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| x   x x x   x   x  x  xx  xxx xxx  xxx                   |
| xx xx x xx xx   xx x x  x  x  x   x       Issue #24      |
| x x x x x x x   x xx x  x  x  xx   xxx                   |
| x   x x x   x   x  x x  x  x  x       x   05/20/86       |
| x   x x x   x   x  x  xx   x  xxx  xxx                   |
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|    Newspaper of the Maoist Internationalist Movement     |
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   SOUTH AFRICA ON THE OFFENSIVE
   
   SOUTH AFRICA DEMONSTRATES REGIONAL POLICEMAN ROLE
   Monday, May 19th, South African military forces attacked 
three countries--Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia for having ANC 
(African National Congress) members within their borders. The 
ANC is the nationalist, pro-Soviet liberation group in South 
Africa fighting for one-man one-vote, where 5 million whites 
currently rule 24 million Blacks.
   In Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe South African soldiers 
bombed the ANC office. No one was hurt because the ANC had 
been tipped off on the raid.
   Harare is 300 miles from S. African borders. The S. 
African troops arrived by land. As S. Africa's first public 
attack on Harare, the S. African venture corroborates 
accusations that S. Africa assassinates anti-apartheid 
leaders in Harare and elsewhere in the region.
   In Botswana, South African troops killed a soccer player 
and injured three others including one Botswanan soldier. The 
helicopter-borne attack was on a housing complex in the 
capital-- Gaborone--the second in less than a year.
   "In Zambia, two South African warplanes struck a refugee 
camp near the capital of Lusaka, said President Kenneth 
Kaunda who condemned the attacks as 'cowardly, criminal and 
unforgiveable acts of aggression.'" (Associated Press, David 
Crary, 5/19/86)
   The warplanes flew almost 1,000 miles from S. Africa. At 
least one Zambian and one Namibian were killed and nine 
people injured. (Ibid.)
   S. African army chief Lt. Gen. A. J. Liebenberg said that 
"the action taken against the terrorists should be 
interpreted as indicative of the firm resolve of the Republic 
of South Africa to use all the means at its disposal against 
terrorists wherever they may be." (Ibid.)
   He also said that "responsible South African leaders have 
repeatedly stated this country's determination to combat 
terrorism and leaders of various Western countries have 
recently done so as well." (UPI in Ann Arbor News, 5/19/86, 
p. 1)
   The United States and Britain condemned the attacks, but 
they continued to oppose economic sanctions against S. 
Africa. (AP, op. cit.)
   According to State Dept. official Chester Crocker, South 
Africa faces the greatest risk of revolution when it spreads 
itself too thin in fighting regional wars.
   The U.S. does not oppose the S. African raid in principle. 
It only fears that its war partner will lose if it becomes 
engaged in too many armed conflicts at once.
   
   SAUDIS STOOD UP FOR U.S. AGAINST LIBYA
   Saudi Arabia opposed Libya's efforts to hold an Arab 
summit on the U.S. bombing of Tripoli. It also blocked Arab 
economic and political sanctions against the U.S according to 
a senior government official. (New York Times, 5/14/86, p. 2)
   Reagan has cited Saudi Arabia as an American ally. He is 
attempting to gain Congressional permission to sell $354 
million in missiles to the Saudis. Congress voted down the 
sale to Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.
   Syria, Iran, Libya and S. Yemen are already on Reagan's 
public hit list of countries that support terrorism. By 
denying arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. government is 
exacerbating contradictions with the Arab states generally. 
American anti-Arabism will undermine so-called moderate U.S. 
supporters in the Mid-East by paving the way for pan-Arabist 
and nationalist sentiments against U.S. backed regimes. The 
U.S. will not have an easy time lining up Arabs and Israelis 
alike in the war bloc against the East.
   
