Healey's half-cock Falklands offensive

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Prup (pius 1op păp) Irom wsL, rU BOX JOIN Membership of National is f6 (adult), £9 (couple), £3 (student) and £1 for Youth CND (under 21). Send to CND, 11 Goodwil St, London N4.

CN YES, there should be a public inquiry into the sinking of the Belgrano. Yes, Thatcher did wrap herself in the Union Jack and glory in the Falklands slaughter. Yes, it does show the Tories hypocrisy that they simultaneously pump millions into 'Fortress Falklands' and into (highly profitable) loans to the Argentine regime. The troops should be withdrawn from the Falklands.

*For many years before the Falklands war, British governments had been trying to negotiate a transfer of the islands to Argentina. They had failed to agree on terms, not on the principle.

* Fortress Falklands' is now being developed as a strategic base. New radar being installed there has a range of over 1,000 miles. Garrison costs alone will be £424 million in 19834. Millions are also being spent on redeveloping the Ascension Island air base.

Before the war, there was talk of making the Falklands a base for a South Atlantic Treaty Organsation' to be set up by agreement between the USA, Britain, South Africa, Argentina and perhaps Brazil. It looks like the war has only provided an opportunity to establish this base sooner - at the expense of the British taxpayer.

*There is strong evidence -based on statements by the former foreign minister of Peru -that a new peace agreement was tabled and being favourably considered by the Argentine government just at the time that the Tories escalated the war into large-scale slaughter, by ordering that the Belgrano should be sunk. What the Tories wanted above all was a military victory, to boost their imperialist power and prestige:

The Tories owed their Falklands Factor' gains to the military victory - but also to the Labour leadership's performance, dithering between feeble pacifist gestures and jingoist bluster.

Now Healey has come out and accused Thatcher, and Neil Kinnock has called for an inquiry into the Belgrano. It's a bit late, and at odds with the Shadow Cabinet's support for Thatcher during the war - and the Labour leaders have made a hash of it ever now. Healey has half-withdrawn his accusations, and Foot has refused to promise that a Labour government would establish an inquiry into the Belgrano sinking.

Labour should oppose the Tories over the Falklands - but consistently.

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