Voice of America, 5 March 1996

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

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

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

INTRO: ONE TOPIC DOMINATES THE EDITORIAL COLUMNS OF MOST NEWSPAPERS THIS TUESDAY MORNING: MONDAY'S TERRORIST BOMBING IN ISRAEL, THAT TOOK AT LEAST 13 LIVES AND WOUNDED ANOTHER 125 PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM CHILDREN. AMONG THE OTHER SUBJECTS UNDER DISCUSSION ARE THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN SEVERAL STATES; THE ISSUE OF EXTENDING THE SENATE WHITEWATER COMMITTEE, AND A CONTROVERSIAL SUPREME COURT DECISION UPHOLDING THE GOVERNMENT'S RIGHT TO SEIZE PROPERTY USED IN THE COMMISSION OF CRIMES. NOW, HERE WITH A CLOSER LOOK IS ___________________ AND TODAY'S U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST.

TEXT: ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, NEWSPAPERS ARE DECRYING THE LATEST SAVAGERY OF THE HAMAS SUICIDE BOMBING OF A BUSY SHOPPING CENTER IN TEL AVIV IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JEWISH CELEBRATION OF PURIM. IN FLORIDA, "THE ORLANDO SENTINEL" WRITES IN ITS LEAD EDITORIAL:

VOICE: "LET THIS BE REMEMBERED AS A TIME WHEN THE WILL OF THE SUPPORTERS OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST SNATCHED THE INITIATIVE FROM THE OPPONENTS... HAMAS CAN'T STAND THE THOUGHT THAT MOST PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE BULK OF PALESTINIANS, ARE BENEFITTING FROM PEACE EFFORTS. THAT MAKES HAMAS LOOK RATHER FOOLISH BECAUSE IF OPPOSED THE HOSTORIC AGEEMENT BETWEEN ISRALE AND THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION AS A SELLOUT THAT WOULD LEAD NOWHERE.""

TEXT: IN NEW ENGLAND, "THE BOSTON GLOBE" CALLS FOR -- IN ITS WORDS -- "BREAKING THE CYCLE OF EVIL," ADDING:

VOICE: "BEFORE THEIR POLITICAL EFFECTS CAN BE UNDERSTOOD, THE TERRORIST BOMBINGS SUNDAY AND MONDAY IN JERUSALEM AND TEL AVIV MUST BE FELT AS MANIFESTATIONS OF A PERVERSE EVIL... IT IS THE APPREHENSION OF THIS EVIL THAT IMPELS MANY ISRAELIS TO DEMAND RETALIATION. BUT THE AGONIZING TRUTH IS THAT CONVENTIONAL SECURITY METHODS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO MORE EVIL AND LESS SECURITY."

TEXT: ANOTHER BOSTON DAILY, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR", SEES A DEFINITE THREAT TO THE MIDEAST PEACE PROCESS:

VOICE: "FAR MORE THAN THE STILLNESS OF A JERUSALEM DAWN AND THE BUSTLE OF TEL AVIV SHOPPING WAS SHATTERED BY THE LATEST PALESTINIAN SUICIDE BOMBINGS. [OPT] THE EIGHT ... BOMBINGS ... PUT FAR MORE AT RISK... [END OPT] IT NOW BECOMES THINKABLE THAT THE LONG, SEEMINGLY INEXORABLE MARCH OF A RABIN-AND-PERES-LED ISRAELI TOWARD PEACE AND PROFITABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR ALL COULD BE ABORTED."

TEXT: TODAY'S "LOS ANGELES TIMES" SAYS WHAT MANY OTHERS ARE ALSO POSTULATING: THAT THE GOAL OF HAMAS IS TO TORPEDO THE PEACE EFFORTS:

VOICE: "ISRAEL'S NATIONAL ELECTION IS NOW LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AWAY. THE DOMINANCE IN THE POLLS ENJOYED BY [PRIME MINISTER] PEREZ AND HIS LABOR PARTY IN THE AFTERMATH OF PRIME MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN'S ASSASSINATION ... HAS COLLAPSED IN THE WAKE OF THE HAMAS TERROR SPREE. AN ELECTION VICTORY BY THE RIGHT-WING LIKUD WOULD, AT A MINIMUM, INDEFINITELY FREEZE THE PEACE PROCESS WITH THE PALESTINIANS AND PROBABLY BRING PEACE TALKS WITH SYRIA TO A STOP. [PALESTINIAN LEADER] ARAFAT KNOWS THAT. SO DOES HAMAS."

TEXT: THAT SAME THOUGHT IS ADDRESSED BY "THE NEW YORK TIMES", WHICH CALLS THE SITUATION A NEW "WAR."

VOICE: "THERE IS A WAR IN ISRAEL, A WAR BETWEEN A SMALL GROUP OF FANATICS WHO WANT TO DESTROY THE CHANCES FOR PEACE AND THE MILLIONS OF ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS WHO WANT TO LIVE SIDE BY SIDE IN PEACE, PROSPERITY AND SECURITY. THE FANATICS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO PREVAIL."

TEXT: IN THE NATION'S CAPITOL, "THE WASHINGTON POST" ADDS:

VOICE: "THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ANYMORE. DIPLOMACY WAS WORKING FOR THE PALESTINIANS, CREATING FOR THEM A STATE IN PEACE -- A TERRITORY BEING FREED OF DAILY ISRAELI OCCUPATION, A START ON SELF-RULE AND DEMOCRACY, [OPT] A MEASURE OF HOPE FOR THE ECONOMY, A VISTA OF FURTHER NEGOTIATION, INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE. YET INSTEAD OF TRANQUILITY, THE ISRAELIS ARE REAPING SAVAGERY. [END OPT] ... THE WHOLE PROSPECT OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- A GOAL WARMLY EMBRACED BY SUCCESSIVE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATIONS -- MAY HAVE TO BE REVIEWED."

TEXT: ON NEW YORK'S LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" SAYS SIMPLY: "IT'S UP TO [YASSER] ARAFAT ... IF THE PALESTINIANS WANT TO ACHIEVE SELF-GOVERNMENT, THEY MUST STOP THE TERRORISTS." BUT IN GEORGIA, "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" DISAGREES, CALLING THE BOMBINGS A "SERIOUS SETBACK FOR PEACE:"

VOICE: "IT IS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT THAT [MR.] ARAFAT CAN STAMP OUT TERRORISM AFTER BEING IN POWER FOR A MATTER OF WEEKS, WHEN ISRAEL HAS BEEN UNABLE TO ELIMINATE IT OVER DECADES. IT 'IS' [ITALICS FOR EMPHASIS] REALISTIC TO ASK [MR.] ARAFAT TO DO THIS: STOP PANDERING TO TERRORISTS, AND TREAT THEM AS THE MARGINAL PLAYERS THEY HAVE BECOME... COWARDLY ATTACKS ON INNOCENT PEOPLE SHOW THE DESPERATION AND WEAKNESS OF HAMAS, NOT ITS STRENGTH."

TEXT: TURNING TO DOMESTIC CONCERNS, THE PRIMARY ELECTION IN TEN STATES AND THE TERRITORY OF AMERICAN SAMOA TODAY ARE MENTIONED IN SEVERAL EDITORIALS, INCLUDING "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION", WHICH SAYS SENATOR BOB DOLE IS THE BEST REPUBLICAN FOR THE JOB OF PRESIDENT. IN MARYLAND, "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE ALSO ENDORSES MR. DOLE, ALONG WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, WHILE ON LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" SAYS "THERE'S JUST ONE CHOICE IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY," BOB DOLE, ALTHOUGH IT CALLS THE REPUBLICAN FIELD "FLAWED."

SEVERAL PAPERS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE SENATE MAY NOT CONTINUE THE WHITEWATER COMMITTEE BEFORE IT HAS COMPLETED ITS FULL INVESTIGATION OF A FAILED ARKANSAS FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AND ITS TIES TO PRESIDENT AND MRS. CLINTON. TODAY'S "DENVER POST" SAYS POINTEDLY: "POLITICS SHOULDN'T SHORTEN THE SENATE WHITEWATER PROBE." THE PAPER SIDES WITH NEW YORK SENATOR AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ALFONSE D'AMATO, WHO WANTS TO CONTINUE THE PROBE.

VOICE: "THERE ARE TWO REASONS. THE FIRST IS THAT IT WOULD BE A LOUSY [BAD] PRECEDENT TO START OR END INVESTIGATIONS BASED ON ELECTORAL CYCLES... SECOND, SETTING A DEADLINE OF APRIL 3RD WOULD SIMPLY ENCOURAGE WITNESSES TO STONEWALL [REFUSE TO COOPERATE] TO GET BEYOND THAT DATE. DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MISSING FOR TWO YEARS WON'T SHOW UP IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IF THE END OF THE COMMITTEE'S WORK IS IMMINENT... THE BEST RESULT FROM THE PUBLIC'S POINT OF VIEW IS TO ALLOW THE COMMITTEE TO COMPLETE ITS WORK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE."

TEXT: AND LASTLY, THERE IS THIS COMMENT FROM "USA TODAY" ON A CONTROVERSIAL SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT ALLOWS THE GOVERNMENT TO SEIZE PERSONAL PROPERTY USED IN THE COMMISSION OF A CRIME, EVEN IF THE PROPERTY OWNERS WERE INNOCENT OF WRONGDOING. A MICHIGAN WOMAN HAD CHALLENGED THE COURT'S RIGHT TO SEIZE HER OLD CAR, JUST BECAUSE HER HUSBAND HAD USED IT, WITHOUT HER CONSENT, TO HAVE SEX WITH A PROSTITUTE. "USA TODAY" SAYS THE NATION'S FOUNDING FATHERS WOULD GASP AT THE COURT'S STANCE ON THIS ISSUE, ADDING:

VOICE: "ACCORDING TO ONE STUDY, IN MORE THAN 80-PERCENT OF ASSET-FORFEITURE CASES THE PROPERTY OWNER IS NEVER CHARGED WITH A CRIME, YET GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS USUALLY KEEP SEIZED PROPERTY. THE INCENTIVE FOR ABUSE IS GREAT: THE PROCEEDS OF SUCH ILL-GOTTEN GAINS USUALLY GO DIRECTLY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT BUDGETS... IF THE HIGH COURT WON'T ENFORCE THE CONSTITUTION'S BAN ON UNREASONABLE SEIZURES, THEN CONGRESS AND THE LEGISLATURES MUST ACT."

TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS BRIEF SAMPLING OF EDITORIALS FROM TUESDAY'S U-S PRESS.

NEB/ANG/PCH
05-Mar-96 10:53 AM EST (1553 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[02] BILDT-BOSNIA (L-ONLY) BY JOHN FRASER (BRUSSELS)

INTRO:THE TAXPAYERS OF THE WORLD HAVE BEEN URGED TO BALE OUT BOSNIA -- OR FACE A FAR BIGGER BILL IN THE FUTURE IF THE COUNTRY LURCHES BACK INTO CIVIL WAR. THE WARNING WAS DELIVERED BY THE UNITED NATIONS REPRESENTATIVE IN BOSNIA, CARL BILDT, AFTER TALKS IN BRUSSELS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF DONOR NATIONS. JOHN FRASER REPORTS FROM BRUSSELS.

TEXT: THE HEAD OF THE CIVILIAN RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM IN BOSNIA, CARL BILDT, SAYS HE IS STILL WORRIED ABOUT FUNDING, AND APPEALED TO THE .TAXPAYERS OF THE WORLD TO COME UP WITH MORE CASH FOR BOSNIA.

HE SAID ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE MONEY WHICH WAS PLEDGED AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN DECEMBER HAS STILL NOT BEEN HANDED OVER. HE SAYS HE IS PARTICULARLY WORRIED ABOUT DELAYS BY THE UNITED STATES, BY JAPAN, AND BY THE ISLAMIC WORLD.

MR. BILDT SAYS MONEY IS NEEDED NOW TO HELP STABILIZE BOSNIA, TO DEMOBILIZE TROOPS, TO RESETTLE REFUGEES, AND TO PREPARE FOR DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.

HE SAYS THE TAXPAYERS OF THE WORLD WILL BE AFFECTED BY WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BOSNIA. MR. BILDT SAYS AN INVESTMENT TODAY COULD PREVENT THE NEED FOR FAR MORE MONEY IN THE FUTURE IF THE COUNTRY SLIDES BACK INTO CIVIL WAR. SO MONEY WHICH HAS BEEN PLEDGED FOR BOSNIA, HE SAYS, MUST BE SPENT IN BOSNIA NOW.

IT WILL HAVE TO BE AN APPEAL TO TAXPAYERS ALL OVER, BE IT THE UNITED STATES, BE THAT THE ISLAMIC COUNTRIES, OR BE THAT ALSO COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. AND IT'S REALLY TO BE CERTAIN THAT THE INVESTMENT THAT WE ARE MAKING IN PEACE -- HELPING THE REFUGEES TO RETURN, HELPING TO ORGANIZE THE ELECTIONS, HELPING TO SECURE THE MILITARY PART THROUGH THE VERY EXTENSIVE DEPLOYMENT OF THE MILITARY FORCE -- THAT THAT IS AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF. SO IT IS CERTAINLY IN THE INTERESTS OF BOSNIA, YES. BUT IT IS ALSO IN OUR INTERESTS, TOO, TO DO IT.

MR. BILDT ALSO EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE BOSNIAN SERB EXODUS FROM THE CAPITAL SARAJEVO, AND SAID STEPS MUST BE TAKEN TO REVERSE WHAT HE CALLED "THIS VERY REGRETTABLE SITUATION." (SIGNED) NEB/JF/GPT-T/GPT 05-Mar-96 3:16 PM EST (2016 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[03] BOSNIA / SARAJEVO (L ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (HADZICI)

INTRO: BOSNIAN SERBS ARE CONTINUING TO LOOT THE SERB-HELD SUBURBS OF SARAJEVO BEFORE THE AREAS COME UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT. DAVID FOLEY IN SARAJEVO WENT TO ONE OF THE SUBURBS TUESDAY, WHERE HE FOUND SERBS HAD BURNED A NUMBER OF HOUSES BEFORE LEAVING.

TEXT:

ANOTHER HOUSE IS BURNED TO THE GROUND IN SERB-HELD HADZICI. THE FLAMES POUR OUT OF EMPTY HOLES WHERE THE WINDOWS USED TO BE, AND THE ROOF FINALLY COLLAPSES.

ALL THE HOUSES NEARBY HAVE BEEN STRIPPED. EVERYTHING OF VALUE -- INCLUDING DOORS, WINDOWS, WIRING, BATHROOM FIXTURES, AND PLUMBING -- HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY BY SERBS WHO WILL NOT LIVE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT. SOME OF THE OTHER HOUSES HAVE ALSO BEEN BURNED, BUT MOST SERBS APPEAR TO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO PUT THE TORCH TO WHAT LITTLE REMAINS IN HADZICI.

WHILE THE HOUSE BURNS, A NATO HELICOPTER MAKES ONE CIRCLE OVERHEAD, AND HEADS OFF. THERE ARE NO FIRE-FIGHTERS. THERE ARE NO POLICE. AS KRIS JANOWSKI, THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE U-N REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS, THERE IS LITTLE ELSE IN HADZICI.

WE HAVE REGISTERED ONLY ABOUT 120 PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY. THERE IS NO WATER. THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY IN HADZICI. SO THE SITUATION IS NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD.

EARLY WEDNESDAY, POLICE FROM THE MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION WILL TAKE CONTROL IN HADZICI. A FEW SERBS ARE STILL BUSY LOADING THEIR POSSESSIONS ONTO TRUCKS OR TRAILERS.

ALMOST EVERYONE HAS HAD TIME TO PACK AND TO LEAVE, AND UNLIKE IN THE TWO PREVIOUS SERB SUBURBS THAT WERE HANDED OVER, THERE IS LITTLE SENSE OF PANIC OR HURRY. THE PEOPLE ARE ANGRY THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THEY WILL NEVER RETURN AND MANY ARE LEAVING HOMES THEY HAVE SPENT A LIFETIME BUILDING.