   CIA LENDING COVERT AID TO ANTI-SOVIET BLOC STRUGGLES 
WORLDWIDE
   The CIA is giving $500 million in covert aid to armed 
groups opposing governments supported by the Soviet Union--in 
Angola, Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Cambodia. The CIA has the 
backing of the 208 Committee, which is composed of 
representatives from the National Security Council (NSC), 
State Department, Pentagon and CIA.
   Contrary to common belief, the Congress has never outlawed 
all aid to the contras or any other pawn of state terrorism. 
The above organizations of the executive branch receive 
"discretionary" allocations.
   For instance, the law states that the CIA may spend money 
in its multi-million dollar discretionary fund however it 
wishes as long as it informs two members of Congress. The 
amount of "discretionary" funding is not known to the public.
   Before the Congressional debate on the contras in April, 
the press revealed that the CIA has aided the contras all 
along despite a law banning CIA support of the contras. The 
public had previously thought that a law banning CIA aid to 
the contras was in effect.
   The Congress has given the appearance of operating by 
rules of democracy. In reality though, the Congress obeys the 
laws of capitalist imperialism before anything else.
   It appears that the necessity faced by the bourgeoisie to 
go to war in Central America is greater than the public 
opinion it has roused for the cause. Hence, aid to the 
contras is covert.
   However, periodically the capitalist class tries to rally 
public opinion for its war effort, so that it may wage a more 
open and intense war. For instance, the executive branch 
threatened to cut-off military aid to Honduras if Honduras 
did not report to the press a phony border war with 
Nicaragua. Momentarily, this seemed to work and it seemed 
that the Congress was going to approve aid to the contras to 
fight Nicaragua.
   The ruling class is trying to carry out war without 
affronting public opinion. It creates incidents such as at 
Honduras and Libya in order to rally the public to a more 
open and fully-developed WW III. In the meantime, the 
bourgeoisie donates money and personnel in a covert fashion 
to its mercenary forces across the globe.
   The ruling class does not dare declare WW III openly 
because of public opinion. However, WW III is already on.
   "The strategy, recommended by CIA Director William Casey 
and approved by Reagan in January 1985, rests on the premise 
that the two superpowers are already engaged in a war of 
sorts using proxy armies, the officials said." (Detroit Free 
Press, 5/12/86, p. 1, 13a)
   MIM Notes is happy to report that this is all public 
knowledge now. MIM has argued that WWIII is already on since 
MIM started. It is time to rally public opinion against 
covert and proxy war, not just open war fought with "our 
boys."
   
   CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR PLANT NOT UNLIKE AMERICAN ONES
   Initial reports on the Chernobyl accident from U.S. and 
nuclear industry experts were factually inaccurate. After 
some delay, experts have conceded that Chernobyl did in fact 
have a containment structure of concrete and steel like those 
found in the U.S.
   The structure had one to two feet of steel and six to 
eight feet of concrete. In addition there were several 
million gallons of water below the reactor and a layer of 
nitrogen surrounding the reactor. The nitrogen layer is 
supposedly non-flammable. The reactor was sealed in a number 
of layers to prevent explosions like the one that has 
resulted in the deaths of 13 people so far.
   The two walls of the containment structure could handle 27 
and 57 pounds per square inch respectively. American units 
need walls that withstand 55 to 65 pounds per square inch. 
Some that use ice only need to withstand 12 to 15. A number 
of factors including the volume enclosed by the containment 
structure vary from plant to plant so that technical 
comparisons are not easy.
   With the new information many government, industry and 
academic experts honestly stepped forward to contradict 
American chauvinist thinking that American nuclear plants 
could never have the same problem: "I'm just a little nervous 
that we have the same design, and it didn't work," said Prof. 
Richard Wilson of the Physics Dept. at Harvard. Wilson 
chaired a 1985 study on severe nuclear accidents. (Ann Arbor 
News, 5/19/86, Stuart Diamond, New York Times) 
   
   SOUTH AFRICA DEATH TOLL UP TO 1600
   The effort to maintain apartheid has cost 1,600 lives 
since S. Africa announced its new constitution, which 
continued to give the majority African population fourth 
class status. (AP, David Crary, 5/19/86)
   Unfortunately, the bourgeois press has focussed on this 
overt violence. Likewise, pacifists remain insensitive to 
institutional violence in S. Africa effected through mass 
starvation and inadequate health care; even though, 
institutional violence is far greater than overt political 
violence and causes political violence.
   Those who did not grasp that half of the African children 
in the so-called homelands died before the age of six are 
surprised now to see so much overt political violence in S. 
Africa. Those that did not realize that Blacks died in 
emergencies because white hospitals would not take them in 
are disgusted when they see video coverage of white police 
violence against Black demonstrators.
   Political violence in S. Africa is only the tip of the 
iceburg of the white ruling class's violence against Blacks. 
The violence of the oppressed--labelled "terrorism" by the 
oppressors--is in no way comparable. It is the violence of 
the ruling class which is the root cause of violence in S. 
Africa and elsewhere.
   
