Hands off Vietnam!

WEEKLY ORGAN OF-THE CENTRAL_COMMITTEE-OF-THE-SOCIAL ISTILABOUR LEAGUE Vol. 9, No. 382 February 13, 1965 Price 6d. WERE the gentleB/OSL FILE his Week Meaning of YTON age 2)

Manchester steel workers back pensions campaign Newsletter Reporter Withdraw South-east Asia LAST Sunday, at least 49 U.S. bombers killed and injured hundreds of North Vietnam workers and peasants in raids from three U.S. aircraft carriers in the South China Sea.

Far from denying this act, the American imperialists have boasted full responsibility. These rulers regard it as their right to kill and maim the people of any country who fight against oppression.

The U.S. is not 'officially' at war with North Vietnam, and President Johnson is never tired of telling the world how he is continuing the "peace' policy of Kennedy. And yet these bombing raids are carried out quite openly.

In justification, Johnson says the raids are 'reprisals' for attacks made on U.S. servicemen in South Vietnam a few days earlier.

But what are the facts?

In South Vietnam the people, led by Viet Cong rebel forces, are successfully concluding a civil war against their native landlords and capitalists.

The Americans have sent 21,000 troops, thinly disguised as 'missions' and 'adviser piese defend the native rulers. troops, heavily armed and supported by modern air power, are said to be there to save South Vietnam from Communism.

ISOLATED

The corrupt ruling clique cannot even reach agreement among themselves. Saigon, the capital city, it utterly isolated from the rebel-controlled countryside and only survives with U.S. support; and yet now the U.S. favourite, premier Huong, has been ousted by the right-wing General Khanh.

Against this rotten and corrupt gang of generals and politicians, the Viet Cong are all troops from fighting great battles every day, and in the course of this they last week inflicted losses on U.S. troops. This was the pretext for the air attacks.

We are now told that President Johnson, who recently appointed himself personal Commander-in-Chief in the area, planned two months ago to take advantage of such an opportunity as an excuse for bombing the North.

While there is a group of American capitalists led by Nixon who are for total war as the only solution in Vietnam, Johnson's aim is to have all that can be saved for capitalism through negotiations.

As the capitalist weekly, 'The Economist', wrote on anuary 9, 1965:

'But even this extension of the war would now be aimed at encouraging a negotiated settlement on the argument that bloodier noses for the North Vietnamese delegates would strengthen the position of the anti-communist delegates when they eventually get together at a conference.' Two months ago, Johnson decided on this attack. Two months ago, Labour Premier Harold Wilson consulted on foreign policy in Washington with this same Johnson. He agreed to accept heavier British commitments 'east of Suez' under unified U.S. command.

Wilson shares Johnson's responsibility.

NAUSEATING

Any misunderstanding on this subject has now definitely been cleared up by the nauseating statement of Mr. Michael Stewart,