Vol. 76/No. 5 February 6, 2012
February 6, 1987
Though shaken by the continuing revelations of the Iran arms-contra crisis, the White House has not abandoned its efforts to drum up support for the Nicaraguan counterrevolutionaries.Several key administration officials made public appeals on the contras’ behalf January 23, at the start of a new propaganda push designed to portray them as “freedom fighters” worthy of U.S. assistance.
Although it is only now being reported, a U.S. mercenary told FBI and Justice Department investigators in March 1986 that he had been recruited by the CIA in October 1984 to form a Green Beret-style special forces unit to fight with the contras.
This operation came at a time when Congress had explicitly barred any U.S. aid to the contras, and was thus illegal.
February 5, 1962
ALBANY, Ga., Jan. 23—Negroes in this South Georgia city were asked tonight at mass meetings that overflowed two churches to boycott the city’s buses and downtown stores. The boycott call was made by leaders of the Albany Movement—the group that initiated the anti-segregation demonstrations in December in which 700 persons were arrested. The city commission today rejected a request that city officials live up to the agreement that halted those demonstrations.[A Jan. 28 New York Times report says that a check made after the meetings showed the bus boycott to be effective and that “scores of automobiles packed with Negroes passed the intersection checked. Some of them were driven by volunteers in a car pool, which was organized by the Albany Movement.”]
February 6, 1937
The great West Coast Maritime strike, which began Oct. 28, came to an end Thursday, Feb. 4, 99 days later.The agreements secured by the settlement represent one of the most clear cut and sweeping victories for unionism since the great revival of the labor movement which began with the organization drives and strike waves of 1933.
The major objectives of the shipowners—the elimination of union control of hiring and the consequent smashing of the unions—have been completely defeated.
The major demands of the unions—hiring hall, wage increases and strengthened recognition of the unions—have been attained.
The unions can gain what they are strong enough to take from the bosses in a test of strength—This is the outstanding lesson of the maritime strike.
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