DATE=10/29/98 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-10982 TITLE=THE C-I-A'S NEW ROLE IN MIDEAST PEACE QUESTIONED BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: FOR THE MOST PART, THE UNITED STATES PRESS GREETED THE LATEST INTERIM MIDDLE EAST PEACE AGREEMENT IN EASTERN MARYLAND LAST WEEK WITH GUARDED OPTIMISM. MOST PAPERS SUGGESTED IT WAS GOOD TO GET THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD AGAIN AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF STALEMATE. HOWEVER, ONE SPECIFIC ASPECT OF THE WYE AGREEMENT -- THE USE OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TO WORK WITH THE PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS TO COMBAT TERRORISM AND INCREASE SECURITY -- HAS ENGENDERED A VIGOROUS DEBATE. WE WELCOME ___________________ TO OUR MICROPHONE NOW WITH A SAMPLING IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP. TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON PLEDGED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY AS A WAY OF ASSURING SUCCESS IN RESUMING THE PEACE PROCESS. /// OPT /// THE NORMALLY SECRETIVE SPY AGENCY WILL BECOME RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING AND VERIFYING THE TOUGHEST PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT, INCLUDING IDENTIFYING AND INCARCERATING TERRORISTS, AND HEADING OFF NEW BOMBINGS AND OTHER SUCH ACTS. /// END OPT /// SOME NEWSPAPERS SEE THIS AS SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT FOR THE C-I-A AND URGE THAT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL AND A FAR-REACHING NATIONAL DEBATE NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE PLAN GOES INTO EFFECT. AS "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" PUTS IT IN A HEADLINE, "THE C-I-A COMES IN FROM THE COLD" /// OPT /// AND IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, WHERE "THE PLAIN DEALER" GREETED THE WYE AGREEMENT WITH "GUARDED OPTIMISM," THE PAPER'S EDITORIAL HEADLINE NOTED: "WELCOME PROGRESS IN TALKS ON THE MIDEAST'S FUTURE CANNOT ALLAY DISCOMFORT AT SOME U-S PROMISES." /// END OPT /// "THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE" EDITORIAL CONTINUES: VOICE: /// OPT /// THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT THE NORMALLY SECRETIVE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY IN THE SPOTLIGHT ... AND THAT SET OFF ALARM BELLS ON CAPITOL HILL, WHERE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN RICHARD SHELBY (REPUBLICAN OF ALABAMA) DESCRIBED THE MOVE AS 'TROUBLING' AND CALLED FOR HEARINGS. SUCH AN INQUIRY IS ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE. /// END OPT /// PRESIDENT CLINTON IS PUTTING C-I-A OPERATIVES IN THE MIDDLE EAST INTO AN UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION OF HELPING VALIDATE THE PALESTINIAN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. .... GIVEN THE ENORMOUS AMERICAN INTEREST AND INVESTMENT IN FOSTERING PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THIS EXPANDED C-I-A ROLE MAY BE FULLY JUSTIFIED. BUT CONGRESS IS JUSTIFIED IN DEMANDING THAT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ADVISERS EXPLAIN IT FULLY. TEXT: "THE (CLEVELAND, OHIO) PLAIN DEALER" ALSO HAS MISGIVINGS, AS EXPRESSED IN THIS LEAD EDITORIAL. VOICE: /// OPT /// THE CONCLUSION OF ANOTHER INTERIM PEACE AGREEMENT ... AFTER 18 MONTHS OF STALEMATE AND MORE THAN A WEEK OF DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS, IS WELCOME NEWS. /// END OPT /// ... OUR ENTHUSIASM FOR THE AGREEMENT IS TEMPERED, HOWEVER, BY CONCERN ABOUT COMMITMENTS THE UNITED STATES UNDERTOOK - - OR CONTEMPLATED UNDERTAKING - - TO HELP REACH IT. THE FIRST INVOLVES USE OF THE C-I-A AS A MEDIATOR IN SECURITY DISPUTES BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, WHICH REALLY MEANS SUPERVISING THE HANDLING OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS BY PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES. THIS INSTITUTIONALIZES A ROLE THE C-I-A HAS PLAYED QUIETLY FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS, BUT IT HARDLY CONFORMS TO THE AGENCY'S REAL PURPOSE, INTELLIGENCE-GATHERING, AND IT COULD PUT C-I-A PERSONNEL AT GREATER RISK. TEXT: "THE PROVIDENCE (RHODE ISLAND) JOURNAL" VIEWS C-I-A INVOLVEMENT AS "A DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENT." VOICE: THIS ROLE IS LIKELY TO SUCK WASHINGTON INTO POLITICAL INTRIGUES WITHIN ISRAEL, EMBROIL US DIRECTLY IN ENDLESS ROUNDS OF DISPUTES BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, AND PROVOKE CONFLICTS HERE AT HOME OVER AMERICA'S MIDEAST POLICIES. /// OPT /// TEXT: ADDING A BIT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE TO THIS DEBATE IS STEVE POSNER, AUTHOR OF "ISRAEL UNDERCOVER: SECRET WARFARE AND HIDDEN DIPLOMACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST." COMMENTING IN "THE BOSTON GLOBE," MR. POSNER WRITES THAT THIS SO-CALLED NEW ROLE FOR THE AGENCY IS NOT REALLY ALL THAT NEW. VOICE: OFFICIALLY, THE C-I-A ONLY IMPLEMENTS POLICY AND DOESN'T HELP FORMULATE IT THE WAY [CURRENT C-I-A DIRECTOR GEORGE] TENET DID DURING THE MARYLAND SUMMIT. YET IN THE YEARS WHEN THE P-L-O WAS STILL WANDERING IN THE POLITICAL WILDERNESS, WITH THE U-S GOVERNMENT CONDEMNING THE ORGANIZATION AS A GANG OF MURDEROUS THUGS UNWORTHY OF DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION, IT WAS THE C-I-A THAT CARRIED OUT SECRET NEGOTIATIONS WITH [P-L-O CHAIRMAN YASSER] ARAFAT AND HIS LIEUTENANTS. /// END OPT /// TEXT: TAKING A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE OVERALL AGREEMENT, FLORIDA'S "ORLANDO SENTINEL" IS TROUBLED BY THE PLAN TO USE THE C-I-A. VOICE: /// OPT /// ALTHOUGH THE NEW MIDDLE EAST ACCORD ISN'T PERFECT, IT IS A GENUINE BREAKTHROUGH THAT STRENGTHENS THE VOICE OF REASON. THERE IS A REASON TO KEEP FAITH FOR PEACE. .... THAT SAID, TWO TROUBLING ASPECTS DESERVE MENTION: THE INAPPROPRIATE ISRAELI BID TO LINK PROGRESS IN THE TALKS TO THE RELEASE OF CONVICTED U-S TURNCOAT JONATHAN POLLARD, SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE FOR SPYING ON ISRAEL'S BEHALF. THE U-S COMMITMENT TO RAISE THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY'S PROFILE IN HELPING TO MONITOR AND IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT. /// END OPT /// THE ADMINISTRATION ARGUES THAT THE SITUATION REQUIRES SUCH AN EXPANSION OF THE C-I-A'S ROLE .... PERHAPS, BUT THE PRIMARY ROLE OF OVERSEEING THE ACCORD BELONGS TO U-S DIPLOMATIC PERSONNEL. THE C-I-A SHOULD REMAIN IN THE BACKGROUND, CONDUCTING ITS INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDING SUPPORT. TEXT: "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" IS EVEN MORE FORCEFUL IN ITS MISGIVINGS ABOUT WHAT IT SEES AS A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN THE AGENCY'S MISSION, NO MATTER HOW IMPORTANT THE GOAL. VOICE: /// OPT /// THERE ARE SOME HARD QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED ABOUT THE ROLE ASSIGNED THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY IN OVERSEEING CERTAIN SECURITY PROVISIONS IN THE NEW ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AGREEMENT. /// END OPT /// ... THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE C-I-A IS PROBABLY THE BEST THAT WASHINGTON CAN OFFER IN ITS ROLE AS HONEST BROKER IN THE PEACE PROCESS, BECAUSE OF THE CONFIDENCE BOTH SIDES APPEAR TO HAVE IN THE AGENCY'S ABILITY TO BE FAIR AND THOROUGH. BUT THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE CONGRESS FROM GOING AFTER A FULLER EXPLANATION OF THE C-I-A'S TROUBLING NEW ANTI-TERRORISM MONITORING MISSION, INCLUDING THE ADDED RISKS FACED BY AGENTS ON THE GROUND. TEXT: /// OPT /// AND LASTLY, A FEW MORE QUALMS FROM "THE KANSAS CITY [MISSOURI] STAR." VOICE: THERE ARE UNDERSTANDABLE DOUBTS ... ABOUT THE EXPANDED ROLE ... THE C-I-A IS BEING ASKED TO PLAY IN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN RELATIONS. /// END OPT /// TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL OPINION ON THE ROLE OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY IN THE REVITALIZED MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS. NEB/ANG/GE 29-Oct-98 1:16 PM EST (1816 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .