DATE=11/18/98 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11012 TITLE=MORE ON THE U-S IRAQ CONFRONTATION BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND IRAQ'S PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN, RESOLVED AT THE LAST MINUTE BY ANOTHER PROMISE OF IRAQI COMPLIANCE WITH U-N WEAPONS INSPECTIONS, IS STILL BEING ANALYZED EXTENSIVELY IN THE U-S PRESS. WE HAVE MORE EXAMPLES NOW FROM ___________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS DRAWING BOTH CRITICISM AND PRAISE FROM A VARIETY OF COLUMNISTS AND EDITORIALS WHO TAKE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE NEAR MILITARY ATTACK ON IRAQ, AND THE SUBSEQUENT LAST MINUTE DECISION BY BAGHDAD TO RESUME U-N INSPECTIONS. SOME COLUMNISTS ARE ACCUSING THE PRESIDENT OF BEING AFRAID TO LAUNCH A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN, WHILE OTHERS PRAISE HIS PATIENCE FOR POSSIBLY ENDING THE CONFRONTATION WITHOUT A MILITARY CONFLICT, AND THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF CIVILIAN LIVES. "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER'S" VETERAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMNIST, TRUDY RUBIN, IS WORRIED THAT U-S POLICY TOWARD IRAQI IS INCONSISTENT, SUGGESTING IT APPEARS TO BE MADE UP AS EVENTS EVOLVE. SHE SAYS THIS LATEST CONFRONTATION WAS AN IMPORTANT MISSED OPPORTUNITY. VOICE: WASHINGTON HAD THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO HIT SUCH [IMPORTANT MILITARY] TARGETS LAST WEEKEND. SADDAM HAD ACTED SO BADLY TOWARD THE U-N INSPECTORS THAT THE WHOLE WORLD WAS ANGRY. NEVER, SINCE THE GULF WAR, HAD THE CONSENSUS BEEN SO BROAD AGAINST HIM. EVEN ARAB NATIONS, FRANCE AND RUSSIA WERE READY TO ACCEPT U-S ATTACKS. THEN THE PRESIDENT BLINKED. /// OPT /// HIS AIDES SAY HE WAS TROUBLED BY PENTAGON ESTIMATES THAT THE ATTACKS MIGHT KILL THOUSANDS OF IRAQIS. [MR.] CLINTON CALLED ON IRAQ TO GIVE U-N INSPECTORS OPEN ACCESS, THEN SAID THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THE IRAQI WEAPONS THREAT WAS THROUGH 'A NEW GOVERNMENT' IN BAGHDAD. THIS RATIONALE IS RIDDLED WITH CONTRADICTIONS. ... MOREOVER IF [MR.] CLINTON REALLY WANTS A NEW GOVERNMENT IN BAGHDAD (WHICH IS FAR FROM CERTAIN), THERE ARE PLENTY OF STEPS THE ADMINISTRATION COULD BE TAKING, WHICH IT'S NOT. /// END OPT /// TEXT: "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" FEELS THAT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, U-S POLICY TOWARD SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST TROUBLESOME DESPOTS IS WORKING. VOICE: /// OPT /// IN ITS FIRST TERM, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WAS RIGHTLY CRITICIZED FOR DEALING TOUGHLY WITH BRITAIN, FRANCE, GERMANY, JAPAN, AND CHINA WHILE WOOING NORTH KOREA AND MOVING TARDILY OR WEAKLY AGAINST (YUGOSLAVIA'S) MILOSEVIC AND IRAQ'S SADDAM HUSSEIN. PRESIDENT CLINTON NOW IS GETTING ON SWIMMINGLY [VERY WELL] WITH THE NEW LEADERS OF BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND GERMANY ...... U-S RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND JAPAN ARE REASONABLY GOOD. BUT /// END OPT /// NEITHER THE U-S NOR EUROPE IS ANY MORE ADROIT AT DEALING WITH PARIAHS (YUGOSLAVIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN) MILOSEVIC -- ETHNIC CLEANSING -- AND (SADDAM) HUSSEIN -- BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL SUPERWEAPONS. ... OVERALL, IT'S A FRUSTRATING PICTURE, LIKE SOME STUBBORN CHECKERS GAME IN WHICH OPPONENTS' PIECES CHALLENGE, BACK OFF, THEN CHALLENGE AGAIN. BUT ARE MATTERS AS BAD AS THEY SEEM? NOT IF [MR.] CLINTON AND HIS EUROPEAN FRIENDS SHOW SOME COORDINATED RESOLVE. TEXT: AS FAR AS "THE WASHINGTON TIMES'" DEPUTY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR HELLE BERING IS CONCERNED, MR. CLINTON IS "THE PRESIDENT WHO WOULDN'T FIGHT." VOICE: /// OPT /// HAS AN AMERICAN COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF EVER DISPLAYED AS PROFOUND AN AVERSION TO THE USE OF FORCE AS MR. CLINTON? THINK BACK TO HARRY TRUMAN, FOR INSTANCE. HE GAVE THE ORDER TO BOMB HIROSHIMA AND RETURNED TO BED AND A GOOD NIGHT'S REST. BUT THAT WAS ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER GENERATION. INSTEAD, /// END OPT /// WE NOW HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO HAD HIS FINGER ON THE TRIGGER TWICE LAST WEEKEND, SO WE ARE TOLD, AND WHO CHOSE THE EASY WAY OUT AT THE SIGHT OF THE MEREST FIG LEAF FROM IRAQ. ... NOW, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE U-S COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, ... SHOULD NOT ACT WITH RESTRAINT AND THE GREATEST DELIBERATION WHEN FORCES IS TO BE USED. THAT'S HIS DUTY. BUT SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU DEAL WITH MEN OF VIOLENCE, LIKE SADDAM HUSSEIN ..... FORCE HAS TO BE MET WITH FORCE, OR THERE WILL BE WORSE TO FOLLOW. TEXT: THE "BOSTON GLOBE" COLUMNIST, THOMAS OLIPHANT, SAYS THE U-S HAS SADDAM HUSSEIN BACKED INTO A CORNER NOW, AND THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON MAY WELL HAVE EVEN ENHANCED THE U-S POSITION. VOICE: /// OPT /// ... IT'S WORTH THE FRUSTRATION AND THE GUFF FROM MACHO TYPES TO TEST ANY REALISTIC CHANCE THAT THE BEST MEANS OF KEEPING SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME FROM ACQUIRING BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN QUANTITY AND THE MEANS OF USING THEM - - NAMELY TOUGH INSPECTIONS - - CAN STILL WORK. ..... NOW, AFTER A WEEKEND OF MANEUVERING THAT WAS BIZARRE AND MADDENING EVEN BY THE STANDARDS OF THIS EIGHT-YEAR MELODRAMA, IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A CHANCE WORTH TESTING BECAUSE THE TEST IS AT LONG LAST CLEAR. ..... THERE ARE NO ILLUSIONS. NO ONE IS TRUSTING ANYONE. /// END OPT /// WHAT THERE IS, AT LAST, IS A TEST, IN AN ATMOSPHERE DEFINED BY IRAQ'S INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION. EITHER SADDAM'S HEGEMONIC SCHEME WILL EVAPORATE UNDER RIGIDLY SUPERVISED DISARMAMENT OR IT WILL END UNDER A RAIN OF BOMBS AND MISSILES FOLLOWED BY STRICT CONTAINMENT. TEXT: NEBRASKA'S "OMAHA WORLD-HERALD" PRONOUNCES IN A LEAD EDITORIAL THAT THE CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME CONTINUES. THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND UNCLEAR. VOICE: THE ABORTING OF A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE REFLECTED A TRIUMPH OF DIPLOMACY. THERE'S THE CHANCE THAT IT WAS ANOTHER VICTORY BY SADDAM HUSSEIN IN THE GAME HE HAS BEEN PLAYING WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED NATIONS. ... THIS WAY OF DOING BUSINESS LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED. /// OPT /// THE UNITED STATES SPENDS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS - - AND UNTOLD AMOUNTS OF POLITICAL PRESTIGE - - EXPANDING ITS MILITARY FORCE IN THE GULF, THEN CONTRACTING IT AFTER A LAST-SECOND CHANGE OF TACTICS BY IRAQ. PILOTS AND MISSILE CREWS ARE PUT ON ALERT, THEN, TO THEIR FRUSTRATION, PULLED BACK. /// END OPT /// ... THERE SEEM TO BE TWO WAYS OUT OF THIS UNPRODUCTIVE CYCLE. ONE IS TO USE THE INSPECTIONS TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. ... THE OTHER WAY TO END THE CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME IS TO GO AFTER THE MOUSE. ... GIVEN THE SUFFERING THAT SADDAM INFLICTS ON HIS OWN PEOPLE AND THE THREAT HE POSES TO THE REGION, IT'S TIME TO CONVINCE THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT HIS RULE SHOULD END. /// OPT /// TEXT: "THE DETROIT NEWS," HAS NO DIFFICULTY DECIDING WHO WON THIS LATEST ROUND. VOICE: ... BACKING AWAY FROM AIR STRIKES TO REINSTATE A DEFUNCT WEAPONS INSPECTIONS PROGRAM IS PRECISELY THE WRONG MOVE AT THIS JUNCTURE. IT MAY LOOK LIKE A DEFEAT FOR SADDAM, BUT HE HAS DOUBTLESS USED THE LAST THREE WEEKS TO MOVE WEAPONS AROUND AND OTHERWISE FRUSTRATE THE INSPECTORS. DESPITE PRESIDENT CLINTON'S BLUSTER ABOUT IMMEDIATE AIR STRIKES IN THE CASE OF FURTHER INFRACTIONS, HE ISN'T LIKELY TO DO THAT WHILE U-N INSPECTORS ARE PRESENT IN IRAQ. WHAT THE LAST FEW DAYS MOST CLEARLY REVEAL IS THE INCOHERENCE OF ... PRESIDENT CLINTON'S IRAQI POLICY - - SOMETHING THAT SADDAM HAS EXPLOITED SO MASTERFULLY IN THE PAST AND WILL ALMOST ASSUREDLY DO AGAIN. TEXT: HOWEVER IN THE OPINION OF "THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH," THE PRESIDENT WAS CORRECT. VOICE: ON SATURDAY, THE SITUATION LOOKED MUCH BLEAKER. HOURS BEFORE THE SCHEDULED ATTACK, AND OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF SOME OF HIS MOST TRUSTED ADVISERS, PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON CALLED OFF A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ. ..... BUT, MR. CLINTON WARNED SADDAM ON SUNDAY, 'WE REMAIN READY TO ACT,' SHOULD THE U-N INSPECTORS BE FACED WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN 'UNFETTERED ACCESS' TO IRAQI SITES. IT WAS EXACTLY THE RIGHT DECISION TO MAKE. AS MR. CLINTON HIMSELF NOTED, THE U-N INSPECTORS 'HAVE BEEN AND ... REMAIN THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL TO UNCOVER, DESTROY AND PREVENT IRAQ FROM BUILDING ITS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND THE MISSILES TO DELIVER THEM. /// END OPT /// TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE LATEST CONFRONTATION WITH IRAQ. NEB/ANG/GE 18-Nov-98 1:39 PM EST (1839 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .