Browse through our Interesting Nodes for Greek Discussion Lists & Newsgroups Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Sunday, 24 November 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Voice of America, 00-02-11

Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

  • [01] UNHCR / KOSOVO REPORT (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)
  • [02] CROATIA / TRIBUNAL RELATIONS (L-ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)
  • [03] SERBIA CLEANUP (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)
  • [04] DEUTSCHE BANK AUSTRIA (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)
  • [05] NORTHERN IRELAND (L-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (LONDON)
  • [06] CLINTON - N-IRELAND (S) BY DEBORAH TATE (WHITE HOUSE)
  • [07] NY ECON WRAP (S&L) BY ELAINE JOHANSON (NEW YORK)
  • [08] FRIDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

    • [01] UNHCR / KOSOVO REPORT (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-259056
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: An independent team of experts has criticized the United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, for the slow way it handled the Kosovo refugee emergency last year. Lisa Schlein in Geneva explains that the U-N-H- C-R commissioned the team to evaluate the agency's preparedness and response to the situation.

    TEXT: The report examines the 11-week period from late March until mid-June 1999 when NATO's bombing campaign ended and the Kosovo refugees began going home. During that time, more than 850-thousand ethnic Albanians fled Kosovo into neighboring Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro. The report notes this refugee movement was unusually large and swift. Despite that, it says the refugees from Kosovo generally received adequate assistance. However, the report criticizes the agency for not having anticipated the size and speed of the exodus and for not providing immediate assistance. It says the agency was slow in deploying staff and that it lacked enough senior, experienced people to do the job properly.

    U-N-H-C-R spokesman Ron Redmond says the agency agrees with the bulk of the findings. But, he says it disagrees with the contention that the U-N-H-C-R could have predicted the extent of the emergency and should have made preparations in advance.

    /// REDMOND ACT ///

    At the time, diplomatic efforts were underway. For us to have stated or claimed that these diplomatic efforts were going to fail and tried to get governments to provide the tens of millions of dollars that would be required to be prepared for this possible emergency would have been extremely difficult.

    /// END ACT ///

    Mr. Redmond calls the Kosovo crisis unique in the history of the U-N-H-C-R. He says the agency has never worked on such a complex emergency. It was one in which many important governments, powerful military organizations and private aid agencies were involved. He says all these actors served to complicate the humanitarian operation. Mr. Redmond says some of the recommendations and criticisms in the report are pretty severe. Nevertheless, he says the agency accepts them and already has started taking steps to strengthen its emergency response. Mr. Redmond says the agency is completing new guidelines to improve future emergency operations.

    /// 2ND REDMOND ACT ///

    These areas include enhancing staff recruitment and emergency deployment. We've got to get people on the ground faster. We've got to get more senior people, more experienced people on the ground. We're also looking at more intensive emergency training, particularly for senior staff. We need to strengthen our risk assessment and contingency planning efforts, particularly in high risk areas where there is a potential for this kind of emergency.

    /// END ACT ///

    Mr. Redmond says the agency also has to revise actual emergency procedures, including streamlining the chains of commands. He says one of the problems in the Kosovo emergency was that people did not know who was in charge. (Signed) NEB/LS/GE/ENE/JO 11-Feb-2000 10:46 AM EDT (11-Feb-2000 1546 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [02] CROATIA / TRIBUNAL RELATIONS (L-ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-259044
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: Croatia's new President-elect, Stipe Mesic, has promised to integrate his country with the rest of the European Community, saying he will push to become part of the European Union and NATO. But one thing Mr. Mesic will have to do to gain acceptance is improve his country's cooperation with the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. It is a relationship that his predecessor, Franjo Tudjman, brought to new lows in the months before his death (eds: in December 1999). But as Lauren Comiteau reports from The Hague, many people inside the Tribunal think he can succeed.

    TEXT: Croatian President-elect Stipe Mesic is defining himself as much by who he is as by who he is not: namely the late President Franjo Tudjman. Unlike the often stiff and formal Mr. Tudjman, Mr. Mesic is casual and accessible. Whereas Mr. Tudjman was autocratic and nationalistic, Mr. Mesic says he will be democratic and European. And while Mr. Tudjman increasingly refused to cooperate with the War Crimes Tribunal, President-elect Mesic not only says he agrees with the Tribunal's work, but he has personally supported it in the past - as a witness.

    //ACT COURT ANNOUNCEMENT, FADE UNDER///

    All rise. The international criminal court is now in session...

    ///END ACT///

    Two years ago, Stipe Mesic became the only high- ranking Croat to testify for the prosecution. He did so in two Tribunal cases, one of them against a Bosnian Croat general. He now says he wants once again to tell what he knows - this time against Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who has been indicted for war crimes. Deputy Prosecutor, Graham Blewitt, says he is looking forward to working with Mr. Mesic.

    ///ACT BLEWITT///

    He was very cooperative. And at that time, he indicated he was prepared to do anything he could to cooperate with the Tribunal and to assist our work because he believed that it was essential in bringing long-term peace to the region. So, the fact that he is now the President of Croatia, and because of our previous relationship with him, we find that extremely encouraging. I think our relationship with Croatia will do a complete 180 degree turn now.

    ///END ACT///

    Which is exactly what observers say is needed if Croatia wants to become a part of the international community. Last year, the Tribunal reported Croatia to the United Nations Security Council for failing to cooperate in the prosecutor's investigation of Operation Storm. That was the name given to the 1995 Croatian military offensive that took back Serb-held land in Croatia and led to the expulsion of at least 200 thousand Serbs. Croatia refused to hand over any documents relating to the operation, saying it was an internal matter that the Tribunal had no jurisdiction to investigate. How far President-elect Mesic is willing - or able - to go to help prosecutors remains to be seen, especially in a country that largely views the operation as a justifiable military action. But to some Croatian nationals now working at the Tribunal, the fact that this former witness is now president- elect is a stunning sign of how quickly things are changing at home. Tribunal interpreters Vladimir Loyen and Nenad Popovic say a Croatian term -- Haski Svjdok -- which means "Hague witness" may be losing the negative connotations it had when the Croatian media used it against the new president-elect.

    ///ACT LOYEN AND POPOVIC///

    LOYEN: So that's why we feel weird, because two months ago we were bordering on being enemies of the state and now we may even be heading for the heroes of the state. POPOVIC (overlaps): Yeah, we have become with him, with Haski Svjdok becoming the president we're also like heroes and the avant guards of the new Croatian outlook.

    ///END ACT///

    Prosecutors have yet to meet with President-elect Mesic and test how that new Croatian outlook translates into cooperation. They say they will give the new government time to settle in and become familiar with the issues before doing so. But by April, they say they expect some very productive high- level meetings. (Signed)
    NEB/LC/GE/PLM 11-Feb-2000 05:46 AM EDT (11-Feb-2000 1046 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [03] SERBIA CLEANUP (L ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-259043
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    ///EDS: THIS REPORT IS DESIGNED FOR WEEKEND USE///

    INTRO: A United Nations team of scientists arrives Sunday in Belgrade to study what is needed to clean up areas that were badly damaged environmentally last year during the Kosovo war. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the scientists will concentrate on four so- called "hot spots" in Serbia.

    TEXT: A United Nations report last year identified four areas in Serbia which were particularly hard-hit by NATO bombing and suffered severe environmental damage. The scientists said pollution at the so-called environmental "hot spots" poses a threat to human health. They now want to decide the specific steps needed to make the areas environmentally clean and safe. The head of the U-N Balkans Task Force, Pekka Haavisto, says the problems vary. He says urgent action is needed to clean up the heavily contaminated wastewater canal which flows into the Danube river at Pancevo.

    /// HAAVISTO ACT ONE ///

    There was a release of altogether 60 different chemicals during the war to the so-called Pancevo channel -- the waste from the channel leading from three factories in Pancevo to the River Danube and leading of course then downwards the River Danube even to Bulgaria and Romania side. And actually, the main pollution source of River Danube in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is Pancevo channel.

    /// END ACT ///

    Regarding the other three areas -- Mr. Haavisto says the Serbian city of Bor is suffering serious air pollution because of the release of sulfur dioxide gas. He says Novi Sad's drinking water supply is contaminated. And people in the town of Kragujevac could be at risk of getting cancer from the chemicals P-C-B and dioxin. Mr. Haavisto says people in all these cities are at risk of getting some form of cancer from carcinogenic drinking water and toxic waste. He says that in Bor, they also face the additional risk of lung diseases from the heavily polluted air. But, he says it is too early to know how many people are in danger.

    /// HAAVISTO ACT TWO ///

    There has to be more scientific studies to diagnose the situation. The protection of the workers who are going for reconstruction is one of the main issues, and this is something we have been informing from the very beginning. The Yugoslav authorities, I think, they have the main responsibility of protecting those people who are visiting these sites from these kind of risks.

    /// END ACT ///

    Mr. Haavisto says Yugoslav authorities have already taken some action. For example, he says they have cleaned up most of the mercury which was polluting Pancevo. He says the U-N scientific team will publish its recommendations and proposals for cleanup projects in March or April. (Signed)
    NEB/LS/JWH/PLM 11-Feb-2000 05:23 AM EDT (11-Feb-2000 1023 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [04] DEUTSCHE BANK AUSTRIA (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-259075
    INTERNET=YES CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: The chief economist at Europe's biggest commercial bank said Friday that Austria's new center- far right government is likely to pursue needed reforms that will open up Austria's state-directed economy. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports that Deutsche Bank economist Norbert Walter spoke at a conference in Washington.

    TEXT: Mr. Walter says Austrian Freedom Party leader Joerg Haider is one of Europe's most intelligent politicians. But he added he is also a dangerous demagogue whose actions must be closely monitored. Despite these reservations, Mr. Walter is impressed with the caliber and independence of the people Mr. Haider nominated to serve in the cabinet.

    /// Walter Act ///

    This team looks very promising for reforming a very corporatist Austria. And by doing so, gives Austria a shot in the arm in terms of vitality and self-respect. And I indeed do expect that this government will be very constructive for many if not all European matters at the European Union level.

    /// End Act ///

    Austria's finance minister, a member of the Freedom Party, is promising to speed up the privatization of the Austrian economy. Tax and social security reform are also planned. Mr. Walter, whose bank is headquartered in Frankfurt, says the European Union made a big mistake in imposing sanctions against Austria for admitting the Freedom Party to the government. Mr. Walter expects the new Austrian government to be supportive of efforts to expand the European Union eastwards.

    /// Walter Act///

    My guess is that if anything, it (the government) will support the process -- a speedy process -- of admission. Because the Austrians want, as soon as they can, to demonstrate their constructive attitude. So I'm not worried.

    /// End Act ///

    Three of the countries neighboring Austria - the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovenia - are well advanced in their European Union membership negotiations and hope to enter the E-U in 2003. In the past, the Freedom Party has spoken against E-U expansion to include the low wage countries of formerly communist Eastern Europe. (signed)
    NEB/BDW/JP 11-Feb-2000 16:48 PM EDT (11-Feb-2000 2148 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [05] NORTHERN IRELAND (L-ONLY) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (LONDON)

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-259049
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: Nine weeks after transferring home rule powers to Belfast, Britain's Parliament is poised to take back direct control of Northern Ireland. But before it does, officials in London and Dublin are carrying out a last-minute effort to convince the IRA to issue a forthright statement on surrendering weapons. V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from London.

    TEXT: Britain's top official for Northern Ireland, Peter Mandelson, says he has no choice but suspension of the assembly if the Irish Republican Army (I-R-A) does not make a concrete gesture now toward disarming.

    /// MANDELSON ACT ///

    I will have no alternative if we do not get some firm information, some certainty from the I-R-A that they are prepared to go ahead and do what everyone wants and expects them to do in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement. And that is to decommission their arms.

    /// END ACT //

    But the deputy head of Northern Ireland's nine-week- old power-sharing cabinet, Seamus Mallon, says there is still a chance suspension of the assembly can be averted. The latest crisis to the peace process was sparked by Unionist leader David Trimble, who also heads the home rule administration. He threatened to resign this month if the I-R-A did not start handing over its weapons. Martin McGuinness of the I-R-A's political wing and a member of the peacetime government says deadlines and resignation threats do not help efforts to resolve the crisis.

    /// McGUINNESS ACT ///

    We all know that there is a need to remove all ultimatums, deadlines, threats of suspension and resignation from this process. None of these in our view help to create an atmosphere in which a resolution to the arms issue can be found.

    /// END ACT ///

    The British Parliament's deadline for implementing the order of suspension comes later in the (Friday) afternoon. NEB/LMK/GE/LTD/KL 11-Feb-2000 08:41 AM EDT (11-Feb-2000 1341 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [06] CLINTON - N-IRELAND (S) BY DEBORAH TATE (WHITE HOUSE)

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-259060
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: President Clinton says there is still a chance that a suspension of Northern Ireland's new power- sharing government can be avoided, and that the troubled peace process can be salvaged. The issue is of utmost concern to Mr. Clinton, who has made peace in Northern Ireland a top foreign policy goal. Correspondent Deborah Tate reports from the White House. Text: Britain is poised to impose direct rule over Northern Ireland if the Irish Republican Army does not make a clear pledge by the end of the day Friday to disarm. But Mr. Clinton - in an appearance before reporters - says he believes suspension of the province's new government can be put off.

    /// Clinton Act ///

    We believe that all the requirements of the Good Friday Accords, which the voters of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic embraced, should be fulfilled. And we hope a way can be found to keep this going. And until there is a suspension, that is all I want to say because there is still some chance that we can go forward without a suspension.

    /// End Act ///

    He said if there is a suspension, he hoped it would be done in a way that would not allow what he called any backsliding of the peace process, but in a manner that would give the parties an opportunity to move forward in resuming implementation of the 1998 Good Friday agreement. (Signed)
    NEB/DAT/JP 11-Feb-2000 12:15 PM EDT (11-Feb-2000 1715 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

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

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-259077
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: U-S stock prices were sharply lower today (Friday), as investors locked in gains from the recent run-up in the technology sector. VOA correspondent Elaine Johanson reports from New York:

    TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 218 points, two percent, closing at 10-thousand-425. The Industrials are down nearly five percent for the week. The Standard and Poor's 500 index also slid two percent, as did the Nasdaq composite. Technology stocks dragged down the broader market, as investors took profits from the Nasdaq's huge gains this week.

    ///BEGIN OPT for long ///

    Despite Friday's dip, experts believe the technology and telecommunications sectors will remain strong. Analyst Jeffrey Davis sees them as representative of the new global economy:

    ///DAVIS ACT///

    What we have are two different parts of the economy and two different asset classes. And they should be thought of that way. And technology and telecommunications - expenditures are going to continue in these areas regardless of how our interest rates go, to a point.

    ///END ACT///

    The Nasdaq market, and technology stocks in general, have largely ignored rising interest rates.

    ///END OPT///

    Microsoft weighed heavily on the entire market. Its shares slid after a study questioned whether Microsoft's new operating system, due for release next week, will interact smoothly with other software. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average officially is in a correction mode. The industrials are down more than 10 percent from their record high in mid-January.

    ///REST OPT for long ///

    The latest on the U-S economy shows softer retail sales in January, but a bigger surge than initially reported for December. Consumer spending, which has spurred the U-S economic expansion, is being watched closely by the U-S central bank. (Signed) NEB/NY/EJ/LSF/ENE/PT 11-Feb-2000 17:26 PM EDT (11-Feb-2000 2226 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

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

    DATE=2/11/2000
    TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST
    NUMBER=6-11678
    TELEPHONE=619-3335
    CONTENT=

    INTRO: The unprecedented attack on commercial Internet computer web sites this week continues to rate first place among editorial topics in U-S newspapers. Another domestic story, the withdrawal from the Republican presidential primary of Steve Forbes, is commented on in several papers. International issues under scrutiny include: the forthcoming elections in Iran; reassessing NATO's fighting capability; the Russian victory in Chechnya; and second thoughts on the threat posed by Austria's new coalition government. Now, here is _____ with a closer look in today's U-S Editorial Digest.

    TEXT: Computer vandals, known as hackers, electronically invaded more than half a dozen commercial web sites on the Internet this week, disrupting millions of dollars of business and causing a drop on the New York Stock exchange. The F-B-I is investigating, and Attorney General Janet Reno says the vandals will be seriously punished if they can be found. Meanwhile, there is plenty of comment in the press, such as this from Portland's Oregonian.

    VOICE: Regardless of who turns out to be behind them, this week's attacks on Internet businesses offer a sobering reminder of the vulnerability of the world's electronic communications web. The hackers ...may be seekers of a perverse sort of fame, or foreign intelligence agents bent on undermining the American economy - - or anything in between. ... American agencies ... already monitor and attempt to counter such threats. ... But it's also clear that government efforts can go only so far. Businesses must also be more aware of electronic security issues.

    TEXT: In the eastern United States, the New York Daily News is outraged as well.

    VOICE: Maybe they think it's ... funny... Whatever the reason, cyberthugs managed to disable several of the World Wide Web's most popular sites this week. ... Deliberately corrupting a computer network is a felony. The maximum penalty for a first-time offender is five years in prison and a 250-thousand dollar fine, plus damages. Perhaps it's time to get serious and increase the sentence.

    TEXT: In Charleston, South Carolina, the Post and Courier calls the vandals: "Dangerous cyber hooligans," adding: No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks or made any economic or political demands, so the motive remains unknown. ... But it is clear that the same technique could be used to affect Internet stock prices or for extortion. So it is essential that ... federal authorities find those responsible as quickly as possible.

    TEXT: Millionaire magazine publisher Steve Forbes has dropped out of the race for president after spending more than 60-million dollars of his own money during the past five years. The Philadelphia Inquirer says:"[Mr.] Forbes learns that it's not all about money. It's about experience, connecting with voters."

    VOICE: Money Can't Buy You Love. ...In the last ten years, we've seen two millionaires buy entry into serious consideration for the presidency. Mr. Forbes had no discernible charisma and no credentials that set him above the next 47 guys, but his money bought him a podium on the debate stage...

    /// OPT ///

    TEXT: In Hawaii, the Honolulu Star Bulletin, noting the Republican race between Texas Governor George Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain says:

    VOICE: Republicans may have produced a front-runner before the end of this month, but the two-man race is likely to continue through March. As votes cast so far have indicated and [Mr.] Forbes' defeat confirmed, the size of a candidate's campaign chest may not be the determining factor.

    /// END OPT ///

    TEXT: As for the heavy media attention on the campaign of Senator McCain, especially after his big win in New Hampshire, the [Bergen County, New Jersey] Record wonders: "will the Republican senator's luster last?"

    VOICE: The most compelling story of this presidential primary season thus far is the emergence of Senator ... McCain ... who has defied the prevailing wisdom and bucked the Republican establishment to mount a serious challenge to once-prohibitive favorite George W. Bush. ... The more Mr. McCain is attacked from the right, ... his natural constituency, the greater his appeal to independents and to liberals. ... Up to now, the Arizona Republican has led something of a charmed campaign. His rise has been so swift that most voters and the media have not looked very closely yet. The question is: Will this be true love or a passing fancy?

    TEXT: Overseas, the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iran come in for attention from today's Washington Post.

    VOICE: A few months ago, the reformist forces of President Mohammed Khatemi seemed well positioned to prevail in Iran's February 18th parliamentary elections. Now they are much less so, though not because their popularity has waned. Mr. Khatemi's conservative rivals have maneuvered to bar many reformist candidates from the ballot. These clerical forces still control ... the judicial system, which has tried and jailed three leading reformers who were expected to be top vote-getters ..

    TEXT: Fort Worth's Star-Telegram in Texas is worried about the faltering Middle East peace process, with Israel and the Hezbollah Islamic extremists trading attacks over the Lebanese border.

    VOICE: The best chance for Middle East peace in years is stalled at a dangerous crossroads. ... The Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon that killed five Israelis and triggered retaliatory air strikes from Israel ... would not have [happened] ... without Syria's consent. [They] ... demonstrate the perils that lie in wait if a way is not found to get the peace negotiations between Israel and Syria back on track. Those talks have been suspended for more than a month.

    TEXT: Turning to the siege of Grozny, the Chechen capital, by the Russian military, the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette says, "Having won, Russia should now rebuild Chechnya."

    /// OPT ///

    VOICE: While both sides in the conflict behaved brutally, the West should quietly accept Russia's right to exert its sovereignty over Chechnya. Nor should the fate of that region dictate the agenda or the tenor of U-S-Russian relations. ... This isn't to minimize the human tragedy. Grozny is a heap of smoldering ruins reminiscent of a 1945 urban landscape. Still, as a symbol, Mr. [Vladimr Putin, Russia's acting president and prime minister] Putin couldn't have asked for a more resplendent trophy. ... [It] all but seals [his] ... prospects in next month's presidential election ...

    TEXT: Turning to South America, Newsday, on New York's Long Island says today that giving "one-point- six billion dollars to Colombia is not the best way to fight a war on drugs.

    /// OPT ///

    VOICE: Attacking the supply of illegal narcotics abroad - - rather than reducing demand in the United States - - has proved to be the least effective battle tactic in the war on drugs. And now President ... Clinton has asked for one-point-six-billion dollars to help Colombia fight its 40-year-old drug- financed leftist insurgency. ... Not only is it unlikely to prove effective in interdicting drugs, but it may embroil the United States in a vicious civil war where it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

    /// END OPT ///

    TEXT: And finally, regarding European affairs, the Augusta [Georgia] Chronicle says, "Don't panic on Austria." It is a reference to the inclusion in the country's new coalition government of several members of a right-wing Austrian party accused of pro-Nazi sentiments.

    VOICE: The newest European media demon is Austria's provincial governor Joerg Haider. His populist, right-wing Freedom Party is participating in a coalition government headed by highly respected Wolfgang Schuessel of the People's Party. Haider isn't even part of the government, though the party he heads was awarded five cabinet posts for winning 27 percent of the vote. ...So why are the European Union and the Clinton administration imposing diplomatic sanctions on tiny Austria, population about eight- point-two-million? It's not [Mr.] Haider's "Nazi rhetoric' ... as much as it is his message of free enterprise, deep tax cuts, immigration caps and erosion of Austrian sovereignty vis-a-vis the European Union. These are all valid issues that ... have nothing to do with Nazism or Hitler...

    /// END OPT ///

    TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sample of editorial comment from Friday's U-S press.
    NEB/ANG/KL 11-Feb-2000 12:02 PM EDT (11-Feb-2000 1702 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
    Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.
    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    voa2html v2.03a run on Saturday, 12 February 2000 - 1:54:34 UTC