Health White Paper Disappoints Doctors

WORKERS OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!

No 1318 Week commencing 19 November 2004 Weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain 50p IRAQ: FLAMES OF RESISTANCE by our Arab Affairs Correspondent ing plundered by American imperialism – was blown up US MARINES are fighting in Mosul, Ramadi and this week. Four oil wells Baghdad as the resistance launches wave after west of the oil-town of wave of attacks to counter and divert the onslaught Kirkuk, as well as a pipe- in Fallujah. But as the battle for Fallujah enters line carrying oil from its second week it’s clear that the Americans and Kirkuk to the major refin- ery in Beiji were bombed their lackeys are still facing fierce resistance de- and set ablaze. And in Beiji spite overwhelming fire-power and numbers. the townspeople have Hundreds of civilians vestigations must be car- taken to the streets to drive have been killed and many ried out into abuse cases. the Americans out and more wounded as the She noted that emergency were fighting gun-battles Americans blast their way supplies are far beyond the with American and puppet across the town leaving a reach of Fallujah residents forces. swathe of destruction and that the fighting in the wherever they go. The city had caused heavy col- boycott streets of Fallujah are lit- lateral damage. tered with bodies but the The underground Baath Forty-seven Iraqi politi- Americans are still denying party issued a statement on cal and religious parties the Red Crescent access to Tuesday describing the cur- have now said they will the town to deliver relief rent Anglo-American of- boycott the sham elections supplies. fensive against Fallujah as due next January in protest The resistance has a “premeditated criminal at the extended use of downed a number of US act of revenge” adding that CARE International in Iraq dence there was against troops have been dis- force by the occupation helicopter gun-ships and the heroic battle would be who was kidnapped by an her and pointing out that patched to the northern city army throughout the coun- knocked out a number of an “example to be followed unknown group in Baghdad Muslims do not kill women of Mosul which was seized try. Though the majority are tanks. But they accuse the in Iraq first, and then in on 19 October. Tawid wa and young children. by the resistance last Sunni factions led by the Americans of using Iraqi Palestine”. Jihad, the Islamic move- Of the 150 foreigners week. Heavy fighting con- Muslim Clerics Association women and children as hu- ment allegedly led by Abu kidnapped by partisans, tinues in Baquba, some 65 at least eight Shia parties man shields to cover their side-by-side Musab al Zarqawi, had few have been women and km north of Baghdad. In and one Christian party tanks as they advanced. called for her release on 5 most have been released, the capital partisans at- have signed the joint state- Reports of US war-crimes Baath party guerrillas, November. Al Zarqawi’s including two relatives of tacked the Polish embassy ment. were backed up by an together with members of group is the most ruthless puppet premier Iyyad on Sunday and gun-battles Up to a 100,000 Iraqis NBC camera team that the former Iraqi army and and feared resistance Alawi. None have been continue in the heart of have died since the war witnessed and recorded the the Republican Guard, are group in Iraq, responsible killed. Some resistance town. began. And 1,356 members shooting of a wounded and struggling side-by-side with for many suicide bombings groups are already saying of the US-led army of oc- unarmed supposed Iraqi the rest of the resistance in and kidnappings that have that they believe that Mrs sabotaged cupation have been killed guerrilla in a mosque this Fallujah and the former rul- always ended in Hassan, who was married and a further 8,900 week. ing party vowed to fight on beheadings when their de- to an Iraqi and had joint The oil industry has wounded, according to Pen- The UN High Commis- until the occupation army mands weren’t met. Irish, British and Iraqi na- again been repeatedly tagon statistics. sioner for Human Rights had been routed and the But they called for the tionality, was murdered by sabotaged by the resis- has said that the assault has puppet authority destroyed. release of Mrs Hassan, agents of British imperial- tance. An oil storage tank infringed international hu- Meanwhile mystery who selflessly dedicated ism to divert attention away at a pumping station on the FUND manitarian law. Speaking in stills surrounds the murder years of her life to helping from the American atroci- main export pipeline to Tur- Geneva, Commissioner impoverished Iraqis, de- key – the main artery of of Margaret Hassan, the ties in Fallujah. Our fund for this week Louise Arbour said that in- 59-year-old director of manding to know what evi- Five thousand US Iraq’s oil network now be- is a very handsome £1,518.51 and brings our total for November so far to £1,952.21 and leaves £1,047.79 to raise to meet our £3,000 monthly target. Health White Paper disappoints doctors Most of that comes from the £1,024 collection at our October Revolution by Daphne Liddle the Royal College of Physi- and France have largely work sooner based on claims Professor Main of the celebration last Saturday – cians described the White been successful. that employment can play a University of Manchester, who £755 in cheques and £269 paper as a “huge missed Other elements in the role in encouraging recovery led the research, said: “Per- in cash. We thank everyone HEALTH Secretary John opportunity”. He said: “It is a White Paper include mea- from illness. formance is much more im- who contributed. Reid last Tuesday published good decision for the tobacco sures aimed to tackle in- But this flies in the face portant than people realise in We also thank an East his White Paper on public industry. It is probably the creasing obesity, sexually of evidence from a report is- terms of cost. By focussing on Anglia comrade for £50, health to a very mixed re- single most effective public transmitted disease and sued last week by a group absence we have underesti- Bristol NCP for £150, our sponse. mental health. called Corporate Health Per- mated this.” London Scot for £20 and an- health intervention that a sec- other comrade for £20. Doctors welcomed pro- retary of state could make. Food is to be labelled formance which indicates Self-awareness and tak- posals for much clearer la- ing responsibility for one’s An old friend has sent “The depressing thing is much more clearly to indicate that business in Britain loses £10 in memory of Violet belling on unhealthy foods the lack of effective leader- fat and salt content and alco- million of pounds from staff own health are themes that Attwood, along with thanks and restrictions on advertis- ship from him. Either he holic drinks are also to be who are underperforming run through the White Paper to her husband Arthur “for ing junk food to children. doesn’t understand the is- labelled to indicate both the because they are forcing – putting the onus on to ordi- all his walking for our But they criticised his sues or he is paralysed by number of units of alcohol in themselves into work when nary people to carry the re- Worker”. half-hearted restrictions on the fear of upsetting either the each serving and the recom- they are ill. sponsibility for their own ill And a veteran Brighton smoking in public enclosed smokers or the industry.” mended consumption. The group found that health. This is described as comrade sent £75. He tells places. Reid proposes to ban The restrictions will not People in Britain on av- rather than trying to reduce avoiding the “nanny state”. us that a friend sympathetic smoking in most workplaces, be enforced for four years. erage now eat fewer calories staff sick days, companies to the New Worker takes care shops, offices, restaurants than 20 years ago but do would save more money if In effect it means the of his garden, but when he Most work places already came to settle payment, the and public houses that serve have smoking restrictions much less exercise so that they addressed why staff un- companies that make vast prepared food. profits out of making people friend said to send the following successful com- the problem of obesity is der perform while they are at money to the New Worker But the ban will not apply pensation claims from some growing. The White paper work. ill are let off the hook. This in- because “I know they could to pubs that do not serve food workers who were made ill spoke of assigning personal The research team stud- cludes the tobacco compa- do with it”. Our thanks to nor to private clubs. As a sop by other people’s smoke. trainers to some lower in- ied similar jobs carried out nies, the giant of the food in- all of you. to concern for the health of Pubs, restaurants and other come people with health by different firms and found dustry who make fortunes out But keep on sending all staff working in these places, leisure venues are the excep- problems like smoking, obe- that factors like illness, tired- of selling junk food and you can to the New Worker smoking will be discouraged tion. sity or excess drinking. ness and stress have a bosses who overwork their Fund, PO Box 73, London around the bar area. Public smoking bans Doctors are to be urged strong influence on perfor- employees, leaving them ex- SW11 2PQ. Professor John Britton of imposed in Canada, Ireland to send sick workers back to mance. hausted and stressed. Page 2 THE NEW WORKER 19 November 2004 email: [email protected] News Desk 020 7223 4050

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123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 Fit fur life 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123 and benefits system that is 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123Say no more so complicated that it Dog owners are being seems “alien” and “capri- asked to part with £600 plus failed because recruits lacked wound up with shortfalls be- cious”. VAT for a keep fit machine swimming pools to train in. tween 1998 and May 2004. He said there is an ur- Weekly paper of the New Communist Party for dogs whose owners He said instructors were But an independent gent need for the benefits don’t want to take them for under pressure to pass as policy adviser and governor system to be simplified. walks. The dog treadmill many candidates as possible of the London School of Eco- “Complexity characterises was unveiled in a special and “quality was often sacri- nomics has warned that the the entire benefits system, exhibition at London’s Earls ficed to quantity”. £400 million would be able to and the addition of tax Playing the fool Court last week. Brigadier Melvin added help only 135 people, based credits, with different rules, The Fit Fur Life machine that 70 per cent of the 2003 on current costs of annuities merely makes the whole THE PRIME MINISTER has been blowing his includes a specially de- intake at the army’s Catterick and an average British pen- structure more opaque to own trumpet again this week, lecturing the great signed harness to prevent training camp had a reading sion of £6,000 a year. its customers.” and good at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in dogs harming themselves age of 11. There were also London’s Guildhall on the benefits of the “trans- by jumping off the machine. problems with heavy drinking Bad press Immortal environment atlantic alliance” with American imperialism and The makers claim this will among some recruits. solve the problem of pet “I think we’ve given the The Sunset Hill Memo- the wonders of democracy that the Palestinians obesity that vets have been Shortfall Mafia a bum rap. They were, rial Park, a cemetery in and Iraqis have yet to discover. warning dog owners about. for the most part, fun guys. Apple Valley, California, is Last week Tony Blair rushed to Washington The Government’s Finan- It’s the ones that killed that replacing natural grass to be the first foreign leader to congratulate Innocents abroad cial Assistance Scheme for weren’t so great.” That was around graves with a George W Bush on his re-election. His spin mer- workers whose pensions Frank Sinatra’s daughter Tina springy green carpet of chants told us he would be bringing back a re- A report prepared for have been wiped out is to be expressing her views on polyurethane “turf”. The newed US pledge to resolve the general Middle the Ministry of Defence extended to cover some 65,000 organised crime. owner calculates this will East crisis but all Blair got for his crawling was last week revealed that un- workers who lost their pen- save $200,000 in water and the usual platitudes that have been used to fob fit soldiers with a reading sions before the scheme was Baffling maintenance costs over the off the Palestinians for decades. age of 11 are being used as set up – like the 1,000 former next three years and ex- frontline troops because of Allied Steel and Wire employ- Sir Thomas Boyd-Carpen- pects other graveyards to The people of Fallujah, whose city is being a shortage of recruits. ees. ter, who has just retired from follow his lead. He added: systematically destroyed by rampaging Ameri- The report’s author, The Department of Work chairing the Parliamentary “We won’t need to cut the can Marines, are told that “when order is taken Brigadier Mungo Melvin, and Pensions announced the Social Security Advisory grass or weed around the back, there is money and help ready to give the said that raw recruits were £400 million FAS scheme last Committee, last week warned headstones and the graves ordinary people there a better life”. The Pales- failing basic training tests, May to compensate members that Chancellor Gordon will stay as clean and shiny tinian Arabs, who have endured the longest oc- with swimming tests being of pension schemes that were Brown has created a tax credit as the day they were set.” cupation in modern history, are told that “the only viable Palestinian State will not just be based on territory but on democratic values”. Needless to say, these “democratic values” do not seem to apply to Zionist Israel as far as Blair is con- Protest at reinstatement of cerned. In fact the “special relationship” that Blair elevates exists largely in the minds of its advo- police who killed Sylvester cates in Britain – the most reactionary and ve- nal sections of the British ruling class who still by Caroline Colebrook believe that their role in Europe and their global investments are best preserved by American THE FAMILY of Roger might. Sylvester, who died in police custody after being arrested “Call it a bridge, a two lane motorway, a pivot in January 1999, last week or call it a damn high wire”, the Prime Minister protested outside the High says. But Blair burnt his bridges with Europe Court after seven police of- over the Iraq war. ficers who had been sus- British imperialism has played the role of the pended in connection with the “bridge” between the Atlantic and Europe since case were reinstated by Scot- 1945. Playing off the United States against the land Yard. European powers is an old game that may have An inquest jury found paid off in the past. Now it’s simply playing the that Sylvester had been un- fool. lawfully killed after being arrested naked trying to get French President, Jacques Chirac, points out back into his home after acci- that Britain got nothing in return for backing dentally locking himself out. America. “Britain gave its support but I did not Sylvester suffered from see much in return. I am not sure that it is in the bouts of manic depression nature of our American friends at the moment and resisted the arrest. The to return favours systematically” he declared. police restrained him and took Blair may choose to brush off Chirac’s com- him to a psychiatric hospital ments but the lesson has clearly been drawn by in Haringey, north London, the British public who, according to the latest where they kept him under opinion poll, believe it is more important to have restraint until he went into a coma. good relations with Europe than the United The Independent Police States. Despite continuing opposition to the Euro Complaints Commission says and the structures of the European Union, an the seven police officers NOP poll commissioned the Independent news- should remain suspended officers is, in my opinion, pre- are bitterly disappointed in way black people were paper found that 64 per cent of people think that while the Crown prosecution mature. The Met consulted learning that the officers in- treated in the 1960s accord- having good relations with Britain’s European Service considers whether me before they took their de- volved in Roger’s fatal re- ing to race relations leaders Union partners is more important than with the criminal charges should be cision. As a commissioner straint are no longer sus- and police chiefs. United States, while only 25 per cent believe the brought against them. who has practised as a barris- pended. Notices saying “No trav- relationship with the United States should take But Sir Ian Blair, the ter for 15 years, I advised them “This decision has again ellers” are now becoming as deputy commissioner of the to wait a little longer for the caused deep anguish and dis- common as those that once priority. Metropolitan Police last week Tony Blair waffles on about “democratic val- actual judgement and also the tress to the whole of our fam- read “No blacks”. announced that the officers decision of the CPS, who are ily. Roger would not be dead ues” but forgets that they should start at home. would return to work. They Even Tory leader Michael Howard is complain- reviewing the evidence as to if these officers had not laid One pub manager told had sought a judicial review whether or not criminal hands on him.” police, who challenged him ing that Blair has stolen the Tories clothes, claim- of the inquest verdict. High charges should be brought.” about a sign, that it was the ing that Blair’s ability to “look and sound like a Court judge Mr Justice Roger Sylvester’s brother, • Racism against Gypsies chain’s policy not to serve Tory” had made his job harder. The Blair lead- Collins, indicated he would Bernard Renwick, said: “We is rising to levels similar to the Gypsies. ership has turned its back on the values of the overturn the verdict, arguing Labour Party and the millions who put them into that the coroner’s summing up office in the hopes of social justice and a better was wrong and some of the reasons given by the jury for life. their verdict were inconsis- The fight-back that began with the mass tent. GMB votes to keep political fund movement against the invasion of Iraq is spread- During the judicial review, ing throughout the labour movement. The Gov- counsel for the police had told THE GMB general union last against. This represents al- us a voice in the political arena. ernment is under fire over its cynical pensions the High Court that Sylvester week announced the result of most a nine to one majority. We have won many benefits policy. It’s had to back down over the plan to was “paranoid and extremely its political fund ballot – a GMB general secretary for our members since our flood the country with casinos. Major unions are aggressive”. They said he dis- huge majority in favour. Kevin Curran said: “This is a political fund was set up, over calling for the restoration of the “welfare state”. played “cannabis-induced Members voted by an 88.5 per tremendous endorsement by 90 years ago. And above all, Blair needs to be reminded, delirium with manic features” cent majority to keep the po- GMB members of their We now have better fam- again and again, until he is eventually kicked out, and “extraordinary physical litical fund, which allows a union’s campaigning efforts. ily-friendly policies, better strength and endurance”. trade union to spend money It means the GMB, nationally health and safety legislation that millions upon millions of people in this coun- Speaking for the Indepen- on political campaigning. and in all the regions, can and better protected pen- try want all British troops out of Iraq immedi- dent Police Complaints Com- A total of 98,423 GMB push forward together to get sions. But there is much more ately. mission, Nicola Williams said: members voted for the politi- the best for our members. to work for in every one of “The decision to reinstate the cal fund, with 12,898 voting “The political fund allows these areas.” 19 November 2004 THE NEW WORKER Page 3 Home News Newsdesk 020 7223 4050 Blunkett under fire from EU and UN HOME SECRETARY David Blunkett last week was ac- ing after meeting David ping the limits on the pretext nities suffer more from this said a spokesperson. “We despite being told they might cused by the United Nations Blunkett along with the direc- of the fight against terror.” legislation than other commu- have told the Home Secretary be tortured and sentenced to of imposing “punitive” mea- tor of public prosecutions, Referring to Britain, he nities.” that recognition level is alarm- death, according to court sures against Iraqi asylum Ken Macdonald QC and the said: “I would really like to see On the same day the UN ingly low. It is lower than for documents. seekers and by the European Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, how many have been de- High Commissioner for Refu- Venezuelans. Blair tried to get Egypt to Union’s human rights com- during his investigation into tained and charged and how gees accused David Blunkett “They were told on ar- give assurances that the men missioner, Alvaro Gil-Robes, human rights in Britain. many will be sentenced. of using coercion to force refu- rival that if they did not apply would be humanely treated, of weakening the rule of law The visit was part of a pro- “These statistics will pro- gees to leave Britain to live in for voluntary repatriation, even though Home Office and by detaining foreign terror cess in which the commis- vide a few surprises. I believe the midst of escalating vio- they would lose the opportu- Foreign Office officials suspects indefinitely without sioner investigates human we will find that fewer people lence in Iraq. nity of benefits and other warned him that it was un- charge or trial. rights standards within mem- are sentenced than are de- The UNHCR sent an offi- means of assistance. They will likely that such assurances Alvaro Gil-Robes last ber countries. He is expected tained or charged.” cial warning notice to the Gov- lose their council flat and their would be given, or could be Thursday told Lord Falconer, to publish his findings in ernment saying the levels of benefits. guaranteed if they were. the Lord Chancellor, that he January. questioned violence in Iraq are too great He was told that there could find no justification for But in a press conference to allow refugees to return. punitive was “little scope for pushing the internment without trial of last week he attacked the gen- He questioned how those Meanwhile Tony Blair the deportations any further,” 10 men held in the Belmarsh eral erosion of human rights people cleared of terrorism continues to claim that daily “They have been sub- in the light of Egypt’s human maximum security unit in safeguards since 11 Septem- would be able to rebuild their life for most people in Iraq has jected to a punitive pressure rights record, and replied: south-east London, some for ber 2001 and cited the United lives. And he expressed con- improved since the official to force them back to Iraq. “This is crazy. Why can’t we three years. States use of Guantanamo to cern about the disproportion- end of the war. They have been left destitute press on?” He has asked the British detain suspects in a legal ate number of Asians and The UNHCR says that in this country.” When told that Egypt had government for a list of the limbo as “the clearest example Muslims affected by the emer- most of the 6,400 Iraqi refu- Meanwhile Prime Minis- given no assurances, Blair men and women who have of what must not be done in gency legislation. gees who arrived in Britain in ter Tony Blair has also been said: “This is a bit much, why been arrested, detained, the fight against terrorism”. “I believe Asian and the 12 months up to last June criticised for political interfer- do we need all these things?” charged and sentenced since He said: “Across Europe Muslim communities are par- have been left destitute. ence in an attempt to deport And he continued to 11 September 2001. and throughout the world, ticularly targeted,” he said. “Only five Iraqis out of 6,400 Egyptian asylum seekers. He press for the deportations to Mr Gil-Robes was speak- governments are overstep- “It’s clear that Asian commu- were recognised as refugees,” tried to hurry the deportation go ahead no matter what.

Porton Down Mass unlawful killing verdict lobby for AN INQUEST jury last week He was told he was taking part pensions returned a verdict of unlaw- in research on the common ful killing on the death over cold. 50 years ago of Leading The Home Office ordered TRADE UNION officers, ac- Aircraftman Ronald his inquest to be conducted tivists and members last Tues- Maddison who died in agony in secret in the interests of day joined pensioners for a after taking part in Govern- national security. The only mass lobby of the House of ment tests on the nerve gas family member allowed to at- Commons in defence of their sarin. tend was Maddison’s father, pensions in a mass protest Now his family and the John. organised by the TUC. families of other victims of re- He was sworn to secrecy In particular the protest search into chemical and bio- but over the years the family was against plans to raise the logical warfare are expected to has campaigned for the truth retirement age from 60 to 65 lodge compensation claims to come out. Eventually a po- for public sector workers and amounting to millions of lice inquiry was launched plans to abandon final-salary pounds from the Ministry of which has culminated in a pensions with inferior prod- Defence. new inquest. ucts based on “career aver- The survivors of these Wiltshire coroner David • PCS members on the picket line. ages” or “defined contribu- tests say they were duped Masters said: “It’s my belief tions”. into taking part and assured that the time is right for there Unions represented in- the Government would make to be a review of the statute PCS calls for public sector cluded Unison, Amicus, the sure nothing bad happened to law applicable to human ex- PCS civil service union, the them. perimentation. I propose to Fire Brigades Union and LAC Maddison, from write to the Home Secretary national strike over pensions teaching unions NASUWT, Consett County Durham, accordingly.” NUT and Natfhe. planned to use the bonus he The family solicitor Alan MARK SERWOTKA, the those in the private sector is is an issue that faces us all Meanwhile the Govern- would get from volunteering Care said: “We have got jus- general secretary of the gi- a myth. Low pay means low as people’s contracts with ment blocked a key amend- to take part in the experiments tice. After 50 years, his family ant PCS civil service union, pensions with the average their futures are torn up in ment to the Pensions Bill that to buy an engagement ring. has finally found out that he speaking last Tuesday at a civil service pension as little front of their eyes. Unions would have scrapped the He was 20 years old when was unlawfully killed by the rally at the TUC lobby on as £5000 a year. across the public sector need compulsion to buy an annu- he stepped into a sealed gas state. This verdict is unprec- pensions called for united “Plans by the Govern- a united campaign in the face ity at 75. chamber at Porton Down in edented. Now there must be a action across the public sec- ment to raise the public sec- of the growing pensions cri- Pensions Minister Wiltshire in 1953 and died in public inquiry for all the vet- tor in the face of the pen- tor pension age from 60 to 65 sis. Malcolm Wicks said the agony minutes after liquid erans who attended Porton sions crisis and the rise in mean people working longer It is a crisis, which un- clause, put forward by oppo- sarin was dropped on his arm. Down. the public sector pension to receive the pension they are less the government take sition peers in the Lords last age rise from 60 to 65. entitled to. This is not about steps to seriously address, week, was a matter of “privi- Speaking at the rally allowing people to work raises the possibility of lege” because it affects the tax Mark Serwotka said: “The longer because we are living unions across the public regime. idea that the public sector, longer. It is raiding the pen- sector taking united action The Bill requires pension- Bereaved families lay wreath especially the civil service, sion pot, pure and simple. in a one day strike in the run ers to use at least three quar- “The pensions time bomb up to the general election.” ters of a money-purchase or and responsibility on has far superior pensions to defined-contribution pension income to buy an annuity – which gives an income from Downing Street doorstep the interest on the amount for life – before they reach 75. Any REG KEYS and Rose Gentle, lie. He has not apologised to 750 jobs lost as Swissport crashes income they then receive who have both lost sons in the one family.” above the basic personal al- illegal invasion of Iraq, last On the same day the bod- lowance is then taxable. week led a group of bereaved ies of three Black Watch sol- He said the Lords should relatives to lay a wreath of diers were returned to Britain. BAGGAGE handlers em- including Aer Lingus, El Al, got to realise,” he said, not try to change this because poppies on the doorstep of Keys commented: “Well, Mr ployed by Swissport at Swiss International Air and “there’s a realistic price for it affects the Government’s tax Number Ten Downing Street Blair, you certainly got them Heathrow airport were Air China. turning around an aircraft plans. But he agreed to “re- to honour the fallen of Iraq home for Christmas but not told to hand in their with 300 people on board. visit” the issue after a report and to hand over a letter to the way their parents wanted passes as they arrived for The Transport and Gen- “There’s quite a distinct from the Pensions Commis- Tony Blair. them.” work last Tuesday morn- eral Workers’ Union ac- possibility there could be sion, headed by Adair Turner Reg Keys said: “It was The families have ing and that Swissport cused the company of more failures. People aren’t and due to be published next important to be able to send a launched a campaign – Mili- had been placed under treating its workers dis- going to allow his to con- year. message to Tony Blair’s door- tary Families Against the War. the administration of the gracefully and said the man- But the Bill is now back step that this is where the re- James Buchanan, who tinue.” accountancy firm agement was “cynical in the in the House of Lords and sponsibility lies for these has two sons currently serv- could fail unless the Govern- troops. ing in Iraq, said: “Fighting is Deloitte, following dead- extreme”. The pay negotiations ment and the Lords can reach “He sent them to war be- their job. That’s what my boys lock in pay negotiations. TGWU national secre- had centred on company at- a compromise quickly. The Bill cause of the 45-minute risk of went our there for. But not for The company provided tary Brendan Gold pre- tempts to cut the staff pen- could run out of time for in- a weapons-of-mass-destruc- the Americans. Not for the lies check in and baggage han- dicted further collapses in sion plan and end the an- clusion in the Queen’s Speech tion strike. That was clearly a they were told.” dling services for 11 airlines the industry. “People have nual bonus scheme. on 23 November. Page 4 THE NEW WORKER 19 November 2004 Features

This paper is a contribution made by PETER COHEN, Central THE Committee member and Interna- The assault on CAPITALIST tional Secretary of the Commu- nist Party of Sweden (SKP), to HOLOCAUST last month’s International Meeting of Communist and national Between 1492 and 1914, Workers’ Parties in Athens. the frantic search for riches by representa- ON BEHALF OF the Com- tives of the European munist Party of Sweden (SKP) sovereignty market economy I would like to thank the brought violent death, Communist Party of Greece Military intervention in other countries is justified if the leader starvation, sickness and for arranging this conference ferocious exploitation to and for inviting us to partici- of das volk considers that it is required in order to safeguard hundreds of millions of pate. people throughout the The SKP regards the Euro- members of this group, regard- less of national jurisdiction. A world. pean Union as the spearhead of Since 1914, the combi- imperialism in Europe. We do not similar concept is also a component of Zionist ideology, and Zi- nation of economic, military believe that the EU can be trans- and political repression by formed into a socialist organiza- onist leaders had repeated contact with officials of the Third the capitalist powers, tion, and we have consistently aimed at maintaining domi- argued that Sweden should with- Reich. Governments in the Baltic nation of the world draw from it. economy, has resulted in a Sweden joined the EU in 1994 countries are currently applying the principle of the ethnic nation holocaust of unprec- on the initiative of the Social edented proportions. It is Democrats, who arranged a to deny civil rights to the Russian- speaking part of the population. worth emphasising that popular referendum and a com- the fascist societies in Italy, prehensive so-called information In other sections of the imperialist camp, violations of national Germany and Spain during campaign that was deliberately the 1920s and 30s were misleading. Despite this, only sovereignty have often been publicly justified by the need to safe- capitalist – in terms of fractionally more than 50 per death and destruction, they cent of the Swedes voted to join. guard the lives and/or property of fellow citizens. This was a stan- were simply part of the Since then the Social Demo- capitalist tradition. cratic government has actively dard pretext for the US government in 54 military interventions The table below indi- implemented neoliberal policies cates the scale of the capi- with the support of the bourgeois, in Latin America between 1890 and 1994. talist holocaust between left and green parties in the the start of World War 1 Swedish parliament. Privatisation In recent years we have heard an argument that is analogous to and the end of the 20th cen- has probably been more exten- tury. Please note that it is sive in Sweden than in any other the fascist ethnic nation, as im- the Swedes actually accepted the The negation of national sov- perialist ideologues attempt to by no means complete. western EU country, and efforts proposed constitution of 2004, 2) ereignty is central to imperialism to dismantle the public sector are enshrine the principle of “human the issues involved are so com- and takes many forms, including rights” as pre-empting existing Partial list of victims of continuing, in compliance with plex that ordinary citizens cannot the EU and the World Trade the capitalist holocaust, EU directives and policies. international law. understand them, and 3) the Organisation. It is part of the de- One example is the prototype 1914-2000, in millions of After only a few years it was changes in the new constitution velopment of a new and higher bodies: obvious that a large proportion of assault on Yugoslavia 1992-1999. are so insignificant that they are form of fascism which like the The breach of national sover- Swedes had realised that they not worth the bother of debate previous version eliminates the World War 1 – 21.5 had been tricked. The govern- eignty by Nato was repeatedly or a referendum. last vestiges of bourgeois demo- justified in the mainstream me- Attack by 14 nations on ment was therefore forced to Among other things, for Swe- cratic processes. We are con- Soviet Union, 1918-21, repeatedly postpone a referen- dia by claims that human rights den the new constitution would stantly being reminded that the had either been violated, were – 10 dum on joining the European enable entering Nato by the back sovereign state is an anachro- Sino-Japanese war – 22 Monetary Union, which has been being violated or were about to door. More than 60 per cent of nism, that we need a modern be violated by the Serbs, which German concentration at the top of the European capi- the Swedish voters are against structure adapted to new needs. camps and hit squads, talist agenda since at least the was the term used in the West to joining Nato, and the government The SKP is convinced that the denote the legally elected govern- 1933-45 – 10 mid-1980s. is well aware of this. bourgeois sovereign state, despite World War 2, Soviet The referendum was finally ment of the Federal Republic of But pressure for a referendum its limitations, must be defended Yugoslavia. citizens, excluding 2 held in 2003, mainly because the is mounting, and SKP is partici- because it enables the working million Jews in death prime minister foolishly believed Parallels were often drawn in pating actively in a nation-wide class to exercise political power. a fictional analogy to the Munich camps – 18 that a majority could be per- campaign to ensure one. The At this point in time, replacing it Others, World War 2, – suaded to vote Yes. A special conference of 1939, when the government is currently trying to by supranational structures can West supposedly “stood by” and 34 minister was appointed with the hedge its position with a vague only benefit the capitalists. Korea, 1950-53, – 2 task of selling the EMU to the allowed the mass murder of promise that the question will be In the 1930s, fascist jurists Jews. In the 1990s it was said Vietnam, Laos, Cambo- people. The Swedes rejected the dealt with somehow in the par- tried to legitimise German impe- dia, 1964-75, – 3 EMU by a six to four margin, the that the West could no longer al- liamentary elections scheduled rialism on the grounds that a ho- low the Serbs to trample on hu- Indonesia, 1965-66, – largest in any referendum since for 2006. mogeneous ethnic group – das 1.5 World War II. This came as a man rights with impunity – mili- volk – forms the true nation and tary intervention was both nec- Iraq, bombings and shock to the Social Democrat is of a higher order than the state. sanctions 1992-2001, – leadership as well as the bour- The attack on the essary and just. This means that the ethnic nation We may note that imperialist 2 geois parties. principle of national also supersedes international law, Starvation, 1970-1990, Those of us who campaigned propaganda about Bosnia con- sovereignty which consists of agreements trasted Serbs with Muslims. Not (24,000/day x 365 x 20 against the EMU in street rallies between states. yrs), and public debates were not sur- at a minimum, – 175 prised at all. It was clear that Children under 5, lack both the working class and sec- of medical treatment tions of the middle-class were averaging $1.80, 1990- angry at the results of neoliberal 2000, – 112 policies, although many of them Starvation, 1990-2000, are still not ready to accept the 30 M/year, – 330 socialist alternative. —————— The main reason for reject- Total =741 million ing the EMU was a widespread bodies insight, often intuitive, that join- Total 1945-2000 = ing it would be a disastrous addi- 625.5 million bodies tional erosion of Sweden’s national sovereignty and the Sources: Encyclopedia people’s right to self-determina- Britannica, UN reports, “How the tion. other half dies”, by Susan This explains why the Swed- George, Penguin Books, 1986. ish government has refused to Note that the above figures arrange a popular referendum on do not include deaths from eas- ily preventable disease among the new EU constitution. The real children over the age of five. They reason has not been admitted do not indicate the misery result- publicly, of course. ing from slave wages, child la- The reasons that have been bor, lack of basic medical care given publicly are fuzzy, to say or unemployment - about one- the least. The Swedish foreign third of the world’s adult labor minister has said that 1) by vot- force is out of work, according ing to join the EU and ratify the to the ILO. Maastricht Agreement in 1994 • Top: Israel has flouted international law for years. Above: results of Nato’s illegal war on Yugoslavia. 19 November 2004 THE NEW WORKER Page 5 Features 020 7223 4052 revision of the UN Charter, which doctrine to justify an attack on only was this a false dichotomy expressly prohibits the use of Cuba. of ethnicity as opposed to religion, force except in case of self-de- but it also ignored the fact that a fence. Highly selective significant number of Muslims in Armed intervention, accord- Bosnia are ethnic Serbs. ing to Annan, is legitimate even doctrine when genocide is “imminent”, Rewriting the which means that the crime is to Annan’s doctrine is also UN Charter be punished before it is commit- highly selective, as the historical ted. Neither Annan nor any of the perspective of the conference did delegates to the Forum bothered not include any of the following Attempts to establish the prin- examples of “genocide or other ciple of the defence of human to explain how alleged genocide is a threat to the peace. comparably massive violations of rights as superseding national human rights”. sovereignty and existing interna- The US Ambassador to Swe- den referred to the Holocaust, The atomic bombings of tional law have been launched Hiroshima and Nagasaki that within the UN. Cambodia, Rwanda and “over 25 years of massive assault on hu- were ordered by President At last year’s conference I Truman and Secretary of State informed the delegates that the manity in Iraq”, but did not indicate who was behind the assault. James Byrnes caused the deaths Swedish government has estab- of about 210,000 people, most of lished a state agency called The The Ambassador advocated the use of “force where appropriate.” them civilians. Hundreds of thou- Forum For Living History at the sands of others lived in suffering same organisational level as the He claimed that “the US is committed to working with the inter- for many years afterward as a Swedish Inland Revenue De- result of burns and radiation. The partment. Its tasks are to inform national community to ensure that every state fulfills its obligations bombings were totally unneces- the public about the Holocaust in sary from a military point of view. 1941-45 and to carry out re- to guard against those who would exterminate liberty and innocent The British physicist and Nobel search on the so-called crimes of laureate PMS Blackett called Communism. It is openly commit- life”. He said that we all have to “support the rule of law”. them “the first shot in the Cold ted to spreading anti-Communist War”. propaganda throughout the The Ambassador also said that “Since the Nuremberg trials, US Admiral William D Leahy Swedish educational system. was special adviser to both In January of this year the we have all worked to create a framework of principles to se- Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Forum arranged a conference in Truman. He said of Truman and Stockholm on the theme Pre- cure the rule of law and hold per- petrators accountable”. There is Byrnes that “They went ahead venting Genocide – Threats and killed as many women and and Responsibilities. At the in- no indication in the transcript that • Hiroshima aftermath. the delegates to the Forum children as they could. Which is sistence of the Israeli government what they wanted to do in the the Forum did not invite a repre- laughed at any of these state- threats to international peace and doctrine offers great hope to hu- ments. first place”. sentative of the Palestinians, al- security”. manity. I believe it will gain wider Other crimes ignored by the though the actions of the Israeli Swedish Prime Minister This was of course at the core acceptance…” Göran Persson made two Forum on genocide include but government fall within the defi- of the propaganda justifying the Das volk has now been sup- are not limited to: nition of genocide in the UN speeches, in which he referred attack on Yugoslavia. Alleged vio- planted by “the whole human to the Holocaust, the former Yu- • The terror bombings by Charter. lations of human rights within the race”. It should be noted that the US of North Korea in the The delegates to the confer- goslavia, which mysteriously “ex- borders of the sovereign state of there is no such thing as the “hu- ploded”, Cambodia and Rwanda. early 1950s, and of Vietnam, ence came from 60 countries. Yugoslavia were said to be a man race”. We are a species of Cambodia and Laos in the 1960s Virtually all of them referred to He praised the illegal, Nato- threat “to international peace and animal. funded so-called Tribunal for War and 1970s the Holocaust, which shows that security”, which they could not Annan also mentioned the • The slaughter of more they had a historical perspective Crimes in The Hague and re- have been even if they had been new International Criminal Court ferred to the International Court than 1.5 million Communists in on the crime of genocide, since committed. but omitted to inform the del- Indonesia 1965-66 under the su- the Holocaust ended 59 years of Justice several times, although Annan referred to an Inter- egates that the US refuses to he neglected to mention that the pervision of the US government, ago. But this perspective was national Commission on Interven- recognise its jurisdiction. The with no protest from the West rather limited, as you will see. US and Britain refuse to obey its tion and National Sovereignty position of the US is obviously a decisions despite being signato- • Years of slaughter in “The Holocaust” are the first which in 2001 issued a report “very difficult issue”, so difficult East Timor, also without protest two words of the declaration ries to the convention which cre- entitled The Responsibility to that it cannot even be discussed. ated it. from the West adopted by the Forum, which Protect. According to Annan this Annan finally stated his pro- • Mass murder under US stated that the delegates are report “has altered the terms of posal. “Genocide, whether immi- Who will provide supervision in Colombia, Guate- “conscious of our obligations and debate on this very difficult issue nent or ongoing, is practically al- mala and other Latin American responsibilities under international in a most creative and promising ways a threat to the peace. It the evidence? countries, also without protest law including human rights and way. Thanks to the Commission must be dealt with as such – by from the West. In 2000 President international humanitarian law, we now understand that the is- strong and united political action Who will provide the evidence Clinton admitted that since fol- deeply concerned with the re- sue is not one of a right to inter- and in extreme cases by military to substantiate claims of “mas- lowing a US-sponsored coup in peated occurrence of genocide, vene, but rather of a responsibil- action. And that means that we sive violations of human rights”? Guatemala in 1954 CIA agents mass murder and ethnic cleans- ity – in the first instance, a re- need clear ground rules to distin- It will undoubtedly come from the and US military personnel had led ing in recent history…We are sponsibility of all states to protect guish between genuine threats of same sections of the “interna- a genocidal campaign that re- committed to exploring…the op- their own populations, but ulti- genocide (or comparably massive tional community” which pro- sulted in the deaths of 250,000 tions presented at the Forum for mately a responsibility of the violations of human rights) which duced the so-called evidence that Guatemalans. I am unaware of action against genocidal threats, whole human race to protect our require a military response, and was used to justify the wars on any demands from Western gov- mass murders, deadly conflicts fellow human beings from ex- other situations where the use of Yugoslavia and Iraq. ernments or mass media for a and ethnic cleansing as well as treme abuse wherever and force would not be legitimate”. For example, Washington is tribunal to punish the guilty. As I genocidal ideologies and incite- whenever it occurs. This nascent This will obviously require a currently trying to apply Annan’s said, the alleged massacre in ment to genocide, including the Srbrenica involved 7,000-8,000 concrete proposal presented by deaths. the United Nations Secretary- • Murder and ethnic General”. cleansing of the Serbs in Croatia This proposal appeared in the 1994-95, under US supervision keynote speech by Kofi Annan. • The terror bombing of He mentioned Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia Rwanda in 1994 and Srebrenica • Considerably more than in 1995, the latter three times. 25 years of Israel’s massive as- The alleged genocide in Srbrenica sault on humanity is said to have involved 7,000, • The attack on Iraq in sometimes 8,000 deaths. 1992, followed by 12 years of Annan said that in a report to bombing by the US and the Brit- the UN General Assembly in ain, which together with Western- November 1999 he “drew atten- imposed sanctions resulted in tion to serious doctrinal (!) and well over a million deaths, includ- institutional failings within the ing at least 500,000 children. UN, including a pervasive am- Given the historical record, bivalence regarding the role of there is no reason to believe that force in the pursuit of peace” the new ground rules called for (my italics). by Annan will be used for any- He also said that a “Special thing else justification of aggres- Rapporteur” should be appointed, sion against states that defy the supported by the High Commis- will of the imperialists. sioner for Human Rights, to report directly to the Security Coun- The SKP urges all Commu- cil “making clear the link, which nist and workers’ parties to ex- is often ignored until too late, be- pose and vigorously combat this tween massive and systematic attempt to pervert the UN Char- violations of human rights and • Russian students demand ‘Yanks out of Yugoslavia’. ter. Page 6 THE NEW WORKER 19 November 2004 Home News

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123456789012345678901234567Diary 8 by Wendy Lewis struction, the justification for parture of nuclear submarines 1234567890123456789012345678 wins going to war, were never bound for the Gulf. found in Iraq. Ray's protests In court, Ray told the SATURDAY 20 November Theatre, exhibitions & Vanunu benefit. 7pm, lectures . RAY DAVIES walked free against the hypocrisy of our magistrates that to pay the Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq. SATURDAY 27 November Quebecor from Cardiff Prison on government therefore con- fines would be to condone the London WC1. £10/£5. Socialist History Society, Thursday morning at 9am centrated on Britain's nuclear deaths of 100,000 Iraqi civil- TUESDAY 23 November Russian Nationalism and having served two weeks of a capacity. ians, the beheading of Ken Troops out! Stop the War Soviet History. 2pm, Marx recognition 28 day sentence relating to He joined the Big Block- Bigley, and the deaths of more Coalition. 7.30pm, Rivoli House, Clerkenwell his actions against the War ade in Faslane, the base for than 1000 UK and US soldiers Ballrooms, Brockly Rd, Green, London EC1. in Iraq. The prison sentence Britain's nuclear submarines; including the recent deaths in London SE4. £3. 07961 £1.50 THE GPMU print union has 592 556. SATURDAY 27 November signed a union recognition was imposed by Caerphilly cut the fence at Aldermaston the Black Watch. Magistrates court for non- Atomic Weapons Establish- TUESDAY 23 November Current Conflicts. agreement at the Quebecor Lost In Guantanamo - civil Network for Peace. World plant in Corby. payment of fines which Ray ment to highlight its illegal He could not stand by and rights sacrificed in the 10am-5.30pm, Cross The deal covers adminis- incurred after taking three nuclear programme; and at- do nothing against this disas- War on Terrism. Stop the Street Unitarian Chapel, trative, technical and sales actions. tempted to row down the trous war; but he felt he did War Coalition. 7pm, Priory Manchester. £5/£3. staff at Corby, where produc- Weapons of mass de- Taymar river to delay the de- not do enough. St. Centre, York. 020 7278 3267. tion workers have already won WEDNESDAY 24 November TUESDAY 30 November– Making a killing: the SUNDAY 5 December recognition. corporate invasion of Iraq. Palestinian fair Trade In GPMU deputy general Iraq Occupation Focus. London. 10am-8pm, Arab- secretary Tony Burke said the speaker Nioam Klein. British Chamber of move was a positive step and 6.30pm, Friends House, Commerce, 6 Belgrave was pleased with the way Euston Rd, London. £5/£3. Square, SW1 8XH. management at the plant had WEDNESDAY 24 November THURSDAY 2 December conducted itself during nego- The wall must fall! Lobby Palestinian prisoners in tiations. of Parliament. 3-6pm, Israeli jails. public House of Commons. meeting. Parliamentary Agreement had been Public meeting - 7pm, Human Rights Group. reached following the in- House of Commons. 7pm, Friends House, volvement of the arbitration PSC 020 7700 6192. Euston Road, London service Acas which verified THURSDAY 25 November NW1. union membership in the of- World Fair, 4-8pm. SUNDAY 5 December fice and administrative areas FRIDAY 26 November Occupation nd at Corby. World Fair, 11am-6pm, resistance in Iraq - an Burke said the attitude of Conway Hall, Red Lion Sq. international teach-in. the company in the UK was London WC1. 11am-5pm, University of FRIDAY 26 November London Union, Malet St. in stark contrast to Quebecor ‘Stepping out of line’- WC1. £5/£2. World in the US, where Telling Tales, the story of SATURDAY 11 December GPMU sister body the the murder of Sinn Féin Forward with Graphic Communications In- worker Patrick Shanahan. revolutionary Pan- ternational Union is still fight- 7.30pm Irish World Africanism. Albert ing for union rights at a num- Heritage Centre, 10 Moutoudou, Union of the ber of Quebecor plants. Queens Road, Cheetham Peoples of the The US government’s Hill, Manchester M8 8UF. Cameroon. 4pm, Unity National Labour Relations SATURDAY 27 November – Centre, 2-4 Ravenstone SUNDAY 28 Street, Balham, London Board has issued complaints Shakespeare & Islam. SW12. details 07984 against Quebecor in the US. Shakespeare’s Globe 405307. It has also filed charges against the company in Ne- vada for allegedly unlawful anti-union conduct. • Ray Davies, third from the right, with other peace activists. He also paid tribute to east of England branch secretary Vernon Robson and organiser David Monaghan PFI bid process wastes £400m a year for their part in negotiations with Quebecor. HUGE amounts of money get of each contract is spent on which could add up to over The move for recognition wasted every year as part of preparing the bid – so at the 150 hours of staff time per bid was also significant coming the bidding process for pri- North Middlesex University process. On the Web so close to the merger with vate finance initiative (PFI), Hospital PFI contract, worth The researchers fear that Amicus. The staff who have according to an in-depth re- £70 million, mounting a bid could end up as another one just won recognition would be port from a specialist publi- cost each candidate compa- per cent of total cost wasted, among those the union would cation for architects, Build- nies around £700,000 each. and hence the £400m figure, a New Worker National – be encouraging to join Am- ing Design. But as only one bid wins three per cent loss for the www.newworker.org icus, said Burke. The amount wasted in the – one per cent out of three per £12.9 billion worth of PFI ex- NCP Central – On 1 November the last full financial year could cent total cost in a three-way penditure in the last full finan- GPMU became a sector, one be as much as £400 million, or race, say – the losing two per cial year. www.geocities.com/ncpcentral of the largest, within Amicus. three per cent of the entire PFI cent of cost is just thrown NCP-PCS – bill for those 12 months. away. That could be as much “This report illustrates www.geocities.ncppcs/pcs1.html The cost accumulates as £1.4 million on the average another of Unison’s objec- from the design, planning le- PFI hospital project. tions to PFI. Where PFI gal and financial work that That’s just the waste from schemes go ahead we want gets put into bids that don’t the bidding side. Then the services to be left out” said get selected – about half go- hospital has to spend time and Dave Prentis, Unison’s gen- ing on design proposals that money evaluating the bids – eral secretary. just get wasted, for instance. The researchers polled PFI consortium leaders, finance directors, architects and specialists to understand MoD must recognise the reality of the PFI bidding process. Gulf War syndrome They found that around one per cent of the total cost THE MINISTRY of Defence Possible causes included must recognise that illnesses the cocktail of immunisations arising from the first Gulf given to the troops, exposure War are real and the term to low level chemical weapons Gulf War syndrome is a medi- and the inhalation of depleted cally correct description of uranium dust. It was possible them, Lord Lloyd of Berwick that many symptoms were told a press conference last caused by a combination of Weekly paper of the New Communist Party Wednesday, as he launched these causes and research the report of an inquiry he has continues into how each one SUBSCRIBE NOW! headed. affects the sufferers. 6 weeks: £4; 3 months: £8; He told a press confer- But Lord Lloyd insisted ence that although there were that the Ministry of Defence 6 months: £15; annual: £30 several possible different had no excuse to claim that, causes of the various ill- just because the exact agent Name...... nesses that had made some causing the illness in each Address...... very ill and had killed some, case has not yet been identi- they were all definitely caused fied, Gulf War syndrome does ...... by having served in the Gulf not exist. The men became ill Post code...... in 1991. because they had served in Phone...... Soldiers who had served the Gulf, he asserted. in other postings had later Gulf War veterans wel- Send cheque/P.O.’s to: contracted only a fraction of comed the findings and called NW Subs, PO Box 73, London SW11 2PQ the serious illnesses con- on the Ministry of Defence to tracted by Gulf War veterans. set up a compensation fund. 19 November 2004 THE NEW WORKER Page 7 020 7223 4052 In memory of a freedom fighter

“Arafat’s legacy will be Despite Arafat’s years of The first thing they no- Driven out of Jordan in written and rewritten by exile outside and inside Pal- ticed when they walked into 1969 the PLO moved its those who believed in his estine; and his caged pres- Arafat’s Beirut office was a headquarters to Lebanon vision of Palestinian le- ence in Ramallah as the Presi- large bright green banner out- until forced out by Israeli gitimacy, sovereignty and dent of Palestine, he never lined in a gold fringe, with an forces in 1982. Arafat national independence..” faltered or abandoned his will embroidered written message moved to Tunisia and to fight for the rights and in- on it. It said, “One does not there the PLO directed by Leila Diab dependence of the Palestin- live twice to see glory”. ian people. Arafat lived his life President Yasser Arafat the resistance that led to WITH AN OLIVE with the belief that “through saw glory more than once. the first Palestinian upris- BRANCH held in his hand, many great struggles comes May he rest in peace. ing or intifada that began and a memorable trade- victory”. Arafat’s legacy will PalestineChronicle.com in 1987 and continued mark vision of a Palestin- be written and rewritten by until the Oslo peace ac- ian freedom fighter who so those who believed in his vi- • Mohammed Abdel cords were signed in proudly wore a black and sion of Palestinian legitimacy, Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat 1993, which granted the white checked Palestinian sovereignty and national in- al Qudwa al Husseini, popu- Palestinians limited au- kaffieh, the President of dependence. Unfortunately, larly known as Yasser tonomy in the occupied Palestine, Yasser Arafat there will be those who as- Arafat or Abu Ammar, was territories. cribe to the destruction or reached his journey’s end. born on 24 August 1929 in In July 1994 Arafat re- Upon his passing on 10 denial of all of the above. President Arafat’s undeni- Gaza. Brought up in Cairo, turned to Palestine for the November 2004, President first time in 27 years and Arafat, also known as Abu able genius legacy and the where his father was a mer- Ammar, symbolised an eter- heroic quintessence of the chant, Yasser Arafat he was awarded the nal life struggle of libera- Palestinian people’s will to graduated from the King Nobel Peace Prize to- tion, statehood, hope and resist oppression and an ille- Fuad University in Cairo with gether with Israeli leaders peace for the Palestinian gitimate occupation of its a degree in architectural Yitzhak Rabin and people and their people and land, has endured engineering. He worked in Shimon Peres. neighbours. in the struggle to triumph, as Egypt for seven years, serv- Subsequent Israeli In a life filled with many well as, to survive antagonis- ing in the Egyptian army governments’ refusal to obstacles and struggles to tic foes, foes who are on the during the Suez War in implement the Oslo survive, Abu Ammar’s intel- wrong side of international 1956 and later moved to Agreements led to the law and covenants. ligent and skills of extin- Kuwait. second Palestinian guishing internal and exter- Arafat’s life was fraught with its ups and downs, cal- Together with other Pal- intifada that continues to nal circumstances were in- this day. nate gifts of a skilful states- culations and miscalcula- estinian patriots, he founded man. He had won the hearts tions. However, his compas- Fateh (Palestine National Though the elected and minds of the interna- sionate message and ability to tity, and to the land of Pales- the Palestinian leadership Liberation Movement) which President of the Palestin- tional community’s world extend his hand in peace, tine. And as a man who were exiled in Lebanon from launched its first guerrilla at- ian Authority that admin- leaders, and the Muslim friendship and welcome wanted peace, but never lived 1970 to 1982, many prominent tack against Zionist Israel isters the autonomous world. people from all over the world to fulfill his dream. The fallen world leaders, African Ameri- on 1 January 1965. After the zones Yasser Arafat was to see, listen and hear the in- Palestinian revolutionary cans, Native Americans, con- under virtual house arrest While the Palestinian leader, Abu Ammar, will be re- Arab defeat in the June 1967 people trusted his determi- justices of the Palestinian gressmen, and delegations of in his compound in membered as the symbol of peacemakers would travel to war, which left all of Pales- nation to achieve a Pales- people in an effort to revive tine in the hands of the Zi- Ramallah for the past two tinian State, on 15 Novem- an eluding peace, were end- self-determination, the father Lebanon on fact-finding of the revolution, and the group missions to visit the onists, Fateh’s prestige years. Rushed to France ber 1988, the Palestinian less. for urgent medical treat- Arafat’s legacy will hope- President of Palestine. His Palestinian refugee camps soared and Arafat was National Council in Algiers elected Chairman of the ment in November, he adopted a Declaration of fully be remembered as his roots and the olive tree are still and hold special meetings undying connection to the alive. with Chairman Arafat, in Palestine Liberation died in Paris on 10 No- Independence of the State vember 2004. of Palestine. Palestinian people, their iden- When Yasser Arafat and search of peace. Organisation (PLO) in 1969. Communists celebrate the Great October Revolution

The New Communist Party around the world that the rul- “This was their alibi to Centre in London was packed ing classes are not all power- deny their guilt in sending mil- with for a lively social to mark ful, they can be overthrown lions upon millions of work- the 87th anniversary of the and the poor and exploited ers to their deaths in the Great October Revolution in people of the world can build trenches,” he told the packed Russia last Saturday. a better society. room. “They did it again a gen- Eric Trevett, Andy Brooks, Yong Ho Thae from the eration later and it was the Alex Kempshall and other DPRK Embassy told us that Soviet Union, side by side members of the Central Com- his son is now in school in with the struggling masses of mittee greeted comrades and London and is now being all continents that crushed the friends who had gathered to taught the history of the First Nazis and Japanese imperial- celebrate Red October in World War. He asked his son ists in 1945. Lenin fought for style. what the teachers had to say peace but he also fought for Honoured guests in- about the October Revolu- proletarian internationalism cluded Yong Ho Thae from tion. He was dismayed to find and solidarity with the masses the London embassy of the that very little is taught at all struggling to break the chains Democratic People’s Repub- and that is all negative – about of colonial freedom. lic of Korea, Qin Chun from the violence and brutality of “Now the heroic Iraqi re- the Xinhua news agency, the revolutionaries. sistance is battling for free- Explo Nani Kofi from the Afri- “They teach nothing dom in the streets of Fallujah can Liberation Support Cam- about the violence and bru- and we stand shoulder-to- paign (ALISC) and Michael tality of the Czar’s regime and shoulder with them in their Chant from the Revolutionary why the revolutionaries fight, which they will surely Communist Party of Britain wanted to overthrow it,” he win”. (Marxist-Leninist). said. “The truth is that the No NCP event ends with- There was plenty of revolution brought peace to out a New Worker collection party food and the drink and Europe. The great powers and National Treasurer Dolly conversation flowed freely were so afraid that their work- • Comrade Yong Ho Thae from the embassy of the DPRK addresses the social. Shaer made a stirring call that until just after 8pm when com- ers and their armies would fol- many lives being thrown the great inspiration of the inspired the Russian workers raised over £1,024 for the New rades paid tribute to the im- low the example of the Rus- away in continuing the war.” Great October Revolution and and peasants to end the old Worker fighting fund. pact on world history of the sians and that they too would Yong Ho Thae also spoke stressed its relevance today. order. After the speeches every- Great October Revolution. be overthrown that they soon of the correct policies of the The RCPB(ML) and the NCP NCP leader Andy Brooks one sang the Internationale. Explo Nani Kofi told the agreed to stop fighting Bolsheviks after the revolu- had been bound by comrade- recalled that the Bolsheviks Then a special cake was cut crowd that even though the among themselves. tion in giving priority to set- ship and commitment to the had ended the First World and divided among those Soviet Union is no more, the “They feared their own tling the land question and cause for over ten years. War – a war the bourgeoisie present and the social contin- example set by the Bolsheviks working classes more than giving the land to the peas- Working together in many pretend was started by “acci- ued until both guests and in 1917 gave hope and inspi- they feared each other and so ants. campaigns they upheld the dent” or by the assassination hosts were too tired to carry ration to oppressed people all there was peace. This saved Michael Chant spoke of same Bolshevik spirit that had in Sarejevo. on. Page 8 19 November 2004

International News Web: www.newworker.org Fax 020 7223 4057 US DUP cannot be SNAFU helps GIs resist warned:

allowed paralyse by Dustin Langley beware AS THE BRUTAL military occupation of Iraq continues of Chen’s the process and US fatalities have passed 1,100, more members of the dirty armed forces are looking for ways out. by Joanne Corcoran DUP has to come to terms Every day GIs contact the tricks with. The pro-Agreement ma- Support Network for an SINN FÉIN President Gerry jority cannot be expected to Armed Forces Union— by Jiang Zhuqing Adams returned on 11 No- stand still while the DUP edge SNAFU—an organisation vember, from a nine-day visit their way into the 21st Cen- formed to support resisters in CHINA has again warned to the United States, which tury. The DUP’s refusal to the military and to help mem- Washington it should be saw him attend events in New engage and to accept the re- bers inside the Armed Forces “fully aware of the fraudu- York, Philadelphia, Chicago, ality of the Good Friday Agree- get out. (www.join-snafu.org) lence and grave danger’’ San Francisco and Washing- ment cannot be allowed to One soldier recently wrote posed by Taiwan’s pro-inde- ton. paralyse the process of to SNAFU: “I am a soldier pendence forces following a As well as taking part in change.” serving in Iraq. I have been US State Department state- Friends of Sinn Féin func- here for eight months now and ment saying there were tions, he met with senior Con- vital component this war sickens me. My ques- “positive and constructive” gress members, Senators and tion is, can you still get out of contents in a statement re- Governors, and with Irish Speaking to reporters dur- the military as a CO [Consci- leased earlier by the Taiwan American organisations, to ing his trip, he said that the entious Objector] if you have authorities. update them on the ongoing US continues to be “a vital already been to war? After this “The United States should efforts in the Peace Process. component in securing the experience it has left me won- refrain from sending any He also met with US Special peace process and the imple- dering what am I doing here? wrong signals to ‘Taiwan’s Envoy to the Six Counties mentation of the Good Friday I do not and cannot fight for a independence’ forces,” said Mitchell Reiss and Senator Agreement”, and that his war I don’t believe in and Foreign Ministry spokesper- Ted Kennedy. meeting with Reiss provided harm people that have done son Zhang Qiyue yesterday. Adams made it clear to an early opportunity in the no wrong in my mind. My “It should honour the both men that the largest ob- wake of the Presidential elec- concern is I don’t do this commitments repeatedly reaf- stacle to progress remaining tion to “urge all those in the again ever. It is so wrong on firmed by the US Government in the north of Ireland is the US and particularly within the so many levels with me.” and leaders to adhere to the demands of the Democratic Administration to continue to Another GI wrote: “I am one-China policy, observe the Unionist Party (DUP) to fun- play this important role”. seeking a discharge. I can’t three Sino-US joint damentally change the Good In each state he visited, take it anymore and I need to communiqués and oppose Friday Agreement and their Adams received huge recep- know a way I can get out with- Taiwan independence,” refusal to share power with tions from Irish Americans. out having to go the bad route Zhang said. nationalists. Speaking at a function in New and get in trouble over and Only this can help main- York, he praised supporters over again. I am at my last rope tain the development of the for their work, but added that China-US relations and the impasse with this and I am really need- • GI’s parents protest. much more needed to be done ing help and no one around peace and stability across the “The impasse at this time and encouraged people to here seems to want to help me adamant about not going be- in greater numbers. On 3 No- Taiwan Straits, she said. in the talks process is the DUP actively lobby the new admin- that’s why I am writing to you. cause of the obvious reasons vember, the day after the elec- Zhang said China hopes failure to accept the funda- istration to adopt a reinvigo- I really need some help before that you probably understand tion, SNAFU received a flood that the government of mentals of the Good Friday rated, renewed focus on something bad happens.” more than I. What choices do of calls and emails from young Vanuatu, a South Pacific is- Agreement and to accept na- peace in Ireland. SNAFU counsellors are I have concerning deploy- people who had changed their land state, will keep its “seri- tionalists and republicans on Adams also pointed out helping both these soldiers ment? There are others in my minds about going. ous promise” in the 1982 the basis of equality. In par- during the New York function apply for Conscientious Ob- situation as well who feel the Fortunately, getting out of communiqué on the establish- ticular, they have targeted the that British Direct Rule in the jector discharges. same way.” the military at that point is a ment of diplomatic relations power-sharing and all-Ireland Six Counties is not sustain- Other young people fac- In addition to many re- simple process. SNAFU has with China. principles of the Agreement,” able in the long run and de- ing deployment are inquiring quests for discharge informa- already helped dozens of “Vanuatu promised very he said while in Washington. manded, “in the absence of a about their options. One mem- tion, young people who have young people do so. clearly that the government of “The core issues were ne- deal the two governments ber of the National Guard re- signed up for the military but • Langley is a GI counsel- the People’s Republic China gotiated and agreed in the bring forward proposals cently wrote: “I am being de- have not yet reported to boot lor with SNAFU was the only legal govern- Good Friday Agreement. rooted in the Agreement to ployed very soon to Iraq. I am camp are changing their minds Workers World (US) ment and Taiwan was an in- There will be no going back see its full implementation”. separable part of China,” on these positions. That is the Zhang said. new political reality that the Irish People newspaper On 10 November, Vanuatu’s council of ministers agreed to repudiate a move by A Popular Front in Costa Rica its prime minister to establish “diplomatic ties” with Taiwan on 3 November. by Ernesto Cienfuegos 1931, announced a United General Secretary Vargas Commenting on US Sec- Left movement to include all Carbonell has already pre- retary of State Colin Power’s PROGRESSIVE forces in progressive forces in Costa sented before the Tribunal resignation, Zhang said the small Central Ameri- Rica. his party’s opposition to the Powell has made positive ef- can republic of Costa So far, half-a-dozen po- electoral laws of Costa forts in the improvement and Rica recently celebrated litical and social move- Rica, which favour the con- development of China-US re- the decision to abandon ments have joined the tinuation of a two-party sys- lations, of which we express plans to establish a CIA United Left alliance, and in tem that perpetuates the our appreciation. China and school of subversion and January 2005 a conference privileges of a small minor- the US share extensive com- torture in their country. will be held to draw up an ity, and refuses to defend mon interests and foundation This so-called “Interna- electoral platform. for co-operation. the country against interna- China welcomes Iran’s tional Law Enforcement tional imperialism. decision to voluntarily sus- Academy”, or ILEA, remain certain In preparation for the pend all its uranium enriching would have been the elections of 2005, and reprocessing activities base for US imperialist Trino Barrantes, mem- Vanguardia Popular has and reach an agreement with terrorism against the ber of the Central Commit- started a series of district European Union, Zhang said. peoples of Latin tee of Vanguardia Popular, assemblies, at which “We appreciate the dip- America. explained that progressive democratic forces can take lomatic efforts made by Iran, In preparation for the movements throughout the part in drawing up the the EU and International general elections due in world have examined the programme of the United Atomic Energy Agency 2006, the progressive and mistakes of the past, but Left Alliance. (IAEA) and other parties con- democratic forces in Costa remain certain of the tri- Following the success of cerned,’’ she added. Rica are building on the umph of socialism. Costa the left in Venezuela and China hopes the Iranian Rica will learn from other nuclear issue could be appro- unity achieved in the cam- Uruguay, and inspired by priately resolved within the paign against the ILEA. On countries, but will avoid im- the example of Cuba, the framework of IAEA at an early 10 November, Humberto posing rigid ideas imported people of Costa Rica now date. “China will go on to play Vargas Carbonell, General from abroad. look forward to being part of a constructive role to this Secretary of Vanguardia Elections in Costa Rica the fight-back against impe- end’’ she concluded. Popular, the Marxist– are organised by the Su- rialism and neo-colonial-

Leninist party founded in preme Elections Tribunal. ism. China Daily as a newspaper. Printed by New Age Press (TU). Registed at the Post Office