European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse A be e 10 the stars and stripes a ,.��?~i re i �?��?��?�.i-. B. I saturday August 25,1990 . Rosenthal Urr a Quot it a i v history class truth needs to be told about Mideast tyrants the likelihood is that americans will die in the Middle East a soldiers pilots flying missions against iraqi targets or hostages tethered by Saddam Hussein like sacrificial goats. In decency to them and the people of the Middle East and in pressing self interest the United states must now think through and make Clear two connected sets of War goals. The first is what we want to do about Raddant Hussein. The second is what we want to do about ourselves. Specifically about the West a contributions to making the Middle East a Safe Haven for dictatorship and terrorism the Advance agents of War.,. About Saddam a first his Power to threaten the world with mass destruction must end and then his political reign. If the United states with or without the allies and the United nations removes Saddam Hussein a missile nuclear and chemical warfare bases iraqis will remove Saddam Hussein. It is one More Middle Eastern fairy tale to believe that iraqis Are stupid enough to cling forever to a Man who marched them into eight years of hideous War with Iran surrendered the land Booty and promises for which their sons died and then led them into a War with much of the rest of the world. Few leaders have been As brutal to their people As Saddam and few armies have lost so much for so Little. Some iraqi general is walking around with a Bullet in his pistol for his beloved chief. Saddam May still be Able to kill thousands More if he can respond to american air strikes by attacking . Forces or Israel. That depends on How hard and soon iraqi military targets arc hit by air a and when that iraqi general reaches for his gun. But if Saddam is allowed to keep the missiles Poison chemicals and nuclear to James Kilpatrick Tennial sold to him by the West and the soviet Union then one Day he will murder far More people. President Bush did not order americans to face death in the desert to save a few cents on the gallon. He was trying to prevent almost half of an essential resource from becoming the property of a dictator who would use it to blackmail the world for his Imperial purposes. But unless the United states tries to find out How we got Here Why right Here is where we will be again some other Day a with some other Middle Eastern dictator. In 1982, to justify credits for Iraq the United states committed an announcement saying Iraq was no longer a terrorist state. That was false. Now Saddam s terrorist gangs have been expanded for attack against . Civilians. Only Days before the invasion of Kuwait the state department and at least 38 members of Congress argued for a pcs Cmunt of Iraq. That May have misled Saddam into attack a and certainly gave him the advantage of Surprise. Hypocrisy is a hard addiction to quit. Now . Diplomacy studiously pretends Israel does not exist. But the whole world knows that if necessary the United states will rely on Israel As a critical steadfast Reserve of Power in the Middle East War. In sanity american political goals should be to reverse the Long self destructive policy of strengthening Middle Eastern tyrannies with Money weapons political support and tolerance of oppression. That would mean instructing . Information agencies to Tell the truth about Middle Eastern tyrannies As they did about communist dictatorships. It would mean the state department and the White House telling the Arab world that the continuous danger to peace in the Middle East is not Israel but Arab dictatorships their feuds and greed. It will take time before a policy of speaking truth to ourselves and the arabs brings results in the Middle East a perhaps the emergence of arabs ready to break with political and religious demagogues. But it will Lake less time than the West has invested in the Middle Eastern Kings sheiks and demagogues who Are already on the wrong Side of history. C new York Tim sex marines in the inevitable conflicts Between officers and enlisted personnel the Humble Soldier does t win Many but he does win a few. He won a Nice one in the matter of Christine Hilinski of Augusta Maine a former staff sergeant in the Marine corps. Credit should be Given where credit is due. Thanks in Large pail to lawyer Nan Hunter of the american civil liberties Union Hilinski now has a Dean service record and $1,320 in Hack pay. On july 18, the Board for correction of naval records entered an order that amounts to Complete vindication. For reasons i will get to enlisted men and women in All the Aenied services have gained a Victory. The Story goes Back to 1977, when Hilinski enlisted in the Marine corps. Evidently she made a Fine Marine. Year after year her superiors praised her performance a dedicated polished professional she moved steadily upward in the ranks of the corps and by 1987 was Able to re enlist As a Drill instructor at Farris Island. Of particular significance was an evaluation in the summer of 1988 a her judgment is outstanding. ,. She is Well qualified for promotion and greater that was on july 5 two weeks later Hilinski was on the skids. How come Hilinski was the victim of retaliation for giving honest and straightforward testimony at the court martial of Staly sgt Cheryl Jameson a fellow Drill instructor. Jameson was charged with initiating a homosexual relationship with a recruit who formerly had been in one of her training platoons. Jameson a lawyer asked Hilinski to serve As a character witness. Hilinski agreed. She had worked with Jameson at Parris Island. On the witness stand Hilinski testified that Jameson was a competent Drill instructor that she had seen no evidence of favouritism toward any recruit and that she willingly would work with her again. So far so Good but on Cross examination a prosecutor began to bully Hilinski on the general subject of lesbianism. Did she believe that homosexual activity was of Between superiors and subordinates in the Marine corp Quot no sir it is that should have sufficed a More than sub leed a hut the prosecution pressed on. Finally Hilinski responded to questions by saying in effect that she supposed a sexual relationship Between consenting adults off duly in privacy was their own business. What this reply had to do with the guilt or innocence of Jameson never became dear. Such a matter of fact expression of irrelevant opinion was More than Hilinski a Marine corps superiors could tolerate. Col. Robert g. Nunnally promptly wrote a letter of reprimand. Overnight he had lost Confidence in her judgment. It appeared that she was a lenient in her position on the offence was unforgivable. Thus a for the Good of the service Quot the corps stripped Hilinski of her mos military occupational specially and her sea special duty assignment. She was not demoted but she lost her $220 monthly Bonus As a Drill instructor. She was exiled to a minor a Victory for fair play desk Job in Supply. The following february when her Lerm of re enlist ment ran out Hilinski quietly departed. She received an honorable discharge but the damning charge of lost Confidence remained in her service jacket. All that is behind her now. The Board for correction of naval records unanimously concluded that Hilinski had been the victim of inexcusable retaliation. She had been punished not Quot for cause Quot but for her testimony in an official forum the Board termed this Quot an injustice warranting corrective Nunnally a letter will be expunged. Nan Hunter the Acle attorney sees the Victory through Rose tinted glasses the ruling Quot will make it easier for service men and women to voice their opinions that the military s anti Gay policy is irrational Quot William b. Rubenstein director of the Acle s lesbian and Gay rights project harps on the same theme a we will use this Victory to further Advance our War against the military a they miss the More important Point. It is unconscionable for officers to browbeat an enlisted Man or woman to obtain testimony under oath and then to punish the witness for giving honest but displeasing answers. The Hilinski precedent carries meaning for the do faces of this world that goes beyond the homosexual incident at Parris Island. This Wasny to a Victory in defense of lesbianism. It was a Victory in defense of Tair play. Jul Uri Virsal Presb or Dicj a
