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International Viewpoint 24 November 1986
Mozambique Renamo links with USA THE US embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe has recently admitted that the South African backed guerrilla organization in Mozambique, Renamo, have recently Renamo, whose full title is the National Resistance Movement of Mozambique (RNM), was originally a creation of colonialists, supported by lan Smith's Rhodesian regime. [See issue 108 of International Viewpoint.] Since 1980, South Africa has become the main paymaster of has been waging armed warfare against the ruling party in Mozambique, Frelimo, since independence in 1975.
It was Zimbabwe's information officer, Nathan Shamuyarira, who first revealed that Renamo had opened an office in the USA. The US embassy said that it was OK contras, the Aighan mujaheddin and other "defenders" of democracy and human rights around the world.
Rumours are now circulating that Renamo's "supreme commander" Afonso Dhlakama, is planning a trip to the USA. Before too long we may be treated to another spectacle of Reagan shaking hands with a "freedom fighter" who is no more than a hired agent of the South African regime. France Anti-Botha demos IN EARLY November, all over France demonstrations were held to protest against the visit of South African Prime Minister PW Botha, who came to inaugurate a South African memorial to World War 1 at Longueval on November 11.
At Longueval itself, in the north of France, demonstrations and motorcades culminated in a counter-rally of 600 people, while Botha carried out the inauguration surrounded by Front National thugs and paratroopers.
In Paris, on November 6, 5,000 people demonstrated their opposition to Botha's visit at a demonstration called by the Anti-Apartheid Movement (MAA), SOS-Racisme, the CFDT, UNEF ID (a national student organization), the Socialist Party, Unified Socialist Party and the French section of the Fourth International and its youth organization, the LCR and JCR, along with other organizations.
In spite of an appeal for a united demonstration the Communist-led union, the CGT, decided to organize a separate demonstration, and refused all approaches for unity. In total, over 10,000 people demonstrated on the two marches in Paris.
in Harare for Renamo to have an office because it was run by an "American citizen Notebooks for Study claiming to represent the RNM" and that "such an office does not and Research require the approval of the US government".
The setting up of the Renamo office in Washington coincides with moves by the far right in the US to reverse the presently friendly relations with the Frelimo government, by putting Renamo on the same footing in US foreign policy as the reactionary UNITA guerrillas in Angola. The US State Department has justified its good relations with the Mozambiquan government in terms of "trying to wean Mozambique away from the Soviet Union".
But there is a good deal of op. position to this policy in the US Congress, a policy that appears to go against the grain of President Reagan's anti-communist crusade. Thus plans in 1984 to provide Mozambique with "non-lethal" military aid were frustrated by rightwing congressmen.
A series of articles praising Renamo have been appearing in magazines of the American right, including Soldier of Fortune, a house-magazine
"THE Place of Marxism in History" is the title of a new educational pamphlet pared by Ernest Mandel on the basis of a course he teaches at the International Institute of Research and Education (IRE), a Marxist school in Amsterdam.
This pamphlet is issue number one of the Notebooks for Study and Research/Cahiers d'Etude et de Recherche published by IIRE. These Notebooks will provide important educational consisting of the transcriptions of courses taught at the Amsterdam school, studies of a particular theme or • country and special features and written debates. Pub. lished in both English and French, the Notebooks draw from the international experiences of the staff and students.
9775377 for study and research
THE PLACE OF MARXISM
IN HISTORY
• ernest mandel for
American mercenaries and their admirers. Soldier of Fortune also functions as a recruiting organization for
Renamo, UNITA, the Nicaraguan
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International Viewpoint 24 November 1986
Fourth International Regional meetings IN SEPTEMBER and October two important regional meetings of the Fourth International were held. The first was of members of the IEC (International Executive Committee) in Latin America, and the second brought together representatives of the political bureaus of sections of the Fourth International in Europe.
The Latin American meeting considered a number of different
First, it examined the situation in the Dominican Republic after the electoral victory of Joaquin Balanguer. It focused particularly on the consequences of these elections for the left, and the present divisions in the Dominican Left Front (FID), the split within the Dominican Workers Party (PTD) and the debates in the Socialist
The discussion of the Latin Amerianalysis of and austerity plans being implemented in different countries notably the Cruzado plan in Brazil and the Azteco plan in Mexico. In this context, the process of industrial modernization in certain sectors on the one hand, along with impoverishment of large sections of the population on was discussed. This was followed by an analysis of the stages of development of the sections the Fourth International in the continent, in Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico and
Finally there was a preliminary exchange of views on Cuba - both on internal developments in this workers' state, and on the various aspects of foreign policy of the Cuban Communist Party. This discussion on a question of fundamental importance for the development of revolutionary organizations in
Comrades from Belgium, the Netherlands, West Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, France, the Spanish state, Portugal, Denmark, Luxembourg and Britain participated in the European meeting.
The first report looked at the socioeconomic situation in Europe. It highlighted the depth of the crisis in the capitalist countries, and the problems which face the workers' movement in such a period.
also a discussion on perspectives in the Federal lic of Germany on the eve legislative elections, which stressed the importance the struggle of unions like IG Metal and IG Druck und Papier would have. Other reports considered the situation in Britain and in particular the problems facing the Labour Party and its left wing - and the crisis of the French Communist Party.
final discussion took place on some of the current problems of the women's movement. This looked at the bourgeois ideological offensive, attempts at integration of the movement institutions, and relations with workers' organizations.O Britain Justice for miners "TODAY, 16 months after the end of the 1984-85 miners' strike, 480 of our people are still locked out by the National Coal Board; six locked up in jail, political prisoners principles and ideals on which British labour movement was built." (NUM), thus summed up the fight still facing the NUM and the labour movement in Britain to win justice for the miners.
Scargill's article is included in the first issue of a new broadsheet called Justice, the newsletter of the National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign.
Campaign's To rally support for the NUM resolution on victimised miners passed at the 1985 Labour Party conference and the Trade Union Congress (TUC);
To raise support for the sacked and imprisoned miners and to raise money for the NUM's National Solidarity Fund;
Minew hers Bise the "Jamen ary
bill to gain amnesty for all sacked miners];
To call on the TUC and Labour Party to refuse all recognition to, or o have dealings with, the breakawa
Jnion of Democratic Mineworker [UDM - the scab union formed in opposition to the NUM during the
Around this platform the Campaign has organized meetings at national trade union and labour movement conferences and major fundraising efforts for the victimised miners.
To receive conies of Justice and other Campaign news write to: NJMC, 26 The Avenue, Durham DH1 4ED enclosing a donation. (Cheques payable to the National Justice for Mineworkers Campaign).
Ireland AAM conference A CRUCIAL year for the struggling people of South Africa and important advances for Irish solidarity against apartheid were the major themes at the annual general meeting of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement (IAAM) in Dublin on October 18-19.
The banner at the head of the conference room proclaimed the clear message that went out from the meeting: "Solidarity with the African National Congress".
Founded in 1911, the ANC this year celebrates its 75th year o fighting racism and imperialism in Africa. To mark the occasion, a magnificent banner honouring the ANC was presented to the IAAM executive to give the ANC during the anniversary celebrations. The banner bears the words of Padraig Pearse from the poem The Rebel: "Beware of the thing that is coming; beware of the risen people."
As well as resolutions saluting the and SWAPO, the meeting passed important motions academic boycott of South and on the organization of the IAAM.
The IAAM called on the Dublin government to independent action to impose a total ban on all imports from South Africa and on exports of a strategic nature necessary to the maintenance of apartheid.
In the wake of the pathetic failure of Conor Cruise O'Brien's lecture tour of South Africa, a motion was passed supporting the cultural and academic bovcott and condemning those academics such as O'Brien who break it.
Newry, one of the newer branches of the IAAM, proposed a motion which called for a review of organizational structures in order to expand membership (especially among the unemployed) and activists. This is now being worked on by the executive.
The meeting condemned the detention of Brendan Barron under the Prevention of Terrorism Act by British police in Birmingham two weeks ago. Barron was suspended from his job in Dunnes' Stores in Crumlin for refusing to handle South African goods and was travelling to an anti-apartheid meeting in Coventry when he was detained for an hour under the PTA. • [From Phoblacht/Republican News, October 23, 1986.]
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