Voice of America, 99-08-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] CN-096 YUGO POL

[02] KOSOVO ROADBLOCK (L-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (ORAHOVAC)

[03] U-N-H-C-R - KOSOVO (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

[04] EDITORIAL:SERBIA'S MUZZLED MEDIA

[05] QUAKE SITREP BY SCOTT BOBB (ADAPAZARI, TURKEY)

[06] REFLECTIONS ON THE TURKISH EARTHQUAKE BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

[07] TURKEY QUAKE HEALTH (L) BY SCOTT BOBB (ADAPAZARI, TURKEY)

[08] TURKEY - HEALTH (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

[09] TURKEY - POLITICS (L-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (ISTANBUL)

[10] TURKEY - VOLUNTEERS BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT)

[11] RUSSIA / DAGESTAN (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

[12] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)

[13] TUESDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

[01] CN-096 YUGO POL

[02] KOSOVO ROADBLOCK (L-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (ORAHOVAC)

INTRO: Ethnic Albanians continue to block a main highway in Kosovo in an effort to stop deployment of Russian peacekeeper troops. Tim Belay reports from near the southern Kosovo town of Orahovac.

TEXT: Tuesday marked the second day of a massive blockade organized by the residents of Orahovac in protest over a plan to deploy 750 Russian troops in their town. Assorted vehicles filled a six-kilometer stretch of the road and hundreds of area residents camped out on the highway. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo say they are afraid the Russians will favor the local Serbs. The Russian troops are part of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Residents of Orahovac also accuse Russian mercenaries of helping Yugoslav armed forces carry out atrocities here earlier in the year. Fatmir Kryeziu says that's why it's not possible for Russian soldiers to act as peacekeepers in this region of Kosovo.

[03] U-N-H-C-R - KOSOVO (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

INTRO: The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says Kosovo is rapidly losing its Serbian population. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the agency estimates fewer than 30-thousand Serbs remain in the province.

TEXT: U-N Refugee Agency spokesman Kris Janowski says Yugoslav government figures indicate Kosovo is being emptied of its Serb population. He says the Yugoslav government estimates 195-thousand Serbs and other non-Albanians have now arrived in Serbia and Montenegro. This is up from 180-thousand two or three weeks ago.

[04] EDITORIAL:SERBIA'S MUZZLED MEDIA

THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 8/25/99. Anncr: The Voice of America presents differing points of view on a wide variety of issues. Next, an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government: Voice: The disastrous consequences of the policies of the Slobodan Milosevic regime are becoming more and more obvious to the people of Yugoslavia. Fearful of criticism and public scrutiny, the regime has tightened control over Yugoslavia's media. Independent news reporting has been curbed and in many areas effectively stopped by censorship, bureaucratic harassment, and murder. But one source of independent news that the Milosevic regime cannot stop is international broadcasting by the Voice of America, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Radio France Internationale, Radio Free Europe, and others. Many Serbs depend on these broadcasts for news about the world and events in Yugoslavia. Unable to stop people from listening to these broadcasts, the Yugoslav government has decided to smear the broadcasters - falsely accusing them of jamming Serbian radio and television stations. In truth, the only interference with Serbian broadcasting and other media is coming from the Milosevic regime itself. In recent months, it has closed half a dozen independent broadcast outlets as well as at least four major newspapers. A few months ago, B-92, Belgrade's sole independent radio station, had its transmitter confiscated. Under Yugoslavia's vague and arbitrary press laws, media outlets can be sued for being insufficiently patriotic. They can be fined for lampooning Milosevic and other Serbian leaders. Rebroadcast of foreign news programs, including those of VOA and the BBC, is forbidden. And for those independent journalists who cannot be stopped by harassment and intimidation - there is violence. Slavko Curuvija, one of Belgrade's most prominent independent publishers, was murdered in April. His assassin has not been arrested. Defaming international broadcasters will not hide the truth. The people of Yugoslavia have the right to receive news from multiple outlets and to make their own informed decisions about their future. They are tired of police state control of their media and other institutions by the Milosevic regime. They will continue to rely on independent Yugoslav media that dare to tell the truth. And they will continue to tune into the one medium beyond the control of the Milosevic regime - international broadcasting. Anncr: That was an editorial expressing the policies of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-voa-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043. 24-Aug-1999 14:36 PM EDT (24-Aug-1999 1836 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[05] QUAKE SITREP BY SCOTT BOBB (ADAPAZARI, TURKEY)

INTRO: Text of a report by Correspondent Scott Bobb from Adapazari, southeast of Istanbul, an area hard hit by the earthquake.

TEXT: One week after the earthquake struck, the region still is recovering. But it is moving into another phase. There is almost no hope of any more "miracle" rescues. Authorities now are concentrating on treating the many, many injured and also trying to prevent diseases. In this open-air field hospital set up a few days ago by Israeli military units, officials report they still are treating a number of victims of the quake. But they also are treating "normal" cases because this is the only operating hospital in this city. All of the other hospitals were damaged to the extent they can no longer be used. So, local Turkish doctors and nurses are working with the Israeli military personnel and they are treating even some normal cases such as childbirth and a diabetic patient, but also a case of typhoid that has been diagnosed, and there are some diarrhea. These are what was feared because of the collapse of the sanitation system. About an hour's drive down the road along the coast, about 60 kilometers from here, we were told that a United States hospital ship is preparing to receive patients. And they have called for a dozen translators, Turkish interpreters, to come to the ship to assist. The situation is far from normal, but you do see people going about their jobs, people trying to retrieve items from collapsed buildings, some people trying to put back together their lives, and some people even going to work.
NEB/SB/JWH 24-Aug-1999 09:29 AM LOC (24-Aug-1999 1329 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[06] REFLECTIONS ON THE TURKISH EARTHQUAKE BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: It has been a week since a devastating, killer earthquake hit northwestern Turkey. Estimates now range as high as 45-thousand for the final death count, with more than twice that injured. In the United States press, there are many editorials commenting on the disaster, and we get a sampling now from ______________ in today's U-S Opinion Roundup.

TEXT: The latest editorials on the quake are taking several directions. One is criticism of the Turkish government for being totally unprepared for the latest one. Another theme is criticism of the army, one of the major powers in Turkey, for its painfully slow response to the disaster. The Philadelphia Inquirer calls the earthquake "A sad lesson for Turkey."

VOICE: . The miracle rescues in the last few days are just respites from the catastrophe of shoddy construction in a region prone to earthquakes. For every bruised survivor pulled from the rubble the last few days, relief experts figure there are a thousand bodies or more waiting to be bagged and tagged. One obvious lesson is that Turkey's disaster-response system is a joke. Rescue efforts foundered for lack of heavy equipment. International teams arrived in some cities to find that organized rescue efforts had not yet begun. . there is no question that as the civilian efforts failed, the military was slow to fill the void. . with so many lives needlessly lost, prosecutions of slipshod contractors and irresponsible public officials are inevitable in the near term. The greater challenge will be to sustain a high level of scrutiny over the safety of building design and construction for the long term.

TEXT: Some thoughts on progress from The Philadelphia Inquirer. Turning to the political implications of the disaster, we pick up this Op Ed piece in the Washington Post, by Bulent Aliriza, Director of the Turkish Studies program at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

VOICE: The earthquake has brought to the surface in the most painful way the glaring problems in the government of Turkey. The political system has long been creaking under the ineffective direction of successive generations of politicians, who have been forced out of government by military intervention or pressure four times in the past 40 years, most recently in June 1997. The current system pays little attention to the average citizen and his living conditions except during elections. It does not encourage sustained efforts to tackle Turkey's long-neglected issues such as housing, education, health, social security and income disparity. Instead, politicians spend the bulk of their time and effort trying to satisfy the demands of members of the Turkish business elite. It is far from clear whether public anger will be sustained and what the ultimate political impact of the earthquake will be. What is certain is that unless Turkey faces up to the inadequacies of its political system, no amount of outside assistance will suffice.

TEXT: In Maine, The Portland Press Herald worries about what lies ahead for the nation.

VOICE: The death toll overwhelms even as it saddens.

TEXT: Georgia's Augusta Chronicle tried to explain to readers why the toll is so great, and what can be done about it in the future.

VOICE: Although the U-S has its share of natural disasters, including earthquakes, we have seen nothing on a scale as disastrous as Turkey's. . The reason is two-fold: Turkey, not nearly as modern or industrialized as the U-S, has built few "earthquake resistant" structures. Second, Turkey is in a terribly unstable area, geologically speaking. More killer quakes are expected but, again, no one can say with certainty, **when. ** [italics for emphasis.] In this century, Turkey has been hit by 23 major earthquakes; in the last 60 years it has endured eleven earthquakes with death tolls over one thousand. Most people have little choice where they live and while reports out of Turkey make much of "flimsy and shoddy" housing construction, that is usually the only kind of housing available. Earthquake resistant housing is technologically possible, but it's expensive. Even so, Turkey must ask itself as it rebuilds, isn't it much **more** expensive to go on enduring the same horrendous level of death, injury and property loss every time a major quake hits.

TEXT: Looking for something positive, The Sun in Baltimore finds it in the response of Turkey's long- time rival.

VOICE: The best result from the earthquake . was Greece's response. This smaller neighbor and historic enemy responded immediately with physicians, supplies and rescue teams -and that was just the government. Thousands of ordinary Greeks gave aid, money, whatever they could. Much divides the countries, including seabed claims in the Aegean and Greek aid to Kurdish rebels. But if the two governments can build on this spontaneous goodwill, they can address such problems honestly.

TEXT: In New England, The Manchester [New Hampshire] Union Leader runs this syndicated, Scripps Howard commentary, faulting man's desire to build such large populations centers as one of the problems.

VOICE: Modern civilization, with its dependence on cities for order and amenities, exists at the mercy of the earth underneath, and it takes only a few seconds for an earthquake to demolish the necessary certainty that tomorrow will be very much like today. . Maybe some day science will be able to pinpoint precisely where and when earthquakes will occur. In the meantime, probabilities will have to, and Turkey is in such a geologically unstable area that it is highly probable that another fatal earthquake will strike again and soon. . The death tolls are becoming so high because of the way . most people are housed, in low-and mid-rise apartment buildings of concrete slab construction. Concrete slab buildings are relatively cheap, easy to build, durable and absolutely lethal in an earthquake. ... The secret to earthquake-resistant housing is to make the technology so simple and cheap that even corrupt builders will use it. The rebuilding in Turkey is a chance to rectify the mistakes of the past because another earthquake will come.

TEXT: An opinion from today's Manchester New Hampshire Union-Leader.

[07] TURKEY QUAKE HEALTH (L) BY SCOTT BOBB (ADAPAZARI, TURKEY)

INTRO: In Turkey, authorities are appealing for donations of tents, blankets and excavation equipment to help deal with the aftermath of the earthquake that to date has killed 18 thousand people. As hopes fade of finding anymore victims alive, the focus has turned to caring for the 200 thousand survivors who have been made homeless by the quake. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from an emergency hospital in the city of Adapazari, 140 kilometers east of Istanbul, that the risk of epidemic is a major concern.

TEXT: Medical workers in Adapazari say contagious diseases are beginning to appear due to the collapse of water and sewage systems following last week's earthquake. They say there already are many cases of diarrhea and several cases of Typhoid have been reported. An Israeli military team has set up a field hospital in tents on the grounds of a government office building in the center of the city. One of its physicians, Yoran Wolf, says the facility is treating an average of 150 patients a day.

[08] TURKEY - HEALTH (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

INTRO: The World Health Organization, W-H-O, says there are no epidemics in Turkey now and the risk of epidemics breaking out in the earthquake area is extremely unlikely. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports W- H-O says it is concerned that rumors of possible epidemics may divert attention from the real health needs of the stricken population.

TEXT: The World Health Organization says earthquake disasters do not provoke outbreaks of communicable diseases in places where they do not already exist. W-H-O Medical Officer Michel Thieren says this rules out the danger of epidemics of diseases such as cholera and plague.

[09] TURKEY - POLITICS (L-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (ISTANBUL)

INTRO: Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is asking the international community for more aid to help the country recover from the disaster caused by last week's earthquake. V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from Istanbul.

TEXT: Canvas tent cities are cropping up across western Turkey to accommodate about 200-thouand people left homeless by the massive earthquake that hit last Tuesday. Prime Minister Ecevit is appealing to the international community to provide sturdier pre- fabricated bungalows for the coming cold months of winter. A Dutch group has already sent 300. The public works minister says enough winterized shelters may not be ready before November. Mr. Ecevit told a U-S T-V interviewer Tuesday his government has learned lessons from the disaster. He promises new housing units will be built for survivors but in areas approved by geologists and seismologists. The problem is most of Turkey is in an area prone to earthquakes. Experts acknowledge that even well-built homes could crumble in an earthquake as strong as the one that hit Turkey one week ago. But residents in the area complain that many of the more than 100- thousand homes destroyed in the quake were of sub- standard construction. Turkish authorities say negligent builders will be prosecuted. And, Mr. Ecevit says parliament also needs to approve strict measures to control the quality of future construction. The parliament is also considering legislation to help cope with the economic burden of recovery and reconstruction efforts. But business leaders expect Turkey's creditors will also have to ease debt repayments to give Turkey some financial breathing space to deal with the earthquake's aftermath. (Signed)
NEB/LMK/JWH/KL 24-Aug-1999 10:16 AM EDT (24-Aug-1999 1416 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[10] TURKEY - VOLUNTEERS BY LAURIE KASSMAN (IZMIT)

INTRO: One week after a massive earthquake devastated western Turkey, the government is appealing to the international community for supplies -- everything from tents to bulldozers. And volunteers are streaming in from around the country and the world to help too. V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from Izmit on their efforts.

TEXT:

[11] RUSSIA / DAGESTAN (L) BY PETER HEINLEIN (MOSCOW)

INTRO: Russian forces say they have regained control of three villages in the southern Dagestan region that had been occupied by Muslim insurgents for more than two-weeks. Correspondent Peter Heinlein reports federal troops are said to be making progress against rebels still holed up in other settlements in the sparsely populated Dagestani mountains.

TEXT: Russian defense ministry officials (Tuesday) said rebels have been cleared from several mountain hamlets that had been the focus of repeated air strikes and ground assaults in recent days.

[12] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)

INTRO: Stock prices in the United States were mixed today (Tuesday) as the U-S central bank raised short- term interest rates. VOA Business Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from New York.

TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 11- thousand-283, down 16 points. The Standard and Poor's 500 index closed at 13-hundred-63,up three points. The NASDAQ index gained more than one percent. As expected, The Federal Reserve Board -- the U-S central bank -- raised short-term interest rates by one-quarter percent in an effort to head-off inflationary pressures. In a statement, the central bank governors also announced a neutral position on the future of monetary policy. That seems to mean there would have to be further evidence of inflation for the bank to raise interest rates again at its next meeting in October. The bond market rose on the news but many stock traders initially seemed confused about how to react. Immediately following the central bank announcement, the Industrial Average fell, then recovered and fell again. Some analysts say, since the Industrial Average closed at a record high Monday, there was probably some profit-taking after the interest-rate announcement.

[13] TUESDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: The editorial pages of major U-S dailies have a pair of popular topics continuing to get the lion's share of attention. One is the aftermath of the Turkish earthquake; the other is the controversy around presidential candidate George W. Bush as to whether he ever used the illegal drug cocaine. Other topics of interest include this country's commitment to foreign aid; the changing political climate in Yugoslavia; dealing with North Korea; and a Chinese move against Tibet. Now, here with some excerpts and a closer look is _____________ and today's Editorial Digest.

TEXT: U-S papers are commenting on the lessons learned from the devastating earthquake in Turkey and on how the Turkish government has handled the disaster. "The Philadelphia Inquirer" calls it "A sad lesson for Turkey."

VOICE: One obvious lesson is that Turkey's disaster-response system is a joke. Rescue efforts foundered for lack of heavy equipment. International teams arrived in some cities to find that organized rescue efforts had not yet begun. . there is no question that as the Civilian efforts failed, the military was slow to fill the void. . with so many lives needlessly lost, prosecutions of slipshod contractors and irresponsible public officials are inevitable in the near term. The greater challenge will be to sustain a high level of scrutiny over the safety of building design and construction for the long term.

