DATE=12/18/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11061
TITLE=THE ATTACK ON IRAQ CONTINUES AND SO DOES THE DEBATE
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE U-S AND BRITISH ATTACK ON IRAQ CONTINUES, AND SO DOES
THE DEBATE IN THE U-S PRESS ABOUT THE ATTACK. MOST U-S PAPERS
ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE ATTACKS, CITING THE THREATS POSED BY SADDAM
HUSSEIN'S ACCESS TO CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS THAT
COULD KILL THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
WE GET A SAMPLING OF THE LATEST OPINION NOW FROM ________________
IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: FOR THE SECOND DAY, SHIP-BASED AND B-52-LAUNCHED TOMAHAWK
CRUISE MISSILES POUNDED VARIOUS MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE TARGETS
IN IRAQ, AS FAR NORTH AS IRBIL, BUT CONCENTRATED IN THE
INDUSTRIALIZED ZONE TO THE NORTH OF THE CAPITAL, BAGHDAD.
IN THE EDITORIAL PAGES, THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT SADDAM
HUSSEIN HAD BROUGHT THE ATTACKS ON HIMSELF BY HIS ACTIONS, BUT
THERE WAS SOME DISAGREEMENT. WE BEGIN WITH "THE LOS ANGELES
TIMES" WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY IN REACHING THE
OBJECTIVE:
VOICE: NO AMERICAN OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN THE AIR ATTACKS ON
IRAQ EXPECT THEM TO ELIMINATE THE COVERT CHEMICAL AND
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMS THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS
PURSUED AT SUCH GREAT COST TO HIS COUNTRY OVER THE SEVEN
YEARS SINCE THE GULF WAR. MANY OF THE SITES .... CAN BE
EXPECTED TO SURVIVE THIS WEEK'S BOMBING.... THE
REALISTIC AIM OF THE BOMBING IS TWOFOLD. ONE IS TO
DIMINISH IRAQ'S TERROR WEAPONS CAPABILITY, IN PART BY
GOING AFTER THE MISSILES, PLANES AND BOMBS NEEDED TO
DELIVER THEM. THE OTHER IS TO MAKE HUSSEIN PAY FOR HIS
INTRANSIGENCE BY ATTACKING THE MILITARY AND SECURITY
APPARATUS THAT PROPS UP HIS DICTATORSHIP. ..... IRAQ
... REMAINS AN INTERNATIONAL MENACE OF FEARSOME
PROPORTIONS, WITH A RECORD OF USING TERROR WEAPONS BOTH
ON THE BATTLE FIELD, AGAINST IRAN, AND AGAINST ITS
DOMESTIC FOES. THAT JUSTIFIES THE USE OF FORCE TO
CONTAIN SADDAM HUSSEIN'S LEGIONS AND TO TRY TO COMPEL A
CHANGE IN ITS LEADERSHIP AND BEHAVIOR.
TEXT: ACROSS TOWN, "THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS" WONDERS WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT.
VOICE: WHEN THE BOMBING STOPS IN IRAQ, THEN WHAT? WHAT'S
PRESIDENT CLINTON'S LONG-RANGE POLICY TO DEAL WITH
SADDAM HUSSEIN AND IRAQ, ASSUMING THAT THE STRIKE FAILS
TO FINALLY END THE DICTATOR'S REIGN OF POWER AND TERROR?
THOSE ARE VITAL, IMPORTANT AND LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS TO
BE DEBATED AND WEIGHED IN CONGRESS. .... IMPEACHMENT
ASIDE, IT APPEARS THAT SADDAM WILL BE IN OFFICE LONG
AFTER BILL CLINTON, TRENT LOTT, NEWT GINGRICH AND BOB
LIVINGSTON ARE GONE. ... NO SERIOUS OPPOSITION EXISTS IN
IRAQ TO OVERTHROW HIM AND HIS PARTY. ... THE BOTTOM
LINE IS THIS: SADDAM MAY BE AROUND FOR THE LONG HAUL.
AND AMERICANS MUST PAY THE PRICE FOR YEARS TO COME OF
HAVING TWO ADMINISTRATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO
ARTICULATE AND EXECUTE CLEAR GOALS ON ENDING HIS REIGN
OF TERROR.
TEXT: ON NEW YORK'S LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" SAYS WE MUST CALL THE
SITUATION WITH IRAQ, EXACTLY WHAT IT IS - - W A R.
VOICE: THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN ARE NOW AT WAR WITH IRAQ.
... AND IF YOU GO TO WAR, THE IMMEDIATE GOAL - - THE
ONLY JUSTIFIABLE GOAL - - IS TO WIN. THAT'S WHAT
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON MUST KEEP IN MIND AS HE MAKES
CRUCIAL DECISIONS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS ABOUT THE
CONTINUING ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ. ... [MR.] CLINTON MUST
PUT ASIDE THOUGHTS OF WHETHER IT WILL BE OFFENSIVE TO
MUSLIM SENSIBILITIES TO CONTINUE THE ATTACK INTO THE
HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN. HE CANNOT PUT AN ARTIFICIAL TIME
LIMIT ON THE STRIKES. HE MUST RELY ON HIS ABILITY TO
COMPARTMENTALIZE, PUT THE IMPEACHMENT THREAT OUT OF MIND
AND FOCUS ON THE JOB AT HAND: DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO WIN
IN IRAQ.
TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON POST" TAKES ON A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE
ATTACK, FAIRLY BRISTLING AT THE CRITICISM OF THE UNITED STATES
AND BRITAIN THAT THEY DID NOT ALLOW THE CONFRONTATION WITH MR.
HUSSEIN TO BE SOLVED BY DIPLOMACY, AS U-N SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI
ANNAN WANTED.
VOICE: THE UNITED STATES IS BEING SCORED FOR LACKING DUE
CONFIDENCE IN THE UNITED NATIONS. BUT WHO IS THE GOOD
INTERNATIONALIST HERE? IS IT A GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO
ACT AT ITS OWN COST AND RISK TO BLUNT SADDAM HUSSEIN'S
THREAT - - A THREAT MADE CREDIBLE BY HIS PAST
AGGRESSION AND CRUELTY - - TO DEVELOP AND USE WEAPONS
OF MASS DESTRUCTION? OR IS IT GOVERNMENTS OR
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT COMPROMISE THE
REQUIREMENT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLEMN INTERNATIONAL
DECREES, IN THE UNITED NATIONS' CASE ITS OWN
RESOLUTIONS? THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN ARE BEING
MORE FAITHFUL TO THE PURPOSES AS WELL AS TO THE SPECIFIC
WORDS OF THE UNITED NATIONS THAN IS THE WORLD
ORGANIZATION ITSELF.
TEXT: BACK IN CALIFORNIA, HOWEVER "THE ORANGE COUNTY [SANTA ANA]
REGISTER" WORRIES THAT THE FICTIONAL CINEMA SCENARIO OF A
PRESIDENT INVOLVED IN A SEX SCANDAL DECLARING A PHONY WAR TO
DISTRACT THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION, MAY HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED. THE
PAPER PLAYS OFF THE MOTION PICTURE'S TITLE, "WAG THE DOG" AS IT
WORRIES "HAVE WE BEEN 'WAGGED'? IN ITS HEADLINE.
VOICE: FEW WOULD WANT TO BELIEVE THAT A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, EVEN ONE FACING ... IMPEACHMENT ... WOULD PUT
AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN PERIL AND SPEND HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON A MILITARY MISSION
.... DESIGNED TO DIVERT ATTENTION ... BUT THE CINEMATIC
QUESTION PERSISTS .... SCOTT RITTER, THE AMERICAN WHO
QUIT THE U-N IRAQI WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAM (UNSCOM) LAST
AUGUST TO PROTEST WHAT HE CLAIMED WERE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS .... GAVE A DEVASTATING INTERVIEW
... TO THE NEW YORK POST, CLAIMING THAT U-S OFFICIALS
PRODDED UNSCOM TO PROVOKE A CRISIS THAT WOULD JUSTIFY
BOMBING. ... MR. RITTER CLAIMED THAT U-S GOVERNMENT
SOURCES TOLD HIM THREE WEEKS AGO WHEN THE INSPECTIONS
WERE RESUMED THAT 'THE TWO CONSIDERATIONS ON THE HORIZON
WERE RAMADAN AND IMPEACHMENT. YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO
INTERPRET THIS AS 'WAG THE DOG.' ... WEDNESDAY'S
WASHINGTON POST ... SAID CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS PLAYED A DIRECT ROLE IN SHAPING [MR.] BUTLER'S
TEXT DURING MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM MONDAY AT
SECURE FACILITIES IN THE U-S MISSION TO THE UNITED
NATIONS. ... WHATEVER LIES BEHIND THE TIMING OF
MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ, AMERICANS SHOULD THINK
LONG AND HARD ABOUT OUR SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH
SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME.
TEXT: WITH THAT, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT
ON THE U-S AND BRITISH ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ.
NEB/ANG/KL
18-Dec-98 2:33 PM EST (1933 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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