SOVIET action in opposition 1o the UN resolution which it sponsored (on hegemonism clear condemnation of Soviet action and a demand that all Russian troops are withdrawn from Afghanistan immediately.
Inevitably, West have decided to exploit what Russia has done in Afghanistan as down the process of defente. agreement is now in serious danger and opposilion to the nevi auclear serioushy blunted.
Tetcher. the Soniel action comes as meanna"
24 Jan Tribune Afghanistan is in direct - SC). There must be a the cold war warriors in the La means of slowing The SALT II missiles in Western Far Margaret esca: is is proof of her accusations THE country was unique in the world in being a non-Communist state where the Russians were the main military and economic partners: this administration cut back aid in order to appease Kennedy refused an urgent Afghan request for economic aid. If anyone 'lost' Afghanistan to the Russians it was Dwight D and JFK.
Czechoslovakia is tendentious. In the Afghan case the Amin regime was universally loathed per cent dependent revolutionary influence was, even if less than the There has been much talk of the Russians advancing on the oil of the Persian Gulf: but the world's largest oil producers, at a rate of 12.4 million barrels a day, and the availability of warm water ports, whilst obviously convenient, serious a goal in intercontinental missiles as it was in the days of Peter the Great.
The Russians may have had the misfortune to intervene in Afghanistan in a year, but neither the ill-informed hysteria this has generated, nor the force of Islamic counterrevolution in Afghanistan itself, appear likely to force them off the course they have chosen. Fred Halliday, Labour Weekly, 11 January movement preparing domestically the and calling US election way
/AY TO STOP S OFFENSIVE 'We say "No! to the intervention of the Soviet military forces in Afghanistan.'This view was echoed by the Italian Communist Party: Neither party however has so far called for the withdrawal of the troops. The motives of these parties are transparent. They have fallen behind their ruling classes' rush to align themselves with Carter.
The reaction of the French Communist Party was less predictable. After George Marchais's visit to Moscow, caution turned into. full-blooded Soviet invasion. Once again however, this response is in line with the trepidation with which the French ruling class views any boycott measures against the Soviet Union because of their impact on the French economy.
The British Communist Party followed sister parties in the Spanish state and Italy in ran unambiguous Woddis to the leadership.
Labour the Labour Party, (different views. James quoted at length, but the editorial reflected the line of the Tribune Group of MPs, bemoaning that the invasion made detente more difficult to argue for. But the paper also carried an implicitly strong defence of the Russian invasion by: Fred Halliday, journalist and member of the New Left Review editorial board.
endorsement of the statement by Jack Communist Party Warty, chered a longer of carried a number Callaghan was "Troops starting CARTER's war unite 1s alled movement.
On the far left in Britain, Worker after a period of caution called for Out'. The stiffening attitude on the question could be traced in the successive articles of lan Birchall who, from a dovish reproach to Soviet forces, hawkishly said in the 19 * January issue:
"That's why internationat socialists have always argued that the main enemy is at home.
Russian army.
Other opposed this view.
In the invasion, withdrawal of troops.
Soviet troops rightist troops, The America, came it a launching against the USSR workers socialists Socialist obstacle of their imperialists movement.
For the Afghans, that means 'For us, it means Thatcher.' British far left papers in general Fourth International, French and Spanish sections opposed the refused to for Combate, the paper of the LCR of the Spanish state, spoke for both organisations when it said the the must stay to defeat 'not a day more or less'. cothinkers of the in the United States the Socialist Workers strongly against their government's war drive, giving support to the Soviet invasion after quoting much evidence that the imperialists had provided powerful aid for the rightist forces to make off point for intervention The debate over what attitude British should take to the events in Afghanistan should not, however;
to opposing the contribution to the Carter against the anti-imperialist That's why we should argue that not a penny or a gun should be provided for Carter's war drive. And in particular that no aid should be given to the blood stained regime of General Zia in Pakistan:
embassy up lo ine Afghanistan.
Finance Minister the oil-producing region denounce mne national unity 'expansionism'. river, While Bani-sadr culture', involved in a virtual civil war largest national attacks.
the Azerbaijanis inadequate provisions the nationalities in Iran. and Arabs, only in the the and the factories merely regional executions in Tabriz, arrested in other both army officers. the House arrest Ayatollah the Fourth publicly from of unlikely defuse Party, own bourgeois nationalist 'republic' if they take place at all be an bleak produce any gain peasants either, demands in of unemployment and inflation them.
Socialist Chaffenge THE first anniversary of the Shah's flight into exile passed almost unnoticed in Iran last week. The matter of the Shah's extradition, and the fate of the hostages held in the US Embassy, seem to have temporarily receded into the background with the runpresidential elections on 25 January and developments in neighbouring Bani-sadr, a leading contender for the position of president, used the opportunity of an election rally in Abadan, in Khuzestan, to of Soviet trOODs into Afghanistan and to stress the urgent need for 1 te Soviet Referring to ine diverse nationalities which make up Iran's population, he asserted that 'we have been living a commor life for centuries and have a common culture'.
Such statements reflect official awareness of the explosive nature of the national question. Abadan is a city with a high proportion of Arabs among its population. Last year, in response to peaceful demonstrations demanding an end to discrimination against Arabs, the Arab quarters of the city were shelled by gun-boats from the and many militants were arrested and executed. Admiral Madani, who was governor. general at the time and in charge of operations, is another candidate in the presidential elections.
pontificates about pro-Khomeini forces are against Iran's grouping the Azerbaijanis.
Eleven members of the Muslim Peoples Republican Party (MPRP) were arrested and executed ten days ago after a pre-dawn attack on the party's headquarters in Tabriz by Islamic Guards. Azerbaijani militants responded by organising mass demonstrations through the city; shops and factories closed in protest against the Like the Kurds and the Arabs before them, are protesting made the constitution for recognition of the rights of all But unlike the Kurds the Azerbaijanis who live not province of Azerbaijan, but are found in all the major Iranian cities, often occupying prominent positions in the bazaars — cannot be contained in a sense. after the about forty Azeris were cities, including Qom and Mashad. Among them were a small number of The religious leader of the Azerbaijanis, Shariat-madari, has been virtual house arrest in Qom for the last few weeks, and has been forced to dissociate himself the MPRP. Such actions are the situation for however. This is no religious disagreement, but a aggressive unstable central state power and a powerful grouping gain recognition for its political rights within the Whoever wins in the presidential elections — there can be no avoiding a reckoning on this and other questions involving the desire of the bourgeoisie to have some say and control over the economic future of Iran, which at present remains muddled and The outcome of the elections will not for Iranian workers and their nationality.
Until they begin to organise and fight for thei organisationally independent bodies, there can be no solution to the problems which face *24 January 1980 Page?
YOUR COUNTH DA DAND
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happened to the Iranian hostages?