PRESS'RELEASE FROM DR MOSS CASS M.P. ’

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AFGHANISTAN SITUATION

The Prime Minister was told by President Carter to stop his sabre

rattling and start doing something about the failing economies

of the South Pacific or risk local communists coming to power,

Dr Cass said last night during the Afghan debate in ""Parliament. .:

Why else would the Prime Minister, who went to the U .  S .. pushing the

'I'm going to tell Carter what to do' line, come back to Australia

with the 'aid to South Pacific nations is urgent to counter I  Soviet influence line instead? .

Rather than Soviet aggression - the real threat arises from the

possibility of internal economic collapse of the economies of

under developed countries. The Russians could be on the moon for

all the effect Russia is having, directly that is, on those

countries,, Dr Cass said. .  .

Dr Cass emphasised in his speech his opposition to Russian action

and to any country Invading or offering massive military aid and/or

presence in other countries.  However he said,. Afghanistan Â·

was taken over by communism because we in the west refused to offer

it real help for years - so that it collapsed internally.

Iran has collapsed after all the' military aid the west had given ir.

2 .

This was a perfect example of how the western world deceives

.itself by singing the same old song of 'communist expansion'

in terms of external threats. .

t > Pr Cas.s concluded by accusing the Prime Minister of espousing

.'confrontation and brinkmanship neither of which can secure oil or

stop communism but which may plunge the world into the abyss of

Â«atomic war and then, in the words of Tom Lehrer; 'after that great

incandescent glow when we will be 3 billion well done steaks,

there will be no no one to pass go, no one to collect $200' . .

