‘Make May a month of action’

Stopping the drive to war

HELSINKI — The World Peace Council has ap-

pealed to all governments, political parties and organiza- - tions to join together to make May, 1983 a month of

action for the prevention of war.

The WPC appeal reads:

Never was the danger of war as great as today.

The United States administration is relentlessly pursu- ing plans to deploy new Pershing-2 and Cruise missiles in Europe by the end of 1983. Just eight months remain

before the target dates which will carry the arms race to the most perilous heights ever.

Let there be no complacency — negotiations at Geneva between the U.S. and USSR are deadlocked. The Reagan administration is using them as a smoke- screen behind which it is intensifying its military build-up which aims'to establish military superiority everywhere, especially in Europe.

Peace movements around the world continue to take unprecedented action against this growing war danger. Easter saw large demonstrations against new missile deployment, for a ‘‘freeze’’ and for removal of all nuc- lear weapons from European territory.

Hundreds of thousands marched in the Federal Re- public of Germany, in Denmark, Holland, Italy and other countries. At Greenham Common in Britain wide support for the Women’s Struggle for Peace was again demonstrated with mass actions at the bases where the Cruise will be deployed.

The situation calls for ever larger actions.

The reality must be faced — the U.S. administration is pressing ahead with its preparations for nuclear war.

President Reagan, U.S. Defence Secretary Sens berger and others speak of a “limited nuclear war’’

‘protracted nuclear war’’, and a ‘‘winnable miles war’’. These are aimed at winning Support, tacit or open, of American and world public opinion for the Pentagon’s nuclear arms drive.

More than that: they have become the understanding within which nuclear war is being actively prepared: today by the U.S. administration.

Reagan’s intention to build an entire new system of anti-ballistic missiles, for space warfare and for the development of laser weapons underlines the dangerous character of U.S. war planning.

Publication last month of a new Pentagon booklet on “Soviet military might’’ is aimed at justifying U.S. armaments build-up and furnishing the arguments for war preparations.

Reagan has launched the most primitive crusade, a crusade to destroy the so-called ‘‘center of evil’’ — the Soviet Union. With its shameless use of religious over- tones, this crusade is another example of the manner in which plans for nuclear war are being advanced by Washington today. -

The urgent need of the hour is for the greatest mobil-

Uniting in a Celebration of Life, British women block! : ~ the future Cruise base at Greenham Common ove! weekend.

ization of humanity on a-world scale against this danger.

May, 1983, a month-of action to prevent nucleal 4 will begin with traditional May Day marches and ral which will focus on the growing war danger, linking j struggle for peace with the MIZEDE issues facing WO people in each country.

_ The month of action will concentrate on the camptt to prevent new U.S. missile deployment in Europ week for European security around the anniversé!? | the defeat of fascism and the end of World War TW9)) this year be marked with greater and more pow? mass actions than ever before.

The month of action will also make a major conti tion to the World Disarmament Campaign launche() 1982 by the Second Special Session of the United tions on Disarmament.

The urgency for unity and common action is crv U.S. war plans can be stopped through the joint at all peace movements, by all who stand for peace, res") less of different views and approaches.

TRIBUNE PHOTOS — SEAN GRIFFIN.

ane of the crowd of 80, on ats Sunset Beach following Vancouver's Walk for peace Apr. 23.

International Focus Tom Morris

The patriots and the dregs

“Don’t worry, George. we ll test the Cruise for you,” Trudeau is reported telling U.S. vice-president Bush at a recent dinner in Ottawa.

The PM might have offered to shine Bush’s shoes while he was at it. He could have told the vice-president that the people out here are a mere nui- sance; that he'll look after the small problem of the majority of us who oppose Cruise test- ing here.

Let's all hope Bush was Suitably impressed with our Prime Minister’s cooperative attitude.

Just to drive the point home, Defence Minister Gilles LaMontagne signed a

‘ memorandum of understand- ing April 21 with the U.S. clearing the way to test the Cruise next winter over Alber- ta, Saskatchewan and part of the western arctic.

External Affairs Minister MacEachen termed ‘“‘no sur- prise’’ a couple of weeks ago, when told the U.S. intends to formally request our territory for their tests.

Trudeau, the tin-pot - De- fence Minister Lamontagne and MacEachen are really be-

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 6, 1983—Page 10

5

neath contempt. Crawling be- fore Bush, Shultz and Reagan for a fatherly pat on the behind might be their idea of making friends.

But they should remember they supposedly represent the Canadian people who do have some pride. They should re- member that the majority of our people want peace and dis- armament and that Ottawa’s

One Canadian speaking out for millions.

sweet assurances to Uncle Sam are an insult to this country.

The thousands who marched against Cruise tests last week- end from coast to coast are the true patriots of Canada. The Liberal cabinet, bogged down in scandals and sell-outs, with- out pride or shame aren’t fit to represent them.

Surrounded by plots

It’s one thing for Reagan and his people not to listen to the arguments by national libera- tion supporters that the causes for the revolutionary wave in Centrai America are to be found in the misery, poverty, corruption and backwardness which is the legacy of colonial- ism and imperialism.

You would understand that heeding such an argument

would strip Reagan of his -

stupid, self-defeating policy in the region.

It’s another thing: however, when Reagan and his friends ignore the advice of their own.

A secret U.S. defence re- quirement survey compiled by top U.S. military commanders concluded two years ago that even with more U.S. military

aid, the war in El Salvador —

could not be won. Without

spelling it out, the report said that what the U.S. was doing was backing a corrupt minority against a people who have risen up in arms.

That was available to White House planners in 1981.

What’s the official U.S. line today? Writing last week in the Toronto Star, U.S. ambas- sador to the UN Jean Kirk- patrick says: “‘Since the 1982 elections (in El Salvador) nobody even pretends that the FMLN Enjoys popular support .

She tells it like Reagan sees it: “It is a professional guerrilla

_ Operation directed from com-

mand centers in Nicaragua, armed through Soviet bloc arms delivered through Cuba and Nicaragua . .. the pretense the FMLN is an indigenous guerrilla movement without foreign support has also been largely abandoned.”

So, it seems, nobody — friend or foe — can prevail upon Reagan. All movements for needed change are con- spiracies. Revolutions are communistic. It’s all a plot to destroy America and its west- ern values.

Had he been around in 1773, Reagan would have shot everyone who attended the Boston Tea Party.

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sured me the airport is of no

Besieged by unruly people

Available advice concerning Grenada is also not lacking.

Last summer the U.S. Con- gress heard a report by | California Congressman Ronald Dellums who visited Grenada, spoke to Prime Minister Bishop and inspected — the new airport construction Site.

Before leaving home, De- Ilums consulted with U.S. Commanders of the Atlantic Fleet and Air Defence Com- mand, ‘‘who emphatically as-

military: BESS

“T came away (from Grena- da)’’, Dellums testified, ‘‘with the. absolute impression that nothing being done in Grenada constitutes a threat to the Un- ited States or her allies.”’ ;

Dellums then posed the $64 —

importance to the ©

question: ‘‘why then the con- 4 tinued rhetoric against | -Grenada?’’

That was in June, 1982.

Why indeed? Why does Reagan still wave satellite spy — photos of an airport site that — any American is free to visit? Why the shrill callto arms? =

Independence appears to — stick in his throat. sy

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