September 1990

9/1/90

India to send food & medicine to Kuwait (there are 200,000 stranded Inds)


9/2/90

Iran will allow 100,000 refugees
-E Ger ambassador to Kuwait was forcibly removed to Iraq
-Thatcher says Hussein might be prosecuted for war crimes
-Iraq now trying to get foreigners to leave only by Iraqi planes, to break sanctions. So that has stopped evacuation.


9/3/90

Hussein has recently had his genealogy traced, and damn if he isn’t descended from Mohammed

Yeltsin talking about letting the Russian sub-regions take as much power as they want, even secede from Russia.
-And said Russia should est own econ reform

Gore Vidal: “The United States has elections rather than politics.”

In our elections, 4 of 32 Senators unopposed, 76 of 406 Reps, 46 of them Democrat. And some token. 12 of the 28 challenged Senators have a 50-1 lead in fund-raising. House incumbents have 6X lead. And how many of the challenges have held office? In 1988, only 10% had. Economist says war-chests not to fight electoral battles, but to head them off

Libya to break boycott on Iraq


9/4/90

Bush wants to forgive Egypt’s $7b debt to US as a “symbol” of our thanks
-US Navy seized 1st Iraqi ship

Since Serbia took over Kosovo July, has fired 1,000s of Albanians. There is now a gen strike. They’ve been trying to get people to sign loyalty oaths.

US talking about a perm peace force in Gulf, institutionalizing the foothold we’ve gained in all those emirates

Israeli gov-run tv & radio banned use of Arabic names for Palestinian towns; to use Biblical names


9/5/90

Hussein called for a jihad against US, overthrow of govs Egypt, Saudi. Says Iraqi children are dying from blockade
-Soviets want a Middle East conf to inc subjects of Iraq, Palestinians, etc. Shamir rejects, Baker says there is such consensus of Iraq on Iraq there almost is an internat conf
-On the Israeli side, pressure on Shamir is off, Arafat doing himself no good at all supporting Iraq (though not the invasion). And aid won’t be cut now. Qatar expelling Palestinians.
-Saudi Arabia to expand military & allow women in labor force. Still no draft, but abandoning tribal quotas

Sam Nunn now favors allowing abortion up to viability. Running for president, I take it

A variation on “Miss Saigon” -- Br Equity says a play should find a British black to play God


9/6/90

Panama has yet to bring to trial any of the 1,400 arrested after the invasion. Neither is anyone else being tried, there being no real criminal justice system but plenty of people in jail

Safire points out that Hussein burned bridges by giving back Shat-al-Arab to Iran -- w/out Kuwait, he has no gulf outlet
-USSR giving US intelligence about Iraqi capabilities

Remember impeached governor of Arizona Evan Mecham? He’s running again. Wants to fire state employees for adultery

Senate August 2’s Intelligence Authorization Act allows president to finance covert actions w/out congressional approval by using 3rd countries & priv contractors. Essentially legalizing Ollie North’s activities. 48 hr finding (after), but can deny further info. [later: vetoed as too restrictive!]

February House, w/55 sponsors, Senate w/16 intro bill (now in cmtes) to declare drug emergency for 5 yrs & suspend 4th & 8th Amends, set up tents & detention camps, built w/forced prison labor. Allow priv businesses to contract for prison labor. Courts could not dec conditions in a prison const. violations. For drug crimes, 5+ yrs w/out parole. Air conditioning prohibited.
-Darryl Gates, LA police chief wants casual users taken out & shot; it’s treason

US forces over 100,000 Saudi Arabia


9/7/90

Saudi Arabia will pay most of the $1.4b/mo. cost of US troops

Iraq has been trying to get Asians to send food, threatening that foreigners would be the 1st to starve. US says they can’t unless UN lets them. Some disagree (Ch., Israel, India)
-Kuwait’s emir will give US $2.5b & give $2.5b to Jordan, Egypt, Turkey... The emir has to speak to reporters for 1st time ever. Emir on elections: “No one in Kuwait will want any other leadership than the Sabah family. I don’t think that this is for discussion.”


9/8/90

Iraq to jail foreigners for life if try to leave w/out exit visa


9/9/90

Hussein had 5 of the presidential guard executed


9/10/90

Under rules of engagement, Saudis must give US permission to fire on intruding Iraqi planes unless being attacked

Bush-Gorby summit over Iraq. Iraq had bemoaned USSR’s loss of superpower status & had suggestions on how to reassert it.... Gorby still not endorsing force but otherwise complete agreement. Did get Bush assurance that US troops will leave when (if?) crisis over.

SA Demo party’s new leader is Zach de Beer, ex of Anglo

Samuel Doe captured by rebels but not the main rebels. And seems to have been killed

A book by a former Mossad agent, Victor Ostrovski, temp banned from publication in Canada, says Israel. Knew about the 1983 bombing of 241 Americans in Lebanon, but withheld

Iraq offers free oil to 3rd World countries -- if they come & get it. US will block it.

Benazir Bhutto charged w/corruption before 1-judge court. Intended to bar her as candidate

Cambodia to est ruling council in transition, ½ Hun Sen’s gov, ½ rebels, divided among 3 factions. Means Pol Pot has 2 of 12, but also a veto, as do the other 3 parties


9/11/90

Cuba, Romania and other E Eur countries buying Iraqi oil

Ger will pay $7.6b to USSR for troop removal

Pledges of aid from Saudi, Kuwait, UAE, total $12b by end of yr, ½ to US, ½ to poor Middle East

US has dropped opposition to USSR involvement in Middle E. peace efforts generally
-US doing nothing to help in evacuation of Iraquwait.
-Some in Senate asking whether Bush Admin has right to control the billions pledged by foreign countries. Sort of like Iran-Contra...

Court of Appeals overturns INS reg to jail aliens who worked w/out authorization for 1-3 yrs while awaiting deportation hearings

In NY, where Fed gov has acquired property from S&L failures, wants to evict rent-controlled tenants


9/12/90

Iraq approached American Cryonics Society 2 mos ago about cloning Hussein, freezing samples

Iran calls for jihad against US. Ali Khamenei says Iraq’s struggle is a jihad. Iran will break the embargo, giving food & medicine for oil & cash

Evan Mecham failed to win nomination

Only ¼ of US households use the homeowner deduction, but the value of their tax breaks is 4X what the fed gov spends on housing for poor

Iraq says foreign agencies will not be allowed to distrib food (after all that pressure to bring in food to help nationals, presumably Iraq will just use it in own way).

Now a US court (NY State Sup Court justice) has put prior restraint on the book by ex-Mossad agent (see 9/10) -- 1st ever for foreign state. The book also says Mossad operates 24-27 agents in US. The author is in hiding. Mossad is asking US to enforce this guy’s contract of confidentiality (admitting he was Mossad).

Bush on UN: “We’re now in sight of a United Nations that performs as envisioned by its founders.” US debt to UN: $750m, not counting specialized agencies.

Israel closes a Lebanese port it claims was used to smuggle food to Iraq

Michigan Lege votes parental notification for under 17. Can’t be vetoed, this time, because it’s from signatures


9/13/90

Souter hearing began today. Refused to comment on abortion, but said there is a right to privacy

James Ridgeway says today’s world situation features “the sound of one ideology clapping.”


9/14/90

Iraq invades embassies in Kuwait of Fr, Canada, Belg

111 MPs of the dissolved Kosovo parl, 2/3 of it, met secretly & adopted a const for Kosovo as an ind republic. Serbia will issue its own version

Appellate Division of NY State Sup Court lifts ban on the Mossad book (by the by, Israel’s suit acknowledged his employment)

An article in NYT says $800m/yr could be saved on S&L just by transferring debt on insolvent S&Ls from Fed Home Loan Bank Board, at higher rates & w/non-taxable interest, to Treasury as ordinary debt

Souter says Congress authorizing funds for Korean War, + president’s power to commit troops, made the war constitutional

Greenpeace says allies have brought 450 nukes on ships into Gulf

American comps will bail USSR out on its biggest problem -- not enough cigarettes. they’re shipping $4b

SA violence is not black & black exactly, Mandela & DeKlerk agree, but there is a “hidden hand,” perhaps right-wingers, employing blacks to provoke violence through murderous attacks. Yesterday silent blacks killed 26 on a train. Mandela cites analogy w/Renamo.

The E Ger responsible for dismantling the Stasi turned out to have been an agent. Also 3 ministers, 68 deputies.

The sale of 100 failing S&Ls 1988 will cost us $71b, double what they said. Did regulators have the right to make such favorable arrangements? Some people had exclusive right to bid

US to sell Saudi Arabia $20b in arms over several yrs.


9/16/90

Texas R candidates are using gay-bashing against D’s

Iraq’s raid on Fr embassy has led to Fr escalation, 4,000 troops+

Souter claims to have open mind on abortion, believes in redressive affirmative action, against school prayer. He is not Bork.

The Canadian publisher of the Mossad book was broken into Friday

Iraq is letting thousands of Kuwaitis cross border into Saudi Arabia. It is taking their id’s


9/17/90

Souter says death penalty const.
-Every time Souter has talked about privacy, it’s “marital right to privacy.”

Iraqi tv ran a Bush videotape unedited. The best bit was quoting from a Nov88 Hussein speech that no Arab country had right to occupy another one.

In Philippines, the official investigating rigging of the gov lottery wins the top prize

Air Force Chief of Staff Dugan fired for telling tv about plans to bomb Baghdad, aiming at Hussein, if hostilities arose. 1st such firing since MacArthur

Iraq has been capturing Kuwaiti men among those trying to flee over the newly-opened border

Israel withdraws Canadian lawsuit against “By Way of Deception”


9/18/90

Souter could not think of any spurious new rights. Miranda, for example, is just implementation

GAO says Ch. has exported to US (illegally) products made by forced labor. Use of their 2-5m prisoners in manufacturing is integral

A Sandinista law just showed up, passed last Dec. before election while Nat Ass in recess & only just went into effect on publication. Any successor to Humberto Ortega as commander must come from military hierarchy. Commander has control over size, budget, human rights investigations, relationships w/foreign countries, can incur debts & create support businesses. Defense Min (now Mrs. Chamorro)’s powers pretty much eliminated. Very Chilean.

SA will charge Winnie Mandela for kidnapping & assault

US agrees to close (eventually) base in Philippines

Iraq increasing forces in Kuwait, in defensive positions. 360,000


9/19/90

House defeats amend for abortions on military hospitals abroad

Hussein freezes foreign assets
-US talking about air blockade & seizing all Iraqi ships abroad

The Mossad book also says Israel knew where US hostages in Beirut were & who held them. The publishers excised assertion that there was high-level permission for the 1982 Sabre-Shatila massacres

Souter & the 1977 Seabrook demonstrations. Souter lists his handling of this on his forms as one of his notable accomplishments. Much of this can be laid at Gov Thomson, but... Thomson started a petition drive for Seabrook at state liquor stores, prohibiting opponents. Much of the persecution of the Clamshell Alliance was based on “intelligence” on the ecology mvmt supplied by Lyndon LaRouche. When police arrested 1,410 demonstrators, Souter rushed to court to prevent their release, so they were held at state armories. The cost was over $1m. Thomson appealed for donations, the largest of which came from the owners of Seabrook ($74,000). The crime commission refused money until Souter threatened to disband it. Thomson called the demo “nothing but a cover for terrorist activity,” quoting the LaRouche report (this confirmed by his press sec). When the whole mess in court for civil rights violations, Souter claimed to be out of the loop.

Jauzelski to step down soon as president. Interesting that this is the same week Walesa announced candidacy

Cheney wants permission to spend billions in allied contributions w/out Congressional approval. Ollie North lives.

It seems Fr radar (which Saudi Arabia owns) can detect Stealth fighters at 10.5 mi.

NYC has found 254,000 dwellings the census missed


9/20/90

Shamir says Israel might remove Hussein if US fails to


9/21/90

CA voted in June for a gas tax increase of 9¢. The 1st allocation went $2 for highways for every $1 to pub transport

US broke the alleged freeze on contacts w/China over Iraq (asst sec state went).

Iraq ruling council: “May the curse of God fall on those evil dwarfs.” Iraq has said any attack will be met by destroying all Gulf oil fields

There are 5 people in the US who can smoke marijuana for medical reasons


9/22/90

Japan’s justice minister says US blacks, like prostitutes, both ruin good neighborhoods.

UC regents vote 13-3 to renew Livermore/Los Alamos connection, despite 65% faculty vote


9/23/90

Iraq to eliminate the Kuwaiti dinar. The exchange will devalue it by 2/3-34

Director of the Contemp Arts Center going on obscenity trial Cincinnati for Mapplethorpe photos.


