DATE=1/22/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42415
TITLE= ISRAEL / U-S / BREAK-IN
BYLINE= ANDRE DE NESNERA
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: POLICE IN WASHINGTON D-C ARE CONTINUING THEIR
INVESTIGATION OF TWO BREAK-INS AT THE OFFICES OF A POLITICAL
CONSULTANT INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR ISRAEL'S MAY GENERAL
ELECTION. V-O-A'S ANDRE DE NESNERA REPORTS FROM WASHINGTON.
TEXT: THE WASHINGTON-BASED POLITICAL CONSULTING FIRM OF
"GREENBERG QUINLAN RESEARCH" HAS INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS, INCLUDING
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER
TONY BLAIR, GERMAN CHANCELLOR GERHARD SCHROEDER -- AND EHUD
BARAK, THE ISRAELI LABOR PARTY LEADER. MR. BARAK IS CURRENTLY
ENGAGED IN A BITTER ELECTION CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISRAELI PRIME
MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.
IN LESS THAN A WEEK, THE OFFICES OF THE POLLING FIRM -- LOCATED
ONLY A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE U-S CAPITOL BUILDING -- HAVE BEEN
BROKEN INTO BY BURGLARS DESCRIBED BY WASHINGTON D-C POLICE AS
"PROFESSIONALS." IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THEY ENTERED THE PREMISES
THROUGH A SKYLIGHT AND DISARMED A SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM. IN THE
SECOND BREAK-IN, THEY GAINED ENTRY THROUGH A SECOND-STORY WINDOW
AND DISABLED A NEW AND IMPROVED ALARM SYSTEM.
JEREMY ROSNER IS THE FIRM'S VICE-PRESIDENT. HE DECLINED TO HAVE
HIS VOICE TAPED, BUT IN A BRIEF INTERVIEW, HE SAID HE HAS NO
DOUBT THAT HIS COMPANY'S WORK FOR THE ISRAELI CAMPAIGN IS
TARGETED. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE BREAK-INS WERE THE WORK OF
PROFESSIONALS -- BUT DECLINED TO SAY WHAT THEY TOOK. POLICE
OFFICIALS SAY THE BURGLARS STOLE - AMONG OTHER THINGS - COMPUTER
AND OTHER FILES TIED TO MR. BARAK'S CAMPAIGN, AS WELL AS SOME
CASH.
MR. ROSNER DID NOT WANT TO SPECULATE WHO MAY BE BEHIND THE
BREAK-INS, SAYING IT IS THE WORK OF THE POLICE TO FIND THAT OUT.
IN THE MEANTIME, SECURITY AT THE WASHINGTON D-C FIRM HAS BEEN
INCREASED.
IN ISRAEL, MEMBERS OF THE LABOR PARTY ARE BLAMING PRIME MINISTER
NETANYAHU'S LIKUD BLOC FOR THE BREAK-INS. BUT MR. NETANYAHU'S
ALLIES REJECT THAT ACCUSATION, SAYING THE BURGLARIES WERE
ATTEMPTS TO FRAME THE PRIME MINISTER.
BILL HAMILTON HEADS A (WASHINGTON-BASED) POLLING FIRM (HAMILTON,
BEADDY AND ASSOCIATES) WITH INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS IN MORE THAN 15
COUNTRIES, /// OPT /// SUCH AS GUATEMALA, EDUADOR, THE CZECH
REPUBLIC AND SWEDEN. (ALSO VENEZUELA, ARUBA, THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC, SLOVAKIA AND BULGARIA). /// END OPT ///
HE BELIEVES THE BURGLARS WERE NOT AFTER SIMPLE POLLING
STATISTICS.
// HAMILTON ACT //
ANYBODY THAT COULD AFFORD TO BREAK-IN COULD AFFORD TO
CONDUCT THEIR OWN POLL AND GET THAT INFORMATION. I THINK
PROBABLY WHAT THEY WERE AFTER WAS INFORMATION THAT THE
POLLSTER GETS FROM THEIR CLIENT TO HELP THEM MAKE UP THE
RIGHT QUESTIONS, STRATEGY MEMOS THAT COULD HAVE COME
FROM THE PARTY OR THE CANDIDATE THAT GO TO THE POLLSTER,
SO THAT THE POLLSTER CAN BE MORE SENSITIVE TO ASKING
QUESTIONS AND ANALYZING THEIR DATA.
// END ACT //
IN OTHER WORDS, MR. HAMILTON BELIEVES THOSE WHO STOLE INFORMATION
FROM THE "GREENBERG QUINLAN RESEARCH" FIRM WERE LOOKING FOR
DETAILS OF THE CAMPAIGN STRATEGY THAT ISRAELI LABOR PARTY LEADER
EHUD BARAK WOULD USE IN HIS CHALLENGE TO PRIME MINISTER
NETANYAHU.
MR. HAMILTON SAYS OVER THE PAST DECADE, FOREIGN POLITICIANS HAVE
BECOME MUCH MORE AWARE OF PUBLIC OPINION -- AND THE NEED TO HIRE
PRIVATE POLLING FIRMS TO GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE VOTERS.
HE SAYS INEVITABLY, THOSE LEADERS TURN TO U-S FIRMS WHICH HAVE A
WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE, GIVEN THAT THE UNITED STATES HOLDS HALF A
MILLION ELECTIONS EVERY TWO YEARS -- INCLUDING LOCAL, STATE AND
NATIONAL CONTESTS.
// REST OPTIONAL //
WITH SUCH EXPERIENCE, MR. HAMILTON SAYS U-S FIRMS HAVE AN
EXCELLENT TRACK RECORD.
// 2ND HAMILTON ACT //
WE HAVE HAD AN OCCASIONALLY BIG ERROR FOR ONE PARTICULAR
REASON OR ANOTHER, LIKE IN 1948 WITH (PRESIDENT) HARRY
TRUMAN HERE. THE FIRST SANDINISTA ELECTION IN NICARAGUA,
WHERE ALL OF THE POLLSTERS EXCEPT ONE WERE OFF
CONSIDERABLY. BUT BY AND LARGE, PEOPLE GIVE US THE RIGHT
INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE. IN OTHER WORDS: THEY HAVE
NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT WE WILL TAKE THEIR
INFORMATION AND USE IT AGAINST THEM AND WE HAVE NO
REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL LIE.
// END ACT //
BILL HAMILTON SAYS PRIVATE POLLING FIRMS ARE NOW AN INTEGRAL PART
OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SCENE -- AND AS THE YEARS GO BY,
POLITICIANS WILL RELY ON THEM MORE AND MORE. (SIGNED)
NEB/ADEN/GE
22-Jan-99 1:40 PM EST (1840 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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