Israeli government widens THE assault on Palestinians Page9 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 55/NO.6 FEBRUARY 15, 1991 $1.50 Build Feb. 21 actions against slaughter of Iraqi people! Student U.S. widens meetings bombing; kick off civilian worldwide toll grows I BY RONI McCANN protests In the third week of imperialist war against the Iraqi people, Washington and Its allies have intensified around-the-clock bombing flltJ(I" N. ~ BY PETER THIERJUNG eetls j, !II University and high school students from raids on the country. ' ''Of W, ..... ar.t Chicago to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and With air expeditions increased to 2,600 on from New York to San Francisco have al­ any given day, massive bombardments are ready begun building an international day of aimed at Iraqi troop positions along the Saudi antiwar protests slated for February 21. Ac­ Arabian border and military installations tion coordinating offices have been set up in throughout Iraq. Washington, D.C, and Berkeley, California. Together with stepped-up murderous air raids, allied forces under U.S. command are Student and youth activists are planning a finalizing preparations for a huge ground variety of actions to protest the U.S.-led war Militant/Harvey invasion of Iraq and Kuwait- aimed at Participants in January 26 antiwar march in San Francisco. International day of in the Middle East, including teach-ins, breaking the Iraqi military, occupying the marches, rallies, picket lines, special discus­ protests against war was called for February 21 by students and youth at January 27 country, and installing a regime beholden to post-demonstration conferences. sions on the war during regularly scheduled Washington. classes, and canvassing of dormitories. The frrst of what will be many bloody land Discussions are under way among student battles was fought the week of January 28. Khalid claimed 400 Iraqi soldiers had been they abandoned their road blocks outside of and youth activists in France, Norway, and The length and intensity of the fighting is a captured. the city, and units in the town fled before the Sweden on coordinating campus protests in harbinger of the war the U.S. government Seven of the U.S. Gls were killed by Iraqis arrived. "Saudi guards' tents and a their countries with those in the United States. has begun in the region. "friendly fire," the Pentagon reported. hei.Jnet" found early January 30 "suggested In Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Ange­ Eleven U.S. Gls were killed and two re­ "Tanks were firing at tanks," said one U.S. a hasty retreat," the paper reported. les, the San Francisco Bay area, and other ported missing after a three-day battle with marine after the fighting. "Everything was Late January 30 a column of Saudi troops metropolitan areas, citywide meetings of stu­ Iraqi troops in the Saudi Arabian border-town so confused. I didn't know what unit was riding in U.S.-made tanks headed back into dent and youth representatives took place the of Ra's al Khafji that ended on February l. which and who was firing at who." Khafji in an effort to drive the Iraqi forces weekend of February 2 and endorsed the Saudi commanding general Prince Khalid The battle at Khafji began late January 29 out and retake the town. They were backed action. bin Sultan reported that 15 of his troops were when several hundred Iraqi troops advanced every step of the way by U.S. marines and February 21 was targeted as an interna- killed and four wounded along with 30 Iraqis into the recently abandoned town of 20,000, allied air power. Continued on Page 7 killed and 33 wounded. On February 2 located on the Arab-Persian Gulf coast about After what one marine officer called "a six miles south of the Kuwait-Saudi border. hellacious battle" lasting 36 hours, the Iraqi The assault on the town was part of a forces were pushed back February 1. U.S. four-pronged Iraqi attack: incursions on the Army Col. Jack Petri claimed, "This was the Special offer to Gls Saudi border northwest of Khafji; advances first battle the Saudis had ever fought and over the Saudi border near Wafra, Kuwait; they acquitted themselves terribly well." $5 for 12 weeks of the Militant and two attacks on Khafji itself. Throughout the battle the Pentagon While Washington has won cover for its banned reporters from the scene of the fight­ The Militant is offering Gls a special introductory subscription aggression in backing from Arab regimes, offer of $5 for 12 weeks. Each new subscriber will also receive a ing. When the dust settled, however, the New the fact that it is a U.S.-led war was proven York Times described the war-scarred town: complimentary copy of the International Socialist Review supple­ in the battle. Troops from Saudi Arabia and buildings shot-up, burned-out armored vern- ment featuring the article "Working-class campaign against impe­ Qatar were responsible for guarding Khafji. rialist war drive: Fighting the employers' offensive at home and However, the Washington Post reported that Continued on Page 8 abroad." Men and women in the armed forces - whether stationed in the United States or in other countries, particularly Saudi Arabia­ have a special stake in getting clear, working-class explanations Editors of Marxist magazines of Washington's reactionary assault on Iraq. The offer is good for soldiers, sailors, and airmen and women of announce special antiwar issue all countries. Readers and distributors can help sign up subscrib­ ers. BY CINDY JAQUITH Waters on "Washington's Third Militari­ The editors of New International and its zation Drive Since World War II,"and the Men and women in uniform have the constitutional right to read sister magazines in French and soon in Span­ 1945-46 troops revolt that prevented U.S. and discuss the same newspapers, books, pamphlets, and other ish have announced publication plans for forces from being used in the aftermath of literature that all citizens do. ~ 1991 and have launched a $75,000 fund drive World War II. If soldier-subscribers find -------------------------­ to cover the production costs of the forth­ Of special interest are two documents by they are not receiving their D Enclosed is a contribution of coming issues. the Workers Unity Party of Iran, drafted papers, they should notify the $100_$50_$10__ 0ther __ The projected publications will greatly during the Iran-Iraq war. An introduction by Militant Business Office right D Enclosed is $5 for a GI subscription. expand the arsenal of communist literature Samad Sharif takes up vital questions of available to workers and youth as they dis­ working-class perspectives and anti-imperi­ awa~ NAME. ________________________ cuss, debate, and campaign against imperi­ alist struggle. The reduced rate- one­ alism and its war in the Middle East. This issue will also carry three articles on half our normal introductory Mary-Alice Waters, editor of New Inter­ Che Guevara and the building of socialism: offer- recognizes that work- ADDRESS -------------------­ national, reports that issue No. 7 of the "Che 's Contribution to the Cuban Economy" ing people in uniform don't Marxist magazine, a special issue on the war, by Carlos Rafael Rodriguez, a 1987 talk by have much money. In order to will come off the press in February. the Cuban vice president and Communist help make up the difference, CITY ___ STATE_ ZIP ____ New International No. 7 features "Wash­ Party leader; "The Creativity of Che's Eco­ we ask that as many of our TELEPHONE ington's Assault on Iraq: Opening Guns of nomic Thought" by Carlos Tablada, a 1989 other readers as possible con- ----------­ World War lll" by Jack Barnes, national article by the Cuban economist and author; tribute to help defray the Send to the Militant, 410 West St New York, N.Y. secretary of the Socialist Workers Party. and "Economics, Politics, and Communist 10014. Also in this issue is related material on Consciousness: Che 's Contributions to costs. communist policy in wartime and peace­ Marxism" by Steve Clark. managing eililor time, including articles by Mary-Alice Continued on Pace 5 'No to Ottawa's and Paris' war policy' The following statement was issued Jan­ The Communist Party in France and the New uary 25 by Michel Prairie, editor of Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada sup­ L'intemotionaliste, in the name of the Cen­ ported the blockade, which they claimed was tral Committee of the Communist League an alternative to war. of Canada, and by Jean-Louis Salfati in In both countries a significant layer of the name of the Executive Committee of workers and small farmers consider these the Communist Organizing Committee of parties to be their own. France. The statement was first published in the January-March issue of the maga­ Blockade: first act of war zine L'intemotionaliste. The translation is On the contrary, as Cuban ambassador to by the Militant. the United Nations Ricardo Alarcon has ex­ plained, the blockade imposed on Iraq was In Ottawa, the federal cabinet authorized Canada's 24 CF-18 fighter jets and 2,000 On January 16,just hours before the mas­ a criminal act. troops stationed in the region to participate in offensive against Iraq. sive bombing of Iraq began, the French gov­ In fact, it constituted the first act of war ernment pledged its forces would join in the against Iraq. imperialist assault and placed its troops in Like the war itself, the sanctions have This is the only way to carry out an effec­ Both fronts of this war are essential for the Middle East under Washington's com­ nothing to do with the defense of the demo­ tive struggle against the war and against the their efforts to resolve the deepening crisis of the world capitalist system in their favor.