Louis P. brings up the issue of Zaire, one that pen-l should discuss. My feeling is that the US is pressuring and is going to pressure Kabila's forces so that they will be safe neo-liberals but (hopes the State Department) not kleptocrats like Mobutu. With the USSR no longer counterbalancing the "West," the only chances for avoiding this kind of fate depends on how organized and conscious the popular movement is, how far they go beyond standard nationalism. Not being an expert, I can't say how strong the factual basis of this feeling is. in pen-l solidarity, Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Econ. Dept., Loyola Marymount Univ. 7900 Loyola Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045-8410 USA 310/338-2948 (daytime, during workweek); FAX: 310/338-1950 "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- K. Marx, paraphrasing Dante A.