DATE=06/03/98
TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10747
TITLE=SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATES INDIAN PAKISTAN TESTS
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
INTRO: AROUND THE WORLD, IN THE MAJOR AND LESSER DAILY PAPERS,
THERE IS NO BIGGER TOPIC, NOT EVEN THE WORLD CUP, THAN THE
NUCLEAR BOMB TESTING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, AND ITS POLITICAL
FALLOUT.
DUE TO THE INTENSE INTEREST, AND TO THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL
PERMANENT MEMBERS MEETING IN GENEVA, _______________HAS THIS
WEEK'S WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP, WITH A SAMPLING OF THE LATEST
COMMENTS ON THE SITUATION.
TEXT: AS MINISTERS FROM THE FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE
SECURITY COUNCIL [PREPARE FOR A SPECIAL MEETING] [MEET] TO
CONSIDER WAYS TO REDUCE TENSIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN,
EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE SUBCONTINENT'S NUCLEAR ARMS RACE
CONTINUES TO STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT IN PAPER AFTER PAPER.
IN PAKISTAN, "THE NATION" WORRIED OVER THE COUNTRY'S NEED FOR A
SOPHISTICATED 'COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM' TO AVOID ACCIDENTAL
LAUNCHES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. WHILE IN EUROPE, MANY COMMENTATORS
FOCUSED ON THE GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN'S
ENTRY INTO THE NUCLEAR CLUB. MANY FORESEE A COMPLICATED AND
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS NEW CHAPTER IN THE COLD WAR EMERGING.
IN THE MIDDLE EAST, ANALYSTS IN EGYPT AND ISRAEL DREW DIRECT
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR TESTING AND REGIONAL
SECURITY ISSUES BETWEEN THE ARABS AND ISRAEL. WE BEGIN OUR
SAMPLING IN THE REGION MOST AFFECTED, IN PAKISTAN, WHERE "THE
NATION" IN LAHORE SAYS:
VOICE: WHILE PAKISTAN HAS NOW DEMONSTRATED ITS NUCLEAR
CAPABILITY, IT IS HIGH TIME ITS LEADERSHIP GAVE SERIOUS
THOUGHT TO SOME OF THE HEAVY RESPONSIBILITIES IMPOSED BY
IT .... NUCLEAR WEAPONS CAN REACH THEIR TARGETS HERE
WITHIN A FEW MINUTES AND CAN KILL LOTS OF PEOPLE BEFORE
THEY HAVE ... TIME TO TAKE SHELTER ..... WE SHOULD DO
WELL TO URGENTLY PROCEED TO BUILD A SOPHISTICATED SYSTEM
OF COMMAND AND CONTROL THAT IT TOOK THE BIG POWERS A
NUMBER OF YEARS TO DO ..... /// OPT /// THE CHOICE OF
THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION IS
NOT A TACTICAL MATTER TO BE DECIDED BY THE MILITARY,
BUT A POLITICAL DECISION, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHICH
MUST LIE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, WHO REPRESENTS THE
WILL OF THE PEOPLE. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: IN NEW DELHI, INDIA'S "PIONEER" HAS THIS SERIOUS COLUMN,
WRITTEN IN A SLIGHTLY HUMOROUS TONE, NOTING AN OBVIOUS TRUTH IT
SAYS IS MISSING FROM WESTERN DEBATE.
VOICE: THE WEST'S WORST NIGHTMARE HAS BEEN A BOMB IN THE HANDS
OF UNCIVILIZED BLACKS, MAD MULLAHS, SUNDRY MIDDLE EAST
DICTATORS AND HORDES OF UNWASHED SOUTH ASIANS -- ALL OF
WHOM MAY SHOW SIGNS OF IRRATIONALITY, OR WORSE, MADNESS,
UNLIKE THE HIGHLY CIVILIZED SOCIETIES OF THE WEST .....
THE POSSIBILITY THAT INDIA HAS A VIBRANT PUBLIC OPINION
AND STRONGLY ENTRENCHED INSTITUTIONS, WHICH WILL
DISALLOW ADVENTURISM, HAS NOT BEEN AIRED BY ANY WORLD
LEADER.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: IN THE ONLY NATION TO FEEL THE HORRIFIC EFFECTS OF A
NUCLEAR BLAST IN WAR, JAPAN'S "MAINICHI SHIMBUN," IN TOKYO, SAYS
THE SOONER ALL REMAINING NUCLEAR POWERS SIGN AND RATIFY THE TEST
BAN TREATY, THE BETTER.
VOICE: ALTHOUGH JAPAN JOINED THE UNITED STATES IN IMPOSING
SANCTIONS AGAINST INDIA AND PAKISTAN FOLLOWING THEIR
NUCLEAR TESTS, NONE OF THE OTHER NUCLEAR POWERS - -
BRITAIN, FRANCE, CHINA OR RUSSIA - - FOLLOWED THEIR
LEAD. THE U-N ALSO STOOD BY POWERLESSLY ..... JAPAN, AS
THE ONLY NATION ..... VICTIMIZED BY ATOMIC BOMBINGS, HAS
SUBMITTED TO THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL A RESOLUTION
CALLING FOR SUSPENSION OF NUCLEAR TESTS ... JAPAN SHOULD
TAKE ONE STEP FURTHER AND URGE THE UNITED STATES, CHINA
AND RUSSIA TO RATIFY THE CTBT [COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN
TREATY] IMMEDIATELY AND CLOSE DOWN THEIR NUCLEAR TESTING
FACILITIES.
TEXT: NEXT TO INDONESIA, STRUGGLING WITH SERIOUS PROBLEMS OF ITS
OWN, WHERE "KOMPAS" IN JAKARTA MAKES THIS POINT:
VOICE: DEVELOPING COUNTRIES - - REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT
THEIR ARGUMENT FOR OWNING NUCLEAR ARMS IS VALID - -
SHOULD COUNT THE COSTS OF DEVELOPING SUCH WEAPONRY ....
SUCH IS A HEALTHY VIEW FOR, GIVEN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC
DIFFICULTIES, PRESTIGE PROGRAMS SHOULD GIVE WAY TO
PROGRAMS WHICH COULD STRENGTHEN PEOPLE'S ECONOMY AND
WELFARE.
TEXT: IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, "THE STAR" PRINTS A SIMILAR
SUGGESTION.
VOICE: THE WORLD FACES A GREATER NUCLEAR THREAT NOW THAT INDIA
AND PAKISTAN HAVE JOINED THIS EXCLUSIVE CLUB ..... IT IS
DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN AWAY THE NEED TO POSSESS SUCH
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. ..... HAVING THE CAPACITY
TO MANUFACTURE A NUCLEAR BOMB MAY BOOST THE EGO OF ....
POLITICIANS .... BUT THE MONEY IS BETTER SPENT ON FOOD,
EDUCATION, HEALTH AND OTHER SOCIAL AMENITIES WHICH WILL
IMPROVE THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE PEOPLE.
TEXT: KASHMIR IS ON THE MIND OF PUBLISHER GIL SANTOS IN
MANILLA'S "PHILIPPINE JOURNAL" WHO WROTE THIS IN HIS MONDAY [6/1]
COLUMN:
VOICE: INTENSIFICATION OF THIS FLASHPOINT IS MORE FRIGHTFUL
BECAUSE THE TWO POPULOUS COUNTRIES (THEIR COMBINED
POPULATIONS ARE ALMOST A BILLION) HAVE THE KASHMIR
TERRITORIAL DISPUTE AND A COMMON BORDER. FOR NOW, IT
APPEARS THAT INDIA IS MORE CONCILIATORY OF THE TWO; AND
NEW DELHI IS JUST AS INTERESTED AS PAKISTAN IN GOING TO
THE DIPLOMATIC TABLE IN THE U-N AND WASHINGTON.
TEXT: TURNING TO NORTH ASIA, SOUTH KOREA'S "SEGYE ILBO" IN
SEOUL, ONLY A FEW KILOMETERS FROM THE BORDER OF ANOTHER POTENTIAL
NUCLEAR POWER, HAS THIS TO SAY:
VOICE: THE TOP PRIORITY FOR THE UNITED STATES SEEMS TO BE HOW
TO CALM DOWN THE HEATED CONFRONTATIONAL MOOD IN THE
REGION ..... WHILE WASHINGTON BADLY WANTS THE U-N-S-C
[SECURITY COUNCIL] TO COME UP WITH SUBSTANTIVE SANCTIONS
AGAINST THESE TWO NATIONS, THE PROSPECT IS NOT VERY
LIKELY ..... THE WHOLE EPISODE MAY PROVE TO BE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE UNITED STATES TO PUSH FOR ADOPTION
OF THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY.
TEXT: AND HOW IS THIS EPISODE PLAYING IN EUROPE? WELL IN
GERMANY'S FINANCIAL CAPITOL, "THE FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG"
COMMENTS IN A FRONT-PAGE EDITORIAL:
VOICE: INDIA AND PAKISTAN ARE NOW CONFRONTING THE [ESTABLISHED
NUCLEAR] POWERS ..... WITH THEIR OWN HELPLESSNESS, IN A
CHALLENGING WAY. THE TWO SOUTH ASIAN ARCH-ENEMIES ARE
NOW DEMANDING ACCESS TO THE CLUB OF FIVE ESTABLISHED
NUCLEAR POWERS. THIS IS A PAINFUL EXPERIENCE FOR THE
U-S SUPERPOWER AND IS DEMONSTRATED NOT ONLY BY THE
HELPLESS- LOOKING APPEALS TO DELHI AND ISLAMABAD TO
PRESENT EVIDENCE OF THEIR PEACEFUL INTENTIONS AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE. WASHINGTON'S LIMITED POSSIBILITIES TO
INFLUENCE EVENTS ARE ALSO EXPRESSED BY U-S EFFORTS TO
WIN MOSCOW'S SUPPORT FOR INCREASED PRESSURE ON INDIA AND
TO GET BEIJING'S SUPPORT TO DO THE SAME ON ITS CLOSE
ALLY PAKISTAN.
TEXT: FOR A BRITISH REACTION, WE TURN TO WEDNESDAY'S [6/3]
"GUARDIAN" IN LONDON WHICH SAYS, IN PART:
VOICE: THE NUCLEAR SUMMIT [ TOMORROW ] IN GENEVA WILL REFLECT A
SENSE OF UTTER HOPELESSNESS OVER THE NEW ARMS RACE IN
SOUTH ASIA. IN ADVANCE OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS'
MEETING OF THE NUCLEAR FIVE, DIPLOMATS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
SEEKING TO LOWER EXPECTATIONS - - IS THERE ANY
ALTERNATIVE TO PESSIMISM - - NOT TO SAY CYNICISM - -
AT A STATE OF AFFAIRS WHICH ALWAYS EXISTED ON PAPER BUT
HAS NOW BEEN TRANSLATED BY THE INDO-PAKISTAN ESCALATION
INTO REALITY? ....A NEW, SERIOUS, SUSTAINED EFFORT HAS
TO BE MADE TO BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD ABOLITION, AND THE
NUCLEAR FIVE HAVE TO MAKE IT.
TEXT: IN AFRICA, NIGERIA'S "DAILY TIMES" IN LAGOS, LAMENTS:
VOICE: TESTS BY A NUMBER OF OTHER 'THRESHOLD' STATES ARE LIKELY
TO TRIGGER A DANGEROUS AND UNCONTROLLED PROLIFERATION OF
NUCLEAR WEAPONS .... IT IS OUR HOPE THAT THE LONDON
TALKS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK WILL LEAD TO A RE-THINK ON
THE CURRENT MANEUVERS THAT MAY BRING THE WORLD TO A
PRECIPICE.
TEXT: AND LASTLY, THIS ASSESSMENT FROM LATIN AMERICA BY ONE OF
CHILE'S LARGEST DAILIES, "LA SEGUNDA," IN SANTIAGO.
VOICE: THE U-N-S-C [UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL] AS WELL AS
THE SUPERPOWERS HAVE DEPLORED WHAT HAS HAPPENED BUT IN
FACT LACK THE EFFECTIVE MEANS TO STOP (INDIA AND
PAKISTAN) FROM CONTINUING THE TESTS. ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
AFFECT THE SMALLER COUNTRIES AND CAN SERIOUSLY HURT THE
MOST NEEDY PART OF THE POPULATION, BUT WILL HARDLY MAKE
THE GOVERNMENTS CHANGE THEIR POLICY.
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP ON
THE CONTINUING REACTION TO THE RECENT NUCLEAR TESTS IN INDIA AND
PAKISTAN.
NEB/ANG/KL
03-Jun-98 3:19 PM EDT (1919 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
