Mandela Spurns Free Trade Plan

South African President Mandela on Friday bluntly rejected President Bill Clinton's free trade prescription for Africa and strongly defended his government's friendly relations with Cuba, Libya, and Iran.

Mandela let simmering differences with the United States over trade and foreign policy break into the open during a joint news conference with Mr. Clinton in the garden of his Cape Town office.

Of a trade bill that Mr. Clinton is trying to get passed by the U.S. Congress, Mandela said: "This is a matter over which we have serious reservations ... To us, this is not acceptable."

Mr. Clinton defended the proposed Growth and Opportunity Act as a chance to use increased trade between the U.S. and Africa as a vehicle to create jobs in the sub-Saharan continent.

"If you actually go read the bill, the first and most important thing is if the bill becomes law, it will increase the access of all African nations to the American economy," Mr. Clinton said.

But Mandela reflected a view prevalent among many Africans who worry the U.S. simply wants to open up African markets for its own gain, while at the same time reducing direct assistance.

Mandela, the 79-year-old leader who emerged from 27 years as a political prisoner to become South Africa's first democratically elected president in 1994, made clear that South Africa's relations with the U.S. are strong and friendly.

"This is one of our proudest moments," he said. After the news conference he and Mr. Clinton headed for a tour of Robben Island, where Mandela spent 18 years as a political prisoner.

But Mandela opened up the news conference by saying he would not be bullied by America's continuing campaign to isolate three of its enemies, Cuba, Libya, and Iran.

He said these nations had supported the African National Congress during its struggle against apartheid policies of South Africa's previous white-minority government.

"Our moral authority dictates that we should not abandon those who helped us in the darkest hour in the history of the country," he said, saying Cuban President Fidel Castro was the first head of state he had received. He referred to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as "brother Gaddafi."

"They gave us the resources so as to conduct a struggle and win, and those South Africans who have berated me for being loyal to our friends, literally, they can go and throw themselves into a pool," he said.

The U.S. has long maintained economic sanctions against Cuba, Libya, and Iran - and prssures other countries to do so as well. Mr. Clinton did not respond to Mandela's lecture and was not asked about it.

Mr. Clinton, in the midst of a 12-day dash across six African countries, defended his decision not to make a direct apology to African Americans for slavery, even though he came close to apologizing to Africans for it during a speech in Uganda on Tuesday.

He said most members of the African-American community wanted him to keep his racial policies "looking to the future," although no one was proud of slavery's awful legacy.

Asked about the possibility of debt relief for depressed African countries, Mr. Clinton said he had discussed it with Mandela and wanted more debt relief as long as more countries moved towards market reforms.

He said relief without sound policies would make investors reluctant to lend money "because nobody would be sure they'd get their money back."

Friday's meetings took place at Tuynhuis, a 200-year-old government building that houses Mandela's offices. It is the same site where Mandela received Mr. Clinton on Thursday as the first U.S. president to visit South Africa.

After their meeting, the two presidents were flying out to Robben Island off South Africa's coast so that Mr. Clinton could see the jail cell where Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years as a political prisoner. Later, they will attend a state dinner, where Mandela will present Mr. Clinton with South Africa's highest honor, the Order of Good Hope. Mandela has given the same tribute to Gaddafi.

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