DATE=  11/21/97

      TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP

    NUMBER=6-10456

     TITLE=U-N INSPECTORS RETURN TO IRAQ

    BYLINE=GARY EDQUIST

 TELEPHONE=619-3940

  DATELINE=WASHINGTON

    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS



CONTENT=



INTRO:   AFTER A THREE-WEEK CONFRONTATION BETWEEN IRAQ AND THE 

         U-N SECURITY COUNCIL, UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS INSPECTORS 

         -- INCLUDING AMERICANS -- ARE BACK IN IRAQ TO RESUME 

         THEIR WORK.  PRESIDENT CLINTON SAYS HE WILL "WAIT AND 

         SEE" IF IRAQ REALLY ALLOWS THE U-N INSPECTORS TO WORK 

         UNHINDERED.  WE GET REACTION TO THE IRAQ SITUATION FROM 

         ___________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. 



TEXT:    WHEN THE U-N INSPECTORS RESUME THEIR WORK, THEY PLAN TO 

         FOCUS ON IRAQ'S EFFORTS TO PRODUCE CHEMICAL AND 

         BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS.  MANY U-S NEWSPAPERS CONCLUDE, MUCH 

         AS THE LOS ANGELES TIMES DID ON FRIDAY, THAT THE 

         INSPECTORS' RETURN MARKS AN "END TO [THE] CRISIS -- FOR 

         THE MOMENT."  THE WASHINGTON POST NOTES IN ITS EDITORIAL

         THAT "THE BEST THAT CAN BE SAID ABOUT THE IRAQ CRISIS 

         ISN'T VERY GOOD."



VOICE:   "FOR THE UNITED STATES, THE CRUCIAL IMMEDIATE 

         CONSIDERATION WAS  NOT  MERELY TO RESTORE THE ARMS 

         INSPECTORS WITH AUTHORITY INTACT AND IMPROVED; THIS 

         APPARENTLY WAS ACCOMPLISHED.  THE IMPORTANT THING WAS TO

         RESTORE THE INSPECTORATE WITHOUT MAKING ANY CONCESSIONS 

         THAT [IRAQI LEADER] SADDAM HUSSEIN COULD USE TO SHOW HIS

         DEFIANCE HAD PAID.  THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN UNACCEPTABLE

         DEFEAT FOR THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED NATIONS 

         ALIKE."



TEXT:    THE NEW YORK POST CONCLUDES IN ITS EDITORIAL THAT THE 

         ADMINISTRATION AND THE U-S HAS SUFFERED A SERIOUS 

         FOREIGN POLICY DEFEAT.



VOICE:   "THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS TALKING TOUGH AND 

         STANDING TALL AS THE UNITED NATIONS INSPECTORS [MADE] 

         THEIR WAY BACK TO IRAQ. ... WE WELCOME THIS NO NONSENSE 

         RHETORIC.  IT'S NICE TO HEAR OFFICIALS OF THE CLINTON 

         ADMINISTRATION SOUNDING LIKE REAL MEN FOR A CHANGE.  BUT

         RHETORIC IS ALL IT IS.  NO MATTER WHAT THE PRESIDENT AND

         HIS PEOPLE SAY, THEY HAVE SUFFERED A SERIOUS FOREIGN 

         POLICY DEFEAT, AND SO HAS THE UNITED STATES." 



TEXT:    IN ITS LOOK AT THE IRAQ CRISIS, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES 

         [CALIFORNIA] CONCLUDES THAT "THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM 

         REMAINS."



