July/August 1994, Page 22

Issues in the News

Compiled by Greg Noakes

From the Israeli and U.S. Jewish Press:

Rabbis Rule Against Peace Plan:

The Rabbinical Council of the Religious Zionist Rabbis Association declared that the Jewish people are not bound by any agreement which cedes part of the biblical Land of Israel. The Jerusalem Post reports the council ruled that "the government of Israel is not empowered by Jewish law, tradition or heritage to relinquish the rights of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel," and that agreements ceding any part of the Land "are not recognized as binding by the Jewish people." Former Israeli Chief Rabbi Avrahani Shapira told reporters such agreements would create "another Diaspora." In another development, former Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren ruled that all agreements the Israeli government concludes with Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization are null and void according to the halacha, or Jewish law.

Israelis Anger Angolans:

Inside Israel reports that four Israeli military consultants, including Reserve General Yosef Bar On, were expelled from Angola after they staged a series of armed diamond robberies. Bar On was owner of the Luanda-based AngoSego security firm, hired to guard Angolan oil installations and train government troops battling rebel UNITA guerrillas. Despite the Israelis' ouster, the report notes that Luanda wishes to continue its military ties with Tel Aviv, including the purchase of avionics equipment from Israel Aircraft Industries. Israeli forces also may take part in a proposed United Nations peacekeeping force for Angola by setting up a field hospital. It would be the first time Israel has participated in a U.N. peacekeeping operation.

IDF Brass Meets Hamas Leader:

Brig. Gen. Doron Almog, commander of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, met with senior local Hamas official Muhsein Abu Ata during the first week of May, according to the Jerusalem Post. IDF sources said the two-hour meeting was staged as part of an attempt to open a constructive channel to moderate elements in Hamas, who announced in Jordan that they are willing to support the peace process if Israel agrees to a complete withdrawal from the occupied territories. The sources said Almog reiterated that Israeli soldiers will continue to pursue Hamas activists if they engage in terrorist activities after the implementation of the Gaza-Jericho accord. Abu Ata demanded the release of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas who is currently serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison for ordering the killings of Arabs and Israelis. Yassin recently announced that Hamas opposition to the Israeli-PLO talks would be nonviolent, and that while Hamas officials "will not participate in any apparatus of the autonomy authorities ... we are willing to take part in parliamentary elections if there are any."

BNL Atlanta Fined for Boycott:

The Atlanta branch of Italy's Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, previously investigated for financing U.S. sales to Iraq prior to the Gulf war, was fined $475,000 by the U.S. Commerce Department for complying with the Arab boycott of Israel. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that from October 1987 to March 1990 the bank committed 104 violations of the Export Administration Act and Regulations, which prohibits companies from observing the Arab League boycott. BNL agreed to pay the fine without admitting or denying any criminal activity.

Israelis on Tunisia Trip:

This year's annual pilgrimage to the Al Ghriba synagogue on Tunisia's Island of Jerba included Israelis traveling on Israeli passports for the first time, according to the Jerusalem Report. Approval for the Israelis' participation came directly from Tunisian President Zine Al Abidinc Ben Ali, who also ordered the country's other synagogues to be refurbished. Some 25 Israelis were among the 1,500 pilgrims making the trip this year, while another 800 Jews continue to live on Jerba, roughly a fifth of the island's 1940s Jewish population.

East Jerusalem Aid a "Moral Responsibility":

Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert told municipal leaders that greater attention needs to be paid to the city's Arab neighborhoods. After the release of a municipal report revealing the lower standard of living in Arab East Jerusalem particularly in the areas of education and housing-Olmert criticized long-serving former Mayor Teddy Kollek by stating, "For 27 years, not enough was done to close the gap between the two sectors." According to the Jerusalem Post, Olmert said unless there was greater equality between Arabs and Jews, Jerusalem would be a de facto divided city. Acknowledging that most Palestinian residents of Jerusalem reject Israeli rule of the city, Olmert said, "They are citizens, who have rights like all citizens."

Aussie's Comments Cross Jewish Community:

The leader of Australia's National Party, Tim Fischer, drew the wrath of the country's Jewish and pro-Israel communities after comparing Israel's actions in Lebanon to the Holocaust, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Fischer said he saw "bitter irony" in the awards won by the film "Schindler's List" while "the Israeli army has killed and wounded schoolchildren in southern Lebanon." Colin Rubinstein of Australia/ Israel Publications called Fischer's remarks "deeply offensive and outrageous," saying, "to seek to make political capital out of this great human tragedy, to further a narrow and dubious foreign policy agenda, belittles the post of National Party leader."

Aloni Slams Settlers on Synagogue:

Israeli Minister of Communications Shulamit Aloni of the leftist Meretz coalition attacked Jewish settlers in Hebron on religious grounds, according to the Washington Jewish Week. "Whoever opened a synagogue in the Cave of the Machpelah [Cave of the Patriarchs, site of the Ibrahimi mosque] is guilty of the most vile provocation," Aloni said, adding that Jews "don't regard a cemetery as a sacred place." Referring to the settlers, Aloni declared, "Their settlement is born in sin. I have long advocated their expulsion ... By being there they are turning the political dispute into a religious war and that is a scandal." Speaking on Israel radio, Aloni added, "Let us not forget that the God of the Muslims has many, many more troops than the God of the Jews."

Iran-Islamist Links:

Ha'aretz reports that "elements" within the U.S. intelligence community believe that Iran's support for Islamist movements in the Arab world is a "facade" to "keep up its revolutionary image." The American experts argue that Tehran poses little threat to any Arab regime, and is pretending to have more influence over foreign Islamist groups than it actually possesses. Ha'aretz says the "elements" believe Islamists in Egypt and elsewhere are keeping their distance from Iran in order to maintain popular support at home. The paper noted that this line of thinking contradicts the official Israeli intelligence assessment, which holds Tehran to be a serious threat to Middle East stability.

Israeli Foreign Debt Rises:

Israel's external debt rose 9.2 percent to nearly $26 billion as the government shifted more of its fund-raising abroad to U.S. government-guaranteed loans and Israel Bonds, according to the Jerusalem Post. The government's foreign debt rose to $20 billion, representing 78 percent of the total external debt, as opposed to only 65 percent in 1987. Most of the state's debt is owed directly or indirectly to the United States, according to the Bank of Israel. Business debt fell last year by some $213 million, to $3.7 billion, while Israeli banks' foreign debt rose $595 million, to $2.2 billion. The ratio of net foreign debt to the gross national product (GNP) rose last year from 24 to 26 percent, largely as a result of government borrowing. Bank of Israel officials noted, however, that the ratio is down considerably from 1985, when foreign debt was fully 85 percent of the country's GNP.

Australia Reneges on PLO Recognition:

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that the government of Australia has rebuffed PLO attempts to gain full diplomatic status for its office in Canberra. Australian officials, as well as Palestinian authorities in Tunis, had hinted for several weeks that an upgrade in the office's status was imminent, but Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans said the approval of the new term "General Palestinian Delegation" did not imply recognition of Palestine and did not accord diplomatic status to Ali Kazak, the PLO's representative in Australia. Kazak said Canberra backed down because it is "scared by the Israeli lobby." Evans replied, "We do not regard the conditions as having been satisfied to enable us to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, or the PLO as the government of a state."

Boycott Breaking Up:

The Jerusalem Report says the Arab League boycott of Israel appears to be weakening as a result of quiet pressure from the United States. John Despres, U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for export enforcement, said, "It is beyond question that the (secondary) boycott is not being implemented effectively or enforced vigorously anymore" adding that he had "overwhelming evidence" that U.S. companies which deal with Israel have encountered no obstacles doing business in the Arab world for nearly a year. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sabah Al Sabah announced his country will no longer observe the secondary boycott of third country firms which deal with Israel, but would not begin dealing directly with Israeli companies. Kuwaiti Embassy officials in Washington said the decision came as a result of low petroleum prices and high reconstruction costs. Despres noted that "Kuwait no longer has the luxury of excluding potential trading partners," according to the Report. Another American official said the Commerce Department has exerted pressure on Kuwait, arguing that the U.S. "always has the option to choose from whom we buy our imported oil."

Israel Pleased with Pentagon and Perry:

Senior Israeli defense officials say their ties with the Pentagon, as well as the rest of the Clinton administration, "are the best they have been for a decade," according to the Jerusalem Post. "Our contacts with the Pentagon on Lebanon, the peace process, weapons procurement, information exchanges, the purchase of advanced F- 15 s and the Arrow project demonstrate in unequivocal terms the level of cooperation that exists, and the nurturing environment in which relations are conducted" one Defense Ministry official said. The statement came after the leak of a distorted version of a cable sent by an Israeli Foreign Ministry official to the Israeli Embassy in Washington saying "the appointment of Defense Secretary William Perry was a second-class appointment." The cable actually read, "Perry's appointment was a second round of appointments, after the failed nomination of Bobby Inman which followed the resignation of Les Aspin," according to the Post. The real cable also said Perry's appointment "creates a healthy debate in the administration." American officials in Tel Aviv said the initial version was a "falsehood leaked with malice intended" while one Israeli official claimed it was "leaked out of context by someone who apparently does not appreciate U.S. involvement in the peace process," though he did not elaborate.

Right Rocked by Money Missteps:

Two right-wing Israeli parties are caught up in serious financial scandals, Inside Israel reports. The fraud squad of the Tel Aviv police is investigating charges that officials in the Moledet Party forged documents to hide party finances within a non-profit fund called "Secure Israel." Meanwhile, three members of the rightist Tsomet Knesset delegation left the party to protest the transfer of some $150,000 from the party's coffers to a fund administered by Tsomet leader Rafael Eitan's alleged mistress, Ofra Meyerson. An Eitan confidant told Inside Israel, "Eitan has a weakness for ladies and certain people in the government are exploiting it. Raful [Eitan's nickname] could be indicted over the money he transferred and Labor isn't moving against him," the source said, noting that Eitan recently has made conciliatory gestures toward the Labor-dominated Rabin government.

Court Cancels Shmita Petition:

Israel's High Court of Justice immediately rejected a petition charging that the Gaza-Jericho agreement is invalid since the Israeli government is transferring control over land it sold as part of the contract for the shmita, or sabbatical, year. During the shmita year, which occurs every seven years, Jewish law forbids the consumption of produce cultivated on Jewish-owned land, according to the Jerusalem Post, and the Chief Rabbinate therefore sells the country's land to a non-Jew for the duration of the shmita. Shimon Hacohen of Jerusalem alleged in his petition to the court that since the rabbinate had sold Gaza and Jericho to one Ahmed Mugrabi until Rosh Hashana, Mugrabi must give his express consent to any transfer of authority over those areas. Justice Yitzhak Zamir dismissed the petition without a hearing.

U.S. Fights Visa Fraud:

U.S. State Department officials are investigating whether consular officers at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv have cracked down on rising visa fraud. The Jerusalem Post reports that former and current embassy employees charge the visa section has been marked by poor security, suspicious employees and a number of groups trafficking in fraudulent visas. In addition, whistleblowers at the embassy reportedly have been fired. Embassy officials told the Post the incidence of visa fraud has jumped dramatically as thousands of Israelis, particularly immigrants from the former Soviet Union, are demanding visas to emigrate to the United States.

Israeli Youth "Violent and Egocentric":

A report by the Israeli police to the Rabin government concludes that the current generation of Israeli youth is "the most violent and egocentric in the country's history," according to Inside Israel. The report says that violent crime rose 16 percent last year and that increasing numbers of young Israelis, including IDF officers, have turned to LSD use. Earlier this year a group of wealthy Herzliya youth murdered a taxi driver for no apparent reason, while a gang of teenagers in Ramat Gan shot 14 people for fun last April. In addition, the example of a secret Jerusalem high school organization, the Pupil Liberation Organization (PLO), which terrorized teachers over the last year, points to a serious breakdown in the country's educational system. Analysts note that such delinquent youths are not likely to make good soldiers during their mandatory military service and argue that "the effect on the IDF is going to be profound."

Just Another Flag?:

The Nahariya branch of Hameshakem, a firm employing handicapped workers operated by the Jewish Agency in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, inadvertently manufactured Palestinian flag car deodorizers until a local journalist spotted them, the Jerusalem Post reports. The company received an order from an Israeli businessman for disposable car deodorizers in the colors of 28 different flags, including that of Palestine. The entrepreneur did not label the flags, and the factory manager said he thought "it was just another flag of some East European country." Several hundred Palestinian flags were manufactured before Jewish Agency Treasurer Hanan Ben-Yahuda ordered the production halted.

Israel Looks to South Africa for Aliya:

Israel's Jewish Agency is prepared to handle an increased interest in aliya, or immigration to Israel, among South African Jews following the election of African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela as president. Yehiel Leket, acting chairman of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization, emphasized that the Agency "decided to adopt a policy of emphasizing the attractiveness of Israel" rather than "warning Jews of the potential danger" in the new South Africa. While South Africa's Jewish community of 110,000 presently includes 20,000 Israelis, some 200 South African Jews left for Israel in 1992 and an estimated 1,200 will make aliya in 1994, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports. Some Israeli officials said a high-profile effort to recruit Jewish immigrants is inappropriate after South Africa's democratic elections, but Leket claims "there is no contradiction between our policy and the good relations we have to develop with South Africa." Such relations may be difficult to achieve, according to Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin, who said past Israeli policies have left "hard feelings" among South African blacks. "Until March 1987, Israel was the only country in the world that didn't adhere to the United Nations sanctions against military cooperation with South Africa" Beilin said, noting that Tel Aviv kept doing business with Pretoria until the day before Washington would have cut off foreign aid to Israel. According to the Queens (NY) Jewish Week, Israel supplied electric fences, rifles, surveillance devices, gravel-spraying vehicles and other anti-riot equipment to pro-apartheid governments, in addition to its close cooperation with South Africa on nuclear weapons. "The new government" Beilin said, "will certainly not be as sympathetic to Israel as the white governments were.

Israeli Workplace Worries:

Israel's National Insurance Institute announced that Israel leads the world in injuries suffered at work, according to the Jerusalem Post. Some 4.5 percent of Israeli workers were injured on the job last year, followed by Finland with 4.1 percent, the U.S. with 2.7 percent and Sweden with 1.9 percent of workers injured. In 1993, 80,000 work accidents were reported in Israel, with 2.1 million work days lost as a result.

From the Middle East Press:

Israel Disrupts Chemical Weapons Commission:

Sources at the Preparatory Commission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague say that Israel, a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention which established the OPCW, is being "disruptive in a number of the most important experts' groups," particularly the group charged with defining the right of inspectors to demand access to areas, equipment and files of their own choosing. The CAABU Bulletin quotes one "well-placed source" as saying Israeli experts are "trying to narrow further the verification regime, for example by limiting the power of inspectors ... The suspicion is that they are very worried about what inspectors might find at Dimona and other defense industry sites." In addition to housing Israel's nuclear weapons program, Dimona is reported to be the location of an underground chemical weapons facility. A number of the other 153 signatories, including Iran, Pakistan, China and India, have also raised concerns about intrusive inspections. Although the Arab League announced that Arab states would not sign the Chemical Weapons Convention until Israel signs the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, to date Algeria, Bahrain, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have signed the accord.

Iran Ready to Deal on Islands:

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mahmoud Mohammadi announced that Tehran is willing to reopen bilateral negotiations with the United Arab Emirates over the fate of the Iranian-occupied Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Timb islands, the IRNA news agency reports. Mohammadi warned against any foreign intervention, however, saying, "Since we believe that outsiders seek their interests in creating unrest in the region, involving them in the task of removing misunderstanding will not help solve the problem, but will be in line with their filthy intentions." Negotiations between Iran and the UAE broke down after a first round of talks in September 1992 when Iran claimed the talks were not about sovereignty over the three islands, which Tehran claims as part of Iran, but dealt solely with residence and security issues for Abu Musa.

