Voice of America, 8 January 1996

From: "Ioannis V. Bousnakis" <ivb19@nfi.com>

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

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

INTRO: AS A GIANT SNOW STORM CRIPPLES GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD, MANY NEWSPAPERS ARE HAVING TROUBLE DELIVERING TO CUSTOMERS. BUT FOR THOSE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET A PAPER AMONG THE SNOWDRIFTS, THERE ARE PLENTY OF TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION IN THE DAYS EDITORIAL COLUMNS. AMONG THEM ARE NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON AND THE SCANDAL SURROUNDING A FAILED REAL ESTATE VENTURE THAT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE WHITEWATER AFFAIR; THE ON-GOING BUDGET DISPUTE; THE LEADERSHIP GAP IN GREECE AND THE FIGHT TO CONTINUE A FREE PRESS IN NIGERIA AND OTHER NATIONS OR AREAS WHERE IT IS THREATENED. NOW, HERE IS ___________ WITH A CLOSER LOOK IN TODAY'S EDITORIAL DIGEST.

TEXT: NEW INFORMATION, CONTAINED IN DOCUMENTS JUST RELEASED BY THE WHITE HOUSE AND RELATING TO HILLARY CLINTON HAVE PROMPTED MUCH EDITORIAL COMMENT. SOME OF THE NEWLY-RELEASED DOCUMENTS SUGGEST A DEEPER INVOLVEMENT IN THE WHITEWATER AFFAIR WHILE MRS. CLINTON WORKED AT A LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS LAW FIRM. THE OTHER, HAVE TO DO WITH THE FIRING OF THE WHITE HOUSE TRAVEL OFFICE STAFF IN WHICH SHE MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART. HERE'S PART OF TODAY'S "DENVER POST" LEAD EDITORIAL.

VOICE: "[OPT] WHILE PRESIDENT CLINTON SEEMS TO HAVE HIS HANDS FULL BATTLING WITH REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OVER WHETHER TO BALANCE THE FEDERAL BUDGET, IN SOME WAYS HE APPEARS TO FACE LESS DAUNTING IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES THAN HIS WIFE, HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON. [END OPT] ...THE FACT THAT A FORMER WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION WROTE A ... MEMO BLAMING HER FOR THE WHOLESALE FIRING OF THE WHITE HOUSE TRAVEL STAFF IS BAD NEWS FOR MRS. CLINTON ON TWO FRONTS. ONE IS A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO HER CREDIBILITY, BECAUSE SHE HAS OFFICIALLY DENIED INVOLVEMENT IN THE DECISION TO FIRE THE STAFF. THE SECOND IS THAT IT KEEPS ALIVE SOME OF THE OTHER CONTROVERSIES CONCERNING HER BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING WHAT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE WHITEWATER MESS."

TEXT: IN THE EAST, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" IS ALSO LEADING WITH THE DISCLOSURES UNDER A HEADLINE THAT SAYS "WHITEWATER RETURNS."

VOICE: "THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM IS TRUTH-TELLING. PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS ABSORBED MANY BLOWS TO HIS CHARACTER.... BUT NONE HAVE BEEN AS DAMAGING AS THE WHITE HOUSE'S THREE-YEAR PROGRAM OF EVASION AND MEDDLING REGARDING THE CLINTONS' INVOLVEMENT WITH ... THEIR PARTNER IN THE WHITEWATER LAND DEAL AND OWNER OF ... AN ARKANSAS SAVINGS AND LOAN.... THAT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL ADVANTAGE FOR THE REPUBLICANS, AN ADVANTAGE CREATED BY MR. AND MRS. CLINTON'S OBFUSCATIONS."

TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON POST" ALSO LEADS ITS EDITORIAL SPACE WITH A COMMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THESE THOUGHTS:

VOICE: "AFTER MONTHS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT THEIR HANDS ON DOCUMENTS CENTRAL TO INVESTIGATIONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE TRAVEL OFFICE FIRINGS AND WHITEWATER-RELATED ISSUES BY CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES AND THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HAVE COME UP WITH BACK-TO-BACK DISCOVERIES OF SOME IMPORTANCE. BOTH DOCUMENTS CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT CONTRADICTS INFORMATION MR. CLINTON HAS GIVEN TO OFFICIAL PROBES.... SO, THERE IS MUCH TO BE SORTED OUT BY CONGRESS AND THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL. AND THE FIRST LADY NEEDS TO HELP RECONCILE THE INCONSISTENCIES...."

TEXT: TURNING TO THE BUDGET IMPASSE WHICH HAS BEEN PARTIALLY SETTLED ONLY TO HAVE THE BLIZZARD DELAY THE RE-OPENING OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TODAY'S "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" NOTES:

VOICE: "POLITICALLY, CRITICAL MASS WAS REACHED LATE LAST WEEK. REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE RECOGNIZED THEIR POSITION ON THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WAS BECOMING UNTENABLE AND DEVISED A PLAN TO GET MUCH OF THE FEDERAL MACHINERY MOVING AGAIN. BARELY WAS THE INK DRY ON THAT DEAL BEFORE PRESIDENT CLINTON CAME THROUGH WITH A PLAN TO BALANCE THE BUDGET BY 2002.... HE, TOO, WAS FEELING THE HEAT. WILL THE SIDES NOW DO THE POSSIBLE AND PROMPTLY ARRIVE AT A COMPROMISE ON THE BASIS OF THEIR TWO PLANS? IF THEY DON'T, THE SHUTDOWN COULD RESUME AFTER JANUARY 26TH. [OPT] ... THE GREATEST PUBLIC NEED, PERHAPS, IS TO SEE GOVERNMENT WORK, NOT SPUTTER AND STALL. WASHINGTON'S NEGOTIATORS SHOULD KEEP THAT IN MIND." [END OPT]

TEXT: IF THE PROBLEMS AT THE TOP OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT SEEM SERIOUS, THEY PALE BY COMPARISON TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN GREECE. THERE, THE PRIME MINISTER IS SERIOUSLY ILL BUT SO FAR IS REFUSING TO TRANSFER POWER, A SERIOUS SITUATION ACCORDING TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES."

VOICE: "GREECE, THE PROUD BIRTHPLACE OF DEMOCRACY, NOW FINDS ITSELF IMMOBILIZED BY THE DESPOTIC REFUSAL OF ITS GRAVELY ILL PRIME MINISTER, ANDREAS PAPANDREOU, TO YIELD POWER. THE RULING PAN-HELLENIC SOCIALIST PARTY ... NEEDS TO DESIGNATE AT LEAST AN INTERIM SUCCESSOR WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. [OPT] SINCE LAST NOVEMBER, MR. PAPANDREOU HAS BEEN INCAPACITATED.... HE CLEARLY CANNOT GOVERN. YET HE DECLINES TO STEP ASIDE AND HIS RULING PARTY HESITATES TO FORCE HIS HAND. POLICY-MAKING IN ATHENS IS PARALYZED." [END OPT]

TEXT: IN THE FAR NORTHEAST, "THE PORTLAND [MAINE] PRESS HERALD" IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONTINUING EFFORTS OF SOME RULERS AROUND THE WORLD, TO SUPPRESS A FREE PRESS IN THEIR NATIONS.

VOICE: "THE ARTICLE IN TELL, A NIGERIAN NEWSMAGAZINE, BEGAN THIS WAY: '(SANI) ABACHA AND HIS GENERALS ARE FORCED TO EMBRACE THE COLD REALITY THAT THEY ARE ENGAGED IN A FIGHT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT THEY CANNOT WIN. ... IT WAS A RATHER STRAIGHTFORWARD DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION THAT FOLLOWED THE EXECUTIONS [OF KEN SARO-WIWA AND EIGHT OTHER OGONI TRIBAL ACTIVISTS]. WITHIN DAYS, HOWEVER, TELL'S OFFICES WERE SET UPON BY A PRO-GOVERNMENT MOB THAT TRIED TO BURN THE PLACE DOWN. SO MUCH FOR A FREE PRESS IN MODERN NIGERIA."

TEXT: "THE PRESS HERALD" ALSO DETAILS OTHER PROBLEMS NEWSMEN HAVE HAD RECENTLY IN THE IVORY COAST, IN THE WEST BANK UNDER THE NEW PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, AND IN EGYPT, WHERE THE EDITOR OF A LEADING CAIRO MAGAZINE WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR SLANDER.

TURNING ONCE AGAIN TO DOMESTIC ISSUES, AND SOCIAL TRENDS, "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" NOTES THAT PERSONAL COMPUTERS ARE FAST BECOMING AS BASIC AS BOOKS, BUT WONDERS WHETHER REQUIRING THEM FOR COLLEGE ADMITTANCE IS A GOOD IDEA.

VOICE: "NOW A NEW DEBATE HAS ARISEN: SHOULD COLLEGE STUDENTS BE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN COMPUTERS? AT GEORGIA TECH, THE ANSWER SOON MAY BE YES. TECH OFFICIALS ARE CONSIDERING REQUIRING FRESHMEN TO BRING THEIR OWN COMPUTERS TO SCHOOL, POSSIBLY AS SOON AS FALL 1997. THAT WOULD MAKE TECH THE FIRST COLLEGE IN THE STATE AND ONE OF JUST A HANDFUL IN THE NATION, TO EXPECT STUDENTS TO COME TO CAMPUS WIRED. THIS IS NOT A DECISION TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. ... TECH SHOULD NOT GO FORWARD WITH THE REQUIREMENT UNTIL IT HAS PUT TOGETHER A PLAN FOR HELPING STUDENTS BUY THE EQUIPMENT. ... IF TECH CAN COME UP WITH CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE COMPUTERS AFFORDABLE, ALL GEORGIA COLLEGES SHOULD FOLLOW ITS EXAMPLE."

TEXT: AND ON THAT CULTURAL-TECHNOLOGICAL NOTE WE CONCLUDE THIS BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME OF THE TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION THIS MONDAY IN SOME OF THE NATION'S MAJOR DAILIES.

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08-Jan-96 12:15 PM EST (1715 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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

INTRO: THE GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, ON A TRIP TO BOSNIA, HAS PROMISED GERMANY'S HELP TO REBUILD THE COUNTRY. AND HE SAYS BOSNIAN REFUGEES CAN STAY IN GERMANY UNTIL APPROPRIATE CONDITIONS ARE CREATED IN THE COUNTRY. NATO COMMANDERS IN BOSNIA ARE WARNING OF STRONGER ACTION AFTER A SERIES OF ATTACKS ON NATO AIRCRAFT AND PERSONNEL. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: THE BOSNIAN PRESIDENT HAS ASKED THE GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, KLAUS KINKEL, TO INTERVENE WITH CROATIAN PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN TO CALM ETHNIC TENSIONS IN THE SOUTHERN BOSNIAN CITY OF MOSTAR. A WEEK OF VIOLENCE BETWEEN CROATS AND MUSLIMS IN MOSTAR HAS BROUGHT NATO TROOPS ONTO THE STREETS OF THE DIVIDED CITY IN FORCE. THE EUROPEAN UNION ADMINISTRATOR OF MOSTAR, HANS KOSCHNIK, HAS THREATENED TO PULL E-U PERSONNEL AND MONEY OUT OF THE CITY IF THE VIOLENCE CONTINUES.

MR. KINKEL SAID HE WOULD ASK THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE A JOINT APPROACH WITH GERMANY TO THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT. HE ALSO PROMISED GERMANY'S HELP IN REBUILDING BOSNIA. AND HE SAID GERMANY WOULD ENSURE APPROPRIATE CONDITIONS WERE CREATED ON THE GROUND IN BOSNIA BEFORE ANY BOSNIAN REFUGEES WERE SENT HOME. HE SAID GERMANY WAS _NOT_ GOING TO THROW ANYONE OUT ON THE STREET. GERMANY IS HOME TO 400-TRHOUSAND REFUGEES FROM THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA -- MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN WESTERN EUROPE. MEANWHILE, NATO AIRCRAFT AND PERSONNEL HAVE CONTINUED TO BE ATTACKED IN ISOLATED INCIDENTS ACROSS BOSNIA. ON SUNDAY A FRENCH PLANE WAS HIT BY TWO SMALL ARMS ROUNDS WHILE LANDING AT SARAJEVO'S AIRPORT. AND DURING THE NIGHT AN AMERICAN C-130 TRANSPORT WAS FORCED TO RETURN TO ZAGREB WHEN THREE TIMES PILOTS SAW TRACER FIRE NEAR THEIR AIRCRAFT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO SARAJEVO.

IN CENTRAL BOSNIA ON SUNDAY, A CAR CARRYING TWO BRITISH SOLDIERS WAS FIRED ON BY MEN IN ANOTHER CAR. ONE BRITISH SOLDIER FIRED BACK, HITTING THE ATTACKERS' CAR AS IT MADE ITS ESCAPE. NATO SAYS THERE WERE _NO_ CASUALTIES FROM THE INCIDENT. NATO SPOKESMAN (LT.-COL.) MARK RYNER SAID THE SHOOTING INCIDENTS WERE SIMPLY A RESULT OF A LACK OF DISCIPLINE BY BOSNIAN-SERB TROOPS.

IT'S _NOT_ A THREAT, I DON'T BELIEVE, TO THE PEACE AGREEMENT IN THAT IT'S STILL ISOLATED, IT'S STILL SPORADIC. WE'RE GENERALLY CONTENT WITH THE WAY THAT THE PARTIES ARE EXERCISING CONTROL, WITH THE WAY THE MILITARY ASPECTS OF THE PEACE AGREEMENT ARE GOING.

WE'RE _NOT_ SATISFIED WITH THE SITUATION. IT'S BEING TAKEN UP AT THE MILITARY ... COMMISSION LEVEL, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER STEPS WE CAN TAKE AS WELL. I REGRET SOON IT'S GOING TO BECOME TOO DANGEROUS. ... FIRE WILL BE RETURNED, AND IT IS GOING TO COST LIVES.

NATO IS UNDER GROWING PRESSURE TO RESPOND TO ATTACKS IN A MORE FORCEFUL WAY. AND WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON DUE TO FLY INTO SARAJEVO'S AIRPORT AT THE END OF THE WEEK, NATO OFFICERS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY FOR HIS AIRCRAFT. (SIGNED)

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08-Jan-96 4:24 PM EST (2124 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] GERMANY / TURKEY (S ONLY) BY KYLE KING ( BONN )

INTRO: FOR THE FOURTH NIGHT IN A ROW, ARSONISTS HAVE THROWN FIRE BOMBS AT TURKISH OPERATED ENTERPRISES IN GERMANY. FROM BONN, V-O-A'S KYLE KING REPORTS.

TEXT: POLICE SAY THERE WERE _NO_ INJURIES IN THE LATEST WAVE OF ARSON ATTACKS, WHICH DAMAGED A TURKISH TRAVEL AGENCY IN DARMSTADT AND A BUILDING HOUSING A YOUTH GROUP IN SOUTHERN GERMANY.

AUTHORITIES SAY THEY BELIEVE THE ATTACKS ARE BEING CARRIED OUT BY LEFT-WING TURKISH EXTREMISTS PROTESTING CONDITIONS IN TURKISH JAILS WHERE A NUMBER OF MILITANTS ARE BEING HELD.

