Stop Reagan's

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Claimants and strikers 10p IMPERIALIST intervention - above all by US forces -to prop up the feeble Lebanese Phalangist government has been seriously stepped up. tingent of the "multination: subjecting the whole country peacekeeping force" could b Phalangist Christian domination.

When on Friday 16th the shelled. Given the size of Lebano A more "generous" approach battle mission in ten years, one Lebanese air force flew its first any position in the country. Wha this line could justify an attack o by Gemayel could well have won the support of Jumblatt and the fighter was lost and another is clearly part of a US offensive i Syrians. Instead, a hard-line base at Akrotiri in Cyprus. sought the safety of the British damaged. The damaged fighter ment is thus being hypocritcall labelled a necessary defensiv support of the Gemayel govern dent - who, on his own admis- sion, now controls only 10 to approach by the Phalangist PresiThat week French fighter- 20% of the country - repelled bombers flew "reconnaissance The double talk is necessar! some of his natural right wing sorties over Druze and Syrian for US home consumption. Ther allies both within the Christian positions" , British jets overflew has been much criticism in the U!

Beirut, two frigates of the US 6th of Reagan for illegally committin! It is unlikely that Walid JumFleet were shelling Druze posi- US troops to fight in Lebanoi blatt, leader of the Druze forces tions, Marines were involved in without the agreement organised principally under the street gun battles in South Beirut Congress. After Vietnam the banner of the Progressive Socialand others were with Lebanese power of the President to wage ar ist Party, wishes to go further mountains, and US planes flew government forces in the Chouf undeclared war was curtailed. Sc Reagan has to lie about what he it which would allocate the Muslim than achieving a new settlement "reconnaissance missions" from and leftist elements a bigger role. the aircraft carrier Eisenhower. What is at stake in the Choul Certainly that is the limit of The early shelling from the war? The current hostilities are Syria's current horizon whatever 6th Fleet was justified by claim- the coutcome of the Phalangists her long-term ambitions might be. ing that the shells which fell near the US Embassy and US Marine monopoly in Lebanon, to dis- attempts to secure a political any such settlement is the future One of the crucial issues in positions were "an imminent regard what the Lebanese call of the Palestinians in Lebanon danger to US lives". • This line of reasoning has now been dropped as US guns pound Druze positions in the Chouf mountains as part of ating one sect's sphere of influ- tional lines of demarcation separ- The "red lines" are the tradi- balance of forces in any such Souk Al-Gharb will determine the and the PLO. in particular. The outcome of the battle for an effort to support government ence from another's. The present settlement. Hence its importance. Forces attempting to hold the clashes do not result from a drive The National Salvation Front by the Druzes and their allies in leaders - Jumblatt, Franjei and The new line coming from the the National Salvation Front to Karameh - might be willing to tate Department is that this dominate the country so much a leave Souk Al-Gharb in govern-.

elling is necessary to protect as from Gemayel's insistence - ment hands if Gemayel withdrew sitios from which the US con- backed by the US at present - on the army from the Chouf and resBack page: Yorkshire pit strike spreads pected the "red if, additionally, the government modified. Whetl file militiamen, ty to their leade fied is an open q The new ou the European Healey's Weeke view outlined representative g - might yet l pressure Gemaye effort." an option if the visibly disintegra major reverse. and Muslim camps. In such an ev that will be post jalists will be he concession withe the Syrian po giving the left s and crack the cor altogether and w doing. Palestinian peopl Editions for strer selves politically a Whatever the at in the near fi only provisional: ambitions of both their "red lines".

cannot be satisfi all, it cannot sol and social crisis in has found itsell decade and a half. own of Soukh al-Gharb, Unfortunately working class, t force capable of crisis has not be Lebanon or else region, of imposin " line" there, and the structure of and army were her the rank-andfor all their loyalrs, would be satisuestion. tspokenness from imperialists nd World intertheir "broadly overnment" plan lead the US to el to accept such e Lebanese army ates or suffers a ent the questions ed for the imperow to make this sut strengthening sition, without pace to develop nfessional system ithout giving the e favourable conngthening themand militarily. solution arrived uture it will be the long term i Syria and Israel ed by it. Above ve the economic I which Lebanon E for the last at present, the he only social resolving that een capable, in ewhere in the g its solution.

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EDITORIAL Organiser no.147 September 1983 Page 2 But

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Tories Paper of the Socialist Organiser Alliance No.147 September 22 1983 25p