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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MAY 18, 1984
The Soviet press and television continued to carry sharp attacks
on Mr. Reagan in connection with Moscow's decision to stay away
from the Olympics.
On another front, State Department officials are now saying that the Soviet
Union, wishing to deny President Reagan an election-year diplomatic tri
umph, is blocking u.s.-sponsored efforts to negotiate Cuban troop with
drawal from Angola, which would be a forerunner to independence for neigh
boring South West Africa (Namibia). Mr. Reagan's policy of "constructive
engagement" with South Africa played a big role in producing Pretoria's
peace pact with Marxist Mozambique--a source of embarrassment to Moscow.
The Kremlin can ill afford more peace in Southern Africa, even though,
ironically, it has backed independence for Namibia for years.
It is known that Marxist Angola is interested in having the 25,000 Cubans go
home, in return for promised U.S. economic aid.
But the Soviets have
t�mporarily vetoed the plan, recognizing that a successful negotiation
would be an election-year political windfall for Reagan. Reports AP in a
May 11 dispatch from Washington:
Moscow has long opposed colonialism in Africa and thus "it is
iroaic that the Soviets are blocking independence for Namibia,"
one official said. U.S. officials believe the hard-line Soviet
attitude on arms control and other issues thus far this year may
be related to election-year politics. As officials see it, the
Soviets, sensing that a Democratic president would be easier to
deal with, are determined to do nothing to enhance Reagan's re
election prospects.
Olympic Boycott--No Joy in the Satellite Empire
Moscow's May 8 decision to pull out of the 23rd Olympiad has not set well at
all among the East European countries that it has been pressuring to join
the boycott. On May 16 Hungary reluctantly added its name to the No-show
list, joining Bulgaria, East Germany and Czechoslovakia, as well as other
Marxist nations such as Vietnam, Mongolia, Laos and Afghanistan. The fol
lowing day Poland was forced to go along too. Now the pressure is on Ro
mania, which originally said it would be coming. (Non-bloc member, Yugo
slavia, will attend.)
It is known that the East Germans were bitterly disappointed at the boycott
decision, which, incidentally, was far from unanimous when taken in the
Soviet Politburo. The DDR stood to pick up a bucketful of medals. Some of
the other East European states are hardly less disappointed, as revealed in
this report from Warsaw in the May 16 LOS ANGELES TIMES:
Officials in Poland and Hungary•••say the Soviet boycott decision
is causing strong adverse reaction in their sporting communi
ties.... "The Polish Olympic Committee as well as the government
would like to send a team," [one] source close to the Polish
sports scene said. "But they are afraid. They are simply afraid
of the Russians."••.
Polish and Hungarian reluctance to go along with the boycott is
reflected in their lack of haste in announcing their plans. "How
long has it been since the Russians announced the boycott?" a