TEXT: Some thoughts on progress from "The Philadelphia Inquirer". In Maine, "The Portland Press Herald" worries about what lies ahead in the immediate future.

VOICE: The death toll overwhelms even as it saddens. . It will take a coordinated effort from aid agencies around the world to keep this disaster from taking still more lives. It will also take money, and that is where Mainers can help. Just a few dollars to the Red Cross can make a difference and perhaps save a life.

TEXT: Looking for something positive, "The Baltimore Sun" finds it in the response of Turkey's long-time rival.

VOICE: The best result from the earthquake . was Greece's response. This smaller neighbor and historic enemy responded immediately with physicians, supplies and rescue teams -- and that was just the government. Thousands of ordinary Greeks gave aid, money, whatever they could. Much divides the countries, including seabed claims in the Aegean and Greek aid to Kurdish rebels. But if the two governments can build on this spontaneous goodwill, they can address such problems honestly.

TEXT: Back in New England, "The Manchester [New Hampshire] Union Leader" runs this syndicated, Scripps Howard commentary, faulting man's desire to build such large populations centers as one of the problems.

VOICE: The death tolls are becoming so high because of the way . most people are housed, in low-and mid-rise apartment buildings of concrete slab construction. Concrete slab buildings are relatively cheap, easy to build, durable and absolutely lethal in an earthquake. . Given all the advance research in places like Japan and the United States, surely some low-cost, earthquake-resistant technology can be developed for countries like Turkey that can not afford to develop safer housing on their own. .. While reports out of Turkey make much of "flimsy and shoddy" housing construction, flimsy and shoddy is often the only choice they have. The secret to earthquake-resistant housing is to make the technology so simple and cheap that even corrupt builders will use it. The rebuilding in Turkey is a chance to rectify the mistakes of the past because another earthquake will come.

TEXT: An opinion from today's Manchester "New Hampshire Union-Leader".

TEXT: Domestically, many papers are commenting on the controversy around Texas governor George W. Bush, the front-running presidential hopeful. The question is; did he use the illegal drug cocaine during an admittedly -- wild and impetuous youth? "The Miami Herald" points to the strict Texas drug laws as it suggests:

VOICE: The critics of George W. Bush's coyness about any past use of illegal drugs argue correctly that a presidential candidate who advocates tough anti-drug laws for others should come clean (be honest) about his own behavior. . Governor.Bush signed a law requiring jail time for anyone convicted of selling or possessing less than one-gram of cocaine. . So presidential candidate Bush could do the public and himself a service by being candid.

TEXT: Taking the other view, is the [Minneapolis, Minnesota] "Star Tribune", which has heard enough!

VOICE: Does anyone much care whether the governor of Texas used cocaine in his 20's, which is what the rumors seem to be about? Does anybody think such behavior should disqualify him from the presidency? According to a fresh poll by "Time" magazine, 84-percent of the pubic thinks it should not.

TEXT: Turning to another domestic issue, the current U-S foreign aid allocation, there is widespread criticism of its size, like this one in "The San Francisco Chronicle".

VOICE: Costly duties go with world power. If the United States wants to be the global military and economic leader, it must accept the burdens that go with the glory. Foreign aid, now a pittance by Washington standards, is one test of leadership. Since 1993 the budget for overseas economic and humanitarian aid has dropped from 14-point-one-billion dollars to 13- point-seven billion, a dip even greater if inflation is considered. The U-S spends less on foreign aid as a percentage of its gross national product than any other developed nation. . Foreign aid is not always a panacea for troubled and developing nations. Yet ending poverty or hunger, fighting disease and promoting peace remain necessary contributions from a world leader.

TEXT: "The New York Times" is also upset, suggesting:

VOICE: Congressional opponents argue that approving Mr. Clinton's full request for foreign aid would violate current budget caps. But such arguments never stop legislators eager to add defense funding . Reducing nuclear dangers in Russia, supporting peace agreements in the Middle East and Africa and helping the poor emerge from poverty are sound investments. Congress should heed Mr. Clinton's appeal and provide adequate money for these programs this fall.

TEXT: Turning to the Balkans, several papers feel the political power may be shifting away from Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic. Forth Worth's "Star- Telegram" gives us one Texas perspective.

VOICE: Time is not on Slobodan Milosevic's side. . Mass rallies of 150-thousand people in a country the size of Serbia suggest a groundswell of irresistible momentum. .. There is a compelling reason for the Serbs to force [Mr.] Milosevic out now instead of two or three- months hence: As long as [Mr.] Milosevic remains in power, the United States will not provide any assistance to Serbia for rehabilitating its bomb-battered infrastructure or to help rejuvenate its ruined economy.

TEXT: "The San Francisco Chronicle" comments under this headline -- Fed Up With Milosevic, Serbs issue an Ultimatum:"

VOICE: After 10-years of humiliation and misery under the despotic rule of Slobodan Milosevic, opposition parties are finally demanding his ouster, by resignation or early elections. . Last Thursday, as many as 150-thousand demonstrators gathered in Belgrade to demand the removal of [Mr.] Milosevic for dragging Yugoslavia into a 78-day war with NATO that left the country a bombed-out economic basket case. . A report issued in London yesterday said the war devastated Yugoslavia's infrastructure and economy to the tune of 64-billion dollars, making it the poorest country in Europe.

TEXT: "The Los Angeles Times" is concerned about the potential launch of North Korea's new, ballistic missile, the Taepodong Two.

VOICE: The word from North Korea is that it is ready to negotiate with "hostile nations" -- meaning the United States, Japan and South Korea-about calling off its test of a new long- range missile, a prospect that has heightened tensions in northeast Asia. The unspoken condition in Pyongyang's offer is that it expects to be suitably rewarded. Once again, North Korea seeks to leverage a strategic threat to extort further concessions from those it views as its primary enemies. That ploy has paid off handsomely in the past. This time it should be unequivocally rejected.

TEXT: Today's "Boston Globe" comes out in opposition of a plan by China to move 57-thousand desperately poor people from a barren part of China to what once was the independent country of Tibet. A Massachusetts man, Daja Meston, studying the plan for the World Bank, was badly hurt this week after being detained by police in Qinghai Province, prompting "The Globe" to suggest:

VOICE: He should be released from China for medical treatment, and his case ought to prompt renewed examination of the Chinese threat to Tibetan culture. . [Mr.] Meston . [and] his Tibetan guides . have raised a question that the World Bank should not duck: Is it sensible policy to subsidize a campaign that has resulted in the subjugation of the Tibetan people?

TEXT: In another editorial, "The Boston Globe" notes that what has happened in England recently, the destruction of genetically engineered farm crops by protestors, is now occurring in the United States. The paper feels all the protests are misguided.

VOICE: Environmental extremists who destroy genetically-altered crops, supposedly to save the world, are not only breaking the law, as they did last week at the university of Maine, but are stopping the very research that can tell people about the risks of growing such plants. There is nothing wrong with peaceful protest or with insisting that troubling eco-questions be answered. But slashing an experiment and attempting to stop science is the height of ignorance.

TEXT: Lastly, some possibly troubling aspects of the Internet and people's extreme interest in this global link-up of personal computers, from the "Detroit News".

VOICE: The Internet, as it turns out, is not our friend. It is, instead, a family wrecker, a budget breaker, an addiction. Most of all, according to a study released at the annual meeting of the American psychological Association, it is a case for treatment. . During the past 15-years, Americans have discovered to their astonishment that they are afflicted with an entire assortment of mental disorders that they never dreamed existed. . What better to join this list than an "addition" that has millions of people hunched over a computer screen in dimly lit rooms; cut off from their families, sending-mail, getting, and spending?. Our view: The newly identified Internet addiction is primarily meant to bring a spurious disorder under medical insurance coverage.

TEXT: That concludes this sampling of comment from the editorial pages of Tuesday's U-S press.
NEB/ANG/RAE 24-Aug-1999 12:07 PM LOC (24-Aug-1999 1607 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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