European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 02, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thur a Day May 2, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 13 comment aryed Blanch cunning Lucky Saddam May outlast Bush with cunning brute Force and sheer Luck Saddam Hussein has kept his grip on Power. And he looks Likely to keep it for the foreseeable future. To Mark his 54th birthday sunday iraqis government run newspapers Sang the presidents praises in Banner headlines. The ruling party a newspaper Al thaw a hailed Saddam so historic and unique leadership traits. His struggle in iraqis glorious  the latest step in that a glorious March a the persian Gulf War a ended with the most crushing Battlefield defeat any Arab ruler has suffered in nearly 25 years. A. A ,. A a a. V a but even though battered by the allies Saddam managed to quell two internal  Cia conceded in a recent report that Saddam whose overthrow was publicly a urged by president Bush has reasserted his Power in a Way that few of his adversaries expected. A a in a guess Saddam Hussein will be in Power after George Bush leaves Power a sen. Malcolm Wallop r-wyo., said recently. Iraq was devastated in the War Over Kuwait. In its aftermath Saddam was forced to accept what Middle East analyst Charles Snow Calls a the most humiliating peace treaty since the treaty of Versailles in 1919, in which a Defeated Germany was carved up by the allies. But the Gulf War allies refusal to Aid the rebels who sought to topple Saddam a apparently because they did not want to see Iraq dismembered a allowed him to crush the postwar revolts by shiite muslims and kurd the ruling Arab baath socialist party has been weakened by the uprisings in the North and the South. But Saddam Sall pervasive Security apparatus remains powerful in the capital and the Center of the country where the minority sunni muslims who support Saddam Are con Little mk6 Sawh  . -Ek,15kj Cen rated. Fear among iraqis particularly the sunnis that the rebels were going to fragment the country helped Saddam crush the revolts. Saddam a apparent agreement to give the kurd the autonomy they have sought for decades May Well be a ploy to buy some time. Certainly he Nas broken promises before. The tentative pact serves to split the opposition groups arrayed against him particularly the kurd and shiites who posed the main threat. It is also aimed at helping persuade the allies to seek to lift the u n. Sanctions that have squeezed Iraq since August. This is clearly one of Saddam a priorities. Until Iraq can Start Selling Oil again it is bankrupt. There can be no rebuilding and no Purchase of food a a serious problem in a country that has to import two thirds of what it eats. The country a infrastructure is in ruins. Electricity is in Short Supply. Water and food Are scarce. Prices Are skyrocketing beyond the reach of Many people. Sewage flows in the streets. Those hospitals still functioning Are jammed with the sick including hundreds of children suffering from dysentery after drinking contaminated water. There Are fears of epidemics. The scale of the human misery in a country Many consider the Cradle of civilization is such that most iraqis Are More concerned with simply surviving than with seeking Radical political  Saddam has promised reforms As he has before. He Nas raised the pay of the estimated 20 army divisions he still had at his disposal after effectively losing about 42 divisions in the Kuwait debacle. He has doubled government rations for bureaucrats and baathist members to buy their loyalty. But there Are some signs that Saddam with Little left in the Treasury to buy his Way out of trouble has been forced to loosen his grip. Newspapers now criticize ministers daily. Travel restrictions Are being lifted. People grumble openly and question government policy something they would never have done a year ago because of Saddam a secret police., during the Gulf crisis hardly a week went by without Saddam appearing on telc vision or radio lies seen less in pub lie now apparently deliberately keeping a Low  a recent visit to the Northern Oil City of Kirkuk after it was recaptured by his Republican guard from kurdish rebels Saddam appeared tired and looked As if he had lost some weight. \ Saddam a propaganda machine blames the americans and their allies for iraqis problems diverting some of the anger away from his government. Many iraqis believe the draconian cease fire conditions imposed on Iraq by the United nations a surrendering its missiles and chemical weapons and paying reparations to Kuwait a Are a deliberate Western attempt to bring Iraq to its Knees for daring to stand up to the West Jed Israel. A in his mind and deep within him the president feels a real aggression has taken place on Iraq although the country Only meant to be Independent and develop our country not to attack anyone a information minister Hammid Youssuf Hammadi said in a recent interview. In a delicate understatement he added a the president is naturally unhappy with events.�?�. C the associated pres Sydney h. Schanber disturbing questions raised about d Amato sunday night on National television Henry Hill a new York mob. A Wise Guy who a decade ago turned government informer and entered the witness Protection program said the word in mafia circles on new Yorkus Republican sen. Alfonse do Amato was a the could be  do amatos reaction to this segment of the Strong �?o60 minutes profile was a a there a nothing to support that. Its a Damnable  t let us carefully examine the record on the senators relationships with reputed members of organized crime. A  a. V one of his close friends for example is Philip Basile a contributor and fund Raiser for d Amato campaigns. Basile an owner of bars and discos on Long Island and a do Amato neighbor in the Small Village of Island Park has been identified by Law enforcement As a mafia figure Hill called Basile a an associated member of organized  Hill has reason to know. It was Basile in concert with the late crime Boss Paul Vario another resident of do amatos Village who got Hill out of prison Early by telling the government that he had a legitimate Job waiting for Hill. But it was a phony no show Job and Basile was brought to trial in 1984 for the fraud. By this time Hill had turned government witness and testified against Basile who was convicted. The Only witness in Basileos defense was a . Senator Al do Amato who vouched for Basileos character and embraced him when he stepped Down from the stand. The senator oddly continued to accept Campaign contributions from Basile. This of course was after Basile was found guilty and after he had been identified As a mob associate. A meanwhile Basile As a convicted Felon should have been automatically barred under new York Law from keeping his four liquor licenses. But Armand do Amato alas lawyer brother took Basileos Case before a Friendly state supreme court judge on Long Island. To and behold this judge Robert Roberto jr., granted Basile a a Relief from disability a which meant he had All his licenses Back. The judge was rewarded soon after with a nomination by the senator to the Federal Bench. However the Basile Case and other seamy episodes in Roberto a career raised a juror in the Senate judiciary commit a tee and Roberto finally withdrew his name from consideration. 7 n to this Day Quot do Amato insists that he did not know at the time of the Basile trial that his Friend was tied to the mob. Everybody else in Island Park knew it Only Al was in the dark. About the same time 1984 and �?T85, Al do Amato made some phone Calls to a Federal prosecutor on behalf of known mob figures. The prosecutor was Rudolph Giuliani and the mobsters were Mario Gigante a Captain in the Genovese crime family and Paul Castellano Boss of the Gambino organization who was later gunned Down outside a Manhattan restaurant. In one Call do Amato lobbied Giuliani for a sentence reduction for Gigante then in jail for extortion. In another do Amato suggested that certain charges pending against Castellano were flawed and would if not dropped bring embarrassment to prosecutor Giuliani. The Story of the phone Calls was broken by the Village voice in october 1989. At first do Amato denied making these Calls. Then with Giuliani confirming the phone conversations the senator said he seemed to recollect that some Community groups had asked him to make the Calls a which he said was part of his constituent service role. Then As pressure Rose do Amato recalled that a lawyer had asked him to go to Giuliani. Arid finally he admitted that the lawyer was Roy Cohn whose firm was representing both Gigante and Castellano. Do Amato continues to insist there was nothing improper in these Calls. On the Castellano Call he says he was merely looking after Giuliani trying to spare him some Public discomfort. Another less publicized do Amato connection with a crime figure involves Matthew a Matty the horse Ian Niello a reputed Genovese family member now in jail for racketeering. According to credible government sources sometime i.f9 a a to on on _. _ other indictment As Well the Felon sought do amatos in the mid-1980s, when Lanniello was awaiting sentencing on one racketeering conviction and was facing an help. The senator visited Lanniello in his Home one weekend these sources say. Unknown to do Amato the House was under government surveillance and the visit was recorded on videotape. The tape according to the sources resides now in government files. From the beginning of his Shady career to the preset do Amato has had a Litany that he repeats every time he a caught in a corrupt act it goes like this i did no to know anything i did no to see anything in my the pothole senator a so in a Busy working for the Little people and can to be expected to keep track of everyone who gives me Money. Sometimes people use my name improperly to get government contracts sometimes Armand uses my stationery when in a out filling potholes. Look what can i Tell you a i live in the Back nobody Ever tells Nie what a going on. Its a potential comedy routine for Jackie Mason. But for a . Senator its time to Cut the comedy and answer the questions. A. C new Day