DATE=08/10/98
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-10853
TITLE=THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE BOMBS THAT CAUSED MASSIVE DESTRUCTION AND GREAT LOSS
OF LIFE AT AND AROUND THE TWO U-S EMBASSIES IN NAIROBI, KENYA AND
DAR-ES-SALAM, TANZANIA HAVE PROMPTED COMMENTARIES OF HORROR AND
CALLS FOR RETALIATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
JOINING US NOW WITH A SAMPLING IS _________________ AND TODAY'S
OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: THE LINE OF MANY EDITORIALS IS THE SAME, CALLING THE
ATTACKS "COWARDLY" AND AGREEING WITH PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON THAT
WHOEVER IS FOUND TO BE RESPONSIBLE WILL BE FOUND AND PUNISHED.
HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS FROM "THE PORTLAND [MAINE] PRESS HERALD."
VOICE: SADLY, SUCH COWARDLY ATTACKS AGAINST PEOPLE GOING ABOUT
THEIR ORDINARY LIVES HAVE BECOME ALL TOO COMMON IN OUR
TIME. TERRORISTS COUNT ON THE PUBLICITY SUCH ATTACKS
GARNER TO FRIGHTEN THEIR TARGETS INTO GIVING THEM
SOMETHING THEY WANT. AMERICANS AND OUR FRIENDS ABROAD
NOW ONCE AGAIN RESOLVE NEVER TO GIVE THE BOMBERS
ANYTHING BUT RELENTLESS PURSUIT AND, UPON THEIR CAPTURE,
FULL AND APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT.
TEXT: ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NATION, "THE SEATTLE TIMES"
WRITES:
VOICE: WHAT HAS COME TO BE A NEAR CERTAINTY, THE BOMBERS WILL
BE DISCOVERED AND DEALT WITH, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. SUCH
IS THE ULTIMATE FUTILITY OF THESE ACTORS. THE
PERPETRATORS, AND THEIR SPONSORS, CAN BE UNMASKED AND
PUNISHED ... THE DEATHS IN AFRICA REMIND US THAT OTHERS
WHO REPRESENT OUR INTERESTS ABROAD HAVE TO BE PREPARED
FOR PROFOUND SACRIFICE AS WELL. THE MURDER OF
FOREIGN-SERVICE PERSONNEL IS YET ANOTHER REBUKE FOR
THOSE WHO MALIGN THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF AMERICANS IN
HARSH LANDS WHO FACE UNFATHOMABLE HAZARDS.
TEXT: ON LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, "NEWSDAY" SAYS THE TWO CAR BOMBS
AND THE CARNAGE THEY CAUSED HAVE HELPED WASHINGTON PUT ITS
CURRENT FRENZY OVER AN ALLEGED AFFAIR BY THE PRESIDENT INTO A
MORE ACCURATE PERSPECTIVE.
VOICE: THERE'S NOTHING LIKE TWO TERROR BOMBS AND THE
DEVASTATING CARNAGE THEY WREAKED .... TO JAR WASHINGTON
OUT OF ITS SCANDAL-INDUCED DAZE. THE HUGE CAR BLASTS
THAT KILLED AS MANY AS 80-PEOPLE - - INCLUDING SEVERAL
AMERICANS - - IN KENYA AND TANZANIA ... PUT INTO
PERSPECTIVE THE RELATIVE TRIVIALITY OF THE MONICA
LEWINSKY MATTER. THIS WAS A REALITY CHECK FOR THE
WHITE HOUSE AND THE NATION'S INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES,
WHICH SEEM TO HAVE HAD NOT THE SLIGHTEST INKLING THE
ATTACKS WOULD OCCUR. ... THIS IS A TIME WHEN THE NATION
COULD WISH THAT [MR.] CLINTON'S AUTHORITY AND DIGNITY
HAD NOT BEEN WEAKENED AS MUCH AS THEY HAVE BEEN
ALREADY BY THE LEWINSKY SCANDAL.
TEXT: IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOWER 48-STATES, "THE KANSAS CITY
STAR" EDITORIALIZES:
VOICE: PRESIDENT CLINTON CONDEMNED THE 'COWARDLY ATTACKS' THAT
KILLED ... SCORES OF PEOPLE .... 'WE WILL USE ALL THE
MEANS AT OUR DISPOSAL TO BRING THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO
JUSTICE NO MATTER WHAT OR HOW LONG IT TAKES,' THE
PRESIDENT SAID. SINCE U-S LAW ALLOWS CRIMINAL PENALTIES
FOR TERRORISTS WHO ATTACK AMERICANS ABROAD, THOSE WERE
NOT IDLE WORDS. NOR SHOULD THEY BE.
TEXT: "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER" WANTS CONGRESS TO APPROVE MORE
MONEY TO MAKE THE REMAINING U-S EMBASSIES SAFER.
VOICE: WHILE MOURNING THE LATEST VICTIMS, CONGRESS SHOULD STOP
PINCHING PENNIES FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT. NO OTHER
EMBASSIES IN SUPPOSEDLY SAFE LOCALES SHOULD BE LEFT
VULNERABLE FOR LACK OF FUNDS. WHY OFFER THIS NEW BREED
OF TERRORIST ANY EASY TARGETS?
TEXT: "THE NEW YORK TIMES" PICKS UP THAT SAME THEME, NOTING:
VOICE: IT WILL NEED TO BE DETERMINED WHY THE TWO EMBASSY
BUILDINGS, BOTH CONSTRUCTED BEFORE THE WAVE OF TERRORISM
AGAINST AMERICAN EMBASSIES IN THE EARLY 1980'S, HAD NOT
YET BEEN UPGRADED TO MODERN SECURITY STANDARDS.
AMERICAN EMBASSIES SHOULD HAVE THEIR BUILDING FACADES
REINFORCED, THEIR GLASS COATED WITH PLASTIC FILM TO
PREVENT SHATTERING AND THEIR SECURITY PERIMETERS
EXTENDED. AMERICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE MADE MODEST
PROGRESS IN CURBING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM ... BUT AS
YESTERDAY'S ATTACKS MADE UNCOMFORTABLY CLEAR, TERRORISM,
BOTH FREELANCE AND GOVERNMENT-SUPPORTED, IS FAR FROM
DEFEATED, AND AMERICAN EMBASSIES REMAIN VULNERABLE.
TEXT: IN TEXAS, THERE IS SOME SPECULATION THAT PRESIDENT
CLINTON'S TROUBLES AT HOME MAY BE ENCOURAGING TERRORISTS ABROAD,
IN THIS COMMENTARY FROM "THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE."
VOICE: A PERTINENT QUESTION TO ASK IN THIS INSTANCE IS WHETHER
THE COWARDLY BOMBERS FELT EMBOLDENED BY A PERCEIVED
IRRESOLUTENESS BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S CURRENT
POLITICAL PROBLEMS. BUT ONE ANSWER TO SUCH ATTACKS IS
TO BE RELENTLESS IN TRACKING DOWN THOSE RESPONSIBLE AND
RESPONDING JUSTLY AND FORCEFULLY TO THEM.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: FOR REACTION FROM SOUTHERN FLORIDA, WE TAKE NOTE OF THIS
COMMENT IN "THE MIAMI HERALD."
VOICE: THE BOMBINGS WERE YET ANOTHER UGLY REMINDER OF THE REACH
AND COMMITMENT OF INDIVIDUALS DERANGED ENOUGH TO MAKE
INNOCENT PEOPLE THE TARGET OF THEIR DEPRAVITY. IT
HAPPENED IN OKLAHOMA CITY THREE YEARS AGO, WHEN TIMOTHY
MCVEIGH SET OFF A BLAST THAT KILLED 168 PEOPLE,
INCLUDING INNOCENT CHILDREN. AND IT HAPPENED IN BEIRUT
15 YEARS AGO WHEN AN EXPLOSIVES-LADEN TRUCK DROVE INTO A
U-S MILITARY BARRACKS, BLEW UP, AND KILLED 241 MARINES.
LOSS OF LIFE UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES IS NEVER
ACCEPTABLE. WITH ENHANCED SECURITY MEASURES, U-S
EMBASSIES CAN BE MADE LESS VULNERABLE TO CAR BOMBS.
WITH U-S RESOLVE, THE BOMBERS MUST ALWAYS FEEL
VULNERABLE TO BEING HUNTED DOWN AND PUNISHED.
/// END OPT ///
TEXT: AND LASTLY, THIS SUMMING UP FROM "THE BOSTON GLOBE," THE
DAY AFTER THE BLASTS.
VOICE: ALL 164 U-S EMBASSIES ARE OUTPOSTS OF THE LEADING NATION
ON EARTH. AS LONG AS THE UNITED STATES REMAINS IN THAT
POSITION, THE EMBASSIES WILL BE POTENTIAL TARGETS OF THE
DISAFFECTED AND THE CRAZED. THEY ALSO OUGHT TO BE
ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO VISIT OR EMIGRATE TO
THE UNITED STATES OR SIMPLY WANTS TO LEARN FROM THE U-S
STRUGGLE TO EXPAND THE REACH OF FREEDOM AND HUMAN
DIGNITY. AS WITH THE U-S CAPITOL, ANY PLAN FOR
BUNKER-LIKE FORTIFICATIONS TO GUARANTEE ABSOLUTE
SECURITY WOULD BE INIMICAL TO THE SYMBOLISM AND FUNCTION
OF THE PLACE. THE SLAIN AMERICANS, ALONG WITH THE
KENYANS AND TANZANIANS WHO DIED, WILL BE MOURNED AS
VICTIMS OF A SUDDEN, SENSELESS ACT OF VIOLENCE. BUT THE
U-S PRESENCE ABROAD IS VITAL TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF
THE NATION ... NO ACT OF TERROR SHOULD INHIBIT THAT
MISSION.
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF COMMENT ON THE
TWIN BOMBINGS LAST FRIDAY IN EAST AFRICA THAT KILLED MORE THAN
200 PEOPLE AND INJURED OVER FIVE THOUSAND MORE.
NEB/ANG/KL
10-Aug-98 2:09 PM EDT (1809 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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