Voice of America, 98-10-03

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] CROATIA / POPE (S ONLY) BY ART CHIMES (PRAGUE)

[02] ISRAEL AND TURKEY BY ED WARNER (WASHINGTON)

[03] FINANCE MEETING (S) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

[01] CROATIA / POPE (S ONLY) BY ART CHIMES (PRAGUE)

INTRO: POPE JOHN PAUL (THE SECOND) HAS HONORED CROATIA'S CONTROVERSIAL WORLD WAR TWO-ERA CARDINAL, ALOJZIJE STEPINAC, AS THE PONTIFF BEGINS A VISIT TO CROATIA. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ART CHIMES IS FOLLOWING THE STORY FROM OUR REGIONAL NEWS BUREAU IN PRAGUE.

TEXT: MORE THAN 350-THOUSAND CROATIANS CAME TO SEE POPE JOHN PAUL BEATIFY CARDINAL STEPINAC, BRINGING HIM ONE STEP AWAY FROM SAINTHOOD IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

SUPPORTERS SAY THE CARDINAL HELPED VICTIMS OF THE PRO-NAZI USTASHE PUPPET GOVERNMENT DURING WORLD WAR TWO.

BUT CRITICS DESCRIBE HIM AS A NAZI SYMPATHIZER WHO DID LITTLE TO STOP THE GENOCIDE. HE WAS CONVICTED BY THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT IN POSTWAR YUGOSLAVIA OF COLLABORATING WITH THE NAZIS AND DIED UNDER HOUSE ARREST IN 1960.

POPE JOHN PAUL, WHO BATTLED COMMUNISM IN HIS NATIVE POLAND, HAILED CARDINAL STEPINAC FOR HIS RESISTANCE TO COMMUNISM.

THIS IS THE PONTIFF'S SECOND TRIP TO CROATIA. HE VISITED BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LAST YEAR. (SIGNED)
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03-Oct-98 9:39 AM EDT (1339 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] ISRAEL AND TURKEY BY ED WARNER (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: THE GROWING COOPERATION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY WAS THE SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION AND CRITICISM AT A RECENT (WED., SEPT. 16) CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON. VOA'S ED WARNER REPORTS THE COMMENTS ON AN ALLIANCE THAT MAY TRANSFORM THE POLITICS OF THE MIDDLE EAST.

TEXT: WHILE THEIR ARAB NEIGHBORS NERVOUSLY LOOK ON, ISRAEL AND TURKEY ARE FORGING CLOSER RELATIONS, ESPECIALLY ON MILITARY MATTERS. AT A MEETING THIS WEEK AT THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER IN WASHINGTON, A LEADING ISRAELI ANALYST GAVE HIS COUNTRY'S VIEW OF THE INCREASING COOPERATION.

EFRAIM INBAR, DIRECTOR OF THE BEGIN-SADAT CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES AT BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY IN ISRAEL, SAID THE END OF THE COLD WAR HAS RADICALLY CHANGED THE MIDDLE EAST. NEITHER ISRAEL NOR TURKEY CAN ULTIMATELY COUNT ON THE UNITED STATES COMING TO THEIR RESCUE. SO THEY HAVE DECIDED TO ACT TOGETHER.

IT WAS TURKEY'S IDEA, SAID MR. INBAR. AFTER BEING REBUFFED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION, TURKEY INDICATED IT COULD USE MILITARY AND MORAL SUPPORT FROM ISRAEL, WHICH WAS HAPPY TO OBLIGE. ISRAEL HAS UPGRADED TURKISH WEAPONRY AND USED ITS INFLUENCE WITH THE STRONG PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY IN AMERICA TO HELP TURKEY WITH THE U-S CONGRESS. IN TURN, ISRAEL HAS BEEN GIVEN ACCESS TO TURKISH AIR SPACE AND CAN BOAST AN ISLAMIC ALLY IN THE MOSTLY HOSTILE MUSLIM WORLD.

MR. INBAR SAID IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF ISRAEL AND TURKEY FOR THE RELATIONSHIP TO EXTEND BEYOND MILITARY MATTERS:

SO THIS IS TO SOME EXTENT A RATHER ROBUST RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE IT HAS SO MUCH IN COMMON. BOTH SIDES AT THIS STAGE REALIZE THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP, IN ORDER TO BE EXPANDED, HAS TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL ASPECTS, PARTICULARLY ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL TIES. AND BOTH COUNTRIES ARE WORKING ON THIS IN ORDER TO SOLIDIFY THIS RELATIONSHIP, WHICH IS IN MY VIEW - FROM AN INTERNATIONALIST PERSPECTIVE - A VERY IMPORTANT ONE.

MR. INBAR ADDED THAT BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE A SIMILAR VIEW OF THEIR ARAB NEIGHBORS. SYRIA, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE ENEMY OF BOTH. IT HARBORS KURDISH TERRORISTS WHO PLAGUE TURKEY AND OTHERS COMMITTED TO WAR ON ISRAEL:

BOTH WANT STRATEGICALLY AN ARAB WORLD WHICH IS FRAGMENTED, NOT A WORLD IN WHICH ONE LEADER WOULD GAIN HEGEMONY. BOTH COUNTRIES WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAVING THOSE ASPIRATIONS FOR HEGEMONY IN THE REGION. WE DO NOT WANT THIS REGION TO BE DOMINATED BY AN ARAB POWER.

MR INBAR CONCLUDED THAT FOR COUNTRIES IN A TREACHEROUS REGION STABILITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.

BUT DOES THE ISRAEL-TURKEY ALLIANCE GUARANTEE STABILITY IN THE LONG RUN, ASKED JONATHAN CLARKE, AN ANALYST OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOR WASHINGTON'S CATO INSTITUTE. IN HIS OPINION, IT IS LIKELY TO LEAD TO A COUNTER ALLIANCE AMONG ARAB NATIONS:

EGYPT, IN PARTICULAR, HAS EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE PRECISELY WHAT THE GEOSTRATEGIC RATIONALE FOR IT IS. AFTER ALL, ISRAEL AND TURKEY ARE BY FAR THE LARGEST MILITARY POWERS IN THE REGION, AND WHEN THEY TEAM UP, NATURALLY ENOUGH,. EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE REGION START SAYING, "WELL, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

EFRAIM INBAR ADMITTED EVEN SOME AMERICAN SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL HAVE THEIR DOUBTS. HE NOTED THE JEWISH LOBBY OFTEN WORKS WITH THE GREEK LOBBY, WHICH IS AT ODDS WITH TURKEY OVER CYPRUS. NEVERTHELESS, HE INSISTED THE ALLIANCE WITH TURKEY IS IN ISRAEL'S BEST INTEREST. (SIGNED)
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03-Oct-98 1:33 PM EDT (1733 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] FINANCE MEETING (S) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: FINANCE MINISTERS AND CENTRAL BANK GOVERNORS FROM THE WORLD'S SEVEN RICHEST INDUSTRIAL NATIONS ARE MEETING AT THIS HOUR IN WASHINGTON. V-O-A'S ECONOMICS CORRESPONDENT BARRY WOOD REPORTS THE MEETING IS FOCUSED ON THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL TURMOIL AND WAYS TO FORESTALL A WORLD ECONOMIC RECESSION.

TEXT: THE MEETING IS UNDER WAY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. IT BRINGS TOGETHER THE CHIEF ECONOMIC POLICY MAKERS OF WESTERN EUROPE, JAPAN, THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA IS THE PERCEIVED URGENT NEED FOR JAPAN TO EMERGE FROM RECESSION IN ORDER TO PULL IN IMPORTS FROM THE CRISIS COUNTRIES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA AND BOOST WORLD GROWTH.

PRIOR TO THE MEETING, U-S TREASURY SECRETARY ROBERT RUBIN MET SEPARATELY FOR ONE HOUR WITH HIS JAPANESE COUNTERPART, KIICHI MIYAZAWA. EARLIER SATURDAY MR. MIYAZAWA MET WITH POLICYMAKERS FROM SIX ASIAN NATIONS AND ASSURED THEM THAT JAPAN IS FIXING ITS BANKS AND STIMULATING ITS ECONOMY. HE UNVEILED A NEW AID PROGRAM FOR THE COUNTRIES MOST AFFECTED BY THE CRISIS.

THE GROUP OF SEVEN MINISTERS ARE DISCUSSING WAYS TO IMPROVE THE WORLD FINANCIAL SYSTEM. PROPOSALS FOR REFORM WILL BE DEBATED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AT THE ANNUAL WASHINGTON MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AND WORLD BANK. (SIGNED)
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03-Oct-98 2:12 PM EDT (1812 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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