Subject: FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS By ANDREW N. GUTHRIE/WASHINGTON From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=03/24/95 TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST NUMBER=6-08901 TITLE=FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS 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-S-T ON FRIDAY, MARCH 24TH // INTRO: THE DEATHS OF TWO MEN IN GUATEMALA, ONE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AND THE OTHER THE HUSBAND OF AN AMERICAN, AND THE KILLER'S ALLEGED CONNECTION TO THE C-I-A, IS A PRIME EDITORIAL TOPIC IN U-S PAPERS THIS FRIDAY. AMONG OTHER TOPICS IS THE LINE ITEM VETO BILL SOON TO BE SIGNED BY PRESIDENT CLINTON; THE PROBLEM OF GLOBAL WARMING; WHAT'S AHEAD FOR HAITI; THE DEBATE OVER TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS AND TURKEY'S MILITARY INCURSION AGAINST KURDISH GUERRILLAS IN IRAQ. NOW, HERE'S A CLOSER LOOK BY ________________ WITH TODAY'S U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST. TEXT: AN AMERICAN WOMAN, JENNIFER HARBURY, WHO WAS MARRIED TO A GUATEMALAN GUERRILLA, FOR TWO YEARS HAD BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT HIS WHEREABOUTS AND WHETHER HE WAS KILLED BY GUATEMALAN AUTHORITIES. THURSDAY, A MEMBER OF THE U-S CONGRESS TOLD HER HER HUSBAND WAS MURDERED BY A GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICER ON THE PAYROLL OF THE C-I-A, AND THAT THE U-S GOVERNMENT KNEW, BUT COVERED UP THE DEATH. TODAY'S "NEW YORK TIMES" AND "BOSTON GLOBE" BOTH COMMENTS ON THAT KILLING AND THE MURDER OF A U-S CITIZEN, ALSO BY THE GUATEMALAN OFFICER. THE "TIMES" HEADLINE READS: "SHAMEFUL C-I-A SECRETS." VOICE: "....THE SECRECY SURROUNDING THE FATE OF MS. HARBURY'S HUSBAND DID NOT STOP WITH THE C-I-A ITSELF. OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES -- MOST NOTABLY THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL -- AND INDIVIDUALS WERE AWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM AND WITHHELD THE INFORMATION. ....THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION CAN USE THIS OCCASION TO SIGNAL A NEW APPROACH TO COVERT OPERATIONS .... AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IN THE FUTURE, ROGUE OPERATORS, WHO ABUSE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES, WILL BE EXPOSED RATHER THAN PROTECTED." TEXT: "THE BOSTON GLOBE" ADDS: VOICE: "BEYOND THE LEGAL ISSUES, THE ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO ASSESS THE U-S ROLE IN GUATEMALA, AND MAKE AN ADMISSION OF ANY HUMAN RIGHTS TRANSGRESSIONS. THE UNITED STATES OWES A DEBT TO THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE IN GUATEMALA THAT HAS YET TO BE PAID." TEXT: TURNING TO DOMESTIC ISSUES, "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" IS COMMENTING ON THE SEPARATE LINE ITEM VETO BILLS WHICH HAVE BEEN PASSED BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND MUST NOW BE COMPROMISED IN A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. VOICE: "IF THE HOUSE ACCEPTS THE CONSTITUTIONALLY SAFER SENATE VERSION, LARGE BILLS WILL BE SENT TO THE PRESIDENT DIVIDED INTO SMALLER BILLS, ENABLING HIM TO VETO THOSE BILLS HE DISLIKES. THE SENATE BILL'S DRAFTERS THINK NO OTHER APPROACH WOULD PASS CONSISTUTIONAL MUSTER. ... ON BALANCE, THE SENATE VERSION OF THE LINE-ITEM VETO IS WORTH A TRY." TEXT: IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, PORTLAND'S "OREGONIAN" QUESTIONS THE WHOLE NOTION OF GIVING THE PRESIDENT SUCH CONTROL OVER THE FEDERAL BUDGET: VOICE: "THE LINE-ITEM VETO HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTS OF INSTITUTIONAL SELFLESSNESS IN A LONG TIME. EITHER THAT OR IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTS OF INSTITUTIONAL SELF-LOATHING. IMAGINE, CONGRESS IS HANDING OVER A HEFTY PORTION OF ITS CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS TO THE PRESIDENT. ..... DOES ANYONE ELSE FIND THIS ODD? TEXT: HAVE YOU NOTICED IT GETTING WARMER WHERE YOU LIVE LATELY? WELL "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" HAS, AND SAYS IN TODAY'S EDITORIAL ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING: VOICE: "[OPT] AN ICE FLOE THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND HAS BROKEN OFF THE POLAR ICE CAP. OCEANOGRAPHERS HAVE FOUND A THREE-DEGREE FAHRENHEIT [ONE-AND-TWO-THIRDS DEGREES CELSIUS] INCREASE IN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE OCEAN OFF