Regarding the Attempts of Militias to Turn Workers? Factories in Nasiriyah into Military Bastions

A group of armed gangs belong to Muktada Al Sadr have attempted to evacuate factories and workshops in order to turn them into bastions and military positions to fight the American and Italian forces inside Nasiriyah city. Both Aluminum and Sanitary Supplies factory workers in Nasiriyah have refused to evacuate their work places despite many threats made to their lives; declining from turning them into battle fields which would mean either destroying them or open them for robbery and looting. They insisted on remaining inside their factories in order to defend them.

This brave and firm position of workers in Nasiriyah is a practice that workers would endeavor to generalize in all areas facing military confrontation between the US troops and the armed militias confronting them, despite all pretexts and motivations.

The civilians will make sure to block the armed militias from turning the peaceful residential areas into centers for attacking the US, British, and other forces, and also to prevent the occupying forces from remaining inside the cities and residential areas.

We completely reject the turning of workers? and civilians? work and living places into reactionary war-fronts between the two poles of terrorism in Iraq; the US and their allies from one side, and the terrorists in the armed militias, well known for their enmity to Iraqi people?s interests, from the other. We will confront the attempts of these militias aiming at disturbing the security and stability of the population, and curtail their attempts to push society into civil war and further destruction and pain.

The Federation of Workers' Council and Unions in Iraq - FWCUI
Baghdad - April 8, 2004