   WEINBERGER THINKS BOYCOTTS WORK
   People as "diverse" as Harvard President Derek Bok and 
Ronald Reagan believe that to pull business out of S. Africa 
would be to run away from problems instead of working to 
reform apartheid.
   The opposite is the case for Libya, which own a mere 15% 
of a FIAT subsidiary that recently won a Pentagon bidding 
competition for a contract. "Defense" Secretary Caspar 
Weinberger cancelled the contract through a national security 
clause. Weinberger cited fear of Libya's profiting from the 
contract as the reason for disqualifying FIAT's contract bid. 
(New York Times, 5/15/86)
   
   INDONESIA BANS AUSTRALIAN PRESS
   The Australian press remains banned from Indonesia and 
Indonesia temporarily gave Australian tourists visa 
difficulties in reaction to an Australian article about 
Indonesian president Sukharto. Sukharto is worth $2 to 3 
billion. (New York Times, 4/28/86, p. 8)
   The New York Times itself is banned from East Timor in a 
blackout of Indonesia's genocide against the Timorese.
   Still, so-called Second World country Australia, which has 
front row seats for the genocide by its neighbor Indonesia, 
recognizes Indonesia as having sovereignty in East Timor. 
Australia is ruled by the so-called Labor Party. (Ibid.)
   Indonesia has killed over 100,000 Timorese through 
occupation according to conservative Congressional estimates. 
Also, the Indonesian military killed 500,000 Maoists and 
alleged Maoists, mostly Chinese in a slaughter in Indonesia 
itself in 1965. (Time, 5/12/86)
   Australia's relations with Indonesia may appear strained, 
but they are certainly far from supportive of Timorese self-
determination. Australia's foreign policy proves once again 
that so-called Second World countries (advanced non-
superpower countries) are not allies of the oppressed. 
Instead, even people of the supposed "left," such as Prime 
Minister Bob Hawke, in the Second World represent the 
interests of the Australian bourgeoisie.
   For more information on East Timor, write to MIM.
   
   DON'T FORGET OUR OTHER CHINA
   A former American serviceman wrote a letter to the Free 
China Journal, which is a Taiwanese propaganda paper aimed at 
Americans. "I say 'Our ROC' because I was stationed for Uncle 
Sam in Taipei for almost 5 years from early 1954 to late 1958 
and the love affair that developed then is still in bloom 
today."
   The Free China Journal corrected the author in one way. 
"(Editor's note: ROC is now sixth largest trading partner to 
the USA since 1985.)" (Free China Journal, 5/5/86) The 
serviceman had thought that Taiwan was still eighth.
   
   PERUVIAN SOCIAL DEMOCRAT ADVISES NICARAGUA TO LAY DOWN 
ARMS
   The Contadora Peace Plan, long hailed by American 
moderates as a solution to the conflict in Central America 
would have Nicaragua cut its armed forces and agree to a 
moratorium on weapons purchases. Apparently, certain circles 
in the U.S. government are giving Contadora the green light. 
The American press reported that Dan Habib and influential 
Congressmen were on the verge of getting Reagan to back 
Contadora.
   Peru's president Alan Garcia supports the Contadora 
process and publicly advised Nicaragua to sign Contadora even 
if the United States does not agree to honor its terms. (New 
York Times, 5/12/86) In other words, Garcia wants Nicaragua 
to lay down its arms even if the U.S. continues to aid the 
contras.
   Garcia alluded to regional troubles. He clearly has the 
Sendero insurgency in his own country in mind. Perhaps if the 
U.S. cooled off the Central America conflict for awhile, 
Garcia reasons, Peru's own conflagration would appear more 
isolated.
   
