Britain Adopts Common Market Sanctions Policy

LONDON — Britain belatedly joined its European Community partners Wednesday in a package of military and political sanctions against South Africa.

Its two defense attaches in Pretoria were summoned home as part of the package, adopted by the rest of the 10-nation community on Sept. 10.

Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe said that Britain, which held back from accepting the measures at the time, now sees them as “a legitimate and necessary political signal to the South African government.” But he said that Britain remains opposed to all-out economic sanctions, seeing these as more damaging to the black majority than to the whites.

Many of the European sanctions, including an arms and oil embargo, a ban on military and nuclear cooperation and the discouraging of cultural and sports links, are already enforced by Britain.