Reagan's new Euro bomb

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THE REAGAN Administration has announced to a stunned world its intention of going ahead with the production of the neutron bomb.

This bomb was first proposed by Carter in 1978. Then, the outery was so fierce, the reaction so furious, that Carter had to back down.

Only after prior consultation with European governments, we were told, would any firm decision be taken about the neutron bomb.

But President Reagan is made of much sterner stuff. Representing the more warlike ambitions of the American ruling class, he has contemptously pushed aside all pretence of consultations with his (unrellable) "European allies" and announced that neutron bomb production will commence immediately.

The "ultimate capitalist weapon", disposing of people but leaving property relatively intact and undamaged, the neutron bomb is an integral part of US imperialism's decision to risk a 'limited' nuclear war.

US imperialism has put detente with the Soviet bureaucracy on the backburner, and relaunched its cold war offensive with a vengeance.

Behind this new war drive, the huge defence industries are reaping enormous profits as they jealously compete for milItary contracts like the enormous MX missile system.

The Russian invasion of Afghanistan, conveniently for imperialism, has temporarily obscured the real causes and roots of the present drift to war, and allowed imperialism to rattle on hypocritically about "the defence of the free world".

But by the "defence of the free world" these warmongers mean they want to prevent a repeat of the humiliating defeats which Imperialism has suffered in Vietnam and in Africa.

The new war drive is 'justified' in terms of halting a supposedly inevitable Russian advance into Central Europe. According to the scenario of the warmongers, the neutron bomb — weapon of intense but geographically limited radiation spread — will destroy the Soviet armies and tank crews, and military equilibrium will be reestablished as NATO armies move in to fill the vacuum.

No proof has been offered that the Russians will advance. But the US government and its apologists are peddling the fantastic idea that it is possible to engage in a limited nuclear war, and win!

The labour movement must not have the slightest illusions about this. If the European working classes East and West have been chosen as imperialism's expendable pawns, then their fate will be shared by the rest of humanity as well. Nuclear war, once commenced, will almost certainly engulf the entire planet in a holocaust.

We must build the CND campaign, and give it a firm labour movement orientation, demanding unilateral nuclear disarmament and withdrawal from NATO.

No to Trident, no to Cruise, No to the Neutron bomb, no to NATO!