   PAKISTAN SHOOTS DOWN SOVIET PLANES FROM AFGHANISTAN
   Armed with U.S.-made F-16 fighters, Pakistan shot down a 
Soviet made MiG-21 from the Soviet Union. The MiG crashed in 
Pakistan.
   It is unclear if Soviet flyers manned the jet.
   The Soviets are trying to finish off resistance to its 
colonial adminstration of Afghanistan. (Christian Science 
Monitor, 5/19/86, p. 2)
   
   GOV'T RIDES ANTI-LIBYA, CHAUVINIST WAVE
   Secretary of State George P. Schultz told CBS "Face the 
Nation" that the United States needs to use its covert 
options against Libya more. He had said at news conferences 
that the goal of the bombing of Colonel Qaddafi's 
headquarters was to cause "'considerable dissidence'" within 
Qaddafi's military. "Mr. Schultz said a coup would be 'all to 
the good.'" (New York Times, 4/28/86, p. 7)
   Other government officials said that Reagan had authorized 
at least two covert programs to oust Qaddafi and that his 
death in the American bombings would have been 
"'serendipitous.'" Not surprisingly, the U.S. failed for lack 
of finding a credible opposition.
   Any American support for an opposition in Libya would be 
the kiss of death for that group. It stands to reason that 
Libyan nationalists would protest against anybody's receiving 
U.S. aid.
   Thus, Schultz did not name anyone that the U.S. is trying 
to support in Libya. However, Schultz is building public 
opinion for CIA covert action against Libya while there is a 
chauvinistic wind in the air. That which the public did not 
know about before is now made public knowledge in order to 
push for open aggression.
   
   "ZOMBIE" AGENTS INFILTRATED NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY
   A Catholic newspaper in Manila reported that the thousands 
of insurgents laying down their arms to the Aquino government 
are in reality agents of the military placed in the New 
People's Army (NPA) over the years by the Marcos regime. A 
number of "zombies" have confessed to working for pay under 
Marcos to undermine the NPA from within.
   One zombie--Vicente Libora-- under detention in Mindanao 
said, "the NPA structure has been duplicated by the zombies. 
The zombies have penetrated all rungs in the structure. The 
structure is really the same. We also do not know who is on 
top, who is in the central committee." (Veritas, "The 
'Zombies': 'Veritas' Reporter Discovers That Many NPA 
Surrenderees Are in Reality Deep Penetration Agents," 4/3/86)
   Libora had been paid a salary and more importantly, given 
medicine for an illness not otherwise available for 
infiltrating the NPA with the assignment to "kill the 
Commanding Officer and surrender the entire unit by December, 
1985." (Ibid.)
   Zombie Carlos Balacwet admitted to killing his NPA team 
leader and extorting money from innocent civilians. His Armed 
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) superiors had commanded him 
to violate every rule of discipline in the NPA. A zombie in 
Carlos's collective killed Carlos's brother, who was a 
ranking guerrilla in the NPA.
   Another zombie was actually a Major in the AFP. She killed 
those who did not turn over extortion money.
   According to an NPA leader named Nilo Nabong, "'once 
inside the organizations, the DPA [zombie] starts violating 
codes of discipline like stealing from the people, destroying 
people's property, sowing intrigues and in-fighting among 
members of the community; spreading anti-social vices like 
gambling and drinking, and even engaging in prostitution.'" 
(Ibid.) Another leader said, "'it was really very difficult 
to accept. Here we were fighting the enemy only to find out 
that there was an enemy within our ranks.'" (Ibid.)
   Nabong had this to say for the zombies: "They are the best 
extensions of the military in the barrios; more effective and 
potent because they are discreetly hidden behind the cloak of 
the people's mass organizations in the barrio." (Ibid.)
   The NPA has rightly purged these zombies. Some of them 
convert to be revolutionaries because of unfulfilled promises 
of pay from the AFP. Others are detained. After investigation 
and trial within the NPA most zombies are eventually 
released.
   The zombies teach communists everywhere two valuable 
lessons. First, it is impossible to avoid infiltration by 
agents of the bourgeoisie. Secondly, it is vital to have 
channels to the non-party and non-army masses. People who 
step forward to identify abuses by the cadres of revolution 
are extremely valuable and courageous. Says Nabong, "we have 
been accused of deception, brigandry, and terrorism. We have 
been accused of killing several persons who did not even 
commit any crime against the people. We have been accused of 
launching ambuscades and extortions, and worse, of killing 
innocent civilians in the process. For a time, we could not 
understand what was going on." (Ibid.) Only genuine 
revolutionaries with an ear to the ground and a will to 
investigate can claim the mantle of liberator of the people.
   
   AQUINO IN BIND, SUPPORTERS CALL FOR END OF U.S. AID TO 
MILITARY
   President Aquino of the Philippines told visiting 
"Defense" Secretary Caspar Weinberger "that her new 
government needs American economic assistance more than 
military assistance." (Washington Post, 4/8/86) Weinberger 
replied that military assistance is "essential." (Ibid.) The 
U.S. government has taken to warning Aquino of the threat 
from New People's Army guerrillas.
   Meanwhile, left of center supporters of Aquino in the U.S. 
are pressuring the Congress not to give military aid to the 
Philippines. According to the Philippine Human Rights Lobby, 
"the Reagan administration has recently asked Congress $50 
million in supplemental military aid for the Philippines for 
FY 1986, despite the fact that Cory Aquino has not requested 
it."
   Aquino came to power in the Philippines with the help of 
Marcos's military. The military had feared a cut-off in 
American aid. Now Aquino is saddled with a military with 
power somewhat independent of hers. Indeed, Aquino could not 
have come to power without the support of the American 
trained and supported military of the Philippines.
   The irony of Aquino's seizure of power that is extolled in 
the American press as an example of democracy and non-
violence is that it will probably result in an increase in 
American military control. Aquino may yet end up responsible 
for more violence than Marcos.
   
   COMMUNIST PARTY EXPANDING PAPER; ANC STEPS OUT FOR CPUSA
   Recent issues of the Daily World hardly mentioned the role 
of the Communist Party in its publication. However, the Daily 
World and People's World are combining in an effort to create 
a national Communist Party daily newspaper--the People's 
Daily World. In its first issue, the role of the Communist 
Party is acknowledged relatively prominently, but not on the 
front page. (People's Daily World, 5/1/86)
   The Communist Party (CPUSA) is the fraternal party to the 
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Other parties in 
the U.S. contest the CP's label of "communist" and argue that 
the CPUSA is reformist.
   In part of the activities to raise money for the new 
revisionist paper, spokespeople from Sechaba will take part. 
Sechaba is the organ of the youth group of the ANC--African 
National Congress. (People's Daily World, 5/8/86) While the 
struggle of the ANC in S. Africa is a just and progressive 
one, it is necessary to combat its reactionary influence in 
promoting the Communist Party and its line in the U.S.
   On May Day, South African Congress of Trade Unions 
(SACTU)'s Thozamile Makethe, a member of SACTU's National 
Executive Committee spoke with CP leader Gus Hall to a rally 
in Union Square, New York. (People's Daily World, 5/1/86)
   The benefits of state power in the Soviet Union are many. 
Among them are the ability to get relatively vibrant 
liberation groups to support flagging fraternal organizations 
like the CPUSA. SACTU and the ANC would have no reason to 
support the insignificant CPUSA if it were not for the Soviet 
Union.
   
   PAT ROBERTSON SUPPORTS U.S./SOUTH AFRICA/ISRAEL/CONTRA 
AXIS
   Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson says the 
"'contras are being supplied by Israel and South Africa,'" 
according to Sara Diamond and Jane Hunter of the Pacific News 
Service (AP No. 5921).
   "Israel has shipped rifles and other weapons to the 
contras since 1983, according to Reagan administration 
officials quoted in the New York Times." (Ibid.) Also, 
Israeli press reports show Israeli advisers working with the 
contras.
   The conscious American lackies met in June 1985 in Angola 
with Jonas Savimbi of UNITA. American pawns from Afghanistan, 
Laos and Nicaragua attended.
   Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is 
one of the largest private donors to the contras. The "CBN is 
providing bibles and military chaplains to the FDN." (FDN is 
the largest contra group.)
   Robertson has personally visited contra camps in Honduras. 
The escalating WWIII between the East and West blocs is 
responsible for the emergence of foreign policies as espoused 
and funded by people like Pat Robertson. Robertson provides 
the ideological glue for conscious sections of the 
bourgeoisie.
   
   JACK KEMP RALLIES FOR MORE INVESTMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
   New Right activists continue to take political risks in 
order to prop up apartheid. Jack Kemp came out in favor of 
increasing investment in South Africa.
   Investment according to Kemp will "'undermine apartheid by 
more free unions and more free trade in South Africa.'" 
(Detroit Free Press, 5/11/86, p. 11a)
   Reminiscent of the Spartacist League position favoring 
more investment in South Africa, Kemp's position demonstrates 
that a section of the bourgeoisie is desperate in regard to 
South Africa. So much is at stake that even candidate Kemp 
will go out of his way to rally public opinion for more aid 
to apartheid.
   Kemp's call for increased investment follows that of Jerry 
Falwell.