Soviet policy

Press, 8 January 1983, Page 12

Soviet policy

Sir.—M. Creel has his tongue in his cheek when he writes that Soviet State power, both political and economic, is controlled by the mass of the people. The Soviet Union is run by its Communist Party, a disciplined body, the decisions of higher levels of the party being binding on the lower.

Trotsky warned that Leninism would lead to the Communist Party’s being replaced by the organisation of the party, the organisation by the central committee and. finally, the latter by the dictator. This state of affairs has come to pass. Afghan General Miraki confirms reports that both Andropov and Kosygin opposed the Afghan war. but Brezhnev ordered it ("The Press." January 4). It is frightening to know that the Soviet Union can be controlled by an elderly, infirm. incompetent dictator whom, apparently, only death can replace. At least the Americans can remove President Reagan at the next election.—Yours. etc..

H. F. NEWMAN. Januarv 5. 1983.

Sir.—ln reply to H. Cox (January 5) I would first like to point out that I am not a Catholic — hence my letter does not stem from" Papal allegiance. H. Cox says that the assassination of a’ religious figure such as the Pope is futile since a replacement is automatically chosen. However, considering the political situation at the time of the attempted murder, John Paul II was no ordinary Pope; he is a Pole. He was also worried about the threat of Soviet intervention in his home coun-. try as a result of the Solidarity Trade Union affair. The Pope's desire for peace and the end of all oppression — which made him Pope in the first place — coupled with his patriotism toward Poland meant that he was prepared to take action. As a religious leader the Pope has tremendous power and influence. and had warned the Soviet heads of Government — in no uncertain terms — that military intervention in Poland would mean a lot of trouble. Hence it would clearly be a great advantage to the Soviet Union to rid themselves of such an active and powerful troublemaker.—Yours, etc.. RICHARD ARNOLD. January 5, 1983.

Sir. — The cocksure confidence with which your correspondents. D. J. Smith (December 29), P. J. O’Reilly and D. Lewis (December 30), assert their belief that the Soviet Union and Bulgaria were responsible for the attempted assassination of the Pope, is based on a total absence of hard factual evidence. What, for the corrupt Italian police, in accommodating symbiosis with the Mafia, a dismal record of failure against “Red Brigade," terror-

ists, guilty of gross negligence in protecting the Pope from an amateurish Turkish gunman, blatantly courting capture, could be more attractive than to exonerate themselves by shifting the blame on to the K.G.8.. especially, as they have ready made, a receptive audience in the Western public, long conditioned to believe any lie, however outrageously incredible, against the Soviet Union'’ — Yours, etc.. M. CREEL. January 3. 1983.