necessarily lost the Tories the next election. But they nave done them formidable economic damage.
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Thatcher and Friends by John Ross Over our Dead BodiesWomen Against the Bomb Introductory offer for new readers: Eight issues for just £2! defeat at the hands of the Lebanese Shi'a militia.
On Sunday Israeli Prime Minister Peres announced that Israel was speeding up the withdrawal small apart of Lebanese small Lebanese territory.
The events in Lebanon, however, once more show just how much the survival of the depends on the reactionary nature of the Arab regimes that surround it. While the Israeli ally has almost continuously defeated the armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. has twice sufferec severe military setbacks in Lebanon The first in the fighting with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) around Beirut. Despite its advance to the THREE WEEKS ago, in a typical display of savagery, the Israeli army announced its 'iron fist' policy in southern Lebanon. But the result has been a humiliating Lebanese capital, the Israel army sunerca severe casualties. never ceeded militarily in taking the city and only entered it after Yasser Arafat negotiated a PLO withdrawal.
Now, in its occupation of southern Lebanon, the Israeli army has suffered completely unacceptable levels casualties in struggle WILd Shi'a militias. The 640 Israelis Kleen cedaron dre the equivalent of over 11,000 deaths in a country with the population of Britain. The Invasiol of Lebanon turned into the biggest military disaster in Israeli history.
The effect of the fighting in the soull lla. spilt over into Beirut with the kidnappinrinthe last week British busines resentatives journa. Meanwhile, the Christian Phalange forces to the north of Beirut havesplit with mutineers led by Samir Geagea opposing th regime of President Gem ayel.
The Syrian regime has moved to surround the rebel forces and support Gemayel's government. Clashes between the Phalange forces and the Shi'a militias were reported in Beirut on Monday.
Syria has accused Israel of being behind Geagea's revolt, which is certainly to Israel's The Israeli has announced it is to esta bilsh a new 'buffer zone' on its northern border which will expel considerable part of the 60100,000 sni a innabilants of the area.
Behind the manoeuvering. however, the real victor in lebanon is the Syrian regime. It has split the PLO and established the Gemayel regime While Syria is prepared to use for its own ends the successes omen dorca In the south has no whateve allowing a real struggle to spill over the border into prolonged confrontation with Israel itself. In the event of a showdown between the Shi'a forces and the Gemayel regime, Syria would undoubtedly back right wing unristian client.
However, or israet ry Israel southern Lebanon is great• to be welcomed. It Is e bloody lesson for a regime which more and more bases itself on sheer barbarity.