DATE=11/12/98 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11004 TITLE=DEALING WITH SADDAM BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: WITH ADDITIONAL U-S FORCES STEAMING OR FLYING TOWARD THE GULF IN PREPARATION FOR ANOTHER POSSIBLE MILITARY CONFRONTATION WITH IRAQ'S MILITARY DICTATOR, SADDAM HUSSEIN, THE AMERICAN PRESS IS FILLED WITH COMMENTS ABOUT THE SITUATION. WE ARE JOINED NOW BY _____________ WHO HAS A SAMPLING OF THE LATEST, IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: /// OPT /// AS THE WEEK DRAWS TO A CLOSE, THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO BUILD UP ITS MILITARY FORCES IN THE VICINITY OF IRAQ, SENDING A POWERFUL SIGNAL THAT TIME IS SHORT FOR SADDAM HUSSEIN TO REINSTATE U-N WEAPONS INSPECTIONS OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES. /// END OPT /// FOR THE U-S PRESS, IT APPEARS MOSTLY BUT NOT ENTIRELY, IN FAVOR OF PROCEEDING WITH A MILITARY OPTION, AS THE BEST OF A BAD SET OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE CLINTON WHITE HOUSE. WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN THE WESTERN STATE OF NEBRASKA, WHERE "THE OMAHA WORLD-HERALD," THE STATE'S LARGEST DAILY, SUGGESTS THAT OPTIONS ARE FEW. VOICE: ONCE AGAIN, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN MANEUVERED INTO A POSITION IN WHICH FEW ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS ARE LEFT FOR DEALING WITH IRAQ. /// OPT /// LEGITIMATE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH WERE RAISED LAST FEBRUARY WHEN [MR.] CLINTON THREATENED TO USE AIR STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ. [PRESIDENT] CLINTON WAS UPSET WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REFUSAL TO LET UNITED NATIONS ARMS INSPECTORS DO THEIR JOB. ... THINGS DIDN'T GET BETTER. /// END OPT /// ... BY BACKING OFF WHEN SADDAM PUSHED, GIVING GROUND IN THE FACE OF HIS CHALLENGES TO THE INSPECTION TEAM, THE ADMINISTRATION MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE IRAQI THREAT. THE FACT THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS NO BETTER POLICY NOW THAN IT DID IN FEBRUARY IS AN INDICATION OF HOW BADLY THE SITUATION HAS BEEN HANDLED. TEXT: "THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE" CALLS FOR ONE LAST TRY AT DIPLOMACY BEFORE THE BOMBS ARE ORDERED TO FALL. VOICE: BEFORE [PRESIDENT] CLINTON UNLEASHES THE DOGS OF WAR, HE MUST EXHAUST DIPLOMACY AND PERSUADE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND OUR U-N ALLIES - - MANY OF WHOM OPPOSE MILITARY ACTION - - THAT IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT IRAQ FROM DEFYING THE U-N AND TERRORIZING THE PERSIAN GULF REGION. /// OPT /// IN THE END, IF AN ATTACK IS LAUNCHED IT SHOULD NOT BE A MERE SHOW OF FORCE. IT SHOULD BE A STRIKE WITH THE POWER AND DURATION NECESSARY TO TAKE OUT SADDAM'S ABILITY TO USE THESE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ONCE AND FOR ALL. /// END OPT /// TEXT: AS FAR AS "THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS" IS CONCERNED, THE OPTIONS -- OTHER THAN MILITARY FORCE -- HAVE JUST ABOUT BEEN EXHAUSTED, AS IT PROCLAIMS: VOICE: ... WHAT IS THERE TO THINK ABOUT, OTHER THAN THE PLANNING OF A SERIOUS MILITARY RESPONSE? /// OPT /// THE IRAQI DICTATOR'S DECISION TO TOSS OUT THE EXISTING AGREEMENT FOR ARMS INSPECTIONS, BROKERED BY U-N SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN A FEW MONTHS AGO, SAYS IT ALL: SADDAM IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED IN DIPLOMACY; HE UNDERSTANDS ONLY THE USE OF FORCE. SEEING THE FUTILITY OF THE ENTERPRISE, ALL U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS HAVE LEFT IRAQ. /// END OPT /// ... THE USE OF FORCE MUST BE SUSTAINED AND MASSIVE. THE GOALS SHOULD BE TO PREVENT SADDAM FROM RECONSTITUTING HIS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND MAKING HIM UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A HUGE PRICE TO PAY FOR HIS DEADLY MISCHIEF. A TIMID APPROACH WILL NOT DO. TEXT: WRITING IN "THE WASHINGTON TIMES," JAMES ANDERSON, A FORMER ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY IN QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, AND CURRENTLY A NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST AT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION IN WASHINGTON, ARGUES FOR OTHER, NON-MILITARY OPTIONS: VOICE: /// OPT /// UNFORTUNATELY, ANOTHER 'TOMAHAWK CHOP' (I.E. U-S CRUISE MISSILE ATTACK) IS UNLIKELY TO COW (I.E. FRIGHTEN) SADDAM HUSSEIN INTO GOOD BEHAVIOR OR DESTROY HIS ABILITY TO MANUFACTURE BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND POSSIBLY EVEN NUCLEAR WEAPONS. /// END OPT /// ... A U-S-LED EFFORT TO DEPOSE SADDAM STANDS A BETTER CHANCE OF WORKING THAN MORE U-N MEDDLING. ... SINCE THE UNITED STATES HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED NO-FLY ZONES OVER NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN IRAQ, THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE TO RECOGNIZE A PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT IN THE NORTH, WHERE ANTI-SADDAM SENTIMENT REMAINS HIGH. /// OPT/// THE UNITED STATES SHOULD INCREASE ITS SUPPORT FOR A SPECIAL TRIBUNAL TO INVESTIGATE IRAQI WAR CRIMES AND BOLSTER RADIO FREE IRAQ AS WELL. /// END OPT /// TEXT: "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" SAYS THE GOAL OF U-S POLICY SHOULD BE RE-ESTABLISHING THE UNITED NATIONS WEAPONS INSPECTIONS OF IRAQ'S POTENTIAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. VOICE: /// OPT /// THE ENDGAME FOR THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE TO RESTORE THE U-N INSPECTION REGIME AIMED AT RIDDING IRAQ OF ALL BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS. SADDAM'S OCTOBER 31[ST] SUSPENSION OF ALL COOPERATION WITH U-N INSPECTORS VIRTUALLY SHUT DOWN THE OPERATION, BUT THE IRAQI LEADER HAS NOT ALLOWED THE MONITORS TO OPERATE EFFECTIVELY FOR EIGHT OF THE LAST 12 MONTHS ANYWAY. /// END OPT /// ... [PRESIDENT] CLINTON SHOULD CONTINUE TO CALMLY FORMULATE HIS STRATEGY AND LET U-N SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN TRY THROUGH DIPLOMACY TO GET SADDAM'S COMPLIANCE, AS HE SUCCESSFULLY DID IN LAST FEBRUARY'S CRISIS. TEXT: LASTLY, "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE MAKES THIS ARGUMENT ON BEHALF OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS. VOICE: SOME SYMPATHY IS DUE MR. HUSSEIN'S DEMANDS FOR AN END TO SANCTIONS, WHICH IMPOVERISH THE IRAQI PEOPLE. SANCTIONS SHOULD END WHEN THEIR ORIGINAL TERMS ARE MET AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ARE DESTROYED. THEY SHOULD NOT BE KEPT ON UNTIL THE DICTATOR IS GONE ... TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF RECENT U-S PRESS EDITORIALS ON HOW THE CONFRONTATION WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN OVER CANCELLATION OF U-N WEAPONS INSPECTIONS SHOULD BE HANDLED. NEB/ANG/GE 12-Nov-98 2:27 PM EST (1927 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .