NO! THE BRITS AREN'T COMING PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report

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Owen Secretary David Owen last week surprised millions of workers and trade unionists by declaring at the United Nations that he was prepared to put British troops on standby to intervene in Africa.

Though his proposal was for a UN "peacekeeping" force, there is no doubt whatever that the sole purpose of such an intervention would be to prevent the armed liberation struggles now raging in Africa flowing over into social revolution which would overthrow capitalist exploitation.

He offered to airlift an infantry battalion ora commando group with full equipment and to "consider sympathetically" requests for further military assistance.

This desperate move by Owen is the outcome of the growing weakness of Smith's racist regime in Zimbabwe in the face of continued guerrilla warfare.

Even while pledging this aid, Owen was clearly crossing his fingers that such action would not have to be taken.

But the British labour movement must also declare in no uncertain terms that it will act to prevent any such intervention.

Owen, along with the whole pro-imperialist Labour leadership must be thrown out of office, and union branches must pledge themselves to blacking action and strikes to prevent this naked attempt to reimpose direct imperialist rule in Africa.

If Owen himself is so keen to assist Smith, he has the solution to hand: he can resign trom the government, Ily to Zimbabwe and enrol with the rest of Smith's racist goon squads in their doomed struggle to repress the black African masses.

In this way a bullet or two from Patriotic Front rifles could put a speedy and appropriate end to this excrescence on the British labour movement.

Patriotic Front guerrillas in Zi These surprising statistics were revealed recently in a study of dozens of polls by the University of Strathclyde public opinion study centre.

And, although within these figures i would be included reactionary elements that would seek to protect "our boys" in the British army, the clear majority for withdrawal of troops is a major slap in the face for the carefully orchestrated government and media propaganda campaign over recent years, justifying the brute terror of the British army of occupation.

Torture

While increasing numbers of British people are plainly concerned at the continuation of prison torture, Diplock courts, SAS murder squad activities, and sheer military terror which backs up direct rule from Moctminctor tho • HI .... 24GI, barbaric role of the British government is now being taken up internationally.

As British navy warships sailed into San Francisco on a goodwili visit last week they were greeted by boats and demonstrators protesting at the role of British imperialism in Ireland, and supporting the IRA.

"British death fleet go imbabwe The fight must be stepped up within the Labour Party and the trade unions for action to drive out the right wing Callaghan leadership and to cut supplies to the army of occupation in the North.

The . United Troops Out Movement march this coming Saturday in Mason's constituency of Barnsley provides an important focus for such a fight and must be fully supported.

It must bring to the forefront the demand that 'left' talking NUM bureaucrat Arthur Scargill withdraw NUM sponsorship from Mason and take immediate steps to oust this butcher from his own home constituency. is last week's threat by US Longshoremen's Union leader Teddy Gleason to call for an international boycott of British goods if political prisoners in Northern Ireland "continued to be tortured and denied their human rights."

Mason Such a policy would provide powerful lever against the repressive policies currently being pursued by Labour's torture chief Roy Mason.

But the British workers movement must not, be left behind by such solidarity action.

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