DATE=12/18/98
      TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
    NUMBER=6-11061
     TITLE=THE ATTACK ON IRAQ CONTINUES AND SO DOES THE DEBATE 
    BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
 TELEPHONE=619-3335
  DATELINE=WASHINGTON
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=

INTRO:  THE U-S AND BRITISH ATTACK ON IRAQ CONTINUES, AND SO DOES
THE DEBATE IN THE U-S PRESS ABOUT THE ATTACK.  MOST U-S PAPERS 
ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE ATTACKS, CITING THE THREATS POSED BY SADDAM
HUSSEIN'S ACCESS TO CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS THAT
COULD KILL THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

WE GET A SAMPLING OF THE LATEST OPINION NOW FROM ________________
IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.

TEXT:  FOR THE SECOND DAY, SHIP-BASED AND B-52-LAUNCHED TOMAHAWK 
CRUISE MISSILES POUNDED VARIOUS MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE TARGETS
IN IRAQ, AS FAR NORTH AS IRBIL, BUT CONCENTRATED IN THE 
INDUSTRIALIZED ZONE TO THE NORTH OF THE CAPITAL, BAGHDAD.

IN THE EDITORIAL PAGES, THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT SADDAM 
HUSSEIN HAD BROUGHT THE ATTACKS ON HIMSELF BY HIS ACTIONS, BUT 
THERE WAS SOME DISAGREEMENT.  WE BEGIN WITH "THE LOS ANGELES 
TIMES" WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY IN REACHING THE 
OBJECTIVE:

VOICE:   NO AMERICAN OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN THE AIR ATTACKS ON 
         IRAQ EXPECT THEM TO ELIMINATE THE COVERT CHEMICAL AND 
         BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMS THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS 
         PURSUED AT SUCH GREAT COST TO HIS COUNTRY OVER THE SEVEN
         YEARS SINCE THE GULF WAR.  MANY OF THE SITES .... CAN BE
         EXPECTED TO SURVIVE THIS WEEK'S BOMBING.... THE 
         REALISTIC AIM OF THE BOMBING IS TWOFOLD.  ONE IS TO 
         DIMINISH IRAQ'S TERROR WEAPONS CAPABILITY, IN PART BY 
         GOING AFTER THE MISSILES, PLANES AND BOMBS NEEDED TO 
         DELIVER THEM.  THE OTHER IS TO MAKE HUSSEIN PAY FOR HIS 
         INTRANSIGENCE BY ATTACKING THE MILITARY AND SECURITY 
         APPARATUS THAT PROPS UP HIS DICTATORSHIP.  .....  IRAQ 
         ... REMAINS AN INTERNATIONAL MENACE OF FEARSOME 
         PROPORTIONS, WITH A RECORD OF USING TERROR WEAPONS BOTH 
         ON THE BATTLE FIELD, AGAINST IRAN, AND AGAINST ITS 
         DOMESTIC FOES.  THAT JUSTIFIES THE USE OF FORCE TO 
         CONTAIN SADDAM HUSSEIN'S LEGIONS AND TO TRY TO COMPEL A 
         CHANGE IN ITS LEADERSHIP AND BEHAVIOR.

TEXT:  ACROSS TOWN, "THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS" WONDERS WHAT 
HAPPENS NEXT.

VOICE:   WHEN THE BOMBING STOPS IN IRAQ, THEN WHAT?  WHAT'S 
         PRESIDENT CLINTON'S LONG-RANGE POLICY TO DEAL WITH 
         SADDAM HUSSEIN AND IRAQ, ASSUMING THAT THE STRIKE FAILS 
         TO FINALLY END THE DICTATOR'S REIGN OF POWER AND TERROR?
         THOSE ARE VITAL, IMPORTANT AND LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS TO 
         BE DEBATED AND WEIGHED IN CONGRESS.   .... IMPEACHMENT 
         ASIDE, IT APPEARS THAT SADDAM WILL BE IN OFFICE LONG 
         AFTER BILL CLINTON, TRENT LOTT, NEWT GINGRICH AND BOB 
         LIVINGSTON ARE GONE. ... NO SERIOUS OPPOSITION EXISTS IN
         IRAQ TO OVERTHROW HIM AND HIS PARTY.  ... THE BOTTOM 
         LINE IS THIS: SADDAM MAY BE AROUND FOR THE LONG HAUL. 
         AND AMERICANS MUST PAY THE PRICE FOR YEARS TO COME OF 
         HAVING TWO ADMINISTRATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO 
         ARTICULATE AND EXECUTE CLEAR GOALS ON ENDING HIS REIGN 
         OF TERROR.

TEXT:  ON NEW YORK'S LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" SAYS WE MUST CALL THE
SITUATION WITH IRAQ, EXACTLY WHAT IT IS - - W A R. 

VOICE:   THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN ARE NOW AT WAR WITH IRAQ. 
         ... AND IF YOU GO TO WAR, THE IMMEDIATE GOAL - -  THE 
         ONLY JUSTIFIABLE GOAL  - -  IS TO WIN.  THAT'S WHAT 
         PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON MUST KEEP IN MIND AS HE MAKES 
         CRUCIAL DECISIONS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS ABOUT THE 
         CONTINUING ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ. ... [MR.] CLINTON MUST 
         PUT ASIDE THOUGHTS OF WHETHER IT WILL BE OFFENSIVE TO 
         MUSLIM SENSIBILITIES TO CONTINUE THE ATTACK INTO THE 
         HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN.  HE CANNOT PUT AN ARTIFICIAL TIME
         LIMIT ON THE STRIKES.  HE MUST RELY ON HIS ABILITY TO 
         COMPARTMENTALIZE, PUT THE IMPEACHMENT THREAT OUT OF MIND
         AND FOCUS ON THE JOB AT HAND: DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO WIN
         IN IRAQ.

TEXT:  "THE WASHINGTON POST" TAKES ON A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE 
ATTACK, FAIRLY BRISTLING AT THE CRITICISM OF THE UNITED STATES 
AND BRITAIN THAT THEY DID NOT ALLOW THE CONFRONTATION WITH MR. 
HUSSEIN TO BE SOLVED BY DIPLOMACY, AS U-N SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI 
ANNAN WANTED.

VOICE:   THE UNITED STATES IS BEING SCORED FOR LACKING DUE 
         CONFIDENCE IN THE UNITED NATIONS.  BUT WHO IS THE GOOD 
         INTERNATIONALIST HERE? IS IT A GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO 
         ACT AT ITS OWN COST AND RISK TO BLUNT SADDAM HUSSEIN'S 
         THREAT - -  A THREAT MADE CREDIBLE BY HIS PAST 
         AGGRESSION AND CRUELTY  - -  TO DEVELOP AND USE WEAPONS 
         OF MASS DESTRUCTION?  OR IS IT GOVERNMENTS OR 
         INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT COMPROMISE THE 
         REQUIREMENT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLEMN INTERNATIONAL 
         DECREES, IN THE UNITED NATIONS' CASE ITS OWN 
         RESOLUTIONS?  THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN ARE BEING 
         MORE FAITHFUL TO THE PURPOSES AS WELL AS TO THE SPECIFIC
         WORDS OF THE UNITED NATIONS THAN IS THE WORLD 
         ORGANIZATION ITSELF.

TEXT:  BACK IN CALIFORNIA, HOWEVER "THE ORANGE COUNTY [SANTA ANA]
REGISTER" WORRIES THAT THE FICTIONAL CINEMA SCENARIO OF A 
PRESIDENT INVOLVED IN A SEX SCANDAL DECLARING A PHONY WAR TO 
DISTRACT THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION, MAY HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED.  THE
PAPER PLAYS OFF THE MOTION PICTURE'S TITLE, "WAG THE DOG" AS IT 
WORRIES "HAVE WE BEEN 'WAGGED'? IN ITS HEADLINE.

VOICE:   FEW WOULD WANT TO BELIEVE THAT A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
         STATES, EVEN ONE FACING ... IMPEACHMENT ... WOULD PUT 
         AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL IN PERIL AND SPEND HUNDREDS 
         OF MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON A MILITARY MISSION 
         .... DESIGNED TO DIVERT ATTENTION ...  BUT THE CINEMATIC
         QUESTION PERSISTS ....  SCOTT RITTER, THE AMERICAN WHO 
         QUIT THE U-N IRAQI WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAM (UNSCOM) LAST
         AUGUST TO PROTEST WHAT HE CLAIMED WERE CLINTON 
         ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS .... GAVE A DEVASTATING INTERVIEW
         ... TO THE NEW YORK POST, CLAIMING THAT U-S OFFICIALS 
         PRODDED UNSCOM TO PROVOKE A CRISIS THAT WOULD JUSTIFY 
         BOMBING.  ... MR. RITTER CLAIMED THAT U-S GOVERNMENT 
         SOURCES TOLD HIM THREE WEEKS AGO WHEN THE INSPECTIONS 
         WERE RESUMED THAT 'THE TWO CONSIDERATIONS ON THE HORIZON
         WERE RAMADAN AND IMPEACHMENT.  YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO
         INTERPRET THIS AS 'WAG THE DOG.'  ...  WEDNESDAY'S 
         WASHINGTON POST ... SAID CLINTON ADMINISTRATION 
         OFFICIALS PLAYED A DIRECT ROLE IN SHAPING [MR.] BUTLER'S
         TEXT DURING MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM MONDAY AT 
         SECURE FACILITIES IN THE U-S MISSION TO THE UNITED 
         NATIONS.  ... WHATEVER LIES BEHIND THE TIMING OF 
         MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ, AMERICANS SHOULD THINK 
         LONG AND HARD ABOUT OUR SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH 
         SADDAM HUSSEIN'S REGIME.

TEXT:  WITH THAT, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT 
ON THE U-S AND BRITISH ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ.

NEB/ANG/KL  

18-Dec-98 2:33 PM EST (1933 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.