By leorge Levantis 'aroline Tisdal A FEW months ago observers were referring to Polisario struggle Western Sahara as 'the war the forgot. Now become 'Morocco's Vietnam'.
On the fighting front, the Polisario guerillas have carried the war deep into 10 ARe IP IT GOOSION FINOS off King Hassan's troops from access to the eastern part of the COLORS At the beginning of March an 11 day operation along 72-mile 2.000 Moroccan troops according to Polisario figures.
The rout of a 7,000 strong armoured column is a further demoralising blow to an army already snaken by neavy losses since the guerillas stepped pressure in December As Moroccan prisoners testify, fighting parallel to Vietnam is that they cannot locate the guerillas: vou fight an enemy vou cannot see?' At the same time United States' aid to King Hassan has been creased. CasI prove and forthe tried ed further arms a tie wedoons woult oe usee m te Western Sahara conflict The new assignment includes OV-10 Bronco surveillance planes and Cobra helicopters as used in Vietnam, as well as the installation of a $200m electronic personnel detector system to be built by Nortop rage commumicanons.
and the to liberate has -occupied put vul l all.
• up Lne 'How can massively congress nationalist for the Hassan has been occasions, Sadat.
prepars on or came Unit.
was why the Moroccar Western Sahara sacrificing withdrew in Western Sahara. stronghold in strategic • Recent Morrocan caused grave consideration, they Israel.
Iroos now
Hassan's position looks shaky.
While the Polisario: were 'Sahrawi women support the Polisario' useful many notably as a go-between for Besin North Africa:
United States They when the Spanish North Africa'. 1975, a move that directly contradicted UN recommendations for independence for the Sahrawi people of rollsario have concern in Washington, after increased encouragca A men an a conc ba bombs in 1976.
70,000 More an facing a guerilla force that 80 per Western dallald.
inflicting more damages in sournent morocco.
Photo: GEORGE LEVANTIS Conrad Coon, Carter's director general of African affairs, called the first-ever met in Madrid to discuss 'the penelranon or communist forces into It's hard to believe that US foreign poncy analysis could be so simplistic The Polisario are backed by Algeria. The Sahrawi refugees, organised by the are sol camps Sorocco Angriad which they iry fied Morocco invaded Polisario Front receives arms trol Lioya. loo, whough lucy now ciall!
cent or their weapons art captured from the Moroccans. Neither Algeria nor Libya can in any way be cance communis states.
Indeed both of them foster trade relations the carefully as does Morocco Soviet Union So what at most could become an CALCISU radical • inrougn irom Algeria to of Western Sahara phosphate deposits of Bou Craa being used as yet another "red scare' Moroccan prisoners testify to this When they are dispatched to the desert war tney are told that taell will be Russian or Cuban. take long on the front to realise that this is nonsense.
Only a Sahrawi Polisario can fight on this terrain, and success in desert guerilla or it. Discussions witn rolsano gulers and contradiction.
AS Tairy devour Mosens. mey stor far short of Marxism. though socialist by nirst ano Toremost manoranst and all' colonial. It has become anti-imperialist now that the United States has revealed its hand in Morocco