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Letters to the Editor:

Palestinians' long battle

Since the dispossession of their homeland over 50 years ago it 
has been an uphill battle for the Palestinians seeking to obtain 
justice and support against considerable distortions and bias in 
the Western world.

Most people only took serious notice of problems after the first 
Intifada (uprising). This led many people to change their ideas 
and attitudes substantially on this issue over the past decade or 
so and to recognise the legitimate rights and justness of the 
Palestinian cause.

Many people who were once confused or knew little about the 
situation have come to clearly distinguish between who is the 
oppressed and oppressor in the case of Palestine. This has 
brought the Palestinians the empathy and solidarity they deserve.

And Israel, which had a monopoly on virtue since 1948 found it 
had to defend its past violent history and actions. This has 
resulted in a shift of emphasis and a concerted campaign by 
Israel and its supporters abroad to focus on the subject of 
Palestinian "terrorism".

While all warfare and its consequences are horrifying, any 
assessment of the conflict will show that Israel's record on 
terror and carnage is more methodical and on a greater scale than 
anything Palestinians have resorted to. And Palestinians have the 
legal and moral right, the same as any other occupied people, to 
use any means at their disposal to resist the invaders of their 
country.

Israel and its supporters are now trying desperately to convince 
people that various tactics used by some Palestinian factions 
make their struggle illegitimate and beyond backing. 

This notion that the Palestinian resistance is an exception is 
ridiculous. The Palestinian forces use exactly the same methods 
utilised by various indigenous and subjugated peoples for 
centuries, including the American Indians, Aboriginals, Algerian, 
South African, Kurdish, Latin American, Vietnamese among others 
that have fought anti-colonial wars and national liberation 
struggles as well as the anti-fascist forces in Europe and Asia 
during the 1940s.

The Palestinians share the same common aims and methods as other 
peoples struggling for independence and freedom around the world 
and are worthy of the same unconditional support.

Steven Katsineris
Hurstbridge, Victoria

A secret intelligence report inside the Pentagon has been 
leaked to the Internet, no doubt by officers hostile to Bush's 
war.

It stated that an army group was on only one meal a day, with 
only enough water for drinking and low on fuel.

It does not name the place, but it is most probably the 3000 
marines at Fallujah because they have been out longer and the 
Baghdad-Fallujah convoys have been continually cut. They are 
facing a hostile city of 300,000.

Another army group of 2500 troops have only six latrines. This is 
probably the army group surrounding the holy city of Najaf and 
numerous militia of Moqtada al Sadr.

It could be the group reported on two meals a day.

The have tried to get tents but Halliburton says it is impossible 
for the communication lines are cut and drivers are refusing to 
face the increasing dangers.

The temperatures in the desert are in the mid-'30s in April, the 
mid-'40s in May and higher still in June.

If they continue to lay siege to Najaf, tents are essential.

The Pentagon report estimated up to 50,000 Republican Guards are 
cutting the supply lines.

Has Bush set two army groups Missions Impossible?

Vic Williams
Willagee, West Australia

April 15 and July 8 are significant dates in the hearts and 
minds of the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 
April 15 marked the 92nd anniversary of the birth of the great 
revolutionary leader and founding father of the DPRK, Kim Il 
Sung. July 8 marks the 10th anniversary of his death.

Known as the "Day of the Sun", April 15 is celebrated in 
recognition of Kim Il Sung's leadership in founding socialist 
Korea. The people of the DPRK pledge on this day to uphold the 
victorious banner of socialist Korea.

Kim Il Sung was born into a revolutionary family that had a long 
history of patriotic struggle. He was known as the great leader 
and at an early age soon demonstrated his leadership qualities. 
At the early age of 14 years he formed the "Down with Imperialism 
Union" in 1926. One year later he formed the Young Communist 
Movement of Korea. Two years later he was arrested, imprisoned 
and tortured.

Unable to break his revolutionary spirit the great leader 
continued to inspire the Korean people in their struggle for 
national liberation. In 1932 he formed the first guerilla unit 
[to fight the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsular -- 
Ed].

Today, 92 years after the birth of Kim Il Sung, the Korean 
people, under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea, 
continue to make great strides in the development of their 
socialist society.

They are making also a very important contribution to world peace 
and to the unification of all the Korean people as one nation.

Despite fierce opposition from US imperialism and other agents of 
world imperialism, the revolutionary spirit of the people of 
socialist Korea has not been broken and will continue to be 
inspired by the memories of their great leader, Kim Il Sung.

Ray Ferguson
Brisbane Secretary

Australia-DPRK Friendship and Cultural Society

How sad to see Howard's homophobic proposal to ban gay 
marriage described as a push "to defend traditional marriage" and 
"to protect heterosexual marriage" (Australian, 26/04/04). 
Give us a break! "Traditional" heterosexual marriage is not under 
attack. It doesn't need defence.

Legislation to ban gay marriage does not "defend" anything. It 
will hardly cause gay couples to turn to heterosexual marriages. 
Nor will it reduce the incidence of marriage break-up and divorce 
among heterosexual couples.

Please call a spade a spade. This proposal is not about defending 
anything. It is about attacking. Attacking homosexual and 
transsexual people. Attacking tolerance and diversity.

Dressing this up as somehow "defending" heterosexual marriage is 
an appalling piece of emotional manipulation. How is any 
heterosexual married couple threatened by the marriage choice of 
another person?

Is Howard going to ban de-facto relationships next, because they 
"threaten" traditional marriage? What about racial or religious 
"mixed" marriages? Just how traditional can we get in search of 
the One Nation vote? And how many human rights will be trampled 
in the stampede?

Linda Gale
Vice-President Progressive Labour Party