Editorials
Wednesday, August 7, 1996
Picking a foolish fight
with America's allies
IT was billed as a way to get tough with terrorism, but the oil sanctions bill signed by President Clinton is really getting tough with America's allies. This is may be good politics but it is bad policy. Under the measure, sponsored by Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., foreign companies making oil and gas deals with Libya and Iran, which are notorious for sponsoring terrorism, would be penalized by the United States in doing business in this country. The idea is the same as that underlying the Helms-Burton Act, which applies to Cuba.
The problem is that other governments haven't gone along with the U.S. trade embargo and other sanctions against Cuba, Libya and Iran. By acting to punish third-country companies that violate U.S. sanctions, Washington is interfering in the affairs of their governments, and those governments don't like it.
At the recent G-7 summit meeting, America's allies criticized Clinton for signing the Helms-Burton bill. Now they are protesting his approval of D'Amato's bill. Britain, France, Germany and Ireland threatened to retaliate against U.S. companies through the European Union.
Leon Brittan, vice president of the EU, warned that the union "will act to defend its rights." The EU's 15 members import about 20 percent of their oil from Iran and Libya. They feel that the decision as to whether to do business with these countries is theirs alone to make.
Clinton's response avoided the issue. "You cannot do business with countries that practice commerce with you by day while funding and protecting the terrorists who kill your innocent civilians by night," he asserted.
But neither can the United States freely encroach on the authority of friendly governments to make law and policy for their own citizens and companies. And the statement ignores the fact that Washington has been willing to do business with Syria, another nation that supports terrorism, accepting it as a negotiating partner in the Middle East peace process.
By antagonizing allied governments, the president and Congress are not advancing the war on terrorism. They are involving the nation in a needless controversy with its friends.
Land title dispute
THE activities of a tiny company, although apparently legal, could result in great hardship for Hawaii residents. Perfect Title Co., which traces the history of land transactions in the islands back to the Hawaiian monarchy, has persuaded some homeowners that they don't own the land their homes sit on. As the Star-Bulletin's Rob Perez reported, these people have stopped making payments on their mortgages, and now face the prospect of losing their homes.
Homeowners should be aware of the risk they are running if they accept this company's findings that their titles are invalid.
Police disclosure
FEDERAL District Judge David Ezra made a sensible point when he said that making public the names of police officers who have been disciplined might prevent more serious problems. Ezra made the observation after sentencing Clyde Hayami, a former Honolulu police sergeant who had beaten three prisoners, to four years and nine months in prison. As the judge remarked, disclosure could prevent officers from committing more serious acts of misconduct.
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Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor