Subject: THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS By ANDREW N. GUTHRIE/WASHINGTON From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" DATE=03/23/95 TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST NUMBER=6-08899 TITLE=THURSDAY'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 THURSDAY, MARCH 23RD // INTRO: AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS ARE DEALING WITH A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS IN THEIR EDITORIAL COLUMNS FOR THURSDAY, INCLUDING THE TURKISH INVASION OF THE KURDISH HOMELAND IN NORTHERN IRAQ, AND THE TOKYO SUBWAY GAS ATTACK BY TERRORISTS. DOMESTIC TOPICS INCLUDE THE CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE ON A NATIONAL TAX CUT AND THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC POLICY. ALSO DISCUSSED: RUSSIA'S BARGAINING WITH NATO, AIR SAFETY, AND THE RIGORS OF SPACEFLIGHT. NOW, ____________ TAKESA CLOSER LOOK IN TODAY'S U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST. TEXT: TWO OF THE NATION'S LARGEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL NEWSPAPERS, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" AND "THE WASHINGTON POST", ARE WRITING ABOUT THE TURKISH INVASION OF NORTHERN IRAQ TO ATTACK BASES OF TURKISH KURD GUERRILLAS."THE NEW YORK TIMES," SHARPLY DENOUNCES THE INVASION, CALLING IT ONE OF TURKEY'S LARGEST FOREIGN MILITARY OPERATIONS SINCE THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE: VOICE: ".... SENDING TROOPS ACROSS ANOTHER NATION'S BORDER IS A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW THAT DESERVES HARSH CONDEMNATION. THE WORLD WOULD BECOME EVEN MORE DANGEROUS IF COUNTRIES WITH STRONG ARMIES AND BORDER FRUSTRATIONS FELT FREE TO TAKE THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. [OPT] FRANCE.... HAS RIGHTLY CONDEMNED THIS INVASION. THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE CONDEMNED IT TOO." TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON POST" WONDERS ABOUT BOTH THE WISDOM OF THE OPERATION AND WHAT IT WILL LEAD TO: VOICE: "WHETHER IT WILL SUCCEED IS OPEN TO QUESTION. THEY [THE TURKISH MILITARY] ARE OPERATING IN VERY ROUGH COUNTRY, WHICH FAVORS THE GUERRILLAS, AND THE MILITARY BUILDUP THAT PRECEDED THE INVASION APPARENTLY GAVE THE KURDS PLENTY OF WARNING. ..... TURKS LIVE AT A GREAT HISTORICAL CROSSROADS, AND THE ARMY'S STRIKE AGAINST KURDISH SEPARATISM IS PART OF THE PROCESS IN WHICH THEY ARE DECIDING WHETHER TO TURN EASTWARD OR WESTWARD." TEXT: "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE ALSO QUESTIONS THE WISDOM OF THE TURKISH OPERATION, NOTING THAT GUERRILLAS ARE MORE ELUSIVE THAN ORDINARY CITIZENS: VOICE: "THERE IS A CRUCIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRAINED TERRORISTS AND INNOCENT REFUGEES. TERRORISTS WILL VANISH BEFORE A CUMBERSOME MILITARY STRIKE. REFUGEES WILL WAIT TO BE HIT. [OPT] ......TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER SAYS, 'WE ARE DETERMINED THAT, IN THIS FINAL OPERATION, THE JOB WILL DEFINITELY BE DONE.' NOT LIKELY. MORE TOLERANCE OF KURDISH PUBLISHING, KURDISH BROADCASTING, KURDISH EDUCATION AND KURDISH POLITICAL IDENTITY IN TURKEY WOULD MAKE ANKARA'S MILITARY CAMPAIGN EASIER TO JUSTIFY." TEXT: TODAY'S "MIAMI HERALD" COMMENTS ON THE TASK OF DEFENDING AGAINST TERRORISM LIKE THE LETHAL GAS ATTACK IN TOKYO'S SUBWAY SYSTEM THAT LEFT THOUSANDS OF CASUALTIES: VOICE: "THE WORLD NOW HAS SEEN, FIRSTHAND, THAT MASS KILLING CAN BE A MERE SPORT, POINTLESS AS PINBALL, UNLEASHING HELL WHEREVER CIVILIZATION IS VULNERABLE -- WHICH IS JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE." TEXT: ON THE SUBJECT OF TAXATION VERSUS FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICITS, "THE