DATE= 11/04/97
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10426
TITLE=IRAQI INTRANSIGENCE IRKS U-N,-U-S
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE SHOWDOWN WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN'S GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ
OVER THE COMPOSITION OF U-N WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAMS
CONTINUES. ON TUESDAY, THE U-N TEAMS CALLED OFF
INSPECTIONS AT THREE SITES BECAUSE IRAQ OFFICIALS DENIED
ACCESS TO THE AMERICAN TEAM MEMBERS. THE U-N INSPECTION
CHIEF HAS TOLD HIS INSPECTORS TO WITHDRAW RATHER THAN
LET BAGHDAD DICTATE WHOM CAN BE PART OF THE UNITED
NATIONS UNIT.
THE TEAMS ARE IN IRAQ TRYING TO ENFORCE THE DESTRUCTION
OF BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR ARMS UNDER TERMS OF
THE GULF WAR CEASE-FIRE. MEANWHILE, THE U-S PRESS IS
FILLED WITH EDITORIALS, MANY BUT NOT ALL, ENCOURAGING
PRESIDENT CLINTON TO AGAIN USE MILITARY FORCE TO BRING
SADDAM TO HEEL. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM
________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: IN PARIS TUESDAY, TWO OF THE NATIONS WHO HAVE BEEN MOST
SYMPATHETIC TO THE IRAQI CASE BEFORE THE SECURITY
COUNCIL, RUSSIA AND FRANCE, ISSUED A JOINT APPEAL TO
IRAQ TO STOP DEFYING THE UNITED NATIONS. MEANWHILE, A
TRIO OF ENVOYS FROM U-N SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN ARE
ENROUTE TO BAGHDAD TO TRY TO KEEP THE CRISIS FROM
ESCALATING INTO A MILITARY CONFRONTATION.
HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, MANY NEWSPAPERS ARE IN FAVOR
OF USING MILITARY MIGHT TO FORCE SADDAM HUSSEIN TO
COMPLY WITH THE U-N INSPECTION TEAM, IF DIPLOMACY
FAILS. BUT IN THE CASE OF "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE," WHOSE
HEADLINE IN [TODAY'S] TUESDAY'S EDITIONS READS: "LET
SADDAM KNOW WHO'S BOSS," THAT FORCE HOPEFULLY WILL NOT
HAVE TO BE APPLIED UNILATERALLY.
VOICE: "THE LATEST CONFRONTATION BETWEEN IRAQ AND THE UNITED
NATIONS WAS SPARKED BY DISARRAY IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL,
WHICH ENCOURAGED SADDAM HUSSEIN TO BELIEVE HE MIGHT
FINALLY BE ABLE TO SHATTER THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION
THAT HAS IMPOSED PUNISHING SANCTIONS ON HIS COUNTRY
SINCE THE END OF THE GULF WAR IN 1991. [OPT] ..... IN
THE WEEK SINCE IRAQ BROUGHT ON THE CRISIS BY ASSERTING
IT WOULD BLOCK THE PARTICIPATION OF U-S NATIONALS ON THE
INSPECTION TEAMS, TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS, FRANCE AND
RUSSIA, HAVE BEEN ANYTHING BUT RESOLUTE, SENDING
CONFLICTING SIGNALS TO SADDAM AND FEEDING HIS DELUSIONS
ABOUT ENDING THE SANCTIONS WITHOUT FULLY LIVING UP TO
THE PROMISES HE MADE TO WIN A CEASE-FIRE [END OPT] ...
TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR FRANCE AND RUSSIA TO COME TO
THEIR SENSES AND ENDORSE FIRM MEASURES BY A UNIFIED U-N
COALITION AGAINST SADDAM. BUT BOTH THESE COUNTRIES ARE
BLINDED BY THE PROSPECT OF LUCRATIVE FUTURE OIL
CONTRACTS WITH IRAQ, SO THEY MAY KEEP PUTTING GREED
BEFORE SOUND POLICY. IN THAT CASE, WASHINGTON MAY BE
TEMPTED TO ACT ALONE. THIS WOULD NOT BE THE IDEAL
SOLUTION, BUT GIVEN JUST HOW MUCH IS AT STAKE - - PEACE
AND STABILITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST - - IT CANNOT BE
RULED OUT. NOR OUGHT IT BE - - ESPECIALLY IF THE
IRAQIS ARE CRAZY ENOUGH TO SHOOT AT U-S PLANES."
TEXT: IN NEW ENGLAND, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" SAYS
DIPLOMACY MUST BE GIVEN TIME TO WORK, AND THAT ANY
OPTIONS, DIPLOMATIC OR MILITARY, MUST AIM AT PRESERVING
THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
VOICE: "SADDAM WANTED TO SHOW HE MEANS BUSINESS [THAT HE IS
SERIOUS IN THIS LATEST CONFLICT]. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO
DEMANDING COMPLIANCE WITH WEAPONS INSPECTION
REQUIREMENTS, THE U-N-BASED ALLIANCE THAT REPELLED
IRAQ'S INVASION OF KUWAIT HAS MEANT BUSINESS ALL ALONG.
SADDAM'S MOVE, IRONICALLY FOR HIM, COULD REINFORCE THAT
UNITY. MOTIVATIONS QUICKLY GET TANGLED IN THE GULF ....
HENCE THE NEED TO REFOCUS ON THE REAL STAKES: PROVING
THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, WORKING THROUGH THE
U-N, CAN UNITE TO THWART AGGRESSION AND PREVENT ITS
RECURRENCE. THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS RIGHT TO
EMPHASIZE THAT SADDAM'S ACTIONS ARE AN AFFRONT TO THE
U-N, NOT TO THE U-S. ANY OPTIONS, DIPLOMATIC OR
MILITARY, HAVE TO SERVE THE END OF PRESERVING THE U-N'S
AUTHORITY TO ENFORCE ITS RESOLUTIONS. IRAQ CAN'T BE
ALLOWED TO UNDERCUT THAT AUTHORITY BY CHANGING THE TERMS
IT PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO."
TEXT: "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER" IS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO ANY
MILITARY INTERVENTION AT THIS TIME, CITING THE DOCTRINE
OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
VOICE: "... ANY UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION BY AMERICA WILL PLAY
RIGHT INTO THE WILY IRAQI LEADER'S HANDS. HIS LATEST
GAMBIT IS PART OF A CLEVER CALCULATION THAT HE CAN DRIVE
A FURTHER WEDGE INTO THE U-S EUROPEAN AND ARAB COALITION
THAT FOUGHT THE GULF WAR, AND NOW SEEMS CLOSE TO FALLING
APART. .... A UNILATERAL U-S BOMBING STRIKE THAT
DESTROYS A FEW IRAQI MILITARY SITES WOULD PLEASE SADDAM
HUSSEIN GREATLY, BECAUSE IT WOULD COST HIM LITTLE. IT
WOULDN'T WEAKEN HIS HOLD ON POWER."
TEXT: THE NATIONAL WEEKDAY PAPER, "USA TODAY," PUBLISHED IN
THE WASHINGTON AREA, HOWEVER, SAYS IN ITS HEADLINE: "TRY
DIPLOMACY IN IRAQ, BUT KEEP [THE] MILITARY OPTIONS
OPEN."
VOICE: "RECENT HISTORY ALONE JUSTIFIES UNRELENTING
INTERNATIONAL OVERSIGHT. OVER THE WEEKEND, 'THE
OBSERVER' IN LONDON QUOTED U-N INSPECTORS AS SAYING THEY
WERE CLOSE TO LOCATING A SUSPECTED IRAQI HOARD OF NERVE
GAS JUST BEFORE SADDAM ORDERED U-S INSPECTORS TO LEAVE.
BAGHDAD HAS CLAIMED THAT ALL OF ITS CHEMICAL WEAPONS
STOCKPILES WERE DESTROYED BY ALLIED BOMBING DURING THE
1991 PERSIAN GULF WAR, BUT U-N INSPECTORS HAVE BEEN
UNABLE TO VERIFY THAT CLAIM. A BITTERSWEET REWARD OF
THE GULF WAR WAS AN UNPRECEDENTED ALLIANCE OF ODD-COUPLE
NATIONS. WASHINGTON AND MOSCOW UNITED IN THE FIRST
POST-COLD WAR ALLIANCE. ISRAEL AND ARAB NEIGHBORS ON
THE SAME SIDE. AN ADDED BONUS: MIDDLE EAST PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS. TOUGH
DIPLOMACY IS VITAL IF SADDAM IS TO BE DETERRED FROM
UNDOING THAT SUCCESS. .... BUT [HE] ... CANNOT BE LEFT
WITH ANY DOUBT THAT OTHER OPTIONS, ESPECIALLY MILITARY
FORCE, REMAIN ON THE TABLE."
TEXT: LASTLY, THESE THOUGHTS FROM "THE WASHINGTON POST."
VOICE: "THE FRENCH, RUSSIANS AND SOME OTHERS DO NOT DISSENT ON
THE PRINCIPLE AT STAKE. WHERE THEY WOBBLE IS ON THE
DETAILS. THEY ARE SAYING, EVEN BEFORE THE SEQUENCE HAS
PLAYED OUT, THAT THERE SHOULD BE ONLY A GROUP SOLUTION,
NOT ONE IMPOSED BY ONE COUNTRY (THE UNITED STATES)
ALONE, AND THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE OF A MILITARY NATURE.
PERHAPS IT WILL COME TO THAT: THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE
SAID FOR THE COMFORTS OF MULTILATERALISM. BUT A TRIVIAL
LOWEST-COMMON-DENOMINATOR GIFT TO SADDAM HUSSEIN MUST
NOT BE DELIVERED IN THE NAME OF MULTILATERALISM. THE
RESPONSE OF THE WAR-COALITION ALLIES TO THE IRAQI'S
LATEST MANEUVER MUST BE IN THE SAME BALL PARK [ROUGHLY
EQUIVALENT TO] AS THE OFFENSE."
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS BRIEF SAMPLING OF THE
LATEST EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE EXPANDING CRISIS BETWEEN
THE UNITED NATIONS AND SADDAM HUSSEIN.
NEB/ANG/RRM
04-Nov-97 1:26 PM EST (1826 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.