DATE=02/26/98
TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10593
TITLE=U-N IRAQ PACT AVERTS ATTACK, BUT IS IT PEACE?
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL'S AGREEMENT WITH
SADDAM HUSSEIN WHICH HAS, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, AVERTED A
MILITARY ATTACK ON IRAQ, IS THE WEEK'S DOMINATING EDITORIAL TOPIC
IN THE WORLD PRESS.
WE ARE JOINED IN THE STUDIO NOW BY _____________ WHO HAS A
SAMPLING OF REACTION, IN THIS WEEK'S WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE PROBABILITY OF A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE IRAQI
CRISES DREW SIGHS OF RELIEF, OPTIMISM AND EVEN PRAISE FOR THE
UNITED NATIONS AND THE UNITED STATES FROM MEDIA OUTLETS
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. DIFFERENT JOURNALISTS HAD DIFFERING
ASSESSMENTS ON WHOM HAD SCORED THE GREATER 'VICTORY' -- BILL
CLINTON OR SADDAM HUSSEIN. THE PREVAILING VIEW WAS EXPRESSED BY
COPENHAGEN'S "POLITIKEN," ONE OF DENMARK'S IMPORTANT DAILIES,
WHICH SAID: "THE RESULT SECRETARY GENERAL .... KOFI ANNAN BROUGHT
HOME ... REPRESENTS IN EVERY WAY A SUCCESS FOR THE U-N AND ITS
LEADING POWER, THE U-S."
MANY JOURNALISTS PRAISED THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IN HINDSIGHT,
SAYING THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON "WAS RIGHT" IN HIS APPROACH TO
IRAQ, CONCEDING THAT IT WAS THE U-S AND BRITISH SHOW OF MILITARY
FORCE THAT ALLOWED DIPLOMACY TO WORK. HOWEVER, IN DISCUSSING
WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE STANDOFF, MANY COMMENTATORS IN ASIA
PERCEIVED THAT WHAT SOME OF THEM CALLED MR. HUSSEIN'S "WILY
BRINKMANSHIP" HAD SCORED MORE POINTS THAN THE U-S. STILL MANY
ASIAN OPINION-MAKERS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT WHAT THEY CALLED THE
IRAQI DICTATOR'S "INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION."
IN THE MIDDLE EAST, OPINIONS WERE MIXED. IRAQ'S NEWSPAPERS
HAILED THE OUTCOME AS A VICTORY FOR THEIR COUNTRY. BAGHDAD'S
"AL-IRAQ" COMMENTED:
VOICE: IRAQ DEFEATED AMERICA AND SCORED A POLITICAL, MEDIA, AND
HUMAN VICTORY OVER IT, ABORTING ALL ITS PLANS AND
IGNITING HATRED TO IT AMONG ALL FAITHFUL SOULS THAT HAVE
A WILL AND WANT THE U-S EVIL TO BE DEFEATED NOT BY
WEAPONS ...... BUT BY WILLPOWER, WISDOM, AND THE POWER
OF FAITH AND GREAT PRINCIPLES.
TEXT: ELSEWHERE IN THE IRAQI CAPITAL, THERE WAS THIS ASSESSMENT
FROM "AL-QADISIYAH:"
VOICE: IRAQ WAS AND IS STILL AT THE FOREFRONT OF RESISTING U-S
HEGEMONY AND BREAKING ITS WILD WAVES, FORCING IT INTO
THE ABYSS OF DEFEAT AND FRUSTRATION.
TEXT: IN THE GULF, BAHRAIN'S DAILY "AL-AYAMN," IN MANAMA, HAD A
DECIDEDLY DIFFERENT VIEW.
VOICE: WE HAVE TO ADMIT, AND IN A CLEAR WAY, THAT THE CREDIT
FOR REACHING A PEACEFUL SOLUTION AND SPARING THE REGION
MILITARY CONFRONTATION SHOULD GO TO THE UNITED STATES
BECAUSE, AND LET US SAY IT HONESTY, ITS FIRM STAND AND
MILITARY MOBILIZATION LED TO THE IRAQI CONCESSION, AND
NOT BECAUSE OF THE MEDIATION OF THE ARAB LEAGUE OR THE
U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL. HAD THAT AMERICAN MOBILIZATION
.... NOT TAKEN PLACE, SADDAM WOULD NOT HAVE SIGNED THE
DEAL.
TEXT: NOW TO THE PREEMINENT ARABIC DAILY IN THE WORLD, CAIRO'S
"AL AHRAM" WHICH RAN THIS COLUMN:
VOICE: PRESIDENT CLINTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY, BUT OBVIOUSLY
THE AGREEMENT DID NOT PLEASE THE WHITE HOUSE. WHAT DOES
UNCLE SAM WANT? TO TURN THE REGION INTO A SEA OF CHAOS
...?
TEXT: IN ISRAEL, THAT IS NOT THE WAY TEL AVIV'S "MAARIV" SEES
THINGS AT ALL.
VOICE: FOR SOME REASON, SADDAM IS BEING DEPICTED AS A WINNER
AND A HERO. WHERE ARE HIS HEROISM AND TRIUMPH? THE
BOTTOM LINE OF THE DEAL IS THAT SADDAM FOLDED
UNCONDITIONALLY.
TEXT: AND RIGHT AT THE MOUTH OF THE GULF, IN OMAN, "AL-WATAN"
FROM THE CAPITOL MUSCAT OPINED:
VOICE: IF THE U-S IS REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT LEADING THE WORLD TO
A SAFE AND STABLE FUTURE, AS IT CLAIMS, IT MUST TREAT
THE ARAB WORLD -- IN WHICH IT HAS NUMEROUS ALLIES -- AS
HUMANS WITH RIGHTS AND NOT SIMPLY AS A NEGLECTED BUNCH
TO WHICH IT RESORTS ONLY IN TIME OF NEED .... WE CALL
ONCE AGAIN ON THE U-S TO ADOPT A MORE RATIONAL TACK IN
DEALING WITH US.
TEXT: LASTLY IN THE GULF, FROM SHARJAH IN THE UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES, THE DAILY "AL-KHALEEI" RAN THIS SELF CRITICAL NOTE:
VOICE: THE LANDMARK SUCCESS ACHIEVED BY [THE] U-N SECRETARY
GENERAL IN BAGHDAD HAS NOT ONLY TEMPORARILY DEFUSED THE
DEADLOCK AND HALTED AN IMMINENT MILITARY AGGRESSION
AGAINST IRAQ, BUT ALSO REVEALED A NUMBER OF FACTORS --
[INCLUDING] THE ARABS' POLITICAL PERFORMANCE -- WHICH
WAS ALMOST NIL -- AND THE FAILURE OF THE ARAB LEAGUE
TO CALL FOR [A] CRISIS SUMMIT EVEN AT THE LEVEL OF
PERMANENT DELEGATES. THE CRISIS, IN FACT, REQUIRED
CONTINUOUS MEETINGS AT THE LEVEL OF FOREIGN MINISTERS,
IF NOT AT [THE] HIGHEST LEVEL OF HEADS OF STATES.
TEXT: IN THE FAR EAST, THIS WAS ONE CHINESE REACTION FROM
"GUANGMING DAILY" IN BEIJING.
VOICE: IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL MAINTAIN THE
CURRENT LEVEL OF MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE GULF FOR THE
TIME BEING UNTIL IMPROVEMENT IS SEEN ON THE WEAPONS
INSPECTION ISSUE. ..... ALTHOUGH THE CRISIS HAS TAKEN A
TURN FOR THE BETTER, THERE IS NO SIGN OF IMPROVEMENT IN
U-S-IRAQ RELATIONS. IRAQ MADE CONCESSIONS WITH THE
INTENTION OF PLACING THE UNITED STATES IN AN UNFAVORABLE
POSITION.
TEXT: WHILE, IN CHINA'S ENGLISH-SPEAKING HONG KONG PRESS, "THE
SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST" COMMENTED:
VOICE: ALTHOUGH THE DEAL ..... HAS AVERTED THE IMMEDIATE
PROSPECT OF WAR IN THE GULF, IT IS FAR TOO EARLY TO
HERALD AN END TO THE RECENT CRISIS OVER IRAQ -- EVEN
LESS THE LONG-RUNNING CONFLICT BETWEEN THE WEST AND
SADDAM HUSSEIN...
TEXT: NOW TO JAPAN, "HOKKAIDO SHIMBUN" COMMENTED:
VOICE: WITH A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE IRAQ CRISIS IN SIGHT,
THE TIME IS OVER FOR THE HARDLINE U-S DIPLOMATIC STANCE,
BACKED BY MILITARY STRENGTH ..... IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE
UNITED STATES TO RE-EXAMINE ITS SELF-SATISFIED
DIPLOMATIC STYLE .... BY CONTINUING THIS CURRENT
DIPLOMATIC STYLE, AMERICA WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE
CREDIBILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ....
TEXT: IN THE FAR SOUTH PACIFIC, THIS ASSESSMENT FROM THE FOREIGN
EDITOR OF "THE AUSTRALIAN" IN SYDNEY:
VOICE: (SADDAM HUSSEIN) HAS NOT ONLY DELAYED INSPECTION FOR
MONTHS, HE HAS PRODUCED A SIGNIFICANTLY MORE AMBIGUOUS
INSPECTIONS AGREEMENT AND INSPECTIONS REGIME THAN
EXISTED BEFORE. MOREOVER, HE HAS POLARIZED THE
INTERNATIONAL AND PARTICULARLY U-S POLITICS AROUND HIM.
HE HAS DRAWN THE UNITED STATES INTO HIS GAMES OF
BRINKMANSHIP ON HIS TERMS. .... HE HAS ALSO IMPOSED AN
EFFECTIVE PENALTY ON THE UNITED STATES AND ... PRESIDENT
... CLINTON. THE UNITED STATES WILL BE FORCED TO KEEP
ITS BIG MILITARY DEPLOYMENT ... IN THE GULF AT LEAST FOR
SEVERAL MONTHS.
TEXT: CROSSING THE GLOBE, TO NORTH AMERICA, OUR NEIGHBORING
CANADIAN PRESS, REPRESENTED BY TORONTO'S STAR" SAYS IN PART:
VOICE: IF [MR.] ANNAN IS THE BIG WINNER IN THE RESOLUTION OF
THE CRISIS, SO ALSO IS [PRESIDENT] CLINTON.
RIGHT-WINGERS AND REPUBLICANS ARE ALREADY COMPLAINING
THAT HE'S MADE U-S FOREIGN POLICY HOSTAGE TO U-N
MULTI-LATERALISM. BUT [MR.] CLINTON HAS NOT DONE AT ALL
BADLY. SADDAM'S BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL PROGRAMS WILL
BE EXPOSED AND TERMINATED. HE HAS GOT AWAY WITH
THREATENING WAR RATHER THAN ACTUALLY GOING TO WAR. HE'S
ENDED THE ["] WAG THE DOG ["] [THIS IS A CURRENT
HOLLYWOOD MOTION PICTURE ABOUT A FICTIONAL PRESIDENT WHO
BEGINS A FAKE WAR WITH ALBANIA, MANUFACTURED IN
HOLLYWOOD TO DISTRACT PUBLIC CRITICISM FROM CHARGES HE
SEXUALLY MOLESTED A GIRL SCOUT IN HIS WHITE HOUSE
OFFICE] CONSPIRACY NOTION THAT HE WANTED TO BOMB SADDAM
TO DISTRACT AMERICANS FROM HIS SEXUAL PROBLEMS.
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF WORLD PRESS
REACTION TO THIS WEEK'S AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE U-N SECRETARY
GENERAL AND SADDAM HUSSEIN, TEMPORARILY HEADING OFF A MILITARY
CONFRONTATION.
NEB/ANG/JO
26-Feb-98 4:23 PM EST (2123 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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