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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the April 10, 1997
issue of Workers World newspaper
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Editorial: Hands off Albania!

Some 2,500 of Western Europe's soldiers and police, cheered on by U.S. imperialism, are preparing to end what they call "chaos" in Albania. They mean by "chaos" the massive armed uprising against Albania's pro-capitalist dictator Sali Berisha.

This whole enterprise recalls the Crusades of old bringing Christian civilization to the Near East. Now the well-armored knights of the West claim to be bringing order and progress to a small Balkan land whose people are supposedly unequipped to run their own affairs.

That's what Western rulers always say. If the imperialists told the truth they would have to admit they're invading Albania to protect their plans to exploit all of the Balkans. And that they're afraid that the spontaneous anti-capitalist uprising in Albania might take a direction that threatens these plans.

For the working class worldwide there can be no other position than to oppose this West European invasion of Albania, an invasion backed by Washington.

The Italian military plans to lead this occupation of Albania. Its Navy complicated this plan by ramming a refugee ship and killing many Albanians trying to reach Italy. This murder at sea exposed the Italian "peacekeepers" and infuriated the Albanian people.

It is likely that when the imperialist powers discussed dividing the Balkan spoils, they made a secret understanding that Italian capitalism's share is first crack at Albania. Given Italy's low position in the imperialist pecking order, that means the Italian troops will have to do the dirty work and take the casualties.

Meanwhile U.S. imperialism will stand by to pick up the pieces and the loot. The Pentagon already has troops in Macedonia, Bosnia and Hungary, its fleet in the Mediterranean and warships in the Adriatic. Not to mention its planes at NATO air bases in Italy. If the Pentagon is willing to let a European force go into Albania without U.S. commanders, it's because the Pentagon generals believe they can still control the Balkan arena without risking more U.S. casualties and arousing popular resistance at home.

The Italian army had an earlier experience in Albania. Fascist Italy took over Albania in 1939 and its army's war against Greece wound up being fought on Albanian soil. When Italy capitulated in 1943 to the Allies, the German army then occupied Albania. Communist-led Albanian partisans drove the Nazis out in November 1944.

For a people who are supposedly incapable of governing themselves, they did a remarkable job of stopping more powerful countries from ruling over them.

U.S., West Europe, Italy: Hands off Albania!

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