DATE=3/27/2000
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
TITLE=ASSESSING THE CLINTON TRIP
NUMBER=6-11747
BYLINE=ANDREW GUTHRIE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
TELEPHONE=619-3335
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
INTRO: President Clinton is home from his trip to
South Asia and early press assessments of the journey
are coming in. We get a sampling from __________ in
today's U-S Opinion Roundup.
TEXT: Even before he left the United States, many
papers were suggesting that the trip was long overdue,
no matter what it achieved. They pointed out that it
has been 22 years since a U-S president, Jimmy Carter,
visited India.
The fact that Mr.Clinton does not have much in the way
of a concrete achievement to show for his visit to
Bangladesh, India and Pakistan did not prevent many
papers from saying that they are glad that he went.
Newsday on New York's Long Island writes:
VOICE: If President ... Clinton expects any
significant breakthroughs to follow his state visit to
India and Pakistan, the subcontinent's two surly
antagonists, he will be sorely disappointed. But if
the results include U-S acknowledgement of this
region's growing political and economic importance,
and a sobering reminder of the dangers of a nuclear
standoff -- and if he gets a reciprocal gesture in
return -- then [Mr.] Clinton can consider his tour of
this volatile region a modest but gratifying success.
It's not what builds historical legacies, of course,
but it will be a respectable showing for a lame-duck
president.
TEXT: In Florida, the Orlando Sentinel is pleased
that President Clinton is pressing for peace in both
the Mideast and in South Asia, whatever his motives.
VOICE: President Bill Clinton's latest round of
Middle East peacemaking has drawn the criticism that
he's just seeking a positive legacy. He denies it.
Whether that's Mr. Clinton's goal or not ignores the
real issue -- taking advantage of a rare chance to
press for peace. .... People should bear in mind that
the window of opportunity to make progress toward
peace never opens too wide in the Middle East. And it
tends to slam shut at any sign of the slightest
tension. Now it's open. Israel and the Palestinians
have resumed their negotiations. ... The United
States should take advantage of every opportunity.
TEXT: For its part, the New York Times is a bit
disappointed that the results of the president's
journey did not bear much fruit.
VOICE: This past weekend demonstrated the limits of
presidential diplomacy, even at a time of great
American influence around the world. Bill Clinton's
efforts to further peace in South Asia and the Middle
East proved frustrating and unproductive. Mr.
Clinton's Saturday meeting with Pakistan's military
leader, General Pervez Musharraf, and his talks
yesterday with President Hafez al-Assad of Syria
accomplished little because neither interlocutor was
in a mood to do business.
TEXT: Taking a more hopeful, but also a somewhat
longer view, is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
VOICE: [President] Clinton's South Asia journey could
yield huge long-term benefits for global stability.
No region of the world contains more promise and peril
than South Asia. President Clinton's journey to
Bangladesh, India and Pakistan demonstrated the United
State's recognition of the importance of promoting
social and economic progress, democracy and regional
peace for global stability and prosperity. ... The
crux of his message was that the United States stands
ready to help because it is in America's interests to
support democracy and expand trade in South Asia.
TEXT: The Chicago Tribune salutes the president for
telling the Indians some things they did not want to
hear - including the fact that the nuclear
capabilities of India and Pakistan make the region
"the most dangerous place on earth."
VOICER: Diplomatic niceties aside, [President]
Clinton was absolutely right to give that realistic
appraisal ... and to tell Indians what they didn't
want to hear, like it or not. He also was
appropriately blunt about the dangers of India's and
Pakistan's longtime conflict over the border region of
Kashmir, which the president fears could escalate into
a nuclear war now that both countries have openly
tested nuclear weapons -- in 1998. ... Indians bridle
at the thought of colonial rule, and India values its
independence and does not take kindly to Westerners
telling it how to behave -- especially Westerners from
the world's last superpower and largest nuclear power.
/// OPT /// [Mr.] Clinton used his vaunted powers of
persuasion to praise India's achievements and outline
joint interests it shared with the U-S to promote
freer trade, better jobs, a cleaner environment and a
more vigorous fight against drugs and terrorism. But
he made his wisest challenge when he asked Indians to
realize that nuclear weapons won't necessarily make
them more secure. /// END OPT ///
TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of
press reaction to President Clinton's trip to South
Asia.
NEB/ANG/KL
27-Mar-2000 13:59 PM EDT (27-Mar-2000 1859 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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