CALIFORNIA SINCE THE 1950'S AND A SIMULTANEOUS 80 PERCENT DECLINE IN THE POPULATION OF MARINE PLANKTON, THE BUILDING BLOCK OF OCEAN LIFE. NASA SCIENTISTS, CITING NEW SATELLITE DATA, REPORT THAT THE EARTH'S OCEANS ARE RISING UP TO THREE TIMES FASTER THAN ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED, 'A POSSIBLE EARLY WARNING SIGN OF GLOBAL WARMING.' [END OPT] ... AS LONG AS GLOBAL WARMING ISN'T 'PROVED,' WE CAN PRETEND THAT THERE'S NO IMPERATIVE TO ACT. AND WE'LL KEEP PRETENDING AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, WHICH CAN BE A VERY LONG TIME." TEXT: IN BOSTON, "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR" LOOKS TOWARD HAITI'S FUTURE: VOICE: "HAITI IS HEADED TOWARD A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT MILESTONES ALONG ITS PATH TO DEMOCRACY AND ORDER. AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, THE UNITED NATIONS WILL ASSUME THE POLICING AND MONITORING DUTIES NOW SHOULDERED BY THE UNITED STATES. THE OUTLOOK APPEARS GOOD FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION, WITH A FEW THOUSAND AMERICANS TROOPS REMAINING AS PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL FORCE. ..... WITH IT, THE RESTORED PRESIDENCY OF JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE HAS A CHANCE, AT LEAST OF PATCHING UP HAITI'S TATTERED INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT AND RESTARTING ITS ECONOMY." TEXT: "THE MONITOR" SAYS THE OTHER PENDING MILESTONE IN HAITI IS LOCAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS IN JUNE. BACK TO DOMESTIC CONCERNS, "THE MONITOR," TALKING ABOUT THE DEBATE IN CONGRESS OVER LIMITING THE TERMS OF ITS MEMBERS, SEES AN IRONY. VOICE: "WHEN THE HOUSE DEBATES TERM LIMITS ON CONGRESS NEXT WEEK, REPUBLICANS WILL LIKELY BE THE VICTIMS OF THEIR OWN NOVEMBER SUCCESS. ..... HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUT A TERM LIMITS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT INTO THEIR CONTRACT WITH AMERICA. IT WAS A GREAT CAMPAIGN THEME. BUT NOW, AFTER A HUGE SUCCESS AT THE POLLS, THEY ARE STUCK WITH A DILEMMA:THEY MUST TRY TO PASS AN AMENDMENT THAT EVEN MANY REPUBLICANS DON'T THINK IS NECESSARY." TEXT: TODAY'S "WALL STREET JOURNAL" COMMENTS ON TURKEY'S INVASION OF IRAQ IN PURSUIT OF KURDISH P-K-K GUERRILLAS, AND, UNLIKE MOST PAPERS, SUPPORTS PRESIDENT CLINTON'S POSITION. VOICE: "THE REACTION [TO THE INVASION] OF WESTERN GOVERNMENTS LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED. THE BEST SO FAR HAS BEEN PRESIDENT CLINTON; [OPT] HE SPOKE WITH [TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TANSU] MS. CILLER BY TELEPHONE AND EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION. BUT THEN WARREN CHRISTOPHER TURNS AROUND IN PARIS AND HEDGES THAT THE U-S HOPED THE OPERATION WOULD BE 'LIMITED IN DURATION AND SCOPE,' WHATEVER THAT MEANS. [END OPT] THE E-U'S EQUIVOCATING RESPONSE AND FRANCE'S CRITICISMS WERE WORSE. ... THE P-K-K [THE GROUP THE TURKISH FORCES ARE PURSUING] IS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST TERRORIST MOVEMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ....... TURKEY .... IS A FRIEND IN A TROUBLED REGION AND IT DESERVES OUR SUPPORT." TEXT: U-S - BRITISH RELATIONS ARE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT PERIOD, ACCORDING TO "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE, WHICH NOTES TODAY: VOICE: "THREE DAYS AFTER PRESIDENT CLINTON DISCLOSED THAT HE IS SNUBBING BRITAIN, YET VISITING RUSSIA TO MARK THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALLIED VICTORY OVER NAZI GERMANY, HE GOT A TWO-FOLD RESPONSE YESTERDAY THAT BELLOWED VOLUMES ABOUT HIS TIN EAR IN WORLD AFFAIRS. RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANDREI KOZYREV DECLARED AFTER 'CANDID' TALKS WITH SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER THAT THE AMERICAN-RUSSIAN 'HONEYMOON IS OVER.' IN BRITAIN, PRINCE CHARLES SAID, 'AMERICAN ENGLISH IS VERY CORRUPTING' AND PLEADED FOR THE PRIMACY OF 'PROPER ENGLISH.' ...... WHATEVER HIS RATIONALE, THE PRESIDENT HAS PRECIOUS LITTLE TO SHOW FOR HIS STYLE OF DIPLOMACY." TEXT: AND ON THAT SOMEWHAT SOUR ANGLO-U-S NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS BRIEF LOOK AT SOME OF THE TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION THIS SPRING FRIDAY IN THE AMERICAN PRESS. NEB/ANG/PCH 24-Mar-95 11:26 AM EST (1626 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------