DATE=01/21/99
      TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
    NUMBER=6-11110
     TITLE=U-S EMBASSY SECURITY FAULTED         
    BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
 TELEPHONE=619-3335
  DATELINE=WASHINGTON
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS

CONTENT=

INTRO:   A NEW, U-S GOVERNMENT REPORT, COMMISSIONED AFTER THE U-S
EMBASSY BOMBINGS LAST YEAR IN KENYA AND TANZANIA HAS  GENERATED 
SEVERAL EDITORIALS IN THE U-S PRESS HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE 
DECISIONS THAT ALLOWED THESE LATEST BOMBINGS TO TAKE PLACE.  

WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM ________________ IN TODAY'S U-S 
OPINION ROUNDUP.  

TEXT:  MORE THAN 220 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS 
WHICH WENT OFF WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF EACH OTHER LAST AUGUST IN 
NAIROBI AND DAR ES SALAAM.  THE BOMBINGS PROMPTED  FORMATION OF 
AN INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT COMMISSION, HEADED BY RETIRED ADMIRAL 
WILLIAM CROWE, TO INVESTIGATE STATE DEPARTMENT SECURITY AROUND 
THE WORLD.  HIS REPORT WAS STARK IN ITS CRITICISM, AND MANY 
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS HAVE BEEN ASKING WHY THE EMBASSIES WERE  
NOT  PROTECTED AFTER PREVIOUS TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN BEIRUT, 
LEBANON AND OKLAHOMA CITY. 

WE BEGIN OUR SAMPLING IN THE SOUTHWEST, WHERE OKLAHOMA'S "TULSA 
WORLD" LAMENTS:

VOICE:   CONGRESS HAS BEEN WARNED BEFORE ABOUT THE DANGER IN MANY
         OF THE U-S EMBASSIES.  A 1985 REPORT SUGGESTED THAT AS 
         MANY AS 100 AMERICAN EMBASSIES BE REPLACED -- INCLUDING 
         THOSE IN KENYA AND TANZANIA -- AND ASKED CONGRESS FOR 
         THREE-POINT-FIVE-BILLION DOLLARS.  ABOUT ONE BILLION WAS
         APPROPRIATED.  THE THREAT OF TERRORISM IS NOT GOING TO 
         GO AWAY.  EMBASSIES AND OTHER AMERICAN INSTALLATIONS 
         ABROAD WILL CONTINUE TO BE PRIME TARGETS.  THERE'S NO 
         NEED FOR THEM TO BECOME EASY TARGETS.  THE AMERICANS AND
         FOREIGN NATIONALS WHO WORK IN THE EMBASSIES DESERVE TO 
         BE SAFE.  CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT SHOULD SEE TO IT 
         THAT THEY ARE.  

TEXT:  IN OHIO, "THE [CLEVELAND] PLAIN DEALER" SAYS THAT ALONG 
WITH MORE MONEY, A CHANGED ATTITUDE AMONG SOME STATE DEPARTMENT 
PERSONNEL WILL ALSO BE NEEDED.

VOICE:   THE UNITED STATES HAS LONG PRIDED ITSELF ON THE 
         ACCESSIBILITY OF DIPLOMATIC OFFICES IN MOST HOST 
         COUNTRIES.  BUT PANEL CHAIRMAN WILLIAM ... CROWE, A 
         RETIRED ADMIRAL AND FORMER HEAD OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF 
         STAFF, SAYS THE REALITY OF TERRORISM MUST ECLIPSE THE 
         DIPLOMATS' ATTITUDE THAT 'I WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO MY 
         BUSINESS AS I'VE DONE FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS AND DON'T 
         BOTHER ME WITH SECURITY -- SOMEBODY ELSE WILL TAKE CARE 
         OF ME WITHOUT MY HAVING TO CHANGE ANYTHING.' ... IT [THE
         REPORT] ALSO SUGGESTS 'ESTABLISHING REGIONAL EMBASSIES 
         LOCATED IN LESS THREATENED AND VULNERABLE COUNTRIES WITH
         AMBASSADORS ACCREDITED TO SEVERAL GOVERNMENTS.  THAT'S 
         CONTROVERSIAL, BUT OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED.  MEANWHILE, 
         CONSTANT VIGILANCE IS KEY. 

TEXT:  IN FLORIDA, "THE SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE" IS ESPECIALLY 
OUTRAGED BY THE REPORT'S KEY POINTS.

