Voice of America, 00-02-15

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CONTENTS

[01] U-N-CYPRUS (L ONLY) BY BRECK ARDERY (UNITED NATIONS)

[02] U-N / KOSOVO (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

[03] ALBRIGHT - CROATIA - ALBANIA (L ONLY) BY KYLE KING (STATE DEPARTMENT)

[04] SERBIA ON THE BRINK BY PAMELA TAYLOR (WASHINGTON)

[05] ALIYEV AND CASPIAN OIL BY ED WARNER (WASHINGTON)

[06] CLINTON-AZERBAIJAN (L-ONLY) BY DAVID GOLLUST (WHITE HOUSE)

[07] RUSSIA - NATO RELATIONS (L ONLY) BY BILL GASPERINI (MOSCOW)

[08] AUSTRIA PART FOUR - EURO REPERCUSSION BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (WASHINGTON)

[09] E-U / ENLARGEMENT (L-O) BY RON PEMSTEIN (BRUSSELS)

[10] U-S / NORTHERN IRELAND (L) BY KYLE KING (STATE DEPARTMENT)

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

[12] TUESDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

[01] U-N-CYPRUS (L ONLY) BY BRECK ARDERY (UNITED NATIONS)

INTRO: The United Nations Security Council today (Tuesday) issued an encouraging statement regarding talks on the future of Cyprus. VOA Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from the United Nations.

TEXT: In closed session, the Security Council heard a briefing from the U-N Special Advisor on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto. The second round of U-N sponsored "proximity talks" ended recently in Geneva with Mr. de Soto saying the process is "on track." In the "proximity talks," Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash do not meet face-to-face but hold separate and confidential meetings with Mr. de Soto. The goal of the talks is to lay the groundwork for eventual negotiations between the two sides on ending the 25- year old Greek-Turkish split in Cyprus. After the Security Council briefing, Council President Arnaldo Listre of Argentina read a statement re- iterating the U-N position that the status quo in Cyprus is unacceptable and expressing encouragement for the talks.

[02] U-N / KOSOVO (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

INTRO: A United Nations official is calling for pressure on community leaders in Kosovo to end a cycle of ethnic violence and revenge. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the U-N official says recent attacks between ethnic Albanians and Serbs in the divided city of Mitrovica do not bode well for the future of the province.

TEXT: United Nations special envoy Dennis McNamara says Kosovo is operating in a law and order vacuum. He says ethnically motivated attacks and criminal actions continue unabated across the province. Murder rates and serious crime have dropped. But, he says ethnic conflict continues -- with the ethnic Albanian majority targeting Serbs, gypsies, and Turks, and the Serbs making revenge attacks against ethnic Albanians in areas where Albanians are in the minority.

[03] ALBRIGHT - CROATIA - ALBANIA (L ONLY) BY KYLE KING (STATE DEPARTMENT)

INTRO: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will attend the inauguration of Croatia's new president on Friday, then make her first visit to Albania. From the State Department, V-O-A's Kyle King reports.

TEXT: A senior U-S official says Secretary of State Albright wanted to visit Albania during the conflict in Kosovo, but security concerns prevented the trip. During her brief stop in Tirana Saturday she will meet with Albanian officials to thank them for the role Albania played during the crisis. Albanian played host to NATO troops and thousands of Kosovo refugees. Officials say Ms. Albright will also use the visit to emphasize the important part Albania plays in regional stability and prosperity. Ms. Albright's trip to Croatia will be her second this month. On Friday she will head the U-S delegation at the inauguration of President Stjepan Mesic. A statement issued by her spokesman says the Secretary will again congratulate the Croatian people for choosing the path of economic and political reform necessary to re-integrate Croatia into the rest of Europe. Croatia's new reformist government has moved to quickly replace a decade of autocratic policies put in place by the late Franjo Tudjman. In the last week, Croatia has opened talks with the European Union and NATO to discuss possible membership. (Signed) Neb/KBK/gm 15-Feb-2000 16:29 PM EDT (15-Feb-2000 2129 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] SERBIA ON THE BRINK BY PAMELA TAYLOR (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: The recent assassination of two men close to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has dramatized what seems to be a climate of increasing anarchy and murder in Serbia today. The question is whether the killings are a sign of an even more brutal crackdown on the Serbian people or an indication that Mr. Milosevic is in trouble. V-O-A's Pamela Taylor has a background report from Washington.

TEXT: The slaying earlier this month of Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic shocked many people who were not all that surprised by the murder only weeks earlier of a Serb militia leader and war crimes suspect known as Arkan. The difference is that Mr. Bulatovic was a close ally of President Milosevic. Mr. Milosevic's government has accused moderates in Montenegro (Serbia's sister republic in Yugoslavia) and journalists with ties to the West of being behind the assassination. But Belgrade journalist, Stojan Cerovic, who recently arrived in Washington as a visiting fellow with the U-S Institute of Peace, says the only one to benefit from such murders is Slobodan Milosevic:

[05] ALIYEV AND CASPIAN OIL BY ED WARNER (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: In a major Washington address (Monday), Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev gave a buoyant, optimistic appraisal of his country and its energy prospects. But he made allowance for continuing problems with Russia and Armenia. V-O-A's Ed Warner reports his remarks and a response by a Washington economist.

TEXT: Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev showed unexpected vigor in his hour and a half speech, says Mark Katzman, an economist who was in the audience at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The 75-year old President, perhaps reflecting his Politburo experience, appeared to be enjoying himself the more he talked:

[06] CLINTON-AZERBAIJAN (L-ONLY) BY DAVID GOLLUST (WHITE HOUSE)

INTRO: Azerbaijan's President Geidar Aliyev has met President Clinton at the White House to discuss Caspian-basin energy development. White House Correspondent David Gollust reports they also discussed efforts to resolve the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

TEXT: Though fighting in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict ended with a cease-fire five-years ago, the two governments have failed to make much headway in efforts to resolve their dispute over the Armenian enclave located inside Azerbaijan. And in his round of meetings with administration officials capped by the session with President Clinton Mr. Aliyev has been seeking more active help from the United States, which along with France and Russia, has been trying to mediate. In a talk with reporters outside the White House, Mr. Aliyev said he had a detailed discussion with the President about Nagorno-Karabakh. While he did not elaborate, he said the meeting was fruitful and will give "additional impetus" to settlement efforts. The United States and Azerbaijan have growing trade relations. But U-S aid to that country has been barred by a provision of a 1992 U-S law penalizing Azerbaijan for efforts to impose an economic blockade against Armenia. Mr. Aliyev said he raised the issue with President Clinton, calling the law unjust and the work of the "Armenian lobby" in the United States. Heard through an interpreter, he said that with Armenian forces controlling a large section of Azerbaijan's territory, the notion of a blockade of Armenia is "baseless:"

[07] RUSSIA - NATO RELATIONS (L ONLY) BY BILL GASPERINI (MOSCOW)

INTRO: NATO Secretary General George Robertson is coming to Moscow to meet Russian leaders on Wednesday in an attempt to mend relations that were severely strained last year. Russia angrily denounced the NATO intervention against Yugoslavia over Kosovo,.but things are improving now, as we hear from reporter Bill Gasperini in Moscow.

TEXT: The visit of the NATO Secretary General represents the highest level of contact between the military alliance and Russia since the Kosovo crisis. And before leaving for Moscow, Secretary-General Robertson said he was looking to put that divisive issue behind. Speaking in Brussels, Lord Robertson said he hopes to restart a process of cooperation with Russia that was formalized in a 1997 agreement. The NATO chief is due to meet with Russia's defense and foreign ministers, and possibly with Acting President Vladimir Putin. Russia has not confirmed that a meeting with Mr. Putin will in fact occur; it may depend on how things go at the preliminary meetings. The visit has been under discussion for two months, as the two sides negotiated an agenda. A leading official with the Defense Ministry says Russia wants to talk about European security issues and fighting terrorism. General Leonid Ivashov says Russia also wants to see if NATO is serious about taking Moscow's position fully into account. Russia angrily froze relations with NATO last year after denouncing what it called the "aggression" against Yugoslavia. Moscow still maintains the bombing campaign was illegal, and that Western nations simply ignored Russia and its concerns about security. The bombing was especially galling to Russia because it came just weeks after former Soviet bloc allies Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic formally joined NATO. To many, this symbolized just how weak Russia had become after the collapse of Communism. It took until late last year for both Russia and NATO to express a willingness to move on. Analysts say Lord Robertson's visit is unlikely to dispel all of the mistrust Russia still has for the alliance. But at least both sides say it is time to make a new start. (Signed) NEB/bg/gm 15-Feb-2000 15:42 PM EDT (15-Feb-2000 2042 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[08] AUSTRIA PART FOUR - EURO REPERCUSSION BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: The inclusion of the far-right Freedom Party in Austria's new coalition government has experts wondering about the possible repercussions on other extreme right-wing parties in Europe. In the last of four reports on Austrian politics, correspondent Andre de Nesnera looks at whether the Freedom Party's strong showing will give a boost to other European parties holding similar extremist views.

TEXT: The fact that Joerg Haider's far-right Freedom Party is a full-fledged member of Austria's new coalition government has set alarm bells ringing in the capitals of the 14 other European Union members. Even before Mr. Haider's party was included in the coalition, E-U member states said they would downgrade their political contacts and resist efforts by Austrian officials to get positions in international organizations. The E-U's effort to blacklist Austria politically is directly linked to Joerg Haider's inflammatory rhetoric regarding the Nazi past -- and his strong anti-European, anti-foreigner, anti-immigration statements. His party struck a chord with more than a quarter of Austrian voters when it received 27 percent of the votes cast in last October's election. That propelled the Freedom Party into becoming the junior member of Austria's coalition government, though Mr. Haider was not given a ministerial post. He remains governor of the southern province of Carinthia. Experts in Europe and the United States are wondering whether the Freedom Party's strong showing represents an isolated case. Or will its electoral strength cross Austria's borders - so to speak - and boost the fortunes of other far right-wing parties in Europe such as Jean-Marie Le Pen's Front National in France, the National Alliance in Italy and Belgium's Flanders Bloc. Holocaust survivor Abraham Foxman is director of the (New York-based) Anti-Defamation League, an organization fighting anti-Semitism and prejudice worldwide. He believes the Freedom Party's presence in government can only help other European far right- wing parties.

[09] E-U / ENLARGEMENT (L-O) BY RON PEMSTEIN (BRUSSELS)

INTRO: The European Union has opened formal negotiations with six more countries that want to become members in the next decade. Correspondent Ron Pemstein in Brussels reports the new candidates came with hopes -- and fears.

TEXT: Malta and Latvia say they hope to be ready to become members of the European Union at the same time the Union expects to be ready to receive them, January First, 2003. Lithuania and Slovakia are a little more cautious. They told the European Union (Tuesday) they will be ready a year later, by 2004. As for Bulgaria, its target date is 2006. And Romania says it will be ready to join by 2007. To all of this, the European Union takes the same approach as it does with the first six countries that want to join by 2003. It says it hopes so.

[10] U-S / NORTHERN IRELAND (L) BY KYLE KING (STATE DEPARTMENT)

INTRO: The United States is urging a resumption of disarmament talks in Northern Ireland, following a breakdown in the negotiations Tuesday. From the State Department, V-O-A's Kyle King reports.

TEXT: The political crisis in Northern Ireland took a turn for the worse on Tuesday when the Irish Republican Army broke off disarmament talks with the pro-British Ulster Unionists. An I-R-A statement accused the British government and the Protestant Unionists of ignoring I-R-A disarmament proposals. Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson expressed disappointment at the I-R-A decision to halt talks. State Department spokesman James Rubin says the United States will continue to hold discussions with all the parties.

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

INTRO: U-S stock prices were higher today (Tuesday), with some profit-taking and volatility in the technology sector. V-O-A correspondent Elaine Johanson reports from New York:

TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 198 points, under two percent, closing at 10-thousand-718. The Standard and Poor's 500 index was up 12 points. The technology-weighted Nasdaq composite was sharply lower through most of the day, but finally closed up less than two points for a fractional gain. Investors showed a preference for some of the traditional stocks that have under-performed lately. The blue chips outpaced the technology sector for a second straight session. Even the laggard financial stocks rallied a bit.

[12] TUESDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: The nation continues in mourning this Tuesday for Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, who died over the weekend, just hours before his farewell comic strip appeared in hundreds of U-S and foreign newspapers. He is eulogized in dozens of editorials and many, many editorial cartoons are also bidding him, and his characters, farewell. The day's other editorials deal with such diverse topics as new information about political murders in Chile, the debate over additional Colombian aid, the splintering of the U-S Reform party, the peace process unraveling in Northern Ireland, the Palestinians and Israelis miss an important deadline in their peace process, and more thoughts about the rise of far-right sentiment in Austria. Now, here is_______ with a closer look in today's Editorial Digest.

TEXT: There is only one overwhelming topic in the nation's large and small newspapers today -- the passing of an artist and philosopher many are calling a genius for his portrayal of a small group of children led by Charlie Brown and his dog, Snoopy. Charles Schulz died Sunday [2/13] of colon cancer at the age of 77. The Orlando Sentinel of Florida summed up the reaction:

VOICE: If Charlie Brown and his loveable band of buddies embodies a bit of everyman, then a collective part of the nation's soul died Sunday with the passing of Charles Schulz.

TEXT: In lamenting the loss, The Boston Globe remembers:

VOICE: The theme of [Mr.] Schulz's half-century of graphic theater was the pursuit of grace through perseverance. That was the theme of his own craftsmanship, as well. ... He honed a drawing style that looked naive but hid a keen sense of balance, design, and economy of expression.

TEXT: While The Dallas Morning News reminds readers:

VOICE: ... Charles Schulz ... let millions of readers know they weren't alone on those days when they felt like their kites had been caught in the tree limbs. He told us it was O-K to believe in things, even if it brought laughter from our peers. ... Charlie Brown and his pals made us laugh and cry because their daily foibles were all so true to life.

TEXT: The Philadelphia Inquirer laments the loss of "our security blanket," while in Georgia, The Atlanta Journal says:

VOICE: No one could - - and we'll never forget [Mr.] Schulz, and the debt we owe him for making them (his cartoon characters) an essential part of American culture, and a treasured part of the world's experience.

TEXT: New Hampshire's Manchester Union Leader calls Mr. Schulz "a national treasure," while

VOICE: What Mr. Schulz did create with his life was an industry. **Peanuts** [italics for a title] appeared in 26-hundred papers in 75 countries. Snoopy [the dog] spoke 21 languages. The tragicomic Charlie Brown and friends found their places on television and the stage, in books and on merchandise. Mr. Schulz died a rich man - - and left all of us a little richer and brokenhearted.

TEXT: Turning to international affairs, there is considerable anger in some editorials about the latest revelations about the deaths of two American men in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship, and the possible implication of the U-S government. Says The New York Times, the paper that first reported the story:

VOICE: The picture painted by newly disclosed passages from State Department papers is profoundly disturbing. It is now clear that the American government knew far more about the disappearance and murder of two American citizens [Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi] in Chile than it acknowledged at the time. ... It is now time for the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon to follow Mr. Clinton's order, and the example of openness set by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

TEXT: Adds The Boston Globe:

VOICE: President Clinton did the right thing when he ordered the files declassified after [General] Pinochet was indicted in Spain for crimes against humanity. The next step should be an effort to identify the Chilean who gave the order for [Mr.] Horman's murder and any Americans who knew about it.

TEXT: Still with Latin American affairs, today's Los Angeles Times is cautiously supportive of an additional one-billion-300-million dollars in military and other aid to Colombia to help fight a 30-year guerrilla insurgency with deep ties to narcotics production and sales. The newspaper suggests:

VOICE: President Clinton must make precisely clear the American objectives and risks in bolstering [President] Pastrana's forces. Expanded fighting in Colombia could easily spill over to Venezuela, a major oil producer under the erratic hand of President Hugo Chavez. There should be a commitment from the White House that no U-S military forces will be drawn into a civil war ...

TEXT: Domestically, several papers are commenting on the serious split that has developed in the Reform Party, the largest U-S political party besides Democrats and Republicans. Founded by Ross Perot a decade ago, it has now splintered into factions led by Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura and Mr. Perot, a Texas millionaire. The Tulsa [Oklahoma] World notes:

VOICE: Uncivil war within the ranks of the Reform Party would not be that noteworthy except that the party's eventual presidential nominee will qualify for about 12-million dollars in federal election campaign funds. That's enough of a nest egg (campaign funds) to keep things boiling.

TEXT: Connecticut's Hartford Courant also is upset:

VOICE: To the extent that third parties have the potential to offer different choices and new faces to an electorate weary of politics as usual, the disintegration of the Reform Party into a three-ring circus is regrettable.

TEXT: Still with U-S politics, The State, a newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, today endorses Texas Governor George Bush in that state's critical Republican presidential primary this Saturday.

VOICE: This has not been an easy decision. Our admiration for Senator [John] McCain is virtually boundless. One cannot think of this man without remembering that he put his life on the line for all of us. ... But we still choose George W. Bush in the upcoming primary. Why? The principal reason is that he possesses the necessary executive leadership skills. ... [and] a fundamental understanding of how to get things done as the leader of a large and complex organization.

TEXT: The Honolulu Star-Bulletin of Hawaii is concerned with the threatened collapse of the peace process in Northern Ireland. "Having come so far toward a peace settlement," says the newspaper, "the Irish must find a way to surmount this final hurdle." In Maine, The Portland Press Herald is upset at the Irish Republican Army's reluctance to begin disarming.

VOICE: The I-R-A simply has to do better if peace is to come to Northern Ireland. That doesn't mean the British government and Ulster Unionists should do anything rash or lose patience. It does mean, however, that [Republic of Ireland Prime Minister Bertie] Ahern and Irish-Catholic organizations within Northern Ireland should avoid creating the impression that the I-R-A can finesse this issue. It can't, and it's up to the Catholic community to say so.

TEXT: Regarding another peace process that appears to be faltering - the one between Israel and the Palestinians - the Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina laments that Israel's prime minister, Ehud Barak, has fallen into a trap in broadly retaliating for the latest deadly Hezbollah attacks on Israeli troops.

VOICE: Instead of retaliating solely against Hezbollah, Prime Minister Ehud Barak fell into a trap by launching air strikes on Lebanese targets. His action has provided Syria and its Arab allies with a reason to justify freezing the peace process. Mr. Barak should counter this ploy by advancing the July deadline he has set for withdrawing all Israeli troops from Lebanese territory.

TEXT: Both the Chicago Tribune and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also point out that Israel has also missed a Sunday deadline for the first major milestone of its agreement with the Palestinians, the drafting of a framework agreement that could be turned into a peace treaty. Adds The Tribune:

VOICE: That means the ambitious timetable [Mr.] Barak set is just as likely to slide in the fall as well. That's a pity, but not an end to peacemaking.

TEXT: Lastly, more reaction to the inclusion in Austria's new coalition government of a far-right party reportedly sympathetic with some ideals of the Nazis. The Atlanta Constitution runs this Cox Newspaper editorial by Tom Teepen, who cautions against over-reaction.

VOICE: O-K, we're all on record as thinking it thoroughly appalling and a bit scary that the minority party in Austria's new governing coalition is a right- wing hard case led by a man who is the next thing to a neo-Nazi and maybe even the real deal. With the point made, we'd probably do best now to wait, before making any more moves against Austria, to see if the resulting government in fact misbehaves intolerably. ... There's a painful conundrum here. Democratic values presume respect for democratic outcomes, even unwelcome ones. But how do you handle politicians who use democratic means to potentially fascist ends?

TEXT: With that question, we conclude this sampling of comment from some of Tuesday's U-S newspaper editorials.
NEB/ANG/JP 15-Feb-2000 12:15 PM EDT (15-Feb-2000 1715 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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