The National Black Political Caucus Archives: Profit rules allies

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
The Ronald B. Saunders Project
The Ronald B. Saunders Papers
The Archives of the National
Black Political Caucus
Pittsburgh PA.
April 18, 2011

The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Press on January 6, 1986.
    
                                                Profit rules allies

President Reagan has initiated sanctions against Libya but those sanctions are not far reaching and have little clout and substance.
     Without the support of the so-called Western European allies and Japan, whose own self-interest would be served by supporting the U.S. sanctions , there appears to be a lack of hope for the sanctions.
   It is very perplexing to see President Reagan initiate more stringent measures against Libya while refusing to impose strong sanctions against the rogue government of the Republic of South Africa.
 Our so called allies are more concerned with making a profit than combating internal and international terrorism simply because they are economically dependent upon Libya for oil and other forms of trade and commerce.
Our allies also have thousands of their nationals working in Libya and it would be cheaper for the allies to invest money in more elaborate security systems than to go along with U.S.-initiated economic sanctions which would upset the status quo.
 Libya would not survive a year without Russia's support or military hardware.
However, it is the Soviet Union that is really the culprit in the exportation of Libyan terrorism to an estimated 35 countries.
By using countries such as Libya and South Yemen, that enables the Soviet Union not to dirty its hands by direct involvement in terrorism.
                                                        Ronald B. Saunders
                                                                         Pittsburgh
                                           (The writer is chairman of the
                                        National Black Political Caucus)