European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns Flora Lewis the Staps and stripes wednesday january 26,1987 Black africans trying to reduce ties with Pretoria the Black countries of Southern Afri Ca arc stepping up efforts to reduce eco nomic dependence on South Africa which Pretoria uses to assure its regional super most of the newly Independent coun tries arc hurting badly through a particularly unfavourable combination or Circum stances their own policy mistakes a Long drought the Price collapse of major Export earners such As Oil and Copper and in the cases of Mozambique and Angola the Cost and disruption of guerrilla wars. South Africa compounds their Trou Bles to pain leverage against support for its Black resistance. The key 10 escape from the worst of he pressure has been identified As two railways one ending i Mozambique s Indian Ocean port of Beira the other in Angola s Atlantic Porto Bermuda. They not Only carried exports and sup plies for the landlocked countries they were also important Money earners. With both blocked or severely limited the countries involved Are obliged to rely on South african transit or vastly More expensive routes. So reopening the Beng Urcla line and the Beira corridor to Zimbabwe has become a top regional priority. . Rosenthal this has political undertones. An Gola Zaire Zambia and Mozambique have arranged a meeting of transport ministers to push the Ben Gueta project. Zaire has its own ports but Banguela Isby far the Best Way to the sea for the products of its mines so it is showing interest despite tensions Between its pro Western policy and Angola s ties to mos cow and Havana. There arc rumours in Luanda that presi Dent Mobutu of Zaire has been asked to intervene to promote a cease fire agreement around the railway Between Angola and the South african supported units rebel movement of Jonas a Timbl angolan officials deny any interest in a Deal with Sav Imbi and express Confidence that they will be Able to secure the line militarily. But they do say the either countries that would Benefit ought to help. They talk of preventing infiltration by uni la from neighbouring territory and using diplomatic influence on the United states and the Commonwealth. One sign of How touch the subject h comes in the suggestion from the angolan Interior minister Manuel Alexandra Rodrigues that to the extent us arms for Sav Imbi Are going through Zaire As reported they must be smuggled without the permission of president Mobutu. In the circumstances that is the utmost intact. The angolan regime is opaque cuban style but there Are signs of disagreement Between hard liners and those who would like to probe for some Way out of the stale male. Comments on Fidel Castro s statement that cuban troops now some30,000 will stay in Angola until South Africa is liberated provide a glimpse. Castro stopped off in Luanda uninvited on his Way Home from the non aligned Summit meeting in Zimbabwe last summer. His speech appeared to contradict the angolan position that he cubans would be sent Home when the South africans pull out of neighbor ing Namibia and give it promised Independence. Rodrigues better known by his guerrilla name of kilo said our priority has not he spoke politely of cuban help but he also said firmly that Angola s policy was made in Angola. At 43, he is a member of the politburo and has considerable International experience. He led the angolan delegation to the 1985 Lusaka agreement with South Africa on monitoring incursions across the namibian order. Other officials not quite As senior say flatly there was no contradiction Between Castro s words and Angola s focus on Namibia because the heart of the Issue in any Case is South Africa s would be a slide toward broadening the conflict and removing what slim Chance May remain for a namibian settlement promised year after year. South Africa in t interested in a settlement. Castro appears in no hurry touring his troops Home where unemployment is High. And while Western Diplo Mats think Moscow has encouraged an Gola to seek Western capital. Soviet interests Are served by prolonged hostilities. Angola has had to pay for its Arron. The military stalemate and accompanying economic decay Are a terrible Bur Den on Angola and neighbouring states. There does seem to be a Tork in the Road at this Point one Way leading to a Chance for regional recovery the departure of cuban troops and a More truly non aligned Angola the other to perpetuation of strains until South Africa explodes and the conflagration engulfs All involved. The railways Are a lifeline out of dead lock a Chance for diplomacy to overtake decision by arms. Terrorism now a weapon of world importance next week an air plane will be hijacked and the passengers Many of them americans jul be taken hos Tage. If not next week it will happen the week after or next month or the month after that. But in will happen for two reasons. Terrorism old in warfare has been developed by nationalist and carefully nurtured religious fanaticism to the Point where in is a weapon not simply of local resistance bul of world importance. The terrorists have discovered that it is far More effective to select victims from the nationals of foreign Powers rather than concentrate merely on their specific enemies. Nothing gets them More attention and blackmail Power than the horror of an air plane hijacking not Evert the kidnappings taking place now in Lebanon. And most of the victim nations have shown they will crack when hostages arc taken. The United slates cracked to soviet hostage taking by trading a soviet spy for an american newsman and then delivered blackmail arms to Iran sponsors of the killers of american marines. Pakistan a yet to put hijackers captured five months ago an trial or even Tell the world who they Are. Israel cracked by turning Over 1,150 prison ers for three israelis. The italians let a hunted terrorist escape the French dealt almost openly in trading with terrorists for their hostages. Anybody who says this contemptuously is a fool. We All know that were one of our family taken hostage we would want Only one thing of our government res Cue. But the surrenders do Lead bitterly to More hos Tage taking and More pain for More families. Once again the frightened faces of the victims will appear on to screens the world Over. And once again the captors will orchestrate their own performance on the to stage screaming and waving automatic rifles one Day presenting their demands and their grievance Sas win mrily As they can the Noil. Once More disgusted viewers and harassed governments will say that he press particularly to is terrorism s tool and is endangering the lives of the hostages. Louder than Ever will come demands for some form of regulation outright censorship barring reporters and camera from the scene or sweeping press self restriction. To producers and correspondents and newspaper people talked it All Over at a meeting organized by the Poynter Institute for Media studies which owns the so Petersburg Fla times one of the country s Good newspapers. The question of our minds was whether the Long wearing hijacking coverage in Beirut in 1985 had endangered the lives of the hostages or made freeing the captives More difficult. To his own professional credit Parker Borg a slate department anti terrorism expert know it does Tecc Kluken cd but Awand Here this 6 at the Lime said the answer was no. But during next week s or next month s hostage Tak ing the debate will Start Alt Over again. To does no enjoy All the first amendment protections i believe in should and the pressure will be heavy. There Are things that can be done that would no damage the right of to to present the news fully and would help prevent it from becoming the most important hostage of All. Occasionally the gunmen gel control of to by being broadcast live from the scene of the crime right into the living room spouting whatever they wish to is exactly As if gunmen marched into a newspaper office and dictated to reporters and editors every word that was to appear in Prim. Pausing to ice and edit tapes in Advance is no More an act of censorship than a newspaper editor taking a look at a Story before in imprinted and using something called judgment. Terrorists feed hungrily on chaos and press to mob scenes create the hysteria they seek. To could Hel by using correspondents but just one or two camera Crews sharing film bul not the reporting or commentary. Almost All to Anchorman and producers Are skilled experienced and serious and could hold Down top Job on newspapers greater Praise hath no editor. Bul sometimes the Job of interviewing captor i turn Dover to to personalities who Are simply enter Jun and treat the captors As statesmen do you have a message for president Reagan these Steps will counter some of the intricately planned manipulation by the terrorists. Bul to and press bashing will continue it won t kill us neither will in change the fact that the agonizingly drawn out pain of captives and family has come not from to cameras and Anchor Cople or newspaper re porters but from the faltering will of governments and the men you see waving their rifles and sneering at in world next week or next month. C no yen Tinas
