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    "title": "Korean Plane Incident, September 1983 (2)",
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        "Records of the White House Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff (Reagan Administration)",
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    "ocrText": "Ronald Reagan Presidential Library\nDigital Library Collections\nThis is a PDF of a folder from our textual\ncollections.\nCollection: Deaver, Michael\nFolder Title: Korean Plane Incident (2)\nSeptember 1983\nBox: 45\nTo see more digitized collections\nvisit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library\nTo see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories\nvisit: https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection\nContact a reference archivist at: [email protected]\nCitation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing\nNational Archives\nCatalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/\nForeign Media\nSPECIAL\nREPORT\nReaction\nSeptember 3, 1983\nDOWNING OF SOUTH KOREAN PLANE BY USSR - II\nSummary\nSecond day media coverage of the Soviet attack on the South Korean passenger\nabout the facts of the case in response to the Soviet claim the plane was\njet emphasized President Reagan's statement that the Kremlin was lying\non a spy mission.\nThe attack was condemned in most of the world's media in extensive and\nmovement. Conservative De Telegraaf of Amsterdam said the incident \"will\nimpassioned comment. Many saw it as \"a slap in the face\" to the peace\nfurther open the eyes of the friends of peace who have trouble imagining\nthat they can immediately grasp the hand of those friendly Soviets who are\njust as afraid as we are.\"\nThe Soviet claim was received wryly by many media observers. Paris'\nconservative Quotidien, for example, noted that \"this plane filled with\nsleepy people was, according to TASS, conducting intelligence\noperations\nNobody is fooled.\"\nThe independent Times of London judged the President's statement as his\n\"toughest anti-Soviet remarks since coming to office. Papers in many\ncountries ran interviews with key government officials expressing shock.\nSome speculated as to what level the order to down the airliner was given.\nA number thought it was \"a local decision.\" Tokyo's moderate Yomiuri said,\n\"If so, we have a frightening situation.'\nOthers such as the Frankfurter Rundschau suggested that the attack\nreflected \"not only the evil character of the Soviets but the fatal\nautomatism of the mechanism of reaction\nThe persons responsible reacted\nlike mechanical robots\n\"\nMany writers worried about the state of East-West relations in the wake of\nthe tragedy. Dublin's liberal Irish Press said that \"relations between\nMoscow and Washington were bad enough. This will make them worse.\"\nUnited States Information Agency\nWESTERN EUROPE\nBRITAIN\nPresident Reagan's Statement and Soviet Spy Plan Charge\nPresident Reagan's anger and statement that the downing of the South Korean\npassenger plane was \"a terrorist act\" and that the Soviet charge that the\nKAL Boeing was a spy plane was a lie, dominated heavy coverage of the\nincident in today's media.\n\"Kremlin Has Twisted Facts\"\nLondon headlines today said \"U.S. Accuses Russia of Terrorism and Lies--A\nSpy Plane, Says Moscow, \" \"Angry Reagan Sends AWACS and F-15s to Search\nArea\" and \"Punishment Call at U.N. by Seoul\" (Times), \"Moscow Admits 'We\nFired Tracer Shots, \"Kremlin Has Twisted Facts--Reagan\" and \"TASS Regrets\nAir Deaths But Claims U.S., to Blame\" (Guardian), \"Russia Admits Shots at\nJet--Reagan Sees Advisers on Retaliation for 'Atrocity, \"U. S. Revulsion\nand Dismay Over Russian 'Infamy'' and \"Kremlin Claims Intrusion Was\n'Pre-planned Act'' (Daily Telegraph), \"Was Andropov the Target?\" (Daily\nMail), \"Shot Down Jet on Spy Mission Claims Kremlin\" and \"Lies! Reagan\nRages at Kremlin\" (Daily Express).\n\"President Reagan's Toughest Remarks Since Taking Office\"\nThe Times' Moscow correspondent today reported, \"The Soviet Union yesterday\n=\nsaid the South Korean airliner was being used as a spy plane\nThe paper's Washington correspondent Nicholas Ashford wrote today, \"In his\ntoughest anti-Soviet remarks since coming to office, President Reagan\nyesterday accused the Soviet Union of telling flagrant lies about the\nKorean airline disaster and cast doubts about Moscow's credibility in\nfuture arms reduction negotiations\n\"The President's statement came amid growing speculation that the order to\nshoot the airliner down had been taken at the highest level in Moscow and\n\"\nnot by a junior regional commander\nIn an editorial today, the paper said, \"The U.S. Administration is under\nstrong public pressure to retaliate\nBut it is better to avoid\nover-reaction in the heat of the moment\n\"Arms control talks must continue since an even higher interest is\ninvolved\n\"\nUSIA/P/R\n2\n9/3/83\n\"Closest Soviets Will Come to Apology\"\nToday's liberal Guardian ran a report that \"the Kremlin late yesterday\nafternoon issued the closest it may come to an apology for 'the leading\ncircles in the Soviet Union' for the loss of human life which had occurred\nafter the destruction of South Korea's jumbo jet.\n\"But the same statement distributed by TASS also accused the United States,\nand especially the CIA, of deliberately allowing the Korean plane to enter\n\"\nSoviet airspace\nThe paper's Washington correspondent Harold Jackson reported that \"in the\nstrongest attack he has launched on the Russians since coming to office,\nMr. Reagan described their actions as 'barbaric,' 'brutal' and\n'atrocities.''\nAnother report in the paper said that \"the British Government yesterday\nthrew its weight behind American-led demands for full explanations,\n=\nreparations and punishment for the destruction of plane\nIn an editorial the paper said, \"The TASS statement was neither adequate\nnor convincing =\n\"President Reagan Bristling With Anger\"\nToday's conservative Daily Telegraph had the report of Washington\ncorrespondent Frank Taylor that \"President Reagan, bristling with anger\nyesterday accused the Soviet Union of a 'terrorist act' and of\nflagrantly lying about the tragedy.'\nIn another story the paper said, \"Secretary Shultz declared last night that\nthe Kremlin was trying 'elaborately and brazenly' to cover up the fact it\nhad shot down the airliner.\"\n\"Americans Believe Have to Share Planet However Russians Behave\"\nAccording to the Financial Times today, \"Amid all the emotion, the majority\nview in America remains that Americans share the same planet with the\n\"\nRussians and have to live with them, however, disgracefully they behave\nTASS Statement \"As Sickening as It Is Absurd\"\nIn the view of nationalistic Daily Mail today the statement from the\nKremlin on the incident was \"as sickening as it is absurd, couched in the\nmost poisoned terms of the Soviet propagandists, claiming that the jumbo\njet was a Western spy plane. This empty bluster is almost as sickening as\nthe tragedy itself.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n3\n9/3/83\n\"Outrage Is Not Enough!\"\nThe sensationalist Sun declared, \"Outrage is not enough. Why should we in\nthe West go on dealing with the Reds as if they were civilized human beings\nand not barbarians?\"\nFRANCE\n\"Reagan Accuses\"\nIn Paris today, headlines included \"Reagan to Andropov: What Could Be the\nExtent of Mutual, Legitimate Discussion With a State Whose Values Permit\nSuch Attrocities?\" and \"Reagan Accuses!' (Le Matin), \"Regan Denounces\n'Terrorist Act Soviets 'Regret' and Accuse\" and \"Moscow: Korean Jet Was\nSpy Plane\" (Liberation), \"269 Dead (red ink) and Killers Are Free\"\n(Quotidien de Paris) and \"269 Spies Aboard?\" (Parisien Popular).\n\"Now They Have to Cynically Lie\"\nConservative Quotidien said today, \"Killing was not enough for them. Now\n\"\nthey have to cynically lie\nPro-Socialist Le Matin remarked, \"Thanks to TASS, this story will be\nhorrible to the end, because Moscow, far from apologizing, accuses: the\nspies are everywhere. This plane, filled with sleepy people was, according \"\nto TASS, conducting intelligence operations. Nobody is being fooled\nLeftist Liberation said, \"The Soviets are pleading shared blame: \" they\nregret and they accuse\nThey reverse the thrust of the proof\nCommunist Paper: \"American Government Has Furnished No Proof\"\nCommunist Humanite ran headlines such as \"Profound Emotion Throughout\nWorld\" and \"Bring Everything to Light--Establish the Truth\" over a\nfront-page comment that held, \"This affair is one more reason to intensify\nthe fight against the arms race\n\"Thus far, the American Government has furnished no other proof of (the\nattack) than the recording of what is presented as \" an exchange of messages\nbetween the fighter pilot and his command post\n\"Charges Pit Two Superpowers Face to Face\"\nMass appeal Parisien Popular today said, \"This occupation of spying appears\nat once easy and extremely serious: easy because it is virtually\nunverifiable, serious because it pits the two super powers against one\nanother face to face\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n4\n9/3/83\nWEST GERMANY\n\"Worldwide Indignation\"\nHeadlines today were \"Worldwide Indignation\" (West Deutsche Allgemeine),\n\"Attack Condemned as Crime--U.S. Leaders Call for Sanctions Against USSR\"\n(Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger), \"Reagan Accuses Moscow of Committing Act of\nTerror\" (General-Anzeiger) and \"Washington: Barbarism of Soviet\nGovernment--Bonn: Act of Utmost Brutality\" (Frankfurter Allgemeine).\n\"Chancellor Kohl: 'Notorious Act of Extreme Barbarism''\nBonn's independent General-Anzeiger today reported that Chancellor Kohl\ncondemned the Soviet action as a \"notorious act of extreme barbarism\" that\n=\nreflects \"unusual coldbloodedness\nLeft-leaning Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich reported that FRG President\nKarl Carstens, in a telegram to South Korea's president, characterized the\nincident as an \"inhuman assault on civil aviation.\" The paper said that\nSocial Democratic leader Hans-Jochen Vogel called the attack \"depressing\nand disgusting\n\"\n\"\n\"This Mean Crime Is So Monstrous\nPro-Christian Democratic Bonner Rundschau today had an interview with\nMinister of State Juergen Moellemann citing him as saying, \"This mean crime\nis SO monstrous that it is hard to comment on it adequately.\n\"The countries of the Western community must agree in\npolitical\nconsultation on a common course and refrain from presenting their\nindividual national conclusions to the public\n\"\nBonn's conservative Die Welt observed that now \"a Reagan-Andropov meeting\nseems to be impossible for a long time to come It may turn out \" that\nAndropov does not have his military apparatus under control\n\"Crime Reflects Fatal Automatism of the Mechanism of Reaction\"\nConservative Frankfurter Allgemeine held that \"the incident is like an\nironical exclamation mark after almost a decade of Soviet hubris, a decade\nof Soviet arms buildup and expansion.' \"\nLeft-of-center Frankfurter Rundschau said today, \"What the killing of 269\npeople reflects is not only the evil character of the Soviets, but the\nfatal automatism of the mechanism of reaction. The persons responsible\n\"\nacted like a mechanical apparatus\nUSIA/P/RM\n5\n9/3/83\nFINLAND\n\"Since Superpower Did It, It's All the More Shocking\"\nAn editorial in leading Helsingen Sanomat today said, \"In the absence of\naccurate information one has to assume that the United States is right\n\"\nThe paper declared the attack was \"to be condemned as much as earlier\nsimilar actions by Bulgarian, Israeli and Rhodesian rebels.\n\"But since the plane was shot down by a superpower, the incident is \" all\nthe more shocking. Superpowers must be able to exercise restraint\nSWITZERLAND\n\"American Right Has Found Martyr in Larry McDonald\"\nMiddle-of-the-road Tribune de Geneve ran a correspondent's report from\nWashington on demonstrations in front of the Soviet embassy. The writer\nsaid, \"Clearly the American right has found its martyr in the person of\n\"\nLarry McDonald\nNETHERLANDS\nCalvinist Trouw judged today, \"No matter what statement the Kremlin comes\nup with\nit will never be acceptable as a rationalization or\n\"\nexplanation\nConservative De Telegraaf suggested, \"The incident will further open the\neyes of those friends of peace who have trouble imagining that they can\nimmediately grasp the hand of those friendly Soviets who are just as afraid\nas we are\nSPAIN\n\"Who Is Source of World Tension?\"\nIn Madrid today, conservative ABC said, in an editorial, that \"if American\nfighters had downed a passenger plane of a small nation, what would the\nworld have said? What would the progressive press especially have said?\nUSIA/P/RM\n6\n9/3/83\n\"The cries of indignation have been heard from around the world. But it\nhappens that the plane was brought down by Soviet fighters. This seems\nto contradict all of the schemes they try to peddle as to the source of\ntensions in the world.\"\nAUSTRIA\n\"Peace Movement Has Received Slap in the Face\"\nIn Vienna today, influential Die Presse ran the statements of political\nleaders condemning the attack. Independent Kurier said in an editorial,\n\"The international peace movement has received a slap in its face. They\nsay Ronald Reagan is a trigger happy cowboy while the Soviet Union is\nregarded as an element of peace and level-headedness\n\"This dangerous illusion of the peace demonstrators has now been shot down\nin coldblood\n\"\nIRELAND\n\"Consequences Must Be Guarded Against As They Are Dreaded\"\nDublin's liberal Irish Times maintained in an editorial today, \"Relations\nbetween Moscow and Washington are bad enough. This will make them worse.\nIn a matter of hours, a highly combustible atmosphere has been created, the\nconsequences of which must be guarded against even as they are dreaded\nICELAND\n\"Soviet System Is Military Machine Suffering Paranoia\"\nReykjavik's Dagbladid said yesterday that \"the automatic cruelty of the\nSoviet system lucidly appeared This mass murder will not be understood\nunless one realizes the function of the system which lies behind it. This\nsystem is not an ordinary society, but a strong, military machine suffering\nparanoia\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n7\n9/3/83\nEASTERN EUROPE\nYUGOSLAVIA\n\"Too Severe a Punishment\"\nBelgrade's Politika said today the incident was \"an unworldly and\nunreasonable deed\" and the worse setback for East-West relations since the\nCuban missile crisis.\nThe paper said, \"Even if the jumbo jet pilot was not precisely on course or\ndid not obey the warnings of the Soviet fighter, it is still to severe a\n\"\npunishment to fulfill its own purpose\nHUNGARY\n\"Provocation Sharpening International Atmosphere\"\nIn Budapest today, Nepszabadsag ran a long story on the incident carefully\nciting TASS as the source.\nMagyar Hirlap carried the story on page three under the headline\n\"Provocation Sharpening International Atmosphere: TASS Announcement\nConcerning the Disappeared Aircraft.\"\nEAST ASIA AND PACIFIC\nJAPAN\n\"Reagan: 'Barbaric Act'\nTokyo's NHK, TBS and Fuji television today focused attention on the\nhighlights of President Reagan's statement just before his departure from\nCalifornia and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Lichenstein's speech at the UNSC.\nThe networks said the President strongly criticized the KAL incident as a\n\"barbaric act\" and that he questioned the credibility of the Soviet Union\nfor shooting down the airliner.\nUSIA/P/RM\n8\n9/3/83\nNHK television carried a report saying that Mr. Reagan had decided that the\nKAL incident would* be the main topic of next week's talks between Secretary\nShultz and Foreign Minister Gromyko.\nConfusion in the Kremlin?\nToday's conservative Sankei said the Soviet Union is continuing its\n\"silence\" and that behind this silence appears to be confusion in the\nKremlin leadership over the KAL incident.\nThe paper cited a military source in Tokyo as saying that the Soviet Far\nEast command has the power to take independent combat action without\nreceiving orders from Moscow. The source reportedly believed that the\nmissile-firing order was given without the Kremlin's knowledge.\n\"Soviet Secrecy Has Fueled Japanese Anti-Soviet Sentiment\"\nModerate Yomiuri stated in an editorial today that \"the Soviets should\nimmediately clarify the circumstances of the tragedy and identify the\npersons responsible.\n\"It is hard to imagine that the action this time was taken on direct\ninstruction from Moscow's supreme military command. Perhaps the decision\nwas made by a local commander. If so, we have a frightening situation.\"\nThe paper added that \"the secretive Soviet attitude, including rejection of\nJapanese searches in the waters where the Korean plane is believed to have\ncrashed, only serves to fuel anti-Soviet feeling among the Japanese people.\"\n\"The Soviets Must Reveal the Truth\"\nLiberal Asahi of Tokyo said today \"we request that the Soviet Government\nreveal the truth quickly and sincerely in order to avoid escalation of\nEast-West tension and to prevent recurrence of such incidents.\"\n\"We Agree With President Reagan\"\nModerate Mainichi wrote: \"We demand that the Soviet Union reveal the facts\nquickly and sincerely and take convincing measures.\n\"President Reagan has criticized the Soviet action as a barbaric and\nheinous act. We feel the same way.\nUSIA/P/RM\n9\n9/3/83\nHONG KONG\n\"George Orwell's World Has Arrived\"\nToday's independent Economic Journal judged that the incident showed that\nthe Soviet Union is \"the world's most dangerous player with fire\" and that\nit allowed people to see how the major powers are monitoring each other,\nindicating that \"George Orwell's horrible world (of 1984) has now emerged\non the international scene.\"\nThe paper went on to state that the United States \"is trying to use the\nincident to tear down the mask of the USSR as a 'peace-lover.' The effect\nof the downing of the plane will be a further escalation of U.S. arms\nexpansion and a lessening of criticism against it.\"\n\"Actual Sanctions Are Called For\"\nThe pro-Taiwan Hong Kong Times urged that there be substantive sanctions\nagainst the USSR because \"the Communists only know power and fear\nreprisals. Empty condemnations do not have much effect on them\nIt is\nonly with actual sanctions that we can have some sort of deterence against\nunscrupulous perpetrators of crime.\"\nINDONESIA\n\"Reagan Entitled to Self-righteousness\"\nToday's English-language Jakarta Post described the KAL incident as \"evil,\nplain and simple\" and said that President Reagan is now \"entitled to some\ngood old God-fearing self-righteousness.\"\nThe paper went on to recount the \"lame response\" offered thus far by the\nKremlin and concluded, \"We join the rising chorus calling for an\ninternational and concerted stance throughout the world community to\ndeplore, condemn, and severely penalize the Soviet Union for this\nabominable and wretched act.\"\nStrong Direct Action Against USSR Urged\nIndependent Kompas of the same city said this incident should be followed\nby strong, direct action against the USSR and suggested \"for example,\nforbidding Aeroflot plans to land at any other airports, and banning\ndocking rights for all Soviet commercial and passenger vessels world-wide.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n10\n9/3/83\n\"If Shultz Is Correct =\nToday's nationalistic Indonesian Observer hesitated to put the full blame\nfor the incident on the USSR, saying that \"if what was alleged by Mr.\nGeorge Shultz proves to be correct, then that Soviet jet fighter must be\ncondemned.\"\nMALAYSIA\nAll media today strongly condemned the Soviet action and cited the\nMalaysian Deputy Foreign Minister's statement on the \"unpardonable\" and\n\"wanton act of savagery and arrogance,\" as well as statements by President\nReagan, Secretary Shultz and other world leaders.\nCall for a \"Total Boycott of All Russian Aircraft\"\nLeading Malay-language Utusan Malaysia wrote in an editorial today: \"While\nwaiting for further explanation from the Kremlin about this atrocity\nperperpetrated by their armed forces, the entire world should undertake a\ntotal boycott of all Russian aircraft.\"\n\"What About the Soviet Spy Sub in Swedish Waters?\"\nThe conservative New Straits Times of Kuala Lumpur remarked today that\n\"Moscow has so easily forgotten (that) its spy submarine ran aground in\nSwedish waters in a restricted zone. Should Sweden then have, by the same\ntoken, fired a missile at the 56 crew members?\"\nAUSTRALIA\nThe story remained lead in all media today. Except for one or two isolated\narticles or commentaries noting that under strictest interpretation the\nSoviet action was \"legal,\" the tenor of all coverage was condemnatory.\n\"Secretary Shultz Spoke For Most of the World\"\nToday's nationally-circulated Australian stressed that \"The U.S. Secretary\nof State, Mr. Shultz spoke for most of the world's people when he expressed\nhis 'revulsion' and 'grave concern' at this incident of tragic savagery\n\"The incident has added weight to the arguments of those who have warned\nthat the provision by the West of high technology to the Soviet Union is\nakin to selling them the rope with which they will hang us.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n11\n9/3/83\nTHAILAND\n\"How Callous Can Russia Get?\"\nBangkok's leading English-language Nation Review said today in an editorial\nheaded \"Air Tragedy: How Callous Can Russia Get?\" that \"an over-careful,\nsensitive man like U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz would not have\nflatly accused the Soviet Union of shooting down the Korean airliner unless\nhe had full proof as to how it was shot down\n\"One thing is sure and that is that the nations of this world cannot let\nthis incident pass without taking retailiatory action.\"\nSOUTH ASIA\nINDIA\nThe downing of the jet was the lead story in most papers today. Coverage\nfocused on statements by the United States and South Korea. Sidebar\nstories reported TASS charges that the plane was on a spying mission, and\nthe cautious reaction of the Indian Government to the event.\nHeadline Treatment\nTypical headlines today were \"U.S. Seeks U.N. Meet on Korean Plane\nLoss\nMoscow Is Lying: Reagan\" (Indian Express), \"S. Korea Wants Apology\nand Compensation\nU.S.A. Shows Restraint\" (Hindustan Times) and \"Russia\nLying About Crash, Says Reagan\" (Times of India).\n\"The Evidence Is Damning\"\nThe lead editorial in today's left-of-center Times of India headed \"From\nRussia By Mistake\" said: \"The rhetoric of the Americans need not have been\ntaken seriously in different circumstances. But in this case the evidence\nis damning, if not for Moscow, at least for a set of unduly tense and\nincredibly rash pilots of the Soviet Air Force\n\"Moscow must offer an unqualified apology and adequate compensation for the\nbereaved. Its silence adds to the crime of its commander.\n\"The Reagan Administration may well be trying to get the maximum possible\nproganda advantage out of this tragedy. But that is no reason why Moscow\nshould not frankly own up to the crime.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n12\n9/3/83\n\"Soviet Authorities Owe An Explanation\"\nAn editorial in the Chandigarh Tribune maintained today that the incident\n\"was an avoidable embarrassment, certain to be exploited to the full by the\nUnited States. The Soviet authorities owe an explanation to the moral\nconscience of the world.\nSRI LANKA\n\"The Soviets' Monumental Indifference\"\nToday's Island of Colombo said the \"unprovoked and mystery-ridden shooting\ndown by the Soviet Union of (the South Korean plane) is an act of outrage\nthat is hard to beat even in these times of all-pervasive terrorism and\ndefiance of all accepted social norms.\n\"What is double shocking about the whole tragic episode is the monumental\nindifference shown by Soviet officialdom\nand the Orwellian blanket of\nobfuscation which the Soviet authorities seem intent on throwing over the\nwhole issue.\"\nBANGLADESH\n\"Soviets Admit Warning Shot\"\nDhaka's independent Ittefaq headlined today \"Moscow Admits Warning Fire on\nSouth Korean Airliner.\" Sister New Nation said \"Soviets Admit Warning\nShot. \"\nThe latter paper frontpaged several stories on the incident included one\nheaded \"A Great Crime Against Humanity.\"\nPAKISTAN\n\"USSR Admits Firing Missiles\"\nMedia today gave prominent play to the incident, highlighting the Reagan\nand Shultz condemnation of the incident, the calling of the UNSC meeting\nand the reaction of world leaders. Media reports also carried the Soviet\nversion of the event. There was no editorial comment as yet.\nUSIA/P/RM\n13\n9/3/83\nMIDDLE EAST\nJORDAN\n\"KAL Plane Creates Serious International Crisis\"\nElectronic and print media today gave straight reporting of the incident\nwith no comment. A typical banner head over a wire serice story was\n\"Korean Plane Creates Serious International Crisis.\"\nKUWAIT\nIndependent, pro-Palestinian al-Watan today summed up in its headline\n\"Reagan: The Soviets Are Liars, An Ugly Crime\" and \"Moscow: Korean Plane\nWas Spying.\"\nThe English-language Kuwait Times said today that \"the Soviet Government\nwould be well advised to tell the whole truth to an extremely worried\nworld, and without losing any time, offer to make amends in a convincingly\ncomprehensive manner.\"\nIt finished, however, by reminding its readers of the incident involving\nthe Israeli shooting down of a Libyan jetliner in 1973. It said, \"That\nincident was discussed in the Security Council and--let it not be forgotten\ntonight--it was the United States that applied an angry veto to shoot down\na resolution which sought to blame the Israelis.\"\nBAHRAIN\n\"Russia's Psychosis Has Been Underlined\"\nToday's independent Gulf Daily News stated that the incident \"has\nunderlined Russia's acute psychosis about national security and an almost\nobsessive fear of imminent attack The Soviet Government cannot avoid\nresponsibility for one of the most outrageous violations of civilized\nbehavior in recent years.\nUSIA/P/RM\n14\n9/3/83\nLATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN\nMEXICO\nHeadlines in Mexico today included \"World-wide Condemnation of Soviet Union\nfor Shooting Down South Korean Plane\" (Excelsior), \"Reagan Calls Moscow\nLiar and Terrorist; Soviet Union Replies, 'Dirty Anti-Sovietism, (El\nDia), \"Mankind Condemns Attack on Defenseless Commercial Plane\" (El Heraldo\nde Mexico) and \"Reagan Charges Soviet Union as Terrorist\" ( El Sol de\nMexico).\n\"Western Nations Should Unanimously Break Relations with Soviets\"\nConservative El Heraldo de Mexico in an editorial today said, \"It is\nnecessary that this sinister, criminal act cause such a reaction in all\nWestern nations that they unanimously, without waiting for U.N. red tape,\nbreak relations with the (Soviet) assassin empire\nreject\nany\nrelationship\nor contact with it until it is forced to abide by the rules of the\ncivilized world.\"\n\"Irresponsible Contempt for Human Life\"\nNationalistic El Universal in an editorial today, \"TASS has made a\nsuggestion which apparently belongs to the fantasy of the worse spy\nnovel--that the plane was on a spy mission\n\"However, everything indicates that the Soviets fired against a defenseless\ncivilian aircraft. That would only be justified in cases of extreme\nbelligerence, which is not the case here. Regardless of Soviet allegations\nthat technically it had the right to do what it did, nothing justifies such\nirresponsible contempt for human life.\"\nPapers reported a statement by the Foreign Ministry that \"the Mexican\nGovernment regrets deeply the loss of human lives caused by this incident,\nat the same time it feels it an exhaustive and impartial investigation is\nnecessary because, if it were confirmed that the airline was shot down,\nwould be witnessing a completely condemnable action, a grave violation of\ninternational law and an attempt against the security of air communication.\n\"\nSoviet Ambassador Claims South Korean Pilot Responsible\nModerate Novedades today reported Soviet Ambassdor Rostislav Sergueev\nregretted the incident because of the loss of the life. However, the paper\nadded, he emphasized that the person responsible for the incident was the\npilot of the South Korean aircraft.\nUSIA/P/RM\n15\n9/3/83\nYesterday the Soviet ambassador was quoted by nationalistic El Universal as\nclaiming that the incident \"does not endanger world peace\" and that this is\nthe second time a South Korean plan has violated Soviet territory \"disre-\ngarding clear directions and signals. \"\n\"Without Trying to Judge Who Is Responsible, Loss of Lives Regrettable\"\nLeftist-nationalist Unomasuno in an editorial yesterday admitted \"the\nseriousness of the incident\nWithout trying to judge who is responsible\nthe loss of lives certainly is regrettable\n\"Comdemnable to Use This Tragedy Immorally As Political Weapon\"\nMarxist-oriented El Dia yesterday characterized the incident as \"more than\nregrettable\" and noted that \"if, as Western sources say, the plane was shot\ndown by the USSR, we would face one of the most flagrant acts of intemper\nance provoked by the current climate of East-West tensions. If, on the\ncontrary, it ony was a regrettable accident, it is also as equally comdemn-\nable to use this tragedy immorally as a political weapon.'\nBRAZIL\n\"Deserves Repugnance and Condemnation\"\nThe shooting down of the South Kroean civilian airliner was prominently\nplayed yesterday by Brasilia's three dailies.\nHeadlines included \"USSR Shoots Down Korean Civilian Airliner\" '(Soviet)\nMilitary Plane Received Order to Shoot the Airliner\" \"U.S. Heard Everything\nBefore the Tragedy\" \"USSR's Explanations Do Not Convince US.\" (pro-\nGovernment Correio Braziliense), \"Brazil Repudiates Soviet Action\"\n(independent Jornal de Brasilia) and \"Soviet Military Plane SHoots Down\nKorean Airliner With 269 Aboard\" (independent Ultima Hora de Brasilia.\nJornal de Brasilia quoted Brazilian Foreign Minister Guerreiro that the\nshooting was an \"extremely serious fact\" which deserves \"repugnance and\ncondemnation.\n\"\n\"Shultz Does Not Know What He Is Talking About\"\nIn Sao Paulo, radio news programs yesterday stressed the protest against\nthe Soviet Union released Thursday night by the Foreign Ministry. Under\nthe banner headline, \"USSR Shoots Down Jumbo and Kills 269,\" O Estado de\nSao Paulo devoted the upper half of its front page to the incident. Folha\nde Sao Paulo gave third of front page, headlined \"USSR Shoots Down South\nKorean Jumbo, Kills 269.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n16\n9/3/83\nLiberal Folha de Sao Paulo ran columns by New York and Paris commentators.\nPaulo Francis, writing from New York, said, \"It was a Soviet act of barbar-\nism\nIn the USSR, these things are always decided at the highest levels.\nThe crime came from above. In order to change this perception it would\nhave been necessary for Shultz to have bluffed us. I do not believe that.\n\"The shooting down of the plane is legal. Shultz says it is not. He does\nnot know what he is talking about or it is his demagoguery. An invader\nplane of an air space must land if it is intercepted by the invaded. It\nmaybe shot down in the case of a refusal\n\"But a civilized nation does not shoot down passenger planes\nIt is an act\nof unjustifiable violence. It is the typical product of Soviet paranoia\nand of our time\nIt strengthened Reagan and weakened Andropov.\n\"Sympton of Excessive Nervousness of Soviet Military\"\nClaudio Abramo, writing from Paris, said, \"The crime committed against a\ndefenseless plane will have more serious consequences for the USSR than he\ninvasion of Afghanistan and the direct intervention in Poland. It is a\nsymptom of the excessive nervousness of the Soviet military command and\nreveals a profound tension and latent instability.\"\n\"There Is No Justification\"\nIn an edtitorial headed \"Brutality and Stupidity,\" Folha said, \"There is no\njustification for the extreme measure of the attack and the shooting down\nof a civilian plane, particularly in peacetime. It is difficult to know\nwhich is the more deplorable aspect in this episode: the brutaltiy with\nwhich almost 300 lives were eliminated or the cold war stupidity which\nleads those responsible for the scurity of a superpower to perceive enemy\nghosts even in a peaceful passenger plane.\"\nCOLOMBIA\n\"Incredulity Turned Into Indignation and Horror\"\nHeadlines in Bogota yesterday included \"Russians Down a Commercial\nAirliner\" (El Tiempo), \"Cowardly Soviet Massacre\" ( El Espectador), \"Soviet\nFighters Knock Down a Korean Plane With 269 Persons (El Siglo) and \"World-\nwide Consternation Over the Russian 'Massacre'' (La Republica).\nUSIA/P/RM\n17\n9/3/83\nVENEZUELA\nPapers throughout the country yesterday carried the incident as a front-\npage lead story. Coverage was limited to wire service dispatches.\nHeadlines included \"U.S. Demands Soviets Explain Attack on Jet (The Daily\nJournal), \"Red Alert 44 Years from WW II, Moscow Does Not Answer Washing-\nton\" (Ultimas Noticias) and \"Reagan Seeks Explantion from Moscow for\nDestruction of South Korean Airplane: 269 Passengers and Crew Dead\" (El\nNacional). There were no editorial commentary or statements by public\nofficials.\nRadio and TV coverage was extensive. TV reports generally stressed that\nthere was great consternation in governmental and public sectors in the\nUnited States.\nPERU\n\"Transgression Incites World Tension\"\nMedia registered shock and harsh condemnation of the Soviet action. Wide-\ncirculation pro-Government Expresso headlined: \"Transgression Incites\nWorld Tension; US. Calls Act 'Repulsive and Inexcusable, and the mass\ncirculation tabloid Extra had \"World Indignation over USSR Criminal Attack.\"\nException to this type of condemnation of the Soviet action came from pro-\nCommunist Diario de Marka which buried the story on page 12 under the\nheadline \"South Korean Plane With 269 Passengers Has Not Appeared.' \"\nECUADOR\n\"Ecuador Rejects the Soviet Union\"\nNewspapers in Quito and Guayaquil yesterday gave front-page coverage to\nwire service stories. Independent-liberal Hoy's headline stressed \"World\nTension Over the Attack.\"\nConservative El Tiempo, in an article headlined \"Ecuador Rejects the Soviet\nUnion,\" quoted Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Luis Valencia as saying that \"no\ntype of argument can serve as justification for the attack on a commercial\naircraft whose exclusive function is the transport of passengers, even if\nit was follwoing a mistaken route or was lost.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n18\n9/3/83\nSOUTHERN CONE\nNewspapers in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay gave front-\npage coverage to wire service stories. There were no comments except in\nAsuncion.\nPARAGUAY\n\"Deserves the Label of 'Repulsive and Inexcusable'\nMajor circulation ABC Color of Asuncion in an editorial yesterday described\nthe act as \"coolly deliberated. Under these terms we are, therefore, and\nwithout any doubts, facing a cruel act of war done while at peace. The\nadditional circumstances that it was done to a commerical airliner\nincapable of defending iself, make it a crimnal act\nthat well deserves\nthe label of 'repulsive and inexcusable' given by Mr. SHultz.\"\nSecond largest circulation Hoy noted that \"these innocent dead\nwill sleep\nin an unknown tomb without the statements of even one of these groups which\nspecialize in weakening democracy saying one word. But this silence is\nalso eloquent\nand will make people think.\"\nTribuna in a front-page comment said, \"Mankind, frightened by an act that\nreveals such abominable wickedness, cannot escape the consternation\nprovoked by such an act- of incredible bellicosity in peace time.\"\nCHILE\n\"Such Instances as This Make Us Fear For Tomorrow\"\nChilean TV and radio commentators condemned the Soviet attack. Santiago's\nChannel 13 in an international news commentary on Thursday night asserted\nthat \"the fact that the Soviet Union should have shot down an unarmed\ncommercial plane with 269 people aboard is, in itself, deplorable.\nHowever, what makes it particularly condemnable is that it was not a\nquestion of a Soviet missile fired by mistake against an unidentified\ntarget.\n\"Quite the opposite they knew perfectly well that it was unarmed non-\nmilitary aircraft and, in spite of this, they fired a missile against\nit\nSuch instances as this make us fear for tomorrow\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n19\n9/3/83\nCOSTA RICA\n\"We Do Not Remember a Subhuman Act of Similar Magnitude\"\nLeading La Nacion of San Jose in an editorial yesterday said, \"We do not\nremember in recent history a subhuman act of similar magnitude; a sign so\nevident of the disregard for human life, an arbitrariness so naked.\nEveryone--governments, organizations and citizens ought to raise their\nvoices in condemnation.\"\nLa Republica in an editorial wrote, \"All humanity, including the Soviet\npeople, have to react with indignation and horror in the facae of this\nsavage act, and ought to be pained to the core of their being that there is\nan attempt to hid the crime committed, denying the facts and eluding the\npunishment that its authors deserve.\"\nPANAMA\n\"More Likely It Was a Local Decision\"\nOpposition La Prensa yesterday ran a commentator by the writer Guillermo\nSanchez who said, \"I do not think Soviet leaders ordered the attack on the\nKorean aircraft. It is more likely that it was a local decision.\"\nNICARAGUA\n\"The United States Made a \"Strange Complaint\"\nSandinista TV news totally ignored the incident on Thursday evening. Pro-\nGovernment Barricada and El Nuevo Diario yesterday gave low-key coverage\nfeaturing a TASS report.\nFSLN organ Barricada, in a locally-written lead, said that events surround-\ning the incident were still \"unclear,\" but that the United States had made\na \"strange complaint\" which seemed the \"artficial creation\" of a doubtful\ndiplomatic incident.\nPapers in El Salvador and Honduras ran front-page headlines over the story.\nThere has been no editorial comment to date.\nUSIA/P/RM\n20\n9/3/83\nSPECIAL\nForeign Media\nREPORT\nReaction\nSeptember 4, 1983\nDOWNING OF SOUTH KOREAN PASSENGER JET - III\nSummary\nPresident Reagan's radio talk was widely covered in the third day of\nvolumnious, worldwide media attention to the Soviet downing of South\nKorea's Boeing 747.\nOn the basis of the President's remarks, media speculated on what actions\nthe United States might take against the Soviet Union. West German TV\nOne's Washington correspondent said, \"The Americans do not want to use\neconomic pressure against the Soviets. And many insisted, as did the\nLondon Sunday Telegraph, that INF \"talks have to go ahead for the sake of\nthose that live on both sides of the iron curtain.\"\nEven though editorialists in all parts of the world complained about the\nSoviet's lack of candor over the incident, they expected that, as liberal\nLe Monde of Paris said today, \"Moscow, little by little, crumb by crumb\"\nwill admit new facts.\nObservers challenged the credibility of the Soviet Union over the\nincident. Copenhagen's conservative Berlingske Tidende said, \"The Soviet\nUnion, in just a few hours, has succeeded in tearing down its own\ncredibility.\"\nIt was suggested by others that Soviet leader Andropov may have \"lost\ncontrol\" of the Soviet military, and cannot \"admit the facts\" without a\nconfrontation with his military leaders. Some such as Oslo's conservative\nAftenposten went so far as to say that \"it looks as if the (Soviet)\npolitical leaders are mere figureheads.\"\nEditorialists in widely separated capitals as Athens and Suva agreed with\ntoday's London Observer that \"in many quarters there seemed to be a greater\nconcern for exploiting the disaster for propaganda purposes than for\nestablishing the actual details of what occurred.\"\nUnited States Information Agency\nWESTERN EUROPE\nBRITAIN\nPresident Reagan's Rage and International Outrage\nThird-day coverage of the downing of a South Korean passenger jet continued\nto dominate front pages with emphasis on President Reagan's anger and inter-\nnational outrage.\n\"Fury Mounts\"\nHeadlines today were \"U.S. Names Guilty Soviet General\" (Sunday Times),\n\"Reagan Hits at Soviet 'Murderers'' (Observer), \"Fury Mounts Over Plane\nShot Down by Russians--Ready-to-Obey Signal Was Ignored\" and \"Reagan\nStudies Options\" (Sunday Telegraph), \"Thatcher Poised to Back Call for NATO\nBoycott--Reagan's Red Air Ban Worldwide\" (Sunday Mail), \"Proof Jet Was Not\nSpying\" (Sunday Mirror) and \"Outraged Reagan Demands: Tell Us the\nTruth--Come Clean, Andropov\" (Sunday Express).\n\"Americans Named Soviet General\"\nCorrespondents for the Sunday Times reported, \"The Americans yesterday\nnamed the Soviet General who, they believe, would have given the final\norder to shoot down (the plane) in a move which gave the public a rare\nglimpse into a highly secret and sophisticated area of U.S. intelligence\n:\nAn editorial in the same paper said, \"Shock, revulsion and grief can be the\nonly proper responses to the deaths of the\nairline passengers and crew\n\"In our view\nthe scattershot approach in reacting is both ineffectual and\nbeside the point. It would be far better to find something that will at\nthe same time demonstrate the depth of Western feeling, inflict penalties\nthat will particularly affect the ruling classes in the USSR, and in the\nend, produce substantial compensation for the victims\n\"\n\"Greater Concern for Exploiting\nThan Determining Details\"\nToday's Observer said, \"President Reagan, angry at what he said were\n'flagrant Soviet lies' about the shooting down (of the plane), yesterday\naccused the Russians of 'murder. Around the world, angry protests and\ndemonstrations about the Soviet action continued\n\"\nAn editorial said, \"In many quarters there seemed to be a greater concern\nfor exploiting the disaster for propaganda purposes than for establishing\nthe actual details of what occurred\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n1\n9/4/83\n\"Moscow Accused Reagan of 'Hypocritical Sorrow' \"\nThe conservative Sunday Telegraph reported that \"just before it was shot\ndown, the (plane) tried to signal that it would comply with Soviet\ninterception procedures, according to fragments of monitored communications\nanalyzed in Washington\n\"\nA Moscow correspondent for the paper reported, \"Moscow accused President\nReagan last night of expressing 'hypocritical sorrow' over the loss\n\"\nAn editorial held, \"Western statesmen would be naive if they did not do all\nin their power to press home the moral of this crime\nto everyone who can\nlisten\n\"\n(But) even if conducted in a frostier atmosphere\n(nuclear missile) talks\nhave to go ahead for the sake of those who live on both sides of the iron\ncurtain.\n\"\n\"Incident Was Not a Sudden Aberration\"\nToday's nationalistic Mail maintained, in an editorial, that \"the most\nterrible thing about (the incident) is that it was not a sudden aberration\nor a tragic mistake. It was an absolutely typical act of ruthlessness\n=\n\"It Will Be a Long Time Before Outrage Subsides\"\nThe Sunday Express editorial held that \"it will be a long time before the\nworldwide outrage and revulsion at the Soviet Union's coldblooded\ndestruction of a Korean jumbo jet filled with innocent men, women and\nchildren, begins to subside\nFRANCE\n\"Little by Little\nMoscow Admits the Facts\"\nIn Paris, liberal Le Monde's Sunday edition ran a front-page story that\n\"nothing can better prove the fundamental culpability of the USSR\nthan\nthe way in which Moscow, little by little, crumb by crumb, admits (new\nfacts) \"\nWEST GERMANY\nTelevision newscasts last night featured film footage of demonstrations\nagainst the Soviet Union in New York, Seoul and Tokyo.\nUSIA/P/RM\n2\n9/4/83\n\"President Reagan Will Announce Countermeasures Sunday\"\nWashington correspondent Dieter Kronzucker observed on TV Two last night\nthat \"President Reagan feels that these events simply prove his negative\nassessment of the USSR.\n\"Reagan will announce (Sunday) U.S. countermeasures\nSecretary of State\nShultz will travel to Madrid next week. It is expected that he will\nquestion intensely Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko on this issue. The\nMadrid negotiations are just of secondary importance in light of these new\ndevelopments.\n\"Moscow Says All This is Anti-Soviet U.S. Plot\"\nThe news show had a report from Moscow that \"the Soviets have made clear\nthat all this is an anti-Soviet U.S. plot. The CIA is accused of being\nresponsible. The Soviets should perhaps reconsider because trust and\nconfidence will be important elements for negotiations in Madrid and\nGeneva.\"\n\"Secretary Shultz Repeated 'Tell the Truth'\nTV One's Washington correspondent Cornelius Bormann, said in a main\nnewscast last night that \"President Reagan met with the National Security\nCouncil to decide on U.S. reactions\n\"Landing rights of Soviet airplanes may be limited. The grain agreement\ndoes not seem to be an effective instrument of applying political pressure.\n\"Secretary Shultz has once again demanded a complete uncovering of the\nevents and that the USSR should 'tell the truth.\nPresident Reagan made\nclear that Soviet and Cuban airplanes have, in the past, violated U.S.\nairspace without the United States resorting to military counter measures. \"\n\"Americans Do Not Want to Use Economic Pressure\"\nIn a later broadcast, the same correspondent said, \"The Americans do not\nwant to use economic pressure against the Soviets. The Geneva talks are to\nbe continued. Secretary Shultz demanded that the Soviets should 'tell the\ntruth.\nUSIA/P/RM\n3\n9/4/83\nITALY\nItalian headlines yesterday included \"White House Begins Debate on\nCredibility of USSR\" (Corriere della Sera), \"Incredible Version of Soviets\non Korean Civil Air Tragedy\" (La Repubblica), \"U.S. Does Not Exclude\nRecourse to Retaliation Against USSR\" (La Stampa) and \"Between U.S. and\nUSSR--Charges and Tension. Moscow Talks of Provocation But Not Proofs.\nReagan: Soviets Are No longer Credible\" (Communist l'Unita).\n\"Can Andropov Admit Facts Without Confrontation With Military?\"\nNew York correspondent Ugo Stille said in yesterday's centrist Corriere\ndella Sera that \"In the view of the Americans the only satisfactory way out\nwould be for the USSR to frankly admit its error and attribute the\nresponsibility to a 'low-level military command'\n\"But can Andropov do this without risking the opening of a state of tension\nand confrontation with Soviet military leaders?\"\n\"Cancelling Geneva Talks Would Cause Difficulty for Europeans\"\nLeftist La Repubblica of Rome ran the report of New York correspondent\nGaetano Scardocchia that \"Diplomats (in Washington) have let it be known\nthat--other than recourse to the U.N. Security Council and the cancellation\nof the Shultz-Gromyko meeting, the White House is gauging other\ncountermeasures\nBut not the Geneva talks since such a decision would\nplace in difficulty European countries hosting American missiles\n=\n\"Almost Certain Reagan Will Decree Sanctions\"\nTurin's centrist La Stampa yesterday ran New York correspondent Ennio\nCaretto's story that \"it is almost certain that President Reagan will\ndecree new sanctions against the Soviets. His problem is to choose a line\nthat doesn't compromise the newly initiated 'detente' that has just begun\nafter two and a half years\n\"\n\"We Must Continue to Talk\"\nLeft-leaning Il Messagero of Rome declared, in a front-page editorial that\n\"we must continue to talk The tragedy must give more force, not to\nthose movements--generous but utopian-- for unilateral disarmament of the\nWest, but instead to mass movements that press for dialogue, for talks,\n\"\nincessantly, until the seeds of an authentic pacifism are planted\nUSIA/P/RM\n4\n9/4/83\nFINLAND\n\"U.S. Considers Sanctions\"\nHeadlines today were \"Reagan Insists on Soviet Explanation- Plans for\nSanctions\" (Helsingen Sanomat), \"U.S. Considers Sanctions- Soviets Admit No\nGuilt\" (Hufvudstadsbladet) and \"Soviet Explanation Does Not Satisfy West\"\n(Uusi Suomi).\n\"Ouburst of Emotion Around the World\"\nFinnish television last night showed films of demonstrations against the\nSoviet Union in Japan, South Korea and the United States. A commentator\nnoted \"the outburst of emotion around the world\" and concluded that \"in the\nend this incident will be recorded as a propaganda defeat for the Soviet\nUnion.\"\nSWEDEN\n\"Can Expect U.S. to Take Measures\"\nStockholm's independent Dagens Nyheter said today, \"One can expect the\nUnited States to take measures against the Soviet --excluding an\neconomic embargo or breaking off the INF talks. This sudden crisis is\nsevere enough\n=\nConservative Dagbladet said, \"The results of Moscow's brainy efforts over\nthe past few days are extremely poor and will be only accepted in those\ncircles which always uncritically swallow everything served up by Soviet\npropaganda\n\"\nDENMARK\n\"Soviet Union Tore Down Its Own Credibility\"\nCopenhagen's conservative Berlingske Tidende said in an editorial today\nthat \"the deed itself reveals the Soviet military might for what it is--an\ninhuman, stupid, callous machine which, without second thought or\nevaluation, wipes out human lives according to orders\n\"The Soviet Union has succeeded in a few hours to tear down its own\ncredibility\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n5\n9/4/83\n\"No Reason to Change Position on Negotiating With Soviets\"\nLeft-of-center Politiken held today that \"the order was hardly given by\nresponsible political leaders\nThe decision was probably made in some\nother place in the military hierarchy\n\" (But) as we were willing to negotiate with Moscow before this episode,\nthere is no reason to change that position today\n\"\nNORWAY\n\"Must Have Been Isolated Military Decision\"\nIn Oslo yesterday, conservative Aftenposten said, \"We must presume that the\nKremlin leaders would have said no to shooting down the plane, which means\nit must have been an isolated military decision.\n\"But if the military, acting on their wits, has free hands to complicate\nand strain Soviet relations with the rest of the world, then it looks as if\nthe political leaders are mere figure heads\n=\nPORTUGAL\n\"Act Springs From Despotism\"\nLisbon's conservative O Dia maintained in an editorial today that \"the\ncrime is proof of the blindness and barbarism of a system which, ironically\nis promoting the celebrations for 'world peace day.\nAn editorial in the popular weekly Expresso called the incident \"an act,\ndoubtlessly, which springs from the despotism of someone who believes he\nis powerful enough to impose his will against everything and everyone,\nespecially smaller countries\n\"\nCentrist Correio da Manha today ran the headline \"Russians Already Have\nFound Wreckage. = A story in the paper cited the President of Portugal as\n\"strongly condemning the way which an air space violation was solved,\ninvolving the loss of human lives\n\"\nA box on the front-page gave an account of the \"confrontation\" between the\nUnited States and the Soviet Union at the United Nations.\nUSIA/P/RM\n6\n9/4/83\nAUSTRIA\n\"Demonstrators Will Now Perhaps Pause and Think\"\nIn Vienna today, independent tabloid Kronen-Zeitung declared, \"With their\npeace propaganda, the Soviets have succeeded of late in influencing some\nunstable minds in the West\n\"Those demonstrators who are sincerely for peace will now perhaps pause and\nthink whether they can reconcile it with their conscience to take action,\ntogether with young Socialists and Communists, to protest mainly against\nthe United States, as if the envisaged American INF modernization were the\nmain evil\n\"\nGREECE\n\"U.S. Propaganda Exploitation\nand Clumsy Soviet Handling\"\nAthens' prestigious, pro-Government Vima ran the headline \"Reagan Will\nAnnounce No Reprisals or Boycotts Against Russians for Destroying Boeing\"\nand stated, \"U.S. propaganda exploitation of the tragedy continues = and is\nreinforced by clumsy handling of the issue by the Soviet Union\nA New York correspondent wrote in a separate story that \"cancellation of\nthe Reagan-Andropov meeting may be the most serious consequence of the\ndowning of the plane. This will be particularly painful = to Europeans many\nof whom have pinned their hopes on this meeting\nTURKEY\n\"Moscow's Explanations Unsatisfactory\"\nIstanbul's liberal Milliyet had the headlines \"Soviets Will Fire Upon\nJapanese Ships Entering Their Territorial Waters, \"Moscow's Explanations\nUnsatisfactory\" and \"Soviets Announce Finding Debris of Downed Airliner But\nDo Not Give Detailed Explanation, \"Ban on Demonstrations Lifted in South\nKorea--People Are Burning Soviet Flags in the Streets.\"\nSensationalist Gunaydin today announced, \"A Law Suit Opened Against Soviets\nfor $99 Billion.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n7\n9/4/83\nEASTERN EUROPE\nHUNGARY\n\"Exercise to Stir Up Anti-Soviet Hysteria\"\nLeading papers in Budapest today carried stories on the U.N. Security\nCouncil meeting and identical TASS stories on the incident. The U.N.\nstories cited the Soviet ambassador as saying the entire event was a\n\"propaganda exercise\" to \"stir up anti-Soviet hysteria.\"\nYUGOSLAVIA\n\"Americans Looking for Full Confession and Repentence\"\nBelgrade's Politika today carried Washington correspondent Jurij Gustinic's\nreport that \"the Americans are obviously looking for something that is at\nleast probably to happen--full confession and repentence\n\"\nSOVIET UNION\n\"Washington Mounting Worldwide Rabid Anti-Soviet Campaign\"\nIn Moscow yesterday TASS declared, \"Washington is feverishly covering up\ntraces of the provocation staged against the Soviet Union with the\nutilization of the South Korean plane\n\"The White House and the Department of State are mounting a worldwide rabid\nanti-Soviet campaign, the tone first set by the U.S. President. In his\nstatements, permeated with frenzied hatred and malice for the Soviet\nstate the head of the White House is trying to convince public opinion\nthat the USSR allegedly is guilt of loss of life\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n8\n9/4/83\nEAST ASIA AND PACIFIC\nJAPAN\nCoverage of Reagan Radio Speech\nTokyo's NHK, TBS and Fuji television today ran reports from Washington on\nPresident Reagan's radio speech, citing him as demanding an apology from\nthe USSR. However, they saw indications that the United States would\ncontinue the nuclear disarmament negotiations in Geneva.\nModerate Yomiuri and Mainichi carried brief highlights of the radio speech.\nForeign Ministry \"Not\" Considering Application of Sanctions Against USSR\nToday's liberal Asahi reported that the Japanese Foreign Ministry was not\nconsidering application of sanctions against the Soviet Union because the\nKAL incident, unlike the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, was a \"passing\nevent. =\nThe paper added that the Foreign Ministry intends to await a Soviet\nclarification of the incident and of the problem of conducting search\noperations in Soviet territorial waters, but that it would take further\ndiplomatic steps if the Soviets continued their \"insincere\" stand.\nPredictions of What the U.S. Will Do\nWashington correspondent Kishii of Mainichi today cited a U.S. Government\nsource as saying the United States would demand a definite commitment from\nAndropov and other Soviet leaders on the safety of civilian planes.\nThe paper believed that this country would call for 1) prevention of armed\nthreats and attacks on civilian planes and ships, and 2) guarantee of safe\ninternational navigation of airliners and ships.\n\"Preposterous Soviet Statement\"\nAn editorial in today's Yomiuri termed the Soviet statement on the KAL\nplane \"quite preposterous\" and observed that the USSR \"continues to plead\ninnocent although Japan and the United States reportedly have detailed\ninformation on Soviet communications around the time the Korean plane was\nshot.\n\"Our main concern is the poor administrative ability of the Andropov regime\nin handling a crisis\nIf the Andropov Government has lost control of\nSoviet military leaders, we cannot fail but to look with apprehension\ntoward the Soviet Union even if a hot line and other systems of mutual\ntrust are provided.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n9\n9/4/83\nSOUTH KOREA\n\"ROK Demands That Soviets Present Full Account\"\nPapers, as reported in a press roundup today, emphasized the world's anger\nat the Soviet act, and ran pictures of South Koreans demonstrating in\nSeoul, denouncing the Soviets and burning the Soviet flag.\nAll papers yesterday top-headlined the UNSC meeting with typical headlines\nreading: \"South Korea Demands That USSR Present Full Account of Incident,\nand Apologize to the World for Their Act, Make Compensation, and Punish\nThose Who Are Directly Responsible For the Incident.\"\nU.S. to Present a Resolution at UNSC\nToday's Government-owned Seoul Shinmun ran wire reports stating that the\nUnited States would submit to the UNSC next week a resolution denouncing\nthe barbarous act of the USSR.\n\"Provocation Was Premeditated\"\nAn editorial in yesterday's Chosun Ilbo contended that \"it is evident the\nprovocation was premeditated either to test the United States or to\nintimidate Japan. The most important thing, however, is why (the Soviets)\nvictimize a small and weak nation. We are positive that they would not\nshoot down JAL or Northwest Airlines\n\"We have realized the so-called 'northern policy' or detente is a fantasy\nand that it is high time for us to see clearly where we stand,\ndistinguishing enemies from friends.\"\n\"Soviet Brutality a Strong Warning For Japan\"\nYesterday's Hankook Ilbo said: \"We expect the Soviet brutality will be a\nstrong warning to Japan in particular for her 'free ride in security' (and\nthat) it might constitute a serious challenge to the status quo on the\nKorean peninsula and in the world.\"\nHONG KONG\nLetter From Heartbroken Girl to Andropov\nToday's independent South China Morning Post led its front page with a\nreport that Man-Yee, \"a heartbroken nine-year-old girl, whose best friend\ndied in the Korean Airlines disaster, has written to the Soviet leader, Mr.\nYuri Andropov, asking why (the friend) had to be killed.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n10\n9/4/83\n\"Man-yee has also begged for permission to visit the Sakhalin Island area\nwhere the plane went down\nShe, like many others around the world, said\nshe wanted an explanation from the Soviet leader and that she wanted to\nwrite to him.\n\"The child's act was inspired by a letter written to Mr. Andropov earlier\nthis year by an 11-year-old American schoolgirl, Samantha Smith, who made a\npersonal plea for peace. \"\nSINGAPORE\n\"Senseless and Savage\"\nThe Sunday Times carried comments by Singapore Foreign Minister Dhanabalan\non the downing of the KAL plane under the front-page headline \"Senseless\nand Savage\" with the subhead \"Soviet Act Shows Careless Disregard for Human\nLife and the Norms of Civilized Behavior.\n\"\nFIJI\n\"Anti-Soviet Propaganda and Soviet Counter-accusations\"\nSuva's Sunday Times saw \"some Western Governments milking this dreadful\nincident for all it is worth in terms of anti-Soviet propaganda and the\nSoviets responding with counter-accusations instead of the explanations\nwhich are SO desperately needed.\"\nCHINA\n\"Soviets\" Concealing Things Inflames International Outrage\"\nToday's People's Daily carried a \"newsletter from America\" by correspondent\nZhang Yunwen which said \"the Soviet Union's effrontery in shooting down a\nKorean Airlines passenger plan immediately caused a tremendous shock here\nand on the international scene. \"\n\"The Soviet Union's behavior in concealing things in every possible way,\nnot daring to face the facts, can only further inflame international\noutrage. Governments and public opinion in every country have confirmed\nand condemned the Soviet Union's shooting down of the South Korean\nairliner. \"\nUSIA/P/RM\n11\n9/4/83\nSOUTH ASIA\nINDIA\n\"USSR Under Fire in U.N. Council\"\nTypical front-page headlines in papers today were \"USSR Under Fire in U.N.\nCouncil\" (Indian Express), \"Travel Curbs by West on Soviets Likely\" (Times\nof India), and \"Russia Denounced in U.N. Council\nU.N.\nCouncil Deplores\nSoviet Action (Statesman).\n\"Soviets Are Guilty of Duplicity\"\nThe latter paper said today in an editorial headed \"An Unforgivable Act\"\nthat \"it would appear that (the Soviets) are guilty not merely of a\nmonstrous crime against unarmed civilians, but also of duplicity\n\"On Friday, New Delhi, apparently taking the first statement at its face\nvalue, expressed the hope that 'it is not true that the plane was shot\ndown'. (Now) there is no longer any room for equivocation of anyone's part.\n\"All possible international pressure must be brought upon Moscow to\nacknowledge direct and full responsibility for the brutal massacre.\"\nThe paper added the view that \"the Russians will now be on much weaker\nground in criticizing the Reagan Administration's militaristic postures in\nCentral America or elsewhere.\nPAKISTAN\n\"Pakistan Expresses Deep Anxiety Over Incident\"\nToday's Government-owned Pakistan Times bannered \"Pakistan Expresses Deep\nAnxiety Over Plane Shooting Call to Facilitate Impartial Inquiry Reagan\nMay Announce Punitive Action\nUSSR Fails to Offer Apology.\nAn editorial in influential Nawai-Waqt said today that \"even if for the\nsake of argument we accept the Soviet plea that the plane was involved in\nespionage, still there is no justification to kill 269 innocent people who\nfor sure could not all be spying.'\nUSIA/P/RM\n12\n9/4/83\nMIDDLE EAST\nISRAEL\n\"Murderers in the Skies\"\nTel Aviv's independent Haaretz in an editorial with the above headline\ntoday equated the Soviet Union with terrorist organizations and accused\nMoscow of \"perpetrating an especially hideous crime.\"\nIt went on to state that \"a humiliating situation might be created if it\nshould turn out that the United States in 1983 has not much more effective\nmeans to punish the Soviets for the killing of scores of Americans than\nIsrael had at a time when Bulgaria downed an El-Al airliner.\"\nNational Religious Party Hatzofe maintained today that \"the problem is not\nhow the Soviets can explain the incident, as President Reagan has demanded,\nbut whether the free world can defend itself against air piracy.\nSAUDI ARABIA\n\"The Arabs Have Had Same Kind of Tragic Experience\"\nToday's moderately conservative al-Riyadh wrote: \"The Arabs too have had a\ntragic experience of the same kind, when Israel shot down a (Libyan)\ncivilian airliner. At that time, the incident triggered no reaction from\nthe global powers--even those that today are lamenting the victims of the\nKorean airliner\n\"\nKUWAIT\nKuwaiti Unwillingness to Condemn USSR Without Proof\nArabic-language papers today reported that the Kuwaiti Ministery of Foreign\nAffairs had issued a statement that, without proof, Kuwait was unwilling to\ncondemn the USSR.\nThe paper quoted an unidentified Ministry spokesman as saying \"a Kuwaiti\nresponse would be tantamount to undermining and damaging cordial relations\nwith a friendly state. Kuwait is unwilling to damage such relations or\nimprove them at the expense of her relations with another state.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n13\n9/4/83\nUNITED ARAB EMIRATES\n\"Fullest Possible Investigation Should Be Held\"\nToday's English-language Khaleej Times declared that \"the fullest possible\ninvestigation should be held by an international team of civil aviation\nexperts. If the Soviet Union is, as it claims, innocent of the charge of\ncoldbloodedly shooting down the aircraft, it should welcome such an\ninvestigation.\n\"\nBAHRAIN\n\"Soviet Act Cannot Be Justified\"\nAn editorial in today's Government-owned Jaridat Oman stressed that \"it is\nimpossible to belittle the horror of the tragic downing of the KAL plane or\nto minimize the way it has shocked public opinion.\n\"There is no way to justify the downing of a civilian airliner\nPerhaps\nthis (incident) reveals the 'truth' of the peace proposals which the Soviet\nUnion has announced from time to time.\"\nALGERIA\nPress Concentrates on TASS Versions\nMedia, as reported in a press roundup today, gave little coverage to the\ndowning of the airliner. Most stories relied heavily on TASS news agency\nreports, and emphasized Western \"overreaction\" to the incident\nGovernment-controlled electronic media gave even less coverage. Television\nappeared to ignore it completely and radio news programs ran the story as\nthe last item of international news, supplying no details of the downing or\nthe international reaction that had resulted.\nUSIA/P/RM\n14\n9/4/83\nLATIN AMERICA\nBRAZIL\n\"Soviet Attitude Reprehensible in Every Respect \"\nIn Brasilia, Jornal de Brasilia ran a columnist's comment that foreign\ndiplomats in capital city at first considered the Brazilian Foreign\nMinistry's prompt and vehement denunciation to be \"precipitate\" but it\nturned out to be correct.\nHe continued, \"The Soviet attitude was in every respect reprehensible.\nNothing excuses it. The Soviet air force knows that the polar route,\nbecause of its natural peculiarities, poses problems for all aircraft,\ncivilian and miliary.\n\"Because of these difficulties, pilots regularly stray off course, and even\npenetrate Soviet air space. Thus this cannot constitute a surprise for\nMoscow\nTo shoot down the plane was a criminal act.