DATE=12/17/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11058
TITLE=THE ATTACK ON IRAQ AND IMPEACHMENT QUALMS
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
[EDITORS: DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TOPIC, BE ADVISED THAT
N O N E OF THE EDITORIALS IN THIS OPINION ROUNDUP DUPLICATE
THOSE TO BE FOUND IN U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST 6-11057, WHICH HAS
ALREADY MOVED ON THE N E B WIRE]
INTRO: FROM ONE END OF THIS NATION TO THE OTHER, U-S PAPERS ARE
ALREADY RESPONDING TO THE ATTACK ON IRAQ.
AND MANY OF THEM HAVE QUALMS ABOUT THE TIMING, COMING ON THE EVE
OF AN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING AGAINST PRESIDENT CLINTON IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WE PRESENT A SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL
COMMENT FROM THURSDAY'S DAILIES. HERE IS ____________________
WITH TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THERE IS SPECULATION IN SOME PAPERS THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON
ORDERED THE ATTACK TO DIVERT ATTENTION AND TO HINDER THE ACTIVITY
OF CONGRESS, BUT OTHER PAPERS REJECT THAT LINE OF THINKING,
SAYING HOW DARE ANYONE SUGGEST THAT CRITICAL U-S FOREIGN POLICY
DECISIONS WOULD BE INFLUENCED BY ANY PRESIDENT'S DESIRE TO
INFLUENCE A DOMESTIC POLITICAL SITUATION.
WE SAMPLE THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE NATION, BEGINNING WITH
THE "HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN," WHICH, IN ITS HEADLINE: "RAIDS
REVEAL [MR.] CLINTON'S LOSS OF CREDIBILITY," ALLUDES TO THE
CYNICISM OF MANY.
VOICE: ...THE DAMAGE TO [PRESIDENT] CLINTON'S OWN CREDIBILITY
WAS EVIDENT IN THE SUSPICIOUS, EVEN CYNICAL RESPONSES!OF
MANY AMERICANS, SOME IN HIGH PLACES, TO THE PRESIDENT'S
ORDER, COMING AS IT DID ON THE EVE OF THE SCHEDULED
[HOUSE] VOTE ... ON HIS IMPEACHMENT. ... OUR JUDGMENT IS
THAT [MR.] CLINTON HAD TO ACT, IN THE FACE OF A REPORT
BY THE .... U-N INSPECTION GROUP THAT IRAQ HAD AGAIN
VIOLATED ITS PLEDGE TO COOPERATE WITH THE INSPECTORS.
BUT THE TIMING OF THE ATTACK COULD NOT BE MORE
QUESTIONABLE ...
TEXT: MORE THAN SIX THOUSAND KILOMETERS, A VERY DIFFERENT VIEW
FROM MAINE'S "PORTLAND PRESS HERALD," WHICH SAYS IN PART:
VOICE: IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE NATION TO BE DAMAGED BY THE
PARTISAN IMPEACHMENT PROCESS NOW UNDER WAY ..... [THE
REPUBLICAN] ... SUGGESTION THAT THE PRESIDENT ...
REACTED TO SADDAM MORE OUT OF CONCERN OVER THE PARTISAN
IMPEACHMENT DRIVE THAN THE BELIEF THAT IRAQ POSES A
SUBSTANTIAL THREAT TO THE WORLD [,] SIMPLY DOESN'T HOLD
UP [UNDERSTOOD: "TO SCRUTINY."] ... IMPEACHMENT WILL
HARM THE NATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE IRAQI CRISIS IS
ONLY THE BEGINNING.
TEXT: IN THE MIDWEST, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" CONSIDERS THE
ATTACKS A GAMBLE ON MR. CLINTON'S PART.
VOICE: EVEN BEFORE THE BOMBS BEGAN TO FALL, CRITICS OF [MR.]
CLINTON IN CONGRESS BEGAN QUESTIONING HIS MOTIVATION FOR
BATTERING IRAQ, JUST AS THE HOUSE ... WAS SET TO VOTE ON
WHETHER TO IMPEACH HIM. SUCH SKEPTICISM IS
UNDERSTANDABLE ..... [HOWEVER] HOUSE LEADERS CONSIDERED
POSTPONING THE IMPEACHMENT DEBATE AND VOTE, AND WISELY
DID. SUCH A MOMENTOUS ACTION SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN
UNDER THE SHADOW OF BOMBS AND IN THE MIDST OF AN
INTERNATIONAL CRISIS. .... THE TIMING MAY HAVE BEEN
SUSPECT, BUT THE GOALS ARE EMINENTLY LEGITIMATE.
TEXT: AND "THE TRIBUNE" ADDS, IN A COMPANION EDITORIAL,
REGARDING IMPEACHMENT, THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THE
CONTEXT IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT'S CRIMES WERE COMMITTED.
VOICE: .CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING. [PRESIDENT] CLINTON LIED TO
AVOID DEEP PERSONAL EMBARRASSMENT, NOT TO SEIZE,
MAINTAIN OR SUBVERT THE POWER OF THE STATE. ... HIS
WERE **LOW** [ITALICS FOR EMPHASIS] CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS, NOT THE HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS THAT
THE CONSTITUTION SETS AS THE THRESHOLD FOR IMPEACHMENT.
.... THERE IS NO BASIS FOR IMPEACHMENT. LET THE HOUSE
VOTE DOWN THESE PROPOSED ARTICLES, AND VOTE UP A STERN,
HISTORICALLY INDELIBLE RESOLUTION OF CENSURE.
TEXT: IN CALIFORNIA, "THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS" ASKS:
VOICE: WAS IT A COINCIDENCE OF TIMING OR THE ACT OF A MAN
DESPERATELY TRYING TO SAVE HIS PRESIDENCY? .... WHEN
THE RINDS OF POLITICAL RHETORIC ARE PEELED FROM THIS
WHY-BOMB-NOW DEBATE, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT [MR.]
CLINTON HAD NOTHING TO GAIN FROM ORDERING THE ATTACKS
AND .... PLENTY TO LOSE WITH PEOPLE QUESTIONING THE
TIMING.
TEXT: TO THE SOUTH, "THE ORANGE COUNTY [SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA]
REGISTER" IS MORE SKEPTICAL:
VOICE: AS MUCH AS WE RECOIL FROM THAT IDEA, IT IS HARD TO
BELIEVE THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE DIDN'T FIGURE IN SOME WAY
IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S LATEST MILITARY ACTION. ....
RATHER THAN LAUNCH A MUCH-NEEDED DEBATE ABOUT U-S POLICY
IN IRAQ, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS CALLED FOR AIR STRIKES.
AND BY CHOOSING TO DO SO ON THE EVE OF AN IMPEACHMENT
VOTE, THE PRESIDENT HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO ACCUSATIONS
THAT HE DID SO FOR LESS THAN HONORABLE REASONS. ....
WHEN THE DUST SETTLES, WE HOPE THE PRESIDENT HAS A GOOD
EXPLANATION.
TEXT: BACK IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, "THE PASADENA
[CALIFORNIA] STAR-NEWS" SAYS:
VOICE: "WE SUPPORT PRESIDENT CLINTON'S DECISION TO BEGIN AIR
STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ, BUT THIS TIME SADDAM HUSSEIN MUST
BE STOPPED ONCE AND FOR ALL. /// OPT /// WE CAUTION
THOSE IN CONGRESS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEGUN USING THE
ATTACK AS A POLITICAL CUDGEL [STICK] THAT THEY DO
PERHAPS IRREPARABLE HARM TO AMERICAN CREDIBILITY ABROAD.
/// END OPT /// ... DO NOT RETREAT. KEEP UP THE BARRAGE
UNTIL SADDAM CRIES 'UNCLE SAM.' [SLANG MEANING: GIVES
UP].
TEXT: "THE BOSTON GLOBE" CALLS THE ASSAULT "A JUST ATTACK,"
ADDING:
VOICE: ..PRESIDENT CLINTON HAD JUSTIFIABLE GROUNDS FOR
LAUNCHING CRUISE MISSILES AND BOMBING RAIDS AGAINST
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME. ..... AT THE HEART OF THE
CURRENT CONFLICT IS THE DEADLY SERIOUS MATTER OF
SADDAM'S REFUSAL TO GIVE UP HIS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS ..... THE SKEPTICS SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS
SADDAM WHO DETERMINED THE TIMING OF THIS LATEST SHOWDOWN
.....
TEXT: AND LASTLY, MORE SKEPTICISM FROM "THE WASHINGTON TIMES."
VOICE: IF YESTERDAY'S AMERICAN AIR STRIKE ON IRAQ WAS NOT THE
ACT OF A DESPERATE MAN, IT INDISPUTABLY LOOKED LIKE ONE.
OF ALL THE 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR, PRESIDENT CLINTON CHOSE
THE EVE OF THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE IN THE HOUSE .... THE
EVENT THAT WOULD LIKELY MAKE HIM THE SECOND PRESIDENT IN
... HISTORY TO ENDURE THIS HUMILIATION, TO TAKE ON
[ENGAGE] IRAQI DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN AFTER AN ENTIRE
YEAR OF HESITATION. COINCIDENCE? NOT A CHANCE. ... THE
PRESIDENT'S CRAVEN ACT WAS RIGHTLY MET WITH WIDESPREAD
SKEPTICISM AMONG CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AND DEMONSTRATES,
NOT ONLY MR. CLINTON'S PERSONAL RECKLESSNESS, BUT ALSO
HIS INABILITY TO LEAD THE COUNTRY ANY LONGER. ... THIS
PRESIDENT HAS LOST WHATEVER CREDIBILITY HE EVER HAD....
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL
COMMENT FROM AROUND THE NATION REGARDING THE ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ
AND THE POTENTIAL IMPEACHMENT VOTE IN THE HOUSE AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT.
NEB/ANG/KL
17-Dec-98 2:01 PM EST (1901 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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