European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Paga 10 the stars and stripes thursday May 7,19b7 columns Flora Lewis Barbie s trial on ordeal for France for us too the trial of Klaus Barbie known As the Butcher of Lyon for his wartime Gestapo activities finally starts next week. It will be something of a ordeal for France which never really faced up to he extent of collaboration in nazi atrocities during the German occupation. It should be for the United states As Well. Jacques verges the enigmatic lawyer who i defending Barbie says that France ikes on an official truth that is Stilt not real it is a he plans to make the most of Barbie s incriminating knowledge about wartime France in his arguments. A Dostoevski an figure verges defended the Leb anese terrorist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah among others he explains his Choice of clients As a crime especially political crime fascinates him apparently As an expression of his revulsion against the social establishment. By crime he said at a news conference Man leaves the animal kingdom and becomes Man or he likes to Point put that France has pardoned itself for deeds atrocities in the algerian War which it cannot Pardon in he says it would be improper for a lawyer not to use any argument that could be useful for the defense. He has t yet said whether he will introduce the evidence thai the United states employed Barbie As an Intelli gence agent in Germany after the War hiding him fro the French until the risk of exposure became too great and he was spirited off to exile in Bolivia in 1951, . Expense. Barbie was banded Over to the French in 1933. Dur ing a Brief period of civil Jan administration in Bolivia. William Safire that revived stories about his . Connection. The department of Justice conducted an investigation published in August 1983, and the United Stales sent France a formal Nole of deep regrets for its role in obstructing Justice. The report was a strange combination of shocking revelations about . Recruitment and Protection of nazis to spy on communists and of excuses arid obfuscation. Allan a. Ryan jr., the special assist ant who wrote it said that the Choice of army Intilli officers to use Barbie and his kind was neither cynical norcorrupr1 in the circumstances. Ryan gave some details of How the United Stales paid a former croat terrorist for Barbie s escape on one of the rat lines helping wanted War criminals flee arrest bul he said this was a unique Case. He wrote lha the series of illegal acts in were not just the fault of a few intelligence officers and that the United slates As a government shared responsibility. But he concluded it is not naive to believe that we have seen the end of the attitude that anything is permissible including the obstruction of Justice if it Falls under the cloak of the gaps in the report and continuing charges of Many similar cases led Peter Rodino chairman of the House judiciary committee to ask for a review of America s role in helping nazis to resettle in the United states and other countries including Canada and in latin America. The general accounting office produced another report in june 19s5 that revealed More bul again selectively and with the justification that the people in question had done a service to the United slates by providing intelligence against the russians. Former congresswoman Elizabeth Holly Man who has steadily pushed for an honest disclosure of secret postwar support for nazi criminals wrote Rodino that the Cao report was seriously flawed and hopelessly inadequate which it was. The Gao said it was Given All existing documents it requested but some could not be located or had been destroyed and in any Case intelligence agencies often assign projects innocuous names so the investigators canno assure they asked for All the right papers. The cover up has never ended. It became Loo embarrassing to admit what had gone on in violation of . Policy . Taw simple morality and furthermore effectiveness. Michel Thomas a former French resistance fighter who worked for . Army intelligence in Germany immediately after the War until he saw what it was doing quit in disgust. On top of everything die. He says the intelligence obtained was totally useless concocted obsolete a fiasco in every sense. If Lucre is still a Point in trying Barbie and there ii there is a More important Point in Clearing up these scandals. As Ryan wrote intelligence Niro Cej do ten to ignore everything but their operational goals but he is wrong to think it can t happen United Stales refuse to forget what president Kurt Waldheim of Austria cannot manage to remember and declines his visit. Fine bul we should also remember to clean up our own House com York limn Dole is Republican most admired by democrats Bob Dole is the democrats favor Ite Republican. He is reasonable prag Matic and witty. He is too politically savvy to say i am not a Kook bul his non Koo Kiness is Plain to see. He has just received a big boost in his Campaign for the Republican Nomi nation Tor president in 1988 from Pau Laxalt of Nevada who has placed a stack of chips on his own number. Whatever Cuis George Bush Down and slows Jack Kemp up helps Bob Dole. The Laxalt candidacy should take Reagan loyalist support from Bush and conservative social Issue support from Kemp. Are you wondering How the longtime representative of the state of legalized gambling and prostitution will attract the right to life vote Welcome tonight Wing mor jism that makes Dole the Republican front runner Loday. Froni runner ship which has a bandwagon Benefit also has some drawbacks. As his Media Honey Moon ends attention will be called to Dole s three vulnerabilities 1. The character Issue. I like Bob Dole a leading fund Raiser told me the other Day because he has a Good mind and a Good air of competence. But i Don t like his temper. I be seen him blow and it worries character is a political euphemism for personal rectitude Androh Dole to my knowledge has no Wor Ries on that score. When frustrated opponents of democratic front runner Gary Hart murmur character Issue All they really Are complaining about is his personality loner intellectual inner i re Clad does t bleed in Public. Campaign coverage like life is unfair. In the same Way the personality Issue under the portentous name of character Wilt be raised about Dole. Docs he really have a fierce temper so did Eisenhower is he still Ai heart the embittered testy Man whose political veneer was stripped away in he 19/6 debate with Waller Mondale or has a decade changed him taped excerpts of that pc Bale will be shown by the Media and May be As dismaying As clips of Nixon s last press but Nixon overcame thai 2. The leadership Issue. As Senate majority Leader in 1986, Dole s most fateful political decision was to keep the Senate in session Well into the fall Campaign. Some Republican losers and Nar Row winners say that Dole s decision reflected complacency and contributed to the to of the Senate to the democrats. As minority Leader this year he was unable to find one vote among a Baker s dozen of defecting republicans to sus Tain the president s veto of the pork bar Rel Highway Bill. A Strong Leader recognizing the significance of the lest to Reagan s remaining clout would have found that Vole. If Dole cannot marshal the forces needed to sustain the Likely veto of budget busting housing legis lation he will come under peer pressure to step out of the leadership. Should he remain minority Leader while be runs for president1? surely it is to his Benefit in Modem Media politics a network television appearance that shows him coming out of the while House to be Standon Tashly supportive of Reagan is equivalent to lengthy whistle stopping and the National exposure can be supplemented by weekend trip Iowa and new Hampshire. But some gop senators especially to Dole s right Are growing restive. Candi Dacy must ultimately conflict with sen ale responsibilities both in Lime and on specific Voles. A leadership scrap is Shap ing up Between Alan Simpson and Ted Stevens with Richard Lugar and James Mcclure in the wings. Alaska s Stevens has been the most solicitous of his col league s needs in the Bobby Byrd tradition and won support in the pay in crease dispute. Dole cannot sit on the lid of that pot when it comes 10 a boil. 3. The issues Issue. Dole of Kansas is the strongest voice in the Senate and the party for the subsidy of wheat sales to the soviet Union. That plays Well in inc farm but but not every Republican lilies the idea of spending . Taxpayers Dol i Only count 85 tars a put bread on russian dinner to bks. Sooner or later some right Winger not swept up in detente or the parochialism of Iowa caucuses is going to take Issue with him on that matter of principle. Ii May Laic the crass form of Bob Dole wants to raise your taxes to pay for a huge subsidy to soviet Consumers and it might be effective to hard liners. Dole is a Good politician with a lot to of Flor. Well see to he handles himself when the Crucible heats up which is what Long campaigns Are for. C no Vowk times
