&/ BERLIN — While in Berlin, -

St German Democratic Repub-
S| fic, the Canadian Tribune had the
opportunity to interview Nabil
| Haoui of the Beirut communist
| daily ‘‘Al Nidaa’’ on the situation

in Lebanon. Haoui was.in the

GDR covering the Ninth Con-
_ gress of the Socialist Unity Party.

The Lebanese journalist began
_ with a brief history of the country
pointing out that though the
French colonialists formally left
the country in 1943 their depar-
ture was by no means complete.
- They left behind a ruling class of
h | colonial agents and landowners
d| who today still govern Lebanon.
| Only a few sectors of the
| economy have been developed,
Haoui said, and these, in the in-
terests of neo-colonialism.

‘| Just as in Northern Ireland

where religion is used by the
| bourgeoisie to divide the workers,

Nabil Haoui pointed out that the
ruling class in Lebanon has used
local conflicts to slow down de-
*s| velopment and progress in
id/ general. :

1© | Domestic landlords in concert
is | with foreign imperialists are
te | stimulating divisions among Mos-
f-| Jems and Christians. The Christ-
0 | jan bourgeoisie, given . their
id | privileges from the colonialists
’s| and imperialists, today pretend to
al | speak in the name of all Christians
- in Lebanon.

ssf These forces want Lebanon to
d | remain atrade and tourist country
r, | like Monte Carlo, but Haoui de-
i- | clared that such a policy would
ie | serve neither the history, people,
n/ or working class, of his country.

y Though. political independence
~ | was achieved in 1943, the jour-
S| nalist said, economic indepen-
_ dence was never gained because

@ _.crushing the never-completed

o

oO

e

KAMAL JOUMBLAT

The present struggle in Lebanon Is against the ve

world imperialism succeeded in.

ere oregon,

bourgeois’ democratic revolu-
tion. Haoui said that the present
struggle in his country is against
the vestiges of feudalism and
against imperialism.

The Lebanese journalist refer-
red to the Ford-Kissinger plot of
U.S. imperialism to crush the
Palestinian nation so as to block
all economic and political prog-
ress in Lebanon and prevent the
country’s integration into. the
Arab world while making it an in-
strument of U.S. policy.

To accomplish this, the Arab
world has been divided through
corruption, and unfortunately ac-
cording to Nabil Haoui, most of
the present Arab regimes are
pro-American, including Syria
and not the least of all Egypt:

Haoui said that the Kissinger
Clique allows the Syrian govern-
ment to make anti-American
propaganda as long as it signs

pro-imperialist contracts. Thus .

the imperialists demand that Syria
crush the Palestinians, and if they
refuse, threaten to do the job

‘themselves. Syria has already

signed a treacherous agreement
with Israel, Haoui said in the
same way that Egypt has already
signed two such agreements with
Israel over the past year. ‘‘As we
all know the global objective of
this imperialist conspiracy’ - he
said, “‘is to prevent the consolida-
tion of those forces which might

intervene against continued Is-

raeli aggression.”

Syria, which would like the
Palestinians to be docile like chil-
dren pretends to go to ‘‘calm’”’
Lebanon but in reality its troops
are shooting at the progressive
forces, Haoui said.

Previously guns were used to
defend the Palestinians, he said,
but today the progressive forces
which have had to regroup have
been forced to take up arms to
also defend their country’s
independence.

Over the past 14 months since
the conflict began the progressive
forces, particularly the com-
munists and: the socialists, have
been greatly re-inforced with
many young people joining the

ranks of the communists to fight.

stiges of fuedalism.and against imperialism.

and some to die _ for
independence.

The Lebanese progressive
movement constitutes a patriotic
front led by Kamal Joumblat
leader of the Socialist Party and is
principally made up of the Com-
munist Party, the Arab Progres-
sive Socialist Party and other
groups.

More than 75% of Lebanese
territory has been liberated by the

patriotic and progressive
Lebanese to date, despite the
American plot.

Three main tasks are seen by
the Communists and Socialists to
be attained in this struggle: _

1) Re-constitute the state on a
democratic,
modern and developed basis.
This would more fully favor the
development of the class struggle,
to the detriment of the struggle
between religions and regions.

2) Scuttle the U.S. imperialist
plot designed to annihilate the
Palestinians and undermine
Lebanese independence.

3) The left progressive
Lebanese forces want to bind
themselves.to international prog-
ress in their foreign policy and not
to U.S. imperialism.

Unfortunately, said Haoui, al-
most all the Arab nations allow
themselves to follow pro-
imperialist positions. “We want a
Lebanese, and not imposed
foreign solutions, to the conflict in
Lebanon. Thus the question of
France joining reactionary Syrian
forces to ‘calm Lebanon’
reflects a very dangerous attitude
on the part of the old colonialists.”