GERMANY IS HOME TO MORE THAN TWO MILLION PEOPLE OF TURKISH DESCENT, AND OFFICIALS HERE HAVE EXPRESSED ALARM AT THE WAVE OF ATTACKS CARRIED OUT ON GERMAN SOIL.

SOME MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT SAY THERE IS _NO_ EXCUSE FOR THE FIREBOMBINGS. NEVERTHELESS, THEY ARE CALLING ON THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS IN OVERCROWDED PRISONS. (SIGNED)

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08-Jan-96 11:14 AM EST (1614 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[04] PERRY ON NATO'S MISSION IN BOSNIA

VOICE:

U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM PERRY RECENTLY VISITED BOSNIA TO OBSERVE THE NATO PEACEKEEPING MISSION THERE. IN A SPEECH LAST MONTH, MR. PERRY SAID THAT U.S. PARTICIPATION WAS CRUCIAL TO IMPLEMENTING THE DAYTON AGREEMENT. THAT ACCORD WAS SIGNED IN DECEMBER BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE WARRING BALKAN FACTIONS.

AS MR. PERRY SAID, THE TASKS OF THE NATO FORCE ARE LIMITED AND CLEAR. ONE IS TO ENFORCE A ZONE OF SEPARATION BETWEEN THE BOSNIAN MUSLIM AND SERB ARMIES. ALL SOLDIERS AND WEAPONS WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE AREA WITHIN TWO KILOMETERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SEPARATION ZONE. THIS WILL REDUCE THE CHANCE OF BORDER CLASHES. NATO TROOPS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING AND PATROLLING THE SEPARATION ZONE.

THE DAYTON AGREEMENT ALSO REQUIRES THAT ALL HEAVY WEAPONS AND TROOPS BE RETURNED TO BARRACKS WITHIN ONE-HUNDRED TWENTY DAYS. NATO FORCES WILL OVERSEE THIS PROCESS. MORE GENERALLY, SAID DEFENSE SECRETARY PERRY, NATO WILL PROVIDE A SECURE ENVIRONMENT SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF BOSNIA CAN START REBUILDING THEIR LIVES.

MR. PERRY SAID THAT NATO'S GOALS CAN BE ACHIEVED IN ROUGHLY A YEAR'S TIME. BY THEN, TERRITORIES WILL HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL HAVE HAD TIME TO HELP ESTABLISH A MILITARY BALANCE IN THE REGION THROUGH STRONG ARMS CONTROL MEASURES AND A U.S.-LED EFFORT TO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING TO FEDERATION FORCES. SINCE THE WAR BEGAN, THERE HAS BEEN A DRAMATIC IMBALANCE IN ARMS IN FAVOR OF THE BOSNIAN SERBS. THIS HAS BEEN A CAUSE OF INSTABILITY, AND THERE MUST BE AN ADEQUATE MILITARY BALANCE WHEN NATO FORCES LEAVE.

THE PURPOSE OF THE NATO MISSION IN BOSNIA IS TO RESTORE STABILITY IN EUROPE BY HELPING TO END THE WORST EUROPEAN CONFLICT SINCE NATO'S CREATION. AFTER SO MUCH BLOODSHED AND LOSS, AFTER SO MANY OUTRAGEOUS ACTS OF BRUTALITY, IT WILL TAKE AN EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT FOR THE PEOPLE OF BOSNIA TO OVERCOME THE HATREDS OF THE PAST. BUT WITH U.S. AND NATO HELP, THE PEOPLE OF BOSNIA MAY HAVE A CHANCE AT PEACE. ANNCR:

THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE HEARD ON THIS ISSUE, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, VOICE OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. YOU MAY ALSO SEND US A FAX AT (202) 619-1043. YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE USED ON THE AIR.

08-Jan-96 1:12 PM EST (1812 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America