Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=03/19/03

TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP

TITLE=GOING TO WAR

NUMBER=6-12871

BYLINE=ANDREW GUTHRIE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS

TELEPHONE=619-3335

CONTENT=

[EDITORS: THIS WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP, WITH REACTION TO THE PENDING, U-S LED, INVASION OF IRAQ IS BEING MOVED EARLY TO ACCOMMODATE TRANSLATION REQUIREMENTS. THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE AN ADDITIONAL WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP ISSUED TOMORROW, AS DEVELOPMENTS WARRANT AND AS MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE.]

INTRO: The world's press is reacting negatively to a likely military strike on Iraq. A majority of European dailies lament the failure of diplomacy, while Middle Eastern papers are assailing what they term an "unjust and immoral war." We get a sampling of editorials on the eve of an invasion from V-O-A's ___________ in this week's World Opinion Roundup.

TEXT: The attention of virtually all the world's press is at least partially directed to the looming war in the Middle East. We begin our sampling in that region, where the Israeli daily Maariv in Tel Aviv, says in part:

VOICE: . now that the die has been cast, even [Mr.] Bush's staunchest opponents should pray for a good ending, a powerful, swift and elegant victory, according to the best of tradition.

TEXT: In Yediot Aharonot, another Tel Aviv paper, it says:

VOICE: . the Americans are trying to make up for their disgraceful conduct in the . Security Council by building a Hollywood diplomatic drama geared to enlist public opinion at home. The drama build-up began at the summit in the Azores ...which looked like a poor-man's Yalta.

TEXT: For a Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds in East Jerusalem says:

VOICE: The [Azores] summit clearly reflects the collapse of the U-N's role and the possible beginning of a new phase in international relations...

TEXT: In Egypt, Cairo's well-known Al Ahram runs this columnist's comment:

VOICE: Obviously, [Mr.] Bush and [Prime Minister] Blair's vision of evil is unique and contrary to all the recognized religious references of the World Council [of] Churches, the Pope . and . Al Azhar. No one can cure President Bush of his moods of faith. which lately have emerged . under the influence of a fanatical bunch of hard-line Zionists encircling the White House.

/// OPT ///

TEXT: In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Gazette proposes that:

VOICE: Perhaps America and Britain's greatest failure has been their inability to establish a clear link between Saddam's regime and al-Qaida. In the absence of [such] conclusive evidence, the question remains why Washington is so obsessed with Iraq.

TEXT: Turning to North Africa, the Algerian French-language daily Liberte in Algiers says: "The preventive war . will . be a duel between [Mr.] Bush and Saddam, two dictators who want to impose their own visions of the world."

/// END OPT ///

TEXT: Moving on to Asia, we read in Australia's Sydney Morning Herald:

VOICE: . even a short war will be a war of huge consequence for the world, creating great uncertainties and dangers. These will affect Australia and Australian politics - - all part of the risk for [Prime Minister John] Howard.

TEXT: In Melbourne's Age, they note the "haunting symmetry" of March 17th as the day President Bush set the deadline for Iraq to comply with the U-N's disarmament demand. Saddam Hussein's chemical attack on the Kurdish village of Halabja, notes the Age, was on March 17th 15 years ago, killing an estimated 5-thousand civilians, mostly women and children.

In China's special administrative region of Hong Kong, The South China Morning Post laments:

VOICE: Given its apparent certainty - - no matter how tragic, regrettable or preventable - - one of the more glaring questions must be, what now for the splintered international community?

TEXT: In Japan, the huge Tokyo Shimbun proposes that:

VOICE: President Bush's . ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, though it looked brave on the surface, should . be considered as the Bush administration's great diplomatic folly.

///OPT ///

TEXT: And in South Korea's Chosun Ilbo from Seoul, this comment filled with skepticism:

VOICE: [President] Bush is failing to win the hearts of the world. Despite his assertion of possible Iraqi links to international terror networks and his pledge to oust . Saddam Hussein . many believe that the real reason [Mr.] Bush wants a war . is to secure huge oil interests in [Iraq] .and to settle old scores dating from his father.

/// END OPT ///

TEXT: India's Hindustan Times muses:

VOICE: The ides of March are here. . It must be something of a mystery to Washington as to why its arguments for war had virtually no takers among . the people of the world. [and] . why its promise to establish democracy in Iraq is disbelieved.

TEXT: Not much support from the Daily Sowetan in the black Township outside Johannesburg, South Africa, in which we read:

VOICE: . [Mr.] Bush has pressed ahead with his plans to undermine the principles of global solidarity. Yesterday [3-17] must easily count as the pinnacle of his efforts to assail the authority of the United Nations.

TEXT: Turning to North America, we read in our Canadian neighbor's Toronto Globe and Mail:

VOICE: There can be little question that responsibility for the invasion of Iraq . lies with Saddam Hussein. The American-led force.will endeavor . to minimize civilian casualties. But there likely will be mistakes involving the deaths of civilians. This tragedy ultimately will be Mr. Hussein's fault as well.

TEXT: Lastly on to Europe, where London's Financial Times takes a jaded view of the proceedings.

VOICE: This war may be legal technically under [U-N] resolutions . But after the megaphone diplomacy, bullying and bad faith of recent weeks, it will proceed with hobbled legitimacy and [with] . the narrowest of coalitions.

TEXT: However a far different view of things from Le Figaro in Paris, France, which had fought against a war at the U-N.

VOICE: Iraq consistently and deliberately violated its obligations. The war . is the direct result of the Iraqi decision to pursue its confrontation with the international community.While this war is dangerous, it is nonetheless legitimate.

TEXT: That concludes this sampling of global editorials on the pending conflict with Iraq.

NEB/ANG/MEM