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advance
news
in
the wake of today's WORLD EVENTS
•
Soviets Aim at Western Europe's
11
Achilles' Heel"
Soviet polirical and milicary advances in che Medi–
cerranean and che oil-rich Persian Gulf area are worrying
W escern Europeans. Nor only are European srracegic
defenses beit1g undermined bur, more imporranrly, che
concinenc's economic scability is being direcdy chreacened.
ARAMCO
Viewing the sizable Soviet fleec in che Medi–
cerranean, NATO defense planners see prospeccs of being
oucflanked from rhe souch. NATO forces zre already
outmanncd and ourgunned in che norch, where Soviet air
and naval forces enjoy a dear-cur superioríty.
Overalllooms che cconomíc rhreat co Wesrern Euro–
pean indusrry. Whereas only 5 percenr of
the
presenr U. S.
oíl needs are supplicd by che Midd!e Easc, Wescern Europe
depends upon che Míddle Easr for sorne 80 percenc of irs
oil. Moscow is maneuvcríng inro a posicion whereby ir
could, in che nor-too-discanc furure, acrually curn off
14
W escern Europe's oíl spígor, chus shurríng clown W escern
Europe's indusrry and brínging N ATO's mororized armies
ro a grinding hale.
One of che lacesr evidences of Moscow's maneuver–
íngs is rhe recenr 15-year rreaty of friendshíp and coopera–
don concluded berween che Soviet Union and Iraq in
April and che subsequenr narionalizarion (wich Soviet
encouragemenc) of rhe norrhern oi l fields of che Wesrern–
owned Iraq Perroleum Company.
•
Vatican Politics
Is rhe Varican ro play a larger role in che polirica1
aff.·lirs of Wesrern Europe? In answer, Pope Paul's "Foreign
Miniscer," Archbishop Agosrine Casaroli, announced chat
che Vacican will cake an active pare in che proposed
European Security Conference.
Sorne rhirty counrries, induding che Unired Srates
and Canada, are expecced ro accend che conference, sched–
uled ro convene somecime in che late spríng or early
summer of 1973. The conference, a prime goal of Soviet
forcign policy since 1969, will discuss che mutual reduc–
tion of forces in Europe, which, ir is hoped, will lead ro a
general Easr-Wesr "lessening of censíons."
Archbíshop Casaroli, who heads che Varican Councíl
for che Publíc Atfaírs of the Church, said in an ínrerview
wirh che English-language Rorne newspaper
The Daily
America11
chat a major cheme of rhe conference should be
"che srudy of che means ro avoid or solve conflicrs
berween
che
rwo halves of divided Europe." The Vatican
hopes rbe conference may produce an "erhical code" on
internacional behavior.
"We are only roo painfully aware chat
che
rnany
attempcs made in che pase have failed co yield substancial
results even on such preliminary issues as che definirion of
what constirures aggression," che archbishop said. "Bur if
we wanr security, rhose issues cannot
be
ignored or side–
srepped," he added.
Sorne observers believe rhat, beginning wirh che
Securiry Conference, rhe Carholic Church rnay arrempt ro
exerc "moral force" in European politicaJ affairs.
-Gene H. Hogberg
PLAIN TRUTH September·October 1972