DATE=11/26/98 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11026 TITLE=MORE CONFLICT WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: IT HAS BEEN ONLY A FEW DAYS SINCE THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN CALLED OFF A MILITARY ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ BECAUSE OF THAT COUNTRY'S REFUSAL TO ABIDE BY THE WEAPONS MONITORING AGREEMENT IT SIGNED WITH THE UNITED NATIONS. NOW, AFTER SADDAM HUSSEIN AGREED TO RESUME THE CRITICAL INSPECTIONS OF HIS BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, AND ATOMIC WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT, ANOTHER DISPUTE HAS ARISEN. AND IN THE UNITED STATES PRESS, THERE ARE CALLS FOR AN END TO PATIENCE WITH THE IRAQI LEADER. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM ________________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: THE CHIEF OF THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE SADDAM HUSSEIN'S WEAPONS SITUATION, RICHARD BUTLER, HAS ASKED TO SEE SOME DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE NUMBER OF WEAPONS IRAQ HAD AT THE END OF THE 1991 GULF WAR. SO FAR, THE IRAQIS HAVE SAID THE DOCUMENTS HAVE EITHER BEEN HANDED OVER PREVIOUSLY, ARE NOT RELEVANT TO THE INSPECTIONS, HAVE BEEN LOST, OR NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. WESTERN LEADERS, ESPECIALLY PRESIDENT CLINTON, SAY THE LATEST STALEMATE DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE PREVIOUSLY POSTPONED ALL-OUT ATTACK. BUT MANY IN THE U-S PRESS ARE RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT OF PATIENCE WITH THE IRAQI LEADER, AS WE SEE IN THESE SAMPLES, BEGINNING WITH "THE NEW YORK POST." VOICE: SAY THIS FOR BILL CLINTON: NO ONE DRAWS A LINE IN THE SAND LIKE HE DOES -- OR BLINKS AS QUICKLY WHEN THAT LINE IS CROSSED. JUST ONE WEEK AFTER PUBLICLY WARNING SADDAM HUSSEIN THAT 'EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS THE LAST GO-AROUND' -- WITH MILITARY FORCE THE SOLE REMAINING OPTION -- THE ADMINISTRATION HAS GRANTED THE IRAQI DESPOT YET ANOTHER REPRIEVE. IN RETURN, WASHINGTON GETS ... WELL, NO ONE IS REALLY SURE. THIS PRESIDENT HAS PROVEN HIMSELF A MASTER AT UNDERMINING U-S CREDIBILITY ABROAD. ... ALTHOUGH HE OPENLY ADMITS THAT THE IRAQ CRISIS WILL NEVER BE SOLVED UNTIL SADDAM HUSSEIN IS TOPPLED FROM POWER, [MR.] CLINTON IS RELUCTANT TO TAKE ANY REAL STEPS TO ACHIEVE THAT AIM. INSTEAD, HE PINS ALL HIS HOPES ON A RESISTANCE MOVEMENT THAT BARELY EXISTS. NO WONDER THE IRAQI LEADER FEELS CONFIDENT IN DEFYING [SUCH] A PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN STILL THREATENS THE STABILITY OF THE ENTIRE GULF REGION. AND IF, THANKS TO THIS PRESIDENT'S LACK OF RESOLVE, HE EVER GETS THE CHANCE TO UNLEASH WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, THE DEATH TOLL FROM THAT CARNAGE WILL -- AND SHOULD -- BE LAID AT THE FEET OF [BLAMED ON] WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON. TEXT: ASSESSING THE PROSPECTS OF TOPPLING SADDAM HUSSEIN FROM WITHIN, BY A COMBINATION OF THE KURDS IN THE NORTH, AND SHI'ITE MOSLEMS, KNOWN AS MARSH ARABS IN THE FAR SOUTH AS CURRENTLY IMPROBABLE, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" NEVERTHELESS, SUGGESTS ITS CRITICAL FOR THE WEST TO MATCH HIS RESOLVE. VOICE: SADDAM HUSSEIN STILL CAN NOT RESIST TWEAKING [SQUEEZING] THE NOSE OF THE WORLD'S POLICEMEN. ... THIS TIME IT IS DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD CONFIRM THE WEAPONRY IRAQ HAD ON HAND IN THE LATE 1980'S. THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT SAYS THIS INFORMATION WOULD BREACH THE COUNTRY'S SECURITY. BUT THAT SEEMS AN ODD ARGUMENT FOR A COUNTRY FACING OFFICIAL AND INTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL SCRUTINY -- TO SAY NOTHING OF THE THREAT OF CRUISE MISSILES AND BOMBS IF NONCOOPERATION PERSISTS. THE DOCUMENTS MUST BE PRODUCED,AND THE INSPECTION PROCESS SHOULD MOVE FORWARD. THAT IS THE ONLY PATH TOWARD AN END TO THE U-N SANCTIONS THAT HAVE REDUCED IRAQ'S ECONOMY TO A RUSTED-OUT WRECK. ... SADDAM IS TENACIOUS. THOSE INSPECTING ARMS FACILITIES, SUSTAINING SANCTIONS, TENDING ALLIANCES -- AND, YES, KEEPING FORCES ON ALERT -- HAVE TO BE EVEN MORE SO. TEXT: IN SOUTH FLORIDA, "THE MIAMI HERALD" IS EQUALLY FRUSTRATED. VOICE: A WEEK AFTER IRAQ PLEDGED TO COOPERATE WITH UNITED NATIONS INSPECTORS, AND THEREBY AVOIDED A U-S MILITARY STRIKE, ITS FOREIGN MINISTER DENIED A DEMAND FOR DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE IRAQI ARMS PROGRAM. ... IRAQ'S CLAIM TO HAVE TURNED OVER ALL DATA IS DISINGENUOUS; AND ITS MOTIVE IS TRANSPARENT. SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REAL INTENT IS TO BUY TIME BY CHANGING THE TERMS OF THE DISCUSSION. IF IRAQ CAN PERSUADE MEMBERS OF THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL THAT IT IS CONTINUING TO COOPERATE, IT WINS ON TWO COUNTS: IT AVOIDS A MILITARY ATTACK BY U-S AND BRITISH FORCES, WHICH ARE POISED TO STRIKE; AND IT KEEPS INTACT THE MOST-GUARDED SECRETS OF ITS BIOLOGICAL-AND CHEMICAL-WEAPONS PROGRAM. ... PRESIDENT CLINTON SHOULD REITERATE TO IRAQ THAT IS HAS BUT ONE SAFE OPTION: UNCONDITIONAL COOPERATION. TEXT: IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, "THE OREGONIAN" IN PORTLAND SAYS MR. CLINTON'S CREDIBILITY IS NOW IN QUESTION, AS IRAQ BEGINS TO HAMPER THE WORK OF THE JUST-RETURNED U-N WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAM. VOICE: LAST TIME, SADDAM WAITED SIX-MONTHS BEFORE HE PRECIPITATED A NEW CRISIS ... MAYBE HE THINKS HE HAS LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT [PRESIDENT] CLINTON AND THE WILL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. ... LET US HOPE SADDAM HAS LEARNED WRONG. .... THE PRESIDENT SAID U-S MILITARY FORCES WOULD REMAIN IN THE REGION TO SEE THAT SADDAM KEPT HIS WORD. WELL, HE HAS NOT. SADDAM HAS LEFT [PRESIDENT] CLINTON WITH EVERY JUSTIFICATION FOR LAUNCHING AN ATTACK ON IRAQI TARGETS. TEXT: IN AN EDITORIAL ENTITLED "INCORRIGIBLE IRAQ" "THE NEW YORK TIMES" MAKES THE POINT: VOICE: IRAQ IS IMPLAUSIBLY CONTENDING THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE MOST OF THE WEAPONS DOCUMENTS THE INSPECTORS HAVE ASKED TO SEE AND ITS WITHHOLDING THOSE IT HAS. ... IF BAGHDAD IS BACK TO ITS FAMILIAR GAME OF THWARTING THE SEARCH FOR BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND BANNED MISSILES ... WASHINGTON WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REDUCE IRAQ'S ARSENAL .... BY MILITARY FORCE. TEXT: "THE BOSTON GLOBE" SUGGESTS IF PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN DOES NOT COMPLY QUICKLY WITH THE U-N REQUESTS, THE U-S SHOULD ATTACK, HITTING BOTH HIS WEAPONS FACILITIES AND ALSO THE MILITARY FORCES KEEPING HIM IN POWER. /// OPT /// VOICE: THIS IS WHAT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. ... YET HERE WE GO AGAIN. SADDAM IS REFUSING TO GIVE INSPECTORS THE DOCUMENTS THEY REQUIRE, AND THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS EQUIVOCATING. ... THIS IS A GAME THAT [MR.] CLINTON CANNOT GO ON PLAYING WITH SADDAM. THERE CAN NO LONGER BY ANY ILLUSIONS ABOUT SADDAM'S DETERMINATION TO RETAIN HIS STOCKS OF ANTHRAX, BOTULISM TOXINS, V-X NERVE GAS, AND ... NUCLEAR WEAPONS... UNLESS SADDAM HUSSEIN COMPLIES FULLY, AND RIGHT NOW, [PRESIDENT] CLINTON SHOULD ASK THE WEAPONS INSPECTORS AND ALL OTHER POTENTIAL HOSTAGES TO LEAVE ... THEN, THE UNITED STATES SHOULD AIM ITS SMART BOMBS AND MISSILES NOT ONLY AT ... SADDAM'S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, BUT ALSO AT TARGETS CRUCIAL TO HIS CRIMINAL REGIME. /// OPT /// TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" MAKES ITS OPINION KNOWN IN ITS LEAD EDITORIAL HEADLINE TODAY, WHICH READS: "CLEAR CASE FOR HITTING IRAQ." VOICE: HOW MANY MORE TIMES WILL THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL, WITH AMERICAN CONCURRENCE, STERNLY ADMONISH IRAQ THAT IT MUST LIVE UP TO ITS OFTEN GIVEN AND JUST AS OFTEN BROKEN PROMISES TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH U-N INSPECTORS AS THEY TRY TO FIND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION SADDAM HUSSEIN CONTINUES TO HIDE? ... THE CASE FOR TAKING MILITARY ACTION DOES NOT HAVE TO BE JUSTIFIED AGAIN. IT DERIVES FROM IRAQ'S RECORD OF THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. ... THAT IS ALL THE JUSTIFICATION THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO ORDER PUNITIVE AIRSTRIKES. /// END OPT /// TEXT: THAT ENDS THIS SAMPLING OF THE LATEST EDITORIAL OPINION ABOUT THE MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ON-GOING STRUGGLE BY THE UNITED NATIONS TO DETERMINE THE EXTEND OF IRAQ'S WEAPONS STOCKPILE, AND PRODUCTION CAPABILITY. NEB/ANG/RAE 26-Nov-98 2:19 PM EST (1919 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .