Oman: Over to Uncle Sam
Socialist Press1977 1977-02-16Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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In an armed confrontation the Maoists broke up the march. 60 people were wounded. And the next day Demirel's regime used the event as a pretext to outlaw the two associations - a step they had failed to impose before.
Class unity be achieved in *Build united workers defence squads against fascist attack!
*For an all-out general bring down the NF coalition!
*For an independent C! troops out of Cyprus now!
The departure of British troops at the end of next month from their base at Masiri, off the coast of Oman on the south of the Arabian peninsula, has been the cause of some controversy in recent weeks.
Widespread reports appeared in the British press and elsewhere at the end of January that Sultan Quabus of Oman was about to grant the base to the American navy, to allow them to maintain their hold on the western side of the Indian ocean.
As a result of these reports, the ultra-reactionary Quabus felt it necessary to summon to his -would you believe? - Winter Palace, a correspondent of the London Times to tell him that a base was 'out of the question' However, since the Sultan also said 'if a friend asks us for an aircraft to land, in normal circumstances, we would have no objection' ', the Times man did not go away quite convinced. Of course 'the question of how extensive such facilities might be' was left 'open' These events are an importan part of the re-alignment of powe politics in the gulf area. The Oman regime remains largely a puppet o the British, with 500 'seconded troops, including commander i chief Perkins to remain after thi ¿official' troops have gone.
However, the Labour gover ment, which cheerfully carried o: the war against Dhofari liberatio: forces since 1966, is now not muc good as a puppeteer.
The Americans are therefor largely taking over. Air controller at Salalah airport will in future b from Pan American instead of th RAF. However, even the reaction ary Quabus feels it necessary ti deny that he is going in complete ly with the Americans.
Latest reports do seem to indi cate that the guerrilla fighters i Dhofar, in Western Oman, havi diminished in strength since las year.
The withdrawal of 3,000 Irania troops must show this fairly clearly However, the fact that the 501 British are remaining shows that thi possibility of popular uprising against the excerable Quabus has b! no means been discounted.