Reykjavik
issue explained that even as the US delegation flew home Reykjavik: 'headlines were already spreading the impression that Reagan had thrown away the promise of nuclear-free ringing to his vision of a space-based defence even if there might be no missiles to defend against.
ne mace wen or to describe: 'the next steps in flowered into publicity blitz unprecedented in their administration. Its purpose: to persuade the US and the timistic child in one obi timistic child in Reagan's favourite jokes who finds a pile of manure in his room on Christmas morning begins reports.
THE Angolan news agenANGOP, announced tion heavy UNITA casualties, South African had lost their lives in fighting over the last two months.
Santos Franca said that 11 AML-90 armoured IT IS now becoming clear that the rebel UNITA forces of Joseph Savimbi and their South African sponsors have suffered major setbacks at the hands of the Angolan army, FAPLA. JON SILBERMAN cars, other military vehicles and a number of light weapons, cannons and jeeps of the apartheid forces had been destroyed.
The Souch Africans themselves now openly admit to having been involved fighting with ground troops, contradicting earlier Savimbi denials. According Angolan president, Jose 3000 South African troops have been involved in the invasion But flagging anartheid trooD has prompted visits to military units involved in Angola by president Botha, Botha, foreign minister Pik finance minister Barend Plessis caucalot minister FW de Klerk.
On Friday November Pretoria revised earlier casualty figures, now claiming that soldiers had been killed But in typical apartheid fashion, only the deaths o white soldiers were admitted whereas many black soldiers had been involved in what was the fiercest military confrontation in the 12 years of war since Angola won independence from Portugal in 1975. Soldiers Since that time, Pretoria and Washington have put their all into try. ing to overturn the MPLA regime which, in addition driving out the Portuguese colonialists improving the conditions of the Angolan people, has rovided strong backing t le anti-apartheid strugg dependence of Nam dependence Namibia, and which has proved a powerful obstacle South Africa's imperialist designs throughout Their war of gression billion damage caused 60,000 dealils displaced some 600,000 people An invasion force in 1975 was repulsed by combined force of Angolan troops internationalist fighters who volunteered in their tens of thousands to defend Angola against apartheid aggression To day some 37,000 Cuban volunteers are estimated to be in the country at the in vitation of the Angolar : peo ple. Soviet military ad visers are also there.
Statement
Apartheid army chief, general Jannie Geldenhuys, Consiste! the desperate situation of the South Afrian UNITA forces in a state.
of 11 November. 'Russian Cubanbacked Angolan forces are desperately trying to cap ture the Cuando-Cubango province southern Angola and therefore the DOse aver ear lie UNITA' position in the territory' he said.
another • statement the South African Defenc orce Came to see flicted heavy defeats camps in Angola of the South West Africa Organisatior (SWAPO). Pretoria claimed that 150 SWAPO guer rillas were killed in a pre emptive strike'.
All Pretoria's statements are designed t deflect from the reality o suffered UNITA at the hands FAPLA. Their refusal to casualty figures fo black soldiers, their target ting of Cuban and Sovie personnel tion of the raid on Namibian liberation forces which SWAPO denies to nave nappened - are aim. ed to deflect attention the real problems they have encountered.
Socialist Action 20 Nov 1987 Car workers strikes FORD, Vauxhall and BL overwhelming majority of UK car production have each been hit by strike action in the last week. Further action is planned.
----- pull-quotes -----
ed forces leader Antonio dos
the defeat