DATE=4/22/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40129
TITLE=TERRORISM THREAT AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
BYLINE=ED WARNER
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  HOW MUCH OF A TERRORIST THREAT DOES THE UNITED STATES 
FACE? A CONSIDERABLE ONE, ACCORDING TO PARTICIPANTS AT A 
CONFERENCE AT WASHINGTON'S CATO INSTITUTE WHO PROPOSED A MORE 
RESTRAINED U-S FOREIGN POLICY TO REDUCE THE THREAT. VOA'S ED 
WARNER REPORTS.

TEXT:  VARIOUS U-S GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS INDICATE AN ACTIVIST 
FOREIGN POLICY IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN GLOBAL STABILITY.  AMERICAN 
TROOPS ARE NOW STATIONED IN ONE HUNDRED COUNTRIES.

THAT IS EXCESSIVE, SAID RICHARD BETTS AT A CONFERENCE OF THE CATO
INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON. THE UNITED STATES, MR. BETTS SAYS, IS 
INVITING RETALIATION BECAUSE OF ITS MANY OVERSEAS INTERVENTIONS:

                         // BETTS ACT //

         THE DANGER FROM OUTSIDE LOGICALLY COMES FROM GROUPS THAT
         BLAME THE UNITED STATES FOR THEIR PROBLEMS, FOR BLOCKING
         THEIR ASPIRATIONS, FOR INTERFERING WITH WHAT THEY SEE AS
         THEIR LEGITIMATE INTERNAL OR LOCAL CONCERNS. AND I THINK
         IT IS FAIRLY OBVIOUS THAT OF ALL THE PLACES WHERE THIS 
         CAN BE A PROBLEM, THE MAIN ONE THAT POSES THE MOST 
         VEXING CHALLENGE FOR THE UNITED STATES IS THE MIDDLE 
         EAST.

                          // END ACT //

MR. BETTS, WHO IS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES AT THE 
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, SAID U-S AID TO ISRAEL COULD AROUSE
A TERRORIST ACTION SINCE ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS CONTINUE TO EXPAND 
IN THE WEST BANK.  HE BELIEVES A MORE BALANCED U-S POLICY IS 
IMPERATIVE.

BUT AMOS PERLMUTTER, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AT AMERICAN 
UNIVERSITY, REPLIED THAT IN TERMS OF TERRORISM, IT HARDLY MATTERS
WHAT THE UNITED STATES DOES IN THE MIDDLE EAST:

                      // PERLMUTTER ACT  //

         RADICAL FORCES WHICH STRENGTHEN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS 
         HAVE TO HAVE AN EVIL SATAN. AND THE UNITED STATES IS 
         GOING TO BE A SATAN, WHETHER IT IS INVOLVED IN THE 
         MIDDLE EAST OR NOT INVOLVED IN THE MIDDLE EAST. AND YOU 
         CERTAINLY CANNOT ERASE FIFTY YEARS OF AMERICAN 
         INVOLVEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WHETHER IT IS SUFFICIENT
         OR INSUFFICIENT.

                          // END ACT //

IVAN ELAND, DIRECTOR OF DEFENSE POLICY STUDIES AT THE CATO 
INSTITUTE, SAID THE UNITED STATES SHOULD EXERCISE MILITARY 
RESTRAINT, NOT JUST IN THE MIDDLE EAST, BUT ELSEWHERE:

                         // ELAND ACT //

         THE UNITED STATES NOW INTERVENES ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE
         IN THE WORLD, AND THE OPERATIONS TEMPO OF ITS MILITARY 
         IS HIGHER THAN IT WAS DURING THE COLD WAR. THE PHRASE 
         "U-S VITAL INTERESTS" IS INVOKED TO JUSTIFY 
         INTERVENTIONS IN PLACES LIKE SOMALIA, HAITI AND BOSNIA. 
         THE FOREIGN POLICY ESTABLISHMENT HAS KEPT OUR 
         INTERVENTIONIST FOREIGN POLICY ON AUTO PILOT EVEN AFTER 
         THE COLD WAR WAS OVER. 

                          // END ACT //

MR. ELAND SAID THE MORE THE UNITED STATES INTERVENES, THE MORE 
ENEMIES IT MAKES AND THESE ENEMIES NOW HAVE ACCESS TO BIOLOGICAL 
WEAPONS THAT ARE RELATIVELY EASY TO MAKE, THOUGH DIFFICULT TO 
DELIVER, AND CAN CAUSE IMMENSE DESTRUCTION. 

THE FIRST DUTY OF THE U-S GOVERNMENT, HE ADDED, IS TO DEFEND THE 
AMERICAN HOMELAND, WHICH HAS BECOME LESS OF A U-S CONCERN IN 
RECENT YEARS, WHILE POLICY HAS BEEN ORIENTED TOWARD OVERSEAS 
COMMITMENTS. 

MR. LELAND SAID HE IS NOT RECOMMENDING U-S WITHDRAWAL FROM THE 
WORLD.  ECONOMIC, DIPLOMATIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES WILL 
CONTINUE. HE WANTS TO REDUCE ONLY MILITARY INTERVENTIONS.  
(SIGNED)   

NEB/EW/KL



22-Apr-98 4:40 PM EDT (2040 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.