The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.60/No.3           January 22, 1996 
 
 
25 And 50 Years Ago  

January 22, 1971
JAN. 12 - The last week has seen a new outbreak of fighting in Jordan between the Palestinian resistance forces and the troops of King Hussein.

The same factors that impelled Hussein to attempt to wipe out the Palestinian liberation movement in September still exist. First is the contradiction between the attempts by various Arab governments, backed by both Moscow and Washington, to reach a settlement with Israel, and the refusal of the Palestinian resistance to accept any settlement that maintains Zionist Israel and denies them their right to self-determination. Second is the danger presented to Hussein's regime in Jordan by the fedayeen's mobilization, politicalization, and arming of the Palestinians, a majority of the Jordanian population.

The Jan. 9 New York Times reported that the day before Hussein's troops began an attack on commando bases in the north of Amman. Al Fateh, the largest of the Palestinian resistance organizations, reported that the Jordanians had shelled a Palestinian Red Crescent (Islamic equivalent of the Red Cross) hospital at El Rumman.

January 19, 1946
Wall Street's plans for global domination have been dealt a staggering blow by the sweeping world-wide protest demonstrations of the American GIs.

In actions unprecedented in the history of victorious imperialist armies, hundreds of thousands of battle- scarred veterans have shaken their mighty fists at Washington, shouting: "Get Us Home!"

The angry, bitter protests against the delay in demobilization came from all over the world. The press publicized only the most spectacular - Philippines, Germany, Hawaii, France, Japan, Korea, China, India, England, Alaska and "dozens" of other places. This colossal new wave of protests was provoked by a January 4 War Department announcement that demobilization would be slowed down. This reversed a December 26 promise to speed up demobilization.

The GIs reacted with a swiftness that stunned official circles. On January 6, in Manila, thousands of GIs demonstrated at separated points, shouting their resentment. Military police "broke up" one band marching toward headquarters of Lt. Gen. Styer. Another crowd was dispersed on Quezon bridge. Meanwhile, half a dozen Army outfits issued mimeographed calls for action.

Simultaneously, on the other side of the world at Camp Boston, France, 2,000 GIs demonstrated. In Rheims more than 200 GIs cabled protests to the Senate and American newspapers, and 400 at Marseilles sent cables. Protests likewise came from 100 GIs at Frankfort, Germany; 1,800 officers and enlisted men of the 8th Air Force at London; and GIs at Tidworth, England. In the Pacific theatre, 6,000 men on Saipan wired protests. At Guam more than 3,500 enlisted men and officers of the 315th Bombing wing of the Twentieth Air Force staged a "hunger strike" in protest against the demobilization slowdown.

 
 
 
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