DATE=  NOVEMBER 22, 1997



TYPE=ON THE LINE



NUMBER=1-00586-SHORT #1



TITLE=CONTAINING THE IRAQI THREAT



EDITOR=OFFICE OF POLICY - 619-0037







CONTENT=    INSERTS AVAILABLE IN AUDIO SERVICES



THEME:           UP, HOLD UNDER AND FADE



ANNCR:           ON THE LINE -- A DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES 

                 POLICIES AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. THIS WEEK, 

                 "CONTAINING THE IRAQI THREAT."  HERE IS YOUR 

                 HOST, ROBERT REILLY.



HOST:            HELLO AND WELCOME TO ON THE LINE.  IT APPEARS 

                 THAT IRAQ HAS AGREED TO ALLOW THE U-N WEAPONS 

                 INSPECTORS TO RETURN WITHOUT CONDITIONS.  THE 

                 PURPOSE OF THE U-N INSPECTIONS IS TO VERIFY THE 

                 ELIMINATION OF IRAQI WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

                 AS REQUIRED BY U-N RESOLUTIONS.  PRESIDENT BILL 

                 CLINTON SAID THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL "WAIT 

                 AND SEE" IF IRAQ REALLY DOES ALLOW THE 

                 INSPECTORS TO PROCEED.  THE U.S. HAS SENT MAJOR 

                 MILITARY REINFORCEMENTS TO THE PERSIAN GULF 

                 AREA.  SANCTIONS WILL NOT BE LIFTED UNTIL IRAQ 

                 COMPLIES FULLY WITH U-N RESOLUTIONS.



                 ALINA ROMANOWSKI IS DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

                 OF DEFENSE FOR NEAR EASTERN AND SOUTH ASIAN 

                 AFFAIRS.   SHE SAYS THAT IF SADDAM HUSSEIN'S 

                 OBJECTIVE WAS TO WEAKEN THE COALITION AGAINST 

                 HIM, HE HAS FAILED.



ROMANOWSKI:      I THINK, ACTUALLY, THIS CRISIS HAS DEMONSTRATED 

                 THAT, IN FACT, THERE IS SOLIDARITY AMONG THE 

                 COALITION.  THERE IS A UNANIMITY AMONG THE 

                 PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, AND 

                 THAT, WHILE THERE MAY BE DIFFERENCES THAT WE ARE

                 ALL AWARE OF -- THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED, IN 

                 FACT, IN THE PRESS -- THAT, WHEN IT COMES DOWN 

                 TO THE ISSUE OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND 

                 THE ABILITY TO THREATEN SECURITY IN THE GULF, 

                 THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND, AND 

                 IT'S AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN.



HOST:            GARY MILHOLLIN IS DIRECTOR OF THE WISCONSIN 

                 PROJECT ON NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL.   HE SAYS THAT 

                 SADDAM HUSSEIN IS THE PROBLEM.



MILHOLLIN:       HIS MAJOR ACTIVITY IN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO HAS 

                 BEEN TO PUT TOGETHER A LARGE FORCE OF TRUSTED 

                 INSIDERS WHOSE JOB IT IS SIMPLY TO OBSTRUCT 

                 INSPECTIONS.  THEY TRY TO PICK UP INTELLIGENCE 

                 ON WHERE THE INSPECTORS ARE GOING.  THEY NOTIFY 

                 SITES BEFORE THE INSPECTORS GET THERE.  THEN 

                 THEY TRUCK THINGS AROUND SO THAT THE INSPECTORS 

                 CAN'T FIND THEM.  



HOST:            ROB SATLOFF IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 

                 WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY.  HE 

                 SAYS THAT NOTHING SHORT OF MILITARY ACTION WILL 

                 REMOVE SADDAM HUSSEIN'S WEAPONS OF MASS 

                 DESTRUCTION. 



SATLOFF:         POWER.  WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ARE A GREAT 

                 TOOL TO COERCE YOUR OWN PEOPLE AND YOUR 

                 NEIGHBORS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  

                 SADDAM CAN COW THE SAUDIS AND THE OTHER GULF 

                 STATES.  HE'S ALREADY USED WEAPONS OF MASS 

                 DESTRUCTION ON HIS OWN PEOPLE AND ON THE 

                 IRANIANS.  IT IS A CHEAP MAN'S SUPER-WEAPON THAT

                 BRINGS WITH IT A GREAT AMOUNT OF AUTHORITY, 

                 POWER AND CONTROL.



HOST:            ALINA ROMANOWSKI FROM THE U.S. DEFENSE 

                 DEPARTMENT SAYS THAT THE CRISIS IS NOT OVER, AND

                 THAT ANY FURTHER ATTEMPT BY IRAQ TO BLOCK THE 

                 U-N INSPECTORS WILL BE UNACCEPTABLE.



ANNCR:           YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO "ON THE LINE" -- A 

                 DISCUSSION OF UNITED STATES POLICIES AND 

                 CONTEMPORARY ISSUES.  THIS IS ------. 



21-Nov-97 3:35 PM EST (2035 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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