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CAPITOL REPORT

Meese Denies Promoting
Anti-Israel Publicity

WOLF BLITZER

Washington Correspondent

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90

Friday, July 18, 1986

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

U S. Attorney-General
Edwin Meese is very
, • upset over suspicions
by some high Israeli officials
that he might somehow be per-
sonally orchestrating a series of
unfavorable publicity for Israel
in the United States. "Nothing
could be more absurd than such
allegations," he told this re-
porter.
The Attorney-General, who
served as President Ro nald
Reagan's White House Chi of of
Staff during the first four years
of this. Administration, said that
he was doing everything wi thin
his power to ensure that ' `the
highest professional standar ds"
are met by the Justice Dep art-
Edwin Meese
ment in investigating alle ged
Israeli improprieties. He de- there is little doubt that there,
scribed the anti-Israel p ress
are indeed influential elements
leaks as "obviously unacc ept- in
the Reagan Administration.—
able."
in
fact within the Justice
One of Meese's senior aide s, in Department
who are only toc
explaining Meese's reaction, s aid - happy to —
try
to embarrass
that the Attorney-Gene ral Israel. This has been,
of course,
wanted the suspicions agai nst very apparent during
the un-
him "nipped in the bud." The
folding
of
the
Jonathan
Jay
aide said, "He's very tak en Pollard spy scandal these past
aback by all of this."
several months. Much of the
Meese, who recently visi
most damaging disclosures in
Israel for a week, sees himsel f ted
as the U.S. news media came from
a strong supporter. But the f act
Justice Department and
is that he cannot complet ely the
various agencies under its
control his own bureaucracy. He overall
control, including the Of-
can issue directives to his st aff fice of the
Attorney for the
to stop the disclosures involv ing District of U.S.
Columbia
and the
Israel — and he has. But it is otbo- (FFeBdeI r) . al. Bureau of Investigation
viously not always possible
make sure that those orders are
They and other U.S. law-en-
obeyed.
forcement
— in marked
U.S. officials are hoping th at contrast to officers
the
State
Depart-
Israel can appreciate this fact of ment and the White House
—
life. After all, Israeli leade rs,
have
also
been
in
the
forefront
in
including the Prime Minist er, circulating embarrassing infor-
the Foreign Minister and t he mation — as far as Israel is con-
Defense Minister, cannot alw a ys cerned o — in a whole variety of
control their own bureaucraci es separate investigations
involv-
either.
ing alleged Israeli arms smug-
Some of the more sophi s- gling operations.
ticated Israeli officials in
There have been a series of
Washington are sensitive to thi s such
incidents, including the ap-
problem, but others, especial ly parently
transfer to Israel
in Jerusalem, are clearly no t. last year illegal
of krytron nuclear
This second batch of officials s ee
switching devices and the subse- )
the series of anti-Israeli- di s- quent
sale of restricted tank bar- \ I
closures in Washington as par t rel technology.
In addition, there
of a plot "to get Israel." The re are two separate
cases current-
are all sorts of conspirac y ly before U.S. courts
involving
theories circulating; perhap s retired
Israeli army officers —
Meese and other Administratio n
a General — indicted
officials are still angry at Isra el on including
charges
conspiring to sell
for embarrassing Reagan i n weapons to of Iran.
damage of
1981 during the Saudi AWAC S the Pollard affair The
has
merely
debate. This is supposedly thei ✓ reinforced the impression
that
way of getting even.
Israel is guilty.
When Justice Minister Yitz -
Last week, Israeli officials at
hak Modai was recently i n the Defense Ministry's Purchas-
Washington, he raised this mat - ing Mission in New York were
ter of the damaging leaks with
accused of trying to smuggle
Meese. Later, Modai told re - technology and equipment
porters that if anyone could necessary for the manufacture of
understand the nature of un - cluster bombs in Israel.
authorized leaks in a democratic tant Secretary of State for Assis-
Near
society with an aggressive and Eastern
and South Asian Af-
free press, it was Israel where fairs Richard Murphy, in notify-
unauthorized disclosures are ing
Israeli Ambassador Meir
also part of the general land- Rosenne of the five-month U.S.
scape.
Justice Department, Customs
But despite Modai's sym- Service and Pentagon investiga-
pathy and Meese's reassurances,
tion said that the U . S . govern-