Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=12/23/03

TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP

NAME=MORE GADHAFI WEAPONS REACT

NUMBER=6-130194

BYLINE=ANDREW GUTHRIE

DATELINE=Washington

EDITOR=Assignments

TELEPHONE=619-3335

CONTENT=

INTRO: Reaction continues in the American press to Colonel Moammar Gadhafi's concession that he will allow international inspection of Libya's weapons arsenal. We get a further sampling now from V-O-A's ___________ in today's U-S Opinion Roundup.

TEXT: Many U-S dailies are crediting President Bush's invasion of Iraq and tough diplomatic stance on world terrorism as a key factor in the decision. But several papers warn that Libya's past crimes, including the Pan Am jetliner bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, suggest caution in dealing with the North African dictator. California's Los Angeles Times is very anxious for a quick start to the inspections.

VOICE: The chief United Nations weapons inspector's announcement that he will lead a team to Libya as early as next week to start dismantling the desert nation's weapons programs reflects the proper urgency in stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Inspectors should require Libya to detail where it obtained the equipment to produce its weapons. Stopping suppliers could be a major tool in preventing the spread of [such] weapons.

TEXT: In Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union, the Bush doctrine of muscular diplomacy gets the credit.

VOICE: The war in Iraq clearly was a factor in Libya's decision. Just a few days before the invasion Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi offered to begin talks about his own weapons. It appears that [he] decided he would rather lose his weapons than his country.

TEXT: Still in Florida, Fort Lauderdale's Sun Sentinel suggests the news moves us a "Step Closer to [A] Safer World." While in New Hampshire, Manchester's Union Leader returns to the theme of "A victory for Bush-Blair diplomacy."

VOICE: At exactly the same time that some European and [U-S] Democratic Party leaders were accusing President Bush of being a "warmonger" and of being temperamentally incapable of pursuing a peaceful foreign policy the president and British Prime Minister Tony Blair were negotiating the surrender of Libya's W-M-D program. President Bush has his faults, but a reckless cowboy he is not.

TEXT: Connecticut's Hartford Courant adds this.

VOICE: In addition to the threat of pre-emptive strikes and diplomatic coaxing, however, one other ingredient is necessary to make a disarmament agreement work. Mr. Gadhafi had to convince himself that "turning our swords into plowshares," as his Prime Minister put it, would "be appreciated and followed by other countries." The early signs look good. Iran quickly praised Libya's decision and agreed to unannounced inspections by U-N officials of its nuclear facilities.

TEXT: Mindful of the 270 people killed by a Libyan bomb in the crash of Pan American flight 103 over Scotland in 1988, Houston's [Texas] Chronicle is more cautious than some papers.

VOICE: The announcement by Colonel Gadhafi was met with such praise that one might think the longtime terror baron was a hero. The world will welcome every action that brings greater stability to the Middle East, but [Mr.] Gadhafi's got a way to go before he deserves undiluted praise.

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Now that [Colonel] Gadhafi is cleaning up his act abroad [Editors: slang for "improving his position"] the United States and international community should not gloat, but continue to exert pressure on [him] to improve his record on freedom and human rights at home.

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TEXT: More caution from New York's Daily News which suggests "While there's one less nuclear-capable lunatic running around, prudence dictates going slow in welcoming him back into the community of nations."

And lastly, in Georgia, Savannah's Morning News exclaims:

VOICE: Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi apparently doesn't relish living in a spider hole or growing a scratchy, scraggly beard. That's the obvious conclusion to be drawn from the announcement that Libya has agreed to abandon its efforts to acquire and develop weapons of mass destruction and to allow unfettered international inspections.

If only Saddam Hussein had been as forthright. Libya folded its hand without a shot being fired. But the diplomatic victory was achieved only because it was backed with a credible threat of force.

TEXT: With that assessment from Georgia's Savannah Morning News we conclude this further sampling of U-S press reaction to the disarmament news from Libya.

NEB/ANG/RH