Congress Passes Bill Ordering Closure of Two PLO Offices

Congress decided Wednesday to require the closing of both U.S. offices of the Palestine Liberation Organization, despite State Department opposition to closing the group’s observer mission at the United Nations.

The measure, included in the final form of the State Department authorization bill, also criticizes the Soviet Union for human rights violations, for impeding the delivery of mail and for failing to upgrade relations with Israel.

The bill now goes to President Reagan for signature.

The portion of the measure closing the PLO’s Washington office comes more than a month after the State Department ordered the office to close by Dec. 1.

U.S. District Court Judge Charles Richey affirmed the Sept. 15 State Department order two weeks ago, but an appeal of the decision is pending.

The State Department, however, has consistently opposed closing the PLO’s observer mission at the United Nations. On Thursday, department spokesman Charles Redman criticized the congressional provision ordering the mission closed as a “violation of our obligations” under the U.N. Headquarters Treaty.

He would not comment on whether the State Department would urge Reagan to veto the bill.

The measure also bars the PLO from establishing new offices in the United States and makes it illegal for any existing U.S. group to receive anything of value, except information, from the PLO.

In another section of the bill, Congress mandates, with two exceptions, that the United States suspend its participation in any U.N. entity that excludes Israel from membership. The exceptions are membership in the U.N. Security Council and the safeguards program of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

It expresses the sense of the Congress that the International Committee of the Red Cross should grant identical recognition to Israel’s Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David) as it accords the Red Cross and Red Crescent. In addition, it calls for Israel’s Red Shield of David Society to be made a full member of the League of Red Cross Societies.

In other business Wednesday, House-Senate negotiators approved the foreign debt reform plan that could save Israel $2 billion over 20 years. They also agreed to allow Bahrain to lease 70 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles from the United States for an 18-month period.

The Senate passed both the foreign debt and Stinger provisions last Friday. They must now be voted on again by both the full House and the full Senate.