Topic: voa Subject: WEDNESDAY'S EDITORIALS by ANDREW N. GUTHRIE/WASHINGTON From: Yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) Topic: voa DATE=4/5/95 TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST NUMBER=6-08918 TITLE=WEDNESDAY'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-D-S-T ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH // INTRO: THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE DEATHS OF TWO MEN IN GUATEMALA, ONE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AND THE OTHER MARRIED TO AN AMERICAN, CONTINUES TO BE A PRIME TOPIC OF CONCERN AMONG U-S EDITORIAL WRITERS. OTHER SUBJECTS INCLUDE TURKEY'S PURSUIT OF KURDISH GUERRILLAS IN IRAQ; THE CHRISTIAN-JEWISH COALITION IN AMERICA; THE U-S BUDGET DEFICIT; HILLARY CLINTON'S TRAVELS IN SOUTH ASIA, AND U-S RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN IN THE CONTEXT OF PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON. NOW WITH A CLOSER LOOK, HERE IS ______________ WITH WEDNESDAY'S U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST. TEXT: RECENTLY A NEW JERSEY CONGRESSMEN, ROBERT TORRICELLI, CHARGED THAT THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY COVERED UP ITS CONNECTION WITH A GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICER POSSIBLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF TWO MEN THAT CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRY. ONE WAS A U-S CITIZEN AND INNKEEPER AND THE OTHER A GUERRILLA LEADER MARRIED TO AN AMERICAN LAWYER. CONGRESSMAN TORRICELLI SAYS THE ARMY OFFICER WAS ON THE C-I-A PAYROLL AT THE TIME OF THE KILLINGS. PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS ORDERED A MILITARY AID CUTOFF TO GUATEMALA, AND AN INVESTIGATION OF THE C-I-A'S ROLE IN THE AFFAIR. U-S NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL WRITERS HAVE TAKEN VARIOUS POSITIONS ON THE ISSUE. "THE NEW YORK POST" IS CRITICAL OF THE CONGRESSMAN'S PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THE MATTER. VOICE: "[MR.] MR. TORRICELLI'S AGENDA IS CLEAR. HE'S ENDEAVORING TO ADVANCE AN UNDERTAKING MOUNTED BY JENNIFER HARBURY, A HARVARD-EDUCATED LAWYER, AND BIANCA JAGGER, THE CELEBRITY DIVORCEE AND SELF-PROCLAIMED HUMAN-RIGHTS ACTIVIST; JAGGER HAPPENS ALSO TO BE TORRICELLI'S PARAMOUR [LOVER]. THE FOCUS OF THIS JOINT EFFORT IS THE ALLEGED C-I-A ROLE IN THE 1992 DEATH -- OF HARBURY'S HUSBAND, EFRAIN BAMACA VELASQUEZ. .... TOO MANY PEOPLE -- INCLUDING SOME WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER -- HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN BY THE HARBURY/TORRICELLI/JAGGER PUBLIC-RELATIONS CAMPAIGN. ..... IN THIS CONTEXT... IT'S HARD TO DISPUTE SPEAKER NEWT GINGRICH'S DEMAND THAT THE NEW JERSEY DEMOCRAT RESIGN HIS SEAT ON THE HOUSE SELECT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE." TEXT: HOWEVER, "THE WASHINGTON POST" SEES IT VERY DIFFERENTLY, SUGGESTING THE HOUSE SPEAKER IS WRONG: VOICE: "MR. GINGRICH SHOULD NOT BE REBUKING MR. TORRICELLI ON A DUBIOUS SECRECY COUNT. HE SHOULD BE SHOWING A MATCHING CONCERN FOR WHETHER THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT HAS DONE ITS DUTY TO ITS CITIZENS AND THEIR FAMILIES INVOLVED IN GUATEMALA." TEXT: [OPT] THE LEAD EDITORIAL IN TODAY'S "NEW YORK TIMES" THINKS THE GUATEMALA ISSUE POINTS TO A MUCH DEEPER PROBLEM WITH THE C-I-A: VOICE: "[OPT] AS PRESIDENT CLINTON TRIES TO DETERMINE HOW THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ENTANGLED ITSELF IN A DISGRACEFUL COVERT RELATIONSHIP WITH GUATEMALAN MILITARY THUGS, HE MUST RECKON WITH THE ABUSE OF SECRECY THAT RESTS AT THE CORE OF THIS CASE, AND SO MANY OTHER PAST C-I-A TRAIN WRECKS [METAPHOR FOR "DISASTERS.] [END OPT] ..... PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS AN OBLIGATION TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED IN GUATEMALA AND PUNISH THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE C-I-A MISCONDUCT." [END OPT] TEXT: "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" IS SHARPLY CRITICAL OF TURKEY'S INVASION OF IRAQ IN PURSUIT OF KURDISH GUERRILLAS, AND DECLARES IN ITS EDITORAL HEADLINE: "FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS INVADE": VOICE: "TURKEY SHOULD WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS FROM KURDISH TERRITORY IN NORTHERN IRAQ WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. THAT OUGHT TO BE THE MESSAGE SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER CONVEYS, UNEQUIVOCALLY AND PUBLICLY, TO VISITING TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER ERDAL INONU TODAY. [OPT] ... IN THE LONG RUN, THE WISEST AND BEST HELP THE UNITED STATES CAN OFFER THE KURDS IS TO INSIST THAT THEIR BASIC RIGHTS AND DISTINCTIVENESS ARE RESPECTED AND PROTECTED BY THE REGIMES THAT GOVERN THEM." [END OPT] TEXT: IN ANOTHER EDITORIAL, ATLANTA DAILY SPEAKS OUT ABOUT PERCEIVED ANTI-SEMITIC COMMENTS BY CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN TELEVISION BROADCASTER PAT ROBERTSON, REAFFIRMING THE BOND BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND JEWS IN AMERICA, AND THE SECULAR NATURE OF THE NATION. VOICE: "THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WAS FOUNDED LARGELY BY CHRISTIANS, UPON IDEALS DERIVED IN PART FROM CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY AND TRADITIONS. BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN, AND MUST NEVER BE, A CHRISTIAN NATION. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHRISTIAN NATION AND CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE IS CRUCIAL. A NATION INFLUENCED BY CHRISTIANITY CAN ALSO BE OPEN TO INFLUENCE OF OTHER RELIGIONS..... A CHRISTIAN NATION, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS BY DEFINITION A NATION CLOSED TO THOSE OF OTHER RELIGIONS." TEXT: THE PROPOSED TAX CUT WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DRAWS THE IRE OF TODAY'S "LOS ANGELES TIMES": VOICE: "CUT TAXES, FEED THE DEFICIT. [OPT] THE SIMPLE ORWELLIAN [A REFERENCE TO GEORGE ORWELL AND HIS BOOKS ON THE TOTALITARIAN STATE] INSANITY OF THIS CONJUNCTION OF CONTRADICTORY PUBLIC POLICIES SEEMS UTTERLY LOST ON TOO MANY MEMBERS OF THE U-S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ...INDEED, THE LOWER CHAMBER OF CONGRESS APPEARS TO BE STAMPEDING TOWARD ENACTING A MASSIVE TAX CUT PACKAGE THIS WEEK [WHICH] ... COULD WIND UP COSTING AMERICAN FAMILIES A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN THE MODEST 500-DOLLAR REBATE THAT IS BEING CYNICALLY DANGLED BEFORE UNKNOWING VOTERS. [END OPT] ... THE LAST THING AMERICA NEEDS IS ANOTHER ROUND OF ILL-CONCEIVED TAX CUTS THAT DEEPEN THE RED INK. WE'RE ALMOST DROWNING ALREADY." TEXT: FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON'S VISIT TO SOUTH ASIA DRAWS THIS COMMENT FROM "THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR:" VOICE: "....MRS. CLINTON TOOK ABROAD SOME OF THE BEST OF WHAT THE UNITED STATES HAS TO OFFER -- A VOICE ON BEHALF OF WOMEN, IN A REGION THAT DOES NEED TO HEAR THAT MESSAGE. ..... AMERICANS OUGHT TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND EVEN PROUD OF THE FIRST LADY AND NEWLY EMERGING FIRST DAUGHTER .... AND THEIR QUIET BUT FIRM VOICE ON THE UNIVERSAL RIGHTS OF WOMEN." TEXT: AND ON ANOTHER TOPIC, MEXICO'S FIGHT TO REGAIN ECONOMIC VIABILITY, "THE MONITOR" HAS THIS HOPEFUL OBSERVATION: VOICE: "THERE ARE ... HINTS THAT INVESTOR CONFIDENCE MAY BE GROWING. BUT POSITIVE SIGNS ARE CLOUDED BY THE GENERALLY DISMAL STATE OF MEXICO'S ECONOMY AT THE MOMENT, WITH SOARING INFLATION AND INTEREST RATES BATTERING BOTH FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES. ..... SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRAINS COULD GROW AS IMPORTANT STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS APPROACH IN MEXICO. [OPT] .... WITH UPCOMING VOTES LOOMING DARK FOR THE [RULING] PRI (PREE), THE PRESIDENT IS PROBABLY UNDER EXTREME PRESSURE TO WEAKEN HIS ECONOMIC POLICIES. THAT COULD INVITE THE RENEWED FINANCIAL PANIC THOSE POLICIES ARE DESIGNED TO QUELL. [MR.] ZEDILLO HAS TO HOLD THE LINE." [END OPT] TEXT: [OPT] REGARDING RUSSIA'S SALE OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN, "NEW YORK NEWSDAY" SAYS: VOICE: [OPT] "RUSSIA IS DOING WHAT IS EXPEDIENT, BUT IN THE LONG RUN ITS DEAL WITH IRAN WILL PROVE DAMAGING. MOSCOW'S LEADERSHIP MUST REMEMBER THAT IS MUST CONTEND IN WASHINGTON NOT ONLY WITH THE WHITE HOUSE BUT WITH A NEW REPUBLICAN CONGRESS." [END OPT] TEXT: AND FINALLY, WITH BRITISH PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR VISITING WASHINGTON, "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" SAYS OF THE FORMER WARM RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO LONG-TIME ALLIES: VOICE: "... THE BRITISH-AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP IS A-CHANGING, AND MAYBE THAT'S NOT SUCH A BAD THING. NEITHER NOSTALGIC APPEALS TO THE GLORY DAYS OF WORLD WAR TWO .... OR REITERATION OF THE MORE RECENT ALLIANCE AGAINST THE IRAQIS CAN PAPER OVER THE CONTINUING, IF NOT GROWING, DIVISIONS BETWEEN THE TWO ANGLO NATIONS. ..... THE JOB NOW FOR THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT THIS ALLIANCE IS TO IMAGINATIVELY DEFINE NEW WAYS OF COOPERATING, RATHER THAN REOPENING OLD WOUNDS THAT WON'T HEAL EASILY, IF EVER." TEXT: AND ON THAT SOBERING EVALUATION OF A DECADES OLD ANGLO/AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP, WE CONCLUDE THIS BRIEF SAMPLING OF TODAY'S U-S EDITORIAL COLUMNS. NEB/ANG/PCH 05-Apr-95 11:35 AM EDT (1535 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America