1^ Heavy Pressure -M SMITH: Beefs up Military
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■ Intercontinental Press I Africa Asia Europe Oceania the Americas Vol. 14, No. 10 1976 by Intercontinental Press March 15, 1976 ..4^# - i i.. Rhodesia's Racist c4-, • ^ Regime Under 1^ Heavy Pressure -m SMITH: Beefs up military. Betty Hamilton and Pierre Lambert- On Healy's Frame-up of Hanson and Novack Mao Regales Nixon With 'Eight-Jeweled Pigeon' America's Hottest Export Item—Watergate Scandals PC Frances Empieza a Descartar Mascara Marxista Livio Maitan Problems of the Cuban Workers State Angola fall into the familiar pattern of blaming "foreign agitators" for rises in the militancy of workers and their allies. In this case, it is the upsurge in southern Africa that worries the imperialists. For this they blame the Russians and especial Saber Rattling Over Cuba's African Roie ly the Cubans. The March 1 column by the reactionary Rowland Evans and Robert Novak offers a By David Frankel good example of such propaganda: "The chilling prospect that Fidel Castro On February 28, in an election appeal secure in announcing—only three days intends further use of his 12,000 Cuban aimed at the right-wing Cuban vote in after Kissinger left—the country's first troops in Angola to 'free' South African- Florida, presidential candidate Ford de commercial deal with Cuba since 1964. controlled Namibia is causing far more nounced the Cuban government as "an Likewise noticeable was the fact that the consternation inside President Ford's international outlaw." Peruvian government recognized the White House than Cuba's original Angola Ford, a last-ditch supporter of the MPLA government the day after Kissinger intervention." imperialist intervention in Vietnam, went left Lima. Claiming that "the question is how to on to label the Castro government "a Colombian President Alfonso Lopez stop" Castro from carrying out his sup regime of aggression" because of the Michelsen announced his intention to posed African plans, Evans and Novak presence of Cuban troops in Angola. recognize the MPLA with Kissinger sitting said: "One possible answer under tentative Ford's boundless hypocrisy can be next to him."We have our own position on discussion is an outright U.S. naval judged from the fact that Washington has Angola," he said. blockade of Cuba itself." repeatedly toppled Latin American govern Asked about the Cuban involvement in But the American inperialists are well ments, subsidized dictators, and even used Angola, Lopez, obviously referring to the aware that the basic problem they face in troops in Central America and the Ca U.S. role in Vietnam, said: "This is not the southern Africa is not the presence of ribbean. Scarcely a country in the world first time that one of the countries in the Cuban contingents in Angola. Instead, it today has escaped the malignant effects of hemisphere has been involved in extrahe- is the rising determination of the African the corruption, subversion, and brutal misphere affairs." masses in many countries to rid them violence employed by American imperial Kissinger obviously acquiesced in ad selves of white minority rule and throw off ism in defense of its interests. vance to the verbal thrusts against Wash the yoke of imperialism. Ford's tirade against Cuba included a ington. "Kissinger, smiling and relaxed, The mobilization of the African masses threat. He said, ". I solemnly warn seemed unperturbed by the Colombian's is now threatening the shaky racist regime Fidel Castro against any temptation to remarks," according to a dispatch from of Ian Smith in Rhodesia, and putting armed intervention in the Western Hemis Penny Bernoux in the February 24 Wash increased pressure on the South Africans phere. Let his regime, or any like-minded ington Post. in Namibia. The new regime in Mozam government, be assured the United States bique has been pushed by the pressure of would take the appropriate measures." the masses to take a more militant stand One of Kissinger's objectives in his tour Attacks in the same vein were answered against white rule in Rhodesia, and the thus seems to have been to assure the by Castro at the end of last year. When imperialists fear that this process may Latin Americans that Washington would Ford said that the Cuban role in Angola eventually challenge their control over all not retaliate if they recognized the MPLA had canceled any chance for improving of southern Africa. government in Angola. This would accord relations between Washington and Hava with the State Department's decision to na, Castro replied in a December 22 make a turn in Angola, a course first This is the real source of concern in speech: indicated by the permission granted to Washington. The attempt to blame the "What is there left to cancel that they Gulf Oil to resume friendly collaboration Cubans for stirring up trouble in Africa is haven't already canceled in vain? What with the MPLA as in the past. a cynical ploy in Ford's campaign for the can they take away which has not already This turn dovetails with the actions of right-wing vote in the United States. And heen taken away? Nothing! The situation America's imperialist allies in Europe in it is part of the publicity designed to justify is one of absolute impotence on their part." hastily mending fences with the MPLA. more intensive American intervention Castro's reply was to the point. Over the Aside from Ford's bid to rightist Cuban against the freedom-seeking movements in last fifteen years, Washington has placed voters, the attacks on Cuba's role in Africa. □ an embargo on the island, mounted an armed invasion, underwritten continual counterrevolutionary efforts of right-wing exile groups, and sought to assassinate Castro. Washington still bans trade with Cuba. Yet the country has survived and Free Desmond Trotter! grown stronger. In a six-country Latin American tour, On March 18 and 19 the Privy Council in had been sick at home with a severe which ended just before Ford's February London, the highest court in the British asthma attack when the killing took place. 28 speech, Kissinger echoed Ford's attacks. Commonwealth, is scheduled to hear the Kissinger was obviously assigned to rein appeal of Desmond Trotter. If the appeal is force Ford's electioneering handouts. denied. Trotter faces death by hanging. As a leading member of the Movement To what extent Kissinger was trying to A militant on the Caribbean island of for a New Dominica, and the editor of its organize reprisals against Cuba remains Dominica, the twenty-one-year-old Trotter monthly publication, Twavay, Trotter was to be seen. Apparently he had secret has been held in solitary confinement a marked man. During the late 1960s he objectives that did not necessarily corre since his arrest in May 1974 on a frame-up had been a central leader of the Black spond with his public statements. murder charge. Trotter was accused of Power movement that emerged in Domini It was noticeable, for example, that even killing an American tourist despite the ca at that time. He was an organizer and the government of tiny Costa Rica felt testimony of numerous witnesses that he main speaker at African Liberation Day Intercontinental Press demonstrations on the island in 1971, 1972, and 1973. A series of strikes by agricultural work ers led the Dominica Labour party govern ment to intensify its repression against its left-wing opposition. Two days after the killing of the American tourist, then In This Issue Closing News Date: March 8, 1976 Deputy Prime Minister Patrick John made a radio speech charging that the shooting FEATURES 393 America's Hottest Export Item—Watergate was "the handiwork of a few degenerate Scandals—by Steve Clark leaders, who see themselves as architects A Statement on Healy's Frame-up of Hansen of a new society, projecting new standards and Novack—by Betty Hamilton and and cultures unacceptable to the majority Pierre Lambert of our people. ." "Socialist Action" Denounces WRP The "evidence" against Trotter was the Smear Campaign testimony of a police corporal who claimed RHODESIA Why Mozambique Closed Border to have found Trotter sitting on an —by Ernest Harsch overturned bucket with a gun beneath it New York Rally Protests Torture of Iranian two months after the killing, and the Dissidents—by Jose Perez account of a fifteen-year-old woman who CHINA Mao Regales Nixon With "Eight-Jeweled admitted to a lawyer that her testimony Pigeon"—by David Frankel was perjured. ANGOLA Washington Lifts Trade Embargo However, the trial went on—with "Hang BOLIVIA Students, Miners Go Out on Strike Desmond" signs painted above the entry DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Dock Workers Fight for Democratic Rights to the jury room and the entrance to the —by Jose Perez lounge where the jury took its midmorning BRITAIN Steel Bosses Slash Jobs, Wages —by Tony Hodges break. SOUTH AFRICA South Africa: NATO's Secret Partner —by Ernest Harsch The Committee in Defense of Desmond International Campaign to Free Trotter and Political Prisoners in Domini Hernan Cuentas ca urges that protests be sent to Prime Problems of the Cuban Workers State Minister Patrick John, House of Assembly, —by Livio Maitan Roseau, Dominica. Copies should be sent SPAIN Workers Debate Union Orientation to the committee at P.O. Box 231, Roseau, NEWS ANALYSIS Saber Rattling Over Cuba's African Role Dominica. □ —by David Frankel Free Desmond Trotter! CAPITALISM The Derwent—Australia's Lethal River FOULS THINGS UP —by John Tully Leonid Brezhnev—Creator AROUND THE WORLD of the 'Cloudless Sky' BOOKS Hungry for Profits—reviewed by During the Soviet Communist party's Steve Clark twenty-fifth congress, Leonid Brezhnev DOCUMENTS The Right to Hear Hugo Blanco—An was variously described as "the most out Exchange of Correspondence With the State Department standing political figure of our epoch," "a DRAWINGS 396 Agostinho Neto; 405, John Vorster bright and inspiring example of selfless —by Copain service," "a passionate fighter for Com EN ESPANOL: munism," and "a son of the people." FRANCIA 429 PC Frances Empieza a Descartar Did this adulation signal a revival of the Mascara Marxista—por Rebecca Finch Stalin-style personality cult? Not at all, according to Eduard A.