After arriving in Saudi Arabia, Trump joined an assembly of delegates representing 55 predominantly Muslim states on sunday in order to discuss ordering the creation of a reserve force of more than 34,000 soldiers in order to combat “islamic terrorism” with an emphasis on the Islamic State. The drafted agreement also stated that in the course of their fight against “terrorism” and “islamic extremism” they would also target the sources of intellectual and material support for the groups which operated on the ground, of which he identified Iran as being primary. The declaration is an open declaration of imperialist and neo-colonial war, hosted by both the united $tates and its dog Saudi Arabia, two states responsible for far more misery and death than either Iran or Yemen, two countries specifically targeted by this agreement and imperialism in general.[1]

It is certainly true that the Islamic State is not the representative of anti-imperialist liberation for the people of Iraq or Syria. However, the declaration that there must now be a unilateral force composed of more than 55 nations lead by u.$. imperialism in order to fulfill an inaugural promise to “unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth” is far from humanitarian.[2] They have not agreed upon an international action for the sake of those who have been brutalized by the Islamic State, but in order to take on the task of revitalizing a dying amerikan power in West and Central Asia. The sheer scope of enemies identified in the agreement should disturb all progressive humanity, but public outcry at the build-up for which this proposal calls has been muted. The latter is shocking, especially when the term “eradication” is used so frivolously in the context of war in the Third World.

The permissiveness of the amerikan and european publics toward this idea of combating “radical islam” or “islamic extremism” is produced by, as well as reinforces, a broader anti-islamic sentiment that juxtaposes an idea of “western civilization” to Islam, and to the Third World more broadly. It becomes hard to argue with this logic when even formerly leftist anti-Nazi slogans are being employed by the most rank opportunists in order to justify imperial involvement in crushing not only the ultra-reactionary Islamic State, but all vestiges of islamic resistance to imperialism. Such as the old international brigades slogan “if we don’t fight them there, we will have to fight them here” which has terrifying implications when carelessly laid over the landscape of “islamic extremism” as has been done by liberal and conservative imperialists alike. We should be much more skeptical of these appropriations and false historic parallels, which have proven highly useful to the far-right in their ascent.

Amerikan and western imperialism is suffocating after nearly 3 decades of unipolarity, however it is not yet dead. It is lashing out, now attempting to save itself from deepening crisis, and we cannot say for certain whether or not this is impossible for them to achieve. Nevertheless, the outlook is grim for the west, and the left should be working tirelessly to put to rest the idea of western supremacy for good, and to unite with the oppressed globally who will continue to suffer so long as imperialism clings to the surface of the globe. It is clear that deals such as these, which promote themselves on the basis of stopping the Islamic State, are utilizing weaponized anti-islamic rhetoric to consolidate public opinion for a renewed campaign. We must oppose this with all of our energy. The Islamic State, and threats of “islamic terror” cannot be used to bring us into alignment with anti-islamic forces and with imperialism more broadly.

Further, it is clear that Iran and groups such as Hezbollah and the legitimate Houthi Government of Yemen are the primary targets of this deal, and that after the campaign has been concluded in Syria and Iraq, or even before, that this unilateral force will be turned against them in some manner. Iran has been one of the primary financial and material backers for Palestinian liberation forces such as the PFLP (of whom Iran is the largest foreign backer) and Hamas, despite their Pro-Saudi stance. Further, they have contributed greatly to the national defense of Yemen against Saudi aggression, and to Hezbollah who has also played a great role in the fight against Israel as well as the western proxies in Syria. Additionally they have provided material support to many other groups and countries worldwide who have stood in opposition to amerikan imperialism. The demise of Iran at the hands of western imperialism would prove disastrous for the future of anti-imperialist struggle in the region as well as the world, and should be unequivocally opposed.

We must remember that for communists in the west, western imperialism is the single greatest enemy internationally. There can be no compromise with NATO or the united $tates, and all intervention (direct or indirect) by the imperialists must be seen as a hostile act to the security of the communist movement. For this reason, no matter how the imperialist propaganda machine spins their moral justifications on the basis of “security” and “peace” in their fight against “islamic extremism,” we must remain opposed to any and all intervention by the united $tates or their imperialist allies. The fact that Trump’s rhetoric in this case is an appeal to the neo-colonial regimes of 55 countries does not affect the reality of whose interests this agreement ultimately serves. Furthermore, we must work to demystify and destroy anti-islamic sentiment in all forms, including the attempt at grassroots mobilization by the government, the far-right and imperial-left adventurers in foreign organizations, against Muslims under the guise of “fighting the Islamic State” in the west.