War in Western Sahara

News Report --.SUMMER..li79 t ~·llr.l'T'N srqr. tlf..... "IV_E_R~:-,ry-· ~ ~ L~-- C E-=~ t \ 'l::~:~ !~J ( . - ti 1979 The Black American Lobby for Africa and The Caribbean WAR IN WESTERN SAHARA Pressed to the wall in her military struggle King Hassan II of Morocco is mounting a last and encourage King Hassan to negotiate an end against POLISARIO guerillas in Western Sahara, ditch campaign for increased U.S. military sup to the war "through the exercise of genuine self the conservative government of Morocco is peti port to sustain his failing army. Despite existing determination on the part of the Sharaoui tioning the Carter Administration to lift restric restrictions, in February of this year the State people." tions on military sales. Department quietly approved the sale of a half Mrs. Collins' view enjoys support from all in Sandwiched from the north and south by dozen Chinook CH-47 helicopters to Morocco. terested parties save Morocco. The United Na Morocco and Mauritania along the northwest This brought Morocco purchases of American tions has resolved that the Saharan people have coastal corner of Africa, the Western Sahara was arms over the last four years to almost half a a right to self-determination. Spain has endorsed annexed by the neighboring two states following billion dollars. the U. N. resolutions. So now does vacating colonial Spain's departure from the 154,400 Recalling in a letter last November to Presi Mauritania. In July, the Organization of African square miles of desert territory in 1975. Since dent Carter a 1960 agreement with Morocco Unity passed a resolution supporting a self annexation, the POLISARO Front, representing which limits the use of American weapons to the determination referendum for the former the 80,000 inhabitants of Western Sahara, has defense of the Kingdom of Morocco itself not in Spanish colony. Spain walked out of the OAU waged with increasing success a war for self cluding the Western Sahara, Cardiss Collins, meeting in protest. In defiance of Africa and the determination against the invading forces. Chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus, world, King Hassan II has turned in the last Now with conservative support in Congress, said that the President should withhold arms resort to the U.S. ~.~. -. '' . POLASARIO Army in the Western Sahara. .. Message to the President on the Resignation of Ambassador Andrew Young and on United States Relations with the Middle East and Africa. Dear Mr. President: TransAfrica Inc. is an organization with of the PLO. His conversation with and/ or TransAfrica Inc. reflects the widespread at membership throughout the black community, in the presence of Mr. Terzi of the PLO titudes of its general membership throughout from all walks of life-elected black officials, appear to fall far short of "negotiating" the Afro-American community in expressing its government servants, clergy, cultural figures, with that organization. If Young's actions anger and dismay at the actions of your Ad academics, leaders of labor, fraternal and soror were part of a pattern of official acts, ministration and of Israeli spokesmen and sup ity organizations, and the general citizenry. We there was no justification in personalizing porters that have led to the resignation of Am seek American foreign relations that are more the affair. If, on the other hand, his was a bassador Andrew Young. Black Americans and mutually beneficial to this country and to the singular act, there was no reason, given Jewish Americans are peoples whose history have substantial populations of African descent in the its character, to attribute to it conse made them ready champions of the oppressed; countries of Africa and the Caribbean. We are quences grave enough to justify what has all the more reason for us to resent and deplore styled "the black lobby for Africa," and happened. the insensitivity of those who pressed for his sometimes compared with "the Israeli lobby" by We note that the Jewish community did dismissal. They were apparently unmindful of people who wonder if we can "do for Africa what not arouse a furor for the ouster of Am not only the harm they might do to black the Jews have done for Israel." We do not seek to bassador Wolf, himself Jewish, who ap Americans, or to the progress of the socially con do what they have done. We do not seek to hold pears to have had discussions with PLO scious and beneficial cooperation that has ex American policy or action to ransom in the in representatives that were even more isted between our two communities, but also to terest of this or that policy or ambition of any substantive in nature than those Young the prospects for a general, peaceful resolution foreign country. We can help lead our country to was accused of conducting. Wolf's discus of conflict in the Middle East, to progress toward overcome past inequities and images, and help it sions are reported to have involved a peace and racial justice throughout southern to live in harmony and peace, and mutual discussion of PLO policy as part of a U.S. Africa, and to improved relationships between respect, with the new nations and with those objective to move them to accept the ex the United States and the excolonized nations of still struggling to be born. We work to have the istence of Israel and the provisions of the world. United States have access to their needed U.N. resolutions, so that they could satisfy We can only hope that those supporters of resources and to their attractive markets, but the conditions that the U.S. has promised Israel who mounted such effective, if misguided, more importantly, to be respected in this for fair Israel it would require be met before pressure, and those in the government who gave dealing, and for the values, deeply rooted in our recognizing or negotiating with the PLO in to it, did so blind to these consequences. We national ethic, that foster respect for the human regarding a Middle Eastern settlement. It hope, as well, that this Administration will not dignity, fundamental freedoms, and a decent would appear that Israel and its sup compound the error and the injury it has com level of economic well-being for all peoples. porters do not want to see the PLO satisfy mitted, by allowing Ambassador Young's depar We have not always agreed with Ambassador these conditions. ture to lessen our country's push to achieve Young and the Administration's policies in - The blame for Young's removal must fall respect for human rights in the Middle East or in Africa; we do not share their faith that American principally on you Mr. President, who had Africa, that it will not slacken the pace of our ef businesses can play a sufficiently positive role in other options, for example: (a) to indicate forts to put an end to minority rule and racial South Africa, for example. We do recognize, that Ambassador Young had acted within privilege_ in .Rhodesia, Namibia and South Africa. however, as seemingly a number of others do the confines of Administration policy and We also hope that the country will now seize not, that no single person in government in re procedure, or (b) to emphasize the upon this first opportunity we have had in our cent years has had Andrew Young's understand reasonable interpretation of his actions as national discourse openly and fully to consider ing and effectiveness in improving the relations representing something other than a on their own merits the issues of the rights of between the United States and the emergent policy or trend of official recognition of or the Palestinian people, and the role of whatever and improverished nations of the world. That is a dealing with the PLO, or (c) to accept his organizational or individual spokesmen they may national asset that should not have been taken act as a personal, perhaps unfortunate, freely choose to put forward to represent their lightly. one that was done in the belief that it interests. We believe that in the past we have not Our concerns stem not only from the events was within policy and procedural re been able to have such a discourse because, for of the moment but also from a growing chain of quirements, and was very much in the in whatever reason, Israel and its most ardent sup abuses to our sense of fairness and of the prac terest of the United States (and of Israel, porters have been able virtually to dictate the ticalities of achieving progress in the Middle for that terms of reference of such a debate, and have East and southern Africa. In that light we make matter). allowed Israel unilaterally to comfound its the following assessments and observations: We are particularly grieved by the pofitical and territorial ambitions with its I. The Circumstances of Ambassador Young's reported efforts of "high Administra legitimate security needs, and to define the Resignation itself: tion officials" to promote the idea issues to suit themselves. It will no longer do to - As publicly reported, Ambassador Young's that Ambassador Young had become call the PLO "terrorists" or define the Palesti actions do not seem to constitute such a "a political and diplomatic liability" nian issue as one of refugees. Every sovereign serious breach of publicly known policies or that he had lied, or had claimed to state, has a right to define its own policies, but and commitments as to warrant his see a meeting report he had not seen, that does not mean that Americans have to removal.

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