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Foreign media on the Okl. bombing (960 lines)
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Date: Tue, 25 Apr 95 21:34:50 EDT
From: Sam Sternberg
This from one of the least know news sources on the net. I will eventually get around to including it on my list and at my news sites. Sam Sternberg
You can check the site out at Gopher://198.80.36.82
OKLAHOMA BOMBING: TERRORISM, 'MADE IN THE USA'
(Foreign Media Reaction Daily Digest)
Foreign analysts commented extensively on the apprehension of right-wing militant Americans as suspects in the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City and President Clinton's rapid marshaling of the resources of the federal government to aid the victims and pursue the investigation.
Opinionmakers continued to warn that all societies--including democratic ones--are vulnerable to acts of terrorism, and that the fundamental question facing American leaders is how to fend off attacks on their open, freedom-loving society without overreacting. Echoing a troubling theme among many commentators, Bangkok's English-language, independent Nation observed, "For America, where the debate about individual rights, and in particular the right to bear arms, has always been fiercely fought, a new look needs to be taken when the right to free speech and association begins to impinge on the common citizen's right to be free of fear."
In light of the arrests of the American suspects, many observers moved from earlier speculations on what organization or persons could have committed the bombing and reflections on U.S. foreign policy to commentary on the current direction of U.S. society. There were many critics who raised questions about the hard-right wave sweeping the U.S. and the various fora in which the right-wing message is conveyed. Several media voices blamed right-wing talk showhosts for fomenting an atmosphere of hate and intolerance in America, and asked if these radio personalities were not morally guilty of encouraging anti-government extremists.
Many media outlets praised President and Mrs. Clinton for their handling of the situation. A number of papers declared that the president now had restored his leadership role and "relevance." London's conservative Times noted, "From the moment the bomb went off, Americans looked to [Mr. Clinton], not to Newt Gingrich or Robert Dole, to rally the nation and articulate their anger and grief."
Commentators in Muslim countries were relieved at the revelation that their coreligionists appear not to have been involved in the attack. They lauded President Clinton's efforts to avoid accusing any group without clear evidence. Many, however, expressed anger and resentment at the American press, which had so quickly pointed a finger their way. Several dailies charged that the Western press is an instrument of Zionists who--seeking to advance the goals and policies of Israel--take every opportunity to fan the flames of anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S.
There were many editorialists who were hopeful that democratic and civilized countries would be strengthened and galvanized as they seek to deal with the scourge of terrorism. Writers were convinced that the underlying principles of democracy--including transparency and justice--were the greatest weapons of all to remedy the barbarism and savagery of terrorism.
This survey is based on 120 reports from 41 countries, April 21-24.
EDITORS: Pat McArdle and Diana McCaffrey
EUROPE
BRITAIN: "Clinton Administration Handled This With Firmness"
BBC TV's Breakfast news aired this lead report by Wesley Kerr from Oklahoma (4/24): "Amid the national mourning, America's leaders signalled a tough clampdown on the extreme right-wing forces apparently responsible for the country's worst act of terrorism.... The Clinton administration has handled this crisis and criminal investigation with firmness."
"Important Political Repercussions"
The centrist Independent said (4/24), "Signs are growing that the Oklahoma City bomb outrage may have important political repercussions in the United States, both for the fire-breathing world of conservative talk radio, and for the radical Republicanism the talk show hosts so venerate. With every indication that the car bomb was an act of extreme right-wing domestic terrorism, the first fingers are being pointed in the direction of the Republican right. Its crude pro-gun, anti-government rhetoric, many claim, may have been taken too literally by the men who destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah building, killing scores of government workers.... The Republican Party may emerge little scathed from the political fall-out of Oklahoma City. The same may not be true of some of the talk-show hosts. Some of them have publicly urged armed marches on Washington by the assault weapons faithful. The widely-followed Mr. Liddy has gone one better, by instructing listeners how to shoot dead ATF agents."
"Americans Looked To Clinton"
The conservative Times noted (4/24), "The Oklahoma bombing has resolved for good the question President Clinton was forced to confront during a White House press conference the previous night--was he still relevant as a political leader? From the moment the bomb went off, Americans looked to him, not to Newt Gingrich or Robert Dole, to rally the nation and articulate their anger and grief. It was he who ordered the biggest manhunt in U.S. history, and he who devoted all available federal resources to the search for survivors....
"Mr. Clinton has used this unexpected opportunity well, coming across as angry but resolute and very much in charge.... Mr. Clinton, who has spent the past few weeks seeking to portray the Republicans as extremists, may also benefit from the bombing's longer-term political fallout. "
GERMANY: "Terrorism, 'Made In The USA'"
Centrist Stuttgarter Zeitung and centrist Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger carrying an editorial by Washington correspondent Juergen Koar (4/24), "This is a new shock for the American people.... Terrorism is not only an import article, brought into the country by evil foreigners, but is also 'Made in the USA.'...
"The real challenge to the American people now, however, consists of fending off attacks on their open, freedom-loving society without overreacting.... The fact is that violence is rampant in the United States, that conflicts are all too often resolved with the help of a weapon.
"Not more prisons are needed but the voice of reason, moral leadership and a new conscience. When politicians now say what the voters want to hear instead of courageously standing up to them, this is short-sighted. It has become fashionable to bitch about the government because it allegedly stands in the way of the individual's search for happiness, pulls the money out of everybody's pockets, and constantly issues rules and regulations that make life more complicated and only benefit the others. It is with this simplification that elections are won in the United States. Anybody who rides this wave should ask himself whether this 'anti-stance' does not foster a general mood that creates hate and instills in dangerous lunatics the idea of taking the law into their own hands."
"Attack Will Strengthen Federal Government"
Right-of-center Die Welt of Berlin front-paged this editorial by Manfred Rowold (4/24): "The attack, which was obviously aimed at the federal power in Washington, will contribute to a strengthening rather than a weakening of the central authorities."
FRANCE: "Domestic Extremism"
Private TV TF-1 commented (4/22), "The fact that the attack stems from domestic extremism makes the Americans think about their own values. And that is very worrisome for them today."
"Rooting Out Militias"
According to a commentary in conservative Le Figaro (4/24), "After the Oklahoma bombing, the U.S. administration will certainly be tempted to root out militias. Paranoid, these groups are probably expecting it."
ITALY: "Bill And Hillary To American Children: A Winning Move"
Washington correspondent Paolo Passarini noted in centrist La Stampa (4/23), "The White House has decided to place children at the center of the message the President and Mrs. Clinton will launch to the country following the massacre in Oklahoma City.... It was a popular, but winning move because everyone felt it was inspired by a true feeling: Children represent the future of everything and of all."
"Astonishing"
A commentary by Vittorio Zucconi from Oklahoma City in centrist La Stampa (4/22) read, "If the 'neo-Nazis' track resolutely and courageously beaten by the U.S. government is the right one, the news is even more depressing than we expected.... In fact, it tells us what we do not want to admit, i.e. that terror is among us and not outside us.... America finds itself vulnerable two times, to bombs as well as to the bloody folly of its own citizens....It would have been by far more comfortable, and paradoxically more reassuring, to glimpse the profile of the new 'Enemy,' of the 'bloody Muslim,' behind the Oklahoma coffins.
"The comfort, if there is comfort, comes from the demonstration that democracies are vulnerable but not defenseless, and can respond without betraying themselves.
"With all the caution suggested by too rapid arrests, the speed of FBI investigations in this case, as well as in the World Trade Center attack, is astonishing and a little depressing for us Italians, who are used to the unresolved mysteries of decades ago. These American arrests tell us that a modern, well organized police, equipped with the most sophisticated informative instruments, can respond to the challenge of hatred, be it internal or external."
BELGIUM: "People Of Flesh And Blood Work For Federal Goverment"
Foreign affairs writer Roger Huisman observed in conservative Catholic Het Belang van Limburg (4/24), "The de-facto state of siege, which has existed since the explosion on Wednesday, has restored Clinton fully in his function and has shown him as the real leader in the United States....
"Oklahoma will be a core issue in next year's presidential elections and Clinton's Republican opponents will be careful in their attacks against the federal government. Their message that the state is a bogeyman who is only seeking to cheat the citizen and to patronize him will sound like hollow rhetoric. Through the attack in Oklahoma it has become clear that the administration and its officials are more than an anonymous Moloch, that people of blood and flesh work for that federal government who, as decent parents, dropped their babies in the day care center."
CANADA: "Terror Can Be Beaten"
The leading Toronto Globe and Mail commented (4/21), "The real question in Oklahoma City is not why it happened but why it did not happen before.... The reason is simple: Such mass attacks are not very effective...they seldom force governments to change their policies.... The IRA learned this lesson the hard way...discredited. The IRA was forced...to sue for peace.... There will of course, be other attacks like this week's bombing. But if civilized governments are implacable, and smart, they will win out in the end. Terror can be beaten. Ask the IRA."
"Vulnerable U.S., Western Society"
The liberal Montreal Gazette opined (4/21), "Fortress America is vulnerable.... Having emerged from the shadow of the Cold War nuclear threat, Western society seems suddenly so vulnerable to a different evil: A random act of savagery that can occur anywhere at any time. It is, in some ways, even scarier."
PORTUGAL: "Don't Overreact To Terrorism"
Influential, national Publico (4/23) observed in a piece by Joao Carlos Espada, guest professor at Brown University and former adviser to Portuguese President Soares: "Although the Oklahoma attack has barbaric proportions never reached by the IRA before, the British fight against terrorism may teach some lessons.... 'Not to overreact to terrorism': That is the British example. That does not mean that the English have not been forced to significantly increase security measures in public places and, especially, in government buildings. But everything is carried out with the utmost sobriety and the same intransigent faithfulness to liberal traditions that have distinguished England for centuries....
"It is important that America honor its own liberal traditions now: Going after the terrorists and bringing them to justice as President Clinton has announced, adopting security measures and following the English example: 'Not to overreact to terrorism.'"
SLOVENIA: "Usurping Legitimate Political Ideas For Murderous Action"
Barbara Kramzar said in left-of-center, independent Republika (4/24), "The ideas supported by McVeigh and a part of the Michigan police are also a reflection of the rightist political philosophy that is more and more (predominant) in the United States.... It has to be said that ideas of the American political right...increasingly influence political and everyday life in the United States. Radio speakers of the Rush Limbaugh type...with their undisguised hatred for everything left of center, are very influential on the American political stage.... They advocate the very ideas which McVeigh carried out so violently....
"The Republican revolution which has been changing the American political scene since the Republican victory...is at least slightly influenced by these ideas.... The Republican presidential candidates will most probably be more cautious in courting the rightist religious extremists. After the Oklahoma events, they will have to take a step further, and define clearly the line up to which insane individuals of the McVeigh type can usurp legitimate political ideas for their own murderous actions."
SPAIN: "Nazis"
Liberal-left El Pais concluded editorially (4/24), "They (the perpetrators) are Nazis and they have proliferated thanks to an antiliberal, fanatical and ultraconservative message preached through the mass media: a message against intellectuals, Jews and taxes."
"Difficult To Combat Terrorism In Open, Free Societies"
Center-left El Mundo commented (4/24), "The Japanese terrorist threat on Disneyland underscores how defenseless open, free societies are against this type of action which is much more difficult to combat than the danger presented by a conventional military enemy. It is not only a question of public order...but also of education because the birthplace of many sects can be found in ignorance and lack of information."
TURKEY: "We Must All Cooperate To Fight This Random Insanity"
In the view of Hasan Cemal on mass-appeal Sabah's page one (4/24), "The bomb..in Oklahoma City proved that the richest and strongest country also has its share of terrorism.... Another strong and rich country, Japan, is experiencing terrorism.... Terrorism has already become a part of our daily life (in Turkey).... Terrorism is univeral.... All of humanity must cooperate to fight against this random insanity.... There no longer should be rhetoric on international and bilateral cooperation against terrorism."
MIDDLE EAST
EGYPT: "Cold Shower On U.S. Media"
Deputy managing editor Assem El Quersh wrote for pro-government Al-Ahram (4/23), "Many in the American press and TV networks received a cold shower and were forced to swallow their tongues, and to withdraw all their 'assurances' and the lengthy reports that were made about 'rogue' Middle Eastern Arabs."
"A Lesson For U.S. Media"
Columnist Said Sunbol maintained in pro-government Al-Akhbar (4/23), "As soon as the explosion took place some 'good guys' rushed to conclusions and started accusing the Arabs, and the peoples of the Middle East, and even went further than this and started to analyze the reasons which led to the crime.... Unfortunately, U.S. media, TV, radio and press, which are supposed to be honest and credible, opened their doors for analyses and interpretations that ignite animosity toward the Arabs and to the Islamic communities and to the Middle Eastern communities....
"Luckily the mystery which surrounds the crime was quickly resolved...and may this crime be a lesson to the American media, so that they would not take matters lightly, and do not broadcast accusations, and deal more profoundly with the issue of terrorism."
KUWAIT: "Fortunately, The Suspect Is American"
Independent, Arabic-language Al-Seyasseh's Faisal Al-Qenai opined (4/23), "The murderous act that occurred in Oklahoma was painful to us all, especially that most of the victims were children and innocent people. In the meantime, we were hoping that Arabs were not involved in this incident, and fortunately, it was proven that an American terrorist organization was the culprit."
"Don't Try To Test Americans"
In a most unusual move, leading independent Al-Watan (4/23) displayed prominently on its editorial page an opinion piece by Saif Abbas Abdulla, chairman of the Department of Political Science at Kuwait University. What made the editorial jump out was that it was printed in English, while the rest of the page was in the usual Arabic. This provided a special appeal to English readers, Americans among them, from an academic who, while sometimes critical of U.S. foreign policy, basically loves the American system. He said, "The act by itself is cowardly, insane and unacceptable by any standard or principle for whatever reason.... While our sympathy and prayers for the victims and their families continue, we should not hesitate to point out some basic facts that might make future acts of terror such as this difficult if not impossible.
"The American legal system seems to be too humanistic and too soft for its time and environment.... The greatness of the American society, in my opinion, is in having high regards to values that hold society together with the ability to be flexible and not to allow an exploiter to take permanent advantage of the system. It is now for Americans to get tougher with those who tend to destroy the fabric of American society and force a change in the American way of life.... "It is the moral and legal duty of those civilized members of world community, and those who are the proponents of democracy, liberty and happiness to stand firm beside the United States in hunting and capturing the perpetrators of this cowardly act.... Those who would like to turn America to a nation besieged and a people who would surrender their liberty to be energetic and move freely as they wish and lock themselves up, they seem though as if they do not understand America. Americans and their system are rational, intelligent, compassionate and legal, but, above and over this, they are tough. And as the Americans say: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. For God's sake, don't try to test the Americans. (It) will blow up in your faces."
OMAN: "Public Must Be More Aware"
In the editorial view of the semi-independent, English-language Times of Oman (4/23), "America is unused to such terrorist attacks. Even after the bombing of the World Trade Center...very little was done to improve security arrangements around the government buildings and other likely targets. It is true to say that many likely targets in America make such an operation almost impossible to monitor effectively, thus making it easier for terrorists to wreak havoc on unwary and innocent civilians....
"The attack last week will make many of the public more aware that there is nothing certain about terrorism. Those who have the mentality to terrorize people will do so wherever and whenever they deem fit.... The security services must remain alert. Moreover, there is the horrible reality that other terrorist organizations, seeing how easy it is to attack unsuspecting targets, will start a campaign of terror in America. It is hoped that such a ghastly thing never happens and America will not have to suffer in the same way as they have over the Oklahoma bombing. But...a greater awareness by the public will hopefully thwart any attempts by other to copy-cat bombings."
QATAR: "Responsible Leaders, Irresponsible Media"
The senior editor of the pro-government Gulf Times commented (4/23), "Top U.S. officials, including President Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno, took a very responsible line in urging the American people not to jump to conclusions as to who might be behind the attack. Regrettably, some Western media organizations were less restrained, and wrongly and irresponsibly tried to connect the Oklahoma blast with their Middle East problem. By doing so, they revealed their own prejudice and bias."
SAUDI ARABIA: "Oklahoma Massacre Unmasks U.S. Media"
Regional, pro-government Al-Jazira opined (4/23), "The Oklahoma massacre was not only a massacre against innocent people...but also it was a massacre of the credibility of the U.S. media, which should feel ashamed after it rushed and accused Arabs and Muslims who were proven to be not guilty after the arrest of an American white citizen."
"A War Was Announced, But Not Much Else Was Done"
Influential, internationally-circulated Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (4/21) pointed out, "The U.S. government in the late '80s announced the war against terrorism as one of its top foreign policy priorities, but since that time not much has been done to develop a policy and the necessary mechanisms to deal with this danger."
"Where Does Freedom Of Expression End?"
Both Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and its English-language companion, the Arab News (4/22) ran this editorial: "Should freedom of expression include the freedom to incite people to terror and violence in the name of political lies? The United States and Britain truly need to clean up their acts in this respect before they can lecture anyone else about the merits of their own system of government. It is important for both peoples to realize that terrorism begins with verbal violence, its main arms being scandalous lies, before it eventually manifests itself through death and destruction."
SYRIA: "U.S. Media Totally Unobjective"
Government-supported Tishreen (4/24) opined, "The reality is that after the United States dismissed the possibility of any involvement by the countries in the Middle East or by its citizens in the incident, and after official accusations were made against two white Americans, some Western media instruments continued to hold Islamic movements responsible for the explosion....
"This shows the degree of the complete carelessness regarding all objective media.... It is known that Israel is the only one who benefits from ruining the reputation of Arab and Islamic countries and employing such vilification to serve its aggression and expansion objectives...and to blackmail the American people by claiming that it is its only friend and that Arabs and Muslims are hostile against it, while in reality Arabs and Muslims have nothing but respect for the American people and that which their government holds up as the principles of right and justice and take them into consideration when dealing with Middle Eastern issues. And if there was any conflict between Middle Eastern governmnets and the American government, it was because of its full support of Israel at the expense of international law. We can say without any hesitation that Israel is the one that is behind ruining the United States' reputation in the Arab and Islamic worlds....
"Killing the innocent and assaulting institutions and all bombing acts of a terroristic nature deserve all the denouncing and condemnation possible. Arabs and Islamic countries were the first condemners of the Oklahoma explosion which caused the death of many innocent citizens.... But we in this region distinguish very carefully between blind terrorism and the national strife against occupation."
TUNISIA: "A Tragedy Of Domestic Origins"
Tunis Hebdo, an independent, French-language weekly, front-paged this editorial by the paper's director M'Hamed Ben Youssef (4/24), "There is no getting around the fact, however, that this time the tragedy is purely American and entirely domestic in origin. "And no one has attempted to divert the focus of the investigation (from domestic targets), to the great displeasure of Rabin and his supporters, who would have loved to attribute the slaughter of innocent Americans to small Arab-Muslim groups and derive thereby substantial benefits (from the attack) from their rich protector....
"Clinton was right to urge his fellow citizens not to jump to conclusions and to prevent them from embracing the idea of a 'religious war.' He did well. America just proved that it can generate real monsters whose methods are similar to those hardliners who strike elsewhere. The fact that the tragedy experienced in Oklahoma is 100 percent domestic is a lesser evil for foreigners living in the United States: It prevents them suffering at the hands of (vengeful Americans)."
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: "Sad For Victims, Happy That Suspect Is American"
Dr. Hassan Al-Subaihi wrote in Abu Dhabi's semi-official, government-owned Al-Ittihad (4/24), "Joy and happiness fill the hearts of every Arab and Muslim citizen after investigations have proven what happened in Oklahoma was not planned or carried out by Muslims, nor Middle Eastern citizens. American lobbying centers have played a role in teaching all Americans that any dangers that may affect them always come from the Middle East and these are being carried out by Arabs and Muslims. We were happy not because of what happened in Oklahoma; in fact, we highly appreciate American society and wish it no evil. However, this is a chance for Americans to reconsider their rules and realize that they too have extremist and fundamentalist individuals who would not hesitate to carry out terrorist acts."
WEST BANK: "Media Disregarded Damage On Arabs, Muslims"
Moderate, pro-PLO Al-Quds's editorial held (4/24), "Many officials and media people in the West and in the United States in particular rushed to blame Arabs and Muslims for the bombing.... This comes as part of the vicious media campaign against Arabs and Muslims which started years ago to replace the vacuum left by the Soviet Union after its collapse....
"The media disregarded the damage inflicted on Arabs and Muslims as a result of the suspicion and accusations directed without any evidence and before the beginning of investigations in this despicable bombing.... Members of Arab communities in the United States were the victims of assaults and threats of vengeance."
ISRAEL: "No Grievances Can Justify Crimes Against Innocents"
The right-wing Jerusalem Post said (4/24), "No one can better understand and sympathize with the feelings of Americans at a time like this than the people of Israel.... Almost half a century ago, the Jewish Agency building and Ben-Yehuda Street in Jerusalem were devastated by (explosive-laden) cars.... Americans can hardly be blamed for assuming that Muslim fanatics were responsible for the bombing. The World Trade Center bombing by such fanatics, intended to produce even more casualties, used an identical technique.... Having endured the bloodiest century in history, civilized society must realize that there are crimes against innocents no grievances can justify, and that the validity and justness of a cause must be measured by the tactics it inspires."
"Clinton's Dialogue With His People"
Independent Maariv pointed out (4/24), "Bill and Hillary Clinton's reaction to the Oklahoma City bombing was apt, timely and--most importantly--genuine. Bill Clinton is back in his home ground of dialogue with the people. This is how he got into the White House in the first place, and this is also how he recaptured the hearts and minds of his countrymen in the last few days. When Clinton talks of disasters, difficulties and problems, he speaks from the heart. He has been there himself. He is one of us. When George Bush, for instance, said the same things, nobody believed a single word. Hillary, too, is enjoying a comeback. After a long period of serving as the administration's punching bag, the First Lady lowered her profile and assumed the difficult task of helping America's children recover from the attack."
SOUTH ASIA
INDIA: "United States Must Take Moral High Road"
The independent Pioneer's editoral (4/22) reflected the view of many papers: "President...Clinton...has struck the right note by cautioning against jumping to conclusions through being influenced by 'Middle Eastern stereotypes.'... While the United States takes the moral high road in its crusade against terrorism, it should turn its attention to Pakistan, which along with Sudan, has become a major exporter of terror. If it manages to rein in its client state, a good part of the battle against terrorism would be over."
"Just Another Wednesday"
An editorial in the independent Observer of Business And Politics said (4/22), "Terrorism thrives on the vulnerability of the free society and imprisons people as few rulers have ever been able to. America and Japan today stand poised to cross a grim threshold where terror, not freedom, will dictate the life of the individual.... No nation that exports weapons indiscriminately, that uses threats against smaller nations, that takes upon itself the role of policing the world, can live in the naive belief that the backlash of its interventions elsewhere will not affect its heartland. There is no answer to terrorism other than a oneness of goal among all nations.... In truth, no country--not even Palestine--has attained independence through terrorism."
IRAN: "Zionist Media Quick To Judge"
The English-language Iran News held (4/22), "As soon as news of the Oklahoma bombing spread worldwide, the Zionists blamed extremist Islamic elements identified with Hamas and Islamic Jihad as being the most likely prepetrators of the blast.... [World governments should] hold a united platform in denouncing and uprooting the vicious phenomenon of terorism to save innocent people from losing their lives and properties."
"Islamic Jihad, Hamas Not To Blame"
The English-language Tehran Times maintained (4/22), "Let it be known that to take up arms when all doors for peaceful solution have been shut is not the same as malicious, indiscriminate acts of terrorism.
"Without clear proof to support their allegations, Israeli experts on terrorism linked the Oklahoma blast to the 1993 World Trade Center explosion, urging U.S. investigators to focus on Islamic activities.... The statements by the Islamic Jihad and Hamas of non-involvement point to a lack of motive on their part to commit such a heinous act."
PAKISTAN: "Bombing Deserves To Be Condemned, But Also Anti-Muslim Bias"
In an editorial (4/24), the center-right Nation opined, "The bombing...deserves to be condemned in the strongest possible terms as a mindless act of terror. But the incident has served to highlight aspects of the American state and society's reaction to the event which should give pause for thought. The initial knee-jerk reaction which ascribed blame for the incident, without evidence or justification, to Muslims, specifically of Middle Eastern origins, smacks of a paranoid state of mind that lumps all such people in the category of 'terrorists.'...
"For a society like the United States, composed as it is of a diverse population drawn from immigrant roots, to abandon the sense of ethnic and racial equality which informs the institutions and founding ethos of its 'melting pot' in favor of the most bigoted view of people of a different faith or color of skin is symptomatic of a deep malaise. The rhetorical build up over the past few years of Islam and Muslims as the new bogey described as the 'greatest threat' to Western civilization has directly fed the worst possible instincts amongst ordinary Americans."
BANGLADESH: "The Oklahoma Tragedy"
In the opinion of the independent New Nation (4/23), "Immediately after the Oklahoma massacre theorists vied with each other in wild frenzy to point the accusing finger at the Nation of Islam, Hamas or any other Islamic group they could think of. As...tempers cooled, their hardline theories were...substantially watered down. President Clinton has done well by issuing a timely warning against media speculations which have led to increasing threats, particularly against American Muslims and Muslims in America. He also advised everybody not to rush to any conclusions until investigations are over. It is good that Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani condemned the Oklahoma killings. Mr. Rafsanjani said despite the 'antipathy' between his country and the United States, he could not condone 'such a murderous act.'"
EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC
AUSTRALIA: "Far Right Chorus Morally Guilty"
According to the business-oriented Australian Financial Review (4/24) under the headline above, "The fetishist hatred of government as innately evil, which is the glue that holds America's right wing together, appears to have been the motive for last week's despicable attack in Oklahoma City. But the excessive enthusiasm of the bombers represents a difference in degree, rather than substance, (from the) inflammatory rantings of the right-wing gurus like Limbaugh, Robertson and even allegedly mainstream politicians like Newt Gingrich.... "It will be interesting to watch America's pro-gun, anti-government gurus running away from the Michigan militia over the next few days.... Those in American public life who parrot the gutless and expedient claptrap about the fundamental right to keep and bear arms, and brand as satanic any government effort to disarm political extremists will need to examine their consciences in the wake of last week's events."
