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Europe cool toward U.S. advice on Libya by Joseph Polakoff TSI's Washington correspondent WASHINGTON —Europe’s important trade relations with oil- rich Libya were noted unofficially here as a principal factor in the rejection by major countries of Washington’s suggested economic sanctions against the country led by dictator Muammar Qaddafi. The suggestion followed wide spread belief that the chief perpetrator of the terrorist raids at airports in Vienna and Rome was the Palestinian Arab Abu Nidal, who is understood to have a haven in Libya. The State Department said “the link between Libya and international terrorism is clear” and has been “shown over a number of years.” It includes “training of terrorists” spokesman Charles Redman said. U.S. trade with Libya, he said, is “miniscule” and “virtually non-existent” since 1979. West Germany said economic sanctions were“an unsuitable instru ment” to use against Libya as punishment for its alleged support of Palestinian terrorists. Similar cool reactions came from France and Britain. Italy vented general criticism of the Libyan news agency’s expressed support for the airport attacks, but the government’s official Muammar Qaddafi position appears to be that Italy will not sever its Libyan trade. Italy is the West European country with the most extensive economic ties in Libya, according to the International Monetary Fund. Its figures show Italy’s exports totalled $2,527 billion in 1984and its imports $1,826 billion. West Germany’s exports in 1984 totalled $1,996 billion and imports $885 million. France’s exports were $753 million, and imports $233 million. Spain, which said it had not decided on the U.S. suggestion, had exports of $969 million and imports of $293 million. —Martin Luther King— A friend arid-ally by Sherry Frank Southeast Area director American Jewish Committee On Monday, Jan. 20 we will celebrate the historic first national Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Holiday. We are fortunate to be a participant in what hopefully will bean American tradition of genuine significance. Martin Luther King Jr. was a remarkable human being. His impact on our society left an indelible mark for future generations. When he spoke, he gave people hope; when he acted, he gave people strength to continue the struggle; and when he reached out, he acknow ledged the diversity of the people of the world. In the period since he spoke about his dream for America, his vision of freedom has inspired others in our society to speak out forthrightly for their freedom, America’s women, ethnics, handicapped and the elderly. Martin Luther King Jr. left a moral legacy. He was true to his own people, and spoke eloquently about the need for non-violent change in this country. But he was true to the broader community of the human family. He spoke out against all injustice. About community, he said: “Through our scientific genius, we have made of our nation—and even the world—a neighborhood, but we have failed to employ our moral and spiritual genius to make it a brotherhood.” About social justice, he said: “We must affirm that every human life is a reflex of divinity, and every act of injustice mars and defaces Martin Luther King Jr. the image of God in man.” In support of non-violence, he said: “Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it ends up creating many more social problems than it solves. It is immoral because it seeks to annihilate the opponent rather than convert him. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible.” In Martin Luther King Jr., American Jews always had a friend and ally who understood Jewish agony even as we tried to understand the agony of his people. Again, let us pause to remember his own words, remembering that he said these things prior to 1968. Of anti-Semitism, he said: “We cannot substitute one tyranny See King, page 17. The Souther n Israelite The Weekly Newspaper For Southern Jewry 'Since 1925' Vol. LXII Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, January 10, 1986 No. 2 u The cutting edge The law and The orde c. c •—) 4> L. ZL 1 — x- Cl rr ^ X — c rr <_/. r- t/ r* X ►—i x. *— L r — O LL x x c X. > rr; X X X XT rr. o * -< 2 X -• CT > C. “V X c c. X c. c. > C X > 2 r- c. u 1—- C c C c: c. T by Edwin Black Guilty verdicts rendered by a Seattle jury against 10 members of the neo-Nazi sect known as The Order will send all but one of its known leaders to jail for long sen tences. Government and civil rights groups are boasting that they have “broken the back” of The Order. But informed opinion is that Order sympathizers will simply re-group and dive further underground. The Order was founded in the fall of 1983 by former members of two white supremist groups, the Washington D.C.-based National Alliance and the midwestern Aryan Nations. Their goal: to “eliminate Jewish influence” in American society. Quickly, Order members, led by former tax protester Robert Mathews, series of bank robberies, armored truck hijackings and counterfeiting operations to finance themselves. Results against Jews were fast in coming: in late April 1984, Congre gation Ahavath Israel in Boise, Idaho, was bombed; two months later, abrasive Jewish radio talk show host Alan Berg was mercilessly gunned down in Denver. Their hit list also included Henry Kissinger, ISorman Lear and Jacob Javits. It was all part of what The Order called their written Declaration of War against the Zionist Occupation Government in America. The Order became the most dangerous white racist group in recent memory. David Lehrer of the Anti-Defamation League’s Western states office explains: “Unlike so many of these far right extremist groups, The Order jumped the gap between simply engaging in extremist rhetoric and carrying out actions.” More than four million dollars in booty and a half million in counterfeit currency was amassed by Order leaders. About half of it was distributed among cooperating chapters of the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups. At its peak. The Order operated in the Pacific Northwest, which it hoped to terrorize into an autonomous Aryan territory, as well as the Southeast, Idaho and Philadelphia. “Membership in and of itself was not illegal,” explained assistant U.S. Attorney David Eugene Wilson just hours after his successful prosecution of the case. “We (the federal government) were never concerned with their views. Freedom of speech is guaranteed no matter how reprehensible. We got involved A mother’s anguish The federal court jury’s conviction in Seattle of 10 neo-Nazis— nine men and a woman —was based on their cross-country series of crimes and not on their belief in bringing about a racist revolution that included planned assassinations of prominent Jews and overthrow of the U.S. Government. “We judged each defendant as individuals,” jury forewoman Mary Ball said. “We were instructed to base our decision on the evidence. Their beliefs and all that had nothing to do with it.” United Press International quoted one of the defense lawyers, Neil Halperin, as saying his mother became “half hysterical” when she learned her Jewish son was defending one of the 10 on trial. Halperin, 34, said he has “great regard” for Hebrew mysticism, UP1 said. Halpern represented Ardi McBrearty, who was the only defendent to testify on his own behalf. The lawyer said he would appeal the verdict because McBrearty’s case was “terminally prejudiced” by being “tried with people accused of murder.” “I’ve never believed Mr. McBrearty is a neo-Nazi, a racist, or hated Jews or any of that stuff,” Halperin was quoted as saying. “Had Mr. McBrearty in fact been a racist, an anti-Semite or neo-Nazi, I consider it unlikely that I would have defended him 1 also consider it highly unlikely he would have asked me to.” “My mother called me up half-hysterical,” Halperin said. “She asked why I was defending people who were going to kill us all. I told her I wasn’t defending all these people, and that my client had no interest in killing me or anyone else. . . .’’—Joseph Polakoff only when they turned to violence.” Indeed, once The Order showed its violent credo, the federal govern ment swooped down with massive manhunts and fiery shootouts. In December 1984, Order founder Robert Mathews died in a con flagration of police bullets and illumination flares as law enforcement authorities sought to effect a search warrant. Other leaders were captured in quick succession. Wielding federal racketeering and conspiracy laws, the Justice Department sought not only to send Order members to prison for long terms, but also to seize any assets acquired with proceeds of the criminal conspiracy. Prosecution sources in Seattle confirm that investigations are continuing into the allied hate groups which received Order financial assistance. Millions of dollars remain unaccounted for, and 20 gallons of nitroglycerin have not yet been recovered. The ability to seize assets as well as a perfect prosecution record has prompted at least one Justice Department source to declare, “We have broken the back of groups like The Order.” Prosecutor Wilson adds, “This will serve as a clear message to these kinds of groups. We will not tolerate violent acts of this type.” In an interview, Wilson made clear that Jews more than blacks were the ones most targeted by The Order. Wilson also singled out the Anti- Defamation League for its help. “They gave us the background information needed to pursue the cases,” explained Wilson. Despite the Justice Department’s jubilance, the initial praising reaction by Jewish leaders was buffered by cautious reassurance. “Right-wing extremism wasn’t born with The Order and it won’t die with The Order," asserts Irwin Suall, of Anti- Defamation League's New York office. “Some members had duplicate memberships in other organizations (such as). . . the Aryan Nations and the National Alliance. . . Now that The Order is destroyed, remaining members w ill simply drift into these other organizations.” Whileallconcurthat true believing neo-Nazis will hardly go away, they also agree that a resurgence of Order-style violence is now unlikely, thanks to law enforcement’s un mistakable response. “The FBI made it clear from the outset that they weren’t going to tolerate these characters,” declares Lehrer. “One after another they became informants, and that more than anything else helped build up the government’s case.” Lehrer specified that Order mem bers’ informing on their comrades was the single most effective deterrent to imitators. “This destroys the lynch-pin of these groups: loyalty,” says Lehrer. “This case demonstrates that such people cannot trust their closest true believers.”