Memorie.al / The year 1967 marked a dramatic turning point not only for the map of the Middle East, but also for the political rhetoric of communist Albania led by Enver Hoxha. While the whole world was closely following the consequences of the six-day war between Israel and the Arab countries, otherwise known as the "Yonkipur War", official Tirana, through its propaganda, used this crisis as a platform to strike at what it called the "imperialist-revisionist alliance". The following documents extracted from Enver Hoxha's "Political Diary" and an article of his published at the time in the newspaper "Zëri i Popullit", dating from the summer of 1967 (June-August period), which are published for the first time by Memorie.al., offer a rare look at the harsh analysis that the Albanian leadership made of the Moscow meeting and the role of the Soviet Union, intertwining these diplomatic developments "with concrete measures for the military defense of the Albanian coast".

Thus, while the smoke of the Arab-Israeli war had not yet cleared, defense plans and denunciation speeches were being drawn up in the high offices of the Albanian state. This exclusive material reveals the behind-the-scenes of a tense period, where Albania openly accused the Soviet Union of “stabs in the back” against the Arab peoples. From Enver Hoxha’s strict instructions for the fortification of the Karaburun peninsula and the entire coast of Vlora, to the sharp analyses of the Kosigin-Johnson meetings, the article in question takes us back in time, to a moment when Albania “challenged the two world superpowers”, declaring that; “Vlora and Durrës are two main objectives of our enemies, therefore we must make these insurmountable, make them invincible fortresses, where the enemy will break his head from the very first days. We will strike the enemy at sea, before he approaches our coast”.

But how did Albania in 1967 view the conflict in the Middle East and why did the then leadership, headed by Enver Hoxha, believe that Moscow and Washington were "dividing zones of influence" at the expense of small peoples? Through harsh and blunt language, documents from the time reveal the fear of the ruling communist regime of a possible military aggression on our shores and the unwavering conviction that the unity of Arab countries was the only way out.

A living testament to the time when Albanian foreign policy was read through the principles of "the fight against revisionism" and "vigilance for the defense of the homeland from a possible military attack by sea and airborne assaults"? For more on this, etc., see the documents in question, which Memorie.al publishes in full, as a historical parallel, in the context of the current conflict in the Middle East.

REVISIONIST BULLSHIT WILL NOT DECEIVE THE ARAB PEOPLE

Article published in the newspaper "Voice of the People"

14 June 1967

The main leaders of the revisionist countries of Europe gathered in Moscow on June 9, “to consider the situation in the Middle East.” At the end of the meeting, they, with the exception of the Romanian leaders, who even on this occasion maintained their special position, issued a statement in which they announced the conclusions of the talks.

The declaration, the majority of which is occupied by the names and official titles of the revisionist leaders, constitutes another document that proves their grave betrayal of the Arab peoples, their fear and shameless capitulation to imperialism and reaction.

The revisionist farce of the new Moscow meeting and its stale declaration, filled with general words, vague propaganda positions, false solidarity and empty promises, are a desperate attempt to put some old veneer on the prestige of the Soviet Union, which was severely damaged as a result of the betrayal and backstabbing that its renegade leaders have now inflicted on the Arab peoples.

From the manner and timing of the meeting, when most Arab states had accepted the ceasefire and the Soviet Union had fully expressed its capitulationist position in the UN, it is clear that the revisionist leaders had no intention at all of providing the RAB, Syria, or other Arab countries with any concrete assistance in opposing Israeli aggression.

Their aim was to remove, by means of a new demagogy of solidarity, empty promises and boasting, as much as possible of the dirt that remained on their hands and faces when they left the Arab peoples in the mud and stabbed them in the back. This aim is also served by the cutting, like a coffin after a harvest, of diplomatic relations with Israel by the Soviet government and some of its followers.

On May 23, the Soviet government issued a solemn and bombastic statement. It stated: “No one should have any doubt that whoever dares to unleash aggression in the Middle East will encounter not only the united force of the Arab countries, but also the determined opposition of the Soviet Union and all other peace-loving states.”

But now Israel and its Anglo-American supporters "dared" to unleash aggression in the Middle East. The peoples of the world have witnessed these days the heroic resistance of the Arab peoples. But what happened to the "resolute opposition of the Soviet Union"?

Not only was the "opposition" nowhere to be seen, but the shameful revisionist betrayal, collaboration, and joint Soviet-American conspiracy in support of Israel were exposed, which was concretized in joint resolutions and their unanimity in the Security Council.

Now the revisionist leaders come out again and tell us that "no one should have any doubts," that "if the Israeli government does not withdraw its troops within the ceasefire line, the socialist states that have signed this declaration will do everything necessary to help the peoples of the Arab countries give a decisive response to the aggressor," etc., etc.

