Alan Johnson at Labour Friends of Iraq, defending the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions in response to a statement by New York City Labour Against the War:
As for how the 'resistance' should be characterised, the facts are these: the so-called 'resistance' has tortured and murdered Hadi Saleh, the IFTU leader. The so-called 'resistance' has launched RPG attacks on IFTU headquarters. The so-called 'resistance' has mutilated the bodies of IFTU members on the Mosel railway line. The so-called 'resistance' murdered Ali Hassan Abd, member of the Oil and Gas Workers' Union. He was assassinated on Friday 18th February 2005 while returning with his children to his home close to the Al-Dorah Oil Refinery in Baghdad. Yet NYCLAW is angry at Abdullah Muhsin for characterising the resistance as 'terrorists'. Un-be-lievable.Only the most gifted historians of the future will be able to explain why this tiny vocal minority gave their support to a fascistic Iraqi 'resistance' and why so many others indulged them while they did.
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Iraqi democrats have decided that the best hope in Iraq lies in building up the strength of the forces of democracy, human rights, women's rights, trade unions, while extending critical support to the UN-backed transition process. We see them fighting within the process to oppose privatisation and torture, and propose a decent labour code, a democratic constitution, human rights and the rule of law. In this policy the IFTU – along with the Kurds, the Shia, the Communists and the great majority of Iraqis – are surely correct. And at any rate, it's a legitimate response by a legitimate trade union to the awful terrain it has to fight on.