DATE=01/21/99
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11110
TITLE=U-S EMBASSY SECURITY FAULTED
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: A NEW, U-S GOVERNMENT REPORT, COMMISSIONED AFTER THE U-S
EMBASSY BOMBINGS LAST YEAR IN KENYA AND TANZANIA HAS GENERATED
SEVERAL EDITORIALS IN THE U-S PRESS HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE
DECISIONS THAT ALLOWED THESE LATEST BOMBINGS TO TAKE PLACE.
WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM ________________ IN TODAY'S U-S
OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: MORE THAN 220 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS
WHICH WENT OFF WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF EACH OTHER LAST AUGUST IN
NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM. THE BOMBINGS PROMPTED FORMATION OF
AN INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT COMMISSION, HEADED BY RETIRED ADMIRAL
WILLIAM CROWE, TO INVESTIGATE STATE DEPARTMENT SECURITY AROUND
THE WORLD. HIS REPORT WAS STARK IN ITS CRITICISM, AND MANY
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS HAVE BEEN ASKING WHY THE EMBASSIES WERE
NOT PROTECTED AFTER PREVIOUS TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN BEIRUT,
LEBANON AND OKLAHOMA CITY.
WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN THE SOUTHWEST, WHERE OKLAHOMA'S "TULSA
WORLD" LAMENTS:
VOICE: CONGRESS HAS BEEN WARNED BEFORE ABOUT THE DANGER IN MANY
OF THE U-S EMBASSIES. A 1985 REPORT SUGGESTED THAT AS
MANY AS 100 AMERICAN EMBASSIES BE REPLACED -- INCLUDING
THOSE IN KENYA AND TANZANIA -- AND ASKED CONGRESS FOR
THREE-POINT-FIVE-BILLION DOLLARS. ABOUT ONE BILLION WAS
APPROPRIATED. THE THREAT OF TERRORISM IS NOT GOING TO
GO AWAY. EMBASSIES AND OTHER AMERICAN INSTALLATIONS
ABROAD WILL CONTINUE TO BE PRIME TARGETS. THERE'S NO
NEED FOR THEM TO BECOME EASY TARGETS. THE AMERICANS AND
FOREIGN NATIONALS WHO WORK IN THE EMBASSIES DESERVE TO
BE SAFE. CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT SHOULD SEE TO IT
THAT THEY ARE.
TEXT: IN OHIO, "THE [CLEVELAND] PLAIN DEALER" SAYS THAT ALONG
WITH MORE MONEY, A CHANGED ATTITUDE AMONG SOME STATE DEPARTMENT
PERSONNEL WILL ALSO BE NEEDED.
VOICE: THE UNITED STATES HAS LONG PRIDED ITSELF ON THE
ACCESSIBILITY OF DIPLOMATIC OFFICES IN MOST HOST
COUNTRIES. BUT PANEL CHAIRMAN WILLIAM ... CROWE, A
RETIRED ADMIRAL AND FORMER HEAD OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF
STAFF, SAYS THE REALITY OF TERRORISM MUST ECLIPSE THE
DIPLOMATS' ATTITUDE THAT 'I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO MY
BUSINESS AS I'VE DONE FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS AND DON'T
BOTHER ME WITH SECURITY -- SOMEBODY ELSE WILL TAKE CARE
OF ME WITHOUT MY HAVING TO CHANGE ANYTHING.' ... IT [THE
REPORT] ALSO SUGGESTS 'ESTABLISHING REGIONAL EMBASSIES
LOCATED IN LESS THREATENED AND VULNERABLE COUNTRIES WITH
AMBASSADORS ACCREDITED TO SEVERAL GOVERNMENTS. THAT'S
CONTROVERSIAL, BUT OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED. MEANWHILE,
CONSTANT VIGILANCE IS KEY.
TEXT: IN FLORIDA, "THE SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE" IS ESPECIALLY
OUTRAGED BY THE REPORT'S KEY POINTS.
VOICE: THE BOMBINGS IN KENYA AND TANZANIA ... WERE PRECEDED BY
CLEAR APPEALS FOR HELP FROM EMBASSY OFFICIALS AND
SECURITY EXPERTS. SECURITY AT U-S EMBASSIES IN AFRICA
WAS SUBSTANDARD, AS IT IS AT OUTPOSTS THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD. THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S 'INSTITUTIONAL FAILURE'
TO PROTECT ITS EMBASSIES BORDERS ON NEGLIGENCE. /// OPT
/// UNFORTUNATELY, NO ONE ELSE FILLED THE LEADERSHIP
GAP CREATED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S INEXCUSABLE
FAILURE. NEITHER THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION NOR THE
CONGRESS RESPONDED ADEQUATELY TO RED FLAGS THAT WERE
RAISED BY OTHER U-S DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES -- AND
THEIR FAILURES ARE ROOTED IN A PATTERN THAT DATES BACK
TO THE 1980S, WHEN A 1985 REPORT WARNED ABOUT INADEQUATE
SECURITY AT EMBASSIES AROUND THE GLOBE. /// END OPT ///
... [SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE] ALBRIGHT HAS NO
GREATER MANDATE THAN TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF AMERICANS
WHO ARE ON OFFICIAL DUTY AROUND THE WORLD. IF NEITHER
SHE NOR THE CONGRESS IS PREPARED TO SPEND THE MONEY
NECESSARY FOR PROVIDING REASONABLE ASSURANCES OF
PROTECTION FROM OBVIOUS THREATS, THEN THE AMERICANS
STATIONED IN THOSE EMBASSIES SHOULD BE BROUGHT HOME.
TEXT: "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" IS UPSET, AMONG OTHER THINGS,
THAT SOME OF THE OLD MISTAKES ARE STILL BEING MADE, EVEN AFTER
THE EARLIER REPORT THAT FOLLOWED THE BEIRUT BOMBING.
VOICE: ONE KEY DEFECT IS OBVIOUS: EMBASSIES OR CONSULATES THAT
FRONT (ON) BUSY STREETS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO
VEHICLE BOMBS. YET TOO MANY U-S MISSIONS STILL ARE
SITUATED IN THAT KIND OF PERIL. THAT GOES NOT ONLY FOR
OLDER FACILITIES IN ROME, PARIS AND TEL AVIV, BUT ALSO
SOME THAT OPENED ** AFTER ** [ITALICS FOR EMPHASIS] THE
BEIRUT BOMBING, SUCH AS THE U-S EMBASSY IN ZAGREB,
CROATIA.
TEXT: LASTLY, "THE WASHINGTON POST" CALLS THE REPORT'S FINDINGS
"SOBERING" AND ENCOURAGES IMPROVEMENTS. BUT "THE POST" ALSO
EXPLAINS WHY IT IS SO HARD TO MAKE SUCH IMPROVEMENTS.
VOICE: THE GREAT COST OF CONSTRUCTING, REDESIGNING OR RESITING
BUILDINGS TO MAKE FACILITIES MORE SECURE, THE
INCONVENIENCE TO DAILY BUSINESS, THE AFFRONT TO IDEALS
OF OPENNESS, THE SEEMING IMPOSSIBILITY OF ANTICIPATING
EVERY IMAGINABLE THREAT, THE TENDENCY FOR EMBASSY
SECURITY TO DRIFT OUT OF PRIORITY CONCERN IN WASHINGTON
AND EVEN AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN THE FIELD: SUCH
CONSIDERATIONS ARE BEHIND THE REPORT'S SORROWFUL FINDING
OF A 'COLLECTIVE FAILURE OF THE U-S GOVERNMENT OVER THE
PAST DECADE.' ... THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO REPRESENT OUR
NATION ARE IN DANGER. THE REST OF US HAVE NOT MET OUR
OBLIGATION TO THEIR SECURITY.
TEXT: WITH THAT, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT
ON THE RECENT REPORT ABOUT EMBASSY SECURITY IN THE WAKE OF LAST
YEAR'S BOMBINGS IN AFRICA.
NEB/ANG/KL
21-Jan-99 1:13 PM EST (1813 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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