Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!njin!psuvax1!psuvm!auvm!UMKCVAX1!CARBUCKLE From: CARBUCKLE@UMKCVAX1.BITNET (Valentine M. Smith) Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics Subject: USSR, and...(#60) Message-ID: <90058.1712.CARBUCKLE@UMKCVAX1> Date: 27 Feb 90 17:12:00 GMT Sender: Forum for the Discussion of Politics Reply-To: Forum for the Discussion of Politics Lines: 33 Approved: NETNEWS@AUVM.BITNET Gateway The news has been facetiously talking about the "Communist states" that are "left" after all the recent changes- Cuba and Albania are apparently it. The Kremlin apparently can no longer afford to prop up the Cubans. The East German Round Table discussions reject the idea of a "unified" German army, approves a course of demilitarization for the "new" Germany. Somehow, the great divergence between the positions of the west and east HAVE to collide, so far, both sides seem, to be ignoring the pronouncements of the other. Greenpeace opened an office in East Germany today. Polish relations with Israel are about to improve from their cessation in 1967, Defense Minister Aron is there at present, he's to meet with both the President and Prime Minister. The first phase of Soviet troop withdrawal from Czechoslavakia is to be ended by "late spring," 25,000 are to be out at the end of this phase. Havel is to meet with the widow of Sakharov today, and lay a wreath at his tomb. There is to be convened in the United States in mid-April an environmental conference, to which the Soviets and the Ostbloc nations have been invited. The Presidential powers "bill" has come up in the Supreme Soviet this morning, it would provide for a direct Presidential election in four years. In China, according to the China News Digest, the ousted party leader Zhao Ziyang, will be stripped of his non-Communist posts at the National People's Congress on March 20th, or maybe even at the China People's Political Consultative Conference scheduled for March 19th. More changes brewing! The rulers want "no open rebellion" at these meetings. Later on, will try to comment in detail on these issues.