April 1990

4/2/90

London had rioting following a major protest against the poll tax

Afghan gov to return all nationalized land & prop. (trying to get refugees back).

Zimbabwe gave Mugabe 78% of presidential vote & ZANU 116 of 120 sets. Mugabe says this gives him a mandate for 1-party rule, though only 54% voted, compared w/usual 95%.

Iraq threatens to use chemical weapons if Israel attacks. Responsive to the nuke-part arrests.

More on S&Ls & CIA: an airline running guns to Cent. Am. 1983 funded w/$1m in loans from 2 failed Kansas S&Ls. A US atty stopped by CIA. A Denver S&L was approved to use federally insured deposits to fund covert ops


4/3/90

Soviets close border between Lithuania & Poland. Lith.’s only border.
-Soviet Parl passes law on secession--involves referendum of 2/3, approval of Soviet Parl & 5-yr waiting period.
-Soviet troops stopping the printing of Lith. independence newspapers. And pro-Moscow papers not printed, as printers refuse to do it.

Guam dropped charges against ACLU lawyer

Chair of E Ger SPD resigned because of ties w/secret police, which he does not admit

Quayle thought Dubcek called in the Russian tanks in ’68.
-As Senator, he said anti-satellite needed because we could not have prevailed without them in Red Storm Rising, the novel by Tom Clancy, who Quayle is trying to get as consultant to Nat Space Council.

Nat debt hit $3t yesterday

The Stealth bomber was used in Panama. Cheney claimed it delivered a bomb with “pinpoint accuracy.” He lied. Pentagon blames the pilot.

Br to cap the poll tax of 20 local councils, carefully picked to be Labour-run. Nice try.

Ch. “negotiating” for release of Fang Lizhi, still in US embassy. Wants high-tech & military good, he to admit guilt for Tiananmen demos.
-Admin admitted that no exec order protects Ch. students, though he keeps claiming to have done so. In fact, his directive, which has no force of law & can be changed w/out notice, protects only Ch. present in US on June 5, 1989. Ch. refugees since have been arrested & deported


4/4/90

Rep. Rohrabacher virtually says supporters of NEA are supporters of pornography

City councilman of Atlantic City: “People look at Atlantic City and say it’s a toilet. I say you’re looking at the future of urban America.”

Tom Wicket points out that Bush still hasn’t issued proof that Americans in Panama were in danger before the invasion. Wm Webster says “we made a mistake in overemphasizing the importance of Noriega.” And no warning to Amers. ever issued

Belg. king stepped down for a day in order for the abortion law (it’s now legal) to be promulgated

Honduras says it will accept no Contras as refugees. Contras have been illegally streaming back into Nic.


4/5/90

Cath. bishops in US to spend $3-5m on a PR firm against abortion

A coup in Venda succeeds bloodlessly

Soviets evict civil servs in Lithuania’s chief prosecutor’s office.

Mass. will permit gay foster parents, putting prior experience as parents above marital status


4/6/90

New estimate for S&L bailout: $500b.

Caught, Bush now says he’ll issue an exec order on Ch. students. Suspending deportations until Jan94.
-Last December, US barred 2 Ch. scholars invited by US universities in deference to Ch.

Grenada: unemp 20%. Health care system dismantled. 2% of pop. emigrated 1986. Jun87 Blaize got emergency powers inc detention w/out trial, house arrest, deportation, a board to censor songs.


4/7/90

D’Amato was not allowed into Lithuania

The Voice of Riga shut down by Moscow


4/9/90

Right-wing New Democracy won in Hungarian elections

Right-wing Vargas Llosa won as president Peru, probably.
No--1st round only

Bush working on arms talks designed to be very expensive, involving restructuring away from MIRVs

Poindexter convicted on 5 counts of misleading & obstructing Congress, lying to lawmakers.

Nixon in new book admits getting CIA to intervene in FBI investigation of Watergate, but also ordered director of FBI to go forward with it.
-Still blames Woodward & Bernstein for Pat’s stroke

In those E Ger elections, in E Berlin, SPD won 35%, CP 30%, New Forum 6%


4/10/90

Finland issuing visas to Soviet Jews giving to Israel (only Israel?) on condition they not settle Occupied

E Ger finally forms coalition gov. The defense minister was once jailed for conscientious objection

Lithuania offers to negotiate, taking into account the Soviet Const. Gorbachev says this is “not constructive” and threatens sanctions of some sort

Hungary’s next PM, Jozsef Antall, appeals for “a united Hungarian nation,” which seems to inc those in Romania. Something to watch: anti-Semitism

Soviet CP moving towards expelling its left wing, the Democratic Platform. Gorbachev says it’s not a purge--they should leave willingly.

Sec. Ed. Cavazos blames Hispanic parents for dropout rate

Separatists seem to have won Slovenian elections

Eur countries, US & Singapore will issue passports in HK. Singapore to take 25,000


4/11/90

Lech Walesa said yesterday he’d run for president, today not; he says it was a metaphor

Soviets have been offering to allow Ger membership in both NATO & Warsaw Pact for 5-7 yrs while new Eur structures of security created

Br Channel 4, trying to deal w/laws against Sinn Fein/IRA interviews, showed pictures of interview w/Gerry Adams while an actor dubbed his words.


4/12/90

There was fraud in 60% of S&Ls seized by gov 1989


4/13/90

A US sgt arrested for murder during Panama invasion.

Baltic states to create an econ community

Gorbachev threatens econ blockade of Lithuania in 2 dys
-Estonian parl votes to end military service 71-3-27


4/15/90

Bush says people should forgive Ger for the Holocaust.

SA steal, $350m, I believe has made it into US despite sanctions, because lawyers for D. Treasury said “steel” doesn’t mean fabricated products like girders.


4/16/90

Nelson Mandela admits ANC had tortured dissidents, but those involved were punished

Jews have invaded the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem

Cincinnati, evidently a bastion of anti-porn censorship, indicts an art center & its director for the Mapplethorpe exhibit. The nice thing is his estate is getting huge prices for his work.

More than ½ senators (17 of 31) running for re-election are financing campaigns largely outside own state

Bush sanctions on Ch. doesn’t extend to satellites, just to the conf. on global warming, in which Ch. in the worst offender
Sup Court let stand a fundamentalist MO town’s ban on school dances, despite clear relig motivations


4/17/90

USSR says it will cut oil & natural gas to Lithuania.
-Lith. says it will compromise, allowing Soviet citizens to retain citizenship, would allow Liths. to serve in Soviet Army if wished

Sup Court 6-3 says use by Amerinds of peyote in religious ceremonies is not const. protected

US not to rejoin UNESCO

There is a broadcast ship off Cuba, run by exiles


4/18/90

Bush’s Green-ism can be seen in the global warming conf (the one from which Ch. excluded) is intended to underline the uncertainty of the science, and the costs. And Reilly of EPA is largely sidelined. Bush keeps saying that environmentalism can’t interfere w/econ growth in any way.

The gas blockade of Lithuania beginning. Also affects 2 reactors at the nuke plant--crude & natural gas.
-Someone hijacked an Aeroflot jet to Vilnius

USIA has financed trip to US by Soviet anti-Semites. $60,000. They are here for a tour & a seminar on cultural & ethnic diversity in USSR.

Sup Court 5-4 says courts can order districts to raise taxes to pay for school desegregation, but not do it themselves (9-0)

Sup Court 5-4 upholds NLRP policy against automatically assuming that scabs are anti-union for purpose of deciding whether union still commands majority support. The 5 inc Rehnquist, by the way & not Blackmun

Sup Court 6-3 allows states to outlaw possession of child porno. Brennan says the Ohio law would outlaw the famous suntan ad.

USSR to join Interpol

Lithuania refines & re-sells oil abroad. Moscow is facing $850m in annual fines for its sanctions on Lith.

Taiwan will retire its mainland reps sick of over 85 (32 of 274) by next yr.


4/19/90

Prague prosecutor threatening to outlaw CP as propagating fascism

On March 26, US military reduced death toll for Panamanian military to 50. This means it’s conceding 4X as many civilians as soldiers killed

As I understand it, US policy is not to give in to kidnappers’ demands but to talk to anyone. Just refused a demand to talk.

Norway will sell oil to Lithuania but only for hard currency.

Global warming conf ignored a US admin draft that talked about “gaps in scientific & economic understanding”

On Hong Kong refugees, Thatcher lost 44 Tories but still won; 30 abstained. Biggest revolt yet. Later in Parl than on poll tax

USSR CP chief ideologist compares Lith. leaders w/IRA

Sunday is Earth Day. Bush, the Environmental President, will be... out fishing.
-The White House will be sued for not following DC wastepaper recycling laws. Fitzwater had trouble keeping a straight face invoking nat security


4/20/90

Soviets cutting food to Lith., inc sugar. Stormed a printing plant & beat civilian guards

SA will propose a 2-chamber leg, one univ suf the other a “House of Communities,” decision by group not head.

Czech. changing the name for 2nd time this month--The Czech and Slovak Federative Republic. No hyphens.

The US kidnapped a Mexican in Mexico accused of killing a US drug agent. Or rather bounty hunters did. US won’t give him back and Mexico has said, that’s it for drug cooperation.

Gorbachev on Lithuania: “In the event of a divorce, it is not important whether the marriage was contracted legally or not.”

Gorbachev used his powers to strip Moscow city of control of demonstrations. The new Moscow gov is rad, of sorts. Thatcher lives.


4/22/90

Br gov fucked up an Iraqi attempt to smuggle parts of a huge gun. A Tory MP has been trying to bring it to attention of gov for 2 yrs. And Thatcher lied about the comp.’s not applying for an export license.


4/23/90

Israeli gov admits providing $2m secretly to est a new Jewish settlement in Christian quarter of Jerusalem, 10 days ago. The building sub-leased belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church, which objected.
-Shamir, now acting temp head of gov, trying to est settlements in Occupied, while Labor out of gov

Failure in Nigeria of anti-Muslim coup

W Ger agrees to exchange E Ger marks 1:1. That should screw the economy & bring inflation

Lithuanian PM wants to come to US, but is being kept out until June (after the next summit)
-Lith. threatening counter-sanctions. Inc building materials

US moving into Peru, sending “advisers,” spending $35m on training allegedly on drugs, actually against Sendero.

1st time, E Ger giving money to Holocaust survivors.

USSR will charter special flights to Mecca this yr.

1st peyote (4/17/90), now Sup Court is forcing Amish to put reflecting triangels on their buggies.
-Last week Court 5-4 said the state does not need a compelling interest before it enforces criminal laws in a way that burdens some relig groups


4/24/90

Chamorro will take power tomorrow. In last weeks, Sandinista unions have launched dozens of strikes & been granted huge increases by gov.
-Contras are entering “security zones” in Nicaragua but refusing to give up guns

Bush won’t put sanctions on USSR now.

Mobuto claims to be ending one-party rule Zaire

The Ger. mark exchange (the E Ger mark will disappear July 2) seems unusually conciliatory to the East. I wonder if Kohl isn’t trying to avoid taxes by having unification paid for w/inflation. Also avoids too massive emigration

Chamorro to retain Humberto Ortega as armed service chief. She will be her own defense minister.

Gorbachev wimps out on econ reforms

Sup Court 7-2 bans appeals of death sentences on behalf of the inmate. Did not deal w/question of whether review was mandated--is defendants’ consent enough?

Br reduces permissible abortion from 28 weeks to 24. But no limit for health, abnormal fetus.


4/25/90

Of the 9 Salvadoran soldiers who killed Jesuits in Dec., all trained by US, 5 had visited here for courses.

Lafontaine, head of W Ger SPD, stabbed. Maybe ok.

US, Fr, Br but not USSR to allow Berlin to vote in nat elections

Shimon Peres failed to form gov. A rabbinical court ordered one member to support Likud, as he had earlier agreed.

State Dept to recycle paper, facing Sierra Club suit.

Contras, now in Nicaragua, amazingly decide not to give up weapons as agreed. Nor will they demobilize.

Croatia needs a run-off, but right-wing nationalists won 16 of 80 seats, CP just 2. Want a confederal Yug., reduce Serbs in Croatian gov.


4/26/90

Lithuania will begin food rationing next week.
-Fr & W Ger told it to suspend UDI.
-Lith. has cut off meat & milk exports to USSR, offered to barter food to cities of Moscow, Lvov, Leningrad, held by democrats
-USSR sanctions to hurt Leningrad, which depends on Lith. fabrics, components
-A Lith. delegation in Moscow couldn’t find anyone to talk to.
-Landsberghis asks of Bush, “Can the freedom of one group of people be sold for the freedom of another?” Bush has twice said he would do something if USSR took certain actions, twice failed to do so.

More from Houston Post on CIA/S&L scandal. Fed investigators believe some of $50m looted from 2 Fla. S&Ls diverted to CIA.

District of Columbia Court of Appeals says 7-1 Caesareans cannot be ordered by courts. The particular case was of a woman dying of cancer, who died in the operation and if I remember rightly, might have lived.


4/27/90

Justice Dept throws out GA’s system of electing judges as discrim (requires majority vote)

Joseph Papp refuses an NEA grant because he could not accept its loyalty oath on obscenity

Sen. Budget Cmte rejects Moynihan’s Soc Sec tax cut 17-6

Estonia will run the blockade of Lithuania.

Costa Rica has banned Poindexter, North, former ambassador Lewis Tambs, Secord from CR

Bush came to trade agreement w/USSR

USSR cut off coal to Lithuania
-Lith. says 10,000 unemp because of boycott

Salman Rushdie finds it strange no one has been prosecuted for threatening his life

Economist reports Thatcher as saying privately that the poll tax unfair--she denies it. Seems planning a change.

District judge strikes down Oakland nuclear-free zone. Voided transport of nuke materials & ban on weapons work, fair enough I guess, but also restrictions on city’s contacts w/comps in weapons contracting.

Japan & Brazil dropped from the unfair-trade list

CT. makes abortion a legal right, the only state to do so. Overwhelmingly. Until viability, but w/out a test--just left to ♀ & dr.

Thanks to Meese & Thornburgh, obscenity prosecutions increased 100% 1987-8 and 400% 1988-9. They can prosecute booksellers & video distributors each in 50 states & 95 judicial districts, since the Court’s “community standards” criterion means it can prosecute in each community.


4/28/90

Wm Bennett suggested institutionalizing children from drug households & neighborhoods


4/29/90

CIA now monitoring business practices.

Seymour Hersh in today’s NYT Mag says Congressional I-C investigations kept secret a diversion to Israeli intelligence of >$1m in profits from sales to Iran. Operations 1985-6 inc covert electronic monitoring of the Damascus-Beirut highway, attempt to penetrate Shiite Amal militia & Druze. All this kept secret to protect hostages & Reagan. This was undertaken w/out a finding, but Senate Jan87 decided not to go after RR. (and see 5/1/90)

Wisconsin arrests a woman for adultery (see 5/8/90)

When the U-2 was shot down in 1960, a MiG was hit at same time


4/30/90

Under Ceausescu, Romania diverted Norwegian heavy water to India

Lithuania ready to give up, & “suspend” ind.

US Congress task force says Salvador making no progress or effort on murder of Jesuits last Nov.

Appenzell, Switz. still refuses to give ♀ local suffrage. The last of the 26 cantons.