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Thousands have been killed by the Shah’s troops during mass demonstrations over the past year. Iran’s
~ military is both trained and equipped by the U.S.

_ British Labor Party

policy

counters NATO’s cold warriors

By WILLIAM POMEROY
LONDON — The national
executive committee of the
British Labor Party has published
one of the sanest and most objec-

tive studies of the Soviet Union’s-

commitment to detente that has
been produced by a major
bourgeois political party in the
countries of the NATO alliance.

»». Entitled ‘‘Cold Peace, Soviet

Power and Western Security,” it

_has been issued as a discussion

document to help in the formula-

_ tion of British foreign policy in the

coming period. Frankly Stating
that its purpose is to ¢ounter the

propaganda of ‘military and cold.

warriors” who try to whip up an
atmosphere of fear conducive to
increased NATO arms spending,
the publication reflects growing
sentiment in the Labor Party for
the opposite policy — a reduction
in the military budget.

This directly conflicts with the
pressure upon NATO members
from the Carter Administration in
the U.S. for an annual three per-
cent boost in arms spending over
the next five years.

In an introduction to the pam-
phlet, the Labor Party’s general
secretary, Ron Hayward, de-
clares: ** The NEC has agreed that
it be published in the belief that it
will promote a reasoned and ba-
lanced approach to the issues

‘raised and an improved under-

standing of the policy of detente.”’

The document expresses the
unequivocal opinion that the
Soviet Union’s commitment to
detente is ‘‘firm and deep-
seated."’ It then undertakes at

length to refute arguments that
_ the Soviet Union is endeavoring

to swing the balance of mhilitary

‘power in the world to itself or is
: engaged in aggressive expan-

sionist policies anywhere around

_ the globe.

‘It is not true, says the pam-
phlet, that the Soviet Union ‘has
taken the lead in the process of

“expanding military capabilities.

“The assumption that the USSR
is the pacesetter in the arms race
is incorrect. The United States
has time and again seized the in-
itiative in introducing new
weapons systems. From the
1960s, Soviet arms improvement
has been a response to ‘‘a very
considerable expansion of
American forces.”’ 4

’ As for the alleged upsetting of
the military balance by the Soviet
Union, a distorted picture of the
actual situation is due to the fact
that information on this comes
from U.S. and other Western
intelligence agencies that have ‘‘a
vested interest’’ in anti-Soviet
propaganda.

The Labor Party document fas
a section that refutes the claim
that “Soviet objectives in Africa
threaten vital Western interests.”
Such contentions, it says, do not
hold water, and they distort both
Soviet and Western policies in the
Third World: ,

“Soviet interference in the
Third World is ascribed to a de-

sire to export communism, to in-

corrigible expansionism, or to ir-

responsible exploitation of sensi- °

tive situations. Western conduct,
in contrast, is usually described as
legitimate efforts to foster their in-
terests and protect their security
and well-being, and that of the
world as a whole. ©

“This reasoning is not very
persuasive. It quite conveniently
ignores Western, particularly
American, activities in foreign
countries which less partial ob-
servers may conclude are at least
as culpable as Soviet ones.”’

As for the Western propaganda
claims about an ‘‘aggressive
Soviet navy,”’ these are ‘‘far too
crude.”’ Although it may be said
that the Soviet navy’s presence in
waters far from Soviet territory
may not entirely be defensive,
“there is a distinction... between
territorial or related forms of ag-
grandisement on the one hand,
and the expansion of influence on
the other. We would contend that
the latter, rather than the former,
is the main political driving force
behind the Soviet build-up."

The Labor Party pamphlet,
which will play a part in shaping
party policy in government and
the party’s manifesto for the next
election, reflects left-wing Labor
thinking. Undoubtedly it will en-
counter strong opposition from
the party's right wing, which is in
command of the present Labor
government, but even the right-
wing, including Prime Minister
James Callaghan, is publicly
committed to detente. It is the
pamphlet’s sane and rational de-
piction of Soviet policies that will

PACIFIC TRIBUNES JANUARY 12, 1979—Page 4

cause the Labor right wing ad
the Tory Party to break out in a
cold war sweat.

The following article is from

the Tudeh Party (Communist Par-
ty) newspaper which is distri-
buted illegally in Iran.

*  * *

The Carter admiaistration is
trying every possible. method to

U.S. moves in
desperate bid
to save Shah |

maintain the rule of the Shah in -

Iran. The U.S. State Department
has set up a special committee on
Iran to try to disrupt the dem-
ocratic movement against the

autocracy of the Shah.

The recent move to split the
opposition by installing Shapour
Bikhtiar (number two person in
the National Front) as head of
government while the Shah re-
mains in power has been con-
demned by religious and political
opposition as another manoeuvre
to retain the Shah and U.S. domi-
nance. This opposition is also
seen in continuing strikes and
demonstrations throughout the
country:

Over the past weeks, USS. air-
craft, ostensibly used to carry de-

Algerian leader dies

President Houari
Boumedienne of Algeria died
Dec. 27 at the age of 46, having

‘Temained in a coma since Nov.

17.

Algeria’s sole legal political
party, the National Liberation
Front (FLN), is scheduled to
meet within 45 days to nominate a
new president from members of
the Revolutionary Council.

There were many messages of
condolence and sympathy to the
Algerian people.

The Soviet newspaper Pravda ©

said the next day: ‘‘Houari
Boumedienne will remain in our
meémory as a loyal son of the
Algerian people.”’

Boumedienne was born on.

ee

Aug. 23, 1932, in northeast
Algeria, one of seven children ofa
poor peasant family. He studied
at el-Azhar University in Cairo,
Egypt, and joined the Algerian
nationalist revolutionary move-
ment there. In 1955-62, he took
part in combat against the French
colonialists, emerging as inde-
pendent Algeria’s top military
commmander. In June, 1965, he
seized power through a bloodless
coup.

In the 1970s, Boumedienne’s
prime goal became Algeria’s in-
dustrialization with the help of the
socialist countries. A new steel
center was completed at Annaba,

ies

:

“Houari Scamedianie president
of the Algerian Revolutionary
Council died Dec. 27.

which uses ‘Algeria’s vast de-
posits of high-grade iron ore.
Algeria’s revolution was con-
solidated and institutionalized
through the first national referen-
dum in 13 years, which adopted
the 1976 Constitution, strengthen-

_ing of the national trade union

confederation (UGTA), and for-
mation of the first national peas-
ants’ and women’s associations.
Algeria also played'a progressive
role in the Arab world and in the
non-aligned movement.

Rhodesian ‘constitution’,
‘elections’ labelled fraud

SALISBURY — Ina desperate
attempt to bolster his so-called

“‘internal settlement’, the Smith
regime in Rhodesia has issued a
draft constitution in preparations
for his planned elections April 20.
The Patriotic Front has refused to
accept the elections labelling
them a fraud.

Examination of the ‘‘new
constitution” confirms this:
whites who make up less than 3%

-vote”’

of the population will be guaran-
teed 28% of the seats in the lower
house and 33% of seats in the se-
nate. This, with further provi-
sions in the constitution, gives
whites effective veto rights.

The military and civil service
would remain under control of the
whites. Their so-called election
on the basis of ‘‘one man one
is clearly a farce.

_ ismand autocracy would seve: ¢
‘weaken the forces’ of reaction

ments of Rhodesia and South At

, chases 65% of its oil from Ira

eae

. growing democratic movememt

. weaken the positions of South 4

terests perhaps even sacrificill

pendents out of Iran, have arriv
loaded with anti-riot gear, CP
agents and military advisom
With these new arrivals t&
number of U.S. agents and pt
sonnel has increased to 80,0008
which half are directly invol
with the military. :
The existence of this numbe
U.S. personnel means that for :
practical purposes Washington™
directing the activities of the I®
nian military, the police al
SAVAK (secret police) in the
bloody attacks against the peoph
It seems the U.S. is laying UF
groundwork for a military coup!
retain its influence and its oil

the Shah himself.

With so much investment |
Iran the ‘‘human rights’’ defe
ders in the White House are spa
ing no effort to retain their dom
nance. Besides Iran’s econom
value to the U.S. in oil fields af
arms sales, the country plays
key role in the strategic planni
of NATO in the Middle East,
and Africa.

Iran’s liberation from impeti

the Persian Gulf where Iran is ti
major military power. Iran f |
ders Pakistan, Turkey and Iraq)
faces Saudi Arabia and the 0 0
rich Emirates across the Persift
Gulf and its northern borders
with the USSR and newiff
democratic Afghanistan. __
It supplies the racist govel

rica with 90% of their oil in faceq
the Arab boycott. Israel pi

The loss of Iran would remo¥
imperialism’s main. policemi
which ‘it uses to suppress #

in the Persian Gulf. It wouh

rica, Rhodesia and Israel, th
right-wing rulers of Saudi A ‘ab
the Emirates, Pakistan, Egy|
and Somalia arid shift the balan
of power in the Middle Eaa
favor of the forces of peace a
democracy -following the victo
against feudalism in Afghanista
It is for these reasons the Us
is placing such emphasis on ff
taining its dominance in Iran. —
Radio Moscow recently &
posed the fact. that 175 hig
SAVAK agents had complet
their training at CIA headquarte
in Langley, West Virginiaand haw
returned home. This fact, alom
with U.S., British and West G
man backing of the Shah, and
recent visit of China’s Hua |
Feng to Iran shows imperialism\
and reaction’s contempt for t
democratic aspirations of the if
nian people and their responsiDj
ity for the bloodshed in
Streets.
The latest statement by Sov
leader Brezhnev calling for no
tervention in Iran’s internal
fairs stands in sharp contrast
the continuing activities of i
perialism. The Iranian people 4
strong enough to direct their o}
affairs. The Shah would not ste
for one day without U.S. sup ;
and the Iranian people have sé
for themselves who supports t
democratic movement duri
these crucial hours in their stru
gle for freedom. }