Topic: voa Subject: Tuesday's Headlines by Andrew N. Guthrie From: Yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) Topic: voa DATE=4/4/95 TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST NUMBER=6-08916 TITLE=TUESDAY'S HEADLINES BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=PHIL HAYNES CONTENT= // EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS PERISHABLE MATERIAL AND BECOMES DATED AFTER 10 P-M E-D-S-T ON TUESDAY, APRIL 4TH // INTRO: ONE TOPIC IS THE DOMINANT THEME OF EDITORIAL COLUMNS IN TUESDAY'S MAJOR NEWSPAPERS -- THE END OF THE BASEBALL STRIKE. OTHER SUBJECTS INCLUDE THE FUTURE OF HAITI; THE THREAT BY CONGRESS TO HOLD UP AID TO MEXICO; THE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE ALGERIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE COUNTRY'S ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS; WASHINGTON'S POLICY TOWARD THE KURDS; AND THE C-I-A'S CONNECTION TO TWO MURDERS IN GUATEMALA. NOW, HERE WITH A CLOSER LOOK IS _______________ AND TODAY'S U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST. TEXT: ALMOST EVERY MAJOR NEWSPAPER HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE DEMORALIZING, EIGHT-MONTH STRIKE OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS THAT ENDED YESTERDAY. MANY PAPERS ARE EXPRESSING MIXED FEELINGS: JOY THAT THE NATION'S NATIONAL PASTIME IS BACK, BUT ANXIETY THAT THE BASIC ISSUES HAVE YET TO BE RESOLVED. AND MANY PAPERS TAKE THE FANS VIEWPOINT -- THAT BASEBALL HAS LOST MUCH CREDIBILITY WITH ITS SUPPORTERS, CREDIBILITY THAT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO WIN BACK. "THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH" POSES A CRITICAL QUESTION: VOICE: "NOW THAT THE OWNERS HAVE DECIDED TO LET THE PLAYERS RETURN, WILL THE FANS STEP UP TO WATCH? PROBABLY. FOR ALL THE CRABBY TALK ABOUT MILLIONAIRE PLAYERS AND MULTIMILLIONAIRE OWNERS, BASEBALL RETAINS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THE NATIONAL PSYCHE. ..... STILL, OWNERS AND PLAYERS SHOULD REALIZE HOW CLOSE THEY CAME TO RUINING THE GAME FOR GOOD -- AND THEY SHOULD MAKE SURE THEY ARE NEVER ON A COURSE TO DO SO AGAIN." TEXT: GEORGIA'S LEADING DAILY, "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION", SOUNDS A WORD OF CAUTION: VOICE: "THE STRIKE IS OVER FOR NOW, BUT BASEBALL IS STILL IN TROUBLE. ..... MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HAS DONE GREAT DAMAGE TO ITSELF OVER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS; IT HAS TO GET STARTED ON THE REPAIR JOB RIGHT AWAY." TEXT: AND IN "USA TODAY", JULIANNE MALVEAUX OF PACIFICA RADIO, A NATIONAL, NON-PROFIT RADIO NETWORK, SUGGESTS THIS: VOICE: "NOW THE FANS SHOULD STRIKE. ...... AFTER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, YOU COULDN'T GIVE ME A TICKET TO A [MAJOR LEAGUE] BASEBALL GAME. ..... THE DEBACLE THAT HAS SURROUNDED OUR SO-CALLED NATIONAL PASTIME MAKES A CASE FOR REDUCING THE ROLE THAT WE ALLOW SPORTS TO PLAY IN OUR LIFE AND SOCIETY. [OPT] THIS STRIKE BY MILLION-DOLLAR PLAYERS, AND THE THREATENED LOCKOUT BY MULTIMILLIONAIRE OWNERS, IGNORED THE LEISURE NEEDS OF HARD-WORKING FANS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE INCOMES BELOW THE NATION'S 40-THOUSAND-A-YEAR HOUSEHOLD AVERAGE. IT IGNORED THE HARDSHIP IMPOSED ON STADIUM VENDORS, PARKING LOT ATTENDANTS AND OTHERS DEPENDENT ON THE INDUSTRY. THE WHOLE SEAMY [UNSAVORY] SPECTACLE CONFIRMS THE NOTION THAT GREED, NOT BASEBALL, IS OUR NATIONAL PASTIME." TEXT: [OPT] HOWEVER, "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE SAYS THE MAJORITY OF FANS WILL FORGIVE AND FORGET RATHER QUICKLY. VOICE: "THE ONLY PEOPLE MORE GULLIBLE THAN THOSE WHO WILL RETURN TO SEE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAMES IN PERSON ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE PEOPLE WON'T RETURN TO THE STANDS AT ALL. .... SOME OF US CAN STAY MAD AT GOVERNMENT AN ENTIRE LIFETIME... BUT YOU CAN'T STAY MAD AT THE PASTIME OF BASEBALL. IT'S MORE INSIDIOUS THAN NICOTINE." [END OPT] TEXT: TODAY'S "LOS ANGELES TIMES" IS FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE HAITI NOW THAT U-S PEACEKEEPING TROOPS THERE HAVE GIVEN WAY TO A UNITED NATIONS FORCE: VOICE: "PRESIDENT CLINTON CAN TAKE PRIDE IN THE HAITI OPERATION. AGAINST THE WISHES OF AN AMERICA MADE LEERY BY SOMALIA, THE ADMINISTRATION ACCOMPLISHED WHAT IT SET OUT TO DO: U-S INTERVENTION ENDED A CORRUPT AND ILLEGAL MILITARY RULE, RESTORED THE DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE AND STANCHED THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO THIS COUNTRY. ..... HAITI CAN ACTUALLY MAKE IT THIS TIME. IT IS NOT ANOTHER SOMALIA. ..... UNLIKE THE SOMALIS, WHO TURNED ON AMERICANS BEARING HUMANITARIAN AID, MOST HAITIANS APPRECIATE U-S ASSISTANCE." TEXT: FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF MONDAY'S "NEW YORK TIMES," "THE WASHINGTON POST" TODAY CHIDES NEW YORK SENATOR ALFONSE D'AMATO FOR TRYING TO HOLD UP PRESIDENT CLINTON'S FINANCIAL SUPPORT PACKAGE FOR MEXICO IN THE CONGRESS. VOICE: "ON MEXICO, HOUSE SPEAKER NEWT GINGRICH IS RIGHT AND SENATOR ALFONSE D'AMATO IS WRONG. THE SPEAKER SUPPORTS THE AMERICAN ATTEMPTS TO HELP MEXICO, BUT THE SENATOR IS VIGOROUSLY PURSUING LEGISLATION TO CUT OFF ALL FURTHER LOANS BEYOND THE FIVE-BILLION (DOLLARS) ALREADY PROVIDED UNLESS CONGRESS VOTES APPROVAL. .... IF MEXICO IS NOW CUT OFF FROM FOREIGN FINANCING AND ITS FOREIGN TRADE COLLAPSES, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO PREVENT IT FROM SLIDING INTO AN EARLIER TRADITION -- ISOLATED, INGROWN, BACKWARD. IT WOULD BE ABSURD TO SUGGEST THAT THE UNITED STATES, WITH THAT LONG COMMON BORDER, HAD NO STAKE IN THE WAY THIS HISTORIC BATTLE TURNS OUT." TEXT: IN BALTIMORE, "THE SUN" IS ANXIOUSLY WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS IN ALGERIA, BETWEEN THE MILITANT MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALISTS AND THE GOVERNMENT. VOICE: "THE ALGERIAN ARMY'S ONSLAUGHT AGAINST GUERRILLAS IN RECENT DAYS WILL ACCOMPLISH GOOD IF IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY NEGOTIATIONS WITH OPPOSITION PARTIES LEADING TO A TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY. THE REGIME OF PRESIDENT LIAMINE ZEROUAL HAS THE POWER TO UNIFY THE OPPOSITION OR DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN ITS MODERATE AND FANATIC WINGS. TOO OFTEN, IT HAS DONE THE FORMER." TEXT: TURKEY'S CONTINUING MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST KURDISH GUERRILLAS IN NORTHERN IRAQ IS RAISING CONCERNS AMONG EDITORS OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES", WHICH WARNS: VOICE: "THE CONFLICT MAY APPEAR OBSCURE TO AMERICANS, BUT IT IS DECEPTIVELY DANGEROUS. [OPT] THE MILITARY RESULTS ARE UNCLEAR, SINCE TURKEY HAS RESTRICTED PRESS COVERAGE. BUT THE FIGHTING HAS BROUGHT NEW SUFFERING TO KURDISH CIVILIANS, DAMAGED TURKEY'S INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AND COMPLICATED WASHINGTON'S EFFORTS TO BALANCE COMPETING INTERESTS IN A STRATEGICALLY SENSITIVE REGION. [END OPT] ....THE KURDISH ISSUE IS THE KIND OF DIFFICULT, VOLATILE PROBLEM THAT NO ONE IN WASHINGTON HAS YET FIGURED OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH IN THE ABSENCE OF CLEARLY DEFINED SUPERPOWER INTERESTS. .... WHAT AMERICA CAN DO IS INSIST THAT TURKEY NOT MAKE A BAD SITUATION WORSE. ANKARA MUST SWIFTLY WITHDRAW ITS FORCES FROM IRAQI SOIL." TEXT: AND FINALLY, A SPIRITED DEFENSE OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY FROM TODAY'S "WASHINGTON TIMES" IN THE CASE OF TWO MEN, ONE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY A GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICER ON THE PAYROLL OF THE C-I-A. VOICE: "NO MATTER HOW MUCH SOME PEOPLE MIGHT WISH IT NOT TO BE SO, THE C-I-A IS A BUNCH OF SPIES. THEIR JOB IS TO SPY ON FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, AND, WHEN DEEMED NECESSARY BY THE PRESIDENT, CONDUCT COVERT OPERATIONS. THAT THEY RECRUIT INFORMANTS -- PARTICULARLY MILITARY INFORMANTS -- WITH LESS-THAN-SPOTLESS RECORDS SHOULD NOT COME AS A SURPRISE. ..... IF WE ARE TO MAINTAIN A SPY AGENCY .... WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE UNPLEASANT REALITY THAT THERE WILL BE FAR MORE SINNERS THAN SAINTS IN THE RANKS OF THE INFORMANTS." TEXT: AND WITH THAT COMMENT, WE CONCLUDE THIS BRIEF LOOK AT A FEW OF THE TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IN THE DAILY PRESS FOR TUESDAY THE FOURTH OF APRIL. NEB/ANG/PCH 04-Apr-95 11:30 AM EDT (1530 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America