9/24/90

Khruschev’s memoirs, on tape, say Castro wanted nuke strike on US during Missile Crisis
-Also that Stalin offered Hitler land for peace 194 but there was no reply

Soviet parl votes for free mkt, but not when or how. Also gave Gorby special powers for econ reforms, 305-36


9/25/90

UN votes air embargo on Iraq, but not enforceable by force

Doug Ireland (Voice) comments that where US made mistake of ignoring Iraq’s record when Iran was the enemy, is now doing same for Syria. And we’re still not supporting the Kurds, in deference to Hussein’s fellow Kurd-repressor, Turkey.
-The Br Independent reports a 1958 US-Br plot to turn Kuwait into a Crown Colony. This underlines artificiality of Kuwait, whose border w/Iraq once based on position of palm trees

Seems on Sept. 6, a socialist party New Democratic Party won Ontario elections. Also got ⅓ of seats in Manitoba, making them 2nd largest. Both were great increases (2-4X)


9/26/90

Iraq wants a list of Amers. hiding in the embassy. Also said it will hang them.

An Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza last week. No figures on how many refugee homes & shops have been destroyed in reprisals.

The Emir of Kuwait has married & divorced maybe 40 women, keeping # at 4, has >70 children
-Parl was abolished 1986. Reopened July in weak form, ⅓ gov-appointed, & boycotted by opposition


9/27/90

According to Amnesty Int., on 9/17 Serbia arrested at least 4 members of Kosovo assembly plus the former PM, secs of transport, ed., internal, labor & soc policy, director of tv. Charged w/forming a group aimed to unconst. change the border of Serbia & proclaim Kosovo a republic

Sen. failed to pass bill to improve fuel efficiency in cars. Bush had threatened veto anyway

Iraq threatening to cut off food to foreigners

White House delaying pub. or release to Congress of a report on how US could prevent ¼ of 40,000 infant deaths/yr. It calls for $500m/yr for expanding Medicaid, parental care ()

Pentagon lifts its ban on Northrop, which had pleaded guilty of failing to test parts for Harrier fighter-bomber. These parts are only produced by Northrop, and more are needed because they’re... wearing out early. Northrop never stopped making them, just selling them indirectly to US

Jordan still allowing Iraqi planes to land their, against UN sanctions

Sen 63-35 votes to reverse RR & Bush orders that fed-funded family planning clinics not counsel on abortion. But fails to pass the bill to which is was attached, so no change this yr. Just as well, as it also amended to require parental notification

Soviets voted freedom of religion. Says gov won’t finance relig or atheist propaganda or activities.

Motion Pictures Assoc has created an NC-17 (no children under 17) rating to replace X. And R will be explained.

Someone who changed sex and became a James Bond Girl (For Your Eyes Only) lost in Eur Court bid to marry a man

A Philippines court has sentenced to life 16 soldiers inc a general for death of Benigno Aquino, acquitted 20.

US to sell strategic reserve oil to reduce price, now highest ever. Note that supply of oil out there is higher than at this time last yr.

SA mining industry no longer uses Malawians, as its gov refused to allow AIDS testing instituted for migrants 1987

Br restores relations w/Iran. Death sentence on Rushdie not removed, but they won’t pursue it in Br

Treasury wants restrictions on deposit insurance


9/28/90

Sen. Judiciary Cmte approves Souter 13 to 1 (Kennedy)

Quayle: “We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.”

Iraq gives Kuwaitis 1 mo. to apply for Iraqi citizenship. Consequences unstated.

John Hull still in US after jumping bail in Costa Rica last yr. CR foreign min has delayed filing extradition papers because of that darned translating

Gorby uses emergency powers to force local govs, republics to deliver according to cent. dictates

Ben Bella returns to Algeria, making support of Iraq the backbone of his pol comeback

Burmese military gov, which still hasn’t turned power to the party which won May’s election & most of whose leadership is in jail, has bene invading Western embassies & arresting their Burmese employees

Rather late in election, fed court overrules CA’s Prop 73 limits (1988) on campaign contribs. Feinstein, who supported 73, has taken advantage of the no-limits to raise large contribs

USSR has removed nukes from ethnic trouble spots


9/29/90

Canadian drs. charge 2.4X less than US drs. for same work. US drs. earn ⅓ more, seeing fewer patients. At Canadian levels, we would save $100b/yr

½ of Kuwait’s pp now gone. Iraq is stripping hospitals, furniture, even an amusement park. Emir of K. claims babies taken out of incubators, people off life-support, so it can be sent back to Iraq.

District Court of Appeal allows CA law requiring defendants acquitted as insane to pay for their housing & treatment in a mental hospital


9/30/90

W Ger const court says plan for elections illegal, keeping smaller parties off ballot

Udmurtia dec sovereignty (an autonomous republic)

Ch. has broken embargo to sell Iraq lithium hydride ($1.5m), used for nuke weapons & missile fuel