DATE=09/02/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10892
TITLE=THE NORTH KOREAN MISSILE TEST
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: NORTH KOREA TEST FIRED A NEW LONGER-RANGE MISSILE ACROSS
THE SEA OF JAPAN AND OVER THE JAPANESE MAINLAND. THE TEST FIRING
HAS FURTHER HEIGHTENED TENSIONS BETWEEN THE SECRETIVE REGIME IN
PYONGYANG AND BOTH JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES.
THE U-S PRESS HAS BEEN QUICK TO COMMENT AND JOINING US NOW AT THE
MICROPHONE IS ______________ WITH A SELECTION IN TODAY'S U-S
OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE REACTION IN THE U-S PRESS HAS BEEN MIXED, WITH SOME
PAPERS SUGGESTING WASHINGTON RETHINK THE CURRENT POLICY OF
HELPING NORTH KOREA DO AWAY WITH ITS OLD NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS,
WHICH COULD BE USED TO PRODUCE WEAPONS-GRADE PLUTONIUM. OTHERS
SUGGEST THE TEST WAS MERE MUSCLE FLEXING AND THAT ANY CHANGE IN
POLICY TOWARD THE SECRETIVE REGIME, BESET BY FAMINE AND PRESUMED
DOMESTIC INSTABILITY, WOULD BE A MISTAKE.
WE BEGIN IN FLORIDA, WHERE "THE ORLANDO SENTINEL" SAYS THE U-S
SHOULD "STAY THE COURSE" WITH NORTH KOREA, AND FAULTS BOTH THE
U-S AND JAPAN FOR FAILING TO LIVE UP THAT TERMS OF THE
ALTERNATIVE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AGREEMENT, BY FAILING TO SUPPLY
PROMISED HEATING OIL TO THE NORTH ON TIME.
VOICE: THE UNITED STATES HAD EVERY RIGHT TO CONDEMN NORTH
KOREA'S PROVOCATIVE TEST .... BUT DOES THE TEST WARRANT
CHANGING THE U-S COMMITMENT TO HELP NORTH KOREA MEET ITS
ENERGY NEEDS? /// OPT /// SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL,
REPUBLICAN OF KENTUCKY, HAS PROPOSED THAT THE UNITED
STATES ATTACH CONDITIONS TO ITS AID. SIMILARLY, JAPAN
HAS DECIDED TO HOLD BACK MONEY INTENDED TO HELP NORTH
KOREA ALLEVIATE ITS ENERGY PROBLEMS. SUCH TACTICS SERVE
NO GOOD PURPOSE. THEY SEND A CONFUSING SIGNAL TO THE
NORTH KOREANS, WHO ALREADY DEEPLY DISTRUST THE UNITED
STATES AND ITS ALLIES. /// END OPT /// ... IF NORTH
KOREA WISHES TO IMPROVE ITS OVERALL RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES, PROVOCATIVE
MISSILE TESTS MUST STOP. BUT THE UNITED STATES
SHOULDN'T ALLOW THAT TO DISRUPT PROGRESS WITH THE
NUCLEAR AGREEMENT. THE UNITED STATES STILL HAS EVERY
REASON TO CONTINUE WORKING WITHY NORTH KOREA.
TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" DISAGREES, URGING THE WHITE HOUSE
TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY TO REASSESS ITS POLICY TOWARD NORTH KOREA.
VOICE: IF EVER THERE WAS A TIME FOR WASHINGTON TO REAPPRAISE
ITS POLICY TOWARD NORTH KOREA, IT IS NOW. ... THAT
PROVOCATIVE ACT CONSTITUTES A MAJOR SETBACK IN
DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO DRAW HOSTILE NORTH KOREA INTO THE
WORLD COMMUNITY.
TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON TIMES" SAYS THE KOREAN MISSILE TEST SHOWS
THAT THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED U-S POLICY THAT SUCH MISSILES DO NOT
POSE A THREAT TO THIS COUNTRY IS WRONG.
VOICE: THE TEST MEANS THAT FIRST OKINAWA, WHICH HOLDS U-S
MILITARY RESERVES THAT MAY BE NEEDED IN A FIGHT BETWEEN
NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA, THEN HAWAII, ALASKA AND EVEN THE
U-S MAINLAND MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN NORTH KOREAN
CROSSHAIRS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. AND WHAT DOES THE
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION PLAN TO DO ABOUT THE TEST LAUNCH?
WELL, SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SAYS SHE MAY
HAVE TO GIVE THE NORTH KOREANS A GOOD TALKING-TO
[SCOLDING] THE NEXT TIME SHE GETS TOGETHER WITH THEM.
/// OPT ///... THE MISSILE LAUNCH IS THE LATEST IN A
STRING OF FOREIGN POLICY EMBARRASSMENTS FOR THIS
ADMINISTRATION. IN 1995, THE C-I-A PROUDLY ANNOUNCED
THAT THIS COUNTRY HAD NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT WITH
RESPECT TO ROGUE NATIONS AND MISSILES - - AT LEAST NOT
FOR ANOTHER 15 YEARS. AND LAST WEEK THIS NEWSPAPER ....
REPORTED THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF WERE STANDING BY
[AGREEING WITH] THAT ASSESSMENT. ... THE OBVIOUS
SOLUTION HERE IS TO GET BUSY WORKING ON A NATIONWIDE
ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM THAT WOULD INCLUDE
EVERYTHING FROM SHIP TO SPACE-BASED MISSILE
INTERCEPTORS. ... IN THESE DAYS OF SUICIDAL
ATTACKERS, HOLDING AMERICANS HOSTAGE TO ATTACK IS EVEN
LESS DEFENSIBLE THAN BEFORE. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: "THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE" PARTIALLY DISAGREES, SAYING
THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH THIS LATEST DANGER IS TO REINFORCE,
RATHER THAN INVALIDATE, THE WORLD'S EXISTING ANTI-BALLISTIC
MISSILE TREATY.
VOICE: WHILE TALKING ARMS CONTROL WITH THE WEST, NORTH KOREA
FIRES OFF A BASEMENT-BUILT [RELATIVELY LOW COST]
MISSILE. PAKISTAN AND INDIA ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH
SHORT RANGE ROCKETS, NOW THAT EACH COUNTRY HAS CONDUCTED
NUCLEAR TESTS. IRAN HAS JOINED THE SMALL-MISSILE CLUB
BY TESTING ITS OWN MODEL. THIS WEAPONS MADNESS HAS
PROVOKED TROUBLE FOR A LANDMARK IN ARMS CONTROL, THE
ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY OF 1972. IT FORBID MAJOR
COUNTRIES, PRINCIPALLY THE U-S AND THE THEN-SOVIET
UNION, FROM BUILDING AND DEPLOYING A SYSTEM DESIGNED TO
SHOOT DOWN INCOMING OFFENSIVE MISSILES. THOUGH THE
TREATY ALWAYS HAD ITS CRITICS, THE CHORUS IS NOW LOUDER.
..... HOWEVER, TEARING UP THE TREATY WOULD BE A MISTAKE.
/// OPT /// THE SMALL MISSILES GENERALLY HAVE AN OUTER
RANGE OF ABOUT 19-HUNDRED 30 KILOMETERS, PUTTING THEM
WELL SHORT OF AMERICAN SHORES. THE REAL DANGER EXISTS
FOR ALLIES SUCH AS ISRAEL OR JAPAN, ALONG WITH U-S
TROOPS OVERSEAS. ... THE ANSWER TO SMALL MISSILE FEARS
IS A RANGE OF CONTROLS. MILITARY INTELLIGENCE NEEDS TO
BE MORE WATCHFUL IN ALERTING THE WORLD TO COMING
TROUBLE. INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS MUST CHOKE OFF
MISSILE SALES. RESEARCH SHOULD CONTINUE ON ANTI-MISSILE
PROGRAMS. THESE GOALS ARE CHALLENGING ENOUGH, BUT
PEELING BACK A MAJOR TREATY WOULD DO NOTHING TO ACHIEVE
A VIGILANT PEACE. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: EXPRESSING A SENTIMENT FOUND IN SEVERAL OTHER EDITORIALS,
IS THIS THOUGHT FROM THE NATION'S NUMBER ONE BUSINESS DAILY, "THE
WALL STREET JOURNAL," WHICH SUGGESTS THE MISSILE TEST WAS
ESSENTIALLY A SALES TOOL FOR NORTH KOREA'S MISSILE INDUSTRY.
VOICE: AMONG OTHER THINGS, LOBBING A [MISSILE] INTO THE PACIFIC
WAS PROBABLY AN ADVERTISEMENT BY THE WORLD'S LEADING
MISSILE SUPPLIER TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S SCARIEST
CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING IRAQ, SYRIA AND PAKISTAN. IT ALSO
MAY HAVE BEEN A KIND OF GIANT BIRTHDAY CANDLE AHEAD OF
NEXT WEEK'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF NORTH KOREA'S FOUNDING,
AND THE POSSIBLE ACCESSION OF DICTATOR KIM JONG IL TO
THE PRESIDENCY. MOST CERTAINLY, NORTH KOREA WAS TELLING
THE U-S, SOUTH KOREA AND OTHER PARTNERS IN THE
ILL-STARRED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT AND OIL GIVEAWAY
CONSORTIUM ... THAT IF THOSE GIFTS AREN'T FORTHCOMING
SOON, THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER MISSILE IN PYONGYANG'S
PIPELINE. ..... BUT WHAT SHOULD UPSET TOKYO MOST IS HOW
BILL CLINTON HAS ENSURED THAT THE U-S - - AND BY
EXTENSION JAPAN AND AMERICA'S OTHER ALLIES - - HAS NO
HOPE OF AN EFFECTIVE THEATER MISSILE DEFENSE ANYTIME
SOON. LOOKING AROUND AT THE WORLD TODAY, IN FACT, IT
WOULD APPEAR THAT MILLIONS SURVIVE ONLY BECAUSE NO
CRAZED DICTATOR OR TERRORIST GANG HAS GOT AROUND TO
TARGETING THEM.
/// O P T ///
TEXT: THE MISSILE TEST DRAWS THIS COMMENT FROM "THE WASHINGTON
POST."
VOICE: NORTH KOREA IS OUTDOING ITSELF. IN BARELY A WEEK'S TIME
IT HAS BEEN CAUGHT BUILDING A SECRET UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR
FACILITY, AND NOW IT HAS CONDUCTED A TEST OF A NEW
LONGER-DISTANCE MISSILE. THE NORTH KOREANS EVEN HAD THE
EFFRONTERY ... TO FIRE THE SECOND STAGE ... ACROSS
SOVEREIGN JAPANESE SOIL - - AN UNMISTAKABLE ATTEMPT TO
INTIMIDATE A NERVOUS NEIGHBOR AND, INDIRECTLY, ITS
PATRONS. THE STALINIST REGIME'S PURPOSE SEEMS CLEAR. AS
IT ACKNOWLEDGES, IT HAS LITTLE ELSE OF VALUE TO EXPORT
EXCEPT THE WEAPONS IT HAS ACCUMULATED TO SUSTAIN ITS
SELF-ISOLATING HEDGEHOG [EDITOR: "DEFENSIVE" A HEDGEHOG
IS A VERY SMALL, EUROPEAN ANIMAL SOMEWHAT LIKE A
PORCUPINE, WITH SHARP SPIKES OVER MOST OF ITS BODY WHICH
ROLLS UP IN A BALL TO THWART ADVERSARIES] POSE.
TEXT: UNDER A HEADLINE READING 'NATIONAL INSECURITY,' "THE
BOSTON GLOBE" INCORPORATES THE NORTH KOREAN LAUNCH INTO SEVERAL
OTHER RECENT WORRISOME EVENTS.
VOICE: IF THERE WERE A NATIONAL SECURITY INDEX THAT COULD BE
QUANTIFIED LIKE THE DOW JONES, IT WOULD SHOW A STEEP
DECLINE OVER THE SUMMER. SADDAM HUSSEIN'S VIOLATION OF
U-N SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND HIS TRASHING OF THE
ARMS INSPECTION AGREEMENT HE NEGOTIATED ... WITH U-N
SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN CONSTITUTE THE MOST
FLAGRANT SECURITY THREAT. ... CREATING A FEARFUL
SYMMETRY OF INSECURITY, NORTH KOREA'S STALINIST REGIME
... FIRED A TWO-STAGE BALLISTIC MISSILE OVER JAPAN - -
A WEAPON THAT HAS THE RANGE TO STRIKE U-S MILITARY BASES
IN JAPAN. THIS NEW NORTH KOREAN MISSILE SIGNIFIES TO
SOME ARMS CONTROL SPECIALISTS THAT PYONGYANG REMAINS
DETERMINED TO DEVELOP A NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAPABILITY
DESPITE A DEAL WITH WASHINGTON ... THE NORTH'S MISSILE
LAUNCH ALSO SERVES AS A FLAMBOYANT FORM OF SALESMANSHIP
AIMED AT POTENTIAL BUYERS FROM TEHRAN TO TRIPOLI. THE
IRAQI AND NORTH KOREAN THREATS, COMING AT A TIME WHEN
THE SAFETY OF RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND FISSILE
MATERIALS IS MORE DUBIOUS THAN EVER, UNDERLINE THE NEED
FOR AN UNDISTRACTED U-S PRESIDENT WHO HAS THE
CREDIBILITY TO RALLY RELUCTANT ALLIES AND THE U-S PUBLIC
BEHIND HIS POLICIES.
TEXT: ON LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" SAYS "NORTH KOREA IS PLAYING A
VERY DANGEROUS GAME."
VOICE: MONDAY'S TESTING OF A MEDIUM-RANGE MISSILE IS
TROUBLESOME AND RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER NORTH
KOREA INTENDS TO ADHERE TO THE AGREEMENT TO LIMIT ITS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. AND THE MISSILE LAUNCH CAME
JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER NORTH KOREA WAS REPORTED TO HAVE A
SECRET UNDERGROUND SITE THAT COULD BE PART OF A NUCLEAR
WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. .... THE NORTH KOREANS
MUST DESIST FROM THESE EFFORTS OR THERE WILL BE NO
CHOICE BUT TO END THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT... UNDER WHICH
THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH KOREA WILL PROVIDE THE NORTH
WITH NUCLEAR REACTORS THAT DO NOT PRODUCE
WEAPONS-GRADE MATERIAL IN EXCHANGE FOR A HALT TO
DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS. LAUNCHING MISSILES OVER
JAPAN WITH THE CLEARLY IMPLIED THREAT OF MISSILES TO
SOUTH KOREA IS A VERY DANGEROUS GAME TO BE PLAYING. IF
IT'S A GAME.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT
CONCERNING THIS WEEK'S LAUNCH OF A NEW, NORTH KOREAN
LONGER-DISTANCE MISSILE, OVER THE SEA OF JAPAN, AND THE JAPANESE
MAIN ISLAND OF HONSHU.
NEB/ANG/GE
02-Sep-98 1:50 PM EDT (1750 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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