of Iraq are fighting them now.

[...]

When Hitler was on the French coast and my country stood alone, when the Americans were watching the war on television before they joined it, we faced a violent foreign military invasion. And of course there were collaborators in Britain who would have collaborated with Hitler if he had landed, but the vast majority of British people would have fought Hitler, with their teeth, if necessary, because no free people will allow itself to be occupied by a foreign army, and Syria is a free people and will never agree to such an invasion.

[...]

What your lives would be if from the Atlantic to the Gulf we had one Arab union - all this land, 300 million people, all this oil and gas and water, occupied by a people who speak the same language, follow the same religions, listen to the same Um Kulthum... The Arabs would be a superpower in the world if they had this unity, instead of the shameful situation in which the Arabs find themselves today.

[...]

This is not a dream, you know. In the European Union, there is almost 100 languages, there is many religions, there is countries who only 50 years ago were slaughtering each other by the million in war - totally different cultures with nothing in common except living on the mainland of Europe. But we are making a European Union which in 20 years will balance the power of the United States of America, inshallah.

[...]

Chairman Mao said that sometimes the enemy struggles mightily to lift a huge stone, only to drop it on its own feet, and I believe that's what has happened in the world today.

[...]

Instead of terrorizing the whole world with American power, the invasion of Iraq has showed everybody in the world the limitations of American power.

[...]

Hundreds of thousands are ready to fight them in the Middle East, and in Latin America there is revolution everywhere. Fidel Castro is feeling young again. Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile are all electing left-wing governments that are challenging American domination. And in Venezuela the hero Hugo Chavez has stood against them over and over and over again.

[...]

Chavez was twice overthrown on America's orders, and twice the poor masses of the slums of Caracas poured onto the streets in their millions and reinstalled him in the president's house. America cannot dare to touch his head, because if they harm Hugo Chavez, a fire will erupt in Latin America which will engulf them.

[...]

So I say to you, citizens of the last Arab country, this is a time for courage, for unity, for wisdom, for determination, to face these enemies with the dignity your president has shown, and I believe, God willing, we will prevail and triumph, fwa-salam aleikum.

Author of this article

Comments

Hide the following 25 comments

Of Course

17.11.2005 13:47

As the worlds most malign terrorist state, the US needs to be defeated in Iraq. It also needs to be stopped from terrorising and robbing the rest of the Middle East, and many other peoples around the world.

Of course, Syria should be supported against US aggression.

Clandestino


Viva Galloway!

17.11.2005 14:00

So, what is wrong with what he said? It is all correct and we should be glad that we have such a high profile leftist MP that has some clout on the world and national stage. What do you liberals and anarchists do? Nothing.

HP


GREAT!!!

17.11.2005 14:07

Wow, what a great speech!!!! Thanks for posting that, I feel inspired to keep up the fight against imperialism and racism.

Viva Galloway!!!

Djinn


sounds good to me Mr.MI5...

17.11.2005 14:20

sounds just fine and dandy to me....can't see what your problem is

david


Imay not always agree with galloway

17.11.2005 14:55

but i cant fault anything he has said here. Why he said it may be a different matter but what he said is right. The US/UK must be defeated they cannot be allowed to win battles such as these or else there will be no stopping them. We need another vietnam and hopefully Iraq will be that place.

GET OUT OR GET KILLED

GoDAMIT HES RIGHT


Pro-war idiot

17.11.2005 14:58

George "Screw My Constituents, I've Got Money To Make" Galloway, that is.

He is essentially saying that he hopes more US soliders will die as that will help the politcal goals of himself and the people agrees with.

Will everyone here who agrees with him now admit that they are pro-war and in favour of people using violence to achieve their goals (aka fascism)?

Or will you just say, "ooh, you must work for the evil police state loving Blair scum as you have dared to disagree with the mighty George"? Let me guess...

FTB


George Galloway is an Anti-Semitic fascist

17.11.2005 15:06

George Galloway is an Anti-Semite, hypocrite, and former supporter of Saddam Hussien. He is speaking in Syria for god's sake.... Syria which is a military dictatorship....
America is the only country in the world were freedom of speech, freedom of religon, and the right to a jury trial exists, and you guys are saying we should support Syria which imprisons, tortures, rapes, and murders it's citizens?
I say America, even with all it's faults is the only free country in the world, here in America you can burn an American flag in front of the white house and you are protected by the constitution, you can say anything and demonstrate without a permit. In Britian you would be arrested if you burned a British Flag in front of parliment and shouted "IRA forever!". In syria if you burned a Syrian flag you be shot by the secret police.
I would take America over Syria any day of the week.

American Anarchist


Excellent

17.11.2005 15:15

Galloway for PM.

Memory-Hole-Catchers-Mitt


American Idiot, more like

17.11.2005 16:08

If the flag-waving jingoistic fuckwit spouting patriotic BS above is an "American Anarchist" then I'd hate to see an American Fascist.

Sorry, "buddy", but anarchists reject patriotism, nationalism and sucking up to the rich and powerful. If you can't bear to do that, then stop cheapening the A-word.

Oh - and fuck off.

As for that twat who thinks we are all "pro-war" and "fascist" 'cos we support the right of others to resist aggression ("using violence to achieve their objectives") - he might wish to ask what the fuck the Iraq War was if not "using violence to achieve their objectives."

He might also try and find out more about fascism before misusing the F-word.

You arse.

fuck Usa


Galloway

17.11.2005 16:32

Hoping the US will lose isn't necesarilly the same thing as supporting arab dictators. After all, it takes countries like the US to install dictators as their clients in the first place doesn't it?

The problem with Galloway is that he's a demagogue of the worst kind, precisely what the left doesn't need.

anon


American Anarchist – you are a very sadly deluded person

17.11.2005 16:47

and lets face it if you were an anarchist you would not believe in nation states. As for torture extra – do you know Iraq?…

Haidar


Now Now calm down everyone

17.11.2005 17:13

FTB (fuck that bitch?) is actually right. And to prove to us that he was right he must come out now and oppose britain for fighting germany in the 1st and second world war. It was a fascist act ei ol buddy (even though britain was a fascist empire at the time anyway). just come out and say it to prove your point.

FTB RULZZZZZZZZZZ


"try and find out more about fascism before misusing the F-word."

17.11.2005 17:21

As should people who come up with absurd statements like this on Indymedia EVERY DAY OF THE FUCKING WEEK:

"The magistrate and those police goons in this case are as guilty of Crimes against Humanity as any Nazi condemmed to death at Nuremberg."

That was about a magistrate who has jailed a man for 28 days for refusing to pay a finey, though in the anti-semitic world of Indymedia that's probably the moral equivilent of rounding uo six million people and gassing them in an organised attempt to wipe out an entire people.

PS: Show me the post where I said I agreed with the invasion of Iraq.

FTB


but...

17.11.2005 17:29

Come on everyone, whatever your views are on the Iraq war, torture, America, violence or whatever, surely most people reading this site must agree that the Syrian government is a terribly oppressive one, and that the proud Arabs would be much better off without it. Therefore it cannot be right for Galloway to go there and praise it.

Also, I went to listen to Galloway at Leeds University and someone asked what we should do if Iran managed to get nuclear weapons to use against Israel. He said that we should stop them having these weapons, along with Israel, India and all countries who have them. Fair enough. But I can only assume that this means he is declaring his support for a war against Iran, how else could we "stop" them?

Paul C


Youre looking at it from the wrong angle

17.11.2005 18:24

Galloway said
"we should stop them having these weapons, along with Israel, India and all countries who have them."
Paul C said
"Fair enough. But I can only assume that this means he is declaring his support for a war against Iran, how else could we "stop" them?"

