Armed Rebellion Engulfs Albanian Workers State
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• AUSTRALIA $2.00 • BELGIUM BF60 • CANADA $2.00 • FRANCE FF1 0 • ICELAND Kr150 • NEW ZEALAND $2.50 • SWEDEN Kr12 • UK £1.00 • U.S. $1.50 INSIDE INS steps up raids at Midwest packing plants TH£ -PAGE4 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 61 NO. 11 MARCH 17, 1997 Armed rebellion engulfs Cli-nton backs cut Albanian workers state in Social Procapitalist gov't declares state of emergency Security BY ARGIRIS MALAPANIS Open warfare has broken out in Albania. • After six weeks of unyielding protests zncreases against the government, the procapitalist regime of President Sali Berisha declared a BY MARTIN KOPPEL state of emergency throughout the country President William Clinton has openly sig March 2. Berisha sent tanks and fighter jets naled his support for reaching a bipartisan against tens of thousands of working people deal in Congress to slash the cost-of-living adjustments that are a component of Social Security and other entitlements. Such a U.S. hands off Albania! move would be an opening wedge in the assault by the U.S. rulers on Social Secu -see editorial, page 10 rity itself, which working people regard as a basic social right for all. and other rebels who have taken control of On March 3, the White House responded several cities in the southern half of Alba favorably to a proposal by Senate Republi nia out of the hands of the authorities. can leader Trent Lott for a commission of On March 5, Chinese-made MiG-15 war "experts" to make a binding recommenda planes of the Albanian air force bombed a tion to "fix" the cost-of-living adjustment. town near the southern port of Saranda, Senate Democratic leader Thomas which has fallen to the hands of the rebels. Daschle endorsed the scheme, as did Alan Five T -55 tanks and half a dozen armored Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve personnel carriers guarded an army check bank. Republican House speaker Newton point near Fieri, 35 miles south of the capi Gingrich, on the other hand, expressed cau tal Tirana, according to the Associated tion about being associated with such a po Press. Other government checkpoints were tentially explosive political issue. Gingrich set up on major roads across the country. was burned by his identification with the The state of emergency bans people from failed "Republican Revolution" of 1994, an gathering in groups of more than four and attempt tG push through sharp attacks on authorizes "all force" by the army, police, Albanian rebels tire in the air in southern town.of Vlore March 3, in defiance of state social entitlements. Continued on Page 10 of emergency. Washington has wa~ships poised otT coast for possible intervention. White House officials said the adminis tration was looking for a commission with "credibility." This means a panel of econo mists whose proposals would not "appear rigged to find budget savings at the expense Palestinians fight Zionist expansion of benefit recipients," as a New York Times Continued on Page 8 BY HILDA CUZCO decision to build a new Israeli housing estinians in the Israeli-occupied territories Palestinians throughout the West Bank, project in the mostly Arab area of east the last week in February. Gaza, and East Jerusalem held a five-hour Jerusalem. The work stoppage followed a "Today's strike is a clear message that the general strike March 3 to protest Tel Aviv's series of marches and other protests by Pal- settlement policy is unacceptable, rejected, Subscription and a policy that will explode the peace pro cess," said Ahmad Qurie in Jerusalem. Qurie is the speaker of the Palestinian leg drive will islature, which called the strike, shutting down shops, schools, and transportation. At a Cabinet meeting headed by Prime build on good Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government approved February 26 the de renewal effort velopment of aJewish settlement in the hill top of Jabal Abu Ghneim, known as Har BY MAURICE WILLIAMS • Defend abortion rights Homa in Hebrew, in East Jerusalem. This Distributors and readers of the Militant • Defend the Cuban revolution and other Israeli construction plans aim to will kick off a seven-week subscription cam • Stop police brutality surround East Jerusalem, which Palestinians paign March 8 to April 26, after organizing • Fight for Black freedom claim as their capital, and cut off the city a successful renewal drive. They will visit • Equal rights for immigrants from the West Bank. picket lines, plant gates, go door-to-door in Fearful of the Palestinians' indignation • Stop the attacks on affirmative action Working-class communities, participate in over his decision, Netanyahu went on the political' events, set up literature tables on • Support striking workers radio to argue that this was a move for campuses, and sell the socialist press to co • Stop the assaults on Social Security "peaceful coexistence and harmony be workers. Socialist workers, Young Social tween Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and ists, and others plan to win 1,400 new read Clip and mail to the Young Socialists, P.O. Box 1439.2, Arabs." Netanyahu also promised to grant ers to the Militant, 450 subscribers to St. Paul, MN, 55114 3,500 building permits to Palestinians in 10 Perspectiva Mundial, its sister publication Tel: (612) 644-0051 or E-mail at 1 05162,[email protected] East Jerusalem neighborhoods. in Spanish, and sell600 copies of the Marx This did not placate Palestinian residents, ist magazine New International. many of whom were already involved in Militant supporters wrapped up the re I.·-------------------------~ 0 I arn interested in attending the YS convention - : protests. On February 25, around 300 Pal newal drive selling 338 subscriptions -134 estinians and Israeli peace activists carry percent of the goal of 250. There were 60 : D 1 am interested in joining the Yaung Socialists 1 ing flags and banners marched from Perspectiva Mundial readers that renewed, Bethlehem to the controversial hilltop, pro short of the goal of 125. Overall, nearly 400 Enclosed is $10(U.S.) for a 12-week subscription to the 1 0 Militant 1 testing the project. According to witnesses, readers signed up to keep reading both pub I I the Israeli police prevented them from reach lications- more than the total goal of375. ing Jerusalem. The action was sponsored by The renewal effort was aimed at broaden ·~E I the Committee for the Defense of Palestin ing the number of regular, long-term read I I ian Lands, and supported by the Palestinian ers of the communist press and following I ADDRESS CITY I Authority. Later that day, undercover Israeli up on the initial contact with subscribers by I I soldiers invaded the town of Hizma, selling them Pathfinder books. I STATE/PROV. ZIP/POSTAL CODE TELEPHONE I north of Jerusalem, killing one Palestin "We sold eight renewals to co-workers at ian and wounded three others when Shell Oil and Lyondel-Citgo refineries," ~----------~~-----------~-~ Continued on Page 3 Continued on Page 5 Trotsky on the rise of U.S. imperialism - page 6 IN BR~f------------------------------ Kenyan students demand justice More gays, lesbians Thousands of students flocked into down expelled from military town Nairobi, Kenya, February 26 chanting, As a result of the "don't ask, "No more police killings." Every day for don't tell, don't pursue" policy, nearly a week they have been protesting the fathered by U.S. president Wil cops' suspected role in the February 23 liam Clinton in 1994, there murder of Solomon Muruli, a student leader have been more expulsions of who was a known activist against police bru gays from the military, a recent tality. The Associated Press reported that report by the Seivicemembers Muruli died in a fire caused by an explosion Legal Defense Network said. in his dormitory. On the day of the killing The policy forces gays and les protesters marched from Kenyan president bians to conceal their identity J?aniel arap Moi's office to the national po in public and private and com hce headquarters chanting, "We want jus manders will supposedly not tice." Riot police were deployed in an at query anyone about their sexu tempt to halt the action. ality. The study shows that 850 Muruli was one of the many students in men and women were dis volved in protesting poor campus living con charged from the U.S. armed ditions and the killings of several political forces in the year-long period activists by cops. One student was fatally that ended in February - an wounded by police bullets at Egerton Uni 18 percent increase from the versity last November, then two of the stu previous year and 42 percent dents who came out in protest were shot and higher than Clinton's policy kill~d. Muruli was kidnapped and beaten by Thousands of students in Kenya protested against cop brutality February 24 went into effect in 1994. A dis pohce last year. Protesters said Muruli re housing, the daily Salam reported. ernment has launched a campaign to crush proportionate number of those ceived a death threat just before he appeared discharged were women. Some 29 percent for a police line up where he identified a the MST-led struggle. The ranchers' drive Divorce is now legal in Ireland in southern Para is aimed at a "general dis of service members dismissed under this senior cop as one of his assailants. policy were female, even though they make February 27 marked the first day in three armament" of the peasants. The crackdown up 13 percent of active duty soldiers. quarters of a century that divorce in Ireland is being led by the federal police with the 2,000 oil workers protest in Iran "In 1996, the armed forces repeatedly ex was legal.