Voice of America, 00-01-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] TURKEY RECOVERS FROM EARTHQUAKES BY YONCA POYRAZ DOGAN (WASHINGTON)

[02] GERMANY / SCANDAL (L-ONLY) BY JONATHAN BRAUDE (BERLIN)

[03] NORTHERN IRELAND - POLICE BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (WASHINGTON)

[04] SPAIN / CAR BOMBS (L) BY LOURDES NAVARRO (LONDON)

[05] SPAIN / CAR BOMB (L UPDATE) BY GIL CARBAJAL (MADRID)

[06] NY ECON WRAP (S&L) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (NEW YORK)

[07] FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

[01] TURKEY RECOVERS FROM EARTHQUAKES BY YONCA POYRAZ DOGAN (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: Two major earthquakes struck Turkey last year, killing an estimated 18-thousand people and causing billions of dollars in damage. This week (January 18), members of the Turkish and American business communities as well as representatives of the U-S government met in Washington to discuss how foreign investment might help Turkey's reconstruction program. V-O-A's Yonca Poyraz Dogan [PRON: 'YOHN-JA 'POY-RAHZ DO-'AHN] reports that such investment could depend on Turkey's political and economic reforms.

TEXT: In August and November of last year, massive earthquakes hit Turkey's industrial heartland. Nearly 18-thousand people were killed and 75-thousand residential buildings were destroyed. Rebuilding after such a catastrophe is a huge task and more than 60 nations have offered to help Turkey with the job. Even more help may be on the way from the U-S government and American companies. Equity International, a U-S based international trade and investment company, brought Turkish and American business executives together at a conference in Washington this week. Among the participants was Lincoln McCurdy, president of the American-Turkish Council, who pointed out that a major factor in bringing new investments will be the European Union's decision to accept Turkey as a candidate for membership. E-U (European Union) membership requires sweeping political and economic reforms in Turkey, plus protection of human rights. This, said Mr. McCurdy, should encourage investors, especially Americans.

[02] GERMANY / SCANDAL (L-ONLY) BY JONATHAN BRAUDE (BERLIN)

INTRO: Anger and disappointment against former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl are pushing the opposition Christian Democratic Union - or C D U to consider court action against him. But there is relief that the suicide Thursday of one of the parliamentary party's most senior officials appears to be unconnected with the scandal surrounding Mr. Kohl. Jonathan Braude reports from Berlin.

TEXT: The Christian Democratic Union's present chairman, Wolfgang Schauble, is losing patience with his predecessor, Helmut Kohl, and is planning legal action against him. As soon as the auditors have finished their investigation of the party's accounts, Mr. Schaeuble says he will take the former German chancellor to court to make him speak up. But Mr. Kohl is still refusing to name the donors whose gifts he handled through secret bank accounts in defiance of party procedures and German law. Mr. Kohl says he will keep his word of honor to the donors and will not reveal their names. C-D-U leaders say Mr. Kohl is putting loyalty to the donors above loyalty to the party and his country. His intransigence is felt to be destroying the party and its reputation. And now the fear is that Mr. Kohl's silence will continue eating away at the party from within, while a parliamentary inquiry into the handling of anonymous campaign gifts continues to batter away at it from the outside. The goal of the inquiry is to find out if the donations affected the C-D-U's subsequent political decisions and distorted the democratic process. Mr. Kohl feels he has done nothing wrong. But at least for now the suicide Thursday of C-D- U official Wolfgang Huellen, which many feared would uncover yet more scandals within the party, no longer looks quite as threatening. Alerted by the finance officer's suicide note, police raided his files at the C-D-U's parliamentary offices in Berlin late Thursday. But although the public prosecutor is investigating Mr. Huellen's financial affairs and is looking at a possible case of embezzlement, officials now say there is no connection with the party's own financial scandals. (Signed)
NEB/JB/GE/KL 21-Jan-2000 09:24 AM EDT (21-Jan-2000 1424 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] NORTHERN IRELAND - POLICE BY ANDRE DE NESNERA (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: Earlier this week, the British government confirmed it would implement the vast majority of recommendations to re-structure Northern Ireland's police force known as the "Royal Ulster Constabulary." In this report, former London Correspondent Andre de Nesnera looks at the decision and discusses some of the concerns voiced by Northern Ireland's two communities.

TEXT: The Royal Ulster Constabulary - or R-U-C - was created in 1922 when Northern Ireland came into being. One of its primary functions was to preserve the new state. As such, it was seen as an armed force whose agenda was heavily weighted in favor of Protestants and Unionists - those who want to keep Northern Ireland within Great Britain. The R-U-C has 13-hundred officers - more than 90 percent of them are Protestant. In its history, the R-U-C's Catholic contingent never rose above 10 percent. Since the so-called "Troubles" began in Northern Ireland more than three decades ago, more than three- hundred R-U-C officers have been killed and about eight-thousand wounded. Reforming Northern Ireland's police force was an essential component of the April 1998 political agreement commonly known as the "Good Friday Accord." A special commission was formed to look into the issue. It was chaired by former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten and presented its recommendations last September. Earlier this week, the British government announced it would implement practically all of them - with some very minor changes. The key points include changing the R-U-C's name to the "Police Service of Northern Ireland." The 13- hundred member force will be reduced by half over 10 years and there will be an increased effort to recruit Catholics. Ex-terrorists - such as those belonging to the Irish Republican Army or pro-British paramilitary groups - will be banned from joining. The practice of flying the British flag over police stations will be discontinued, and officers will no longer swear allegiance to the Queen. In addition, the new police force will have different badges and symbols. Geoff Martin is editor of the daily "The Belfast Newsletter" that espouses Protestant and Unionist views. He says members of his community are angry.

[04] SPAIN / CAR BOMBS (L) BY LOURDES NAVARRO (LONDON)

INTRO: One man is dead and several reported injured after two car bombs exploded in central Madrid today/Friday. No group has claimed responsibility, but Spanish police believe the Basque separatist group, ETA, is responsible for the blasts. Lourdes Navarro reports that the renewed violence comes six weeks after the organization announced the end of its cease-fire.

TEXT: The two car bombs exploded half an hour apart in an area of Madrid containing military housing. The first blast killed one army officer and injured several others. The second blast caused no casualties but went off near a children's school. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Spanish police blame the attacks on the Basque separatist group, ETA. The Spanish government has been bracing itself for renewed violence since the group announced the end of its 14-month ceasefire in early December. ETA has been fighting for 31 years to secure an independent Basque state and has been blamed for more than 800 deaths. There have been several attempted attacks by the group since the end of December, but all have been foiled by the police. The blasts come days after Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar called a general election for March 12TH. In his election announcement, the prime minister promised a hard-line stance against the group. Spanish government officials have been warning that they expected violence before election day. ETA's last attributed killing was in June 1998. In the worst ETA bombing incident, 21 people were killed in a shopping center blast in 1987. In a separate incident, which officials say had nothing to do with the car bombs, a man was shot and killed by police near the scene of the explosions. Authorities say the man was trying to steal a car. (Signed)
NEB/LN/GE/KL 21-Jan-2000 08:26 AM EDT (21-Jan-2000 1326 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[05] SPAIN / CAR BOMB (L UPDATE) BY GIL CARBAJAL (MADRID)

INTRO: Two car bombs exploded early Friday in Madrid, killing a Spanish army officer. Gil Carbajal in Madrid reports Spain had been bracing for a terrorist attack since the Basque separatist group ETA called off a 14-month cease-fire in early December.

TEXT: The car bomb exploded soon after eight o'clock Friday morning, killing army Colonel Pedro Antonio Blanco Gonzalez. /// OPT /// The officer was the father of two small ch1ldren, one of whom learned of his father's death from a television report. /// END OPT /// Police say the bomb was set off by remote control as the army officer walked to meet another army officer for a ride to work. Another car bomb exploded 30 minutes later in the same neighborhood, which has a large number of military families. The second bomb exploded near a nursery school, causing panic among some 50 children. A number of cars were destroyed by the explosions, and about 30 buildings were badly damaged.

[06] NY ECON WRAP (S&L) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (NEW YORK)

INTRO: Stock prices in the United States were mixed again today (Friday), establishing a not too surprising pattern for the week. Analysts said money simply keeps moving toward the fast-growing technology sector. VOA correspondent Elaine Johanson reports from New York:

TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 99 points, eight-tenths of one percent, closing at 11- thousand-251. The Standard and Poor's 500 index fell four points. But the Nasdaq composite gained one percent, closing at another record. For the week, the Dow Jones lost four percent, while the Nasdaq gained four percent. Analysts say investors are still attracted to the sectors that have grown the most. That means mostly technology, and - more to the point this week - oil, which is at a nine-year high.

[07] FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: An unsuccessful anti-missile missile test by the United States is the topic of the day in many newspaper editorial pages this Friday, closely followed by a controversy over official use of a Confederate flag. Other subjects include Indonesia's new leader; political and religious repression in China and some hope for progress toward peace on the Korean peninsula. Now, here with a closer look is _____________ and today's Editorial Digest.

TEXT: The U-S military tried out its latest anti- missile missile this week, firing a test warhead from California, and the anti-missile defensive missile from an island in the South Pacific. The idea of destroying an incoming inter-continental ballistic missile with another missile has sometimes been likened to hitting a bullet with another bullet. But the test failed, eliciting a flood of comment from the nation's dailies, like this from Newsday on New York's Long Island.

VOICE: Don't rush to deploy [a] costly missile-defense system that violates the A-B-M [Anti-Ballistic- Missile] treaty. ... There are plenty of reasons why a hasty decision to deploy an entry-level missile- defense network would be a bad idea for the United States. The putative threat it's designed to counter a desperate attack by at most a few missiles from a [rogue] state such as North Korea or Iraq - - is farfetched. The ... cost estimate, certain to increase ... even if the system is never expanded . is 12-point-7-billion dollars and counting ... Oh, and by the way, there's no assurance - - in fact there are serious doubts - - that the U-S missile-defense network could actually work as advertised.

TEXT: In Oklahoma, the Tulsa World is discouraged at the cost and the result.

VOICE: The idea of satellites and missiles protecting the United States from foreign nuclear attack ... persists. But it took another blow this week. For 100-million dollars the nation got to see the Pentagon take a shot at an incoming mock warhead - - and miss. . This latest test follows reports of another test in October that at first was said to be successful. It later turned out that it, too, failed. ... Should the United States continue its research and tests into such a system? Yes. After all, technology does change. But there is no need to rush into a costly and possibly unworkable system too soon.

TEXT: In Texas, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, notes, somewhat sarcastically:

VOICE: The kill vehicle came "extremely close," officials said, to making an encounter of the destructive kind. Of course, they weren't pitching horseshoes; therefore, close doesn't count. ... The failed test, however, does not provide conclusive proof that such a system cannot be made to work. But it is [a] significant setback that should give President Clinton pause about his plan to approve the deployment of the system later this year.

TEXT: The Washington Times supports development of the system and reminds everyone:

VOICE: ... The fact is that you test a system to see if it works, right? ... And it is not as though there aren't good reasons out there to work overtime to make [missile-defense system] functional. Last week, it was ... revealed that Iran is thought to be close to a nuclear bomb, thanks to the helpfulness of Russia ... In other words, the critics should not be so ready to rejoice. We will all live to regret it if we don't get the technology right in time.

TEXT: Another domestic issue that continues to reverberate in the press concerns the Confederate b a t t l e flag that is flown over the state capital of South Carolina. While considered historic by many white Southerners, many African-Americans consider it racist, a symbol of the slavery era in this country and demanding its removal, as are many daily papers. The Pittsburgh [Pennsylvania] Post-Gazette is one, demanding: "Furl that flag."

VOICE: That this flag continues to fly over the capital of South Carolina is an outrageous capitulation to bad taste and not-so-subtle racial animus.

TEXT: In Atlanta, the Atlanta Constitution suggests there is more than a racial argument to the controversy:

VOICE: The Confederate banner doesn't belong on the same flagpole as the Stars and Stripes and South Carolina's state flag, both of which denote sovereignty; therefore, it should be moved from atop the Statehouse.

