DATE=11/18/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11012
TITLE=MORE ON THE U-S IRAQ CONFRONTATION
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAQ'S
PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN, RESOLVED AT THE LAST MINUTE BY ANOTHER
PROMISE OF IRAQI COMPLIANCE WITH U-N WEAPONS INSPECTIONS, IS
STILL BEING ANALYZED EXTENSIVELY IN THE U-S PRESS.
WE HAVE MORE EXAMPLES NOW FROM ___________________ IN TODAY'S U-S
OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS DRAWING BOTH CRITICISM AND PRAISE
FROM A VARIETY OF COLUMNISTS AND EDITORIALS WHO TAKE DIFFERENT
VIEWS OF THE NEAR MILITARY ATTACK ON IRAQ, AND THE SUBSEQUENT
LAST MINUTE DECISION BY BAGHDAD TO RESUME U-N INSPECTIONS.
SOME COLUMNISTS ARE ACCUSING THE PRESIDENT OF BEING AFRAID TO
LAUNCH A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN, WHILE OTHERS
PRAISE HIS PATIENCE FOR POSSIBLY ENDING THE CONFRONTATION WITHOUT
A MILITARY CONFLICT, AND THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF CIVILIAN LIVES.
"THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER'S" VETERAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMNIST,
TRUDY RUBIN, IS WORRIED THAT U-S POLICY TOWARD IRAQI IS
INCONSISTENT, SUGGESTING IT APPEARS TO BE MADE UP AS EVENTS
EVOLVE. SHE SAYS THIS LATEST CONFRONTATION WAS AN IMPORTANT
MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
VOICE: WASHINGTON HAD THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO HIT SUCH
[IMPORTANT MILITARY] TARGETS LAST WEEKEND. SADDAM HAD
ACTED SO BADLY TOWARD THE U-N INSPECTORS THAT THE WHOLE
WORLD WAS ANGRY. NEVER, SINCE THE GULF WAR, HAD THE
CONSENSUS BEEN SO BROAD AGAINST HIM. EVEN ARAB NATIONS,
FRANCE AND RUSSIA WERE READY TO ACCEPT U-S ATTACKS.
THEN THE PRESIDENT BLINKED. /// OPT /// HIS AIDES SAY
HE WAS TROUBLED BY PENTAGON ESTIMATES THAT THE ATTACKS
MIGHT KILL THOUSANDS OF IRAQIS. [MR.] CLINTON CALLED ON
IRAQ TO GIVE U-N INSPECTORS OPEN ACCESS, THEN SAID THE
BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THE IRAQI WEAPONS THREAT WAS THROUGH
'A NEW GOVERNMENT' IN BAGHDAD. THIS RATIONALE IS
RIDDLED WITH CONTRADICTIONS. ... MOREOVER IF [MR.]
CLINTON REALLY WANTS A NEW GOVERNMENT IN BAGHDAD (WHICH
IS FAR FROM CERTAIN), THERE ARE PLENTY OF STEPS THE
ADMINISTRATION COULD BE TAKING, WHICH IT'S NOT. /// END
OPT ///
TEXT: "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" FEELS THAT, GENERALLY
SPEAKING, U-S POLICY TOWARD SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST TROUBLESOME
DESPOTS IS WORKING.
VOICE: /// OPT /// IN ITS FIRST TERM, THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION WAS RIGHTLY CRITICIZED FOR DEALING
TOUGHLY WITH BRITAIN, FRANCE, GERMANY, JAPAN, AND CHINA
WHILE WOOING NORTH KOREA AND MOVING TARDILY OR WEAKLY
AGAINST (YUGOSLAVIA'S) MILOSEVIC AND IRAQ'S SADDAM
HUSSEIN. PRESIDENT CLINTON NOW IS GETTING ON SWIMMINGLY
[VERY WELL] WITH THE NEW LEADERS OF BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND
GERMANY ...... U-S RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND JAPAN ARE
REASONABLY GOOD. BUT /// END OPT /// NEITHER THE U-S
NOR EUROPE IS ANY MORE ADROIT AT DEALING WITH PARIAHS
(YUGOSLAVIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN) MILOSEVIC -- ETHNIC
CLEANSING -- AND (SADDAM) HUSSEIN -- BIOLOGICAL AND
CHEMICAL SUPERWEAPONS. ... OVERALL, IT'S A FRUSTRATING
PICTURE, LIKE SOME STUBBORN CHECKERS GAME IN WHICH
OPPONENTS' PIECES CHALLENGE, BACK OFF, THEN CHALLENGE
AGAIN. BUT ARE MATTERS AS BAD AS THEY SEEM? NOT IF
[MR.] CLINTON AND HIS EUROPEAN FRIENDS SHOW SOME
COORDINATED RESOLVE.
TEXT: AS FAR AS "THE WASHINGTON TIMES'" DEPUTY EDITORIAL PAGE
EDITOR HELLE BERING IS CONCERNED, MR. CLINTON IS "THE PRESIDENT
WHO WOULDN'T FIGHT."
VOICE: /// OPT /// HAS AN AMERICAN COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF EVER
DISPLAYED AS PROFOUND AN AVERSION TO THE USE OF FORCE AS
MR. CLINTON? THINK BACK TO HARRY TRUMAN, FOR INSTANCE.
HE GAVE THE ORDER TO BOMB HIROSHIMA AND RETURNED TO BED
AND A GOOD NIGHT'S REST. BUT THAT WAS ANOTHER TIME,
ANOTHER GENERATION. INSTEAD, /// END OPT /// WE NOW
HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO HAD HIS FINGER ON THE TRIGGER TWICE
LAST WEEKEND, SO WE ARE TOLD, AND WHO CHOSE THE EASY WAY
OUT AT THE SIGHT OF THE MEREST FIG LEAF FROM IRAQ. ...
NOW, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE U-S COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF,
... SHOULD NOT ACT WITH RESTRAINT AND THE GREATEST
DELIBERATION WHEN FORCES IS TO BE USED. THAT'S HIS
DUTY. BUT SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU DEAL WITH MEN OF
VIOLENCE, LIKE SADDAM HUSSEIN ..... FORCE HAS TO BE MET
WITH FORCE, OR THERE WILL BE WORSE TO FOLLOW.
TEXT: THE "BOSTON GLOBE" COLUMNIST, THOMAS OLIPHANT, SAYS THE
U-S HAS SADDAM HUSSEIN BACKED INTO A CORNER NOW, AND THAT
PRESIDENT CLINTON MAY WELL HAVE EVEN ENHANCED THE U-S POSITION.
VOICE: /// OPT /// ... IT'S WORTH THE FRUSTRATION AND THE GUFF
FROM MACHO TYPES TO TEST ANY REALISTIC CHANCE THAT THE
BEST MEANS OF KEEPING SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME FROM
ACQUIRING BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN QUANTITY
AND THE MEANS OF USING THEM - - NAMELY TOUGH INSPECTIONS
- - CAN STILL WORK. ..... NOW, AFTER A WEEKEND OF
MANEUVERING THAT WAS BIZARRE AND MADDENING EVEN BY THE
STANDARDS OF THIS EIGHT-YEAR MELODRAMA, IT SHOULD BE
OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A CHANCE WORTH TESTING BECAUSE THE
TEST IS AT LONG LAST CLEAR. ..... THERE ARE NO
ILLUSIONS. NO ONE IS TRUSTING ANYONE. /// END OPT ///
WHAT THERE IS, AT LAST, IS A TEST, IN AN ATMOSPHERE
DEFINED BY IRAQ'S INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION. EITHER
SADDAM'S HEGEMONIC SCHEME WILL EVAPORATE UNDER RIGIDLY
SUPERVISED DISARMAMENT OR IT WILL END UNDER A RAIN OF
BOMBS AND MISSILES FOLLOWED BY STRICT CONTAINMENT.
TEXT: NEBRASKA'S "OMAHA WORLD-HERALD" PRONOUNCES IN A LEAD
EDITORIAL THAT THE CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME CONTINUES. THE WINNER OF
THIS ROUND UNCLEAR.
VOICE: THE ABORTING OF A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ MAY OR
MAY NOT HAVE REFLECTED A TRIUMPH OF DIPLOMACY. THERE'S
THE CHANCE THAT IT WAS ANOTHER VICTORY BY SADDAM HUSSEIN
IN THE GAME HE HAS BEEN PLAYING WITH THE UNITED STATES
AND THE UNITED NATIONS. ... THIS WAY OF DOING BUSINESS
LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED. /// OPT /// THE UNITED
STATES SPENDS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS - - AND UNTOLD
AMOUNTS OF POLITICAL PRESTIGE - - EXPANDING ITS
MILITARY FORCE IN THE GULF, THEN CONTRACTING IT AFTER A
LAST-SECOND CHANGE OF TACTICS BY IRAQ. PILOTS AND
MISSILE CREWS ARE PUT ON ALERT, THEN, TO THEIR
FRUSTRATION, PULLED BACK. /// END OPT /// ... THERE SEEM
TO BE TWO WAYS OUT OF THIS UNPRODUCTIVE CYCLE. ONE IS
TO USE THE INSPECTIONS TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. ... THE
OTHER WAY TO END THE CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME IS TO GO AFTER
THE MOUSE. ... GIVEN THE SUFFERING THAT SADDAM INFLICTS
ON HIS OWN PEOPLE AND THE THREAT HE POSES TO THE REGION,
IT'S TIME TO CONVINCE THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT HIS
RULE SHOULD END.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: "THE DETROIT NEWS," HAS NO DIFFICULTY DECIDING WHO WON
THIS LATEST ROUND.
VOICE: ... BACKING AWAY FROM AIR STRIKES TO REINSTATE A DEFUNCT
WEAPONS INSPECTIONS PROGRAM IS PRECISELY THE WRONG MOVE
AT THIS JUNCTURE. IT MAY LOOK LIKE A DEFEAT FOR SADDAM,
BUT HE HAS DOUBTLESS USED THE LAST THREE WEEKS TO MOVE
WEAPONS AROUND AND OTHERWISE FRUSTRATE THE INSPECTORS.
DESPITE PRESIDENT CLINTON'S BLUSTER ABOUT IMMEDIATE AIR
STRIKES IN THE CASE OF FURTHER INFRACTIONS, HE ISN'T
LIKELY TO DO THAT WHILE U-N INSPECTORS ARE PRESENT IN
IRAQ. WHAT THE LAST FEW DAYS MOST CLEARLY REVEAL IS THE
INCOHERENCE OF ... PRESIDENT CLINTON'S IRAQI POLICY - -
SOMETHING THAT SADDAM HAS EXPLOITED SO MASTERFULLY IN
THE PAST AND WILL ALMOST ASSUREDLY DO AGAIN.
TEXT: HOWEVER IN THE OPINION OF "THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH,"
THE PRESIDENT WAS CORRECT.
VOICE: ON SATURDAY, THE SITUATION LOOKED MUCH BLEAKER. HOURS
BEFORE THE SCHEDULED ATTACK, AND OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF
SOME OF HIS MOST TRUSTED ADVISERS, PRESIDENT BILL
CLINTON CALLED OFF A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ. .....
BUT, MR. CLINTON WARNED SADDAM ON SUNDAY, 'WE REMAIN
READY TO ACT,' SHOULD THE U-N INSPECTORS BE FACED WITH
ANYTHING LESS THAN 'UNFETTERED ACCESS' TO IRAQI SITES.
IT WAS EXACTLY THE RIGHT DECISION TO MAKE. AS MR.
CLINTON HIMSELF NOTED, THE U-N INSPECTORS 'HAVE BEEN AND
... REMAIN THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL TO UNCOVER, DESTROY
AND PREVENT IRAQ FROM BUILDING ITS WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION AND THE MISSILES TO DELIVER THEM.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL
COMMENT ON THE LATEST CONFRONTATION WITH IRAQ.
NEB/ANG/GE
18-Nov-98 1:39 PM EST (1839 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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