War Danger Looms

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bank, holding 100 hostages, demanding the release of the ringleaders of February's attempted right wing coup.

• But the ringleaders-top men in Spain's military establishment-declined to be released. They are confident that the military courts will soon set them free.

Spanish anti-terrorist police units were then sent into the bank-in such a way as to allow a dozen gunmen to escape along with the freed hostages.

Ridiculous Then followed the most ridiculous cover-up attempt yet-as Spanish government spokesmen claimed that the gunmen were not right As special US envoy Philip Habib monotonously shuttles to and fro across the Middle East, his mission appears to be less connected with reconciling the Zionists and the Syrian leaders than with isolating the Syrians.

Zionist chief Begin has been. making increasingly wild statements demanding the withdrawal of Syrian missiles not only from Lebanon but also from Syria itself.

He has gone on to claim that Russian advisors are accompanying Syrian troops in Lebanon, and to allege that Libyan troops too are involved.

Such material is custommade for Begin's chauvinist campaign in the Israeli elections next month-which it now appears he may win.

It is unlikely that the threats will be turned into aggressive military action until after that election.

Meanwhile Habib's mission is to strengthen Begin's hand by ensuring that other Arab states hold back from any concrete support to the Syrians. To judge from the statement from the Arab League this weekend he appears to have had some success in this.

While the PLO and the Libyans have declared their support, the Syrian government appears to have been left largely isolated in its intransigent stance.

It is this isolation as much as the crisis of the Zionist regime which makes war a constant danger in the