American mittee on Africa 164 Madison Avenue. New York, N. Y. 10016. (212) 532-3700. Cable AMCOMMAF t Washington Office: 711 14th Street, N. W., Washington D.C. 20005 • (202) 638-0835 Chicago Office: 1514 South Albany, Chicago. Illinois 60623. (312) 762-1821 i'or Im..~ediate Release For further infor­ mation contact: George M. Houser 532-3700 A1\1ERICAN COMMITTEE CALLS FOR END TO US MILITf~Y ALLIANCE WITH PORTUGAL The American Committee on Africa today released a statement condem1ing Portugal for complicity in the attack on the Republic of Guinea and calling for an end to the US military alliance with Portugal. The statement said, "We as American citi- zens, and as an :unerican oyganization protest in most vigorous terms, the continuee assistance given by our government to Portugal, a colonial power now attacking in- dependent .\frican states in order to preserve its empire." Spedfically the .lCOl\. Executive Board demanded: l):l.n end to all assistance to ~).)r ~"'bal provided under the Military .I.ssistance Program (M.;\..P.) and all other Jgrruns including the N_.TO alliance, 2)Stopping the training programs provided {' ..Yf" key Portuguese military personnel both on US soil and in Portugal, 3 ).~ stc,p J supplying the Portuguese with the technical expertise and know-how provided by the constant ' ~si ts t8 :.ngola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Portugal of groups cf US military, naval and airforce experts, 4)Close down the US Military .\ssis- tance Group in Lisbon which provides military advice to the Portuguese. The Committee statement, based on facts brought to light by the report of the UN Mission to the Security Council, points out that the objective of the invasion "Tas the preservation of Portugal's coloc.ial empire . •\mong :lCO,·. Executive Board members endorsing this statement were: Donald S. ,qYrington, co-chairman of ,'>CO,'> and minister of the Community Church of New York; I ser Heiss, president of :.COA and lawyer; Victor Reuther, International :..rfairs =~ ~cctor of the Q~i; Josiah Beeman, Washington representative of the United Pres- .)jc8rian Church; Robert Browne, Director of the Black Economic Research Council; - ..d Robert Van Lieyop, la"lYey. The full statement is attached. Dec. 4, 197) American Committee on Africa 164 Madison Avenue Nbw York, New York 10016 STATEMENT ON THE INVASION OF GUINEA by the Executive Board of the American Committee on Africa, December 4, 1970. Portuguese complicity in the recent invasion of Guinea and attempted overthrow of the government of the Republic of Guinea has now been demonstrated beyond doubt and veri·· fied by a United Nations fact-finding mission. In the light' cf this information, th~ American Committee on Africa, with a renewed sense of urgency, calls on the U.S. gov­ ernment to immediately end all military ties with Portugal. We, as American citizens, and as an American organization, protest in most vigerous terms, the continued assis­ tance given by our government to Portugal, a colonial power nOvl attacking independent African states in attempting to preserve its empire. The character of the invading force is made clear not only by eye-w~tness accounts, but also by the more than 100 prisoners taken by the Guinean defenders. It was led by units of Portuguese armed forces. African troops, including both dissident exiles from Guinea and Portuguese regulars, were trained by the Portuguese in neighboring Guinea-Bissau. The invasion must be seen as a major thrust in Portugal's attempt to maintain colonial rule in Africa. African liberation movements now pin down some 150,000 Portuguese troops in Angola, Mozambi~ue, and Guinea-Bissau. In Guinea-Bissau,. two-thirds of tpe country is controlled by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (the PAIGe). The party has built ita own schotls, hospitals, markets, and local administrative system; naturally it has the support and sympathy of neighboring African states that have themselves achieved independence from colonial rule. Portuguese days in Guinea are numbered, and independence for Guinea-Bissau would be a tremendous boost for the liberation movements in Angola and Mozambique. Conversely, the establ~shment of a pro-Portuguese regime in GUinea-Conakry and the destruction of the PAIGC head­ quarters and its leadership would have been a terrible setback for all the liberation forces. The Portuguese-led invasion did destroy the PAIGC headquarters on Conakry, but the leer.­ ership \Ias av/ay. It also razed President Sekou Toure I s summer home when he "las thouft:.t to be there, l~t he escaped. Prisoners were freed, including Portuguese troops ca~ tured in Guinea-Bissau. An expected popular uprising did not materialized. Instead, Toure handed out guns for defense to a hastily organized citizen militia. The United States must share the burden of guilt for this attack on an independent country. Portugal, small, weak, and underdeveloped itself, could never continue its colonial wars \lithout the aid of the NATO countries, including the United States. The U.S. claims to have discontinued r~lit~ry aid, and to have insisted that military sup­ plies previously given to Portugal not be used in Africa. Yet Portuguese are trained by NATO and even in the United Stutes. Information and "knml-how" are exchanged and U.S. military personnel visit and inspect the Portuguese colonies; a U.S. naval mission stayed in Guinea-Bissau for 15 days last May. Napalm labelled "Made in U~S.A." is dropped by the Portuguese in PAIGC controlled areas of Guinea-Bissau. The U.S. has abstained or voted against resolutio~of the General Assembly of the United Nations proposing an end to support for colonialism or aid to the liberation movements. Here is a new test of policy: Portugal has previously raided countries bordering the colonies and bombed Zambian Villages near Angola. Now it has invaded an independent country in the attempt to overthrow a government recognized by the United States. STATEMENT ON THE INVASION OF GU[NEA (PAGE 2) In calling for an immediate end to the United States military alliance with Portugal, -He specifically demand; - An end to all U.S. assistance to Portugal provided under the Military Assistance Program (M.A.P.) and all other programs, includin~ the NATO all~ce. - An end to training programs provided for key Portuguse military personnel both on U.S. soil (e~e. Fort Bragg) and in Portugal. - An end to the U.S. loan of two destroyer escorts (since 1953) and three additional new destroyer €a~orts (in 1969) to the Portuguese Navy. - An end to the supply of technical expertise and knm-l-hm-/ to the Portuguese provided by the constant visits to Angola, Mozambigue and Guinea-Bissau, as well as Portugal, by groups of U.S. military, nav 1, and airforce experts. (For example a former director of U.S. psychological operations in Viet Nam visited all of tbe Portuguese colonies in May, 1970) - An end to the maintainance of the U.S. Military Assistance Group in Lisbon, which provides military advice to the Portuguese. - An end to the use of the Azores as a U.S. airbase..