July/August 1993, Page 22

Issues in the News

Compiled by Greg Noakes

From the Middle Eastern Press:

Iran-Hamas Pact Denied:

The text of an agreement allegedly concluded late last year between Iran and the Palestinian Hamas organization was leaked to several journalists by sources close to the PLO, but is being denied by Hamas. The agreement, supposedly signed in the Iranian city of Qom by Amman-based Hamas spokesman Ibrahim Ghawshah and Iranian officials, criticized the PLO and condemned the ongoing peace process. The text released to the press also stipulated that Hamas would "receive sufficient material, moral, political and jihad support to enable it to continue its jihad mission and escalate the confrontations with the Zionists. " Ghawshah denied the authenticity of the text, telling the London-based Al Wasat that an official Hamas delegation visited Tehran last October but "concluded no agreements with the Iranian government, neither in Qom nor anywhere else. " He said he has never visited Qom, and that discussion of Hamas as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people's jihad" was "idle talk." Ghawshah denied Hamas was receiving instructions from Iran or any other nation.

Egypt Forms Secret Squads:

The Egyptian daily Al Ahrar reports Interior Minister Hassan Al-Alfi has decided to form a number of crack anti-terrorist squads whose members would wear masks to keep their identities secret. The report said the elite squads will be made up of Egyptian soldiers with superior combat capability and training and will target armed Islamist militants.

Mice Menace Sudanese Crops:

Cairo's Al Khartoum says north-central Sudan has been hit by a plague of mice that threatens food crops and could cripple the harvest of sorghum, millet, peanuts and sesame seeds in the region. The paper quoted a pest control official in Kordovan as saying some cultivated areas had as many as 35 mice per square kilometer, compared to a normal concentration of one or two rodents.

New Travel Tariffs in Iraq:

Iraqis wishing to travel abroad must now pay 15,000 Iraqi diners ($5,800 at the official exchange rate) in duty fees before leaving the country, according to Baghdad's Ath-Thawra. The new fees are designed to curb the flow of Iraqis into neighboring Jordan.

Iranian Court Muzzles Montazeri's Magazine:

Iran's Special Court of the Clergy has banned Rah E Mojahed, a magazine which supports Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, for publishing statements by Montazeri's aides criticizing a police search of the ayatollah's office. Salam reports that several houses, including one belonging to Montazeri's son-in-law, were also searched and five truckloads of leaflets insulting to the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini were seized. Montazeri, who is considered a moderate and was once Khomeini's designated successor, has been highly critical of the present Iranian leadership.

U.S. Official Concentrates on Kashmir:

John Malott, director of the U. S. State Department's South Asian Affairs Bureau, has received assurances from Pakistani Foreign Ministry officials about Islamabad's alleged ties to terrorism in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The Saudi Gazette reports Malott declined to discuss the specific assurances, but said the recent removal of two top army officers, Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani and Lt. Gen. Javed Nisar, a former director of the country's ISI intelligence agency, was "an encouraging sign. " While Pakistan is not on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, "It is informally being watched, " the State Department official said. Malott traveled from Islamabad to New Delhi, where he said the U. S. was ready to help India and Pakistan resolve the Kashmiri issue, though India's minister of external affairs, Salman Khursheed, told journalists the two parties "don't need a neutral country to arrange negotiations. " Khursheed said the U. S. should pressure Pakistan to cut off aid to Kashmiri insurgents and be "serious" about bilateral talks.

"No Going Back" on Somaliland:

Somaliland President Muhammad Ibrahim Egal told Ash Sharq Al Awsat, "There is no going back on the independence of Somaliland," even though the republic has yet to be recognized by any other country since its May 1991 declaration of independence. Egal, the first and only prime minister of British Somaliland before its 1960 incorporation into Somalia, also served as prime minister of Somalia from 1967 to 1969. He recently replaced Acting President Abdurahman Ahmed Ali as Somaliland's head of state, and opposes the reunification of his nation and Somalia. Egal said his government's priority would be reconstruction of the country, "and that [international] recognition would come sooner or later. "

Palestinians Deny Delegation Divided:

In a joint statement carried by Jerusalem's Al Quds newspaper, Dr. Haider Abdel Shafi and Faisal Husseini denied reports of a rift between them or other members of the Palestinian delegation to the peace talks. "Attempts to misinterpret statements made by delegation members are meant to mislead the people, " the statement said, adding that all members were committed to a just peace on the basis of U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338 and the principle of land for peace. The leaders also said the PLO remains the only party able to make decisions on behalf of the Palestinian people. There has been speculation about serious differences between Abdel Shafi, head of the Palestinian delegation, and Husseini, head of the Palestinian negotiating team, and questions about who is the decision-maker on the Palestinian delegation.

"Concrete Evidence" of Iranian Links to Violence:

The UAE daily Al Khalij says Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak brought "the first concrete evidence of Iran's involvement in the violence the Muslim extremists are committing in Egypt" during his recent tour of the Gulf. The paper quoted Egyptian sources as saying defendants in at least two criminal cases have discussed links between Iran and Egyptian, Algerian and Tunisian Islamists trained in the Sudan. Iran's activities were a major topic in Mubarak's discussions with Gulf leaders.

Pilgrims Take the Long Way:

The Saudi Gazette reports that 11 pilgrims from the southern Russian region of Chechenya completed a 2,000-mile trek on foot in time for the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. The pilgrims, aged between 30 and 38 years old, completed the trip in 102 days and said they wanted to draw attention to the situation of Muslims in the former Soviet Union.

Bhutto On Nuclear Proliferation:

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said on a recent visit to Washington that Pakistan is against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, "but it is unrealistic to expect Pakistan unilaterally to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. " The Minaret of New York reports Bhutto said Pakistan and India would have to find a way to solve the nuclear problem together, possibly in the context of a multilateral conference, and expressed hope that the leaders of the subcontinent would meet to work out solutions to the region's problems.

Jordan Pleads for Debt Relief:

Jordan asked the European Community for debt relief in an attempt to preserve economic growth and avoid serious social unrest, the Middle East Times reports. The Jordanian Finance Ministry asked for the EC's support in reducing the country's $7.3 billion foreign debt, of which 23 percent is owed to EC member countries and institutions. The request stated that debt relief would help compensate for Jordan's losses during the Gulf war, sustain the country's strong economic growth since 1992, and avoid the prospect of rising unemployment, increasing poverty and a drop in the standard of living.

MPs Say Southern Front Quiet:

British Members of Parliament Tam Dalyell and George Galloway said their fact-finding trip to southern Iraq was quiet despite Western accusations that Saddam Hussain is carrying out military operations to eliminate rebels in the southern marshes. The Arab News reports Galloway said he saw less of a military presence on his trip south from Baghdad than he has seen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Labour Party MPs met with a number of villagers on the edge of the Al Sanaf marshes, in addition to consulting with Iraqi officials in Baghdad.

Hamas Sheikh Has Eye Surgery:

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement imprisoned by Israeli authorities since 1989, underwent surgery on his eye in Ramle Hospital in March but is still unable to read, according to the Mandela Human Rights Organization. Al Fajr reports that Yassin's operation was not announced previously to the press, and that after the surgery the sheikh was returned to solitary confinement. Yassin, who is paralyzed below the waist, suffers from ear, lung and stomach problems in addition to his eye condition, and has complained that he is not receiving the necessary medication in prison.

Lebanese Press Freedom Curbed:

Suspensions of two newspapers and a television station have prompted protests from Lebanese journalists and politicians. The government suspended the opposition daily Nida Al Watan for one week after the paper charged billionaire Prime Minister Rafik Hariri with trying to "Muslimize" Lebanon by purchasing Christian property. The government said the article was damaging to reconciliation in the country. The International Communications Network, a private television station belonging to Nida Al Watan 's wealthy Maronite owner, Henri Sfeir, was shut down indefinitely for broadcasting similar allegations. The respected leftist daily As Safir was closed for a week for printing a draft of an Israeli proposal to evacuate southern Lebanon made during the ninth round of peace talks in Washington. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said As Safir's text was incorrect and charged that publishing false information weakened the Lebanese position at the negotiations. Several government ministers reportedly opposed the suspension. As Safir's editor and owner, Talal Salman, wrote in Beirut Al Masa that the closure order "is a naked aggression against the citizen's right to know" and a "decision against Lebanon. "

Cabinet Compromise in Kabul:

Leaders of Afghanistan's warring political factions reached agreement on a new cabinet after nearly three weeks of negotiations marked by heavy fighting in the capital of Kabul. The Saudi Gazette reports that the breakthrough was the resignation of Ahmed Shah Massoud as defense minister and his replacement by a commission which will oversee the defense portfolio for the next two months. The new cabinet's 22 posts are divided between the nine main majahedeen groups which toppled the former Soviet-backed government in April 1992. President Burhanuddin Rabbani will chair the Defense Ministry Commission, while his main rival, Prime Minister-designate Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, will head a similar interim Interior Ministry Commission.

Yeltsin Pleads for Leniency:

Russian President Boris Yeltsin sent a personal message to Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey asking him for clemency for five Russian soldiers taken prisoner during fighting in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Moskovskiye Novosti reports that a similar appeal from Yeltsin before the soldiers' trial went unheeded, and many observers believe that heavy Azeri casualties and the fact that Russian soldiers are siding with Armenian forces will make it difficult for Elchibey to justify leniency to the Azeri public. In an earlier case, a Russian citizen due to be charged with the murder of three unarmed Azeris was turned over to Russian authorities after a personal request by Yeltsin to Elchibey. The Russian received a hero's welcome in Moscow, while the families of the Azeri victims fiercely criticized the Baku government's decision.

Cairo Cuts Phone Links:

Egypt cut its direct-dial telephone links with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Sudan to hinder communications between militant Islamist leaders abroad and their followers inside Egypt, Al Akhbar reports. Investigations into the militants' activities indicated that Islamists were communicating via phone and fax to coordinate armed attacks, the report said. The Mubarak government has accused Sudan and Iran of aiding Egyptian Islamists, while several of the militant movement's leaders are believed to be in exile in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Egypt has considered Iraq a hostile state since the Gulf war. Calls to and from the five countries can still be placed with the assistance of an operator, and will be monitored.

New MQM Chairman Chosen:

Pakistan's Mohaiir Qaumi Movement (MQM) selected Tariq Javed to replace Azim Ahmed Tariq as party chairman following Azim Tariq's assassination. The MQM, founded in 1984 to represent the interests of the Mohajirs (emigres from India to Pakistan following partition), has been split between factions supporting Azim Tariq and party chief Altaf Hussain, who is currently in exile in London. Speculation is rife over the identity and motivation of Tariq's assassins, who remain at large. Javed promised to steer the MQM out of its present crisis and was reportedly elected unanimously by the party's Central Committee, but committee member and Altaf loyalist Ishtiaq Azhar told Karachi's Dawn that the body "has no right to take any decision without the approval of Altaf Hussain. They must understand that the MQM and Altaf are inseparable. "

Abu Nidal Organization in Tatters:

A breakaway faction of Abu Nidal's Fatah Revolutionary Council says the FRC is "too weak to resume" inter-Palestinian conflict and the elimination of PLO officials. The splinter group, led by Abdul Karim Al Barna, broke away from the FRC in April in a dispute over Abu Nidal's policy of targeting moderate Palestinians, and has declared that "Palestinian blood is inviolable. " In a statement released to Al Hayat, the group claimed Abu Nidal has been expelled from Algeria, Libya and Sudan, and "no longer has any political or organizational existence. " Al Barna's faction also called for a halt to the "divisions, fragmentation and infighting" within the FRC, which broke away from the mainstream PLO group Fatah in 1972.