If by what Galloway said you understand that he supports an invasion of Iran then that must mean that he supports an invasion of Israel India Britain the US and "all other countries who have them" so obviously this isnt what he's saying. What hes probably saying is that Britain the USA india Israel etc are no better than Iran for having these weapons nd we should all work together to stop all countries from having them. Because im afraid its only fair that either no one has nuclear weapons or we all have them. Who is the UK/US government to say the UK/US can have them but Iran cant. I dont know if uve noticed but we are not the chosen ones never were never will be.

Nuclear Weapons for No1


some analysis

17.11.2005 19:03

Galloway is Blair's guy. Is he a genuine arabist- absolutely. Galloway connects to these people through secular socialism (separation of personal faith/church and state), no doubt at all.

However, Galloway is Blair's guy, no doubt at all.

His purpose in spearheading the anti-war movement was to run it into the ground, and he did so with extraordinary success (RESPECT stood in what? 26 seats, and labelled itself as a radical muslim movement to minimise its significance).

Look again at Galloway's speech.

OPERATION: PUPPET-
"The truth is, Mr. Blair changed his policy towards Syria because President Bush ordered him to. Mr. Blair too is a slave of the slaves."

OPERATION: USA is WEAK
"The first reason is because the Iraqi resistance are defeating the American army in Iraq."
"And the American army... The American army is losing the will to fight."

OPERATION: Syria is the target, NOT Iran
"So America is losing the war in Iraq and she cannot dream of starting a new war in Syria"

OPERATION: Blair will go soon (seen in the UK Mass Media EVERY xmas)
"And in Britain, these are the final days of Tony Blair. The British media is discussing every day whether this day Blair will resign."

The purpose of agents like Galloway is to ingratiate themselves with their targets (you) and then use that trust to deliver their viral payload. Each OPERATION listed above is recognised and often repeated part of the Black Propaganda we are all exposed to, from too many government linked sources to mention.

You will notice that Galloway forgets to mention that Syria is an important ally of the US, providing offshore interrogation and torture services on demand. But then his speech is for public consumption only.

Go back to the OPERATIONS. The PUPPET one has been so overplayed across the last years that few here now believe it in any form. Blair is too obviously in control for that psy-op to have any real use any more.

"USA is WEAK" is standard psy-ops when any power is preparing military forces for massive wars. Hitler didn't exactly boast about his strength to the world before his wars, did he. However, in reality, the live-fire battle ground of Iraq has allowed the US to give nearly the whole of its forces, including reserves, real combat experience. Combat experience >>>>>>>> any amount of non-combat training, for most members of the armed services. The Iraq war has also allowed the behind the scenes elements to be refined. These include medical facilities, public acceptance of a national war mode, and provisions (especially the sourcing and manufacture of ammunition and war machines). Today, the USA is in an infinitely better position to fight a major war than a few years ago. Of course, a major war WILL NOT be fought by people pissing around with pea-shooters on the streets (like in Iraq), but with wholescale population slaughter, and mopping up operations.

OPERATION "Syria is the target, NOT Iran" is an old chestnut, sometimes found in the N. Korea not Iran variation. This is based on the moronic notion that Bush is waging a war against Sunnis, for the direct benefit of the Shia of Iran. It is a general psy-ops aimed at badly informed people who consider themselves well informed because they read The Guardian, or watch Channel 4 news. In other words, the fair-trade, Amnesty supporting dribblers who are well meaning, powerful, but hopelessly stupid and easily manipulated.

OPERATION "Blair will go soon" is that psy-ops xmas "present" that the UK public get EVERY year at this time. Another year of Blair seems like the most depressing thing in the world (it is) so you are told, "don't worry, he'll be gone by NEXT xmas".

NOW DOES THAT RING A BELL??? WW1??? ALL OVER BY XMAS???
You see, just because you are told of the psy-ops used to fool your ancestors in the past DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU WILL NOT FALL FOR THE SAME GARBAGE.

GALLOWAY IS BLAIR'S GUY. Regardless of his motives, he works for Blair to ensure that Blair's intentions will become our realities. Does it not strike you as odd that in your desperation, you back people that have given you NOT ONE VICTORY.

Don't believe me? Fine, but think about what you KNOW.

Galloway is clearly NOT a stupid man, thus he knows what Syria does for the US, and how it is not a target for invasion. He knows that each year, the Labour party itself puts out xmas rumours of Blair's vunerability as a psy-op. He knows how powerful the US military actually is. He knows that flavouring an anti-war movement as muslim-radical, and standing in only 26 seats dooms it to TOTAL FAILURE. However, if you do not believe me, you are stating that all the above, factual in every way, has no significance.

While people who cannot afford to be stupid in their conclusions choose to act like idiots, Blair cannot lose. The same is true of the circumstances of every powerful monster in Human History. The opposite is also true. When we are free of monsters, it is precisely because, during THAT period, people do not act like idiots, and make a point of being aware of the truth.

twilight


Give me a break

17.11.2005 22:14

What do you think of the Lula government in Brazil? It's got some problems with corruption, right? So should you pull it down and let the neo-liberals run riot?

What do you think of the Chavez government in Venezuala? It's got its own problems, right? So should you pull it down and let the neo-liberals run riot?

What do you think of Galloway? He's got his own way of puffing himself up, right? So should you pull him down and let the neo-liberals run riot?

Galloway isn't the puppet here. The real puppets, the real fifth columnists, are those who try to poison the atmosphere against those personalities and movements - however flawed - who are actually helping just causes. The Lulas, Chavezes and Galloways aren't the real problem here. When you turn your fire on them, you are lining up with all the forces of the old in order to strangle the new.

"Change the world - it needs it." -- Brecht

The Hammer


Lula, Galloway and criticism

18.11.2005 09:09

Well, with reference to the comment about Lula, to be honest I was a bit surprised to hear Galloway talking simplistically of Brazil in his above speech ("Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile are all electing left-wing governments that are challenging American domination”). I thought Respect and the SWP etc were all getting behind PSOL these days and illustrating how Lula was not actually “challenging American domination”? Perhaps this means that they too are guilty of “lining up with all the forces of the old in order to strangle the new” by not fully supporting Lula? Whether much of Lagos’ platform is a challenge to America is another question, as is whether Bolivia or Ecuador either has or is going to elect a left-wing government (especially given the moves made by Morales recently). I think Galloway just decided to go with the cheap statement and applause rather than anything more considered…

With regard to Galloway’s speech, the general drift of what he’s saying seems fair enough (and is to be welcomed) but, as is usual, he makes repeated comments that are not particularly accurate and potentially ill-judged (see comment above, reference to Syria as a “free people” and his waffle about Assad being the “last Arab ruler” and Syria the “last Arab country”). Reading this it’s quite easy to see how he’s been able to make the odd statement which can be easily taken “out of context”.

However, yet again we appear to be in the position that no-one can criticise Galloway without being labelled as objectively helping the right-wing – this raises loads of questions. If someone has criticisms of Galloway or anyone else then why the hell can’t they make them? Do members of Respect ever criticise Galloway themselves at internal meetings? If not, then what does that say about the state of debate in the party? If so, why are you allowed to do it and no-one else is? If you believe in hierarchical party politics how do you expect Chavez, Lula or whoever to be able to come to correct decisions if they cannot be criticised? Can you please let all of us know when we are actually allowed to criticise any of these leaders? Will we have to wait until they are long gone and we can then enter a new “revisionist” period where we admit to their mistakes?

Ultimately it just smacks of the same political game that you’d slag off New Labour or any other political party for – trying to avoid criticism by labelling people as x, y or z.

Leam


Rice is the real villain of the piece

18.11.2005 12:18

I think you lot are missing the most important point. Somebody posted mentioning Galloway and Rice and only included quotes intended to portray Galloway in a bad light - whether they do is arguable. What is unarguable is even if Galloway talks nonsense Rice is committed to daily acts of genocide throught this world for her own profit. Not to mention that Galloway is certainly a saint in comparison regardless of the slurs would be remiss.
Condaleeza Rice, the face that launched a thousand oil tankers.

Danny


ALSO!

18.11.2005 12:38


ALSO! - Why isn't Mr Galloway doing the job which he is paid for ie representing his poor and under represented constituents? Why is he prancing around the world making inflammatory, hell-raising speeches when he should be clocking on in the Houses of Parliament? What good does he think he's doing for the world, us, and the people who elected him?

Even worse, his speech seems to boil down to the premise that all 'Arabs' need to support anyone else who is an 'Arab', regardless of their individual views or beliefs, and all of 'them' have to hate all of America on the same principle. More division! More rhetoric! More death! Great! Thanks, George.

Fascinating facts on this thread, anyway. Thanks all.

t


hizbullah

18.11.2005 19:18

Can anyone explain how hizbullah is a "resistance movement"? No-one is occupying Lebanon right now. The only country recently occupying Lebanon was Syria, and Hizbullah supported the occupiers. Who are they currently resisting?

jo


THeyre Ressisting yo momma

18.11.2005 21:03

They were a ressistance movement when good ol Israel occupied the country.

HIZ BALL A


George, you're gorgeous

18.11.2005 22:03

I don't belong to Respect. I'm not a voter in Galloway's constituency. But I do think that I have an interest in defending him from scurrilous attacks, like the one that started this thread. So long as Galloway speaks up for the millions of people who marched against the war, he's keeping up his end and doing something that directly helps me, no matter what political party or ideology I associate myself with. Get off his back and spend a little more time socking it to the Man.

Rote Stern


On Galloway

19.11.2005 07:21

Galloway certainly is a demagogue of the worst possible kind as someone posted above.

Just because he is regarded as left doesn't mean he has to be defended regardless. Would you have done the same for Stalin?

I agree fully with whoever said that Galloway is paid to represent his constituents and not to swan around the the world bleating on about Muslim and Arab issues. His previous Glasgow constituency is one of the poorest in the UK, while Galloway chose to spend his time arselicking to Saddam and fundraising for Iraqi children. The hon. member for Baghdad South indeed.

Twilight has some valid, if not paranoid, points. I think I could name various leading members of the SWP who have spouted some of the things Twilight regards as MI5 black propaganda. I would agree with Twilight that Galloway and the SWP are of the same ilk; crass oppportunists. Neither are Marxists and neither could give a shit about British, white, working class people. Hence their pathetic alliance with Islamic fundamentalism which I would bet £1000 will electorallly collapse by the next general election.

Brutus


Et tu, Brutus

19.11.2005 15:56

If only Galloway stop dealing with the problems of imperialism abroad and repression at home and get down to dealing with the workaday matters of an East London MP! Then the pro-war forces could get back to running the world and the anti-war movement would be just a little bit weaker.

Trying to make Stalin the issue is an interesting way of debating. Unless you've noticed, Stalin has been dead for more than half a century, and attempts to divide the anti-war movement based upon one's assessment of Stalin (or Trotsky or Kropotkin - whoever) are designed to weaken it. We are trying to deal with the here and now - not reassess the merits of Soviet politics of the 1920s and 1930s.

Like I said, I'm not a Respect member. I'm not a SWP member. I'm just someone who believes in taking a stand to support the anti-war movement. Which means that I'm not interested in picking fights that would divide the movement, or letting pass cheap attacks on those who are acting in a principled and forthright way to help the movement.

That doesn't mean that you can't be critical, but the kinds of comments that Brutus and others are making about Galloway aren't intended to make the movement stronger. They are intended to disarm it politically. That is the real issue and the real dividing line.

Rote Stern