AFTER HADZICI, THERE ARE TWO MORE SUBURBS LEFT TO CHANGE HANDS -- ILIDZA, THE LARGEST SUBURB, AND GRBAVICA, A NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CENTER OF SARAJEVO.

MORE THAN 50-THOUSAND SERBS HAVE FLED SERB SARAJEVO, AND ONLY 13-THOUSAND SERBS ARE LEFT IN THESE LAST TWO SUBURBS, WHICH WILL BE HANDED OVER IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

SO FAR THE TRANSITION HAS GONE FAIRLY PEACEFULLY, BUT KRIS JANOWSKI WARNS THERE ARE SIGNS THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE IS GROWING.

WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT NIGHTLY EVENTS, ESPECIALLY IN GRBAVICA, WHERE THE EVIL COMES OUT AT NIGHT. ABOUT REPEATED TORCHING OF HOUSES.

NATO AND U-N OFFICIALS SAY THERE IS LITTLE THEY CAN DO TO HALT THE VIOLENCE AND THE ARSON. MOST SERB AUTHORITIES HAVE ALREADY LEFT, AND U-N OFFICIALS SAY BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT FIRE-FIGHTERS, UNDERSTANDABLY, WILL NOT GO INTO THE AREAS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SECURE.

OFFICIALS SAY THE CURRENT LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION IS NOT LIKELY TO PROMPT ANY INTERNATIONAL ACTION. BUT THEY HAVE HINTED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN ARSON MIGHT PROMPT THE MOBILIZATION OF MORE NATO SECURITY, OR LESS LIKELY, THE ACCELERATED HANDOVER OF THE AREAS TO GOVERNMENT CONTROL. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/JWH/RAE
05-Mar-96 2:04 PM EST (1904 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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[04] IRAN / BOSNIA / S BY LAURIE KASSMAN (TEHRAN)

TEXT: IRAN DENIES REPORTS IN THE THE "NEW YORK TIMES" IT IS TRAINING BOSNIAN TROOPS. THE U-S GOVERNMENT HAS WARNED BOSNIAN OFFICIALS ABOUT CONTINUING ANY MILITARY COOPERATION WITH IRAN. V-O-A MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT LAURIE KASSMAN IN TEHRAN REPORTS BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER HASSAN MURATOVIC HAS BEEN IN IRAN TO SEEK HELP IN RECONSTRUCTING HIS WAR-TORN REPUBLIC.

TEXT: BOSNIAN AMBASSADOR TO IRAN OMER BEHMAN TOLD THE ENGLISH DAILY THE "TEHRAN TIMES" BOSNIAN TROOPS ARE NOT TRAINING IN IRAN. HE CALLS THE REPORTS BASELESS -- A REACTION ECHOED BY FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS IN TEHRAN. AN EDITORIAL IN THE TEHRAN TIMES TUESDAY ACCUSES THE U-S GOVERNMENT OF MIS-INFORMATION ABOUT IRANIAN MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN BOSNIA.

BOSNIA'S PRIME MINISTER HAS BEEN MEETING WITH TOP IRANIAN OFFICIALS TO TALK ABOUT ASSISTANCE IN RECONSTRUCTING BOSNIA -- ESPECIALLY FOR REBUILDING FACTORIES AND PORTS. THERE WERE ALSO DISCUSSIONS ABOUT INCREASING TECHNICAL AND CULTURAL TIES BETWEEN THE TWO MUSLIM COMMUNITIES.

BOSNIA IS ALSO EXPLORING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AID FOUNDATIONS TO DEAL WITH DISABLED WAR VICTIMS AND FAMILIES OF THOSE KILLED IN THE FIGHTING -- SIMILAR TO WHAT IRAN SET UP TO DEAL WITH VICTIMS OF ITS EIGHT-YEAR WAR WITH IRAQ. THE IRANIAN OFFICIALS SAY THEY ALSO WANT TO EXPLORE JOINT VENTURES AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION. (SIGNED)

NEB/LK/AC / WOD
05-Mar-96 3:05 AM EST (0805 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America