April 1990, Page 35

Issues in the News

Compiled by Parker L. Payson

From the Middle East Press:

YAR Seeks to Increase Remittances:

North Yemen decided in February to offer preferential exchange rates to Yemeni workers abroad in order to increase remittances, which have been reduced to $255 million a year, about half the level of those prior to the collapse of the oil market in 1986. Remittances from the estimated one million workers abroad account for Yemen's primary source of foreign currency, reported North Yemen's daily Al Thawra.

Immigration to Northern Cyprus Growing:

The number of Turkish settlers who have immigrated to Northern Cyprus reached 80,000 in February, equaling the number of Turkish-Cypriot citizens, according to the Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yeniduzen. The opposition Republican Turkish Party accused Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Dentktash of altering recent census figures as well as inducing immigration and granting citizenship to his supporters in order to strengthen his position for elections planned in April.

UAE Bans Ivory Trade:

The United Arab Emirates, once a center for traffic in ivory, banned the trading of ivory and rhinoceros horns in February, the Middle East Times reported. "Given the important role played by the UAE in elephant ivory, rhinoceros horn and other products, the return of this country to the CITES [UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species] family is an important step for the conservation of species threatened by trade," said CITES Secretary General Eugene Lapointe.

Tunisians Crack Down on Islamic Student Group:

Tunisian police detained some 800 students in February suspected of being members of the religious-oriented Tunisian General Students' Union in what government spokesmen called a "full-scale roundup" against the organization, which had been staging strikes and allegedly inciting violence, reported the Middle East Times. The group was protesting a government decision that refused the Islamic Nahdha Party official recognition because Tunisia bans the formation of religious parties.

PDRY and Oman Accord:

Marxist South Yemen and Oman reached what Yemeni officials called a "complete agreement" in a border dispute which has plagued relations between the two nations since South Yemen was first established in 1967. According to the Aden News Agency, Omani Minister of Justice Abdel Wassa Sallam met with South Yemen's minister of culture and information, Mohammed Alimad Jarhum, in February to try to resolve the disagreement and explore other ways to develop closer ties with its neighbor.

Anti-Pollution Agreement Signed:

Six Gulf oil-producing countries, including Iran, signed a pact to limit pollution, the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported in February. Iraq and Oman did not sign the agreement for "technical reasons" awaiting government resolution. "The protocol would contribute considerably to the protection of the marine environment against pollution from land-based sources," Kuwaiti Planning Minister Abdel Rahman Al Awadi said.

Corruption Scandal in Cairo:

The owners of Egypt's largest Islamic investment company, Al Rayan, are expected to stand trial for fraud and aiding and abetting illegal activities, according to February reports in the Egypt Edition of the Middle East Times. Former Chairman Ahmed Tawfik Abdel Fattah and his father, Tawfik Abdel Fattah, face charges of misuse of over $730 million in funds belonging to more than 18,000 depositors between 1982 and 1988, the newspaper reports.

Opposition Members Murdered:

Amid political violence in Pakistan, two members of the opposition Mohajir National Movement (MQM) were abducted and tortured to death in Karachi, police reported in February. Supporters of the MQM have blamed followers of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in the Sind province for the deaths. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party has denied the charge.

Oman Eases Visa Requirements:

Oman announced in February that it is easing visa restrictions for foreigners who want to work, trade or visit the Sultanate. The strict regulations were lifted to "activate the national economy" and to allow "diversification of the national economy away from total dependence on oil revenues," Police and Customs Deputy Inspector General Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Nabri told the Saudi Gazette.

Qatar Taps Huge Natural Gas Field:

Qatar announced plans in February to develop the world's largest natural gas field to be ready for exports by 1991. The field which experts estimate holds four percent of the world's known natural gas reserves, is expected to provide revenue to the Emirate for 150 years, long after its oil runs dry, and to push Qatar to the forefront of OPEC, the Middle East Times reported.

Riots In Tehran:

Police arrested 300 stone-throwing protesters after riots broke out in Tehran in February. According to the People's Mojahedin, a major opposition group, Iranian Revolutionary Guards opened fire on a crowd demonstrating against the government and killed several people. The Iranian news agency IRNA reported that the demonstrations were sparked by the cancellation of a soccer match due to inclement weather.

US Aid Suspended:

The US suspended a $30 million food aid program to Afghan rebels in February after reports that a majority of the food was stolen or diverted to the Soviet-backed Afghan government. According to State Department officials, further aid will be curtailed until the US is allowed to track its disbursement, the Middle East Times reported.

Former Foes Join Forces:

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadeq Al Mahdi's Umma party agreed in February to work with southern rebel forces led by the Sudan's People's Liberation Party (SPLA) to topple the eight-month-old military government of General Omar Bashir, according to SPLA radio reports.

Bahrain Targets More Home Employment:

Bahrain, which is heavily dependent on foreign labor, announced mandatory employment quotas for private firms. Ministry of Labor Director Abdel Rahman Zayani said the law was part of a plan designed to double the percentage of Bahrainis working in the private sector by mid-1994, according to the Middle East Times.

Turkish Foreign Minister Resigns:

After complaining about foreign policy decisions made by his colleagues in the ruling Motherland Party, Turkish Foreign Minister Mesut Yilmaz announced his resignation from the government in February, the Middle East Times reported. The decision by Yilmaz, leader of the party's liberal faction, was reportedly motivated by plans to challenge Prime Minister Yildrim Akbulut in next year's national elections.

King Called On:

More than 15,000 Afghan refugees meeting in the Saranan refugee camp in western Pakistan in February condemned Mojahedin leaders and called on former Afghan King Zahir Shah, who has been living in exile in Rome since he was deposed in 1973, to help unite the country, the Saudi Gazette reported. The King, bitterly opposed by Afghan leaders in Peshawar, Pakistan, has said he is willing to play a role in the dispute if a majority of Afghans wish him to return.

From the Jewish Press:

Sharon's Plan Rebuffed:

Right-wing Likud politician Ariel Sharon, who resigned from the Israeli Cabinet in February, is pursuing "a destructive path," according to leaders in the American Jewish community. Sharon met with 10 members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in March to advance an alternative peace plan, which former Conference Chairman Howard Squadron called "extraordinarily unrealistic," according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Detention Center Shut Down:

The Israeli Army closed the Anatot detention center in February following charges by the Association of Civil Rights in Israel that "the facility is not fit for human habitation," reported the Jewish Week of Queens, NY. A petition filed in Israel's Supreme Court by the group said that Palestinians were housed in a three-walled shed, where they were forced to sleep without protection from extreme cold.

Arab Girl Volunteers for Israeli Social Service:

A Bedouin girl became the first Arab to join Israel's National Service program, usually comprising religious women not wanting to serve in the Israeli army. Nahda Ghader, who volunteered in February, told the Jewish Week of Queens, NY that she joined "to serve her society," like other young people.

Israeli Arabs Protest Shortages:

Thousands of Israeli Arabs staged a nationwide strike in February following a government decision to renege on a $50 million loan agreement designed to cover municipal deficits in Arab townships, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Haifa Mayor Avre Gurel took part in the rally to draw attention to the growing financial problems facing all municipalities throughout Israel.

Ancient History Claims Victim:

After six days of effort, workers recovered the body of a 71 -year-old Israeli man who fell into a 1,000-year-old Byzantine cistern and was buried under 30 feet of mud when the sidewalk collapsed under him outside a Beersheba shopping mall in February, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Israel Has Most Prisoners:

Israel's President Chaim Herzog claims Israel has the highest number of prisoners per capita and the most densely populated jails in the world. Speaking during his national radio address in February, Herzog noted that Israel has 150 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, not including security prisoners, while comparable figures in Europe range from 29 to 114 per 100,000. He also pointed out that each prisoner in the US is allocated an average of 19 square yards, while Israeli prisoners average only 2 to 3 square yards of space.

Deportees Win Stay:

Responding to US pressure, Israel in February postponed all outstanding deportation orders against Palestinians without residency permits in the occupied territories, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler said that the US had expressed "concern" over Israel's deportation policies, "particularly with regard to divided families."

Shekel Tumbles:

The Israeli government bought large quantities of foreign currency and devalued the shekel by six percent in February. Bank of Israel's governor Michael Bruno called the reduction a temporary move to maintain stable exchange rates following the rebound of the US dollar against the German mark.

Peres Studies Atlantic City Cure-All:

Israel's Finance Minister Shimon Peres appointed a committee in February to examine the "wide-ranging social, commercial and moral implications" of legalizing gambling. The government, according to reports in the New York Jewish Week, is considering endorsing lotteries, horse-track betting, and casinos as ways to raise revenues.

IDF Major Jailed:

An Israeli Defense Force major was jailed for 25 days in February for refusing to serve in the occupied territories. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Major Zvi Nir-Al was the 100th soldier and highest ranking officer to be jailed for refusing to serve in the territories since the beginning of the intifada.

Arab Sentenced to 27 Years In Jail

An East Jerusalem member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was sentenced to 27 years in prison in February for setting fire to automobiles in Jerusalem, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Milton Friedman Tells Israel to Drop Territories:

Nobel Laureate economics professor Milton Friedman visited Israel in February and told officials that "Israel will be destroyed if it does not rid itself of the West Bank," according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot. The University of Chicago professor reversed his stand on the territories, saying "Israeli policy has changed.

Now there is a policy of political and economic discrimination against the Palestinians, which makes any dialogue between them and the Israelis very difficult... Israel should try to find any possible way to get rid of the terrible load of conquest.

General Motors Now, Israel Later:

Michael Moore, creator of the highly acclaimed satirical film "Roger and Me," is reportedly considered making a pro-Palestinian film. He told the Detroit Jewish News that he plans to fight racial injustice whether I across the street," or in Israel. "And yes, there is racial injustice in Israel, discrimination against Arab and Palestinian," he said.

Israeli-Chinese Rapprochement:

Israel and China began discussions in February to establish full diplomatic relations, according to the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv. Israel is reportedly planning to open offices in Beijing to exchange scientific information this spring.

US Settlement Study Shelved:

Secretary of State James Baker cancelled a secret administration study on the legality of Jewish settlements on the West Bank two weeks after it began, according to the Jerusalem Post. The study, which was reportedly initiated at the request of National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft and White House Chief of Staff John Sununu, apparently was scuttled to avoid upsetting Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir while the US is encouraging Israel to enter into an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.

Airlines Omit Israel:

Several of Europe's leading airlines systematically delete references to Israel in timetables and maps distributed to Middle East airports and travel agencies, according to a report by the Simon Weisenthal Center, reported the Washington Jewish Week. The center sent out letters in February to Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Air, British Air, Olympic, Swissair, and Scandinavian Airlines condemning the practice.

Israel Does Business With Avowed Enemy:

After years of denial, Israeli government officials admitted to earning profits from Iranian oil transactions. According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the statement, made by Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Shahal in February, clearly contradicted earlier denials made by various Israeli officials, including one made by Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin in December that Israel had no contact with the Iranian regime.