CHINA: "U.S. Turning To The Right"
Under the headline,"The United States Has Many Troubles, Forces of the Extreme Right Go On The Rampage" official Wenhui Daily's Washington Correspondent Zhu Xinfu wrote (4/24), "The media here hold that the present U.S. society is disintegrating into a condition of extreme freedom and the extreme right. In the future, the constant occurrence of violent acts similar to the Oklahoma bombing will be unavoidable. At present, American society is turning to the right and is thus creating more extreme rightists. They are more terrible than international terrorism."
HONG KONG: "America Must Search Its Soul"
The independent English-language Eastern Express held (4/24), "In the United States, where the freedom to carry guns has been more vigorously defended this century than freedom of thought, weapons of mass destruction are available over the counter and even by mail order . Even moderate, liberal Americans can be found to support this 'right'. The probability that they may now have to live under increased security--subjected to bag searches, forced to wear security badges, and suffer the delays caused by controlled access to buildings--may cause some to re-examine these values.... This is not a disease confined to one country, but it has come to the nation that thought itself immune. The United States must search its soul if it hopes to find a cure."
"U.S. Ultra-Right Force Gaining Ground"
The leading pro-PRC Ta Kung Pao (4/24) said in part: "A horrible result is: The ultra-right terrorist force will make use of this big bombing incident, which has shocked the whole world, to cause certain people who are discontented with reality to become more insane and more unscrupulous.... From now on, the United States not only has to deal with sabotage by extremists from the Middle East and fanatics of other religious sects, but also it has to deal with the emerging anti-government terrorist force in the nation. [Conflicts relating to] race and social order will become even more penetrating. There will be no place that is safe in the United States. We really cannot be optimistic about America's future development."
INDONESIA: "The Importance Of This Problems Rivals NPT"
The independent, English-language Jakarta Post's editorial (4/24) remarked, "Hopefully, the Oklahoma bombing will shake the world community enough to bring about...tough, concerted actions. Not just to wage a war against any terrorist or potential terrorist movement but also to dig into the very roots of the problem, to prevent the world's society and system from producing other misfits.... But we believe this problem is as important than the more widely publicized ongoing 'landmark' international conference on the NPT in New York these days."
"Wisdom And Introspection"
The chairman of Muhammadiyah (a large Muslim organization), Amien Rais, wrote for Muslim intellectual Republika (4/24), "Hopefully there will be some wisdom that can be taken from this sad incident.... If we read the spontaneous reaction from Secretary of State Christopher, who said that terrorists, meaning those from the Middle East, must be wiped out, maybe the process of American introspection that we hope for is still far away. What a pity."
PHILIPPINES: "For A Conference On Terrorism"
The government-controlled Philippine Journal's editorial (4/23) stressed, "President Ramos' proposal for an international conference on terrorism...is well taken, urgent and timely. Indeed, it has assumed a new sense of urgency with the recent terrorist bombing...in Oklahoma City.... The president made the proposal in a letter to President Clinton in which he also condemned the terrorist attack."
SOUTH KOREA: "Speedy Investigation"
A moderate Hankook Ilbo commentary noted (4/24): "Less than 48 hours after the bombing, the FBI arrested a suspect who, all evidence shows, must have done it. The agency's high-tech, systematic investigation made the speedy arrest possible."
"Ultra-Right Vengeance"
An anti-establishment Hankyoreh Shinmun commentary maintained (4/23), "President Clinton welcomed the speedy investigation of the Oklahoma bombing. In spite of the success of the investigation, costs to him are going to increase. This incident proved that antagonistic feelings against the president himself and his policies are widespread."
THAILAND: "Something Is Askew"
The lead editorial of the English-language, independent Nation (4/24) commented, "For the world, the lesson from the Oklahoma bombing and the Tokyo gas attacks would seem to be that no country, even the most developed or civilized, is immune from terrorism. For America, where the debate about individual rights, and in particular the right to bear arms, has always been fiercely fought, a new look needs to be taken at when the right to free speech and association begins to impinge on the common citizen's right to be free of fear. Surely when paramilitary groups and gun holders are free to maintain and possess potentially awesome destructive powers, something is askew."
AFRICA
NIGERIA: "A Savage, Callous Act"
Port Harcourt's independent Daily Sunray (4/24) held, "Last week's bombing in Oklahoma was a most savage act. It must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. The bombing raises the question: Is the world about to return to the seventies, when groups like the Red Brigades, Red Army faction, the Baader-Meinhoff Gang, Black September and loose cannons like Carlos, terrorized the world almost at will? The signs are portentous.
"The only way to ensure that the world does not suffer relapse into those horrendous days is to pursue the terrorists with relentless zeal, run them to earth and deal with them.... When they are caught, justice should be dispensed swiftly--even within the due process--to serve as a deterrent."
"That Oklahoma Bombing"
The pro-government Democrat of Kaduna (4/23) ran Henry Ugbolue's comment that, "The Oklahoma bombing if for nothing else, has passed a very formidable message across the world: that America is only living on its past glory.... Even when it remains condemnable, one is however tempted to say that it was a good thing it happened, at least to show America how bad it can be when one is at the receiving end. The bombing very importantly brought to the fore, once again, the inadequacies of the Clinton era. In fact it confirmed the fears of many that Bill Clinton remains the worst thing that has ever happened to America in 40 years."
ZAMBIA: "Outrageous Attack"
The government-owned Times of Zambia said (4/21), "The American government...may not be blameless. But there is nothing that can ever justify so outrageous an action.... It is time the whole world awoke to the dangers posed by terrorism and eschewed that it is directed against government."
LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN
ARGENTINA: "The New Terror"
Top-circulation Clarin (4/21) in its feature editorial, said, "Now that a threatening shadow of a new indiscriminate terrorism falls over the planet, it is essential to take from historical sources the goals and energy to confront the difficult challenge."
BOLIVIA: "Comeback Of Terrorism"
Leftist, sensationalist Hoy (4/21) opined, "Three continents were affected on the same day by a shocking wave of terrorist attacks which show how hard it will be for humanity to eliminate these types of criminal practices. Even though nations have devoted great resources to combatting terrorism, what is worrying is that these illegal movements are revived and strengthened.... Although the actions have not been directly related, the international community must take measures to avoid an escalation that could cross borders and take new victims."
BRAZIL: "Rigor Of The Law And Swift Justice Are Our Weapons"
Readers of center-right O Estado de Sao Paulo (4/21) saw this editorial: "Strictly speaking, to kill indiscriminately and wholesale, a trained organization with foreign financing is no longer necessary. It's enough to have determined or unbalanced individuals, isolated or in groups, disposed to do it, and the conditions will be easily within their reach.... It is no longer possible to prevent attacks of this kind. But it is possible, by means of scientific investigation, to get to their perpetrators.... The rigor of the law and swift justice are the remedies of the civilized world against the barbarism and savagery of terrorism."
CHILE: "Brutal Attack Should Mobilize Anti-Terror Campaign"
Influential, conservative, business-oriented Estrategia (4/24) opined, "The world received with horror, indignation and pain the news of the bombing attack against a federal building in Oklahoma City....
"Unquestionably, in the face of such brutal actions, regardless of their origin or intention, it is essential that the full force of the law be applied and that the international community act together to end the scourge of terrorism. It is very important that the United States, with the collaboration and support of all countries, acts forcefully to resolve this condemnable event and punishes, as examples, those responsible, in a manner that will insure that events of this sort are not repeated."
COLOMBIA: "We Have Travelled This Long And Painful Road"
Liberal Party-oriented El Tiempo (4/21) said in an editorial, "In this thing about car bombs, we Colombians have travelled a long and painful road.... That is why we understand, live and feel the pain of the inhabitants of a city that is beautiful, quiet and far away from the barbaric use of criminal devices, motivated by despicable minds.
"For this reason, with the moral support of having suffered attacks like the one in Oklahoma...we Colombians can ask the American people to understand the difficulties that our country faces in the fight against drug trafficking."
HONDURAS: "Solidarity"
Top-circulation, conservative La Prensa (4/21) asserted outraged solidarity with the American people in this editorial: "The human community expresses its indignation at the cowardice displayed by these agents of terror, and at the complacency with which some governments submit so willingly to terrorist extortion."
JAMAICA: "Perpetrators Must Be Brought To Justice"
Rickey Singh penned this for the moderate Sunday Gleaner (4/23), "Whoever the perpetrators of the Oklahoma tragedy...(are, they) must be brought to justice and pay the penalty. The blood of children and innocent people cries out against terrorism--wherever it shows its ugly, despicable, cowardly face, and whatever the race, religion and nationality of the perpetrators."
PERU: "Solidarity, Because We, Too, Face This Evil"
Conservative, influential El Comercio (4/21) stressed, "Speaking to his countrymen, President Clinton rightly called this crime 'evil,' and made it clear that the culprits would receive the severest punishment possible. Here in Peru, in addition to lamenting these terrible acts and expressing our solidarity with the victims, we consider it essential to remind our readers that we too face a cruel and vicious enemy that lies in wait for the best opportunity it can find to strike again."
For more information, please contact:
U.S. Information Agency Office of Public Liaison Telephone: (202) 619-4355
04/24/95
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