Enough of such nonsense! The Arab peoples do not need consolations, nor such false support and solidarity. What is needed are concrete, rapid, definite, effective measures, which the revisionists can never take, since they are renegades, capitulators, and deceivers.

The Soviet leaders are now trying to adopt the just demand for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied territories and their withdrawal to the armistice line. But everyone understands that this demand in the mouths of the revisionists is mere speculation, since they will do nothing to realize it.

Even when the Israeli troops withdraw, which will definitely happen, it will be due to the struggle, courage and determination of the Arab peoples and no one else. Israel and its American partners will undoubtedly make every effort to impose their dictates on the Arab countries from positions of strength.

This is the aim of Israel's maneuver, which seeks to resolve old problems and those arising from the current conflict directly with the Arab countries, temporarily counting on a battle supposedly won. But such a dictate, as they think, will be a new defeat for the imperialists, both immediate and for the future.

Those who think they can impose such a fascist dictate on the Arab peoples are gravely mistaken. Issues can only begin to be resolved when Israel has completely ceased its aggression and withdrawn to the positions it held before June 4th.

Any other tactic, whether by the UN or by the Israeli aggressors themselves, will not last long, because neither the United Nations nor Israel has the right to intervene without first withdrawing Israeli troops from the occupied territories as a result of their current aggression against Arab countries.

By now coming out with a sensational statement on the Middle East, the Brezhnev-Kosig clique, and those who follow them, seek to dampen the wave of anti-revisionist hatred that has erupted in all Arab countries and is taking on ever more widespread proportions every day.

They seek to pass themselves off as innocent, that they will do something in the future, that they are friends of the Arab countries, that they are anti-imperialists, etc. But this is a desperate attempt. The Arab peoples have already been convinced by their bitter experience how valuable such "friends" are.

And this experience is not only related to what happened these days, but also to the positions and goals of the Soviet revisionist leadership in the future. In their statement of June 9, the revisionist leaders clearly stated that they would try to introduce the solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict through the mechanisms of the UN, that is, to put it on the Soviet-American bargaining table, for the division of spheres of influence and world domination.

The fact that Tito, this old and experienced agent of American imperialism, also participated in the Moscow meeting is quite significant. As an almost official observer of the USA, he certainly tried, and the facts show it, to ensure that the results of this meeting were in line with the American line. It is no coincidence, for example, that the declaration does not openly affirm and does not condemn the concrete participation of American and British military forces in combat operations alongside Israel. The Soviet revisionist clique, on the eve of aggression, did its best to demobilize the Arab peoples, to lower their vigilance in the face of the immediate danger.

When the aggression began, it conspired with the US to quell their resistance and, through Security Council resolutions, tried to create favorable conditions for Israel to pursue its policy from positions of strength.

Now it seeks to take advantage of the suffering of the Arab peoples to strengthen cooperation between the two great powers and to become a partner, or to lead, on behalf of the Arab peoples, the future diplomatic and political struggle for the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. But no matter how much the revisionists try to trick and maneuver, the Arab peoples, as Algerian President Boumediene declared the day before yesterday, will never allow a second Munich.

The Arabs, like all honest people in the world, cannot help but see that the Khrushchevite revisionists have degenerated into ruthless politicians who trample on the vital interests of the peoples, to be sold and bought like any ordinary market booty. The betrayal of the Soviet leaders by the Arab peoples has been grave and has brought them great damage.

But, on the other hand, it has also rendered a good service: it has shown the peoples how wrong and dangerous it is to place even the slightest hope in the revisionists. It has revealed and demonstrated with facts not only the existence of the imperialist-revisionist alliance, but also its concrete action.

The torn mask of the revisionists, who posed as supporters of the peoples' liberation struggle, was further exposed. Now the peoples have the opportunity to see even better the true face of the revisionists as allies and collaborators of American imperialism, dangerous enemies of the liberation, freedom and independence of the peoples.

The current temporary difficulties, which came as a result of the treacherous Israeli aggression, taught the Arab states a great lesson, from which they will benefit to better consolidate their unity in the face of their imperialist and Israeli enemies.

And there is no doubt that the day will not be far off when the imperialists and the Israelis will find themselves faced with a steely unity that will condemn and destroy them, when neither the surprise nor the intrigues of imperialism and Israel, when neither the betrayal and demagogy of the revisionists will find suitable ground to harm the freedom and independence, the rights and undeniable aspirations of the Arab peoples.

