$600,000 For Detroit Jewry

3

The Disappearing Jews Of Cuba

40

Dr. Gutmann's Work: More Than Artifacts

80

Rabbi Amy Eilberg Breaks With Tradition

THIS ISSUE 50c

25

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SERVING DETROIT'S METROPOLITAN JEWISH COMMUNITY

CLOSE-UP

JUNE 28, 1985

The PLO In Orbit?

The PLO and Libya own
part of the satellite
launched by NASA.

BY ARTHUR J. MAGIDA

Special to The Jewish News

SPICING UP
SUMMER

School's out and the
kids are underfoot.
Here's a few ideas to
keep them occupied,
and you under control.

See Page 14

The launching into orbit last
week by the U.S. space shuttle of a
satellite partly owned by the Pales-
'tine -Lib 6'r a ti on—Otganiza Q I) _has
raised the possibility of a congres-
sional investigation into NASA pol-
icy.
Six-tenths of one percent of the
satellite is owned by the PLO, and
Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has
asked whether NASA assistance in
orbiting the satellite violated federal
law against aiding terrorist organiza-
tions. Although he is not a member of
the Senate Commerce, Science and
Technology Committee, Specter has
reportedly urged committee members
to hold hearings later this summer on
the satellite's launch.
The satellite was launched by the
space shuttle on June 18. It is owned
by the Arab Satellite Communica-
tions Organization, a 22-member con-
sortium that includes the PLO and
Libya. According to NASA, the satel-
lite will be used exclusively for
domestic communications, such as
telephone and television. But, asked
an aide to Specter, "What will prevent
one Arab general from telephoning
another? And we know that the satel-
lite can handle encoded conversa-
tions. Maybe it can also eavesdrop on
other encrypted conversations."
On June 11, Specter sent a letter
that included 44 questions about the
satellite to NASA and the State and
Defense departments. He complained

Sen. Arlen Specter:
Some questions on Arabsat.

about a "total lack of information
about the satellite's origin and pur-
pose of this mission" and asked that
the satellite's launch be delayed "be-
fore the U.S. takes the irrevocable
step of launching the satellite."

Among Specter's queries to the
three executive agencies were ques-
tions about the military implications
of the launch, Libya and the PLO's
role in the communications consor-
tium, who controls the satellite and
whether any of the consortium mem-
bers could alter the satellite's func-
. tion for their military advantage.
Dan McKenna, Specter's press
aide, said NASA has responded in a
"very general, unspecific" letter to the

Continued on Page 21

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