Little is known about the Arabs who seized the Iranian Embassy in London last month. They claimed to be using the incident to oppose the Iran government's oppression of the Arab region of Khuzestan.
Allowing for the fact that this was true, their action could in no way have helped the Arab people win support for their justified struggle. On the contrary, it merely played into the hands of the Thatcher government who has used the incident to whip up nationalist hysteria. PROUD "It made us all proud to be British" said Thatcher following the raid of crack SAS thugs on the Embassy on May 6th. "I think we had best consider how we can turn this superb operation to the best advantage of the American hostages"
This 'superb operation' resulted in the death of 5 Arabs and injuries to two of the hostages - was carefully planned. The government had, of course, declared that they wanted to settle the matter 'peacefully'. Facts show that this was a fraud. rescue' the hostages. They proceeded to surround the Embassy with police and SAS commandos, just waiting for a pretext to move in.
That pretext came on May Sth when according to the police, a dead hostage was place outside the which door. At 7.30 that evening, crack commandos crashed in, leading to the deaths and injuries that took place.
TERRORISM "This operation, an outstanding success, will show the world that Britain will not tolerate terrorism", crowed Whitelaw the following night. Coming from an ex-Minister in charge of N. Ireland, who for years had unleashed terror against the Irish people, that was a bit much.
For Whitelaw and his ilk, people have to play by the rules. These rules are that oppressed people must meekly submit petitions to seek support for their grievance while they, alone, are allowed to employ force.
The occupation of the Iranian Embassy was misguided. It did nothing to help the cause of the Arab people. But, compared with a government whose aim is to support repression around the world the occupiers were innocent (if mis guided) victims.
governell. programme.
Liberals? the Labour Party. meetings.
Mick Watson (Preston)
POST BAG Just over a month ago, the Friends of the Earth and other anti-nuclear groups called a mass demonstration in London which mobilised over 15,000 against the suicidal plans of the Thatcher The socialist left, apart from a few paper-sellers, were virtually absent from the demonstration which was led by the Liberals. David Steele was the only prominant politician to give support to the aims of the march and pledge to take them up in the Liberal Party It seems to me that the question of nuclear power is going to become an increasingly important one in Britain (as on the continent where it has developed into a mass movement). Isn't it too important an issue to leave in the hands of Isn't it time that the socialist left began to recognise the threat posed by nuclear power not only to human safety - and that is monstrous enough! - but to democratic rights and trade union conditions? I would like to see Socialist Action, which I know has always supported the anti-nuclear movement, giving much more reguler coverage to it and helping to stress the importance of it within the ation.
Dave Purser (North London)
We would agree with Cdc Purser criticism of the left on this question. A major article in this months Socialist Action will, we hope, begin to redress the situation. -Ed.
I read your paper at this year s LPYS conference and was impressed by the fact that you were the only tendency to make concrete proposals for turning the YS outwards into a real campaigning organisation.
I think many of the points you mike deserve full encouragement by! young people today 'smoke pot' and those YS members who want to get actively involved in issues instead of sitting passing resolutions in branch Certainly, it would be a step forward to see local YS banners on campaigns such as those of TOM, NAC or the recentiy-set up Campaigri taking up this issue in next month's Against Racist Laws (CARL). Isn't this why opposition to the troops is growing, as witnessed in the strike that hit Tehran only a few weeks back? How can an intervention, resented by the mass of the Afghan people, be an "important aid to the revolutionary process there"?
Moreover, the entry of Soviet troops has been used by the Western governments to smear socialism (once again!) and portray as it as an agressive system opposed to demo. cratic rights. This campaign — - however hypocritical it might be - does have an impact on working people. While we expose the hypocrisy behind Carter or Thatcher's campaigns, we also have to show how Moscow's action has given the West the excuse to whip it up and detract attention from its own manoeuvres.
I might add that quoting Trotsky on the situation in 1938 does not give the answers to the problems we face in 1980 Phil Edwardes (S. London)
Dear Comrade, Irecently attended a debate on Ireland between Militant and the Troops Out Movement at Peckham YS. What struck me most clearly was that — despite Militant's so. called socialism - they refuse concretely to support the right of the Irish people to self-determin.
When it came to doing something - like building a mass movemen: to get the troops out of Ireland -Militant found every excuse the: could not to get involved in the help the Irish people and will not help to build the YS either. I think a lot of YS members who attent? the meeting saw that very cleari! vira ham Weight (Peckham)
What is Socialist Action's attitude towards cannabis? Many it is often used by the police to vic timise and harass them. Do you think Socialists should support the 'Legalise Cannabis' campaign? DE (Bradford)
An important point. We will be Socialist Action. Ed