DATE=11/16/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11009
TITLE=SADDAM HUSSEIN TAKES U-S TO THE BRINK ONCE MORE
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: A MAJOR MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAQ BY THE UNITED
STATES AND BRITAIN HAS BEEN AVERTED BY LAST-MINUTE CONCESSIONS BY
THE GOVERNMENT OF SADDAM HUSSEIN. THE IRAQI LEADER SENT WORD TO
THE UNITED NATIONS THAT HE WOULD AGAIN ALLOW UNFETTERED
INSPECTION OF HIS COUNTRY TO PREVENT THE CREATION AND STORAGE OF
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
THE UNITED STATES WAS POISED TO DELIVER A STRONG ATTACK AGAINST
IRAQ, BUT THE PLANES WERE CALLED BACK, AND THE MISSILES, READY
FOR LAUNCHING, REMAINED IN THE SILOS. NOW, THE NATION'S PRESS IS
FIRING A BARRAGE OF COMMENTS REGARDING THIS LATEST EXERCISE IN
BRINKMANSHIP, AND WE WELCOME _____________________ WHO HAS A
SAMPLING FOR US IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: WE BEGIN OUR SURVEY FAR OUT IN THE PACIFIC, WHERE HAWAII'S
MAJOR EVENING DAILY, "THE HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN," GREETED THE
LAST-MINUTE CANCELLATION OF THE ATTACK THIS WAY.
VOICE: THE WORLD HAS WITNESSED ANOTHER ROUND OF THE
CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME BETWEEN SADDAM HUSSEIN AND THE
WESTERN POWERS. ONCE AGAIN THE MOUSE HAS ESCAPED. WITH
PRESIDENT CLINTON ON THE VERGE OF ORDERING BOMBING
ATTACKS ON IRAQI MILITARY TARGETS, SADDAM PLEDGED TO
RESUME COOPERATION WITH UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS
INSPECTORS. .... EVEN AFTER BACKING DOWN, SADDAM WAS
CLAIMING VICTORY. ... IT'S A REPEATING CYCLE OF
FRUSTRATION FOR THE UNITED STATES, WHICH HAS BEEN FORCED
TO PREPARE ITS FORCE TIME AND AGAIN TO LAUNCH PUNISHING
RAIDS ON IRAQ FOR ITS DEFIANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS,
ONLY TO SEE SADDAM PULL BACK AT THE LAST MINUTE. ....
SADDAM IS HOPING THE WORLD WILL TIRE OF THIS GAME AND
ACCEPT HIS DEMAND TO END THE SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ.
WASHINGTON HAS LITTLE CHOICE BUT TO HANG IN THERE AND
TRY TO OUTLAST HIM.
TEXT: MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND KILOMETERS AWAY, "THE BOSTON
GLOBE" NOTES THAT THESE FALSE ALARMS COME AT A CONSIDERABLE
EXPENSE TO THE UNITED STATES.
VOICE: ONCE AGAIN SADDAM HUSSEIN APPEARS TO HAVE OUTWITTED THE
UNITED STATES IN THE ONGOING CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME OVER HIS
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. ..... IN THE MEANTIME THE
UNITED STATES HAS SPENT BILLIONS BUILDING UP ITS FORCES
IN THE PERSIAN GULF, AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, SADDAM
HUSSEIN HAS BOUGHT TIME TO DEVELOP HIS HIDEOUS WEAPONS
AWAY FROM THE PRYING EYES OF U-N ARMS INSPECTORS. THE
PRESENT REVIVAL OF THIS TAWDRY DRAMA HAS BEEN GOING ON
SINCE AUGUST 5, GIVING SADDAM HUSSEIN MORE THAN THREE
MONTHS WITHOUT WEAPONS INSPECTIONS. ... IF THE
INSPECTORS ARE NOT ALLOWED BACK INTO IRAQ, AND IF
COOPERATION WITH THEM IS NOT COMPLETE, THEN THE
RETRIBUTION WHICH THE UNITED STATES WAS POISED TO
DELIVER SHOULD COME AT ONCE AND IN A SUSTAINED WAY
WITHOUT FURTHER DITHERING.
TEXT: IN THE VIEW OF "USA TODAY" THE NATIONAL, WEEKDAY PAPER,
[THE] "U-S POSITION IMPROVES, BUT THE CRISIS HAS ONLY BEEN
POSTPONED." AND THE PAPER GOES ON TO SAY SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS NOT
THE ONLY ONE TO GET A REPRIEVE.
VOICE: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S ELEVENTH-HOUR DECISION TO PUT WAR ON
HOLD IS AS MUCH A REPRIEVE FOR [BILL] CLINTON AS IT IS
FOR SADDAM HUSSEIN. IT GIVES THE PRESIDENT A CHANCE TO
ERASE THREE MONTHS OF BUNGLED POLICY AND ONCE AGAIN
SEIZE THE INITIATIVE FROM SADDAM. THE QUESTION IS, WILL
[MR.] CLINTON AVOID REPEATING THE MISTAKES THAT LED TO
THIS WEEKEND'S DRAMA? ... WHEN SADDAM NEXT TRIES TO
RESTRAIN THE INSPECTORS -- AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT
HE WILL -- THE ADMINISTRATION HAS UNEQUIVOCAL GROUNDS TO
RESPOND FORCEFULLY. THE QUESTION IS WHETHER IT INTENDS
TO DO SO. /// OPT /// IN BAGHDAD ... IRAQI VICE
PRESIDENT TAHA YASSIN RAMADAN .... SAID THIS
CONFRONTATION JUST PROVED THAT AMERICANS WERE MISGUIDED
IN THEIR AGGRESSION AGAINST IRAQ. THERE WAS NO SIGN
THAT SADDAM IS BACKING OFF HIS LONG-TERM GOAL OF GETTING
SANCTIONS LIFTED WITHOUT GIVING UP HIS WEAPONS
PROGRAMS./// END OPT ///
TEXT: ONE OF THE LEAST FAVORABLE COMMENTS ON HOW PRESIDENT
CLINTON HANDLED THIS LATEST CONFRONTATION COMES FROM COLUMNIST
WILLIAM SAFIRE, WRITING IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES." HE CALLS THE
DECISION TO ABORT THE ATTACK "AN UNPRECEDENTED DISPLAY OF
PRESIDENTIAL IRRESOLUTION," AND WORRIES THAT THIS IS JUST PUTTING
OFF THE INEVITABLE.
VOICE: THE CENTRAL QUESTION REMAINS: IS OFF-AND-ON INSPECTING
THE BEST OUTCOME? CONSIDER WHAT IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN,
BASED ON WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE. SADDAM, HAVING 'BACKED
DOWN' YET AGAIN, WILL LET THE INSPECTORS GO WHEREVER
THEY WANT FOR THE NEXT THREE TO SIX MONTHS. THAT COSTS
HIM NOTHING: SADDAM HAS RESHUFFLED THE DECK, AS OUR
SCOTT RITTER, THE FORMER U-S MILITARY MAN WHO QUIT THE
UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAM IN BAGHDAD OUT OF
DISGUST OVER U-S POLICY] PUTS IT, AND IT WILL TAKE AT
LEAST THAT LONG FOR THE C-I-A ..... TO SUGGEST THE NEW
HIDING PLACES IN A LARGE COUNTRY. MEANWHILE, IRAQ'S
ANTHRAX AND NERVE-GAS STOCKPILING WILL PROCEED APACE, AS
REPLACEMENT RUSSIANS AND OTHERS ON THE U-N INSPECTION
TEAM TIP OFF THE EX-SPYMASTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV TO ITS
PLANS, THEREBY INSURING THAT NO 'SURPRISE' INSPECTIONS
ACTUALLY SURPRISE. ... CONTRARY TO [MR.] CLINTON'S
BELIEF, THE 'BEST OUTCOME' IS NOT THE STATUS QUO; IT IS
THE REMOVAL OF THE GROWING THREAT.
TEXT: LASTLY, IN "THE WASHINGTON TIMES," MORE FRUSTRATION, AND
THE SUGGESTION THAT, LIKE MR. SAFIRE SAYS, THE LAST-MINUTE
AGREEMENT WILL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE IN THE LONG RUN.
VOICE: EVENTS OVER THE WEEKEND WERE NOTHING SHORT OF
ASTONISHING. ..... SO, THE AIRSTRIKES WERE CALLED OFF -
- FOR THE FIFTH TIME, ONE MIGHT ADD - - AS WE WERE
INFORMED BY CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS SUNDAY
MORNING. THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WENT INTO CRISIS
OVERDRIVE, PULLING AN ALL-NIGHTER TO PONDER WHAT NEXT TO
DO. MEANWHILE, THE COALITION SUPPORT FOR ACTION
EVAPORATED FASTER THAN DEW IN THE DESSERT. .....
MEANWHILE, IT IS CERTAIN BEYOND DOUBT THAT SADDAM
HUSSEIN WILL REPEAT HIS OLD PATTERNS OF CONCEALMENT AND
PARTIAL COMPLIANCE, AT LEAST UNTIL WE GET TIRED OF
PLAYING HIS GAME. ... ULTIMATELY, REMOVING SADDAM FROM
POWER IS THE REAL SOLUTION, BUT IT IS NOT ONE THAT HAS
BEEN EMBRACED BY THE WHITE HOUSE BEFORE.
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT ON THE
LAST-MINUTE CANCELLATION OF MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ.
NEB/ANG/ KL
16-Nov-98 1:59 PM EST (1859 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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