DATE=12/17/98 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11058 TITLE=THE ATTACK ON IRAQ AND IMPEACHMENT QUALMS BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= [EDITORS: DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TOPIC, BE ADVISED THAT N O N E OF THE EDITORIALS IN THIS OPINION ROUNDUP DUPLICATE THOSE TO BE FOUND IN U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST 6-11057, WHICH HAS ALREADY MOVED ON THE N E B WIRE] INTRO: FROM ONE END OF THIS NATION TO THE OTHER, U-S PAPERS ARE ALREADY RESPONDING TO THE ATTACK ON IRAQ. AND MANY OF THEM HAVE QUALMS ABOUT THE TIMING, COMING ON THE EVE OF AN IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING AGAINST PRESIDENT CLINTON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WE PRESENT A SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM THURSDAY'S DAILIES. HERE IS ____________________ WITH TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: THERE IS SPECULATION IN SOME PAPERS THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON ORDERED THE ATTACK TO DIVERT ATTENTION AND TO HINDER THE ACTIVITY OF CONGRESS, BUT OTHER PAPERS REJECT THAT LINE OF THINKING, SAYING HOW DARE ANYONE SUGGEST THAT CRITICAL U-S FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS WOULD BE INFLUENCED BY ANY PRESIDENT'S DESIRE TO INFLUENCE A DOMESTIC POLITICAL SITUATION. WE SAMPLE THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE NATION, BEGINNING WITH THE "HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN," WHICH, IN ITS HEADLINE: "RAIDS REVEAL [MR.] CLINTON'S LOSS OF CREDIBILITY," ALLUDES TO THE CYNICISM OF MANY. VOICE: ...THE DAMAGE TO [PRESIDENT] CLINTON'S OWN CREDIBILITY WAS EVIDENT IN THE SUSPICIOUS, EVEN CYNICAL RESPONSES!OF MANY AMERICANS, SOME IN HIGH PLACES, TO THE PRESIDENT'S ORDER, COMING AS IT DID ON THE EVE OF THE SCHEDULED [HOUSE] VOTE ... ON HIS IMPEACHMENT. ... OUR JUDGMENT IS THAT [MR.] CLINTON HAD TO ACT, IN THE FACE OF A REPORT BY THE .... U-N INSPECTION GROUP THAT IRAQ HAD AGAIN VIOLATED ITS PLEDGE TO COOPERATE WITH THE INSPECTORS. BUT THE TIMING OF THE ATTACK COULD NOT BE MORE QUESTIONABLE ... TEXT: MORE THAN SIX THOUSAND KILOMETERS, A VERY DIFFERENT VIEW FROM MAINE'S "PORTLAND PRESS HERALD," WHICH SAYS IN PART: VOICE: IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE NATION TO BE DAMAGED BY THE PARTISAN IMPEACHMENT PROCESS NOW UNDER WAY ..... [THE REPUBLICAN] ... SUGGESTION THAT THE PRESIDENT ... REACTED TO SADDAM MORE OUT OF CONCERN OVER THE PARTISAN IMPEACHMENT DRIVE THAN THE BELIEF THAT IRAQ POSES A SUBSTANTIAL THREAT TO THE WORLD [,] SIMPLY DOESN'T HOLD UP [UNDERSTOOD: "TO SCRUTINY."] ... IMPEACHMENT WILL HARM THE NATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE IRAQI CRISIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. TEXT: IN THE MIDWEST, "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" CONSIDERS THE ATTACKS A GAMBLE ON MR. CLINTON'S PART. VOICE: EVEN BEFORE THE BOMBS BEGAN TO FALL, CRITICS OF [MR.] CLINTON IN CONGRESS BEGAN QUESTIONING HIS MOTIVATION FOR BATTERING IRAQ, JUST AS THE HOUSE ... WAS SET TO VOTE ON WHETHER TO IMPEACH HIM. SUCH SKEPTICISM IS UNDERSTANDABLE ..... [HOWEVER] HOUSE LEADERS CONSIDERED POSTPONING THE IMPEACHMENT DEBATE AND VOTE, AND WISELY DID. SUCH A MOMENTOUS ACTION SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN UNDER THE SHADOW OF BOMBS AND IN THE MIDST OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS. .... THE TIMING MAY HAVE BEEN SUSPECT, BUT THE GOALS ARE EMINENTLY LEGITIMATE. TEXT: AND "THE TRIBUNE" ADDS, IN A COMPANION EDITORIAL, REGARDING IMPEACHMENT, THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE LOST SIGHT OF THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT'S CRIMES WERE COMMITTED. VOICE: .CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING. [PRESIDENT] CLINTON LIED TO AVOID DEEP PERSONAL EMBARRASSMENT, NOT TO SEIZE, MAINTAIN OR SUBVERT THE POWER OF THE STATE. ... HIS WERE **LOW** [ITALICS FOR EMPHASIS] CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, NOT THE HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS THAT THE CONSTITUTION SETS AS THE THRESHOLD FOR IMPEACHMENT. .... THERE IS NO BASIS FOR IMPEACHMENT. LET THE HOUSE VOTE DOWN THESE PROPOSED ARTICLES, AND VOTE UP A STERN, HISTORICALLY INDELIBLE RESOLUTION OF CENSURE. TEXT: IN CALIFORNIA, "THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS" ASKS: VOICE: WAS IT A COINCIDENCE OF TIMING OR THE ACT OF A MAN DESPERATELY TRYING TO SAVE HIS PRESIDENCY? .... WHEN THE RINDS OF POLITICAL RHETORIC ARE PEELED FROM THIS WHY-BOMB-NOW DEBATE, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT [MR.] CLINTON HAD NOTHING TO GAIN FROM ORDERING THE ATTACKS AND .... PLENTY TO LOSE WITH PEOPLE QUESTIONING THE TIMING. TEXT: TO THE SOUTH, "THE ORANGE COUNTY [SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA] REGISTER" IS MORE SKEPTICAL: VOICE: AS MUCH AS WE RECOIL FROM THAT IDEA, IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE DIDN'T FIGURE IN SOME WAY IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S LATEST MILITARY ACTION. .... RATHER THAN LAUNCH A MUCH-NEEDED DEBATE ABOUT U-S POLICY IN IRAQ, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS CALLED FOR AIR STRIKES. AND BY CHOOSING TO DO SO ON THE EVE OF AN IMPEACHMENT VOTE, THE PRESIDENT HAS OPENED THE DOOR TO ACCUSATIONS THAT HE DID SO FOR LESS THAN HONORABLE REASONS. .... WHEN THE DUST SETTLES, WE HOPE THE PRESIDENT HAS A GOOD EXPLANATION. TEXT: BACK IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, "THE PASADENA [CALIFORNIA] STAR-NEWS" SAYS: VOICE: "WE SUPPORT PRESIDENT CLINTON'S DECISION TO BEGIN AIR STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ, BUT THIS TIME SADDAM HUSSEIN MUST BE STOPPED ONCE AND FOR ALL. /// OPT /// WE CAUTION THOSE IN CONGRESS WHO HAVE ALREADY BEGUN USING THE ATTACK AS A POLITICAL CUDGEL [STICK] THAT THEY DO PERHAPS IRREPARABLE HARM TO AMERICAN CREDIBILITY ABROAD. /// END OPT /// ... DO NOT RETREAT. KEEP UP THE BARRAGE UNTIL SADDAM CRIES 'UNCLE SAM.' [SLANG MEANING: GIVES UP]. TEXT: "THE BOSTON GLOBE" CALLS THE ASSAULT "A JUST ATTACK," ADDING: VOICE: ..PRESIDENT CLINTON HAD JUSTIFIABLE GROUNDS FOR LAUNCHING CRUISE MISSILES AND BOMBING RAIDS AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME. ..... AT THE HEART OF THE CURRENT CONFLICT IS THE DEADLY SERIOUS MATTER OF SADDAM'S REFUSAL TO GIVE UP HIS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS ..... THE SKEPTICS SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS SADDAM WHO DETERMINED THE TIMING OF THIS LATEST SHOWDOWN ..... TEXT: AND LASTLY, MORE SKEPTICISM FROM "THE WASHINGTON TIMES." VOICE: IF YESTERDAY'S AMERICAN AIR STRIKE ON IRAQ WAS NOT THE ACT OF A DESPERATE MAN, IT INDISPUTABLY LOOKED LIKE ONE. OF ALL THE 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR, PRESIDENT CLINTON CHOSE THE EVE OF THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE IN THE HOUSE .... THE EVENT THAT WOULD LIKELY MAKE HIM THE SECOND PRESIDENT IN ... HISTORY TO ENDURE THIS HUMILIATION, TO TAKE ON [ENGAGE] IRAQI DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN AFTER AN ENTIRE YEAR OF HESITATION. COINCIDENCE? NOT A CHANCE. ... THE PRESIDENT'S CRAVEN ACT WAS RIGHTLY MET WITH WIDESPREAD SKEPTICISM AMONG CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AND DEMONSTRATES, NOT ONLY MR. CLINTON'S PERSONAL RECKLESSNESS, BUT ALSO HIS INABILITY TO LEAD THE COUNTRY ANY LONGER. ... THIS PRESIDENT HAS LOST WHATEVER CREDIBILITY HE EVER HAD.... TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM AROUND THE NATION REGARDING THE ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ AND THE POTENTIAL IMPEACHMENT VOTE IN THE HOUSE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT. NEB/ANG/KL 17-Dec-98 2:01 PM EST (1901 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .