Editorial
Iran/Iraq truce
needs enforcement
The U N. Security Council’s decision ordering a cease
fire in the seven-year war between Iran and Iraq Tuesday is a
bold and direct statement that should be enforced.
Although no enforcement provisions were established
in tire resolution, the unanimous decision calls for a cease
fire. withdrawal of forces and an exchange of prisoners of
war. If the two countries do not take steps to end the war.
then a worldwide arms embargo resolution will be
considered.
It is unlikely Iran or Iraq will comply to the resolution —
Iran’s president already has called the resolution "wor
thless ” But by recognizing the war and the arms sales pro
blem. the United Nations have provided international
pressure to end the fighting.
These intentions must be followed. Many countries pro
fit from the sale of arms to both Iran and Iraq, therefore en
couraging continued fighting. All countries must be en
couraged to stop dealing with Iran and Iraq. This resolution
should not become a meaningless symbolic gesture because
of the heavy trading.
The United States was a major force behind the deci
sion But the Reagan Administration has benefited from
secret arms sales to Iran and. by protecting Kuwaiti oil
ships, has aligned itself with Iraq.
Our support of the resolution has l>een criticized as a
political move to overshadow this hypocracy. We should not
hesitate to support an arms embargo and encourage other
countries to follow our lead.
The United Nations cannot enforce this resolution
without the full support of everyone involved. With our in
fluence in the United Nations, we can provide the support
needed and the resolution can become more than words on a
paper.
Tanker escort service
unwarranted in gulf
Kuwaiti uil tankers ant being sailed under the U.S. flag
and escorted by U.S. naval vessels through the troubled
waters of the Persian Gulf.
The Keagan Administration has asserted the U.S.
presence alongside Kuwaiti tankers is necessary to prevent
Iran from interrupting the freedom of navigation in the
strife-torn region.
The reflagging of Kuwaiti tankers under the U.S. flag,
however, is unwarranted with regard to the justification ar
ticulated by the Keagan administration.
The United States imports only about six percent of its
oil from the Persian Gulf. Thus, in relation to the amount of
oil imported from the gulf, the U.S. government is footing
the bill for the protection of oil transshipments to other na
tions, particularly japan and Europe, which import 54 and
30 percent of their oil from the gulf, respectively.
The administration’s escort service also is politically
imprudent.
Because Kuwait is allied with Iraq, reflagging changes
the United States from being neutral in the war to being
aligned indirectly with Iraq. Iran may perceive this shift in
political status as a hostile move, increasing the possibility
of an armed confrontation between Iran and the United
States.
Furthermore, the informal change from neutral status to
alliance with Iraq vis-a-vis Kuwait will damage future
diplomatic relations with the Iranians.
Rather than police the Persian gulf with U.S. military
force, the Keagan Administration should establish a collec
tive. international peacekeeping force w'ith other nations to
ensure freedom of navigation for oil tankers.
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Commentary_
Threats aimed at Salvadoran critics
The recent kidnappings in
I-os Angeles of two Central
American political activists,
and revelations of death threats
against 17 other refugees and
two U S. citizens, indicate the
notorious death squads of El
Salvador are operating inside
the United States.
Commentary by
Scott Harding
Moreover, the attacks appear
to be the result of collaboration
between the Keagan administra
tion — through the FB! — and
the National Guard in El
Salvador, in an effort to silence
opponents of the war and U.S.
involvement in El Salvador.
On July 7. a 24-year-old
member of a Salvadoran
women's organization was kid
napped at knifepoint by two
men she described as having
Salvadoran accents. Blindfold
ed for the next six hours, the
woman repeatedly was raped
with a stick, tortured and ques
tioned about her political ac
tivities and knowledge of
members of the Los Angelos
chapter of the Committee in
Solidarity with the People of El
Salvador (CISPES).
When she refused to answer
any questions, her abductors
assaulted her in a manner
similar to the techniques
employed by El Salvador's
death squads. A doctor who ex
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o mined the woman said her
wounds were "very similar (o
the other victims of torture in El
Salvador and Guatemala who I
have examined previously.”
After debating whether to kill
her. the two men told their vic
tim the attack would serve as a
warning to others they had
targeted.
Six days later, another
Salvaduran woman found a let
ter in her mailbox threatening
her life and that of 19 others, all
of whom are active members of
Salvadoran solidarity organiza
tions in the United States. Marta
Alicia Kiveria described the let
ter as similar to written death
threats she received in El
Salvador prior to her 1979 arrest
and torture by the Salvadoran
National Guard.
Last Saturday, two masked
gunmen with Salvadoran ac
cents abducted a Guatemalan
woman who works with
Salvadoran support groups at a
1,08 Angeles bus stop The two
never harmed the woman
physically, but instead
threatened future attacks.
Combined with a series of
threatening letters, phone calls
and vandalizing of cars, a
distinct pattern of violence and
intimidation against Central
American political refugees and
support groups has emerged in
recent weeks. Indeed, the series
of events prompted the FBI last
week to begin an investigation
into the crimes.
While the FBI investigation
indicates the seriousness of the
crimes, the agency's involve
ment may be like letting the fox
watch the henhouse, just as
COINTELPRO. the FBI's
domestic spying operation, in
filtrated and intimidated the
Black Panthers and anti-war
organizations in the 1980s and
1970s. the FBI recently has
targeted C1SPES and other
domestic groups opposed to the
Reagan administration's Central
American policies.
On March 7. 1983. the
Department of Justice establish
ed new guidelines on domestic
surveillance and investigation
by the FBI of political groups.
The new policy allows for the
infiltration of certain organiza
tions for the purpose of influen
cing their activities. According
to Freedom Of Information Act
requests filed by C1SPES, the
FBI has at least 17 volumes of
files on C1SPES, while more
than 20 chapters of the group
have been or are under
investigation.
l^ast February. Frank Varelli,
a paid FBI informant who in
filtrated the Dallas CISPES
chapter from 1981 to 1984, fur
ther elaborated on the FBI's
domestic spying activities
before the House Subcommittee
on Civil and Constitutional
Rights.
In the course of his testimony,
and in subsequent interviews.
Varelli exposed a reciprocal
relationship between the FBI
and the National Guard and Na
tional Police of El Salvador.
Both organizations are known
to have participated repeatedly
in death-squad activities.
In an elaborate exchange of
information, Varelli supplied
the Guard with the names of
Salvadoran "opponents'* who
were to be deported from the
United States to El Salvador.
Another purpose of the rela
tionship. according to Varelli,
was that "the Guard, the Na
tional Police, or the death
squads from El Salvador were
interested in gathering in
telligence, gathering informa
tion on where or who was op
posing the aid to El Salvador so
they can carry on activities" in
the United States. Varelli cited
"bombing, arson" and other
crimes that right-wing
Salvadorans and members of
the National Guard were
prepared to commit against in
dividuals or groups opposed to
U.S. policy in El Salvador.
It would appear from the re
cent events in Los Angeles that
these activities are now under
way. Varolli's testimony points
to probable U.S. complicity. As
shown by the Iran-Contra hear
ings. the Reagan administration
is intent on using the most
ruthless means in its quest to
eliminate critics of its Central
American policy, both at home
and abroad.