TEXT: And in Florida, The St. Petersburg Times scoffs:

VOICE: On December 20th, 1860, South Carolina left the Union. You have to wonder if it ever really returned. ... [And] as for divorcing the flag from 100 years of [Ku Klux] Klan marches, riots and lynchings, it can no more be done than the swastika - - which was an ancient[Indian] symbol of good luck until it was adopted by the Nazis - - can be divorced from Hitler.

TEXT: Turning to international issues, the Los Angeles Times discusses the difficulties facing Indonesia's new leader.

VOICE: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has had a rotten first 100 days in office. His country, impoverished by years of economic decline, is now being racked by separatist unrest and religious violence. [President] Wahid, a moderate Muslim who has earned broad support at home and respect abroad, vows to take stern measures against civil unrest of all kind. To prevent the disintegration of Indonesia, he must do just that. ... Washington should reward [President] Wahid's every step toward political and economic reforms not only by increasing aid but also restructuring onerous debt from the past and extending new credit. The world powers should give him all the help he needs.

TEXT: Today's Dallas Morning News wholeheartedly agrees, suggesting that if more aid is not forthcoming, the religious divisions and on-going economic problems will lead to the breakup of the nation.

VOICE: Why should Americans care? Indonesia's large expanse gives it control over the sea lanes between the Indian and Pacific oceans. American companies like Exxon and Mobil have major oil and gas operations here. ... The free election in 1999 of Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, a moderate and the leader of the country's largest Muslim party, made Indonesia the world's third-largest democracy. Indonesia is important and it is in trouble.

TEXT: Still with Asian affairs, today's Milwaukee [Wisconsin] Journal expresses its concern about repression in China:

VOICE: Last fall, the government cracked down on independent rural Christian congregations, arresting at least 100 members of those churches[:] The government also last year rounded up members of a religious movement known as Falun Gong, calling it an "evil cult." In truth, Falun Gong is part religion and part fitness program and hardly a threat to anyone. /// OPT /// ... This month, a 14-year-old boy who holds a special place within Tibetan Buddhism endured an arduous trek to flee his China-controlled homeland and join the Dalai Lama in India. ... The Chinese government may have better luck with another boy it installed this month as a "living Buddha," especially since he's only two years old. But this latest move ... was rejected by the exiled Dalai Lama, the revered spiritual leader of Tibetans, and it is doubtful whether it will have much success. ... /// END OPT /// Unfortunately, China's leaders over the years have shown a disturbing unwillingness to allow any loosening of the reins they hold in their hands. ... U-S officials and businessmen and women must stress to Chinese leaders the indispensable relationship between a free market and a free people. Text: Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union is holding out some hope for improved relations between the two Koreas, thanks in part to some help from China. VOICED: ...the chances have never been better for a permanent peace agreement and perhaps the eventual reunification of divided Korea. The first encouraging sign was an announcement by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung that he will officially propose a summit with North Korea if his new political party wins the April 13 parliamentary elections. ... North Korea - isolated, impoverished and starving - is expected to accept [President] Kim's offer. That is significant, not only because the talks could lead to some progress but also because they would not involve the United States.

TEXT: Turning to Europe, and the multi-million-dollar campaign fund scandal involving former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his Christian Democratic Union party, the Washington Post notes:

VOICE: What is clear is that Mr. Kohl cannot halt the slide in his personal reputation without a prompt and full accounting and that - - more to the point - - the German political system requires a rigorous inquiry into a scandal that is only beginning to take shape.

TEXT: To Latin America, where the [Minneapolis, Minnesota] Star-Tribune salutes the new president of Chile, Ricardo Lagos.

VOICE: [Mr.] Lagos' politics and priorities may be just what Chile needs at this juncture, a blend of fiscal practicality and social compassion. Though the nation has enjoyed more than a decade of phenomenal growth, its economy is now stalling, and unemployment has risen to eleven percent. ... The fate of the ailing [former dictator, General Augusto] Pinochet is only one of the new president's problems. [Mr.] Lagos must handle a Congress stacked with lifetime members appointed by the former military regime.

TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of comment from the editorial pages of Friday's U-S press.
NEB/ANG/KL 21-Jan-2000 12:21 PM EDT (21-Jan-2000 1721 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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