DURRES, TUESDAY 11 JULY 1967

The speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the People's Assembly should generally be short, concise and not have a journalistic form or a narrative form of events, it should be balanced and strong. The Arab-Israeli issue should be given importance, because it is an aggressive imperialist act.

If the speech deals with the people's struggle for liberation and the aggressive armed efforts of American imperialism to suppress the people, starting from the objective reasons, then we will have to deal first with the struggle of the Vietnamese people, and then in turn (of course these must always be dealt with within the framework of the policy of our Party and Government, that is, our support and the reasons why).

In such a treatment, the ideas must emerge and be linked, that in the state of this situation, American imperialism and Khrushchevite revisionism have weakened their dominant positions, the ground is burning under their feet and, unable to withstand this warlike impulse of the peoples with demagogy and deception, the former is creating local foci to reach a world war and the latter is trying to demoralize the peoples, making its "outstanding contribution" to forcing the peoples to capitulate to the American aggressor, in other words, preparing the ground for the American ally, in calming or rather in taming these forces, the rearguards, so that they both can think and work for the final preparation of the attack against socialism and communism on a world scale.

Seen through this prism, the Arab-Israeli conflict also takes on an exact meaning. It is a new hotbed of fire and conflict, for the benefit of the Americans and the Soviets, for their dominance over oil and the main shipping routes, for the subjugation of the Arab peoples to them; encouragement of small aggressors, of their tool such as Israel, which through unresolved problems and kept raised specifically to prepare aggressions, incite and throw them into local wars, to create turmoil, conflicts, wars and delicate diplomatic situations.

Having thus posed the issue, then the problem of the Arab-Israeli conflict can be highlighted with all its features, military, political, diplomatic. As a conclusion to this issue, the following should be noted, among others: – The American-Soviet agreement. – The domination of the UN by the two great powers.

– The real demagogic purpose of raising this issue at the UN by the Soviets, highlighting that the main and only goal is the Kosygin-Johnson meeting. Objectives of this meeting: – The balance of benefits for both from Israeli aggression, the paths that will be followed further, to fully realize their expansionist, colonizing plans.

Taking the problem to the Security Council means giving time to maneuver for the realization of their diabolical plans. – The problem of Vietnam, a main problem for both imperialist leaders. – The suppression of revolutions in the world and especially in Latin America (Kosygin's departure to Cuba). – The consolidation of the American-Soviet nuclear "monopoly".

(All these problems must be posed as real political conclusions.) As a perspective, for the Arab peoples, in addition to our firmly friendly stance towards them, we must say that they have the duty to strengthen their vigilance against imperialism and Soviet revisionists.

The hope of victory lies in their peoples, in the unity of these forces, the only guarantee for overcoming any difficulty, lies in the unity of the Arab countries against the imperialists and modern revisionists, not allowing this great and vital unity to be hindered by secondary, political-economic problems.

The Arab peoples should never consider themselves isolated and disconnected from the movements of the peoples of the world, never think that the situations are grave, and that only reliance on the Soviet revisionists will get them out of these situations.

This will be the biggest mistake. No concessions to these enemies. Concessions and complete freedoms to the people, because only in this way is the true unity of the people forged, with patriotic leadership. There is no other way, the other way is submission to foreign powers. It is possible for other issues, which I do not touch, to make clear and complete definitions and formulations.

DURRES, TUESDAY 25 JULY 1967

Influenced by the recent developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East, I gave some instructions to the Minister of Defense, to further strengthen the defense of Vlora, to withstand any possible air-sea attack. Vlora and Durrës are two main objectives of our enemies, therefore we must make them insurmountable, make them invincible fortresses, where the enemy will break his head from the very first days. We will strike the enemy at sea, before he approaches our coast.

But we must, with special provisions, secure Karaburun well from an airborne assault. We must secure all the defense points of Vlora, so that no enemy can pass through. So that in the first steps he will find certain death. Therefore, the designated points should be equipped with machine guns, artillery and mortars. For the defense of the coast, the reclamations that we are making in these areas should also be used.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1967

I informed the Minister of Defense that in connection with the development of international events, especially in the Middle East region, which is not far from us, and with the danger that threatens our homeland, in addition to the measures we have taken, we must:

1) The regime at the border should be strict, in no way careless, and the possibility of armed provocations to "create the atmosphere" they need should not be underestimated.

2) Observe with the utmost care everything that happens at the border and beyond, and report any movement that is detected to us quickly.

3) The response to provocations should be controlled and ordered from above. Border guards should be on guard against enemy provocations, be vigilant, vigilant and in full readiness.

4) Security personnel and the public should be vigilant within the border, against groups of saboteurs and spies that external enemies may throw in./ Memorie.al