long and bloody war with Iraq.
been brought down.
The immediate danger for the West is that if the Iraqis attack the Iranian Khari regime has threatened to close the straits of Hormuz. Over 40 per cent of Japan's oil and a similar oil go through the Straits.
The threat to the Iranian installations comes from the Exocet Super-Etendard planes recentle supplied o Diplomatic observers claim that France fully consulted the United States before making these sales.
Iran is in a much better situation to ngnt a prolonged war than Iraqhas three times the population and its economy has not been so hard hit by the war. Iraq therefore needs a rapid strike in order to on the Iranian government, deeply embroiled in its So far at least a quarter of a million people have been killed in this war. Yet neither government has strengthen its position in any settlement.
The United States and the other Western powers have probably given up the hope of bringing down the Islamic overact Iran — in the short term. between many Western states and Iran is expanding rapidly, as the recover. But the West does want to stop the war and force Iran to negotiate.
Iran is a powerful ally of Syria, itself a strong ally of the Soviet Union. So the West certanly does not want to allow a crushing Iranian victory, which would strengthen the Syrian-Iranian axis.
Moreover, the West sees the whole war as a facTURKEY * Damascus ISRAEL JORDA EGYPT RED SEA tor which destabilises the region. For example, of turkey, has territorial has built up links with The DUSTELL o1 a SYRIA Baghdad + TRAQ SAUDI ARABIA E Map by Paul 1. Pugliese Map shows how oil from the Gulf states passes through Straits of Hormuz power being involved in this was has horrific implications for the United States.
Both the United States Saudi Arabia have vowed to keep the Straits U.S.S.R.
BAHRAIN of Hormuz open. There is whatever that Egypt, itself a strong supporter of rag in the war, would happily allow the
THE CAMPAIGN behind the hunger strikers in 1981 raged throughout Ireland's 32 counties and created a new and exciting development inside the Republican novement.
A layer of leaders associated with the gains of the mass struggle and the influence of Marxist politics came to the fore in Sinn Fein. This new leadership, whilst being formed in traditional mould, nevertheless has actively challenged many of the assumptions of movement particularly in insisting upon the importance of political struggle.
Understanding the need to become identified as a socialist Republican current has not taken Sinn Fein along the same path Stalinist degeneration of the Workers Party.
Recent developments caused Tory minister James Prior to warn of a 'Cuba on Britain's doorstep' casting Gerry Adams in the role of Fidel Castro. From Dublin, MARTIN reports.
SINN FEIN'S Ard widespread coverage in both the Irish and British press.
High drama was made of the transfer of power from Ruairi O'Bradaigh to the 'Belfast men' led by Gerry Adams. It was a power tussle which Adams himself tried hard to play down.
O'Bradaigh and the man most closely associated with him for the past years O'Connaill — allowed the Adams team to take the reins in an unopposed election. In statements to the conference, both men described a two year battle over policies which had made their position untenable. In a gesture which almost certainly had the approval of the IRA Army Council, the feared split was averted.
It was a conference of great atmosphere alHO enthusiasm.
the absence of openly tendencies and factions which could give expression and clarification of divergent views, the conference was surprisingly free of the bureaucratic entanglements that dominate Labour Party or trade union conferences in Resolutions to conference coming Socialist Action 25 November 1983 younger Republican that of COLLINS Fheis attracted were (branch)
before reported back afterwards.
delegates.
Daithi State Fein from TV appearances.
leadership was Sinn Fein tionalist ment Despite organised its constitution and rules.
VO from both branches and leadership printed in the agenda which is distributed in advance. Each cumanr had spent two meetings working their way through this agenda, taking an attitude on resolutions electing delegates. These delegates, mandated by the branch votes, were free to change their votes according to the condition that this ties.
Trade union leaders and elected representatives took their place in the queue to speak alongside rank and file Ine accision-marig process of conference was held openly before the press and TV cameras free of petty restrictions, despite the Free Constitution which bans Sinn Although there were no slates, the elected by secret Issues however were clear. Was to re-adopt the tradivision of a decentralised federal Ireland, or go further along the road in deepening its commitdemocratic socialist republic? Conference decisively chose the latter. By a three to one majority, Sinn Fein ruled out what was called a Stalinist ban on further discussion of It used the opportunity to chart the objectives of the party along the lines of 'socialist Republican', rather than 'Christian' principles. In a symbolic move, conference replaced the ACTION 'decade of the rosary' at public commemorations by a moment's silence, allowing each individual to remember the dead in their own way.
Adams returned to the theme of secularism in his first presidential address, giving the lie to those that claim Irish nationalists are only interested in extending the role of the hierarchy to the occupied six coun*Protestant workers should consider', he said fact that the Catholic hierarchy has spent more time warning against us, than they have against the devil'.
With 30 councillors in the South, and two in the North as well as five elected Assembly representatives and Gerry Adams MP for West Belfast, this was an occasion to evaluate electoral experiences. The last year has seen Sinn Fein displacing laborationist SDLP as the voice of the nationalist community in the North, achieving 45 per cent of the vote. Advice centres and local organisations were seen to be thriving in those areas where elections had been contested, deepening the base in the community.
The longstanding Republican shibboleth of abstentionism for the sake of it was further eaten away as delegates voted overwhelmingly not only to 'contest the forthcoming EEC elections 1n Ireland with an imperialist policy of opposition to the EEC' but also to carry on that fight by taking seats if elected. Both Gerry Adams and Owen Carron made plain their commitment that this was in no way to be seen as the thin end of the wedge.
Ruairi O'Bradaigh said that even to discuss going into Leinster House. Stormont or 'as alien as the IRA discussing sur render or laying down its arms'. He Catholic did not want to start 'converting a revolutionary party into a constitutional party. Despite the motion to reaffirm the ban on any discussion of abstentionism being lost, it did not get the two thirds majority required to change the constitution.
On trade union policy there was change For the Republican movement recognised the fact that despite leadership, Irish Trade Unions must be recognised as a mass organisation of the Irish working class. play a role in their unions, fighting for the ICTU to return to the socialist Republican policies of James Connolly if it was to act for working people Conference sent messages of support to the Clondalkin workers in their fight against closure and condemning the patterns of multinational investment that led to 200,000 unemployed in the South.
There was, anti- pessimism about the significance of the wave of industrial struggles in the South, fightback against government austerity in Europe and create a thousands imperialism than leaders, when the tion. much campaign anti-abortion tant role in left within Sinn of the Was Westminster would be organisatiol first time, pression its bureaucratic of Supporters were urged to munity Gerry however, a note of which are the most militant massive wonel.
crisis for the coalitionist Labour Party. It would indeed by unfortunate if the Republican movement were to correct past mistakess by beginning to fight for national demands inside union structures, only to ignore the potential for doing the same thing among the hundreds of of rank and file workers who are in struggle.
This current has a thousand times more of a dynamic towards anti the trade union talk about partition fighting unemployment and about unemploy ment when workers are fighting partiConference called for the British TUC to stop being transfixed by the Loyalist domination of the Northern Ireland Committee of the ICT and work to end the Unionist veto. Trade unionist should, they said, inform the international trade union movement about the facts of British occupation of the North, trying to get the British TUC to support withdrawal.
Increasing organisation of Sinn Fein's trade union orientation and planned intiatives seem to indicate scope extending dialogue reached through Ken Livingstone and the Labour Committee on Ireland to militant trade unionists in Ireland and Britain.
Despite the failure of Sinn Fein to the reactionary Amendment the South, women have played an importhe development of the Fein. one achieve ment of the conference was to get rid myth that because Republicans don't support the Free State Constitution, they have to abstain on amendments to it. In future, it agreed, assures aile referenda would be assessed on their economic, political or social merit.
• disappointing after that clarification that a motion to remove 'total opposition to abortion' the programme was not carried. By a two to one majority, the section was amended, deleting the world 'total'.
A number of improvements in the organisation of Sinn Fein make it less likely that this position will remain The 'Women's Affairs' department changed its name to the 'Women's Department', in recognition of the need for the autonomous of women inside Sinn Fein to combat all aspects of their opThe leadership was instructed to convene a conference of advice centre workers to draw up guidelines for dealing with violence against women in the home. Sinn Fein men especially were told to get involved with the provision of childcare both in the comin the party itself as women had identified childcare as a major factor inhibiting their political involvement and development.
• Adams introduced discussion on the need for positive action, and after full discussion it was not on ly agreed to avoid sexual typecasting of women into traditional roles, but to actively discriminate in favour of women; to promote women as both candidates in elections and officers of the party, and to reserve at least 25 per of the leadership seats
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THE HUGE build up of American military might off the coast of Lebanon may not just be for use against Syria and the Palestinians. There is increas- ing evidence of an attempt to put military pressure