BEYOND PROFIT IN ANGOLA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302490014-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: September 15, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/09/02 :CIA-RDP90-005528000302490014-0
;l~tTlC~f AlJt:
~~ ~
WASiiINGTON POST
15 September 1986
~ Jeacne Kirkpatrick
Be and
Y
Profit
In An ola
g
It has beeorae a fam>7iar some. The
same House and Senate members who
have ooltlS- apposed significant
U.S. aid to resistance fighters every-
where have now mounted a new effort
to block American assistancee m Ango-
la's struggle against incorporation into
the Soviet system. They have rallied
behind an amendment that would effec~
lively bor aid to Angola, an arr~ment
that could come up for a House vote as
early as Tuesday.
mobilised to su ~ o
taa s amendmen o te~
~enoe'~tTu arizatan t~.-1 he
provides that no forces
tmg ~n receive any
~ass~sf-once dress t
m assrstance and all
u ~ro~ublic
iasa~an ~ ate o a~ to ,[ona~
a~vm6'`i s ants=lGiandst U IT~1 A forces.
ectrve consequence-as mast
amtridma~t ~ understand-
to prevent any ass~st-
once to Angolans 5ghting_ their
osrmtry'8 self-goverrunent and sover-
w
t this time there is a big difference
Erse ruaet Previous congreeeional
struggles aver aid to resistance fight-
ers. This time it m two Dit>NOCSVR;
Reps. Claude Pepper and Dante Fas-
oell, wbo are leading the fight to block
the people who would bkidr assistance
to UNITA.
On Sept. 8 Pepper and Fascell wrote
to House aollesgties alerting them that
the anien~mau would "erode our pros-
pects to bring fieedorii to Angola
provide valuable information to the
MPLA (Angds's pro,Soviet govern-
ment] ... increase the potential po4d-
al poet to nations sad groups who are
disaetdy giving aid to UNITA ...and
eaoourage the Soviet Union to further
mcreaee its k~veF d support...: '
This latest chapter m the struggle
over U.S, policy in southern Africa m.
d course, part d a much larger issue
with a much kxiger history. The strug-
gle ;n southern Africa m as complex as
it a important-to the people d the
regioa and to us.
At staloe le Angola is the national
independence d the Angolan people va.
that camtry's incorporation into the
Soviet bkx. The outcome d that strug~
gk wi8 have serious ca~sequenoes fa
the future d Namibia and the whole d
southern Africa, irwluding south Africa.
where a struggle fa democracy m also
wader way.
The United States m pcvperly seek
leg a southern Africa made up d iade-
pendmt, self-governing natiorss. No
other outcome is consistent .with our
ptvxiples and our interests.
People who oppose U.S. aid to UNI-
TA argue first that we should not sedr
to overthrow an existing government
(the MPLA), and second that to aid
UNITA is to associate ourselves with
the South Africa government-which
provides military assistance to UNITA.
These argumenb wiU not wash. The
government of Angola is a de facto
governtr-ent imposed by the force d
more than 40,000 Soviet military per-
soanel and approximately =2 billion in
Soviet military assistance. It was not
chosen by the Angolan people, and it is
unable to govern more than two-thirds
d the country because the Angolan
people do not support it. in this context
it is disingenuous to speak in opposition
to "outside interference" in Angola.
The azgument that by aiding UNITA
the United States would associate itself
with South Africa's governmer-t iv tan-
taawimt to claiming that to aid the
Allies in World Waz II was to help
Joseph Stalin.
It m true that the struggle in South
Africa is related to that in Angola.
Savimbi represents the armed forces
aupportbig self-government by Ango-
lass. Zulu Chief Gatsha Buthelezi and
his allies represent unarmed forces
supporting self-government and democ-
racy in South Africa.
The United States should firmly ally
itself with the supporters of self-gov-
ernment math countries. Just as we
should not support the racist govern-
ment of South Africa, neither should we
permit ourselves to be gulled into be-
lieving the struggle for self-determina-
tion. democracy and human rights is
served by helping communist forces
oonsolkJate power. Yet that is what
Angola's MPIA government and its
friends would have us believe.
Those friends include anall-too-ta-
adliar coalition d certain corporate and
banking inter+eats willing to work with
any government that wJl permit them
~ make a profit, and some benighted
progressives who still believe the
people of the Third World are not
capable d effectiveh- govert,ing them-
nfortunately some of the latter
are found inside the U.S. Department
d State, where variow efforts are
under way co assist the Mantist gov-
ernments dAngola and Mosambpue
by helping them upgrade their trans-
portation systems, and where plans
are ahxady afoot for Secretary of
State George Shultz to visit the area
in October and meet with regional
leaders, probably including Ohver
Tambo, leader d the African National
Congress.
U these corporate interests, State
Departmeat bureaucrats and congres-
sional activists succeed in blocking aid
to UNITA, the Reagan Doctrine
would be undone in southern Africa.
The political and strategic stakes
are very high in this rich region.
where our principles and our interests
are engaged. They are threatened by
Hamilton's sleeper amendment.
class. ~a.,~e. rte. sr~u.
Approved For Release 2010/09/02 :CIA-RDP90-005528000302490014-0