VOICE:   THE BOMBINGS IN KENYA AND TANZANIA ... WERE PRECEDED BY 
         CLEAR APPEALS FOR HELP FROM EMBASSY OFFICIALS AND 
         SECURITY EXPERTS.  SECURITY AT U-S EMBASSIES IN AFRICA 
         WAS SUBSTANDARD, AS IT IS AT OUTPOSTS THROUGHOUT THE 
         WORLD.  THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S 'INSTITUTIONAL FAILURE' 
         TO PROTECT ITS EMBASSIES BORDERS ON NEGLIGENCE.  /// OPT
         /// UNFORTUNATELY, NO  ONE ELSE FILLED THE LEADERSHIP 
         GAP CREATED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S INEXCUSABLE 
         FAILURE.  NEITHER THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION NOR THE 
         CONGRESS RESPONDED ADEQUATELY TO RED FLAGS THAT WERE 
         RAISED BY OTHER U-S DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES -- AND 
         THEIR FAILURES ARE ROOTED IN A PATTERN THAT DATES BACK 
         TO THE 1980S, WHEN A 1985 REPORT WARNED ABOUT INADEQUATE
         SECURITY AT EMBASSIES AROUND THE GLOBE.  /// END OPT ///
         ... [SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE] ALBRIGHT HAS NO 
         GREATER MANDATE THAN TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF AMERICANS 
         WHO ARE ON OFFICIAL DUTY AROUND THE WORLD.  IF NEITHER 
         SHE NOR THE CONGRESS IS PREPARED TO SPEND THE MONEY 
         NECESSARY FOR PROVIDING REASONABLE ASSURANCES OF 
         PROTECTION FROM OBVIOUS THREATS, THEN THE AMERICANS 
         STATIONED IN THOSE EMBASSIES SHOULD BE BROUGHT HOME.

TEXT:  "THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION" IS UPSET, AMONG OTHER THINGS, 
THAT SOME OF THE OLD MISTAKES ARE STILL BEING MADE, EVEN AFTER 
THE EARLIER REPORT THAT FOLLOWED THE BEIRUT BOMBING.

VOICE:   ONE KEY DEFECT IS OBVIOUS: EMBASSIES OR CONSULATES THAT 
         FRONT (ON) BUSY STREETS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO 
         VEHICLE BOMBS.  YET TOO MANY U-S MISSIONS STILL ARE 
         SITUATED IN THAT KIND OF PERIL.  THAT GOES NOT ONLY FOR 
         OLDER FACILITIES IN ROME, PARIS AND TEL AVIV, BUT ALSO 
         SOME THAT OPENED ** AFTER ** [ITALICS FOR EMPHASIS] THE 
         BEIRUT BOMBING, SUCH AS THE U-S EMBASSY IN ZAGREB, 
         CROATIA.  

TEXT:  LASTLY, "THE WASHINGTON POST" CALLS THE REPORT'S FINDINGS 
"SOBERING" AND ENCOURAGES IMPROVEMENTS.  BUT "THE POST" ALSO 
EXPLAINS WHY IT IS SO HARD TO MAKE SUCH IMPROVEMENTS.

VOICE:   THE GREAT COST OF CONSTRUCTING, REDESIGNING OR RESITING 
         BUILDINGS TO MAKE FACILITIES MORE SECURE, THE 
         INCONVENIENCE TO DAILY BUSINESS, THE AFFRONT TO IDEALS 
         OF OPENNESS, THE SEEMING IMPOSSIBILITY OF ANTICIPATING 
         EVERY IMAGINABLE THREAT, THE TENDENCY FOR EMBASSY 
         SECURITY TO DRIFT OUT OF PRIORITY CONCERN IN WASHINGTON 
         AND EVEN AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN THE FIELD: SUCH 
         CONSIDERATIONS ARE BEHIND THE REPORT'S SORROWFUL FINDING
         OF A 'COLLECTIVE FAILURE OF THE U-S GOVERNMENT OVER THE 
         PAST DECADE.' ... THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO REPRESENT OUR 
         NATION ARE IN DANGER.  THE REST OF US HAVE  NOT  MET OUR
         OBLIGATION TO THEIR SECURITY.

TEXT:  WITH THAT, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT 
ON THE RECENT REPORT ABOUT EMBASSY SECURITY IN THE WAKE OF LAST 
YEAR'S BOMBINGS IN AFRICA.

NEB/ANG/KL  

21-Jan-99 1:13 PM EST (1813 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.