Page 4-Thursday, July 19, 1979-The Michigan Daily
Michigan Daily
Eighty-nine Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
Vol. LXXXIX, No. 47-S News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
U .S now must
deport Somoza
N ICARAGUA'S 158-year history is punctuated
by American intervention. Finally our in-
volvement is reflecting the will of Nicaragua's
people and the lessons of Vietnam and Iran's civil
wars.
U.S. Ambassador Lawrence Pezzullo worked
out a complex deal with former Nicaraguan
President Anastasio Somoza, his interim suc-
cessor Francisco Urcuyo, and the provisional
government involving the Sandinista guerrilla
forces that drove Somoza from power. With
questionable prudence, the U.S. granted Somoza
asylum in this country, only to be slapped in the
face by Urcuyo's announcement that he will
remain in power until Somoza's term ends in 1981.
According to U.S. officials, he was only supposed
to be a brief caretaker until the provisional
government is installed.
While insisting that the U.S. recognizes the
junta as the official Nicaraguan government,
Pezzullo was recalled yesterday - an action
which confirms the end of Cold War diplomacy.
Somoza has hidden behind the cloak of anti-com-
munism long after it was clear that his corrupt,
maligned regime was oppressing more than
Marxists.
Now that the national guard allegedly has
surrendered to rebel forces and Urcuyo's ability
to remain in power is dubious, the U.S. must fulfill
State Department hints that Somoza will be
deported. To harbor him in this country will only
fortify his crusade to reclaim his post, thus en-
suring further bloodshed.
The U.S. can still offer asylum to his aides and
help anyone who wants to leave Nicaragua to do
so in safety. But to allow Somoza to remain in his
luxurious Florida villa while -thousands die in
Nicaragua contradicts the policy set by U.S. sup-
port of the provisional government.
The request to extradite the ex-president
should be filled as soon as the new government
gains control.
The best type of American involvement in this
troubled nation's affairs now is in the form of food
and medical supplies, which should be rushed to
the estimated 2.3 million devastated' refugees.
This nation should have no further role in
Nicaragua's internal political affairs unless in-
vited to do so. We can save more lives through the
Red Cross than with political meddling at this
point.
The junta has indicated that it advocates free
elections in principle, and it is not composed en-
tirely of left-wing extremists as U.S. officials
feared. It is surprisingly favorable to the U.S.,
and has widespread support from Nicaragua's
neighbors.
Somoza's fate should be decided by his
nation's people; failure to deport him would spell
the worst oindo p on.n
Muzorewa 's regime cannot
be accepted without change,
BISHOP AB&J, Muzorewa, the
first black prime minister of
the new state of Zimbabwe-
Rhodesia, last week came calling
on President Carter in
Washington and Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher in London.
The visit amounted to nothing
less than a monumental mission
for the prelate: to sell his new
government to the U.S. and
Britain, and to convince Carter
and Thatcher that his rule is
legitimate.
For the reporters following
Muzorewa's travelling salesman
show, the Bishop came across as
quite the politician. He sold his
case well to carefully selected
audiences of journalists,
congressional groups, and the
two heads of state them-
selves-He made it clear that he
is not about to budge on the issue
of dissipating the power of
Rhodesia's still politically
dominant white minority.
MUZOREWA'S argument,
delivered at every stop, is that
any attempts to alter the white-
drafted constitution could send
Rhodesia's 250,000 whites
packing, and once they leave,
much-needed expertise and
money will follow.
"The expertise, the skills and
the money is found in the white
hands," Muzorewa told a foreign
policy magazine breakfast group.
"You must accept the fact that
the whites in my country are not
there as tourists or visitors.
Technically, they must be called
white Africans. They belong
there."
Besides, Muzorewa insisted,
the fact that his country's three
per cent white minority holds a
disproportionate amount- of
power should be overshadowed
by the gains made by Rhodesian
blacks who, until the election six
weeks ago, had no power at all.
HE RATTLED off the statistics
impressively - in the 100-
member parliament, there are
now only 28 whites. In the 19-
member cabinet, only five are
white. "There is no such thing as
By KEITH RICHBURG
were allowed to vote on in
referendum. And that con-
stitution dictates that it cannot be
changed unless the white block in
parliament agrees.
Beyond that, Muzorewa's con-
trol over his country is in-
stitutionalized by the
bureaucracy, the armed forces,
and the judiciary, all of which
remain under white control. An
all-white Public Service Com-
mission makes all the appoin-
tments to the 40,000-member civil
r service, and that commission has
demonstrated recently its effec-
tive stranglehold over Muzorewa
by vetoing the Bishop's personal
choice for cabinet secretary, a
black Asian, and appointing in-
stead a white, George Smith.
That incident was not unique
in Muzorewa's new government,
and the government has been
fiscally unable to embark on any
kind of reconstruction effort.
So since it is Rhodesia-or now,
Zimbabwe-Rhodesia-that so
desperately needs the economic
sanctions lifted, the British and
Americans are in a position to use
those sanctions as a lever for
transforming that country from a
puppet regime to true black
majority rule. This country must
avoid the headfirst rush by the
conservatives in congress, most
noticeably Sen. Jessie Helms, (R-
N.C.), who would ignore the
realities of the Muzorewa facade
and would force Carter into lif-
ting the sanctions prematurely.
Perhaps the right-wingers here
could take a lesson from the con-
servatives across the Atlantic,
where even the conservative
Bishop Abel Muzorewa
but was particularly embarras-
sing for the black prime minister
anxious to show the British and
the Americans that blacks really
run Rhodesia. All that episode did
was reinforce the opposite con-
viction.
Thatcher government has ad-
vanced its own plan that would
recognize the Muzorewa gover-
nment only after the constitution
is drastically altered.
But maintaining the sanctions
that t t h a rrm nied by in-
racial discrimination anywhere , Wamust e accompnii~ y II
now in my country," the Bishop SO DESPITE Murorewa s creased economic aid to the bor-
informed his hosts. adamant insistenes that he need dering "front line" countries,
infomed is hsta.not take any further steps, that
However, Muzorewa's cam- s which are besring most of the
paign to gain recognition for his the constitution need not be brunt ofathe Rhodesian trade em-
new government was largely a amended, and that the U.S. and bargo. Most noticeably, Bot-
failing effort. He returned to Britain must recognize his swanna, Zambia, Mozambique
Salisbury with no guarantees, government at once, he returns and Malawi have suffered severe
only a lengthy checklist of moves home empty-handed. That fact economic hardships for com-
hems aebfr cnmcshould be evidence enough for the pyn with the Rhodesian trade
he must take befor e eonomic Bishop that constitutional plbigontt eto h
sanctions can be, lifted. The Bso htcntttoa embargo, not to mention the
Bishop was eloquent, forceful, changes are necessary if he is pounding those countries are
even convincing. But after hi ever to restore legitimacy to taking from repeated Rhodesian
eve covining Bu afer isZimbabwe-Rhodesia. arriso urlabss tp
sales pitch was over, the political Ironically, it was Muzorewa air raids on guerilla bases. Step-
realities of the facade called himself who spelled out the hard ping up our aid to those countrues
"Zimbabwe-Rhodesia" eclipsed choices now facing that country's would not only assure them of our
even Muzorewa's most ardent first black prime minister, when mmitme, t truedlack
appeals.. he tl eotr lnl h majority rule, but would raise out
hotold reporters bluntly why sagging prestige in the eyes of
DESPITE THE Bishop's in- Rhoesi o.despetely blac Africa as a nation devoted
sisenc tht 7 meber ofthe economic sanctions ' lifted. thumanrihs
sistence that 78 members of The years of civil war have left
parliament are black, as well as the country badly in need of
-13 cabinet ministers, the fact economic repair. In Muzorewa's
remains that they must operate estiate, since thesanoswr
under a constitution that was Daily City Editor Keith Richburg is
Iaan i edhundredso t Dal C wain ton ic.
d~ritd isprdecssrIa factory workeiwesB1thousoff, g g/ e Ijnsn . C. this
'mi anti uw ich nly iuuaw.summer.