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INTRO: Relations between Russia and the West cannot be described as "warm." Many analysts say they have deteriorated in the past few years. In the fifth of an eight-part series on Russia, former V-O-A Moscow correspondent Andre de Nesnera looks at the "cooling of relations," especially in the wake of NATO's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia.

TEXT: One of the major - and some might add unforeseen consequences of the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, was that from one day to the next, Moscow lost its super-power status. During the days of the cold war, Moscow shared the international spotlight with Washington. For decades, international relations were dominated by what was known as a "bipolar world": a world where decisions by the United States, on the one hand, and the Soviet Union, on the other, affected many nations. But this is no longer the case. And many Russians - from ordinary citizens to politicians - describe this loss of international prestige and clout in terms of humiliation. They believe the West - led by the United States - can do whatever it wants on the world stage and treats Russia like a third-world nation. And that has created a lot of resentment in many parts of Russia. Western leaders - including President Bill Clinton - have made clear they still consider Russia a major player on the world scene. But many analysts say relations between Moscow and the West - especially the United States - have deteriorated since the heady days right after the fall of communism. They say two recent examples: NATO's expansion eastward and its bombing campaign in Kosovo - against Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic - have not helped matters one bit. Former U-S National Security Adviser General Brent Scowcroft says during the recent Kosovo crisis, the West did not use Moscow's traditional ties with Serbia in an effective way. Instead, he says the United States has shunned Russia.

[06] RUSSIA / CHECHNYA (L-ONLY) BY EVE CONANT (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Russian military officials say Chechen militants have set up strong defenses in the capital, Grozny, and are fighting Russian troops in two towns near the city. Russia's foreign minister, meanwhile, says Moscow will not let the West dictate when the head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation (O-S-C-E) in Europe will be allowed to visit Chechnya. V-O-A Moscow correspondent Eve Conant reports.

TEXT: For days, Russian artillery and warplanes have been bombarding Argun, a small town five kilometers east of the Chechen capital, Grozny. Rebel fighters in Argun are putting up some of the strongest resistance to federal troops since the start of Moscow's military offensive. Russian General Gennady Troshev, however, says fighting in eastern regions has been successful.

[07] NORTHERN IRELAND HOME RULE(L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (LONDON)

INTRO: Britain has officially transferred home rule powers to Northern Ireland. In the next step of the process, the Irish Republic in the south has revised its constitution to drop reference to any hostile claims to Ulster province. V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from London that now it is up to the Irish Republican Army (I-R-A) to name its representative to cooperate with the special commission on disarmament.

TEXT: Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has fulfilled his part of the peace deal for Northern Ireland with a signature on the revised constitution. The new text drops any hostile claims to the north. The act follows Britain's handover of home rule powers to Belfast.

[08] NORTHERN IRELAND 3RD UPDATE (S-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (LONDON)

INTRO: Northern Ireland's new power-sharing cabinet held its first meeting Thursday after Britain transferred home rule powers to it. Earlier in the day the Irish Republic added its contribution to the peace process by revoking its territorial claims on the north. VOA Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports the Irish Republican Army now has named an intermediary to discuss an eventual weapons handover.

TEXT: The I-R-A kept its promise and -- with only a few hours left to the historic day - named the envoy who will cooperate with the international disarmament commission. The commssion is mandated by the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement to supervise the disarming of Northern Ireland's paramilitaries. The I-R-A announcement was the latest step in a carefully sequenced formula that included the establishment of Northern Ireland's all-party 12 minister cabinet. Then the British parliament transferred home rule powers to Belfast. And, just hours before the ministers held their first meeting on Thursday, the Irish Republic revoked its 62-year territorial claim on the north. The historic day was slightly marred when two ministers from the Democratic Union Party boycotted the first cabinet meeting. The radical protestant party refuses to share power with the I-R-A's political wing until the I-R-A disarms. (SIGNED)
NEB/PT 02-Dec-1999 17:45 PM EDT (02-Dec-1999 2245 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[09] CLINTON-NORTHERN IRELAND (L-ONLY) BY DAVID GOLLUST (SEATTLE)

INTRO: President Clinton, who has been heavily involved in the pursuit of peace in Northern Ireland, is welcoming the creation of a power-sharing government there and promising continued U-S support for implementation of the 1998 Good Friday peace accord. V-O-A's David Gollust reports from Seattle.

TEXT: The President counts himself among the millions of Americans of Irish ancestry, and has made peace in Northern Ireland one of his top foreign-policy priorities. He has made two trips to Belfast, and his special envoy for Northern Ireland, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, was instrumental in the diplomacy of recent weeks that finally produced a power-sharing arrangement between Protestants and Roman Catholics. Speaking during a ceremony in Seattle at which he signed a convention against child labor, Mr. Clinton said the promise of peace and hope raised by the Good Friday agreement 18 months ago is now being realized:

[10] WTO (L) BY AMY BICKERS (SEATTLE)

INTRO: Protestors and police clashed in (the Pacific Northwest city of) Seattle Wednesday for the second day running, with police arresting at least 450 people and resorting to tear gas and pepper spray to breakup crowds. As Amy Bickers reports from Seattle, the focus of the demonstrators' wrath, the World Trade Organization meeting, continued with a call from President Clinton for officials to listen to the public's views.

TEXT:

[11] CLINTON-WORLD TRADE (L) BY DAVID GOLLUST (SEATTLE)

INTRO: President Clinton has signed the International Labor Organization treaty banning the most severe forms of child labor. The measure was signed on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization meeting. Correspondent David Gollust reports from Seattle the President has been pressing for labor protections in world trade agreements.

TEXT: Labor union activists - allies of the President's Democratic Party - have been the core of the massive street protests against the W-T-O. While condemning the violent minority among the protestors, Mr. Clinton has at every occasion stressed that the W- T-O must take labor concerns into account in its efforts to launch a new round of global trade negotiations. In his last scheduled event in Seattle, Mr. Clinton signed the international convention against child labor, aimed at eliminating labor abuses that he said shock the conscience and haunt the soul.

[12] CLINTON-WTO (L) BY DAVID GOLLUST (SEATTLE)

INTRO: President Clinton is condemning the violent demonstrators who disrupted Tuesday's opening of the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle. But he also says the WTO must become more transparent and responsive to legitimate critics, if it is to achieve the goal of freer global trade. VOA's David Gollust reports from Seattle.

TEXT: The conference attracted tens of thousands of anti-WTO demonstrators including a small minority who went on a window-smashing and looting rampage through downtown Seattle Tuesday night. The violence, quelled by riot police firing teargas and plastic pellets, was an embarrassment to local authorities and to the President, who condemned the disturbances in various appearances here. But Mr. Clinton also portrayed the broader demonstrations as a healthy sign of public interest in a subject that had been the exclusive domain of heads of state, trade ministers and business executives. In a keynote address to the more than 130 trade ministers, Mr. Clinton said those marching outside the conference hall are unsure that the W-T-O is working for them, and want their voices to be heard:

[13] THE BATTLE IN SEATTLE - W-T-O STIRS DISSENT BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: Visions of club-wielding Seattle, Washington police battling protestors amid clouds of tear gas and pepper spray have been appearing in newspapers around the world for the past few days. Now, the world's press is reacting to the violent demonstrations in the northwest U-S city where the World Trade Organization is holding a conference. We get a sampling now from __________ in this week's World Opinion Roundup.

TEXT: Unexpectedly violent protests by a small percentage of the tens of thousands of people who crowded into Seattle made news in cities around the globe. The demonstrations found some support as many European dailies agree that their arguments are "partially right and partially foolish." A French newspaper says the "cacophony" created in the streets is "a positive sign ... that the people have their say in what is happening and the experts ... do not have a monopoly on the future. In Asia, many editorials columns criticized the W-T-O as an organization promoting an "international trading regime [that] is still far from ... fair." One Malaysian commentator went so far as to say the demonstrators represented "the human face at the receiving end of trade decisions by bureaucrats ..." ... In some other countries, commentators focused on the need for having better rules to govern world trade. We begin our sampling in China's special administrative region, Hong Kong, where The Hong Kong Standard editorial suggests:

VOICE: The present international trading regime is still far from open, free and fair... The very biggest markets - the United States, the EU (European Union) and Japan - all enjoy large areas of protection, direct and indirect. In addition, there are dangers from unbridled capitalism that has no respect for the environment.

TEXT: Across town, The South China Morning Post echoed the words of some other newspapers with this assessment.

VOICE: Increased world trade, properly regulated, will eventually benefit everyone, including poorer nations. But breaking down trade barriers and creating free competition also generates many problems, especially for developing nations. The pressing question is how these difficulties can be lessened and how concerned groups can be given a voice before their frustration creates scenes like those witnessed in Seattle.

TEXT: The New Straits Times in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, suggests the protestors, rather than crackpots, "represent the human face at the receiving end of trade decisions by bureaucrats..." And in Singapore, the Business Times argues that "Study after study has shown it is the developing countries that will be the biggest beneficiaries of a new round of tariff cuts." Turning to India, The Economic Times in Bombay suggests:

VOICE: Whatever the outcome of the ministerial talks at Seattle, one thing is certain. Non-governmental organizations ... have become a force to contend with, not only domestically but also internationally.

TEXT: In the Middle East, Israel's Yediot Aharonot of Tel-Aviv ran an analysis, noting:

VOICE: Most of the arguments advanced by the anti-W- T-O protesters in Seattle do not hold water [Editors: "are invalid."] Free international trade does benefit the world. It generates and sustains growth and fair economic practices.

TEXT: Meanwhile, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the widely available Al-Sharq Al-Awsat suggests:

VOICE: The protestors forced President Clinton and his secretary of state to acknowledge that the protestors have a message which must be respected... No one can resist trends towards globalization because these (trends) represent the natural development of mankind's activities. ... However ... the meeting in Seattle must remember that any agreements must take into consideration the interests of ... developing nations.

TEXT: In this hemisphere, the big Mexican daily, El Norte in Monterrey, sees the situation as so complicated it says:

VOICE: Commercial problems among countries, far from decreasing are increasing, which makes it necessary to have clear rules, a mediator and a forum in which to discuss calmly any conflict. In the immediate future, we will have to fight for a more humane trade liberalization that can take into account the negative consequences that might result for those not prepared to face such liberalization ...

TEXT: From Havana, the communist party daily Granma adds this caution:

VOICE: ... free trade, financial deregulation, and trans-nationalization, are concepts that sound good, but they cannot be applied in an unjust and unequal world without deep and extensive measures of compensation.

TEXT: This is how Nigeria's Comet sees the situation from Lagos:

VOICE: There is no way the new W-T-O liberalization package, which European Commission economists suggest would generate an annual gain of 400-billion-dollars for the world economy, will not impact positively on developing countries which do the right thing now... The New World Trade Order is raring to go with those who can move in tandem with it.

TEXT: Still in Africa, Cameroon, Yaounde's bilingual weekly, L'Action, suggests that the challenge of the W-T-O is to:

VOICE: . humanize the rules of global trade and take into account the disparities in development levels ... despite the disparities. It is obvious that the globalization phenomenon is irreversible ...

TEXT: And rounding out the commentary, we have these thoughts from Europe, beginning in London, where Britain's Financial Times editorialized:

VOICE: The question is how much can be rescued from the chaos ... The E-U and the United States are still at loggerheads, and are still intent on bullying developing countries, without offering much in return. This way lies deadlock. Strenuous efforts are needed to explain to the demonstrators outside ... that trade liberalization benefits rich and poor countries alike.

TEXT: In Paris, the business companion to the well- known daily, Le Figaro - called Le Figaro Economie - says:

VOICE: The goals set for the conference are very ambitious when one knows how divided the ministers are. They disagree on practically every point ... The White House document is truly a war machine against Europe... The United States wants to reap the benefits before it has planted any seeds ... but Europe will resist.

TEXT: And lastly, from Germany's financial capital, The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, criticizes what it says is President Clinton's chameleon-like change of philosophies to suit the political situation.

VOICE: What is President Clinton doing, in view of the great willingness of militant opponents to the W- T-O and globalization to use violence? He, who used to give the world lectures on the advantages of open markets, is presenting himself as a conciliator, showing understanding for the concerns of the protestors ... This is the politician Clinton who listens to the moods and adds them up to votes...

TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of comment from the world press on the W-T-O conference in Seattle.
NEB/ANG/JP 02-Dec-1999 17:27 PM EDT (02-Dec-1999 2227 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[14] NY ECON WRAP (S & L) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (NEW YORK)

INTRO: Stock prices in the United States were higher today (Thursday) led by a run-up in the technology sector. Trading, in general, was cautious as Wall Street waits for key U-S employment data due for release Friday. VOA correspondent Elaine Johanson reports from New York:

TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 40 points, about one-third of one percent, closing at 11- thousand-39. The Standard and Poor's 500 index rose 11 points to 14-hundred-eight. And the NASDAQ composite surged almost three percent, setting a new record high. Technology stocks, once again, drove the stock market. Otherwise, the rally was narrow. The technology components of the Dow Jones propped up the index - among them, Hewlett-Packard, I-B-M and Microsoft.

[15] THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: The unexpectedly violent and destructive protests at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle this week, have riveted the attention of the nation's editorial writers. In another domestic story, the tale of tens-of-thousands of American hospital patients dying due to medical mistakes, there are also a large number of comments. In foreign affairs, we read reaction to Yasser Arafat's crackdown on Palestinians criticizing his administration; the joint U-S Mexican search for drug violence victims; the formation of a new Northern Ireland assembly with both protestants and Catholics in charge; and early reaction to presidential contender George Bush's tax cut plan. Now, here with a closer look and some excerpts is ____________ and today's Editorial Digest.

TEXT: The scenes of Seattle police tear gassing and arresting screaming protestors, while others smash store windows and spray paint graffiti, has captured the front pages of most U-S papers. In Georgia, "The Augusta Chronicle" says Seattle's Mayor and Washington State's Governor were a day late in calling out the state militia to help restore order. The paper criticizes the leniency first displayed by the Seattle police.

VOICE: What the rioters needed were the tough crackdowns meted out by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Senior's cops 31-years ago. [ a reference to the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention] But Seattle police were trained to "kill them with kindness." The strategy did not work; in fact, it did not even stop charges of "police brutality." ... What should not be forgotten, though, is this W-T-O ministerial conference was not necessary in the first place. No business was conducted there that could not have been done through trade representatives and other channels.

TEXT: In the rocky mountains, "The Colorado Springs Gazette" feels the protestors were not only wrong to cause damage, but they are also wrong about the core dispute, freer world trade via the W-T-O.

VOICE: Perhaps the most constructive thing W-T- O leaders ... could have done would have been to purchase enough copies of Melvyn Krauss' short 1997 book "How Nations Grow Rich: The Case for Free Trade" and hand one to every demonstrator. . [Professor] Krauss ... makes the case for free trade unrestricted by government barriers or the export of government regulations.

TEXT: In summing up its view of the demonstrators, both the peaceful and the anarchistic, "The San Jose [California] Mercury News" notes:

VOICE: The process of expanding prosperity is, in part, one of breaking down barriers to trade. The astute critics of the W-T-O understand that, and want it to happen in a way that respects the environment and workers. They know their efforts will only be discredited by breaking windows.

TEXT: Connecticut's "Waterbury Republican-American" puts it this way:

VOICE: The World Trade Organization ... is an altogether necessary accessory in a fast- changing world. By no stretch of the imagination is it perfect, or perfectly virtuous, and it has potential to run afoul of its member states' legitimate concerns for sovereignty. But neither is it an enemy of the environment, Third World progress and human rights, as its foes contend.

TEXT: "The New York Times" sums up its view, noting:

VOICE: Protest leaders were right to condemn the lawlessness quickly. But the W-T-O's 135- members will make a huge mistake if they fail to grasp the core belief fueling these unruly protests -- that the W-T-O is far too insular, that is has displayed too little sensitivity for issues like workers' rights and the environment, and that its secretive procedures undermine public trust.

TEXT: Now, comments on another troubling story, word that almost 100-thousand U-S hospital patients die each year due to medical staff mistakes. In calling for -- Safety for All Patients - "Boston's Christian Science Monitor" reminds doctors of the expression: Physician, heal thyself -- before suggesting:

VOICE: ...The medical profession, like the airline or tracking industry, can easily improve its safety. ... This report serves as an alert for all of us to work harder at bringing more harmony, comfort, and sympathy to those seeking healing.

TEXT: "The Miami Herald" wonders aloud -- why did not someone think of it sooner? -- that is creating a body to track medical errors and recommend corrections. ... Devising a system for determining what goes wrong, when and why in hospitals -- just as the national Transportation Safety Board vets airline, train, and highway accidents -- is the right approach.

TEXT: Looking to the Middle East and more criticism of Yasser Arafat's response to a manifesto accusing him of corruption, waste, and mismanagement, as well as his harsh treatment of his accusers, a group of Palestinian intellectuals. "The Chicago Tribune" surmises:

VOICE: ...[Mr.] Arafat has a major credibility problem. ... U-S officials know he is a tyrant. Some argue that peace must come before democracy for the Palestinians. That is wrong. It is precisely amid the peace process that more democracy is needed, to build confidence in that process at home and abroad.

TEXT: On New York's Long Island, "Newsday" is even more frank, as it sums up its view of the Palestinian leader's problem.

VOICE: ...Justifying last week's arrests [of several signers of the manifesto] a top Palestinian security official said that open dissent could not be allowed while [Mr.] Arafat was negotiating final-status details of the peace ... with Israel. But a Palestinian unity artificially maintained through repression of political debate is good neither for Palestinians nor for the peace process.

TEXT: Turning to this hemisphere, and the huge U-S Mexican joint search near the border at Juarez, for victims of drug trafficking violence, "The Tulsa [Oklahoma] World" laments:

VOICE: While the U-S has spent billions [of dollars] to block illegal drugs from Mexico, and Central, and South America, the flow continues by boat, by air, and by land. While efforts should continue to intercept and confiscate drugs, the best long-term solution to shutting down drug cartels is in drying up their market.

TEXT: Several papers continue to salute the formation of a joint, Protestant, Catholic National Assembly in strife-torn Northern Ireland, which began meeting this week, after announcing a Cabinet that will run the province. Pennsylvania's "Greensburg Tribune-Review" suggests:

VOICE: It will take more than just good intentions to slow the momentum of generations of hate and death. But this past week's developments offer hope that "the Troubles" that have plagued this emerald isle are near an end.

TEXT: In this hemisphere, a complicated story about a five-year-old boy who recently survived a boat trip from Cuba to Florida is drawing a lot of attention. His mother and several others drowned, but little Elian Gonzalez was rescued by fishermen. His family in Florida wants him to stay, but his father in Cuba is demanding his return. "The St. Petersburg Times' says:

VOICE: His] case ... should be decided on its own merits. It should not be used as a pawn in the politics that divide the United States and the Communist nation.

TEXT: "The Bergen County Record" in New Jersey agrees:

VOICE: This case is politically and emotionally complicated. But the paramount consideration should be the well-being of Elian, who has suffered so much already. He should live where he will receive the most love and feel the most cared for, even if that means sending him back to Cuba to be with his father.

TEXT: Lastly, some conflicting views of the tax cut plan unveiled this week by Texas Governor, and leading Republican presidential contender, George W. Bush. He plans to cut 483-billion dollars in various tax changes during the next 10-years, and "The Oklahoman" in Oklahoma City says of the proposal:

VOICE: ...[it] is pragmatic if not overly ambitious and, it seems to us, a commendable framework for serious discussions the presidential campaign picks up steam.

VOICE: Taking a much different view is today's "Manchester [New Hampshire] Union Leader", which scoffs in part:

VOICE: ...Where is [Mr.] Bush's courage? Where is his leadership? This is a plan Bob Dole would have campaigned on in 1996! ... [Mr.] Bush ... should be promoting brave new tax reforms and cutting the size and scope of government accordingly to make up for lost revenues.

TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of comment from Thursday's U-S press.
NEB/ANG/RAE 02-Dec-1999 12:25 PM EDT (02-Dec-1999 1725 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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