Marine base labeled vulnerable to terrorists

The United States governm ent and the Palestinian Liberation O r­ ganization held unofficial negotia­ tions betw een August 1981 and May 1982, The N ew York T im es reported last week, and John Edwin Mroz, a 1970 N otre Dame graduate, served as the m ediator for these undis­ closed talks. From 1975 to 1981, Mroz was ex ­ ecutive vice p residen t and d irec to r o f Middle East studies at the In terna­ tional Peace Academy. It was in this capacity that Mroz w ro te the book B eyond Security w hich consists o f private opinions o f various Arab and Israeli officials about the Middle East conflict. Mroz com piled the in­ form ation during various trips to the area. In his book, Mroz concludes am ong o th er things that peacem ak­ ing efforts are h indered greatly by “publicly enuncia ted dem ands to an adversary to accept som e rigid p reconditions p rio r to formal negotiations.” This includes Israeli dem ands that its right to exist be recognized by the PLO before talks can be opened betw een the tw o groups. This “recognition” o f Israel is precisely w hat Mroz was trying to obtain from the Palestinians. In an interview w ith The New York Tim es, Mroz said “If I could get Arab recognition o f Israel, th e re ’s nothing I could do that w ould be m ore im portant in my life.” Father Robert Griffin, University chaplain, rem em bers Mroz w hen he was at N otre Dame, and recalls him as a “very pleasant and open young m an” and “a natural politician.” Griffin said Mroz was also very am bitious and in terested in doing good in his life. A ccording to Griffin, Mroz probably had John F. Ken­ nedy's saying “Ask no t w hat your country can do for you, ask w hat you