Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Oppose US Intent to Widen War
The United States Administration has formally notified the UN Security Council that the US could extend its military operations beyond Afghanistan. In an official communication to the Security Council on October 7, the Bush Administration has invoked the right of self-defence to attack Afghanistan and intimated the Council that military action against other countries could take place after its actions against Afghanistan.
By this step, the United States has confirmed that it seeks to militarily attack other countries, trampling upon national sovereignty and in flagrant defiance of international laws. The CPI(M) had earlier warned that the United States would seek to extend its global hegemony under this pretext. Within the Bush Administration, preparations are being made for attacks on Iraq and other targets in the Middle East.
The BJP-led government, by going alongwith the US plans, will be seriously harming India's interests. The Polit Bureau appeals to all secular and democratic political parties in India to demand that the Central government publicly oppose the notification made by the United States to the Security Council in this regard.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) also expresses its serious concern at the reports that the Vajpayee government is continuing efforts to get involved in the US military operations. After offering refueling facilities for US military planes, it is now reported that the government is prepared to offer naval port facilities to American warships. The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that the BJP-led government immediately clarify whether such a move is on.