Egypt to Develop Depressed Areas:

The Egyptian government announced plans to bring basic services to urban slum areas in Cairo, Alexandria and Upper Egypt which have become centers of militant Islamist activity. The Middle East Times reports the plans will focus on providing schools, health and social services, and water and sewage facilities to districts long neglected by central authorities. Islamist organizations have taken over providing services to residents in some areas, and have been able to capitalize politically on the poor living conditions among the slum residents. "It has reached the point where we have to provide services at a minimum level to regain the confidence of the people, " said Abdul Rahim Shehata, the newly appointed governor of Giza.

Saleh Looks West:

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told the UAE daily Al Khalij, "We think that democracy is the key for new relations between Yemen and the new world order, the Western countries and the United States. " Saleh said relations with Gulf countries were improving, and he hoped Yemen's successful democratic elections would attract foreign investment and improve political and economic relations between Yemen and the West strained as a result of the Gulf war. Asked about U.S. conditions for bilateral cooperation, Saleh said, "The only preoccupation of the American administration is the relationship between Yemen and Iraq. We informed them that we cannot be split from the Arab body and Iraq is part of this Arab body . . . There are interests and common links. "

Oxford to Restore Bukhari Madrasa:

The Saudi Gazette reports that the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) has reached an agreement with the government of Uzbekistan to restore and renovate the mosque and madrasa, or school, of Muhammad Al Bukhari in Samarkand. OCIS is organizing an international architectural competition to solicit designs for the restoration work. Al Bukhari, a 7th-century Muslim jurist, compiled one of the most authoritative collections of hadith, or Traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Iraq Reducing Gold Reserves:

The Syrian daily Tishrin reports the government of Iraq is smuggling gold into Jordan to be sold for much-needed hard currency. Sources in Amman said some $3 million worth of Iraq's gold reserves was recently sold through private transactions arranged by members of Saddam Hussain's family. The Iraqi president is reportedly supervising the smuggling of gold into Jordan in small quantities in order to maintain its price and avoid disturbing Jordanian authorities. Presidential family members regularly cross the border on authorized visits, which preclude them from being searched by customs officials, the sources told Tishrin.

Sheikh Opposes Mediation:

Members of the Egyptian "mediation team" of moderate Islamists attempting to open a dialogue between the Mubarak government and armed Islamist radicals have contacted Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, the blind Egyptian scholar suspected of involvement in the bombing of the World Trade Center, to discuss his position on their mediation efforts. According to the weekly Al Wasat, Abdul Rahman, currently living in the United States, expressed "clear opposition" to talks with the Mubarak government and set a series of conditions "which the Egyptian authorities cannot accept. " Abdul Rahman told the mediators he believed any dialogue with Cairo benefited the government more than the Gama'at al-Islamiyya, the militant Islamist group which he leads.

Coca-Cola Comeback:

Coca-Cola is again available in Iran after a 14-year absence due to the Islamic Revolution. A private company based in the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad is marketing the soft drink and has taken out half-page advertisements in a number of papers, including publications with a marked anti-West editorial line. Salam said it was running the ads to make up for lost revenue following a cut in press subsidies undertaken as part of the government's economic reform package.

From the Israeli and U.S. Jewish Press:

U.S. Asks Arafat to Dissolve PLO:

Al Hamishmar reports the American government has asked Yasser Arafat to dissolve the Palestine Liberation Organization in order to "allow for a new beginning with the Palestinians. " Among the alternatives the U.S. suggested was the establishment of a Palestinian government-in-exile in Cairo. The request came during a meeting between Arafat and King Hassan in Rabat, during which Arafat asked the Moroccan monarch to intercede and help bring about a resumption in talks between the U.S. and the PLO.

Clinton Firm on Aid:

According to the Israeli daily Davar, President Bill Clinton spoke adamantly against the possibility that U.S. aid to Israel will be trimmed and told a closed meeting at the White House, "As long as Yitzhak Rabin is conducting peace negotiations, there will be no aid cuts. " Observers in Israel say the administration is sensitive to Rabin's domestic political situation and will take every precaution against weakening it. They said the U. S. has accepted the Israeli position that any cut in aid would send a message to the Arabs that U.S. support for Tel Aviv was waning, and added that State Department officials also are opposed to any reductions in aid. Davar reports Israel's 1994 aid package looks secure except in the event of an across-the-board cut in U.S. foreign aid, though some observers said they believe the White House would oppose such a cut if it meant reducing aid to Israel.

Israeli Jet Downed Over Dimona in '67:

Yediot Ahronot reports that an Israeli fighter jet was shot down over Israel's nuclear reactor site in the Negev desert during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Israeli pilot was returning to his base in the Negev after his plane sustained damage during an attack on a Jordanian airfield. He lost consciousness and his aircraft strayed over the nuclear complex at Dimona, where the jet was shot down by Israeli Hawk missiles. The remains of the pilot and the jet were discovered in the desert in 1968, but Israeli authorities refused to reveal the details of the incident until recently.

Rabin Criticizes Lack of U.N. Funding:

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin criticized the United Nations and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for failing to come to the aid of Palestinians in the occupied territories whose economic situation has deteriorated because of Israel's closure of the West Bank and Gaza. Kol Yisrael radio reports Rabin told Labor Knesset members that the U.N. refused to add even $20,000 in additional aid to the territories despite long lines at UNRWA offices.

Israel Faces Grave Shortages:

Israel's closure of the occupied territories has resulted in a shortage of gravediggers, leading YediotAhronot to suggest people delay dying until a more opportune time. Palestinian gravediggers living in the territories are unable to travel to their jobs inside Israel, and the Tel Aviv Burial Society says no Israelis can be found to take their place.

Israel a Transit Site for Drug Traffic:

Israeli Police Minister Moshe Shahal and Police Inspector General Rafi Peled said Israel is becoming an increasingly popular transit site for illegal drug traffic in the region and called on Israeli authorities to employ all means necessary to resolve the situation. Peled said Israeli police were able to seize less than five percent of the illicit drugs passing through the country, Davar reports.

Peres Promises Embassy in Eritrea:

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres promised Eritrean President Isayas Afeworki that Israel will set up an embassy in his country. The promise, made during a call congratulating Afeworki on Eritrea's recent referendum on independence from Ethiopia, confirmed previous agreements reached during Afeworki's visits to Israel for medical treatment, according to Kol Yisrael radio.

China Gives Missile Pledge:

Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen assured his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres that China will halt its missile sales to Iran and Syria, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports. Peres, in China as part of a recent Asian tour, said his discussions with Chinese leaders were productive and that improving Sino-Israeli relations would soon become apparent in China's U.N. voting record. Beijing established diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv in January 1992.

Press-State Relations Rocky:

Israeli authorities are guilty of verbal and physical abuse, arbitrary restrictions, detentions and unnecessary censorship in their dealings with journalists, according to the 1992 annual report of Reporters sans Frontieres, a French group monitoring press-state relations around the world. The Jerusalem Post reports that the group claims Israel has the highest number of detentions and arrests of journalists in the democratic world, and that clashes between the press and the Israeli authorities are common.

IDF Under Pressure in Lebanon:

The latest in a string of accidental deaths among Israel Defense Force troops in south Lebanon has raised concerns about the psychological pressure on Israeli forces. Two IDF paratroopers dozed off while their squad lay in ambush at the top of a hill in Israel's self declared Lebanese "security zone. " They were awakened suddenly by a noise below and opened fire on another squad of Israelis. The two groups, each believing it was engaged by hostile forces, exchanged fire which killed four soldiers and wounded three others. The incident raised the number of IDF deaths from "friendly fire" since 1991 to 13, while another 14 Israeli soldiers have been wounded by their comrades during the same period. Ma 'ariv reports that the dead soldiers' unit would be transferred from Lebanon, having also lost three other men, including the unit's commander, in an explosion six weeks before the shooting accident. The IDF medic who treated the wounded in that explosion recently killed himself playing a version of Russian roulette with his automatic rifle while his comrades watched, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports.

Israeli Seized in Iranian Arms Sale:

Israeli businessman Eli Cohen was arrested upon his arrival in the U.S. by the FBI for selling weapons components to Iran, Hadashot reports. Cohen, an owner of the Israeli IVS company, was questioned about the seizure last year by Portuguese customs officials of parts for American M-113 tanks destined for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Investigations revealed that IVS was behind the parts shipment.

Peres Meets With Israeli Islamists:

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres met with leaders of Israel's Islamist movement, who told him Israeli Arabs were disappointed their quality of life has not improved under the Labor coalition government. Davar reports that Peres met with Sheikhs Abdullah Nimr Darweesh, Kamal Rayan and Jumaa Al Qassas, who expressed frustration that the government did not differentiate between their movement, which supports the peace talks and the negotiation of disputes, and militant extremist groups. Rayan told Peres that Israeli Arabs are citizens who want nothing more than equality and cooperation. Peres replied that Israel doesn't consider the Israeli Islamist movement to be an enemy, but that the government could not ignore calls by Hamas for violence aginst Jews.

New Rules for Shin Bet Torture:

Israel's domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, has produced stricter rules governing the use of physical and psychological coercion during the interrogation of Arab prisoners. The new guidelines specify that the methods available to an interrogator will now be determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the background of the suspect, the value of the information he or she might have and his or her alleged offense. Limited physical and psychological pressure will only be allowed on prisoners suspected of "serious" violations, and measures not specified in the regulations, such as the denial of food, water or toilet facilities and exposure to extreme heat or cold, are prohibited. The new regulations come in response to a court case filed with Israel's High Court by human rights organizations, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports.

Stormy Likud Convention:

The opposition right-wing Likud bloc held its first convention under new leader Benjamin Netanyahu and emerged more divided than ever. After three days of heated debate, the bloc failed to elect a president for its headquarters after Maxim Levy withdrew his nomination and stormed out of the meeting calling Netanyahu a "dictator, " according to Al Hamishmar. Maxim's brother, former against him in the media by Netanyahu. The convention was also marked by the delegates' rejection of a "Gaze-first" policy, Ariel Sharon's demand that the party renounce its commitment to the Camp David accords, and Uzi Landau's proposal that the Likud not honor any international agreements made by the Rabin government if they involved territorial concessions. The convention opened in the Golan Heights to show support for settlers in the disputed territory before resuming in Tel Aviv.

Planetarium Offers a Choice:

A ruling by the fervently Orthodox group Eda Haredit forbidding its members to visit the planetarium at Tel Aviv's Ha'aretz Museum has led to some changes in the planetarium program. The group objected to the planetarium's position that the universe began about 15 billion years ago, since observant Jews believe the world is only 5,753 years old, the Queens (NY) Jewish News reports. The museum now offers its planetarium show in two versions: one for secular patrons and another for observant Jews where the program states simply, "Scientists maintain that the world was created a long time ago. "

School for Arab Handicapped "A Threat":

National Religious Party Knesset Member Yigal Bibi says plans to open a school for physically handicapped Palestinian high school students in East Jerusalem must be stopped, according to the Jerusalem Post. "The pupils may be handicapped, but that doesn't mean they can't throw stones, " he said. "Pictures of police coming to arrest handicapped children will be disastrous. " Likud MK Yehoshua Matza said final approval for the school should be contingent on a police study of how it would affect security in the neighborhood. Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek agreed to reduce the number of pupils to be housed at the school from 800 to 200, but said, "I don't believe they'll throw stones, " and accused MKs opposed to the plan of "not understanding what it's about."

EC Representative Results in Tension:

Davar reports Israeli officials fear an increase in tensions with the European Community over the issue of a permanent EC representative for the occupied territories. Israel recently agreed to the appointment of a diplomatic representative provided he or she remains in Brussels and only visits the territories when there is a need, but is balking at an EC request for an assistant to be permanently stationed in East Jerusalem. Sources in Israel told Davar that Tel Aviv will make every effort to derail the EC plan.