DATE=11/19/98 TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11015 TITLE=ANOTHER CONFRONTATION WITH IRAQ ENDS BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: ANOTHER CONFRONTATION PITTING THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED NATIONS AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS ENDED WITHOUT MILITARY ACTION, AND WITH BAGHDAD AGREEING TO ALLOW RESUMPTION OF U-N WEAPONS INSPECTIONS. AROUND THE WORLD, THE PRESS IS LOOKING AT HOW THIS LATEST SHOWDOWN PLAYED OUT, AND WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM _________________ IN THIS WEEK'S WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: HOW TO DEAL WITH IRAQI PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN AND HIS APPARENTLY PERSISTENT DRIVE TO OBTAIN BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND ATOMIC WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION? THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT REMAINS FOREMOST IN THE MINDS OF MIDDLE EAST OBSERVERS IN THE WAKE OF THE LATEST ELEVENTH-HOUR AGREEMENT BETWEEN BAGHDAD AND WASHINGTON. PRESIDENT CLINTON'S CALL FOR "A NEW REGIME" IN IRAQ, AND HIS SUGGESTION THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL HELP VARIOUS DISSIDENT GROUPS EVENTUALLY TOPPLE MR. HUSSEIN, IS MEETING WITH POSITIVE REVIEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. HOWEVER, THERE IS A SMALLER GROUP OF COMMENTATORS -- TOTALLY OPPOSED TO THE IDEA OF DEPOSING THE IRAQI LEADER -- WHO FEEL THE UNITED STATES HAS OVERRIDDEN THE UNITED NATIONS' AUTHORITY IN THE AREA, BECAUSE IT IS BEING DRIVEN BY WHAT THEY CALL "IMPERIALIST" DESIGNS ON THE MIDDLE EAST. IN SEVERAL ARAB LANDS, THERE IS A CALL FOR EITHER AN END TO OR AT LEAST A REASSESSMENT OF THE SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ. WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING ALONG THE GULF, WHERE IN BAHRAIN, MANAMA'S "AL-AYAM" SUGGESTS IN A COMMENTARY: VOICE: AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF THE GREATEST FINANCIAL, MORAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL, INVESTMENT PROJECT [CONSPIRACY] IN HISTORY, THE UNITED STATES IS NAIVELY REPEATING THE OLD CONUNDRUM OF WHAT IT CAN DO VERSUS WHAT IT WANTS TO DO. ... THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER THE UNITED STATES WANTS TO OR CAN CHANGE THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IN IRAQ. THE QUESTION IS, DOES IT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THIS EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH THE IRAQI OPPOSITION? TEXT: THE SAME NEWSPAPER'S WEDNESDAY EDITION [11/18] INCLUDED ANOTHER COMMENTARY THAT SEEMED MORE SUPPORTIVE OF FINDING A SOLUTION, SUGGESTING: VOICE: THE ONLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CRISIS WILL NOT BE REPEATED IS THAT, IN PARALLEL WITH IRAQ'S COOPERATION WITH THE U-N INSPECTORS, THE U-N-S-C [U-N SECURITY COUNCIL] SHOULD CARRY OUT A SERIOUS AND COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW THAT LEADS TO LIFTING THE SANCTIONS. THE GULF AND ARAB COUNTRIES SHOULD SUPPORT SUCH A STEP. TEXT: IN NEARBY QATAR, THE DOHA DAILY "AL-SHARQ" COMMENTED: VOICE: WHAT WE DEMAND IS THAT ALL PARTIES FIND A MECHANISM THAT WILL DEAL IN A CIVILIZED MANNER WITH A HUMAN CATASTROPHE FROM WHICH A WHOLE NATION IS SUFFERING. STRIKING IRAQ UNDER THE PRETEXT OF CRIPPLING ITS MILITARY CAPABILITIES IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE, AFTER UNSCOM TEAMS HAVE SPENT EIGHT YEARS DESTROYING THESE CAPABILITIES AND AFTER IRAQ SUFFERED SEVERAL SIMILAR STRIKES UNDER THE SAME PRETEXT. TEXT: IN EGYPT, CAIRO'S RESPECTED "AL-AHRAM" WRITES: VOICE: THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE LOGIC BEHIND THIS CRISIS IS THAT IRAQ ONLY WANTED TO DIRECT THE WORLD'S ATTENTION TO THE TRAGEDY OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE. ... BUT THIS LOGIC IS FEEBLE. THE IRAQI LEADERSHIP, WHOSE FOOLISHNESS DROVE THE COUNTRY TO THIS TRAGEDY, SHOULD START THINKING OF UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS TO GET OUT OF IT. IRAQ SHOULD OPEN ITS DOORS WIDE TO INSPECTIONS, UNTIL THE INSPECTORS SAY "ENOUGH." TEXT: TURNING TO ASIA NOW, IN DHAKA, THE BANGLADESH "DAILY STAR" ARGUES: VOICE: THE ODDS AGAINST [SADDAM] THIS TIME ARE QUITE SERIOUS, AS BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND THE U-K [UNITED KINGDOM] HAVE GIVEN TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE LEADERSHIP IN IRAQ. AS SADDAM ALLOWS THE INSPECTIONS TO PROCEED, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON THE IRAQIS MUST BEGIN TO BE LIFTED. TEXT: NEARBY, IN INDIA, "THE HINDU" IN NEW DELHI WRITES: VOICE: IT IS A SHAME THAT THE SANE VOICE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS BEEN UNABLE TO PERSUADE THE U-N TO LIFT THE ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF IRAQ. THERE CAN NO MORE BE JUSTIFICATION FOR CONTINUING WITH A SANCTIONS REGIME THAT AIMS TO HURT AN AUTHORITARIAN RULER WHILE IT ENDS UP PENALIZING INNOCENT PEOPLE. TEXT: FARTHER EAST NOW, TO THE LAND DOWN UNDER, AUSTRALIA, WHERE IN MELBOURNE, "THE AGE" SUGGESTS: VOICE: THE AMERICANS WILL NOW PUT RENEWED EFFORT AND MONEY INTO BOLSTERING IRAQI OPPOSITION GROUPS, BUT FEW BELIEVE THEY CAN BE OTHER THAN A MINOR IRRITATION TO THE IRAQI LEADER. THE OPPOSITION IS DIVIDED, QUICKLY INFILTRATED BY SADDAM'S SPIES, AND HAS LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT EVEN SUPPOSEDLY SECRET ASSISTANCE FROM THE C-I-A CAN'T BE RELIED ON. TEXT: TO THE NORTH, IN BEIJING, THE OFFICIAL CHINESE NEWSPAPER "GUANGMING DAILY" PROPOSES: VOICE: IRAQ WANTED TO UTILIZE THE MIDDLE EAST NATIONS' DISCONTENT WITH THE UNITED STATES ... TO ATTAIN ITS GOAL OF REVITALIZING NATIONAL STRENGTH AND SHAKING OFF SANCTIONS. ... PERSISTENT SANCTIONS ON IRAQ SEEM UNLIKELY TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED GOALS. TEXT: "THE HONG KONG STANDARD" SAID IN AN EDITORIAL: VOICE: IRAQ'S EVER-DEFIANT PRESIDENT ... WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE U-N RESOLUTIONS. ... ON THE U-S SIDE, THERE APPEARS TO BE A GREATER DETERMINATION AND READINESS TO LAUNCH ATTACKS AGAINST IRAQ IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING SADDAM DOWN. ... CAPITALS THAT MAY BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A DIALOGUE WITH BAGHDAD SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO PREVENT THE ISSUE OF IRAQ FROM FLARING AGAIN. TEXT: TO JAPAN NOW, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST PAPERS IN THE WORLD, TOKYO'S "YOMIURI" WHICH COMMENTED WEDNESDAY [11/18]: VOICE: ALTHOUGH THE AVOIDANCE OF THE U-S-IRAQ MILITARY SHOWDOWN WAS PRAISEWORTHY, SADDAM'S REPEATED OBSTRUCTION OF REJECTION OF U-N WEAPONS INSPECTIONS IS EXTREMELY PROVOKING AND REGRETTABLE... IRAQ MUST FULLY REALIZE THAT ITS REPEATED OBSTRUCTION OR REJECTION OF WEAPONS INSPECTIONS WILL ... MAKE THE CHANCE OF LIFTING ... SANCTIONS MORE REMOTE. TEXT: TO AFRICA NOW, FOR A COMMENT FROM THE IVORY COAST IN ABIDJAN'S "NOTRE VOIE": VOICE: WITH THIS UMPTEENTH CRISIS, WE UNDERSTAND TO WHAT EXTENT THE UNITED STATES WANTS TO CONTROL THE ENTIRE WORLD ... [AND] FOR WHAT REASON DOES THE UNITED STATES WANT TO DEFEND ANOTHER COUNTRY [KUWAIT] TO THE POINT OF MAKING THIS A PERSONAL MATTER. TEXT: IN UGANDA, KAMPALA'S "NEW VISION" SUGGESTED THAT: VOICE: SANCTIONS WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO OVERTHROW SADDAM HUSSEIN, BUT THAT HAS NOW BECOME THEIR PURPOSE. THE LOSER HAS BEEN THE IRAQI PEOPLE, NOT SADDAM HUSSEIN WHO IS STILL IN POWER. WHEN THE ELEPHANTS FIGHT, IT IS THE GRASS THAT SUFFERS. TEXT: AND QUICKLY TO THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, WHERE OUR CANADIAN NEIGHBORS WERE NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE EITHER, JUDGING FROM "THE OTTAWA SUN" COMMENT IN A FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMN. VOICE: FEEL-GOOD BOMBING OF IRAQ IS NOT STRATEGY. IT IS CHILDISH PETULANCE, EXPRESSED WITH B-52S. BRAINPOWER, NOT FIREPOWER, IS NEEDED. IF THE UNITED STATES CAN SUP WITH THE DEVIL IN NORTH KOREA OR SERBIA, WHY NOT IRAQ? AFTER ALL, SADDAM USED TO BE THE WEST'S FAVORITE MIDEAST S.O.B. [INITIALS FOR THE VULGAR EXPRESSION: SON OF A BITCH] WHY NOT AGAIN? TEXT: FAR TO THE SOUTH, IN THE CARIBBEAN NATION OF JAMAICA, KINGSTON'S "DAILY GLEANER" HAD THIS TO SAY: VOICE: IRAQ'S DEFIANCE IS NOT ... THE JUST AND HONORABLE DEFIANCE OF A BELEAGUERED BUT PRINCIPLED STATE. IT IS ... THE DEFIANCE OF A LEADER WHO APPARENTLY CARES VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS. SADDAM HUSSEIN NOW CLAIMS JUSTICE, BUT HIS TREATMENT OF THE UNSCOM INSPECTORS AMOUNTS TO A STRONG DISREGARD FOR THE UNITED NATIONS. SADDAM CANNOT ASSUME THAT THE UNITED NATIONS WILL ROLL OVER AND PLAY DEAD, AND, SURELY, MUST REALIZE THAT HIS ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES. TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF SOME OF THE WORLD OPINION ON THE LATEST CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE U-S AND SADDAM HUSSEIN. NEB/ANG/WTW 19-Nov-98 5:08 PM EST (2208 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .