BEN BOUSQUET is be formed and to ensure proper black representation at all levels.
those promoting these proposals.
What were the aims of your resolution?
Let's face when the Labour rav was tormed at the beginning of the centurv there were black people politically active in Britain. Now there are two and a half million and although We tend to support and vote for the takes for glanicu Labour conference the ar- For example, the rangements committee was very reluctant to put our resolution on the agenda. wasn't until „ee do care overtoe conference that we got it discussed!
SOUTH London Hospital tor women the last general hospital in the country run by and TOT women.
Minister Health, Kennel clarke. . obviously thinks that is one LOO mane final decision taken the that it should go.
The hospital provides vital service for women, particularly Asian women, who preter treatment black councillor parliamentary candidate for Labour in North Kensington. At the Labour Party conference he moved a Socialist Action asked him about the aims of What we were demanding was the setting up of a working party to propose constitutional ments. we want black people represented in the we can contribute our black socialism to the movement. We asked for black groups within the constitutencies so that black people can formulate policies that have a direct relevance to black peopic which tney feed into the movement.
Some white comrades give us a lot of help the delegates IrON North Westminster and Tony Brent East Benn The NEC was split, but Jo Richardson was 100 Del ORDER doctors staff.
Equally essential are the opportunities given by the hospital for trainconsultants and doctors women make up only 15 per cent of consultants and 20 per cent of doctors overall South London scheduled to be closed next A massive campaign will be needed to stop the closure and fight the health cuts in LOnOr as a wioter In the end we got the motion remitted - in eftect we got tht workng party we wanted. we only got it because people didn't want the Party to be seen as racist by turnIg us down.
What's your next step?
In the late Spring we will hold national meeting for black Party members. We are hoping that a national forum, like our London forum, will emerge from this.
We will be pressing the NEC with proposals to the 1984 conference. If we don't get positive results we'll have to form a black caucus af they don't like it they'll have to try to suspend us, expel us or whatever.
We're not going away, and if they don't support us they'll just expose their racism. Not only will this movement raise the racist policies of the Labour Party, but we'll try to dictate future policy.
La very strong movement, a real socialist radical Hovelicie which is what the Labour Party was and has forgotten.
AFTER two years of hard work and planning, a group of women in the Falls Road area of West Belfast have just set up a women's centre.
The centre, a unique development in an area where the special needs of women have been HOSI ignored, has already become a hive of activity. Women are using it for advice on proGeneva deal threatens Palestinians FOLLOWING the invasion of Grenada, stepping up the pressure Rumours Washington
town from which to proclaim a 'provisional governJanuary.
The most dramatic sign of the military build-up has been the attacks on oll installations in which have crippled the country's oil supplies. But the United States preparing even more spectacular military inThe huge US fleet sent ast July is still in place off the Pacific Atlantic coasts. Some of these ships of Provocabeen staged into territorial waters. These ships have on board sea-to-land missiles nearly planes.
There are now 6000 US troops stationed in Honduras, main in that country until least Juv 1984. nest troops not in Honduras to simply carry out training exercises with Honduran trooDs.
Already sixty-room ailitary hospital has been ebanon THE 'national reconciliation' talks in Geneva between the contending factions in Lebanon looks set so conclude an agreement which gravely threatens the future of the PLO as an independent organisaion. While the leaders of Druze, Shite and Sunni Muslim forces talked in the luxury of the Interconad pro-Syrian Palestinian forces were making a age assault pro-Arafat Everything looks set for a final annihilation of the wo-Arafat forces.
The proposed agreeDent would basically June Phalangist Gemayel government recognising syria as one of the main influences in and repudiating is peace treaty with Israel.
In return the Syrians bring ebre heel, ensure that the PLO stays out of southern Lenanon make sure that the antiComayel forces in Lebanon agree to some form of joint government with the Christians.
Dent works, it is necessary establish what the dif ferent contending forces trying win. The Israelis want a peace treaty with Lebanon, and either a Inendly Christian governFor partitioned, weakened with the Syrians out.
The Syrians the other hand want to be the najor force in brough which they stablish themselves as the nfluential power Ine egion which everyone has o deal with and make conSocialist Action 11 November 1983 Reagan is against suggest that the American plan is to try to capture a Nicaraguan ment' of counter-revolutionaries. Reagan wants this 'provisional government' in place by December or established at the US barracks, a sure sign of the possibility of ÜS battle casualties the lical At the same time, the United States теactivated the Central military alliance, CONDECA. This process has been facilitated by the overthrow the Guatemalan dictator Rioss Montt, an American backed after Montt opposed CÓNDECA.
Ine total number of LOUDS LOW reckoned at around 8000. Most of these are part of the FDN ('Nicaraguan Democratic Front') mercenary group operating from Honduras.' They have failIne effort started earlier this year to occupy near the northern town of Jalapa How wan acy malenaca to proclaim a provisional villall.
The new tactic is terror ental Hotel on the banks of Lake Leman, Syrian forces in Tripoli.
cessions to. In particular the Syrians want the United States to recognise. them as the crucial power in the region.
By Paul Lawson To do that the Syrians have avold being thrown out of Lebanon, and show that they are the real masters of the antiChristian forces.
Following last year's nvasion of Lebanon, the Israelis Bashir Gemayel, military leader of the Christian Phalange, dent. Bashir was assassinated, he was replaced by his brother Amin. Once Bashir had been assassinated, his brother was happy to sign 'troop withdrawal' Israel which amounted to a virtual peace treaty The project of Phalangist-Christian and pro-Israeli government nowever broke down failed because a Phalangist against the health educational facilities established by the revolution in the more remote parts of the country.
Through this the contras hope to subdue and terrortoca. @putatior and disrupt the fforts t raise the materal weltare of the people.
FDN's offensive, the CIA has been giving more ARDE tellin (Revolutionary Democratic forces of Eden Pastora, based in Costa Rica. It now seems that Pastora himself has been ousted the leadership of this organisation, since he LOO much autonomy from the aims of the CIA.
huge revolutionary strike now Costa Rica, with US naval air support, with precisely the intention of capturing a town to be used by a US-puppet 'provisional government. Following, the Grenadian scenario, there could easily be a 'request' for US inLOL VCHILION bouring governments.
Jaime Wheelock, of the FSLN leaders, nas estimated that a total of 600 Nicaraguans have nov Yasser Arafat with Libyan president Quadaffi in happier days. Now Quadaffi backs alliance ugainst him. government naturally exthe Druze, Sunni Shi'ite leaders more fundamentally because it failed to take into account the interests of Syria's Assad When fighting broke DCLWCeI Christians and Druze fighters after the Israeli troop pull-back, the Syrians were only too naDDy to ammunition into the hands of the anti'government forces - not ecause the Syrians give a fig about the rights of the oppressed in Lebanon, but weaken Tine Gemayel government, the better to Nicaraguans demonstrate against US threats during May Day demonstrations been killed by counter attacks. To revolunonary prepare for the fight to come Nicaragua has now brought in conscription to the armea orces The first units will be organised January 1984, and involve between 20,000 30,000 Nicaraguans.
Conscription Will of NicaraCoulsC wcakell force it to recognise Syria's interests.
Once the Lebanese army had got bloody nose at the hands of Druze and Shi'ite militias - and only US naval bombaraments prevented complete rout — it was ob. vious that some deal had to be done with Syria and its allies.
Paradoxically, this deal is at the expense of the Israelis in the short term -but even more tundamentally at the expense of the Palestinians.
Assau siegime in syrie has cleverly exploited the divisions in the PLO by NO gua's economic effort. But this is an inevitable effect of having to concentrate so much effort on defence.
Without doubt, part of the Us destabilisation nan is to try to create disillusion with FSLN leadership through economic dislocation and hardresponse of the FSLN has been to deepen backing anti-Arafat rebel Abu Musa. Syria has given Abu Musa victory on plate, but at the price of sacrificing une and military independence of the PLO fighters.
The pro-Arafat force could now be massacred in the latest conflict, cynical crime against the Palestinian people.
Behind the diplomatic oned Sars, at seems and dealing United seems likely that the present agreement has been cooked up directly by the US Syrian governments the mass mobilisation and mass organisation of the Nicaraguan people, to prepare DOIn politically militarily for an imperialist LACK people's militias have been Sueraere as nave at other mass organisations Now more than ever is vital to strengthen the movement of solidarity - with the US delivering Gemayel and the • Svrian: delivering Walid Jumblatt other leaders of the anti-Gemayel 'National Salvation Front'.
It remains to be seen how Israel will respond to the attack on its troops in Tyre, from the diplomatic card game in Geneva What is clear however is that its attempt to firmly establish its own hegemony in Lebanon has been an ig nominious failure. the ruins : of the invasion, and United States imperialism are picking up the pieces.
In one thing only have the Israelis been successful - striking a savage blow at the Palestine Liberation Organisation. If the new blow against the PLO being struck the Syrians, then once again lies imperialism agreement bethavertiseme A TOWN ON TRIAL tral America the Caribbean to recurrence of what happened to Grenada. Even Margaret Thatcher, despite her open support for the US anti-communist COme out against all invasion of Her tical words won't stop Mass solidarity world-wiae cal ween the different factions in Geneva, if ratified, will once again give the various leaders a slice of the governmental acLUNA But nothing pete will get nothing out such an agreement. It will do nothing to alter the reality of the domination of the country by a ruling which the Maronite Christians will always have the upper hand.
The task of defeating the Icacuular y forces who do their deals the heads of the UVCI massesse an made nam made imlilasse measurably harder by the presence the four nation imperialist 'peacekeeping force' Our task is to fight in solidarity the independence of the PLO and for the unconditional withdrawal of British and all imperialist troops.
New pamphlet on Turkey Fatsa: a town on trial his pamphlet gives the background to the mass tria of the townsneone of fat sa, Turkey and the international cam paign in their defence rroduced by islington. Hackney an • Haringev Councils in collaboration with the Turkey Solidarity Campaign 50p + 20p p&p from TSC, BM Bor 5965, London WCI 3XX
Socialist Action 11 November 1983 the confidence fighters.
They It
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Interview with Ben Bousquet
resolution which demanded changes in the Party constitution to allow black sections of the Party to
MALE Tory axe for Women's hospital
Falls Road centre