ARE Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul Il the best friends the Polish workers have?
That's certainly the impression that is being put over by much of the media.
ride to the rescue of the Poles.
The action he has taken in imposing sanctions against the Polish and Soviet governments is contrasted to the reluctance of others Western alliance - notably the West dermans make any against the Eastern bloc.
But if this is the popular interpretation Western response to the Polish crisis, the reality is not so simple.
US response to the military takeover was Europeans . I ne of US Secretary of State Alexander Haig, merely expressed his 'concern' the rider that the takeover was an internal attair for the Poles.
Ronald in the moves capitalism's ' as cautious as military Ronald dull This was At Reagan f Cuba as of equipment Soviet-Western publicity that repeat of make up Reagan and Schmidt - no friends of the Polish workers.
this exercise would have hurt the US economy too much.
grain sales to the Soviet Unior between two-thirds and $1.3bn.
NOON
three-quarters of total US exports to the USSR which in the first eight months of last year earned the US What Reagan did attempt to do was to use the Polish events. not so much to express support for Polish workers, ideological Reagan said that Solidarity 'may have asked for more than thev could be given' in demanding a referendum ir And the same day that Reagan showed his supposed workers in Poland, the US publicised two other decisions of foreign policy The state department appealed for an end to EEC sanctions Turkish military junta, where 50 trade union leaders have just gone on trial for their lives. Reagan also announced US mom te salvadoran Army — respon sible tor the murder thousands of workers and peasants.
Fficial.
Herald but rather as a part of his against the indeed at one point yellicall expressed Hael government training of officers malls Not tens of the Soviet Led -and the USA will open als 'We do not share the American spokesperson Kurk Sordid government, Polish events, Hutzingeer of 'One day President Reagan him from American the have built and Poland in par- he ment military by banks are also Billions of weak.
government. In that the around 'Although one of General Europe tank outside Gdansk shipyard davs after martial law was declared quoted in the International Tribune put on 'With all this unemployment and recession in Europe, it is understandable that the Europeans and particularly the Germans, are reluctant to participate in sanction: involving a key market for them Economic interests apart, the Western wuropean countries. with the poin, be ve hadionor the chime, Birtain, have had, for • some time ferent tactical attitudes from the US the Western/Soviet Union relationship. The EEC view, as by West German leader Schmidt at the weekend, that the Yalta agreement of 1945 re COICE was une cea whereby the imperialist powers were given a free hand in West Europe, anc Union was allowed to do what it liked in East Europe. The Americans, with their declining empire in Asia and Southern and Central America are no longer so happy with this arrangement. But what all involt West Europe, the Soviet Union agree is that the type experiment in workers contre which Solidarity began in Poland not one that merits support.
The other highlighted actor in the Pope John Paul II Lakes a mar bewi According 10 = story printed in the Sunday Times, he Ambassador advised Vatican of the military clampdo:two hours before it happened.
The Pope was assured tha: :measures taken by the governmer. would be limited and that the Church would be asked to government and Solidarity return ior these assurance turned out to be false - Polis:. A: chbishop Jozef Glemp preached a se: mon just after the takeover in which pleaded, 'Do start fighting Poles against Poles.' Only when :: became clear that the Polish governhad out-manoeuvred the Vatican did the condemnations of the the Pope become less It is all a very sordid picture. One of secret deals, bankers' interests and WOrKer being kicked in an ideological footbal game between Reagan and Moscow The only real friends those workers have, and the only ones they need are trade unionists like themselves the US, West Germany and the rest of •Socialist Challenge . 7 January 1982
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Reagan in particular is being portrayed as the lone cowboy of the Western World ready to