-THIS MAY OR MAY NOT CONFIRM RECEIPT BY MULRONEY OF THE COPY OF MY NOVEMBER, 1984 STATEMENT TO "THE ARAB LEAGUE" THAT HE REFUSED TO RETURN A COPY OF TO ME WHEN I FOUND I'D INADVERTENTLY GIVEN HIM MY FILE COPY OF IT.
HIS OFFICE SENT ME ONLY TWO LETTERS DURING THE TIME HE WAS PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA.
IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO THIS, YOU MAY ASK?
WELL, INCLUDED IN THE CONTENTS OF THE SUBMISSION TO "THE ARAB LEAGUE" WERE COPIES OF WHAT YOU'LL FIND IF YOU
TAKE A BRIEF SIDESTEP HERE.
IF YOU APPRECIATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED FOR TRANSLATING THAT SALMAN RUSHDIE BOOK, "THE SATANIC VERSES", YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND WHY I FELT I SHOULD CHECK WHAT WAS SAID IN THE PARTICULAR STATEMENT SO THAT NO UNNECESSARY MISUNDERSTANDINGS AROSE.
INCIDENTALLY, I HAVE NUMEROUS FRIENDS WHO ARE MOSLEMS AND/OR ARABS, AND I RESPECT THAT THERE WERE THINGS IN THE BOOK THAT THEY WOULD FIND DEEPLY OFFENSIVE AND WHICH WOULD PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT TO THOSE WHO ALREADY HARRASS THEM UNJUSTIFIABLY SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIGIOUS FAITH OR THEIR ETHNIC ORIGIN.
I DON'T AGREE WITH THE FATWAH (DEATH SENTENCE) AGAINST THE BOOK'S AUTHOR, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS RESPECTED THE CALL TO BOYCOTT THE BOOK.
IS THERE ANY BRIGHT SPOT TO THIS?
WELL, HE DIDN'T SEND ME HIS EQUIVALENT TO WHAT YOU'LL FIND IF
YOU TAKE ANOTHER BRIEF SIDESTEP HERE.
THAT CAME TO ME UNSOLICITED ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS PLANNING THE FAR EAST LEG OF HIS 1983-84 "PILGRIMAGE OF PEACE"
, SOMETHING I'D RECOMMENDED TO HIM WHEN I DID THE 1978 PRELIMINARY WORK TO ENCOURAGE THE SOVIETS TO NEGOTIATE NUCLEAR ARMS REDUCTIONS ("END THE ARMS RACE", WE TERMED IT IN A PARTICULAR STATEMENT I SENT TRUDEAU A COPY OF AT THAT TIME EXPLAINING ALL THIS).
AND IN 1978 I GAVE CREDIT FOR SUGGESTING THAT HE USE HIS INFLUENCE TO HELP THIS GOAL TO MY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AT THAT TIME, THE THEN-JUSTICE MINISTER OF CANADA, RON BASFORD, WHOSE OFFICE HAD HELPED ME DEVISE THE "LEGAL AGREEMENT" THAT WAS TO GOVERN CONTINUATION AND COMPLETION OF THIS "INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC WORK...ON A DIRECT BASIS" FOR THE WORLD'S CHILDREN.
I BELIEVE(D) WE THEN WERE PROCEEDING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT UNLESS WE ESTABLISHED A "LEGITIMATE" MEANS TO CONDUCT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE SOVIETS TO CUT NUCLEAR ARMS LEVELS AND
PREVENT THEM FROM EVER BEING USED AGAIN, NONE OF US WOULD HAVE A FUTURE.
I DON'T RECALL THAT WE THOUGHT THE "BEST" WE COULD DO TO HELP THE WORLD'S KIDS HAVE A BETTER FUTURE--IN FACT A FUTURE AT ALL--WAS WHAT IS AT THE OTHER END OF THIS LINK.
INSTEAD OF MEETING WITH ME TO DISCUSS THIS--AND CURIOUSLY, I SAW A VANCOUVER NEWSPAPER ARTICLE AT THAT TIME STATING HE WAS TO MAKE A STOPOVER IN VANCOUVER FOR AN UNDISCLOSED REASON, LEADING ME TO JUMP TO A CONCLUSION AS TO THE ENVELOPE'S CONTENTS WHEN IT CAME TO MY P.O. BOX POSTMARKED -9 I '84--HE SENT ME THIS THING.
THERE IS MORE ON THIS SUBJECT IN THE POSTED TEXTS OF THE 3 STATEMENTS TO LAWRENCE WALSH, THE "IRANGATE" INDEPENDENT COUNSEL.
IT IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I MADE SUCH SUBMISSIONS AT ALL...BEYOND THE FACT THAT I DREW WHAT YOU FIND IF YOU TAKE A BRIEF SERIES OF SIDESTEPS HERE TO THE ATTENTION OF MULRONEY IN JANUARY, 1985 AND TO THE ATTENTION OF U.S. SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY IN FEBRUARY, 1985.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY CONSIDERED THE CONTENTS OF THOSE STATEMENTS TO THE "IRANGATE" INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR, TAKE THE BRIEF SIDESTEPS HERE TO EACH, BEGINNING WITH THE RELEVANT LISTS OF CONTENTS FOR THEM: