January 1987

1/1/87

US trade w/SA 1985 was $3.38b, EEC $10.3b, of which $2.78 was German, Br $2.56b
Br responsible for ½ of total foreign investment

The nice thing about being in the police is that the customer is always wrong


1/3/87

A police commission “cleared” Shamir in the 1984 killing of 2 Palestinians

Israeli interior minister resigns rather than list a Reform convert as a Jew

Nicaragua reports 1,019 soldiers killed 1986

US still owes UN $110m of $210 for 1986

Oliver Goldsmith:
“Ill fares the land, to hast’ning ills a prey,
Where wealth accumulates and men decay.”

What, suggests a letter to NYT, if the sale of arms to Iran really had for its purpose funding the Contras. This is consonant w/NSC attempts to raise funds for Contras (from Brunei) & that North primarily responsible for Nicaragua, not Iranian affairs


1/5/87

Did Ollie North tell the CIA that the antitank missiles were oil drilling equipment

Botha to retain segregated suburbs--faces a rebellion form one of his (Coloured) cabinet members--Labor party may w/draw from Parl

Enrile against Aquino: “The people are strong enough to compel anybody to come down. If we had done it before, we can do it again.”

RR’s budget aimed at a “leaner, better government” at record rate. Less serious than any of its predecessors


1/6/87

The candidates for Librarian of Congress are being asked if they are R’s & how much they did for the party & gave it in last election

Norway’s Labor Party pledges women will get 40% all candidacies & appointments. There are 8 ♀ of 17 in the cabinet

An increasing trend recently is to replace student grants w/loans, and at higher rates. Students will soon end college w/many thousands of debt. Sec Ed Bennett thinks increasing aid just lets U’s raise tuition rates. 1m students would be removed from Pell Grants under the new budget

The budget inc a 2-yr budget for defense


1/7/87

How’d you like to be repres by Congressman Floyd Flake?

The State Dept after soliciting $10m from Sultan of Brunei for Contras, lost track of it completely


1/8/87

One of the things to be cut by the proposed budget is drug enforcement

Economist says chances are good of a hung Parl after next election. Says that 1st-past-post, which magnifies shifts in votes, does no less these days because of a higher #of safe seats. 80 marginal seats 1983 v 166 1955

The 1988 budget proposal by god inc new taxes--excise taxes

White House tried to get Senate to release a report on Gippergate (Iran-Contra). It refused, saying not enough was known & it could interfere w/ind prosecutor. The White House edited that report
-NBC got hold of it. Says that RR did intend to trade arms for hostages, but didn’t know of diversion to Contras

SA has banned any positive mention of banned groups, inc any explanation of strategies thereof

SA has thrown NYT out of SA

The pope is now allowing contraceptives for all occasions...exc during sexual intercourse


1/9/87

There is a new const in Nicaragua. Elections every 6 yrs. All the usual freedoms but suspended during the Emergency

SA trying to crack down on “alternative education,” discussion of which is banned.

To refute NBC (see yesterday), admin released secret documents to “prove” that RR interested in wider strategic interests


1/11/87

A recent disquieting trend has developed. While the Br Labour Party & perhaps the Amer. D’s have moved away from emphasizing nuclear weapons, they have compensated with an emphasis on conventional forces. The Labourites are frankly anti-nuke now, but talk of conv force rises. D’s such as Gary Hart & Sam Nunn are talking of reinstituting conscription.


1/12/87

George Shultz in Africa: “If you think you have troubles here, you should see our troubles with our budget.”

US intelligence info to Iran & Iraq deliberately misleading. Inc exaggerating to Iran the Soviet threat (which CIA thinks is small). US evidently wished neither side to win


1/13/87

Russia wants to show the ABC mini-series “Amerika”

McFarlane to Congress says at least $20m was raised for the Contras from Saudi Arabia. This raises the amount of “lost” money to >$40m, inc $10m from Brunei & $10-30 diverted from Iran sale

2/3 of Energy Dept’s budget request would be military

The head of the John Birch Soc died of AIDS last yr

HUD is removing dishwashers, garbage disposals & garage door openers from homes rented to low-income families because the poor don’t know how to take care of “luxury appliances”


1/16/87

Chinese student demos take 1st casualty: the CP chief

US has been blaming Israel for Iran-Contra. Peres claims that its recommendations Jan86 inc that there was at best a 25% chance of success. This contradicts US claims

The Nicaraguan CP has moved into opposition


1/18/87

In Africa, Shultz claimed that Liberia has a free press, an elected gov & no pol prisoners. But US planes can land w/24 hrs’ notice & VOA broadcasts. Shultz asked opposition leaders to end their boycott of legislature for 1985 fraud. Later, on the elections: “My impression is that they were quite open, and the only questions that I’ve heard are about the vote-counting process.” Like the Philippines. Further, 4 demonstrators for free elections were arrested


1/21/87

That info we relied on for Irangate came from Israel, McFarlane says; Israel admits it came from an Iranian arms dealer the CIA considers unreliable. I believe this is the man who, on a lie detector test, got only his name right


1/22/87

There’s been a sudden push towards deployment of Star Wars. Weinberger talks of major breakthroughs. Obviously a move to forestall future admins

The UDF in SA says it may have to end policy of nonviolence. Why not, since leaders already on trial for fomenting revolutionary violence. This announced in letter to George Shultz


1/23/87

Elliott Abrams accused the Contadora nations of seeking a fake peace in Cent. Am.

Iraq claims that false US info to it led to a major defeat in their war last yr


1/24/87

Those covertly ferrying arms to Contras smuggled cocaine etc on return trips. Naturally. They wouldn’t want to fly back empty & the covertness (covertivity?) made any legitimate cargo impssible

Under the immigration law, illegals could be charged $150-250 for application fees

Remember the Coloured member of SA cabinet who led protest at a segregated beach? He had to apologize or Botha would call for immediate elections

An internal Justice Dept proposal for overturning Miranda when possible. “Overturning Miranda would, accordingly, be among the most important achievements of this administration--indeed of any administration: restoring the power of self-government to the people of the United States in the suppression of crime.” (huh?) They think a new warning might be used, like: “You do not have to make a statement or answer questions. However, if you have anything to say in your defense we advise you to tell us now. Your failure to talk at this interview could make it harder for a judge or jury to believe any story you give later on.” Note the presumption of guilt & the presumption that taking the 5th tantamount to guilt

Sec Ed. Bennett called on school boards to insist that sex ed teach children not to engage in sex


1/26/87

W Ger elections: Christ Dems & Free Dems between them 53.4% (266 of 496 seats). Christ Dems 44.4%, down from 48.8 1983. Free Dems 9.1% (7 1983), Greens 8.3% (5.6 1983), Soc Dems 37% (down from 38.2). The Free Dems, once likely to drop out entirely, benefitted from the Bavarian Franz Josef Strauss’ pushing himself forward. Says the Economist, “If the conservative Bavarian premier Mr FJS did not exist, West Germany’s liberal Free Democratic party would have to invent him.”


1/27/87

An attempted coup in Philippines, for Marcos not Enrile. By troops

State of the Union Address:
-RR thinks this is the Congress’ 100th b-day...
-Starts in with the economy, which is just peachy.
-“Freedom is on the march.”
-Actions towards Iran weren’t wrong...mistakes in execution
-World is a safer place because of defense spending
-Afghanistan--support pol solution (doesn’t mention aid to rebels)-Democracy on march in Central & S America. Nicaragua is the odd man out.
-Mentions Monroe Doctrine, FDR, Truman, Kennedy on Americas. Note that Ted Kennedy isn’t applauding quote from his brother
-Need “more responsible Soviet conduct around the world”
-Soviets responsible for Iceland failure
-“Fair trade”, no protectionism. Trade partners, not trade patsies
-Balanced budget amend. Line item veto. No taxes
-High deficits not because tax too little but “big gov” spends too much
-Vague talk of welfare reform. Catastrophic illness
-Competitiveness. Spending on research. Raise literacy
-Drug-free learning environment. Prayer in schools: “end expulsion of god from classrooms.”

Not mentioned: space, shuttle explosion, SA, Eur, abortion, immigrants, minorities, Ch, the Philippines, 1986 elections, Republicans, Democrats. Star Wars?

Demo response by Wright & Byrd: Clean water, aid to homeless, highways. Problems: trade deficit, farm crisis, ed. (not drugs, thank god) (nor the budget deficit)

Antitank missiles sold to Iran were underpriced by $2.6m when the Pentagon sold them to CIA

From the Economist on AIDS: “The condom is inflated into an essential requirement of sexual intercourse.”


1/28/87

W Ger Greens gave women 2/3 positions

Mercenary or whatever Sam Hall released from Nicaragua

Lyndon LaRouche announces candidacy for D. prez nomination

Chrysler pulled its ads from “Amerika.” ABC yells censorship. I didn’t think they were entitled to advertisers under, say, the Constitution.

Wage & salary increases last yr averaged 3.5%--nonunion workers 3.6%, union 2.1%

US est dipl relations w/Mongolia

I though I heard RR referring to an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean as a million miles from home & I was right

Vanunu is on his 24th day of hunger strike.

UC Berkeley is closing down its nuclear reaction. Just as well, since the city just dec itself a nuclear-free zone


1/29/87

This yr Italy will surpass Br to become the 5th largest indust economy. Since pop about the same, living standards must also be higher in It.

The attempted coup in Philippines over. Marcos, in Hawaii, had been planning to board a plane, while Imelda spent $3,000 on clothes, inc combat boots & fatigues

Immigration law: RR proposed regulations may split up families

SA gave the police commissioners power to censor anything