THE AMERICAN air raids in Lebanon and the huge naval bombardment of Druze and Muslim positions have nothing whatever to do with 'peace keeping'. The raids directly after Israeli minister Shamir's visit to the United States, and were obviously cooked up by him and Reagan in Washington. United States and Israel have a common goal: to safe for the reactionary Phalangist government of Amin Gemayel, and in striking at Gemayel's enemies, to change the pattern of political power in the Middle East in favour of Western-backed reaction.
Central and northern Lebanon are to be placed under the control of the Phalangist governwhich at present can hardly hold Beirut. To achieve that means defeating the Druze militias, who hold the Chouf the who hold the Beha'a valley and try.
come prime region. By cannot militarily, the The break his Moscow.
the compunction America's well precipitate pletely US clients in the region.
Syrians the errand-boys States much of the north of the coun Beirut.
The United States has an additional reason for striking at Syria - to attack the last remnants of Soviet influence in the showing Syrian president Assad that the Soviet protect him US hopes to ing with To achieve his political aims in the region, Reagan has no awesome military might. In doing so Reagan may La devastating Middle East war.
Such a war would have comreactionary objectives — to enforce the domination of In a situation where Reagan is preparing for war, the last pretence that the US and other imperialist troops are 'peace of the keepers' has been exposed. The militia. British contingent are acting as of United imperialism. They Times, the Financial Times, the Sun and every paper of the establishment demands the NGA be defeated.
Any judge will decide whatever the government wants on union law. The TUC policy of staying within the law is literally suicidal.
Heath's Industrial Relations Act wasn't changed and defeated by legal action. was defeated through the 1972 and 1974 miners' strikes and through the threat of a general strike • tree imprisoned under the Act. The Industrial Relations Act was defeated when the AUEW simply refused to pay the fines imposed by the courts and brought its members out on strike to defend their unions The courts are now lin.
ing up to fine the unions.
Every day the employers are learning they can take unions to court and bust strikes through the courts.
If the TUC allows the NGA to be defeated every union in Britain is going to come under threat.
But the NGA can win. It was the solidarity strike action which broke the Fleet Street lock out. If the unions such as the IGWU which have pledged their support to the NGA mobilise their members the mass picket be reimposed. If the NGA does not lead the industrial action itself Shah will only be the first of a series of union busting employers.
If trade unionism is to survive and do its job the NGA must win.
should get the first plane out of US-Israeli plan involves attempting to throw the Syrian army out of Lebanon, defeating the Druze and Shiite militias and consolidating the hold of Israel over southern Lebanon. It also involves backthe Gemayel-Phalangist plan to expel all Palestinians -fighters and civilians - from Since the horrific massacres at Sabra and Shatila last year hundreds of Palestinians have been assassinated or imprisoned by the Lebanese Phalangist gunmen, with the aim of forc ing a Palestinian exodus to the West Bank of the Jordan.
The outline of the US-Israeli plan for Lebanon is now abundantly clear. Israel will hold Lebanon south of the Alawi river through the power pro-Israel Haddad The mainly Shi' a Muslims in the area will be held down by Haddad with the help of Israeli army patrols
Socialist Action 9 December 1983