September 1989, Page 28

Issues in the News

Syria releases PLO Prisoners:

Syria freed 185 of a reported 2,000 Palestinian prisoners imprisoned since it ousted the PLO from Damascus and northern Lebanon in 1983. The June release came after the Soviet Union and moderate Arab states increased pressure on Syria to warm relations with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat.

World Leaders Urged to Speak Out:

Arab League parliamentarians, during a June meeting in the United Arab Emirates, called on legislators from around the world to condemn Israeli actions in the occupied territories. Arab Parliamentary Union President Hilal Ahmed Lootah criticized the superpowers for "condemning human rights violations in certain parts of the world but maintaining silence over the violations against Palestinians."

Egypt Not Satisfied with Arab-Israeli Stalemate:

Egypt, the only Arab country with full diplomatic relations with Israel, condemned its neighbor for cracking down on protests in the occupied territories. The Egyptian government registered complaints with the US and Israeli embassies. The US Ambassador in Cairo responded by urging Israel to move quickly to resolve the Arab-Israeli dispute "before violence destroys all the prospects of peace."

Iranian Labor Camps for Drug Addicts:

Iran reported in June the creation of a network of labor camps to treat drug addiction, which reportedly affects over one million people, or one of every 50 Iranians. The People's Mojahedin, an Iranian opposition group, has charged that the Iranian regime is systematically executing political prisoners under the guise of a drug-dealer crackdown.

Indians Denied Israeli Visas:

Some 4,300 "Mizo Jews" in northeast India seeking to emigrate to Israel have been denied visas by Israeli officials. The group, which has built synagogues and professes its allegiance to Judaism, claims to be descended from one of the ten lost tribes of Israel.

Hostage Released:

After 13 months of captivity, Belgian physician Jan Cools was freed in Lebanon in June. Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi and Abu Nidal, the terrorist leader of the Libyan-backed Palestinian Fatah Revolutionary Council, reportedly urged the captors to release Cools.

Civil Marriage Law Upsets Clerics:

The Cypriot legislature passed a bill in June allowing civil marriages and divorces for members of the Greek Cypriot community. The Greek Orthodox Church rejected the law, saying that "any members of the church who marry in a civil ceremony automatically place themselves outside the church with all the consequences entailed."

F-16s to Pakistan:

The Bush administration plans to sell 60 F-16s to Pakistan at a cost of $1.5 billion. The deal was announced in July, one month after Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto visited Washington.

Assassination Linked to Iran:

Austrian police in July detained Mohammed Sahrarudi, a deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and Amir-Mansoor Bozorgian, a Kurd reportedly working for the Iranian Intelligence Ministry, in connection with the assassination of Kurdish minority leader Abdolrahman Ghassemlou. The Iranian-born, exiled Ghassemlou was shot after meeting with Iranian officials to negotiate a peace settlement on behalf of the Kurdish Democratic Party.

Qatar Adds Technocrats to Cabinet:

The Emir of Qatar, Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani has appointed five new members to the 15-man national cabinet. According to the Saudi Gazette, most of the new ministers are technocrats who had previously worked in the ministries that they now head.

Soviets Reaffirm Support for Iraq:

The Iraq News Agency announced in July that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has received from Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev assurances of a "determination to continue and develop the wide cooperation between the two friendly nations." Gorbachev's message responded to Iraqi concern over Soviet-Iranian rapprochement.

Israelis Expel Dane:

A Danish woman accused of smuggling money into Israel to finance the intifada was detained for six days in an Israeli jail in July after security forces found $75,000 hidden in her luggage. She reported that Israeli interrogators denied her legal counsel and access to Danish diplomats, forced her to sign a confession under duress, and threatened to jail her Palestinian fiancee on terrorism charges if she did not name persons she was to meet in the occupied territories. Danish officials charge that Israeli intelligence personnel had been watching the woman in Denmark, where, according to Danish foreign policy committee member Bjoern Elmquist, "they have no right to pursue Danish citizens." The incident "is beginning to strain relations between Israel and Denmark," he said.

US Offers Reparation Payment to Iranians:

The US government offered to pay $250,000 for each full-time worker and $100,000 for each dependent killed when the US navy cruiser Vincennes mistakenly shot down an Iranian jet in the Persian Gulf last year. The US has claimed no legal responsibility in the shooting and, according to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, offered payment only "in accordance with the humanitarian traditions of our nation." The plan, approved by President Bush in July, called for an "appropriate intermediary" to disperse payment to relatives of all the 290 people killed in return for dropping legal claims against the US.

Israel Retracts Report that Brian Mulroney Called Arafat a Terrorist:

The Israeli government has corrected a Jerusalem Post report that quoted Israeli officals as saying that Brian Mulroney called PLO leader Yassir Arafat "a terrorist and a crook" when the Canadian prime minister met with Israeli President Chaim Herzog in July. The report, which reportedly was circulated by the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa, was corrected after complaints from the Canadian government.

Turkish Prime Minister Predicts Presidential Victory:

Turgut Ozal, the prime minister of Turkey, told the Anatolian news agency in July that he believes he could win "sufficient votes to get elected" to replace Turkish President Kenan Evren. Under the 1982 constitution, the Turkish president, whose seven-year term ends in October, is barred from serving successive terms.

Iraq Cancels Visa Requirements for Three Arab Nations:

The Iraqi government has lifted visa requirements for visits by nationals from the countries of the newly created Arab Cooperation Council-Egypt, Jordan and North Yemen. The action does not affect the nationals of Iraq, the fourth ACC-member state, who still need official permission to exit their country.

Films on Intifada Win Prizes:

The 6th annual Jerusalem Film Festival awarded a first-place prize to Zepel Yeshuron for Green Fields. the first Israeli movie on the intifada. A Gaza Arab, Rashid Mashrawi, won first prize in the short film category for his portrayal of two laborers struggling under Israeli occupation inThe Shelter.