Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=5/01/03

TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP

TITLE=MANAGING POST WAR IRAQ

NUMBER=6-12915

BYLINE=Andrew Guthrie

DATELINE=Washington

EDITOR=Assignments

TELEPHONE=619-3335

CONTENT=

INTRO: The world press continues to watch how the United States is working to restore order in Iraq. There newspapers suggest the top U-S restoration officer Jay Garner is akin to a Roman Emperor or a British colonial governor or "viceroy."

Here now are some editorial samples of how the global press reviews the U-S reconstruction effort from V-O-A's ____________in this week's World Opinion Roundup.

TEXT: Some papers are suggesting that the former general needs to "restore order amidst [the] chaos" but [he] lacks "public acceptance". Many others fear that any U-S engineered transitional government will lack legitimacy and be viewed as a U-S puppet government.

We begin our sampling in England, where London's Independent is pleased with the second meeting of potential Iraqi leadership groups.

VOICE: [The] gathering [4-28] held on what previously would have been a national holiday for Saddam Hussein's birthday, produced both positive and negative signals. Attendance was more than four times the 60 or so who attended the first conference. [But] on the minus side, the majority of Iraq's majority [Shia leadership] is split about the role of the U-S military administration.

TEXT: London's Daily Telegraph is worried about the costs of occupation and rebuilding suggesting that: "The sums already sound worryingly large to American voters: up to 17-billion dollars a year just for occupation costs according to one estimate", plus "several billions" more for humanitarian assistance. In Germany, Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel suggests that:

VOICE: By arresting the self-appointed mayor of Baghdad, the Americans made clear they want to control events. Where civilian structure have formed, U-S forces cooperate with religious organizations, political leaders, or tribal chiefs. But only those will get authority who cooperate with the U-S administration.

TEXT: A pessimistic view from Italy's Il Giornale whose Washington correspondent suggests:

VOICE: The Iraqi transitional government might become operational in six weeks. What America fears is that the principle of "one man, one vote" might degenerate into "a man, one vote, only for one time." [That] would be a major denial of what President Bush promised. That Iraq will be an example for democracy.

TEXT: While in Hungary, Budapest's leading Nepszabadsaq suggests:

VOICE: Jay Garner, the retired general can't escape the big challenge of making the Shiites and Sunnis [get] used to peace in Iraq.

TEXT: In one of Iraq's neighbors, Turkey, the liberal daily Radikal purports:

VOICE: It seems that the U-S is inclined to keep the United Nations out of the picture in the future of Iraq's political structure. As for the rebuilding, it is odd to see that American firms are given the major share in construction projects by the U-S, which happens to be the occupying force.

TEXT: Israel's daily Ha'aretz runs this view from its senior Middle Eastern affairs analyst:

VOICE: The status the U-S has in the region has direct bearing on that of its allies, like Israel, Turkey and Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, and may impact countries that might be contemplating a change in allegiance, such as Iran and Syria. Strong liberal factions in the Arab world are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to copy the Iraqi example as presented by President Bush, and are greatly concerned that the outcome might turn out to be more like Afghanistan.

TEXT: In Lebanon, Beirut's Al-Liwa, after observing the early contract letting for rebuilding suggests:

VOICE: U-S-A-I-D appears to be replacing an interim Iraqi government granting American companies contracts not only to rebuild Iraq, but also to work on programs in education and public administration. Sources believe that the basic U-S aim behind launching war was to help American companies revive their businesses and [get] their hands on Iraqi oil.

TEXT: In Asia, Japan's huge Mainichi wants the "top priority" of the U-S transition team to be "Iraqi police and fire" safety. While in South Korea, Seoul's Chosun Ilbo gets back to the theme of which country's firms are getting all the big rebuilding contracts: "As U-S companies take home most of the projects, international complaints are high."

And this assessment from Pakistan's Dawn in Karachi:

VOICE: Occupied Iraq is an ungovernable jumble, has still not found peace or security and is in the grip of even worse perils than those it had faced before.

TEXT: With that view from the big Pakistani daily, Dawn, published in Karachi, we conclude this sampling of world press reaction to the situation in Iraq.

NEB/ANG/RH