DATE=4/30/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=COHEN - AIDS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261853
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=MUNICH
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Defense Secretary William Cohen says the
military will join the struggle against AIDS by
listening to African leaders and pressing the U-S
Congress for more money to fight the disease. His
comments follow a Clinton administration decision to
focus more attention on the AIDS issue, particularly
in Africa. V-O-A's Jim Randle reports from Munich:
TEXT: In the past few months, Defense Secretary Cohen
has traveled to Nigeria for talks with top officials
that included the AIDS issue. He also went to
Pretoria to offer South Africa's military an education
program designed to help soldiers avoid contracting
the deadly disease.
But the education proposal got a chilly reception in
the U-S Congress, where some members were concerned
that funds might be diverted from the U-S military
system, which patients say is already short of
resources.
But Mr. Cohen, a former member of the House (of
Representatives) and Senate, says that he will keep
trying to persuade Congress to view this disease as
any other threat and make more money available to
fight it.
/// COHEN ACT ///
Well I hope that I will be able to persuade any
of my former colleagues who do not believe this
is a serious issue. It is certainly a serious
issue in Africa and many other countries, and to
the extent that it is affecting the capability
of the South African military and other
countries in Africa, that may have an impact on
our national security interest.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Cohen spoke to reporters on a flight to Germany,
the first stop on a European trip that will see him
visiting U-S troops in Kosovo. (Signed)
NEB/JR/ENE-T/gm
30-Apr-2000 21:42 PM EDT (01-May-2000 0142 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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