DATE=08/11/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10855
TITLE=EMBASSY BOMBING AFTERMATH:HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: U-S NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO REACT WITH OUTRAGE AND
FRUSTRATION AT THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN EAST AFRICA.
___________________ HAS A SAMPLING FOR US NOW IN TODAY'S U-S
OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE AMERICAN PRESS IS FILLED WITH RECRIMINATIONS AGAINST
WHICHEVER GROUP COMMITTED THE BOMBINGS, PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS
ON HOW SAFE IS SAFE ENOUGH FOR U-S EMBASSIES ABROAD, AND
CRITICISM OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S HANDLING OF PAST
FOREIGN POLICY CHALLENGES THAT BELIES THE PRESIDENT'S TOUGH
TALK ABOUT THIS LATEST ATTACK.
THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THIS WAS NOT THE WORK OF A SMALL GROUP OF
MADMEN, BUT A WELL-ORCHESTRATED ATTACK BY A WELL-ESTABLISHED
GROUP OF TERRORISTS. AT LEAST ONE COMMENTARY PINS PART OF THE
BLAME ON THE SUDAN, WHICH BORDERS KENYA AND HAS HARBORED
TERRORISTS IN THE PAST.
SEVERAL PAPERS MAKE MENTION OF THE RENEGADE SAUDI ARABIAN
MILLIONAIRE AND TERRORIST-SUPPORTER OSAMA BIN LADEN. HE HAS
DECLARED A JIHAD OR HOLY WAR AGAINST THE UNITED STATES, AND NOW
RESIDES IN AFGHANISTAN, AS A FUGITIVE FROM SAUDI JUSTICE.
WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING OF ADDITIONAL COMMENT ON THE BOMBING AND
ITS AFTERMATH IN NEBRASKA, WHERE "THE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD" NOTES
HOW HARD IT IS TO MAKE ALL THE EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES TOTALLY
SAFE FROM TERRORIST ATTACKS.
VOICE: THE BOMBING OF U-S EMBASSIES .... ILLUSTRATED THE
UNFORTUNATE FACT THAT NO AMERICAN EMBASSY, NO MATTER HOW
ISOLATED FROM TERRORISM IT MAY SEEM, CAN BE CONSIDERED
SAFE. ... EXPERTS WHO STUDY TERRORISM AND SECURITY
HAVE SUGGESTED, IN REACTION TO THE BOMBINGS, THAT THERE
IS NO WAY TO DETER AN ATTACK EXCEPT TO BE AWARE OF IT
BEFORE IT HAPPENS. THAT WOULD REQUIRE IMPROVEMENTS IN
INTELLIGENCE GATHERING AND ANALYSIS. ... THE C-I-A HAS
NOT DISTINGUISHED ITSELF IN RECENT MONTHS IN
INTELLIGENCE-GATHERING.
TEXT: HERE IN THE NATION'S CAPITOL, "THE WASHINGTON TIMES"
LAMENTS THAT EMBASSIES COULD HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT SAFER IF A
THOROUGH SECURITY STUDY, CHAIRED BY THE FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
THE C-I-A, ADMIRAL BOBBY INMAN, SOME YEARS AGO HAD NOT BEEN CUT
BACK BECAUSE OF THE COST.
VOICE: MR. INMAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS, PRODUCED IN 1985, WERE
EXTENSIVE. FOR PURPOSES OF THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION,
IT IS RELEVANT THAT THEY INCLUDED
TWO-AND-THREE-QUARTER-METER-WALLS AROUND EMBASSIES AND A
SET-BACK OF ROUGHLY 30 METERS FROM THE STREET -- TO
ABSORB THE IMPACT OF A POTENTIAL CAR OR TRUCK BOMB. THE
ESTIMATED COST OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS
FOUR-POINT-FIVE BILLION FOR 280 EMBASSIES, AN AMOUNT
CONGRESS SLASHED TO TWO-POINT-SEVEN BILLION -- A SUM
INSUFFICIENT TO COVER ALL INSTALLATIONS THAT NEEDED IT
WORLDWIDE. .... SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT
HAS SUGGESTED THAT SHE MAY ASK CONGRESS FOR MORE FUNDING
FOR EMBASSY SECURITY, AND CONGRESS NEEDS TO ACT SPEEDILY
ON MRS. ALBRIGHT'S PROPOSALS.
TEXT: THE EDITORIAL HEADLINE IN TODAY'S "SAN FRANCISCO
CHRONICLE" READS: "TERRORISM IN AFRICA DEMANDS STERN ACTION," BUT
THE PAPER GOES ON TO LAMENT THE LACK OF RESULTS IN PROSECUTING
TERRORISTS.
VOICE: "THE NEW YORK TIMES LISTS 13 TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST
U-S INTERESTS ABROAD SINCE 1983 IN WHICH 630 PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN KILLED. IN NONE OF THOSE CASES HAVE THE TERRORISTS
BEEN BROUGHT TO TRIAL. ALTHOUGH JUSTICE MAY BE
UNCERTAIN IN SUCH TERRORIST ATTACKS IN FOREIGN LANDS, WE
MUST NEVER GIVE UP THE PURSUIT. 'WE DON'T FORGIVE. WE
DON'T FORGET, SAID P-J CROWLEY, SPOKESMAN FOR THE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. THAT IS EXACTLY THE MESSAGE
THAT SHOULD BE HEARD AROUND THE WORLD, AND [PRESIDENT]
CLINTON MUST ENLIST EVERY CIVILIZED NATION AS ALLIES IN
THE INTERNATIONAL MANHUNT.
TEXT: "THE NEW YORK TIMES" RUNS THIS COLUMN BY THOMAS FRIEDMAN,
IN WHICH HE POINTS OUT SEVERAL U-S RESPONSES TO A VARIETY OF
CHALLENGES BY FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS FROM IRAQ TO ISRAEL TO KOSOVO
PROVINCE, IN WHICH THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS VOICED POWERFUL
RHETORIC, AND THEN DONE, IN MR. FRIEDMAN'S VIEW, ESSENTIALLY
NOTHING.
VOICE: IN THE WAKE OF THE U-S EMBASSY BOMBINGS ... THE WHITE
HOUSE KEPT PUTTING OUT THE SAME SOUND BITE ... 'WE WILL
NOT FORGIVE AND WE WILL NOT FORGET.' THAT IS A NOBLE
SENTIMENT. THERE IS ONLY ONE PROBLEM. IF YOU LOOK AT
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S FOREIGN POLICY OVER THE
PAST TWO YEARS THERE HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT PATTERN OF
FORGIVING AND FORGETTING. ... WE END UP WITH ALL THE
DISADVANTAGES OF BEING THE WORLD'S RICHEST AND MOST
POWERFUL NATION -- EVERYONE MAKES YOU A TARGET --
WITHOUT ANY OF THE ADVANTAGES, LIKE FEELING AS THOUGH
WE ARE SHAPING WORLD EVENTS OUR WAY. /// OPT /// IT
SEEMS IN RECENT MONTHS AS THOUGH WE HAVE GONE FROM A
ONE-SUPERPOWER WORLD TO A NO-SUPERPOWER WORLD, AND THAT
IS SOMETHING NO ONE SHOULD FORGET OR FORGIVE. /// END
OPT ///
TEXT: FROM DENVER, "THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS" INTERNATIONAL
COLUMNIST HOLGER JENSEN SINGLES OUT SUDAN FOR AT LEAST POSSIBLE
COMPLICITY, NOTING:
VOICE: GIVEN SUDAN'S REPUTATION FOR HELPING TERRORISTS AND ITS
COMMON BORDER WITH KENYA, THERE IS GOOD REASON TO
SUSPECT THAT THE BOMBERS AND EXPLOSIVES THEY DETONATED
IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM EITHER TRANSITED SUDAN OR
ORIGINATED THERE. WITHOUT POINTING ANY FINGERS, ONE CAN
ALSO SAY THAT MOST TERRORIST THREATS AGAINST THE UNITED
STATES ORIGINATE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. .... THE 16-MONTH
STALEMATE IN IMPLEMENTING THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI PEACE
ACCORD NEGOTIATED IN OSLO HAS SENT MANY PALESTINIANS
INTO THE RANKS OF ISLAMIC EXTREMISM. HAMAS AND ISLAMIC
JIHAD CANNOT BE EXCLUDED FROM THE LIST OF SUSPECTS.
/// OPT /// AND THE LATEST CONFRONTATION WITH IRAQ OVER
U-N ARMS INSPECTIONS RAISES THE POSSIBILITY THAT IRAQI
DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN SENT HIS AGENTS OR HIRED
OUTSIDERS TO STRIKE AT AMERICAN INTERESTS ABROAD. ///
END OPT ///
TEXT: FROM TEXAS, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS" OFFERS THESE
SUGGESTIONS.
VOICE: ... THERE ARE SUSPECTS APLENTY. IRAN, WHICH THE U-S
STATE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS THE PRINCIPAL SPONSOR OF
STATE TERRORISM IN THE WORLD, COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.
IRAQ, WHICH CHAFES UNDER UNITED NATIONS SANCTIONS FOR
TRYING TO DEVELOP WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, COULD
HAVE ALSO. AND SHEIK OSAMA BIN LADEN, THE RENEGADE
SAUDI MILLIONAIRE WHO HAS DECLARED PRIVATE HOLY WAR
AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AND IS BELIEVED TO BE HIDING
OUT WITH ISLAMIC MILITANTS IN AFGHANISTAN, TOPS MANY
LISTS. ... THE UNITED STATES WILL NEVER BE THE KIND OF
COUNTRY THAT PURSUES TERRORISTS USING THE METHODS OF
TERRORISTS, ABANDONING DUE PROCESS IN THE RIGHTEOUS
PURSUIT OF JUSTICE. BUT SOMEHOW IT NEEDS TO LET
TERRORISTS AND THEIR PROTECTORS KNOW THAT THERE IS PRICE
TO PAY FOR LARGE SCALE MURDER AND MAYHEM.
TEXT: AND LASTLY, FROM "THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH" THIS
FATALISTIC SUMMATION.
VOICE: WORLD-CLASS POWERS HAVE WORLD-CLASS ENEMIES WHO CAN
STRIKE ANYWHERE. THAT MAY BE THE MOST IMMEDIATE LESSON
OF THE BOMBINGS .... IN NAIROBI .... AND DAR ES SALAAM
...
TEXT: THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF THIS SAMPLING OF PRESS
REACTION TO THE EAST AFRICAN BOMBINGS.
NEB/ANG/KL
11-Aug-98 1:57 PM EDT (1757 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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