DATE=        FEBRUARY 15, 1998
TYPE=        EDITORIAL
NUMBER=      0-07651
TITLE=       EDITORIAL:  NO MORE SECRET POLICE -- UPDATE

CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 
FEBRUARY 15, 1998.

ANNCR:
THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE 
VARIETY OF ISSUES.  NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF
THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

VOICE:

    A SUCCESSFUL TYRANNY REQUIRES A STRONG, RUTHLESS SECRET 
POLICE FORCE.  A SUCCESSFUL DEMOCRACY REQUIRES THE ABOLITION OF 
SUCH A FORCE.

    EIGHT YEARS AGO, A VOICE OF AMERICA EDITORIAL BEGAN WITH 
THOSE WORDS.  BY FEBRUARY 1990, A NUMBER OF EAST EUROPEAN 
COUNTRIES HAD REPLACED COMMUNIST REGIMES WITH MODERATE INTERIM 
LEADERS AND WERE BEGINNING TO PREPARE FOR DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.  
THEY WERE ALSO BUSY DISMANTLING SECRET POLICE FORCES.  IN EAST 
GERMANY, IT WAS THE STASI; IN ROMANIA, THE SECURITATE.  AS 
GRAFITTI IN BERLIN PUT IT, "STASI, GESTAPO, K-G-B, SECURITATE:  
ALL BLOODSUCKERS."

    TODAY, EAST EUROPEANS NO LONGER FEAR SECRET POLICE.  EVEN THE
SOVIET UNION IS GONE -- AND WITH IT THE K-G-B.  IN 1990, SECRET 
POLICE WERE ALSO ENTRENCHED IN COUNTRIES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE 
WORLD.  THEY INCLUDED CHINA, NORTH KOREA, CUBA, LIBYA AND IRAQ.  
UNFORTUNATELY, SECRET POLICE REMAIN ACTIVE IN ALL OF THESE 
COUNTRIES IN 1998.

    ONE COUNTRY THAT TOOK EXCEPTION TO THE 1990 V-O-A EDITORIAL 
WAS IRAQ.  OFFICIALS IN BAGHDAD SAID THEY RESENTED BEING COMPARED
WITH SUCH EAST EUROPEAN TYRANTS AS NICOLAE CEAUSESCU OF ROMANIA, 
WHO WAS OVERTHROWN IN LATE 1989 AND EXECUTED.  THE IRAQI PROTESTS
WERE ABSURD ON THEIR FACE -- AND PROVED TO BE ALL THE MORE SO 
AFTER SADDAM HUSSEIN'S FORCES BRUTALLY INVADED KUWAIT IN AUGUST 
1990.  DESPITE HIS HUMILIATING DEFEAT IN THE PERSIAN GULF WAR, 
SADDAM HAS MANAGED, WITH THE AID OF RUTHLESS SECRET POLICE 
FORCES, TO MAINTAIN HIS CRUEL DICTATORSHIP IN IRAQ.  AS UNITED 
NATIONS SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR MAX VAN DER STOEL SAID, THE IRAQI 
PEOPLE "LIVE IN A CLIMATE OF FEAR."

    BUT AS THE V-O-A EDITORIAL SAID IN 1990, THE TIDE OF HISTORY 
IS AGAINST RULERS LIKE SADDAM HUSSEIN WHO HOLD POWER BY FORCE AND
FEAR.  THE FUTURE SHOULD BELONG NOT TO THE DICTATORS AND SECRET 
POLICE, BUT TO THE PEOPLE.

ANNCR:

    THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE UNITED 
STATES GOVERNMENT.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE HEARD ON THIS ISSUE, 
PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, VOICE OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON, D-C, 
20547, U-S-A.  YOU MAY ALSO SEND US A FAX AT (202) 619-1043.  
YOUR COMMENTS MAY BE USED ON THE AIR.

13-Feb-98 2:46 PM EST (1946 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.