Nabil Haoui concluded by say-
ing that what frightens reactio-
nary Arab forces and foreign im-
perialism is the rise of the left in
Lebanon and the prospects of a
government which would be
‘*too”’ progressive in that region.

USSR-Philippines
establish relations

MOSCOW — The Soviet
Union and the Philippines re-
cently signed a joint statement
embodying the decision of the
two countries to establish dip-
lomatic relations.

The joint communique, signed
by Philippine President Marcos
and the Chairman of the Presi-
dium of the Supreme Soviet, N.
Podgorny, said relations ‘‘shall be
based on the principles of peace-
ful co-existence, mutual respect

‘for each other sovereignty and

territorial integrity, non-inter-
ference in each other’s internal af-
fairs, equality and mutual benefit
in accordance with the Charter of

the United Nations. Both parties -

are confident that the establish-
ment of diplomatic relations . . . is
in the interest of both countries
and will promote and strengthen
international cooperation an
world peace.”” _— :

anti-imperialist,

PANAMA CITY — the presi-
dential primary campaigns in the
United States once again put the
Panama Canal in the spotlight.
Ronald Reagan, one-time star of
grade-B western soapers, former
governor of California, and now a
Republican candidate for the
U.S. presidency, has been rattling
sabres at the tiny Republic of
Panama in an effort to get votes at
home.

While ‘‘on the stump’’ in the
primary campaigns, Reagan has
threatened the use of U.S. armed
forces to ensure that the Panama
Canal Zone, which is 2,000 miles
south of the U.S., remains
‘‘American’’. He has also come
out against any renegotiation of a
treaty to grant the government of
Panama more sovereignty over
the Canal Zone.

Reagan’s promises to his
right-wing audiences for armed
intervention in the Canal Zone
have not gone unnoticed in the
Republic of Panama. At a recent
press conference near Panama

.City, officers of the Panamanian

National Guard, the only armed
force in the country, said the Na-
tional Guard was prepared to
‘fight against the giant of the
north’, to assure Panamanian
sovereignty over the Canal Zone
and win the full economic inde-
pendence of the country. ‘“‘We
will not’’, a spokesman for the
guard officers said, ‘‘allow our-
selves to be used to surpress the
just aspirations of the people.”’

The role of the guard would be
to protect the people of Panama,
the officers said, explaining that
guafd troops are working along-
side the people at all levels, in the
countryside, in education and in

industry. But despite the work for
the state, ‘“‘the guard has not lost
its technical response capacity in
a military sense.””

The statements made by the
National Guard are also backed
by the actions of the Panamanian
workers in the Canal Zone. In re-
cent months, they have protested
the announced austerity program
recommended by administration
authorities of the Canal Zone,
under U.S. jurisdiction. The
Panama Canal Company recom-
mended the measures, including
reduction of the salaries of 2,000
Panamanian workers, ‘‘to
balance somewhat the sharp de-
cline in ship traffic and income
from the canal.”’ This U.S. com-
pany claimed financial losses for
the past few years. But studies
done by intermational organiza-
tions and Panamanian economists
say that claim is totally false.

The Canal Company includes

as expenditures in its operations
the cost of the military installa-
tions in the Canal Zone, a total of
14 strategic bases, manned by
U.S. armed forces. The Pana-
manian government has insisted
that the “‘losses’’ claimed by the
Canal Company are ficticious and
arise from the swollen cost of the
U.S. military activities in the
Canal Zone. .
. The announced cutbacks in
salaries and the increased tariffs
for transport through the canal
have been attacked as ‘‘acts of
sabotage by the U.S. authorities
in order to cause labor conflicts,
an eventual standstill in Canal
operations and in the long run,
hinder the talks for a new Canal
treaty.”’

as

-During the 62 years since the Panama Canal began operations the

ee

United States has collected 41 times the cost of construction.

f

Referring to Trudeau’s

up his committee’s appeal.

Cae only for concerts.

~  .The Afro-American Museum of Detroit has responded to a
drive to have April 9 declared Paul Robeson Day by the United
Nations. The drive, launched in Toronto by the Paul Robeson
Commemorative Committee récently, asks the UN to recognize
Robeson’s efforts on behalf of peace and freedom.

speech recently (Tribune, June 7)

urging Canadian Blacks to ‘‘follow Robeson’s example”, Har-

vey Murphy, chairman of the Paul Robeson Commemorative

Committee said that Canada’s UN representatives should take

“Canada should follow our prime minister's advice at the
UN,” Murphy said, “and work to have April 9 declared Paul
Robeson Day by that body.” He noted that this country imposed
a speaking ban against Robeson in the 1950’s, permitting him

s,

&

ry

S.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 9, 1976—Page 5

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