VOICE:   "// OPT // IRAQ STILL HAS A FORMIDABLE ARSENAL OF 

         TERRIFYING CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS.  THAT

         PROBABLY INCLUDES TONS OF V-X, THE MOST TOXIC CHEMICAL 

         AGENT KNOWN, AND THOUSANDS OF LITERS OF ANTHRAX, A 

         DEADLY BACILLUS. // END OPT //  UNTIL THE INSPECTORS 

         CERTIFY THAT IRAQ IS  NO  LONGER MAKING AND HIDING 

         NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS AND LONG-RANGE 

         MISSILES, THE SANCTIONS LODGED AGAINST IT IN 1990 MUST 

         REMAIN IN PLACE.  THAT IS WHAT THE U-N RESOLUTIONS 

         REQUIRE, AND THAT IS WHAT WASHINGTON AND LONDON ARE 

         RIGHT TO DEMAND."



TEXT:    NEWSDAY [LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK] WRITES THAT UNTIL "THERE

         IS CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT [SADDAM] HUSSEIN IS LIVING UP TO 

         HIS AGREEMENT, NONE OF THE ADDITIONAL WARSHIPS AND 

         FIGHTER-BOMBERS THAT PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON HAS 

         DISPATCHED TO THE PERSIAN GULF SHOULD LEAVE."  NEWSDAY 

         ADDS THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN "LOST NOTHING IN THIS 

         CONFRONTATION."



VOICE:   "IF ANYTHING, HE GAINED TIME -- ENOUGH, PERHAPS, TO HIDE

         MORE EFFECTIVELY THE VERY WEAPONS INTERNATIONAL 

         INSPECTORS WERE COMING CLOSE TO SNIFFING OUT [I.E. 

         FINDING THEM] WHEN HE BLOCKED THEM.  // OPT// IT'S GOOD 

         THAT RUSSIA FINALLY SAW FIT TO INTERVENE AND PERSUADE 

         [SADDAM] HUSSEIN TO BACK DOWN.  BUT RUSSIA IS HARDLY AN 

         HONEST BROKER IN THIS NEGOTIATION.  RUSSIA IS OWED VAST 

         SUMS THAT BAGHDAD CAN REPAY ONLY IF SANCTIONS ARE LIFTED

         AND IRAQ CAN SELL OIL ONCE AGAIN.  IT WAS RUSSIA'S AND 

         FRANCE'S LOBBYING FOR AN END TO THE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS 

         THAT CREATED THE FISSURE IN THE ALLIANCE INTO WHICH 

         [SADDAM] HUSSEIN DROVE A WEDGE." // END OPT //



TEXT:    THE PORTLAND [OREGON] PRESS HERALD WARNS THAT "SADDAM 

         HUSSEIN MAY BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN EVER NOW."  AND THE 

         EDITORIAL CONTINUES:



VOICE:   "// OPT // THE RETURN OF A FULL CONTINGENT OF U-N ARMS 

         INSPECTORS TO BAGHDAD ... MAY DEFUSE THE LATEST SADDAM 

         HUSSEIN-INSPIRED CRSIS THERE.  FOR ALL RUSSIAN FOREIGN 

         MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV'S CROWING, HOWEVER, THE RETURN

         TO WHAT PASSES IN IRAQ FOR NORMALACY DOESN'T RESOLVE THE

         UNDERLYING ISSUE: HOW TO DEAL WITH A DANGEROUS DESPOT. 

         // END OPT // ... NOW, MORE THAN EVER, A LEGITIMATE 

         GOVERNMENT IN EXILE IS NEEDED, SO THE WORLD DOESN'T HAVE

         TO DEAL WITH SADDAM ALONE.  IF SUCH A GOVERNMENT WERE TO

         CHALLENGE SADDAM'S CREDENTIALS AT THE UNITED NATIONS AND

         EVERY OTHER WORLD FORUM, HE COULD  NOT  CONTINUE TO 

         OPERATE AS THOUGH HE WERE THE LEGITIMATE LEADER OF THE 

         IRAQI PEOPLE.  HE IS NOT."



TEXT:    THAT COMMENT FROM THE PORTLAND [OREGON] PRESS HERALD 

         CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT ABOUT 

         THE RETURN OF U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS TO IRAQ.



NEB/GE/EH 



21-Nov-97 1:41 PM EST (1841 UTC)

NNNN



Source: Voice of America

.