Voice of America, 13 March 1996

From: "Ioannis V. Bousnakis" <[email protected]>

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] WEDNESDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW N. GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: A PAIR OF INTERNATIONAL TOPICS -- THE TERRORISM SUMMIT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE ON-GOING CHINESE WAR GAMES NEAR TAIWAN -- ARE THE DOMINANT TOPICS IN WEDNESDAY'S U-S NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS. OTHER INTERESTS INCLUDE THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN; THE UPS AND DOWNS OF WALL STREET, ANOTHER ASIAN TROUBLE SPOT, AND WHAT THE WORLD SHOULD DO ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN NIGERIA. NOW, ___________________HAS A FEW QUOTES IN TODAY'S U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST.

TEXT: THE "BOSTON GLOBE" LEADS ITS EDITORIAL COLUMN WITH COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S GATHERING OF WORLD LEADERS IN EGYPT.

VOICE: "[OPT] THE ANTI-TERRORISM SUMMIT ... DOES HAVE POLITICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEANING, EVEN THOUGH IT CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE IMMEDIATE PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF SUICIDE BOMBERS IN ISRAEL. [END OPT] THE SPECTACLE OF 31 NATIONS ASSEMBLED TO RESIST THE TERRORISM OF HAMAS AND ISLAMIC JIHAD CARRIES A POTENT MESSAGE FOR ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE SUMMIT TELLS THEM THAT THOUGH THE WORK OF THE PEACEMAKERS IS UNFINISHED ... THE INCEPTION OF PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS HAS ALREADY TRANSFORMED THE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BALANCE OF FORCES."

TEXT: IN FLORIDA, TODAY'S "MIAMI HERALD" WONDERS WHETHER THE BRIEF SUMMIT IN SHARM EL-SHEIK CAN REALLY ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING, AND CONCLUDES THAT SOMETIMES SYMBOLISM BECOMES SUBSTANCE.

VOICE: "IT MIGHT BE ARGUED THAT THE ... PRESIDENTS, PRIME MINISTERS, AND KINGS HASTILY CONVENING FOR TODAY'S ANTI-TERRORISM SUMMIT IN ... EGYPT, ARE SYMBOLS IN SEARCH OF SUBSTANCE. AFTER ALL, WHAT OF SUBSTANCE CAN THESE WORLD LEADERS HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN A ... SCANT THREE HOURS? AH, BUT THAT ARGUMENT IS MYOPIC. FOR THERE ARE OCCASIONS -- AND THIS IS ONE -- WHEN THE SYMBOLISM 'IS' [ITALICS FOR EMPHASIS] THE SUBSTANCE. [OPT] WHATEVER COMES FROM TODAY'S SUMMIT, ITS DISPLAY OF OPPOSITION TO TERRORISM IS MORE SUBSTANCE THAN ANYONE COULD HAVE HOPED FOR A FEW YEARS AGO." [END OPT]

TEXT: CITING THE INTERNATIONAL CONCERN THAT LED TO TODAY'S ANTI-TERRORISM SUMMIT, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" WONDERS WHETHER "THE PEACEFUL MOVES THAT CLICKED INTO PLACE SO PRIMISINGLY IN 1995 ARE COMING UNGLUED? [BEGINNING TO FAIL]" "THE MONITOR'S" ANSWER:

VOICE: "HARDLY. A MORE REALISTIC EXPLANATION OF THESE PHENOMENA IS THAT LAST YEAR'S OVER-OPTIMISM HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH OVER-PESSIMISM. NEITHER WAS, OR IS, JUSTIFIED. CERTAINLY NOT THE PRESENT SENSE OF FOREBODING."

TEXT: IN THE SAME EDITORIAL, "THE MONITOR" OFFERS SOME THOUGHTS ON CHINA'S MILITARY EXERCISES AIMED AT INTIMIDATING THE PEOPLE OF TAIWAN.

VOICE: "THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT, DESPITE DEEP-FELT ANXIETY THAT TAIWAN MIGHT SLIP AWAY, BEIJING'S NEED FOR CONTINUING GROWTH AND MODERNIZATION OUTWEIGHS ITS LEADERS' DESIRE TO SHOW THEIR WORLD CLOUT... IT STILL SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE CARROT TO GO WITH THE STICK NOW BEING BRANDISHED AT TAIWAN WILL BE KEEPING HONG KONG'S GOLDEN GOOSE LAYING."

TEXT: OTHER PAPERS COMMENTING ON CHINA'S LIVE-AMMUNITION WAR GAMES NEAR TAIWAN INCLUDE "THE ORLANDO SENTINEL," WHICH SUGGESTS:

VOICE: "PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS RIGHT TO RESPOND BY ORDERING U-S WARSHIPS TO THE (TAIWAN STRAIT) AREA TO UNDERSCORE THE SERIOUSNESS OF REGIONAL STABILITY. DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE TWO NATIONS ARE HEADED TOWARD A MILITARY CLASH? NOT LIKELY... IF CHINA HAS NO AGGRESSIVE OBJECTIVE IN ITS EXRCISES, AS IT SAYS, THEN IT HAS NOTHING TO FEAR FROM THE U-S NAVAL PRESENCE."

TEXT: ALSO IN FLORIDA, "THE MIAMI HERALD" ADDS:

VOICE: "... IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS RESPONDED TO CHINA'S PROVOCATIONS BY BOLSTERING THE U-S NAVY'S PRESENCE IN THE AREA WHERE CHINA IS CONDUCTING 'LIVE FIRE' MILITARY EXERCISES. YET THIS MILITARY CONFRONTATION IS BUT ONE SYMPTOM OF UNRESOLVED POLICY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES CONCERNING THE STATUS OF TAIWAN."

TEXT: TURNING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN, THE "LOS ANGELES TIMES" TAKES NOTE OF SENATOR BOB DOLE'S IMPRESSIVE WIN IN YESTERDAY'S SUPER TUESDAY REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES, ADDING:

VOICE: "DESPITE THE KANSAS SENATOR'S STEADY PROGRESS, A DOGGED [PAT] BUCHANAN REFUSES TO QUIT. HE REJECTS PARTY LEADERS ... WHO HAVE APPEALED TO HIM TO WITHDRAW AND LET THE PARTY GATHER BEHIND THE FRONT-RUNNER... ULTIMATELY, HE INTENDS TO FORCE HIS AGENDA ONTO THE G-O-P PLATFORM COMMITTEE AT THE SAN DIEGO CONVENTION... [SENATOR] DOLE, THE PRESUMPTIVE G-O-P CANDIDATE, MUST NOT OVERTLY OR COVERTLY ENDORSE THE RACIAL AND GENDER-BASED HOSTILITIES SO PROMINENT IN THE BUCHANAN CAMPAIGN."

TEXT: TODAY'S "BALTIMORE SUN" IS WORRIED ABOUT THE UPS AND DOWNS OF WALL STREET, AND REMINDS ITS READERS:

VOICE: "WALL STREET IS NOT THE ECONOMY. REPEAT, WALL STREET IS NOT THE ECONOMY. WITH THE DOW JONES AVERAGE BOUNCING AROUND LIKE A KID ON A TRAMPOLINE -- DOWN FRIDAY 171 POINTS, UP MONDAY 110 POINTS, FLATTENING OUT YESTERDAY AFTER PLUNGING 95 POINTS AROUND THE NOON HOUR -- THE MANTRA CITED ABOVE IS A GOOD RECIPE FOR SANITY... THE PRUDENT COURSE IS NOT TO BE A POLLYANNA OR A CASSANDRA, NOT TO FLY HIGH OR PLUNGE LOW AS THE DOW JONES DOES ITS DAILY DANCE."

TEXT: "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" SAYS WITH ALL THE ATTENTION IN ASIA TURNED TOWARDS THE TAIWAN STRAIT, A SECOND DANGER ZONE IN ASIA, THE INDIA- PAKISTAN NUCLEAR ARMS RACE, IS HEATING UP AND NEEDS ATTENTION.

VOICE: "... THE ONLY POTENTIAL ARBITER ON THE SCENE, THE U-S HAS LITTLE LEVERAGE IN EITHER COUNTRY AND NO DISCERNIBLE POLICY AT ALL. IT HAD BETTER GET ONE SOON. WHILE NEITHER ISLAMABAD NOR DELHI IS SPOILING FOR WAR, THE BARRIERS THAT HAVE KEPT THE PROSPECT OF NUCLEAR CONFLICT SOMEWHAT REMOTE FOR DECADES ARE NOW MELTING LIKE SNOW IN THE SPRING SUN."

TEXT: FINALLY, TURNING TO AFRICA, "THE BALTIMORE SUN" SUGGESTS THE UNITED STATES SHOULD "NOT GO IT ALONE THIS TIME" IN ENACTING AN ECONOMIC EMBARGO OF NIGERIA TO COUNTER GROSS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.

