DATE=05/13/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10711
TITLE=REACTION TO INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS CONTINUES
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: INDIA HAS APPARENTLY CARRIED OUT TWO MORE UNDERGROUND
NUCLEAR TESTS NEAR THE PAKISTANI BORDER, WHILE AROUND THE WORLD,
PRESS REACTION TO MONDAY'S TESTS CONTINUES TO FLOOD THE EDITORIAL
PAGES OF NEWSPAPERS.
WE HAVE A SAMPLING OF THE LATEST U-S REACTIONS NOW, FROM
_____________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE NEW TESTS, WHICH ARE SURE TO ELICIT ADDITIONAL
CONDEMNATION FROM MANY AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS, WERE CARRIED OUT
WEDNESDAY [5/13] IN THE SAME NORTHWESTERN DESERT STATE OF
RAJASTAN, NEAR THE PAKISTANI BORDER.
MEANWHILE, U-S PAPERS CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE FIRST TESTS. IN
TACOMA, WASHINGTON, "THE NEWS TRIBUNE" ACCUSES INDIA OF PLAYING
WITH FIRE.
VOICE: INDIA -- THE WORLD'S SECOND MOST POPULOUS COUNTRY --
SOMETIMES SEEMS TO EXIST IN A SEPARATE UNIVERSE. ITS
NEW MILITANT HINDU LEADERS CERTAINLY DO NOT APPEAR TO
HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH THE REAL-WORLD CONSEQUENCES OF THE
THREE NUCLEAR BLASTS THEY SET OFF MONDAY. WHILE MANY
ORDINARY INDIANS REPORTEDLY REJOICED AT THIS DISPLAY OF
THEIR NATION'S SCIENTIFIC AND MILITARY PROWESS, THE REST
OF THE WORLD REACTED IN DISMAY AND ANGER. ... IN FACT,
IT WOULD BE HARD TO EXAGGERATE THE DAMAGE INDIA'S
GOVERNMENT HAS DONE TO THE STABILITY OF SOUTHERN ASIA
AND THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO CURTAIL NUCLEAR
WEAPONRY.
TEXT: IN TEXAS, "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS" HAD AN ENGAGEMENT
BROKEN BY THE BOMB BLASTS:
VOICE: A NOT-SO-FUNNY THING HAPPENED MONDAY AS INDIA'S
AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES PREPARED TO VISIT DALLAS
FOR A DIPLOMATIC FORUM. HIS GOVERNMENT DETONATED THREE
NUCLEAR BOMBS. THE AMBASSADOR CALLED ... TO SAY THAT HE
MUST CANCEL HIS VISIT. IT IS JUST AS WELL. HAD HE
COME, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHY INDIA DEFIED WORLD OPINION BY TESTING NUCLEAR
WEAPONS WHEN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE TRYING TO STOP. ... IT
IS TRUE THAT INDIA LIVES IN A TOUGH NEIGHBORHOOD. ...
BUT THAT WAS NO EXCUSE ... TO HAVE TESTED ...
TEXT: IN CONNECTICUT'S CAPITOL, "THE HARTFORD COURANT" SAYS TO
PRESIDENT CLINTON, AND TO THE WORLD: "MAKE INDIA PAY FOR ITS
HUBRIS."
VOICE: ECONOMIC ISOLATION MUST BE THE PRICE THAT INDIA PAYS FOR
OPENLY SEEKING TO BECOME A FULL-FLEDGED MEMBER OF THE
WORLD'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS CLUB. /// OPT /// INDIA'S NEWLY
ELECTED NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT ALL BUT INVITED UNIVERSAL
CONDEMNATION WHEN IT ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY THAT IT
CONDUCTED THREE UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TESTS ... BECAUSE OF
MONDAY'S ... EXPLOSIONS, THE WORLD HAS BECOME A MUCH
MORE DANGEROUS PLACE. /// END OPT /// ... PRESIDENT
CLINTON'S IMMEDIATE RECALL OF [U-S] AMBASSADOR [TO
INDIA] RICHARD CELESTE TO WASHINGTON WAS AN APPROPRIATE
FIRST RESPONSE. THE PRESIDENT SHOULD CANCEL HIS
SCHEDULED TRIP TO INDIA IN THE FALL. MOST IMPORTANT,
MR. CLINTON MUST NOT WAIVE THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD U-S LAW
REQUIRING HIM TO CUT OFF ALMOST ALL GOVERNMENT AID TO
COUNTRIES THAT CONDUCT NUCLEAR TESTS OR SELL NUCLEAR
WEAPONS.
TEXT: "THE NEW YORK POST", VOICING A MINORITY VIEW AMONGST ALL
THESE HOSTILE EDITORIALS, COMES TO INDIA'S DEFENSE. IN ITS
HEADLINE: "DO NOT DEMONIZE INDIA," AND THEN, AFTER A SLAP AT U-S
INTELLIGENCE, FOR FAILING TO KNOW THE EXPLOSIONS WERE COMING,
SAYS:
VOICE: STILL IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE FOR THE UNITED STATES TO
BERATE INDIA FOR ITS WICKEDNESS IN CONDUCTING THESE
TESTS. INDIA HAS REASON TO BE CONCERNED WITH SERIOUS
THREATS TO TO ITS SAFETY -- WHETHER IN THE FORM OF
CHINA'S MODERNIZING ARMED FORCES, OR THE ... MISSILES
DEVELOPED BY PAKISTAN WITH THE HELP OF BOTH NORTH KOREA
AND CHINA. THE BEST ... WE CAN HOPE FOR IN SOUTH ASIA
IS A STABLE NUCLEAR STAND-OFF, LIKE THAT ... DURING THE
COLD WAR.
TEXT: CALLING THE TESTS RECKLESS AND A CHEST-THUMPING
[JINGOISTIC] ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NEW BULLY ON THE BLOCK "THE SAN
FRANCISCO CHRONICLE" SUGGESTS:
VOICE: PERHAPS INDIAN LEADERS HAVE CALCULATED THAT THE
INVESTMENT-MINDED WEST LACKS THE RESOLVE TO PUNISH THE
COUNTRY. WASHINGTON NEEDS TO MOVE QUICKLY TO CONVINCE
INDIA THAT ITS SECURITY AND ITS ECONOMIC INTERESTS ARE
BEST SERVED BY BEHAVING AS A RESPONSIBLE NUCLEAR POWER.
TEXT: IN THE MIDWEST, "THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES" CALLS THE TESTS
PROFOUNDLY ARROGANT, DANGEROUS AND ALARMING ACTS, AND ADDS:
VOICE: THE FIT OF NATIONALISTIC CELEBRATION IN INDIA THAT
FOLLOWED THE ... TESTS WAS APPALLING ENOUGH; THAT THIS
DEVELOPMENT BRINGS THE SPECTER OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS INTO
THE HIGHLY CHARGED HINDU-MUSLIM RIVALRY ON THE INDIAN
SUBCONTINENT IS EVEN WORSE. INDIA'S BRAZEN ACTIONS
LEAVE THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION NO CHOICE BUT TO MOVE
FORWARD ... WITH ...HEAVY SANCTIONS AGAINST INDIA.
TEXT: "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" CALLS IT A RASH DECISION, AND A
DANGEROUS BLOW TO THE STABILITY OF ITS [INDIA"S] ASIAN REGION,
ADDING:
VOICE: THE LOUD CHORUS OF CONDEMNATION FROM ACROSS THE PLANET
STIRS HOPE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAN QUICKLY AGREE
ON A STRATEGY FOR PRESSURING INDIA TO DISAVOW NEWS
TESTS. THAT, IN TURN, WOULD MAKE IT EASIER TO CONVINCE
PAKISTAN AND CHINA NOT TO REPEAT INDIA'S FOLLY.
TEXT: TODAY'S "WASHINGTON POST" WEIGHING IN WITH ITS VIEW,
SUGGESTS:
VOICE: INDIA'S ... TESTS ASSAULT THE CONTROLLED NUCLEAR
UNIVERSE THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN TRYING TO BUILD FOR
50 YEARS. ... THE DANGER IS THAT ITS DEFIANCE OF GLOBAL
NONPROLIFERATION STANDARDS WILL STIR OTHERS TO FOLLOW
SUIT. ... INDIA HAS TAKEN A HUGE SLAM AT THE UNITED
STATES AND AT THE WHOLE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN OF
NONPROLIFERATION.
TEXT: IN THE SOUTH, THE DOMINANT DAILY OUTSIDE FLORIDA, "THE
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" SAYS THE TESTS WILL NOT FLY [SUCCEED],
ADDING:
VOICE: HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF INDIANS ARE BURSTING WITH
MISGUIDED PRIDE OVER THEIR COUNTRY'S ... THREE NUCLEAR
DEVICES THIS WEEK. FOR TOO LONG, SO THEIR THINKING
GOES, THE WORLD HAS LOOKED UPON INDIA AS IMPOVERISHED
AND BACKWARD. NOW, OUTSIDERS MUST HAVE A NEW VIEW.
YES, INDEED. THE ADJECTIVES THAT SPRING IMMEDIATELY TO
MIND ARE JINGOISTIC, RECKLESS, TREACHEROUS. INDIA'S
LEADERS, A COALITION OF HINDU NATIONALISTS AND
SOCIALISTS, HAVE EMBARKED ON A WRONGHEADED, POSSIBLY
RUINOUS COURSE FOR INDIA AND MAYBE ALL OF ASIA. ...
UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR TESTS ALWAYS SET OFF UNDERGROUND
RUMBLINGS. IN THIS CASE, THOSE RUMBLINGS MAY BE A
PORTENT OF INDIA'S INCREASINGLY ISOLATIONS, STAGNATION
AND, MOST IRONIC OF ALL, ITS HEIGHTENED INSECURITY.
TEXT: ON THAT CONDEMNATION FROM THE LARGE SOUTHERN DAILY, WE
CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING FROM AROUND THE NATION OF THE LATEST
COMMENT ON INDIA'S NUCLEAR BOMB TEST.
NEB/ANG/RAE
13-May-98 1:37 PM EDT (1737 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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