December 8, 1987 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 34403 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS COMMON SENSE The U.S. government does not recognize Major Alberto Garcia Mestre described this that of Angola. In recent years this circum­ as "a part of his international duty.'' stance has been abetted by the administra­ The major and his Cuban troops say they HON. ANDREW JACOBS, JR. tion's policy shift to join South Africa in its are protecting the American oil companies OF INDIANA effort to find and arm the UNITA forces. against three enemies which have vowed to IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES These revolutionaries have proclaimed their sabotage the complex where 180 Americans intentions to destroy U.S. oil installations. work: South Africa, a separatist movement Tuesday, December 8, 198 7 Ideological bedfellows in Congress, as well seeking independence for the Cabinda prov­ Mr. JACOBS. Mr. Speaker, among the many as in the administration, seem determined ince of Angola, and UNITA. to force the oil companies out of Angola by privileges which have been granted me, repre­ Around the oil fields, Cuban, American law if possible-but failing this, to force and Angolan politics is left at the gate, ac­ senting Robert Fangmeier in the U.S. Con­ them out by violence, as is implicit in the cording to American workers. "We are run­ gress stands out prominently. arming of UNITA. Thus U.S. Sidewinder ning an oil field with Sonangola's oil compa­ The following is an article written by Mr. missiles and other military aid are used to ny-the politics we stay out of," an Ameri­ Fangmeier for the Christian Century. It con­ attack American oil interests, which in tum can oil worker told the Times reporter. The tains a rare item: Common sense. are defended by Cuban troops. reporter also ,sought opinions on the efforts U.S. support for UNITA forces is indeed of U.S. conservative groups to force Chev­ IDEOLOGICAL CONTRADICTIONS IN U.S. POLICY perplexing if one assumes that any rational ron to pull out of Angola because it in effect TOWARD ANGOLA definition of American national interest in­ supports a Marxist government. <By Robert A. Fangmeier> cludes at least the protection of its citizens P.J. Demare, a drilling engineer from United States policy toward Angola serves and businesses abroad. In a well-researched Baton Rouge, Louisiana, asks, "How can to symbolize how national interest is deni­ study titled "Angola: A Matter of Justice," someone be so naive Casl to believe that if grated by conflict between virulent anticom­ the National Council of Churches observes: Chevron leaves this oil field, it will just shut munism and the pragmatism that guides Angola's economic ties are overwhelming­ down? Another foreign company will step in U.S. policy toward Marxist regimes in many ly with the West. The United States is An­ and the U.S. will lose that income.'' other countries. gola's largest trading partner. Angola is Despite Angola's obvious tum toward the Recent U.S.-Angola policy is summarized America's third largest trading partner in West, U.S. conservatives in 1987 mounted a in the May 13, 1987, issue of Africa Confi­ Sub-Saharan Africa. Two-way trade be­ furious legislative drive against it and U.S. dential, a British-based newsletter. "The tween the two countries has grown to over business interests. A stance consisting of basic irony of Angola," the newsletter re­ $1 billion since the Reagan administration sympathy for the white South African ports, "is still the one which emerged from assumed office. regime, along with virulent anticommunism, the civil war of 1975-76 when the United David Rockefeller, retired chairman of has been the hallmark of far-right conserv­ States' government supported one side and Chase Manhattan Bank, likewise notes the atives in Congress. Though they lost the U.S. capital supported the other. Since then mutuality of interest between the U.S. and sanctions fight in 1986, they have fought the oil industry, which supplies 96% of ex­ Angola: "Angola is trying to facilitate a back to win widespread congressional and ports, has been expanded, but still on the larger Western role in its economy through administrative support for their South Afri­ basis of exclusively western capital and mar­ policies promoting greater privatization and can policies. Meanwhile, they give every evi­ kets." reliance on market mechanisms." dence of being quietly supportive of South Africa Confidential goes on to say that Since 1979 the Angolan government's law Africa's military and economic destabiliza­ "Cuban troops defending U.S. oil installa­ favoring foreign investment has encouraged tion policies against its nine independent tions are still paid for with U.S. dollars. U.S. firms to invest more than $500 million. southern African neighbors. Meanwhile the U.S. administration contin­ Indeed, Chevron/Gulf Oil has plans to A reversal of attitudes since the 1986 sanc­ ues to supply the Union for Total Independ­ invest another $1 billion in new capital tions vote against South Africa can be seen ence of Angola <UNIT A> with ever more so­ before 1990. Chevron/Gulf has often lob­ in the anti-Angolan legislation introduced phisticated weapons." bied Congress against destabilizing the An­ by Senator Robert Dole CR., Kan.>. who as The idea of Cuban communist troops de­ golan government, as have Texaco, Conoco, the majority leader led the battle to over­ fending American capitalist oil installations Cities Service and Marathon Oil. ride President Reagan's veto in 1986. Now a has an ideological Alice-in-Wonderland qual­ Angola also wins the U.S.-national-inter­ presidential candidate, Dole has joined with ity about it. Though this communist-capital­ est stamp of approval from the U.S. Export­ the conservative movement's right wing by ist collusion is not well known to the Ameri­ Import Bank, the agency charged with guar­ offering a bill CS. 1228> that would "impose can people, insiders who follow Angolan pol­ anteeing loans to support U.S. exports. The trade sanctions on Angola, require the U.S. itics have apparently been aware of it for bank has lent Angola $250 million over the Trade Representative to negotiate with U.S. some time. past five years in three separate loans. trading partners the adoption of a trade em­ "It is accurate that Cuban troops defend These loans have received the necessary en­ bargo against Angola, and target U.S. oil oil installations in Angola belonging to dorsement of the National Security Council. companies and individuals with income American oil companies working there," The ideological flag of the administra-· earned in Angola for double taxation," ac­ writes Representative Lee H. Hamilton CD., tion's policy in Angola as elsewhere is, of cording to the Washington Office on Africa Ind.), an authoritative congressional source course, anticommunism. Angola's leaders <WOA>. on U.S.-Angolan policy and more recently are avowedly Marxist. After Angola's inde­ Commenting on the Dole bill, the Los An­ House chairman of the Iran-contra hear­ pendence from Portugal, it for a time pur­ geles Times found the senator's anticom­ ings. "This has been fairly common knowl­ sued socialist economic policies, but with munism somewhat flexible since "he advo­ edge for some time, as I am told, but I am disastrous consequences. In its war against cates subsidies of roughly $100 million for unsure exactly how much has been written South Africa and UNITA it has received sales to Moscow that would allow American in the U.S. press about it. I would agree that most of its military supplies from the Soviet grain to be bought cheaper in the Soviet this is a unique situation." Union. In the meantime, however, the Union than it can be purchased in the Cuban troops were invited to Angola, the Marxist leadership has become pragmatic United States. On the other hand, he would Angolan government says, to assist in pro­ and has joined U.S. business leaders in ban all trade with a Soviet-supported regime tecting its newly independent regime from trying to build a viable economic order in Africa, at the cost of hundreds of millions frequent invasions by South Africa, which devoid of sterile socialism. of dollars in trade and benefits. Perhaps still occupies a portion of its soil. Moreover, Though some American conservatives are only a Farm Belt Republican could get away South Africa provides arms, money and angered by this communist-capitalist work­ with this contradictory position.'' strategic military support to revolutionary ing relationship, some Cubans find it ironic. The Dole bill is symbolic of a series of forces seeking to overthrow the govern­ "We never thought we would be protecting right-wing steps. In June 1987 the New ment. The U.S. has joined South Africa in American interests," a Cuban officer told a York Times reported that another $15-$17 this effort. New York Times reporter in November 1986. Inillion in covert military aid is being sent to e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 34404 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS December 8, 1987 UNITA. The same Senate that overrode the fruit last year and has indicated that it will The irony of Cuban troops defending Amer­ president's veto of sanctions against South increase that amount to more than 24,000 ican oil wells against UNITA-U.S.-backed Africa in 1986 seemed to veer right when in tons in the coming year.