JOHN LE CARRÉ MISSION SONG

Socialist Resistance no43 | page 23

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reduced to "illegal immigrant".

The "real" story concerns a coup plan in the Eastern Congo reminiscent of a recent West African escapade involving Thatcher offspring, Mark. As then it involves a front organisation, The Syndicate, with shadowy links to unnamed Western states and a crew of mercenaries flown in by plane. Instead of oil, the motivation is the region's mineral* wealth.

Unfortunately, for me, the plot didn't really take off until half way through -although it was always a stimulating read.

Mission Song is the third in a sharp-edged political trilogy by Le Carre. The Constant Gardener, written in the aftermath of Seattle and referencing it, attacked the rapacious greed and power of the multinational corporate