HERALD" HAS THIS COMMENT: VOICE: "POLLS CONSISTENTLY SHOW THAT AMERICANS WOULD RATHER HAVE A LOWER FEDERAL DEFICIT THAN A TAX CUT. BUT POLITICIANS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO GET THE MESSAGE. ..... THE PROPOSED [TAX] CUTS ARE OF NO ECONOMIC USE, AND MAY EVEN BE INFLATIONARY. IN ANY CASE, THE COUNTRY CAN'T AFFORD THEM." TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON POST" REENFORCES THAT NOTION WITH THIS COMMENT: VOICE: "SOME SENIOR REPUBLICAN AS WELL AS DEMOCRATIC SENATORS HAVE BEGUN TO ARGUE THAT THERE SHOULDN'T BE A TAX CUT --NONE-- UNTIL THE DEFICIT IS REDUCED. WE THINK THEY'RE RIGHT." TEXT: AND "USA TODAY" CHIMES IN WITH THIS: VOICE: "THE HOT PURSUIT OF MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUTS IS COOLING FAST. AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON." TEXT: THE "ATLANTIC CONSTITUTION" IS CONCERNED THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY IS LEAVING MORE AND MORE AMERICAN WORKERS BEHIND, AND UNEMPLOYABLE: VOICE: "AMERICANS' ECONOMIC ANXIETY IS LARGELY THE PRODUCT OF A TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION THAT RENDERS UNSKILLED LABOR USELESS, LOWERS WAGES AND WEAKENS JOB SECURITY FOR MILLIONS WHO ARE STILL EMPLOYED, AND CONCENTRATES JOBS AND WEALTH IN AN INCREASINGLY SMALL GROUP OF WELL-EDUCATED PEOPLE." TEXT: "THE WASHINGTON TIMES" WONDERS ABOUT RUSSIA'S LATEST POLITICAL MANEUVERING ON THE SUBJECT NATO EVENTUALLY ACCEPTING POLAND, HUNGARY, SLOVAKIA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC INTO THE ALLIANCE: VOICE: "WHAT THE RUSSIANS APPEAR TO BE DRIVING AT -- AND IN THEIR OWN INELEGANT WAY MAY BE GETTING -- IS SOME TYPE OF SECURITY AGREEMENT WITH NATO, WHICH MAY ULTIMATELY PROVIDE THEM VETO POWER OVER NATO DECISIONS." TEXT: THE NAGGING QUESTION ABOUT AIRLINE SAFETY IN THE UNITED STATES AND REVELATIONS ABOUT LAX GOVERNMENT REGULATION REPORTED IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES" IN THE WAKE OF SEVERAL RECENT CRASHES, PROMPTS THIS EDITORIAL COMMENT IN "THE TIMES" TODAY: VOICE: "ONLY AFTER 68 PEOPLE DIED IN THE CRASH OF A COMMUTER AIRLINER IN INDIANA LAST OCTOBER DID THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION FINALLY SEE IT WAS TIME TO STIFFEN ITS 30-YEAR-OLD STANDARDS FOR FLYING IN ICY CONDITIONS. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXCUSE THE AGENCY'S -- AND THE MANUFACTURER'S -- FAILURE TO DETECT AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM MUCH EARLIER." TEXT: AND SPEAKING OF FLIGHT SAFETY OF ANOTHER KIND, TODAY'S "CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR", NOTING THE RECENT RUSSIAN SPACE ENDURANCE RECORD, WONDERS IF BUDGET CONSTRAINTS MIGHT AFFECT THE SAFETY OF FUTURE OPERATIONS. VOICE: SPACEFLIGHT IS STILL ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE... IT WILL BECOME EVEN LESS SO WHEN CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON THE UNITED STATES-LED INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN LATE 1997. EVER TIGHTER BUDGETS FOR THE STATION AND THE PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT IT COULD JEOPARDIZE THE PROJECT. ..... IF INADEQUATE FUNDING IS ALLOWED TO JEOPARDIZE SPACE STATION SUPPORT MISSIONS, THEN IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR THE PARTNERS TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A GRACEFUL WAY OUT." TEXT: AND ON THAT NOTE OF CAUTION, WE CONCLUDE THIS BRIEF LOOK AT SOME OF THE EDITORIALS RUNNING IN TODAY'S U-S NEWSPAPERS. NEB/ANG/PCH 23-Mar-95 12:23 PM EST (1723 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America ------------------------------------------------------------------------------