Sanctions against S.A. have failed, says Bush

Press, 5 October 1987, Page 7

Sanctions against S.A. have failed, says Bush

NZPA-AP Brussels The United States Vice-President, George Bush, ended his nine-day European trip on Saturday by saying he believed that economic sanctions against South Africa had failed to achieve the effects desired by their proponents.

Speaking at a news conference to conclude his trip, Bush also said he found “unanimous support” among Western leaders for the arms-con-trol treaty under negotiation with the Soviet Union to ban intermediate-range nuclear weapons. He also said he found agreement "that we must turn our attention to redressing the considerable imbalance that exists between NATO and Soviet bloc conventional forces in Europe”. The Vice-President appeared in good spirits as he concluded the journey to Italy, Poland, West Germany, France, Britain and Belgium. > Commenting on the sanctions against South Africa passed by the United States Congress despite the disapproval of President Ronald Reagan, Mr Bush said the United States should seek effective measures that did not hurt the people it wanted to help. He did not say he believed the sanctions should be repealed, or what steps the United States should take to push the white minority Government to grant rights to the black majority in South Africa. The Vice President said he wanted South African leaders to release the imprisoned African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela, from prison and to consult with Zulu chief, Buthleze, on future political arrangements. Mr Bush will formally declare his candidacy for the 1988 Republican Presidential nomination on October 12. At the news conference, he said he regretted a statement he made on Friday about Soviet tank mechanics that drew criticism from the United

Auto Workers union in Detroit. In that statement, Bush said he had been told in a meeting with NATO ministers that 350 Soviet tanks had recently conducted a manoeuvre without a single mechanical breakdown. “Hey, when the mechanics who keep those tanks running run out of work in the Soviet Union, send them to Detroit because we could use that kind of ability,” he said on Friday. The union described the remark as an insult to American workers. Congressman Jack Kemp, a Republican Presidential candidate, also criticised Mr Bush’s comment. The union and Mr Kemp called for an apology. “I thought I was trying to be funny and obviously it didn’t work very well,” Mr Bush said. “I wish I’d never said it because it’s controversial and I have to explain and I’m very sorry about it.” The Vice-President said what he was trying to do was to emphasise the quality of workmanship in

Detroit. “One of the reasons we’re doing well is because of the quality of our work, and what I was trying to say is that anybody who can keep 350 Soviet tanks going, that kind of ability is welcome in the United States be-

cause quality is our emphasis,” he said. ”... If I’ve offended anybody, and I understand there has been a little reaction out of the union, I would apologise and say, ‘Hey, give me a break. I didn’t mean anything by it’,” he said.