Kuwaiti Kickback Cases:

The former director of the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), Abdul Fatah Al Bader, took more than $7 million in illegal kickbacks on tanker purchases for the state-run company, according to the daily As Siyassah. Al Bader pocketed the money as part of a $72 million purchase in 1989 of two aging ships, the Bubiyan and the dabriya, which had to be resold less than a year later because of their poor condition. The KOTC incurred a $59 million loss as a result of the deal. Al Bader, who fled Kuwait in January and whose current whereabouts are unknown, is on trial for embezzling public funds. The opposition dominated Kuwaiti parliament is insisting on the prosecution of corruption cases, particularly those connected to the collapse of $4 billion in mismanaged Kuwaiti investments in Spain. The parliament also is investigating charges of misuse of funds by the Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC), KOTC's parent company, which allegedly lost some $5.8 billion after buying firms and establishing new companies with state resources drawn from the "Fund for Future Generations" in "clear violation of the law."

Germany Lifts Turkish Embargo:

Berlin lifted its brief arms embargo on Turkey after German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said photographs purporting to show German armored vehicles in action against Kurds were "unconvincing." The Saudi Gazette reports Germany sells weapons to Turkey with the provision that they not be used against internal targets, particularly separatist Turkish Kurds. Turkish officials said Russian armored cars in the photos were mistakenly identified as East German vehicles sold to Turkey by the unified German government in 1990. Berlin hats put pressure on Ankara to respect the human rights of its Kurdish minority while simultaneously banning the separatist Kurdish Workers' Party, which had been active in Germany's 400,000-strong Kurdish community.

Bhutto Bows to Shariah Pressure:

Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto bowed to pressure from thousands of demonstrators demanding immediate implementation of the shariah, or Islamic law, in the Malakand region of the Northwest Frontier Province, Dawn reports. Some 30,000 protesters answered the call by the Tehrik-e-Nifaz Sharia party to demonstrate against the Bhutto government and for the introduction of the shariah. Ten demonstrators were killed and another 29 injured in clashes with security forces before Bhutto issued a decree substituting Islamic law for the existing civil code in the mountainous region, largely inhabited by Pathans.

Algeria Stops Debt Payments:

The new government of Prime Minister Mokdad Sifi announced that Algeria has ceased payments on its $26 billion foreign debt after sending an economic reform plan to the International Monetary Fund, according to Algerian television. Algeria is seeking to renegotiate an easier repayment schedule with foreign creditors in an attempt to avoid draconian economic reforms which could spark further

U.S. Forwards Funds to PLO:

The American Embassy in Cairo has provided $5 million to Palestine Liberation Organization official Nabil Shaath to ease the PLO's money crunch as it assumes control of the Gaza Strip and Jericho, according to the MENA news agency. The money is pledged to the Palestinian authority administering the autonomous areas. The U.S. also provided used military vehicles which made it possible for the new Palestinian police to drive into Gaza and Jericho. Saudi Arabia put C-130 military air transport planes at the disposal of the PLO to bring the Palestinian policemen from various parts of the Arab world where they had been serving in Palestine Liberation Army contingents attached to local armed forces.

Saudis Seeking Subs:

The Saudi Press Agency reports the Kingdom plans to acquire submarines to protect both its Red Sea and Persian Gulf coastlines. Deputy Defense Minister Prince Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Aziz said the Saudi navy is seeking subs which could operate in the shallow waters of the Gulf, where Iran already has deployed two submarines it bought from Russia. Iranian Rear Admiral Ali Shamkani told the IRNA news agency that a third Russian sub will arrive in Iranian waters at the end of the summer after a delay caused by payment problems. Iran's first submarine was delivered in November 1992, while the second followed last August.

Egypt Extends Emergency:

Egypt extended its 13-year-old state of emergency by another three years in order to confront Islamist militants, the MENA news agency reports. Only 12 members of the 400-seat parliament voted against the extension of the emergency laws, which Interior Minister Hassan Al Alfi said had helped the government "foil several terrorist plots." Al Alfi added that "these exceptional prerogatives are indispensable" for state security, and gave the parliament assurances that they would not be used to curtail freedom of expression in Egypt. The emergency laws, instituted after the October 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat, allow police to make arrests without warrants and to rearrest prisoners who have served out their sentences. The laws have been criticized by both international human rights groups and the Egyptian opposition.

Arab Economies to Expand:

The Middle East Economic Digest reports the World Bank estimates Middle Eastern and North African economies will grow an average of 3.8 percent annually over the next decade, compared with an annual growth rate of 0.8 percent since 1983. Expansion will be greatest for the Moroccan and Tunisian economies as a result of their governments' aggressive liberalization programs, with some four to five percent annual growth expected. Egypt and Jordan should continue to attract foreign investment, while Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the occupied territories are set to benefit from continued Arab-Israeli rapprochement. The World Bank says the Iraqi economy should expand rapidly after United Nations sanctions are lifted, but notes that lower petroleum prices spell trouble for Algeria and Iran, who use oil revenues to finance imports for their large populations and service their sizable foreign debts.

Raffles "Un-Islamic":

Sharjah, one of the seven United Arab Emirates, has banned promotional raffles after the UAE's shariah (Islamic law) court issued a fatwa, or legal opinion, saying raffles take people's money without assuring them a service in return and are thus forbidden in Islam. The Gulf News reports that the court ruled to allow shops and merchants to continue to give out free samples and stage "two-for-one" sales.

Flogged American "Probably a Spy":

Mary Jones, an American woman given 80 lashes of the whip by an Iranian revolutionary court for "promoting corruption" by being intoxicated in public, is also "probably a spy," according to Jomhuri Islami. Jones allegedly visited the front during Iran's 1980-88 war with Iraq and "made suspicious remarks during interrogation after her arrest," the daily charged. Revolutionary court officials, however, denied there was any evidence of espionage activities on Jones' part, saying she was only arrested on corruption charges. The Daily Kayhan said Jones, who had been in Iran since 1983, came "without identity papers and with the aim of corrupting the young in Iran."

Palestinian Petroleum Project:

Palestinian businessmen and Gulf investment companies are discussing plans for a $30 million petroleum refinery in the occupied territories after Israel withdraws from the area, according to the Jerusalem Times. The refinery would make the territories self-sufficient in energy, ending the present reliance on Jordanian refineries for fuel. The Palestinian investors also believe they can compete in the Israeli energy market, where fuel is highly taxed.

Bhutto's Population Control Problems:

Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto found herself in a political mess after half-jokingly suggesting that Pakistanis should not marry until the age of 35 in order to reduce the country's population growth, according to the Saudi Gazette. Bhutto, who married at 34, made her remarks at a businessmen's meeting and argued that Pakistan's economic growth required a reduced birth rate. The opposition quickly condemned Bhutto's statement, with opposition Senator Sajid Mir calling it a "diabolical" plan. "Family planning schemes have played havoc with the society," Mir added. "Her government is out to corrupt our morals even more. Better if we are told not to marry at all." The Jamaat-e-Islami's Munawwar Hasan told reporters, "Only someone steeped in Western thought could have made the unrealistic suggestion. Instead of solving the problems of our youth, it will only destroy our society."

Sifi Calls for Non-FIS Ballot:

Algerian Prime Minister Mokdad Sifi proposed holding talks on new elections with all of the country's political parties participating-except for the banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS). "We want credible elections" Sifi declared. "It is urgent and basic. It must be done as quickly as possible, taking account of reality." Sifi said his government was neutral and would talk "with everyone, all parties, even those without any program or activists;' Algerian radio reports. The prime minister drew the line at consultations with the FIS, however, adding, "The FIS has been outlawed. Dialogue is going on with Algerians who care for the integrity of the people and the territory." FIS parliamentary leader in exile Anwar Haddam has said his party would enter talks with the government only after it recognized the FIS as a legal party, released political prisoners and committed itself to free and fair elections. Nearly 4,000 people have been killed in political unrest since January 1992, when the military seized power and cancelled parliamentary elections which the FIS was set to sweep.

Iran Allows Female Advisers:

The Iranian parliament passed draft legislation permitting female legal advisers for the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, according to the IRNA news agency. Hard-line members of parliament criticized the bill, with one arguing, "Women are weak, and could change their judgement if seduced." Parliament Speaker Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri rejected the argument during debate on the bill.

Lebanon Rail Line to be Relaunched:

The Lebanese state railway company announced plans to rebuild and modernize a coastal railway dating back to Ottoman times which links Tyre in the south to the northern city of Tripoli, the CAAB U Bulletin reports. The 105-mile line will be electrified, with trains running at up to 75 miles per hour, and should be completed by 1997. 'Me railway was first built in 1891, but the southern Tyre-Sidon-Beirut section ceased operation during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and the rest of the line fell into disuse after the start of the Lebanese civil war in 1975. Eventually a 20-mile spur line linking Tripoli to the Syrian border is planned, but there has been no announcement of the reopening of the old rail line running east from Beirut to Syria, which closed during the civil war.

Kuwait Okays Convention Without Clauses:

Kuwait ratified the 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, but entered reservations on clauses assuring women the right to vote and equal rights in child custody cases, according to the Kuwaiti Government Gazette. The convention also endorses women's right to equal access to jobs, the right to choose a spouse, the encouragement of mixed education and the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of maternity. An opinion poll conducted by Kuwait University last December showed 58 percent of Kuwaitis opposed to a woman's right to vote and stand for parliament. The survey of 3,400 adults showed a distinct split between traditionalist rural areas, where respondents opposed a woman's right to vote, and Kuwait City, where most responded in favor.

Egypt Snags Smugglers:

Police in Alexandria arrested three men, including the owners of a tourism company and an import-export concern, accused of trying to smuggle a large quantity of Pharaonic antiquities out of Egypt, Al Ahram reports. Some 35 pieces, including ornate Pharaonic crowns from the New Kingdom (1539-1075 BC), were hidden in three cargo containers bound for Spain.Authorities are investigating how the artifacts were acquired; Egyptian officials allege that amateur archeologists have been excavating sites in the Nile valley and selling their finds to tourists and international collectors. Some workers in the tourist industry are said to have joined in the practice due to declining tourism receipts as a result of Islamist militancy.

Sudan Says No to Self-Rule:

Sudanese Foreign Minister Hussein Abu-Salih says his government is not interested in holding self-rule talks with rebels in southern Sudan as a way to end a devastating civil war. "The majority of southerners are in support of unity," Abu-Salih said. "Only those carrying arms are calling for self-determination." The Guff Times reports Abu-Salih said Khartoum is moving toward a federal system designed to give more local decision-making power to the south, but would stop short of self-rule.

Kuwaiti Cabinet Counseled on Privatization:

A Kuwaiti government committee advised the country's cabinet to adopt nearly all of the recommendations made by the World Bank last year on privatizing the nation's economy, the daily Arab Times reports. The committee said a full-scale privatization drive should begin immediately, accompanied by a sound economic reform program and the creation of a "Privatization Office'? under direct control of the finance minister. Under the committee's recommendations, only the defense and interior sectors would remain nationalized.

London-Tehran Ties Tangled:

Relations between Britain and Iran reached a new low in the wake of British accusations that Tehran was supporting the Provisional Irish Republican Army and Iranian government charges that its embassy in London had been bugged. The row began when Iranian Chargé d'Affaires Gholam Reza Ansari was summoned to the Foreign Office in London and warned that Iranian intelligence should cease its contacts with the IRA. Ansari denied any contacts, and an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman told the IRNA news agency, "We categorically reject reports of collaboration between Iranian security officials and the IRA and regard such allegations as totally groundless." In turn, officials in Tehran summoned British Charge d'Affaires Jeffrey James and lodged a "strong protest" over the allegations. James was summoned to the Foreign Ministry again after President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani accused the British of bugging the Iranian Embassy in London. "The discovery of the microphones would have been a scandal for the British government" Rafsanjani told Tehran radio, "so they came up with the story" of the alleged linkto the IRA.One member of the Iranian parliament said Tehran might break diplomatic relations with London unless the Foreign Office provided "a convincing explanation over the spying." Britain then expelled a junior Iranian diplomat posted to the London embassy. Ties between Iran and Britain often have been strained. Several years ago Iran renamed the street outside the British Embassy in Tehran after Bobby Sands, an Irish Republican Army hunger-striker who starved himself to death. The two countries severed diplomatic relations in 1989, and although relations were resumed at the level of charges d'affaires a year later, they were shaken by a round of mutual diplomatic expulsions in July 1992. Despite the rocky political relationship, Britain remains Iran's fourth largest economic trading partner.

India Buying MiGs:

India announced plans to purchase 30 MiG29M fighter jets from Russia following the United States' decision to consider delivery of 38 advanced F-16 fighter-bombers to Pakistan, the Hindustan Times reports. The first of two batches of the MiGs, known for their high maneuverability and speed, should be delivered to India over the course of the summer.

Qatar Invests in Tourism:

Qatar will invest up to $30 million over three years to attract foreign tourists, with Europe, Scandinavia and Japan as the target markets, the Saudi Gazette reports. Some 8,000 tourists visited Qatar last year, but Qatari tourism officials expect a large increase in the near future with the opening of the Palm Tree Island tourist facility off Doha, a hotel and private beach complex at Umm Said south of the capital, and the 18-hole, all-grass Dana Championship golf course.

No Jerusalem, No Peace:

Jordan's King Hussein, in a speech in Am to mark the completion of a $6.5 million restoration of the Rock, said could not accept any peace agreement that not restore Arab control over East Jerusalem the Jordan Times reports. "We say no to a peace formula that does not restore Arab sovereignty to Arab Jerusalem so that the whole city would eventually become a token and symbol of peace for all the faithful children Abraham," the king said. Hussein persona financed the 21-month restoration of the Dome of the Rock, part of Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque complex, the third holiest site Islam after Mecca and Medina. The king added, "The current plight of our [Arab] nation is very severe, and the prognosis is grim indeed. I can see no salvation except by ensuring genuine freedoms and making sacrifices, in addition to enlightenment an clear vision."

Moroccan Investment Up:

Private foreign investment in Morocco rose 26 percent in 1993 to $576 million, the Middle East Economic Digest reports. French and Britsh investment counted for nearly half the total, with Swiss and Spanish investors also well represented. A quarter of the investments were directed toward Morocco's banking sector, with another fifth directed toward Moroccan industry. Part of the increase was due to the privatization of several large economic concerns, but economists said the overall increase resulted from the country's political stability and the government's economic liberalization program.

Russian Bases for Central Asia?:

Russian President Boris Yeltsin's proposal to create formal Russian military bases in a number of former Soviet republics received a mixed reception across Central Asia, the Iran Times reports. Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev declared, "As long as I am leader of Azerbaijan, there will be no foreign bases on the territory of our country." Azerbaijan and Lithuania are the only former Soviet republics from which all Russian troops have been evacuated. Kazakhstan rejected the creation of any new Russian bases, but said it would allow continued joint use of its Baikonur Cosmodrome space center. Tajikistan still relies on 24,000 troops of Russia's 201st Division for support against anti-government guerrillas, while some 23,500 Russian troops presently stationed across Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan likely will continue to stay with little protest. Armenia, heavily dependent on Russian aid, welcomed Yeltsin's proposal. "So far there is only agreement on troops guarding Armenia's borders [with Iran and Turkey]" an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Yerevan. "Me situation will improve after the creation of our own forces."

Students Strike for Soccer:

University students in Dhaka staged nonviolent street protests to demand the government postpone final exams so they can watch the World Cup soccer tournament on television, the Saudi Gazette reports. This is the first time Bangladeshis will be able to watch the games live as a result of the explosion in satellite TV across the country, and students are demanding a month-long delay in exams that have been cancelled the last two years because of political violence.