Chinese Stalinists back tottering Shah

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This is, after all, the tyrant who proclaimed the White Revolution' to defeat the 'Black' and 'Red Revolution' of feudal reaction and communism.

Even in the present trying conditions of popular uprising, Chairman Hua is unlikely to be troubled by the qualms of a less experienced traitor.

Like the earlier stops at Bucharest and Beigrade, the visit to Tehran has one supreme purpose for the Peking bureaucracy.

The foreign policy of the ruling Chinese Stalinists centres on forming alliances against the 'main enemy' of Soviet 'imperialism' Reactionary To this end they outstrip even their rival brothers from the Kremlin in giving support to imperialist and viciously reactionary regimes-Pinochet's military dictatorship in Chile, Mobutu's corrupt tyranny in Zaire among them.

But Iran's central position in Asia gives the Shah a prominent place on the Chinese list of friends to be cultivated.

Straddling the continent from the central Asian states of the Soviet Union to the Gulf with its rich oilfields, Iran figures crucially in any global military strategy.

The fanatically anti-Soviet stand of the Shah at once endears him to the Chinese bureaucracy with its fears of 'encirclement' by Soviet 'hegemony' over Asia.

The pro-Soviet coup in Afghanistan and the slight cooling of Chinese relations with the military rulers of Pakistan have both injected new warmth into the forma Sino-Iranian friendship already existing.

Threat

At the same time, the Peking Stalinists have every interest in arresting any revolutionary developments in Iran.

The overthrow of the Shah's dictatorship by the mobilisations of the mass opposition would be a grave threat to them, whatever leadership this might bring into power.

Not only could Soviet influence gain some hold. Far more important, such a political-or even social-revolution would massively strengthen the struggles of workers and peasants in the Middle East, south Asia and even in China itself.

The dangers of sur earthquake to the unstab of the Peking bureaucrat never far from its mind.

Share fears

These agents of counter,revolution share their fears with every section of the international bourgeoisie.

chief policeman sm in the Gulf are Ids me :etings to d rule are Mehutu for a, the SCUSS 'security' with the teudal lords of Saudi Arabia and the progressive' Ba'athist leaders of Iraq.

Prince Ion Abdul AzizSaudi Defence Minister-has called upon Arab states 'to support the Shah to preserve stab¡lity in Iran' But the Iraqi leaders had already taken practical steps to ensure that this unusual plea from their reactionary reighbours was answered.

Exile in Trad

Ayatollah Ruholiah alKhomini-a prominent Iranian religious leader involved in agi. tation for the Shah's overthrow _has lived in exile in southern Iraq since 1963. He has outlived his welcome and usefulness to his Ba'athist hosts.

These idols of. Newsline signed an agreement with the Shah to end the Kurdish rebellion in March 1975.

Beyond the contemptible betrayal of the Kurd's right to ment has now brought them into alliance with the Shah against the aspirations of the Iranian masses.

The Iraqi regime today refuses to broadcast the Ayatollah's inflammatory statements-but not from any principled objection to their reactionary religious form.

Far from receiving encouragement or assistance from these 'progressive' petty bourgeois nationalists, the struggles of the Iranian masses have been scarcely reported in the government-controlled press.

Meanwhile we must wait to see if News/ine abandons its previous opposition to the Shah in deference to its ' Ba'athist "allies'' Mobilisations But the Shah can have little time to be properly grateful for these attentions Huge mobilisations have continued despite efforts to frustrate and smash them by displays of military strength.

- siat laria's Stalinist leader Tito ride Mosques stay locked up by order in parts of Tehran, although troops have now been withdrawn from the streets.

Isfahan remains under martial law, and three days of rioting followed the cinema fire at Abadan..

Defiance

Above all, the widespread defiance of his repressive measures has alarmed the Shah.

it has become clear to him on the one hand that the systematic and bloody repression required to crush the opposition by. force would provoke a civil war.

On the other hand he has recognised that the determination and tenacity of the masses make it doubtful who would emerge victorious.

The Shah's problems are complicated by the knowledge that any holding back on his part will both increase the confidence of the mass opposition, and in turn bring the possibility in triumph alongside the Shah of the army deciding to secure stability for imperialism by seizing power itself For all his massive machinery of repression, the Shah is in a highly vulnerable position.

This underlying weakness has partly dictated the tyrant's 'restraint' over the last week, as in calling an enquiry into the Abadan cinema fire with the associated dismissals and suspensions of officials.

But this policy of 'appease ment'--summed up in the 'resignation' of Prime Minister Amouzegar-has also been cal. culated to divide the mass movement of opposition.

'Moderation' at this stage could bring about negotiations with the Shite Muslim leaders, and it is precisely for this result that these reactionary elements have encouraged the opposition movement.

- If these apparently implacable enemies can pull together a mutually convenient deal, then their first united move wili be a ferocious attack on the workers and peasants of Iran A general strike has been called in Nicaragua, after the spectacularly successful raid on the parliament buildings by guerrillas of the Sandinist National Liberation Front.

But like the similar strike in January, this initiative has been organised by the Broad Opposition Front-an all-inclusive popular front against the dictator Somoza, which includes major capitalists and church dignitaries alongside trade union leaders.

While US imperialism struggles to negotiate the peaceful removal of Somoza and 'democratisation' of Nicaragua, the country's economy is reeling as foreign investors pull out their capital from such perilous regions.

The ending of the Somoza family dictatorship can be only a gain for the workers and peasants of Nicaragua.

But that limited advance cannot be developed to fulfil their economic and political demands by a leadership which sees its task as simply guerrilla warfare and terrorism, or the formation of 'democratic blocs with sections of the bourgeoisie and imperialism. smash the Peruvian miners' strike, General Bermudez and his military dictatorship have declared a state of emergency in five mining areas and suspended all civil liberties there.

The wide ranging powers of the decree are designed 'to guarantee mining production and eliminate subversive action designed to jeopardise reactivation of the national economy'.

Troops are already being moved in to take control of the mines. Some 10,000 miners (a fifth of the total strikers) are refusing to leave Lima where they have gathered and are holding protest demonstrations.

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self-determination, this arrange- Yugosi

STRIKE BY FOLLOWS RAID

PERU STATE OF EMERGENCY In a desperate attempt to