DATE=08/17/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10864
TITLE=TERRORIST BOMBINGS CONTINUE
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: POLICE AND EXPLOSIVE EXPERTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND EAST
AFRICA ARE ENGAGED IN THE GRIM JOB OF SIFTING FOR CLUES IN THE
RUBBLE FROM BOMBS THAT KILLED CLOSE TO 300 PEOPLE AND INJURED
MORE THAN A THOUSAND.
THE CARNAGE FROM THESE TWO BOMBINGS HAS ELICITED OUTRAGED
EDITORIALS IN THE U-S PRESS AND WE CALL ON ________________ TO
PROVIDE US A SAMPLING NOW IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE NORTHERN IRELAND BOMB EXPLODED SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN A
CROWDED SHOPPING STREET IN THE VILLAGE OF OMAGH. AT LEAST 28
PEOPLE WERE KILLED OR DIED LATER IN HOSPITALS, AND AT LEAST 200
OTHERS WERE INJURED. THIS BOMBING WAS BELIEVED DETONATED BY A
SPLINTER GROUP OF THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY. A CALLER INFORMED
POLICE THAT A CAR BOMB WAS ABOUT TO GO OFF, BUT GAVE THE WRONG
LOCATION, SO THAT OFFICERS MOVED BYSTANDERS DIRECTLY INTO THE
PATH OF THE EXPLOSION, WORSENING THE CARNAGE.
MEANWHILE IN NAIROBI, KENYA, AND IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA,
F-B-I AND OTHER U-S AGENTS, WORKING WITH LOCAL AND FEDERAL POLICE
FROM THE TWO NATIONS, CONTINUE TO PROBE THE MASSIVE BLASTS THERE.
A MAN DETAINED AS HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE PAKISTAN FOR AFGHANISTAN,
AND WHO REPORTEDLY ADMITTED A ROLE IN THE BOMBING, HAS NOW
RECANTED AFTER QUESTIONING IN NAIROBI. MEANWHILE, NORTHERN
IRELAND POLICE ARE QUESTIONING FIVE MEN IN CONNECTION WITH
SATURDAY'S BLAST. THE MEN WERE DETAINED DURING PRE-DAWN RAIDS ON
THEIR HOMES NEAR OMAGH ON MONDAY.
U-S EDITORIAL WRITERS DEPLORE THIS TYPE OF WARFARE AGAINST MAINLY
CIVILIAN TARGETS. WE BEGIN WITH THE LATEST BOMBINGS, IN IRELAND,
AND SOME THOUGHTS FROM "THE NEW YORK TIMES."
VOICE: EVERYONE'S WORST FEARS ABOUT NORTHERN IRELAND WERE
REALIZED ON SATURDAY WHEN A CAR BOMB EXPLODED IN THE
TOWN OF OMAGH, KILLING 28 PEOPLE. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF
VOTERS ENDORSED THE PEACE AGREEMENT IN MAY, BOTH
PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC SPLINTER GROUPS HAVE THREATENED
TO EXPRESS THEIR OPPOSITION THROUGH VIOLENCE. NOW ONE
OF THEM ... HAS CARRIED OUT THE DEADLIEST ATTACK IN
NORTHERN IRELAND SINCE THE CONFLICT BEGAN THREE DECADES
AGO. THE GROUP'S AIM CAN ONLY BE TO PROVOKE THE RETURN
OF VIOLENT CLASHES BY INSPIRING RETALIATION BY
PROTESTANT GROUPS. IT IS UP TO POLICE AND POLITICIANS
TO INSURE THEY DO NOT SUCCEED.
TEXT: "THE [NEW YORK] DAILY NEWS" NOTES THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN
THE REACTION TO THE LATEST BOMB, WHICH MAY BRING SOME GOOD.
VOICE: LIKE THE RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST U-S EMBASSIES IN EAST
AFRICA, THE SHEER SAVAGERY HAS UNITED ALL PARTIES. ...
'I CONDEMN IT WITHOUT ANY EQUIVOCATION WHATSOEVER,' SAID
[GERRY] ADAMS ... LEADER OF THE I-R-A-ALIGNED SINN FEIN
... THAT IS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT GIVEN THAT THE
BOMBING IS THE SUSPECTED WORK OF AN IRISH REPUBLICAN
ARMY SPLINTER GROUP SEEKING TO KILL THE PEACE. IT IS
THE FIRST TIME [MR.] ADAMS HAS EVER DENOUNCED A
REPUBLICAN ATTACK. AND IT COULD MARK THE FINAL PASSAGE
OF HIS MOVEMENT FROM A GANG WITH GUNS TO A RESPONSIBLE
POLITICAL PARTY. ...
TEXT: REGARDING THE BOMBS IN EAST AFRICA, JONATHAN CLARKE, A
FORMER BRITISH DIPLOMAT, WRITING IN "THE [CLEVELAND, OHIO] PLAIN
DEALER," SUGGESTS THAT AMERICA'S PLACE AS WORLD SUPERPOWER IS
BEING ERODED.
VOICE: THE TWO BOMBS IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM BRUTALLY
REMIND AMERICANS OF THE IMPLICIT COSTS OF WHAT PRESIDENT
BILL CLINTON CALLED 'AMERICA'S UNIQUE LEADERSHIP
RESPONSIBILITIES.' MR.] CLINTON'S WORDS HIGHLIGHT A
MELANCHOLY PARADOX. ... THAT ASSERTIONS ... THE WORLD
STANDS ON THE THRESHOLD OF A 'NEW AMERICAN CENTURY' ...
ARE NOT GREETED WITH ENTHUSIASM OVERSEAS, BUT HAVE
PROVOKED - - LITERALLY IN THE CASE OF THESE OUTRAGES -
- A DEADLY COUNTERBLAST. LEADERSHIP IS A
QUINTESSENTIALLY AMERICAN IDEA, BUT IT RECENTLY HAS
SUFFERED MULTIPLE CHALLENGES. CHINA HAS JUST COMPLETED
A HOME-AND-AWAY SWEEP, LEAVING U-S IDEALS IN TATTERS.
SADDAM HUSSEIN ONCE AGAIN IS BREAKING OUT THE FLAG OF
DEFIANCE; INDIA AND THEN PAKISTAN OVERRODE INTENSE
PRESSURE FROM A PHALANX OF WASHINGTON EMISSARIES TO JOIN
THE NUCLEAR CLUB. LOWLY VILLAINS LIKE LIBYA'S MOAMMAR
GADHAFI AND THE BURMESE JUNTA SCENT THAT THE LION IS
WOUNDED. ... THE HARD FACT IS THAT AMERICAN LEADERSHIP
WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHALLENGED UNTIL THE UNITED STATES
RECAPTURES A 'BIG IDEA' TO REPLACE THE EARLIER IDEAS OF
ANTI-FASCISM AND ANTI-COMMUNISM THAT WORKED SO WELL.
SADLY, NO NEW IDEAL HAS TAKEN THEIR PLACE. INSTEAD, THE
NEW PROPONENTS OF AMERICAN HEGEMONY BELIEVE THAT
AMERICA'S MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL MUSCLE ARE ENOUGH TO
KEEP THE WORLD IN LINE.
TEXT: IN NEW JERSEY, BILL GANNON OF "THE NEWARK STAR LEDGER"
TAKES A LOOK AT PROSECUTING THE RESULTS OF RECENT TERRORIST
ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES. HIS CONCLUSION, THAT THE
POWERFUL WORDS ISSUED BY PRESIDENT CLINTON AND SECRETARY OF STATE
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, AFTER THE EAST AFRICAN ATTACKS, ABOUT FINDING
THE KILLERS, MAY BE HARD TO CARRY OUT.
VOICE: ... CONTRARY TO TOM CLANCY NOVELS AND HOLLYWOOD
THRILLERS, TRACKING DOWN TERRORISTS AND BRINGING THEM TO
JUSTICE IS A RARE FEAT. THE CHILLING RULE OF
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM - - PARTICULARLY THE KIND
DEMONSTRATED IN NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM LAST WEEK - -
IS THAT ATTACKS ON U-S TARGETS OVERSEAS OFTEN GO
UNSOLVED AND THE TERRORISTS REMAIN AT LARGE, EXPERTS
SAID. BLOOD IS SHED AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE CLAIMED -
- BUT ARRESTS ARE FEW. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING CASES:
IN APRIL 1983, A SUICIDE CAR-BOMB ATTACK ON THE U-S
EMBASSY IN BEIRUT, LEBANON, KILLED 63, INCLUDING 17
AMERICANS. A SHADOWY RADICAL SHI'ITE MUSLIM GROUP,
ISLAMIC HOLY WAR, CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY. NO ONE WAS
ARRESTED OR CHARGED. IN OCTOBER 1983, A RADICAL SHI'ITE
SUICIDE TRUCK-BOMB ATTACK ON A U-S MARINE BASE JUST
OUTSIDE BEIRUT KILLED 241 SERVICEMEN. NO ARRESTS HAVE
EVER BEEN MADE. ... AN INTERNATIONAL-TERRORISM EXPERT,
PAUL WILKINSON OF ST. ANDREW'S UNIVERSITY IN SCOTLAND,
SAID THE PERPETRATORS OF [THE EAST AFRICAN] ... ATTACKS
TOOK ADVANTAGE OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN AFRICAN BLIND
SPOT IN A GLOBAL ANTI-TERRORISM WATCH MOUNTED BY THE
UNITED STATES.
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF THE LATEST
EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE CONTINUING RASH OF HUGE CAR BOMBS THAT
HAS STRUCK NORTHERN IRELAND AND EAST AFRICA WITHIN THE PAST FEW
DAYS.
NEB/ANG/KL
17-Aug-98 2:24 PM EDT (1824 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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