DATE=02/24/98
TYPE=U-S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10588
TITLE=THE BAGHDAD AGREEMENT
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: AS EXPECTED, THE AGREEMENT REACHED OVER THE WEEKEND IN
BAGHDAD BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AND
IRAQI LEADER SADDAM HUSSEIN DOMINATES THE EDITORIAL COLUMNS OF
THE NATION'S NEWSPAPERS. MANY ARE SKEPTICAL THAT IRAQ, WHICH HAS
BROKEN MANY PROMISES AND AGREEMENTS IN THE PAST REGARDING ITS
WEAPONS STORES AND DEVELOPMENT, WILL HONOR THIS ONE -- BUT MOST
ARE RELIEVED THAT MILITARY CONFLICT HAS BEEN AVOIDED. SOME ARE
CRITICAL OF PRESIDENT CLINTON FOR WHAT THEY FEEL IS ACQUIESCING
IN FAVOR OF THE U-N LEADER. JOINING US NOW IS
___________________ WITH A SAMPLING IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION
ROUNDUP.
TEXT: MOST OF THE COMMENTARIES REFLECT THE SKEPTICISM VOICED BY
PRESIDENT CLINTON AS HE GAVE CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF THE
AGREEMENT WHILE WAITING TO BE BRIEFED ON IT AFTER MR. ANNAN'S
RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES. PAPER AFTER PAPER POINTS OUT THE
POTENTIAL PITFALLS OF ANY PACT WITH A LEADER AS CRAFTY AND
UNDEPENDABLE AS SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS SHOWN HIMSELF TO BE FOLLOWING
HIS DEFEAT IN THE GULF WAR.
WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN NEBRASKA, WHERE "THE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD"
IS OUTSPOKEN IN ITS CRITICISM OF WHO BROKERED THE AGREEMENT.
VOICE: AMERICA, MEET YOUR NEW COMMANDER IN CHIEF. NAME: KOFI
ANNAN. ...... SECRETARY GENERAL, THE UNITED NATIONS.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES USED TO BE THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF. BUT BILL CLINTON, IN BOSNIA AND
HAITI AND NOW IN IRAQ, HAS ALLOWED THE AUTHORITY OF HIS
OFFICE TO BE DIMINISHED BY SUBORDINATING U-S FOREIGN
POLICY TO THE U-N. ON MONDAY, WHEN [MR.] CLINTON
ACCEPTED A DEAL BROKERED BY THE UNITED NATIONS TO AVOID
AIR STRIKES, IT WAS CLEAR THAT SOME OF THE MORE
IMPORTANT POLICIES WERE BEING MADE AT U-N HEADQUARTERS
IN NEW YORK, NOT IN THE OVAL OFFICE. // OPT // .....
[MR.] ANNAN FORCED [MR.] CLINTON'S HAND IN PART BY
SAYING .... THE AGREEMENT WAS LIKELY TO WIN THE SUPPORT
OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, OF WHICH THE UNITED STATES IS A
MEMBER. /// END OPT /// ....... IN EFFECT, THE U-S
GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN PUSHED INTO A BYSTANDER'S ROLE .....
THIS IS NOT TO SUGGEST THAT THE ANNAN-SADDAM AGREEMENT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN REJECTED BY THE UNITED STATES. .... BUT
DECISIONS ABOUT U-S FOREIGN POLICY OUGHT TO BE MADE IN
WASHINGTON, NOT IN BAGHDAD AND NEW YORK AND DICTATED
FROM THERE TO THE OVAL OFFICE.
TEXT: IN THE EAST, "THE PROVIDENCE [RHODE ISLAND]
JOURNAL-BULLETIN" SEES A MORE AMBIGUOUS ROLE IN THE U-N'S
INTERVENTION, BUT VOICES SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS OF THE OMAHA
PAPER.
VOICE: LIKE MOST PEOPLE, WE HOPE FOR A **RIGOROUS** [ITALICS
FOR EMPHASIS] AGREEMENT. IT WOULD BENEFIT ALL
CONCERNED, AND ... WOULD BE A VICTORY FOR MR. ANNAN AND
ALL THOSE WHO PUT GREAT STORE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
U-N. ..... THE FACT IS ..... THERE ARE DANGERS POSED BY
INTERVENTIONS BY U-N OFFICIALS. WHETHER INTENTIONALLY
OR NOT, MR. ANNAN COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY UNDERMINED THE
U-S POSITION. THE .... AGREEMENT MIGHT NOT BE GOOD
ENOUGH TO GET [MR.] SADDAM TO CEASE HIS MACHINATIONS,
BUT IT MIGHT BE GOOD ENOUGH TO LET [MR.] SADDAM GO
FORWARD WITHOUT HIS HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT RETALIATORY
MEASURES.
TEXT: IN FLORIDA, "THE ORLANDO SENTINEL" SUGGESTS THE NATION
"RESERVE JUDGMENT ON IRAQ," ADDING:
VOICE: IF A PEACEFUL OUTCOME EMERGES, IT WILL BE A RELIEF.
SURELY NO AMERICAN REALLY WANTED TO GO TO WAR OVER
IRAQ'S NONCOMPLIANCE -- IF A DIPLOMATIC OUT COULD BE
FOUND. WHAT THE DEAL MEANS IN THE LONG TERM, THOUGH, IS
MURKY. WHY? BECAUSE EVENTS WILL TURN NOT ON WHAT THE
AGREEMENT STATES BUT WHAT IRAQI DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN
DOES. /// OPT /// IT'S ONE THING TO AGREE TO UNFETTERED
U-N INSPECTIONS UNDER THREAT OF AIR STRIKE, QUITE
ANOTHER TO COMPLY ONCE THE MILITARY FORCE NOW IN THE
PERSIAN GULF SHRINKS. /// END OPT /// .... CURIOUSLY
MR. HUSSEIN ALWAYS APPEARS TO COME AROUND [GIVE IN] ONLY
WHEN ALLIED GUNS ARE DRAWN. IN ANY EVENT, IT'S BETTER
WHEN THE MERE THREAT OF FORCE SUFFICES.
TEXT: "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" SAYS, IN ITS EDITORIAL
HEADLINE, "LET'S HOPE SADDAM MEANS IT," ADDING:
VOICE: [PRESIDENT] CLINTON IS RIGHT TO WAIT AND SEE WHETHER U-N
WEAPONS INSPECTORS ARE ALLOWED THE ACCESS THEY HAVE BEEN
PROMISED. A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD IGNORED THAT
THE INSPECTION PROCESS WAS TO HAVE BEEN FINISHED IN A
MATTER OF WEEKS IN 1991, BUT HAS BEEN DRAGGED OUT FOR
YEARS BECAUSE OF [MR.] SADDAM'S DELAYS AND EXCEPTION.
IRAQIS HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT [MR.] SADDAM FOR THEIR
RESULTING ISOLATION AND IMPOVERISHMENT ....
TEXT: MORE SKEPTICISM IN THE MIDWEST, WHERE "THE CHICAGO
TRIBUNE" SAYS IN PART:
VOICE: THE BIG QUESTION NOW IS WHETHER [MR.] HUSSEIN, WHO
IGNORED A SIMILAR COMMITMENT JUST LAST NOVEMBER, WILL
LIVE UP TO HIS PROMISES THIS TIME OR QUICKLY RESUME
SCHEMING TO SABOTAGE THE INSPECTIONS PROGRAM AND
PRESERVE HIS CAPACITY TO MAKE WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION. GIVEN HIS DEEP-ROOTED INSTINCT FOR
DUPLICITY, NO ONE WOULD BE SURPRISED IF [MR.] HUSSEIN
MADE THIS NEW AGREEMENT WITH NO INTENTION OF HONORING
IT.
TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON TIMES" IS NOT VERY ENTHUSIASTIC EITHER,
CALLING THE AGREEMENT JUST "ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER," AND ADDING:
VOICE: .... IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WHAT [MR.] SADDAM
HAS AGREED TO IS SUPPOSED TO BE EXACTLY WHAT HE AGREED
TO SEVEN YEARS AGO AND WHAT HE HAS BEEN TRYING TO AVOID
ALL THE DAYS SINCE. SO NO MORE WORDS, PLEASE. EITHER
[MR.] SADDAM WILL ALLOW UNFETTERED, UNCONDITIONAL AND
IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO ALL SITES OR THIS MATTER IS NOT
OVER. ..... HE MUST GET RID OF ALL CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL
AND NUCLEAR AGENTS AS WELL AS THE MISSILES DO DELIVER
THEM, AND IRAQ CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO REBUILD ITS ARSENAL.
THOSE ARE THE CONDITIONS, THE **ONLY** [ITALICS FOR
EMPHASIS] CONDITIONS.
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE
WEEKEND AGREEMENT REACHED IN BAGHDAD, AVERTING, FOR NOW, AN ARMED
CONFLICT WITH IRAQ OVER THE ISSUE OF WEAPONS INSPECTIONS.
NEB/ANG/MMK
24-Feb-98 1:06 PM EST (1806 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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