VOICE: "... THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SHOULD RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO GO IT ALONE WITH ECONOMIC WARFARE. THE NEW YORK TIMES HAS REPORTED ... THE ADMINISTRATION IS CIRCULATING TO EUROPEAN PARTNERS PROPOSALS THAT INCLUDE BANNING NEW FOREIGN INVESTMENT, FREEZING FINANCIAL ASSETS OF NIGERIA'S RULERS AND BANNING NIGERIANS FROM WORLD SPORT 'AFTER' [ITALICS] THE ATLANTA OLYMPICS. IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WILL AGREE."

TEXT: AND THAT CONCLUDES THIS BRIEF SAMPLING OF SOME OF TODAY'S U-S PRESS EDITORIALS.

NEB/ANG/PCH
13-Mar-96 11:08 AM EST (1608 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] BOSNIA/SARAJEVO (L-ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: INTERNATIONAL OFFICIALS IN BOSNIA SAY MANY SERBS WHO STAYED IN THEIR HOMES WHEN A SERB SUBURB OF SARAJEVO CAME UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL TUESDAY NOW WANT TO LEAVE. THE CHANGE OF HEART COMES AFTER HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MUSLIM MEN RAMPAGED THROUGH THE SARAJEVO SUBURB OF ILIDZA ONLY HOURS AFTER GOVERNMENT POLICE TOOK OVER. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: AS MANY AS THREE-THOUSAND SERB CIVILIANS DECIDED TO STAY BEHIND IN THE SARAJEVO SUBURB OF ILIDZA AND TAKE THEIR CHANCES BY LIVING UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT.

ON TUESDAY MORNING POLICE FROM THE MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION MOVED INTO ILIDZA, AND THOUSANDS OF MUSLIMS FROM SARAJEVO WALKED TO ILIDZA TO CELEBRATE THE MOMENT. U-N REFUGEE AGENCY SPOKESMAN KRIS JANOWSKI SAYS MANY OF THOSE WHO VISITED ILIDZA HAD MORE THAN CELEBRATION ON THEIR MIND.

THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF THUGS ROAMING THE AREA, SOME OF THEM DRIVING AROUND IN UNMARKED CARS WITHOUT LICENCE PLATES. GOING INTO HOMES PICKING UP THINGS. I SPOKE TO SEVERAL OLD PEOPLE WHO WERE THREATENED WITH HAND GRENADES. ONE MAN WAS THREATENED WITH A PISTOL, ANOTHER MAN HAD SOME SORT OF EXPLOSIVE DEVICE PLACED IN HIS FLAT.

FOR MONTHS NATO AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CONVINCE SERBS TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES, REASSURING THEM THEY WOULD BE SAFE. KRIS JANOWSKI FELT PARTICULARLY BITTER ABOUT THE BREAK-DOWN IN SECURITY.

IT IS EXTREMELY SAD BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE TOLD BY US THAT THEY SHOULD STAY, AND THEN THEY HAD TO SCREW-UP ALL THEIR COURAGE TO STAY, TO RESIST INTIMIDATION FROM THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND NOW THEY ARE BEING THREATENED AND VICTIMIZED BY THE LOOTING OPERATION OF THE INCOMING ENTITY.

HUNDREDS OF SERBS NOW SAY THEY WANT TO LEAVE. BUT MR JANOWSKI SAYS HE STILL THINKS THE SERBS SHOULD STAY AND HE EXPECTS THE VIOLENCE TO QUICKLY DIE OUT.

ACCORDING TO PETER FITZGERALD, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE TASK FORCE, THERE WERE SIMPLY TOO MANY PEOPLE AND TOO MUCH CRIMINAL ACTIVITY FOR THE 90-MAN FEDERATION POLICE FORCE TO DEAL WITH.

AS A PROFESSIONAL POLICE OFFICER I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM NOT HAPPY, AND INDEED I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE LEVEL OF POLICING IN THE AREA. I THINK THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA DESERVE MUCH MORE PROTECTION THAN THEY GOT YESTERDAY -- AND IN MY MEETINGS TODAY WITH THE FEDERATION POLICE WILL BE TELLING THEM THAT.

COMMISSIONER FITZGERALD SAYS OFFICIALS WILL TRY TO GET ADDITIONAL FEDERATION POLICE INTO ILIDZA QUICKLY AND NATO OFFICERS SAY THEY WILL HAVE A VERY STRONG PRESENCE ON THE GROUND TO TRY TO DETER FURTHER VIOLENCE. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/ADEN/CF
13-Mar-96 2:02 PM EST (1902 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America