DATE=2/15/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-226784
TITLE=IRAQ SUNDAY (L)
BYLINE=NICK SIMEONE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS WARNING A U-S LED MILITARY
ATTACK ON IRAQ MAY BE ONLY DAYS AWAY, IF PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN
DOES NOT COMPLY WITH U-N RESOLUTIONS REGARDING WEAPONS
INSPECTIONS. THIS WEEK, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE ITS
CASE FOR A MILITARY STRIKE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. IN THE
MEANTIME, KEY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS STILL HAVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES OF A POSSIBLE MILITARY STRIKE.
CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE REPORTS.
TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S TOP FOREIGN POLICY LEADERSHIP WILL GO
TO OHIO WEDNESDAY TO OUTLINE THE CASE AGAINST IRAQ AND EXPLAIN
THE APPARENT INCREASING LIKELIHOOD OF WAR TO ORDINARY AMERICANS.
MEANWHILE IN WASHINGTON, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE RAISING MORE
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT SUCH A MISSION COULD ACCOMPLISH AND HOW MUCH
U-S MILITARY MIGHT AND TIME IT WOULD REQUIRE.
THERE IS NO SERIOUS TALK IN CONGRESS OF DENYING THE
ADMINISTRATION AN EVENTUAL VOTE OF SUPPORT FOR WHAT IT WARNS WILL
BE A SUBSTANTIAL MILITARY STRIKE IF DIPLOMACY FAILS.
BUT NOT ALL KEY LAWMAKERS ON CAPITOL HILL ARE SATISFIED WITH THE
STRATEGY THE ADMINISTRATION HAS OUTLINED. AMONG THEM IS
REPUBLICAN SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON WHO SPOKE SUNDAY ON C-B-S
TELEVISION'S "FACE THE NATION" PROGRAM.
// HUTCHISON ACT //
AND THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE A THOUGHT OF AN ENTIRE
STRATEGY. YES THERE WOULD BE BOMBING UP FRONT, BUT THEN
WHAT? AND I THINK CONGRESS IS SAYING TO THE PRESIDENT
'WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOU. COME AND LET US CONSULT WITH
YOU"
// END ACT //
IN RECENT DAYS, CONGRESS HAS BEEN RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT A
MILITARY STRIKE COULD ACHIEVE, INCLUDING WHETHER IT COULD ONCE
AND FOR ALL ELIMINATE IRAQ'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. THAT
IS SOMETHING THE GULF WAR IN 1991 AND SEVEN-YEARS OF INTRUSIVE
U-N WEAPONS MONITORING HAVE FAILED TO DO.
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAMUEL BERGER TOLD
N-B-C'S "MEET THE PRESS" EVEN A SUSTAINED WAR AGAINST IRAQ MAY
NOT BE ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL.
// BERGER ACT //
WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN AT THIS POINT IN TERMS OF
DIMINISHING HIS CAPACITY BUT WE WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
IF WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT HE IS REBUILDING, WE WOULD BE
PREPARED TO ACT AGAIN.
// END ACT //
IN THE FACE OF SUCH DOUBTS ABOUT WHAT A MILITARY STRIKE COULD
ACHIEVE, SOME MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WANT TO LOOK AT THE BIGGER
PICTURE: WHAT TO DO ABOUT PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN. AGAIN, TEXAS
SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON.
// SECOND HUTCHISON ACT //
WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE THE SECOND STEP. WE HAVE GOT TO SET
UP A RADIO FREE IRAQ AND START TALKING TO THE IRAQI
PEOPLE. WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE OUT HIS COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEMS. WE HAVE GOT TO SET UP MAYBE A NO FLY ZONE,
MAYBE A NO DRIVE ZONE SO THAT WE CAN ENFORCE THE
CONTAINMENT OF HIM.
// END ACT //
PRESIDENT SADDAM HAS SURVIVED BOTH AN EIGHT-YEAR WAR WITH ARCH
ENEMY IRAN AS WELL AS THE FORCE OF THE MILITARY COALITION ARRAYED
AGAINST HIM IN 1991 SENT IN TO LIBERATE KUWAIT. ARIZONA SENATOR
JOHN MCCAIN, PERHAPS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S TOP MILITARY EXPERT,
BELIEVES THE TYPE OF ATTACK THE WHITE HOUSE IS PLANNING THIS TIME
MAY ONLY END UP TRANSFORMING PRESIDENT SADDAM INTO A BIGGER
MENACE THAN HE ALREADY IS.
// MCCAIN ACT //
THE AIR ATTACKS WILL DO AS BASICALLY ALL OF US AGREE,
LIMITED DAMAGE. BUT I HOPE SEVERE AND SIGNIFICANT
DAMAGE ALTHOUGH IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE PENTAGON AND THE
PRESIDENT DECIDE TO DO AND I'M VERY WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
BUT FOLLOWING THAT, THERE HAS TO BE THIS EFFORT TO
DESTABILIZE AND OVERTHROW HIM. OTHERWISE, WE WILL END
UP IN THE SAME SITUATION A YEAR OR TWO YEARS OR THREE
YEARS FROM NOW.
// END ACT //
(SIGNED)
NEB/NJS/RAE
15-Feb-98 1:43 PM EST (1843 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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