February 1990

2/1/90

There are charges that Br anti-IRA psywar early 1970s also aimed at accomodationist politicians

Namibian const abolishes capital punishment, has bill of rights enforceable by courts, ends preventive detention. Will have 2 chambers

Wisconsin’s lower house approves parental consent & defeated repeal of law penalizing drs who perform abortions. Refused to exclude girls deemed suicidal by therapist or dr.

In internat waters (120 mi. off Mexico), US Coast Guard fired on a Cuban freighter which fit the “profile” of drug-runner. US got permission from the Panamanian registry office. Fired 300 machine gun rounds, 130 cannon rounds. Baker claims this was “law enforcement activity”. The Cuban gov had ordered the vessel not to allow itself to be boarded.

Latest civil liberty angels on head of a pin: telephones soon to be intro which tell the phone # of incoming calls. Whose privacy is to be protected? ACLU says the callers.

Hakim also given (2 yrs) probation & fine in I-C--only for helping install North’s alarm system.

In State of Union address, Bush called for US & USSR troops in Eur cut to 225,000, of whom max 195,000 in Cent. Eur.

Bush budget will cut 100,000 students from loans.

In 1988, Bush blamed Dukakis for pollution of Boston Harbor. His new budget eliminates funds for cleaning it.


2/2/90

Mexico searches the Cuban ship & finds no drugs

Romanian gov to share power until May elections. The 180 provisional council will inc 3 from each of 30 parties.

USSR has pacified Azerbaijan, will w/draw troops soon. Talks of Armenia being mediated by Latvia.

Congress approves repeal of ban on foreigners based on pol beliefs (McCarren-Walter). Only applies to short visits. The standard still applies to perm status.

Will be an ind prosecutor for Samuel Pierce, other HUD.

DeKlerk of SA ltd death penalty, legalized ANC. Mandela to be released at some pt, unconditionally. Asked ANC to negotiate those serving sentences for being members will be released. Censorship to remain on tv, not other media. CP & Pan-Africanist Congress & UDF also legal. ANC says sanctions should cont. until there’s a Const. SA will put the rest of apartheid on the table, but not as precondition for talks.

E Ger PM Modrow now calls for re-unification in stages, to be neutral, which Kohl rejects.

Bush voids sale of a plane, parts comp to Ch. military agency, 1st such ban on nat-sec grounds
-Congress imposed sanctions on Ch., mostly those already in effect under Exec Order, & buch can waive them.

Czar Bennett says drug ed. doesn’t work & punishment is much better. Says ed. does not “innoculate” children against drug abuse.

Latest implicated by HUD: Jesse Jackson, who repeatedly 1989 tried to meet Kemp on behalf of a major fundraiser under investigation by HUD.
-The ind prosecutor for HUD accused of being too ltd an inquiry, just of Moderate Rehab & excluding whether Pierce lied to Congress.

US concedes POW status to Noriega, says it won’t affect trial.


2/3/90

SA: pol detention will be ltd to 6 mos w/right to lawyer & dr.
-ANC not to stop guerilla attacks but tone them down


2/4/90

US Coast Guard sent rescue ships to a Cypriot ship on fire in Cuban waters. Is something going on here?

Sununu re-wrote a Bush speech on global warming to suggest it’s not really a problem

Slovenian CP said no longer recognized the nat CP. Called for release of pol prisoners, end to pol trials & talk w/opposition parties.

Shamir’s little comment using Soviet Jews as reason to hold on to Occupied Territories, has caused USSR to stop dir flights for those immigrants.


2/5/90

At USSR CP Cent Cmte, Gorbachev proposed, finally, ending monopoly on power.

RR ordered to testify by videotape in Poindexter trial.

A study shows the Pentagon has stockpiled $30b in unneeded spare parts, uniforms, etc. Total inventory is $100b. Pentagon claims only $8.9b is really unneeded. Navy has a 13,000-yr supply of a machine tool.

Ex-Im Bank resumes loans to China.

Helmut Kohl to support an opposition coalition in E Ger election. Yesterday it was decided not to allow W Ger pols to do so.


2/6/90

RR won’t turn over his diaries, citing “exec privilege,” cites future presidents...

Serbian prez Milosevic threatens to send hundreds of 1,000s of Serbs to Kosovo to aid fellow Serbs.

George “Environment President” Bush’s budget to cut conservation funds in half.

Military planning by US now no longer thinks there’s a threat to Iran by USSR, so won’t plan to defend Iran.

US backing W Ger proposal for reunified Ger as part of NATO but w/no NATO troops based in E Ger. Big deal. (Comes from foreign min, not Kohl, who keeps playing to his right w/ambiguity, inc on Ger borders. For this reason, Poland is the only E Eur country not wanting Soviet troops out.


2/8/90

USSR willing to discuss a Germany inside NATO

Ch will require graduates to work 5 yrs before studying abroad. Asia Watch says students in US are monitored & harassed by Ch. officials

Israel extending punishment of sealing off houses to stone-throwers.

Soviet CP’s Cent. Cmte votes to end monopoly.
Ch. press hasn’t reported this yet
Everyone is saying the Mensheviks are back

Pressed by (again) chief of staff Sununu, White House changed wetlands agreement so as not to interfere w/oil devt or roads. Sununu thinks of environmentalists as lefties trying to strangle business. Says “I don’t think America wants not to be able to use their automobiles.”

US-Soviet trade is $5b/yr, less than 1/3 that of US-Ch.

World Bank resumes loans to Ch.


2/9/90

Disney will prohibit advertising w/its movies

We never got an accurate count on deaths in Romania, which ranged from 200 to 40,000, presumably around 1,000 or so. The mass grave photos were staged.

US finally compromises on Afghan. Says Najbullah can stay, but only if he leaves eventually.

Jesse Helms calls the Sen. decision to collect statistics on hate crimes a campaign by “the radical elements of the homosexual mvmt”

Village Voice on Noriega 2/6/90: says bush’s ex-chief of staff Adm Dan Murphy went to Panama Aug87 to meet Noriega. Had been briefed byu Carlucci of NSC, Kerry, Dep Director CIA, Richard Armitage, Donald Gregg & Elliott Abrams. Told Noriega he would not have to leave office Apr88 as under the election plan endorsed by Elliott Abrams, but could stay until May89. Noriega known by NSA to take that as Bush permission to say in power.
...In 1984, Noriega chose as prez Nicolas Barletta, a former student of George Shultz. CIA provided $ for him. Election was of course rigged, w/turnout up to 200%. RR Admin knew this from CIA but recognized him & Shultz praised election as move towards democracy.
-At same time, Noriega was allowing in members of the Medellin cartel who had just killed the Colombian justice minister for $4-7m & got Panamanian Defense Forces protection.
-Nixon knew of drug-dealing by Noriega and presented the evidence to Torrijo.
-The chief witness against Noriega will be his aide, José Blandon. Blandon also says Donald Gregg helped direct the arms for contras/cocaine network in Panama.
-Sep85 Hugo Spadafora tried to stop Noriega, met w/NEA & a week later was tortured & beheaded. Amazingly, Pres. Barletta called for investigation. Noriega threatened him into resigning. There were recommendations that US cont. to recognize Barletta, but Abrams overrode, putting Contras 1st. Thus, Delvalle was put in. He accused those who accused PDF of Sparadora’s murder of sedition. US intel knew PDF did it...and financial aid for PDF increased.
-1984 North got agreement from Noriega to use bases to train Contras. AID increased aid to Panama from previous high of $1.3m to $74m, banks refinanced debts & provided loans--total $148m.
-A week after Spadafora killed, PDF presented a “witness” who blamed it on Salvadoran rebels. The witness was a loon & unpersuasive & the idea to use a fake witness that of Joe Fernandez, CIA station chief in Costa Rica. The witness soon admitted to having lied.

USSR eliminates link in arms talks between strategic arms & Star Wars.

Ch. new restrictions on students against unauthorized publications, posters, pol activity

US subsidizing wheat to China

SA attacked crowds after the 1st legal ANC meeting. That vindicates my phrase that SA is experiencing glasnost but not yet perestroika.


2/10/90

And today SA fires on people celebrating the imminent release of Mandela, w/out warning


2/11/90

Boy is Mandela old.

Salvador bombed a refugee camp--6 dead

Some Soviet Jews are blocked from becoming Israeli citizens by demeaning demands for proof. Ethiopians had same problem--they are no longer being asked to “convert,” but can’t et marriage licenses unless they do.


2/12/90

Dan Quayle on how to advance democracy in USSR: send Roger Ailes, who could no doubt find an Azeri Willy Horton

USSR will probably give Gorbachev new powers, but many want him to face election 1st.

Ariel Sharon loudly resigns Cabinet, accusing Shamir of being too soft.

Bush rejects Gorbachev proposal to set equal limits on US & USSR troops in Eur, insisting US soldiers a “stabilizing factor” even if USSR leaves altogether. Bush says there isn’t a linkage. Claims Warsaw Pact countries want US troops there.

Mandela calls for continuation of armed struggle, but emphasizes its defensive nature. Calls for cont. of sanctions. Bush will (has to) keep them for now, Thatcher is moving w/unseemly haste.
-He’s being broadcast in SA, I guess, but tape-delay only


2/13/90

Troops in Panama back to “normal,” 13,500

USSR calls for UN condemnation of Israel’s settling Soviet Jews in Occupied, also asks US to speed processing of applications.

The Pentagon guidance paper, the dovish bits of which were leaked last week, also says Soviet objectives in 3 Wrld same & US should back freedom fighters.


2/14/90

US & USSR agreed on conventional troops. US won -- more troops than USSR in Eur. USSR swallowed Bush proposal in entirety.

KGB says Stalin killed 786,000 by execution.

Gorbachev didn’t win the votes to call special session to increase his power.

Poland says a united Ger should not be neutral but part of...NATO? Also wants role in any negotiations


2/15/90

Latvia Parl votes to secede 177-48.

Bush’s new capital gains tax cut proposal would give 83% of benefits to those w/incomes over $100,000 & 0.4% to incomes under $20,000

Section 6 of the Soviet Const (CP monopoly) that everyone’s so het up about was only added 1977.


2/16/90

Bush annoyed at press for reporting on his penchant for lying about foreign policy plans, claims there have been too many press confs.

Evidently, journalists no longer have access to many officials, being automatically referred to pub affairs officers, who have to sanction & monitor their interviews
-Journalists barred in Panama & from interviewing prisoners, injured Amers.

Sam Nujoma, leader of SWAPO, elected prez (by assembly) of Namibia. The Cabinet will be multi-tendency.

Many hospitals test people for AIDS w/out telling them.

Final version of Hong Kong const: 1/3 of seats elected dir by 1997, ½ by 2003, some elected through constituency groups, some be electoral college appointed by gov (whose?)


2/17/90

Sununu, known to be fighting EPA on policy, has also intervened for a friend trying to expand a ski resort

Bush signs a bill, while saying he is not bound by several of its provisions. This is the State Dept finance authorization & inc: 1) no funds for delegates to cont. on security & cooperation unless there is a congressional rep; 2) deny funds for Middle East peace if inc a PLO rep known to have participated in terrorism against US citizen, 3) bars admittance to US UN reps anyone having engaged in espionage against US
-The point is not the bill, but that Bush has just in effect tried to exercise a line-item veto.


2/18/90

Jap. Lib Dems won election anyway. So did Nakasone & Takeshita. Socialists also did well, but at expense of other opposition parties. Lib Dems raised (they say) $100m from major industries & $100m in bank loans at favorable rates. Got 275 of 512 seats, lost 20 seats


12/19/90

Romanian gov calling demonstrators “counter-revolutionary,” remnants of dictatorship which left a sick society


2/21/90

Br couldn’t get EC to east SA sanctions, but will do so unilaterally. Only other EC supporter was...Portugal.

Article NYT by Maureen Dowd on Bush & press. Says Bush fell in love w/his own performance & nice-guy image & considered “volleying with reporters as yet another sport he has mastered. Sort of verbal table tennis.” Then gets pissed about any negative coverage, esp by people who’ve been over for dinner, like it’s a breach of courtesy.

Kohl is campaigning in E Ger just as if it were W Ger. Campaign ads are appearing on W Ger tv.

Sup Court let stand a ruling against a biographer who used unpublished diaries & letters w/out permission


2/22/90

The Jo’burg Star says Defense Min Malan knew of a hit squad of police officers. Close to something called the Civil Cooperation Bureau, financed secretly. Dead inc Lukowski last yr, Ruth First.

Le Carré, it’s not. Retired head of E Ger intelligence fled the country to avoid arrest in illegal arms exports. He fled to USSR.

Lesotho’s military ruler has taken power from King Moshooshoe II

The Transkei is to have a referendum on re-incorp into SA. What does SA think of this?

Sup Court decides 7-2 against the RR-Bush policy of letting its budget office block regulations by other agencies. It had stopped labor reg that employers must warn workers about hazardous substances. Had done this under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

A fed court disallows the flag-burning law.

FEMA disqualified a club for earthquake aid because it discriminates against people not aged 6-18.
-Red Cross to keep money raised here in the region.

RR in videotaped testimony in Poindexter trial, says he didn’t authorize diversion. Also says he doesn’t now know that it happened. He forgets the results of his own investigation & who Lee Hamilton was.

US preparing to ignore Nicaraguan elections, saying US will make own decision. The UN will have 200 observers. Also OAS, Jimmy Carter, etc

Hungarian foreign min talking about joining NATO, but seems to mean politically rather than militarily


2/23/90

Fed gov plea-bargaining w/Exxon over Valdez. This will put at risk Alaska’s compensation.

US will protest any EEC attempt to restrict entry of American-built Japanese cars.

RR testimony: “some of our people said that this would--they didn’t say it was trading for hostages ’cause it wasn’t. My answer--they said it would be made to appear that way if it ever came to light. My answer to that was that if I had a child kidnapped and held for ransom, and if I knew of someone who had perhaps the ability to get that child back, it wouldn’t be dealing with the kidnappers to ask that individual to do that.”
-“I knew that there were groups of citizens who were on the side of the contras and who were soliciting funds to be of help to the contras. And I told them that maybe some of these citizens, these people, wouldn’t know how to contact or how to contact the proper people to deliver the aid that they had raised for them. And that I did not believe it was violating the law if our people who knew, and the answer to those questions, would tell them, inform them as to how they could make contact. But, again, I emphasized no solicitation.”

RR forgot, among other things: who Chair of Joint Chiefs 1982-5 was.
-Did confirm a quid pro quo w/Honduras

USSR proposing limiting total NATO & Warsaw Pact troops in Cent. Eur to 700-750,000 each


2/24/90

The plea-bargain w/Exxon on criminal charges would screw up civil cases by limiting the fed role in their prosecution

The Salvadoran col. in prison for killing 6 Jesuits is in a priv apt w/special food & gets to go to a beach resort.

Sununu says Congress is “too fair” in allowing people w/unorthodox views to be witnesses, citing impression to public. Cited an environmentalist.

RR seems to think Eugene Hasenfus was a priv citizen & forgot that McFarlane admitted lying to Congress or that Tower Commission confirmed that $ diverted to Contras


2/25/90

2 Ch. provinces ban people w/phys or mental disabilities marrying or giving birth

Ch. monitoring foreign journalists more closely. Its policy is to restrict info, discourage Ch. contacts w/them.

Sandinistas lost Nicaraguan elections. Ortega has resigned. Truly, the people seem to have voted for end to war w/US, accepting our terms, essentially.

Taxpayers save $4.40 for every public $1 on birth control

Uruguay gives permission for a cop to challenge an editor to a duel [Later: took it back]

Kohl rejects role for Poles in unification talks. Still says the border question to be settled by the unified Germany w/out other nations’ participation. Change the border unilaterally?

Lithuania elections. Of 141 seats, 51 need run-offs. Independence mvmt, not a real party, Sajudis, won 72. 29 CP, of which 7 loyal to Moscow CP, 22 the breakaway CP, of whom 13 supported by Sajudis. Greens 2. 46 had no party, just Sajudis.


2/26/90

Sup Court didn’t bother hearing homosexuals expelled from military

CA’s 1st execution soon. Time has been moved to midnight to avoid traffic jams in Marin.

SA Defense Min Malan claims death squads didn’t kill Lubowski last yr because he was an SA agent


2/27/90

Plea bargain on Exxon fell through, indictments came down

Ortega says he won’t hand over power unless contras disband.

Sup Court 6-3 upholds right of prisons to administer behaviour-modifying drugs. Needs no more than a hearing inside the institution w/out lawyer

USSR proposing law that would let Moscow take over govs of republics by dec state emergency


2/28/90

The Japanese elections being over, Kaifu forces both women in cabinet out.

Sup Soviet gives initial approval to powers for president 306-65 after Gorbachev cut off debate. Will be sent to Congress of People’s Deputies. Elections wouldn’t be for 4 yrs. Could dec state of emergency & martial law, propose & veto legislation, dissolve Parl. And some sort of decree powers.

Sup Court 5-4 says a search by fed agents in Mexico ok because Const doesn’t apply to non-Americans outside US. Says the use in 4th Amend of “the people” means Americans only

USSR will cont. sending aid to Nicaragua