DATE=11/03/98 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-10989 TITLE=MORE DEFIANCE FROM IRAQ BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: SADDAM HUSSEIN'S RECENT DECISION TO CANCEL ALL REMAINING COOPERATION WITH U-N WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAMS IN IRAQ HAS EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS IN THE UNITED STATES REACHING INTO THEIR DICTIONARIES FOR NEW FORMS OF INVECTIVE. BUT NOT ALL THE CRITICISM IS DIRECTED AT THE IRAQI LEADER. THERE IS ALSO STRONG LANGUAGE FOR PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND HIS POLICY OF REPEATED THREATS, BUT VIRTUALLY NO ACTION FOR SO LONG, SEVERAL PAPERS ARE SAYING THIS LATEST RESPONSE FROM SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS -- PREDICTABLE. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM _____________ IN TODAY'S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN AND HIS BRITISH COUNTERPART, GEORGE ROBERTSON, HAVE AGREED AT A LONDON MEETING, THAT FORCE MAY BE USED TO FORCE IRAQ TO RESUME COOPERATION WITH U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS. MR. COHEN IS ON A HASTILY ARRANGED VISIT TO EUROPE AND THE PERSIAN GULF TO CONSULT ON SADDAM HUSSEIN'S LATEST ULTIMATUM. HE HAS ARRIVED IN SAUDI ARABIA, AND WILL GO ON LATER IN THE WEEK TO KUWAIT. MEANWHILE, THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL WAS HOLDING PRIVATE TALKS ON THE IRAQ ISSUE AND IS PREPARING A DRAFT RESOLUTION THAT WOULD DENOUNCE IRAQ'S SUSPENSION OF COOPERATION. IN THIS COUNTRY, BOTH SADDAM HUSSEIN AND BILL CLINTON ARE BEING CRITICIZED, AND WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING ON NEW YORK'S LONG ISLAND, WHERE "NEWSDAY" SAYS IN ITS EDITORIAL HEADLINE THAT "IRAQ'S ABROGATION OF ITS WEAPONS-INSPECTION AGREEMENT IS A CRISIS DEMANDING ACTION," ADDING: VOICE: IRAQ'S DECISION ...PUTS IT AT ODDS NOT ONLY WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL BUT ALSO WITH SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN, WHO NEGOTIATED SADDAM HUSSEIN'S COMPLIANCE IN THE LAST CRISIS. ... [MR.] HUSSEIN SAYS HE WILL NO LONGER COOPERATE WITH WEAPONS INSPECTIONS UNLESS THE U-N LIFTS ALL SANCTIONS AGAINST BAGHDAD. THAT FLOUTS THE BINDING AGREEMENT HE MADE WITH THE ALLIES WHO DEFEATED HIM IN THE GULF WAR, WHICH IMPOSES SANCTIONS ON IRAQ UNTIL INSPECTIONS PROVE CONCLUSIVELY IT HAS DONE AWAY WITH ALL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. [MR.] HUSSEIN'S RENEWED DEFIANCE IS BECOMING A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE THAT CANNOT BE BRUSHED AWAY. ... IRAQ HAS BEEN SIMMERING ON A BACK BURNER OF [BILL] CLINTON'S FOREIGN -POLICY AGENDA FOR SOME TIME. NOW BAGHDAD HAS ACTED UP AGAIN, AND [MR.] CLINTON CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO IGNORE IT. TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON POST," PUT ITS IDEA FOR A REMEDY TO THE SITUATION IN CONCISE, FORCEFUL TERMS. VOICE: THE UNITED STATES MUST RESPOND WITH FORCE IF IRAQ DOES NOT ALLOW U-N TEAMS -- PASSIVE MONITORS AND SURPRISE INSPECTORS ALIKE -- TO RESUME THEIR WORK. IT SHOULD RESPOND AS PART OF A U-N-BACKED ALLIANCE IF POSSIBLE, ALONE IF NECESSARY. ITS BOMBING CAMPAIGN SHOULD NOT BE SYMBOLIC BUT DESIGNED TO DESTROY AS MUCH OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CAPABILITY TO MAKE AND USE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AS POSSIBLE. YES, EVEN SUCH A SERIOUS MILITARY EFFORT MIGHT END WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN STILL IN AND U-N INSPECTORS STILL OUT. THAT IS WHY A SERIOUS STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH IRAQ MUST INCLUDE A WILLINGNESS TO BOMB MORE THAN ONCE, IF SADDAM HUSSEIN AGAIN TRIES TO RECONSTITUTE HIS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. /// OPT /// THIS IS NOT A MATTER OF THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES MEDDLING WITHOUT RIGHT IN IRAQ'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. IRAQ BEGAN THIS BY INVADING KUWAIT. ... HAVING DEFEATED IRAQ'S ARMY, THE UNITED STATES CHOSE TO ACCEPT, IN PLACE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S TOTAL SURRENDER AND RELINQUISHING OF POWER, HIS PLEDGE TO DISARM. HIS FAILURE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS TO HONOR THAT PLEDGE GIVES THE UNITED NATIONS EVERY RIGHT TO RECONSIDER ITS MERCIFUL CEASE-FIRE TERMS. /// END OPT /// TEXT: "THE BOSTON GLOBE" SAYS ALSO IT IS "TIME TO CRACK DOWN ON SADDAM." VOICE: /// OPT /// SADDAM, WHO HAS NEVER LACKED FOR AUDACITY, HAS SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY A U-S POLICY THAT AMOUNTS TO AN INDEFINITE HOLDING ACTION, A SELF-DELUDING ASSERTION THAT THE COMBINATION OF ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND U-N WEAPONS INSPECTIONS MAY KEEP SADDAM FOREVER IN A BOX. BUT IT WAS PRESIDENT CLINTON'S PASSIVITY OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS THAT INDUCED SADDAM TO SHOW THE WORLD HE CANNOT BE KEPT IN A BOX. /// END OPT /// IN EFFECT, SADDAM'S OFFICIALS ARE SAYING THAT IRAQ MUST BE ALLOWED TO KEEP ITS BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS AS WELL AS THE MISSILES TO DELIVER THEM, AND AT THE SAME TIME THE IRAQI DICTATOR MUST BE ALLOWED TO SELL IRAQI OIL, POCKET THE PROCEEDS, AND USE THE MONEY TO REBUILD HIS MILITARY MACHINE. ... THE TIME FOR MUDDLING THROUGH HAS LONG PASSED. TEXT: IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, "THE OREGONIAN" SAYS THAT ALTHOUGH THE ECONOMIC EMBARGO HAS CAUSED UNDENIABLE HARDSHIPS TO SADDAM'S PEOPLE, THESE ARE SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS. VOICE: IT IS INDEED AN OUTRAGE THAT, EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE WAR'S END, IRAQ IS STILL UNDER CRUSHING ECONOMIC SANCTIONS, DESTROYING A GENERATION OF IRAQIS. BUT IT'S AN OUTRAGE LARGELY OF SADDAM'S MAKING, BOTH IN HIS BLOCKING INSPECTIONS AND IN LIMITING DIRECT OIL-FOR-FOOD AND MEDICINE SWAPS. TEXT: "THE NEW YORK TIMES" BLAMES INDECISION AT BOTH THE UNITED NATIONS AND WHITE HOUSE FOR EMBOLDENING MR. HUSSEIN. VOICE: WHENEVER MR. HUSSEIN SENSES HESITATION HE MOVES TO GAIN ADVANTAGE, AND WASHINGTON IS NOW DEALING WITH THE PREDICTABLE CONSEQUENCE OF ITS DESIRE TO AVOID ANOTHER CONFRONTATION WITH IRAQ. THE THREAT OF IRAQI CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS IS TOO GRAVE TO TREAT EXCLUSIVELY AS A DIPLOMATIC MATTER, AS THE WHITE HOUSE NOW SEEMS BELATEDLY TO RECOGNIZE. ... MILITARY ACTION ... MAY BE NEEDED. TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT FROM THE U-S EDITORIAL PAGES ON THE LATEST DEFIANCE OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY BY IRAQI LEADER SADDAM HUSSEIN. NEB/ANG/RAE 03-Nov-98 1:14 PM EST (1814 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .