Stop U.S. Genocide in El Salvador

There can be fewpeople inireland who are unaware of thous— ands of workers andpeasants who have been murdered in El Salvador inthelast year anda half at the hands of the murder squads of the ruling military/ Christian Democratic junta. These murder squads were also to blame for the murder of Catholic Archbishop Romero justa year ago.

Fewregimes have been so widely discreditedin the eyes of worldopinion as that, headedby Napoleon Duarte, whichrulesin El Salvador. In spite of this the US governments of Carter and Reagan has steppedup aid, both military and economic. Coupled: with the increased aid, including military advisers, helicopters, arms andammunition, hasbeen an intensive propaganda campaign waged by the US-State Department aimed at proving that regime isamoderate(?), centre-right(?) reforming (!4 ) Junta opposed by guerillas operating at 'Moscow!s! behest withno support from the people inEl Salvador. (Even the US State Department can't claim any popular support inE! Salvador for the Junta soit pretends the people are against both guer— illas andJunta).

USKILLING POWER US propaganda, however, has been totally discredited though for Salvadoran workers and peasants, the military aidcertainly has increased the Salvadoran army's killing power. Green berets training the Salvadoran army in !'counter-insur— gency" techniques, helicopter gunship napalm type incendiary weapons - the parallels with Vietnamin the sixties are too striking to be easily dismissed. Reagan's defensiveness on the subject points to the emergence of the opp— Osition to war among American workers and youth asa force tobe reckoned with by US government planners. Already big demonstrations have taken place all over Central America, South America, the US, Canada and Europe particularly in West Germany. Wages-from page 8 Variouscommentators have sug gested that there will not be another '!National Under standing!. Many employers have already publicly stated arefusal tonegotiate a thirddeal.

The trade union leaders should prepare for the ending of this wage deal withan independent centralised plan of campaign to secure adequate living standards for workers. They must not wait tobe sent away by employers with their collective 'tails between their legs'. Withdrawal from the Employer—Labour Conference a policing body for 'disruptive! disputesis vital pre-condition for such acamp aign.

Any break with centralised bargaining would bea mistake -the old 'return to freecollective bargaining! argumentis wearing abit thin. Many workers have long since recognised the need for acentralised defence of théir rights, and-are long frustrated withits absence, Fundamentally, the problems of the Irish economy need to be examinedinamore longterm and broader context by the Trade Union leadership. The implica— tions of imperialist domination need tobe spelledout clearly and aplan prepared to challenge them. SUBSCRIBE NOW ENSURE YOUR COPY REGULARLY Rates for 12 issues:

Ireland, England, Scotland Wales: £2. 60 Europe: £3.00 Canada, USA: $7.50 Elsewhere: £3.50 Connolly Bookshop, Avoca Park, _Andersonstown, Belfast. These demonstrations underline the political weakness of imperialismparticularly of USimperialism since its defeat in Vietnam, a weakness that has been in— creasedby therevolutionsin Nicaragua andIiran. Moreover, continuing struggles of US and European workers and youth against austerity, nuclear power, etc adds toimperialism!'s problems and makes defeat of working people and war preparations more difficult. Thisisthe context in whichUSimperialism's stepped up propaganda takesplace. By trying to whipup an anti communist crusade, the USrulers through Reagan are hoping to free their hands to deal with troublesome workers at home and abroad, Hence the big slander campaigns against Cuba andNicaragua. Washington has al so made some openly belligerent moves against these tworevolutions. Afewexamples are: the establishment of a Rapid Deployment Force for intervention in the Caribbean by Jimmy Carter last year after an artificial hysteria about anew “Soviet combat brigade!! that had been in Cuba for seventeen years; the provocation of the US stage—managed emigration from Maried Bay after the UShad cut off travel facilities from Cuba to the US for many years; recently, threats from Secretary of State General Haig about a complete blockade of Cuba. And these are just against Cuba.

The UShave also moved against Nicaragua: they have cut off supp— lies of wheat to Nicaragua, which will cause hunger, they have steppedup slanders of human rights violationsin concert with right-wingers in Nicaragua, this in spite of the fact that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) singled out the Sandinista government in Nicaragua for praise of its consistent commitment tohuman rights atits third conference in February 1981.

The intervention by the USin El Salvador #9 public knowledge but what!s not public knowledge is that even some of the long term strategists are worried. Last TORUN is a town of 230, 000 published by a minority of State Dept. advisers who held out the FDR guerilla opposition front in jon that all the US government's tion of US military involve— ment inEI! Salvador.

GUERILLA SUPPORT A further propaganda weapon usedby the USrulers had been the big scandal raised about the alleged supply of weapons from Cuba, Nicaragua and Vietnam and EestemEurope to the Guerillafighters. The FMLN have on the international arms market including black market sources inthe USitself. The imperialist November, aDissent Paper was view that Jimmy Carter's policies wilfully underestimated the level of popular support for the FM_N= El Salvador and voiced the opin— policies were leading in the direcstated that they get their weapons them. propaganda has begun to look decidedly hollow due to the fail— ure of the Salvadoran army which claims tohave captured large amounts of weapons from the FMLN to come up with any significant amount of Cuban, Vietnam— ese or East European made weap— ons. Evenhollower ‘hasbeen the claim that there isno popular support for the FMLN and FDR.

In spite of some weariness among the petty bourgeoisie, international observers and journalists have reported that the revolut— ionary forces enjoy ahighllevel of support not only in the country— side, butalsointhecities. For example, the general strike called for in the January 10 general offensive was answered best among public service employees, in spite of the level of repression and violence meted out against The UShas been similarly un— successful in trying to give any stability to the military/Christian Democratic junta. Tension between Duarte, the President and Defence Minister Jose Guill—ermo Garcia, whois supported by the elite office corpsis mounting.

Meanwhile Major Roberto D!Aub— uisson, widely believed to head the death squads, who advocates amilitary coup, hasreturnedto El Salvador. The junta's much vaunted ''moderni sing reforms!! ' have been shown to bea farce. The |landreform which was supposed to win the support of the peasants has just provided the death squads of ORDEN witha way of getting at the peasants. Moreover, opposition fromthe really biglandowners and coffee growers has forced postponement of further landreforms for five toten years. Inthe faceofa flight of capital, the Salvadoran economy isan the verge of coll— apse. In spite of ahastily applied coat of "reform!! paint, the junta looks even worse than ever as the cracks show through.

YetUS support continues. According to Defense Minister Garcia, without the support from the US during the last guerilla, offensive, the junta couldnot have heldout. Thatreally says itall. International solidarity is vital.

In Ireland Bishop Casey pointed to US support for the juntaas reason enough for the Irish gov— ernment to break off diplomatic relations withthe US. We agree. What do you bet Gene Fitzgerald didn't mention El Salvador when Reagan wasclaiminglrelandas part of the ''Western Alliance"! on St Patrick'sDay. TheFianna Fail Government could make up for this by condemning US supp-) ort for the junta.

The Irish labour movement hasa vital role toplay in forcing the government to act.

NO GUNSFOR THE KILLER JUNTA!

VICTORY TO THE FMLN-FDR!

CIARAN MACNAMIDHE We must also consider the role of