the use: of Soviet conventional military force in Europe. The first use of muclear weapoas has been a Key pillar of NATO strategy since the formation of the alliance Soviet conventional Forces in Europe have for vears been immensely more powertut altan chose of the Western Thus to prevent the BiES han always threatened the Ist use of nuclear weapons. ty there has been much talk of the son or a meatre nuclear war mired to Burope: The Cruise missile reciscly for such a purstrategic post BID military conannihilation FAREWELL DOLE! I'M OFF TO JOIN THE BRITISH ARMY!
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POWER in El Salvador has been held for decades by just 14 families. But in July 1979 in neighbouring Nicaragua the dictator Somoza was overthrown tionaries, opening up new possibilities for all the people of Central America and posing the United States with immediate problems.
Its allies - Honduras, Salvador run by oligarchies which rule through military dictatorships or the military.
The US feared the rowing power of the let 1 El Saivadd "1979 they In they СПАСССС а CORO AMES the dictator Humburto Romero. This brought to power a combined civilian military junta led by Christian Democrat Duarte, which promised reform.
Romero's replacement by the junta indicated the WeRKHer ruling oligarchy and SLECHULN From October 1979 there was an exploSIOn o1 mass strugaC demonstrations, land occupations and strikes the revolutionary organisations being significantly strengthened.
When the Duarte junta collapsed in February '81 the revolutionary groups joined oligarchy forces Inthe social demoCUU.LL cratic MNR and the Chris tian Social Party to form the Revolutionary Democratic Fron (FDR).
They also formed a Joint military command, the Liberation Front (FMLN).
February 1980 was a turning point:
HCI08000 Romero, champion of the poor, was assassinated by right-wing death squads commanded oy Roberto D'Aubusson now president of the assemblv armed organisations the FMLN came out on the by the Sandinista revoluGuatemala and El - are, like Nicaragua, small states governments incorporating streets to protect the mass demonstrations.
During Romero's funeral the army and nanonal guard showed their colours by firing on th hundreds of HOU SCLE assembled the cathedral San Saivador. A bloody war of attrition had opened up. 25,000 people have Since up to been slaughtered by the death squads - right-wing parastrong links with the national guard But revolutionar organisations, all of which have political fronts as well as military wings, wunsea inc new situation to organise in the counzones were established in many parts of the COTTLEY cluding near San Salvador the capital for a generalised ottend The sive as the politics of the countryside became polarSCE DE WCR TROse TOrne oligarchy and those for the guerrillas.
The oneni Januar was launched on 1981. Military positions all over the country were attacked. The town of Santa Ana was occupied. Attacks took place all over San Salvador.
But the general strike called for by the guerrillas was only a partial success. The urban arly in San Salvador, were noEm a posidon to De Dro anc the F the adeles- tected guerrillas, ted preparatory work in the towns.
But the January 1981 offensive was not the tinal offensive" that the bourSEDIS STES CANCa SIwa a rehearsal for a prolonged war of attrition to bring lown the junta The United States res ponded to the 1981 offensive by pouring in military and and personnel to Two sides of the El Salvadorean revolution: results of the death squads and an FDR/FMLN celebration strengthen the Salvadorcan armed forces; they launched a counter-attack raiding villages all over the country. Bút the FMLN re-organised and strengthened itself By autumn 1981 the tide had turned again and the FMLN launched renewed offensives, sabotaging industrial and economic targets, bringing down power lines all over the country, destroying half the Salvadorean air force in an audacious attack on the main base, and extending -liberated The struggle the Salvadorean -DEUDIC WL also gaining more interna tional recognition which culminated with the recognition of the MMwNUk as a legiti mate political force by the Mexican and French governments.
The recent fraudulent boycotted by the opposition, brought a sharp shift to the right in the oligarchy, with the big electoral extreme SUCCES Roberto bALbusOn. ARENA was also marked Turguerrillas. memmenesbe ween 38s andis the and the right-wing who run the LOTELSLCU country, the outcome o the struggle will be settlec by the armed struggle The danger that the US will intervene with troops is very real. But whereas internationa reaction ha lined up behind the milirulers. the FDR/FMLN necd much more international support. They are in the front ine of the struggle agains HSVSLE WHICH KOCOs SMaL and ruthless minorities ir power and inc ordmar our task is unrelenting solidarity, continuous campaigning against American involvement GACKEE D" PESSESBEE people of El Salvador, like people Vietnam before them, will not fight a one Contact the ei Salvador Solidarity Campaign at 29 Islington Park Street London N1. Tel. 01-359 2270.