2 —ITHE BULLETIN — Thursday, February 20.1986
WASHINGTON ~ The Reagan Administration has formally notified Congress it has suspended efforts toj-sell a proposed arms package to Jordan and promised no ; Jordan arms deal would be made before Congress has had "adequate time to further review and debate fully the issues involved."
Notification of the decision reached the House just in
time to avert a vote by the Foreign Affairs Committee on a resolution, disapproving the proposed package.
In a letter from Secretary of State Ceorge Shultz, the Administration said it would not conclude the proposed deal with Jordan without giving Congress written notification 30 days in advance.
Shultz said the decision was based on his belief "that f u r t h e r Con g r es s i on a 1 action on a resolution of disapproval at this time would severly damage the ongoing (peace) process."
The decision is being viewed here as a graceful retreat ■ from an effort widely regarded as futile almost since Congress was informed of the Administration's plans last fall. ' jta
Israel Sun Photo
HUNDREDS OF NEW IMMIGRANTS arrived In Atsmona. a rrtoshav In Gush-Katif (nearthe Gaza^ strip) on TU'Bishvat to plant trees to stop the aand dunes from drifting onto agriculturiiriand;
SHULTZ
BRUSSELS — Foreign ministers of 12 member-countries of the European Economic Communhy agreed not to sell arms to states which support terrorism.
However, they decided against joining the U.S. in imposing economic sanctions on Libya.
And on the 2,097,755*^ day otherwise known as March 3V, 1986, the Powers that Be said:
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Hans van den Broek, Dutch Foreign Minister, said the arms decision was a "clear message" for , governments which supported terrorism.
The E EG declaration stated countries which "favour or protect terrorists cannot expect indulgence, nor can they expect to have normal relations" with the commun-ity.
The U.S. imposed sanc-
tions after accusing Libya of supporting the Rome and Vienna airport terrorist attacks on December 27 and other acts of violence against j^ictims.
At the same time, the American government urged its European allies to cut oil imports from Libya and adopt other.measures against Libyan leader Muamar Ga-daffi. jcNs
On July 14, 1978, Anatoly Sharansky was sentenced by a Moscow court to 13 years in prSson and labor campfor treason, espionageandan^i-Sovlet agitation. Here are his closing words to the court before sentencing^ as drawn from notes taken by his brother, Leonid. " _
In March or April; during interrogation, the chief investigators warned me that in the position I have talcen during investigation, and held to here in courti I would be threatened with .execution by firing squad, or at least withxlS years.
If [agreed to cooperate with the investigation for the purpose ofdestroying the Jewish emigration movement, they promised me freedom and a quick reunion with my wife.
Five years ago, I submitted my application for exit to Israel.
Now I am further than ever from mydream. It would seem to be cause for regret.
But it is absolutely the^other way around. I am happy. I am happy that I lived honorably, at peace with my conscience. I never compromised my soul, even under the threat of death.
I am happy that I helped people.! am proud that I knew and worked with such honorable, brave and courageous people as Sakharov, Orlov, Ginzburg, who are carrying on the traditions ofthe Russian intelligentsia. I am fortunate to have been witness to the process of the liberation of Jews of the USSR/
vl hope thatthe absurd accusation against me and the entire Jewish emigration movement will not hinder the liberation of my people. My near ones and friends know how I wanted to exchange activity in the emigration movement for a life with my wife, Avital, in Israel
For more than 2,000 years the Jewish people, my people, have been dispersed. But wherever they are, wherever Jews are found, every year they have repeated, "Next y?ar in Jeriisalem." Now, when I am further than eyei* froth my people, from Avital, facing mariy^Fduous years of imprisonment I say, turning to my people, my Avital: "Next year in Jervisalem."
Now I turn to you, the court, who were required to confirm a predetermined sentence: To you I have nothing to say; nyt
From Page I
daily A/<7 or/v reported, it was discovered that the heroin being sjiippped by Rifaat's organization was produced in secret laboratories in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Both the Bekaa Valley, and of course, the secret labs are under the control and protection of Syrian troops.
An Israeli expert on the international drug trade told this correspondent that drug sniuggling has long been a mainstay of the Lebanese conflict with the different warring factions vying for control of the trade.
"The PLO was one of the
major factors in the hard drugs trade to western countries during their years of control in Lebanon," he said. "The convoys from the production centres in the Bekaa Valley were guarded by the PLO's Palestine Liberation Army (PLA: Palestinian Arab army units under Syrian command) and es-Saiqa, the Syrian faction of the PLO.
However, since the Israelis threw Arafat out of Lebanon, the convoys have been manned and guarded apparently by units of the Damascus-based Syrian presidential guard under the direct command of Rifaat el-Assad."
Anti-Aralis finite;
JERUSALEM ~ Techiya and Kach Party dissidents have formed a new political faction to be called the National Circle. Its sole pro-• claimed objective is to encourage young Arabs to leave Israel and settle elsewhere. Chairman of the National Circle is Ora Shem-Ur, veteran journalist who works for Yediot Achronoty one of Israel's two mass-circulation dailies. jc\s
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Astronauts'memorial
JERUSALEM — The seven astronauts killed in the Challenger tragedy will be remembered, with a forest planted by the Jewish National Fund in the Jerusalem hills; Tens of thousands of trees will be planted in memory of the astronauts.
Meanwhile Soviet cartographers mapping the surface of Venuswill name two craters in honor of Judith Resnik, Jewish woman astronaut, and Sharon ChristaMcAuliffe/ New H a m psh i re school-teacher, among the seven who perished. jta
Communists allow defense of Israel
LONDON — For the first time for 20 years, the official Israeli point of view has been expressed in an interview with a radio station in a Communist country.
Radio Budapest recently interviewed M e n a c h e m Meron^ directofrgeneral of Israel Defence M in.istry. He used the half-hour' interview to call onaU countries, both in the East and in the West, to unite to counteract international terrorism effectively. Acceptance of Meron's statement contradicted declared
Soviet policy.
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SAN FRANCISCO — Mt. Zion, the only hospital here under Jewish auspices, opened an "infectious diseases and immunity clinic" last month to diagnose and refer patients suffering from AIDS. It is believed to be the first such out-patient clinic in the country at a Jewish hospital.
Establishment of the clinic wks given impetus by the response of the community to a YomtKippur sermon by Rabbi Robert Kirschner of Temple Emanu-El calling on Jews to respond to the AIDS emergency. jta
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JOHANNESBURG -Sam Bloomberg, 59, noted colonel in the South African Police reserve, has accepted a nomination by the governing National Party to contest the city's council vacancy this month.
The vacancy was caused by the death of Aleck Jaffe, former mayor and a councillor for 29 years.