Workers Socialist League

Socialist Press, Trotskyism Today and the Trotskyist International Liaison Committee, 1975–1984

Smith's Savagery Exposes Moscow

Socialist Press no. 122, 25 October 1978 · scan p. 12 · about 669 words

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Smiles from Smith and stooge Chirau in the USA.

1500 refugees and guerrillas have been killed in the latest series of air-raids on ZAPU camps in Zambia by jets and helicopters from the forces of the racist Rhodesian regime.

The attacks over . the weekend followed raids earlier in the week against ZANU bases inside Mozambique.

This concerted offensive was clearly prepared to form a backdrop for the American visit of Smith and the black stooges in the transitional government' who are touting for support from US imperialism.

Weakness . In particular it was designed as .a show • ot strength to impress the representatives of the US and British governments who met the Smith cavalcade in Washington.

But what the raids revealed was not so much the strength of the state, as the weakness of the ZAPU forces that were being attacked.

ZAPU leader Joshua Nkomo claims to have 8,000 trained troops in his army, equipped with sophisticated weaponry.

Yet the Rhodesian aircraft were able to penetrate within 12 miles of the Zambian capital, Lusaka, and launch raid after raid SOCIALIST PRESS RALLY To commemorate the 1st anniversary of the weekly Socialist Press.

Speakers to include Socialist Press Editor John Lister 'ollowed by a showin of Eisenstein's "STRIKE"

Admission £1.00 Saturday 19 November 2 p.m.at New Ambassadors Hote Upper Woburn Place (1 minute from Euston Tube) Address Send to Dartmo Iandan Soviet leader Brezhnev without apparently suffering a single casualty.

There can be only two explanations of this mystery -either the ZAPU army simply does not possess the ground-to-air missiles which Nkomo has boasted of; or, It it does, then the ZAPU fighters have not been trained to. use them effectively.

Criminal role

In either case, the raids have pointed once again to the criminal role that has been played. by the deformed workers' states in the liberation struggles in southern Africa.

Time after time, Smith has shrieked hysterically that the forces of the WOWN EA I would like to receive issues. I enclove the su Name.

sci Press Park til Patriotic Front bristle with Cuban advisers and groan under the weignt of Russian arms.

But again and again the Rhodesian armed forces have been able to inflict severe defeats on the Patriotic Front even with their relatively outdated equipment.

This in 'itself indicates the true nature of the Cuban and Russian involvement..

The ruling Stalinis bureaucracies are scarcely 'less afraid than the imper ialists themselves of ar armed victory by thr Patriotic Front it SEKS ISUE issues .£1.10 issues .£2.20 issues . £5.50 issues €10.00 Cowley 9 "inquiry"-which has led to the threat of disciplinary action against nearly all the elected leadership in British Leyland's Cowley Assembly Plant-Buckle showed himself a consummate master of the art.

Less than a year ago he was assisting the Oxford District F&GP to conduct a "hearing" into the trumped up charges in which the same people laid the charges, heard such evidence as was allowed and then recommended savage sentences, including expulsion from the union and a life ban from union office.

Despite the hesitation of the union's Regional Committee to carry out such drastic disciplinary action, Buckle has resolutely insisted that these stewardswho have the full confidence of their members-should be Last week the 160 TGWU stewards in the Assembly Plant considered Buckle's role on this issue and a proposal from the 5/55 and 5/293 Branches that he be replaced as the official responsible for the Plant.

The resolution, which also called for the dropping of all justice"

In thus desperately attempting to echo Socialist Press accounts of the Cowley 9 "inquiry". • Buckle leaves out one crucial fact: the 160 stewards are elected from among more than 4,000 TGWU members on the shop floor; whereas Buckle, as an appointed official, represents noone. but himself and the reactionary TGWU Regional and national Buckle 4427*3

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← Contents of Socialist Press no. 122, 25 October 1978