\"\n\"Reagan Increases Pressure But Calls for Calm\"\nThe incident continued today to be a major story in all Rio de Janeiro\nmedia. Front-page coverage was given by all Sunday papers. Headlines gave\nemphasis to President Reagan's call on his radio talk yesterday for calm\namong allies but firmness and world unity to condemn the Soviet Union.\nTypical headlines today were: \"Reagan Asks the World to Unite to Condemn\nUSSR\" and \"Reagan Requests Unity Against Soviet Brutality\" (conservative O\nGlobo), \"Reagan Recommends Calm to Allies on Boeing\" (independent Jornal do\nBrasil), \"Reagan Increases Pressure But Calls for Calm\" (mass appeal o Dia)\nand \"Reagan: Firm But Controlled Reaction to Soviet Aggression\" (Latin\nAmerican Daily Post).\nReagan's \"Most Vehement\" Criticism of Soviet Union to Date\nHeavy coverage was given to the incident by Sao Paulo media yesterday.\nPresident Reagan's earlier statement was prominently played. Newspapers,\nradio and TV station noted that it was \"most vehement\" criticism of the\nSoviet Union to date. Conservative O Estado de Sao Paulo published the\nfull text under the headline \"This Brutality Must Not Be Forgiven.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n15\n9/4/83\n\"Cold War Being Waged in the Pacific Ocean\"\nForeign affairs commentator Newton Carlos said on TV Bandierantes that \"in\naddition to the barbarism, there are strategic implications being stressed\nby important military analysts The USSR is reinforcing it fleet in the\nPacific and at the same time accuses the Japanese Government of being\nmilitaristic and engaged with the United States in the establishment of an\niron axis in the Pacific.\n\"The world knows (because of the incident) that the cold war is being waged\nin the Pacific Ocean, whose waters touch the four big contemporary powers:\nthe United States, USSR, China and Japan. \"\n\"Is It Possible To Conclude Lasting Agreement With Such a Power?\"\nConservative O Estado de Sao Paulo in an editorial yesterday wrote, \"In a\ncivilized world no nation can present any acceptable or even imaginable\nargument to shoot down an unarmed civilian plane with passengers aboard,\neven if its pilot commits the mistake of entering the air space of a\nsovereign nation\n\"If the highest Soviet officials do not present a convincing and fair\nexplanation for what has happened\nthey will have to answer to the\npolitical consequences of this military 'feat' which affects the moral\nstatus of the USSR in the international community and its relations with\ncivilized nations\n\"Once again one may ask whether it is possible and worthwhile to conclude\nvalid and lasting agreements with a power whose moral patterns do not\ncoincide with the precepts of civilization.\"\n\"Always Possibility U.S. Government Is Lying\"\nLiberal Folha de Sao Paulo ran this following comment by Paulo Francis from\nNew York: \"There always exists the the possibility that the U.S.\nGovernment is lying. It would not be any novelty. But this is much too\ngreat a risk for every government and in the case of a lie it would destroy\nReagan.\n\"The hatefulness of the U.S. policy causes in the third world makes it\npainful for many people to believe Reagan when he attacks the USSR. But in\nthis case, only explanations confirmed with documents will be capable of\nchanging the impression of Soviet delinquency.\n\"There is no excuse\nBut what remains is the lack of any civilized Soviet\njudgment\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n16\n9/4/83\nCOLOMBIA\n\"Worldwide Indignation\"\nSecond-day coverage in Colombian media yesterday gained force as media and\nother leaders accused the \"ambiguous and pugnacious\" Soviet replies as not\nresponding. Headline slant and editorials lambasted the Soviet Union.\nTypical were liberal El Tiempo's \"Worldwide Indignation: Russia Insists in\nDenial. Liberal El Espectador headlined \"Cowardly Soviet Slaughter.\"\n\"Unheard of Action by Soviet Military Aviation\"\nConservative El Siglo said in an editorial on Friday that the \"sense of\nsorrow felt by honest people about disaster in other areas was transformed\ninto feelings, first of incredulity, then doubt and finally indignation\nand horror when the Government of the United States confirmed that this\nimmense tragedy was no accident\nWhat was involved was an unheard of\naction by Soviet military aviation against a defenseless commercial\naircraft.\n\"\nColombian Congress Condemns \"Barbarous Attack\"\nThe paper also reported that the Congress of Colombia, \"through the Vice\nPresident of the Senate, Eduardo Mestre Sarmiento, condemned what he called\nthe 'barbarous attack' aginst a passenger plane of Korean Airlines, which\nwas downed by a Soviet weapon. =\nThe statement was made during the visit of a delegation of Korean\nparliamentarians. The Vice President of the Senate said, \"We wish to\nexpress to you our condolences and our solidarity in the matter of this\nbarbarous attack.\"\nECUADOR\n\"Places the Peace of the Whole World in Danger\"\nQuito's Ultimas Noticias in a editorial yesterday said, \"Any explanations\nare unsatisfying in the case of the argument that we are obviously dealing\nwith a civilian aircraft with passengers on board and that a missile would\nobviously take hundreds of lives\n\"The 747 was under control of eight Soviet fighters and one cannot presume\nthat it constituted any danger\nAn event of this kind can place in danger\nnot only the peace of the region but the world as a whole\nNothing can\njustify attacks of this kind\nwhich should be condemned absolutely above\nany other consideration.\" \"\nUSIA/P/RM\n17\n9/4/83\nCARIBBEAN\nDOMINICAN REPUBLIC\n\"Soviet Union Will Have a Hard Time Explaining This to the World\"\nSanto Domingo's El Sol on Friday said, \"The whole world was moved No\nmatter what, we believe that we are witness to a crime, a horrible crime\nwhich we condemn vigorously.\n\"No sane person could conceive of a combat jet fighter's firing cold-\nbloodedly on an airliner filled with passengers and then returning to base\nas though nothing had occurred. The Soviet Union will have a hard time\nexplaining this to the world\n\"\nLeading Listin Diario wrote, \"This merciless attack may be considered to be\na most grim and coldblooded warning, a warning to the world that if the\nSoviet Union sees the strengthening of the NATO defense system as a threat,\nthe Soviet Union is prepared to unleash, without warning, it most most\npowerful unculear attack on the nations bordering on the Communist world.\"\nPapers in Kingston, Port of Spain, Bridgetown and Nassau gave front-page\ncoverage. The state-owned Guayana Chronicle of Georgetown carrined no news\non Friday on the incident. The state-owned monopoly radio station GBC on\nThursday ran a VOA report on Secretary Shultz's press statement.\nAFRICA\nZAMBIA\nPravda Account, U.S. Reactions Used\nMedia yesterday reported factually on the incident, using wire service\nmaterial. The Government party-owned Times of Zambia in Lusaka yesterday\nheadlined a front-page item \"International Outcry Over Missing Plane.\"\nThe article said \"Western coauntries expressed outrage and some pilots'\nassociations said they might press for an interational anti-Soviet boycott\nunless Moscow came up with a quick explanation of the episode.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n18\n9/4/83\nThe Government-owned Zambian Daily Mail on Friday headlined AFP and Reuter\nreports \"Airline Shooting Barbaric.\n\"If Correct, Soviets Will Bear Heavy Responsiblity\"\nRadio Zambia in its principal morning broadcast yesterday, limited its very\nbrief report to a TASS item that a South Korean aircraft was involved in a\npremeditated intelligence gathering activity. Radio Zambia also noted\ncountries like Italy have expressed their solidarity with South Korea.\nTV Zambia on Friday evening provided Zambia's only comment to date.\nFollowing a report on the incident, the announcer noted that \"if the\npreceeding information is correct then the Soviets will bear a heavy\nresponsibility for this action.\"\nZIMBABWE\nFull Report of Secretary Shultz's Description of Soviet Action\nThe Herald of Harare on Friday, in addition to running a Reuter-AP article\non Secretary Shultz's claim of irrefutable evidence that the Soviet Union\nshot down the South Korean airliner, also carried full report of his\ndescription of the Soviet tracking and downing of the South Korean plane.\nNIGERIA\nLight Coverage for Third Straight Day\nCoverage of the event and world reaction to the shooting down of the South\nKorean airliner today remained light for the third straight day in Nigerian\nmedia. There was no editorial comment in any Sunday paper.\nMost complete coverage appeared in privately owned Sunday Sketch of Lagos\nwhich devoted seven stories to various aspects of the incident. The Sunday\nTimes of Lagos reported on the Security Council meeting.\nThe Sunday Tribune, under headlines \"USSR Indicted Over Down Plane,\"\nreported protests in Seoul because the Soviet Union had not acknowleged the\nact and reaction in the United States and Japan. The Sunday Satellite of\nEnuugu gave a summary of events through Friday evening.\nUSIA/P/RM\n19\n9/4/83\nZAIRE\n\"Widespread Indignation Thoughout the World\"\nMedia in Kinshasha radio wire service items on the incident yesterday and\nFriday. The Zaire news agency (ZAZP) carried an AFP-sourced item which was\nalso prominently featured by the French language dailies Elima and\nSalongo. Elima headlined \"There Is Widespread Indignation Thoughout the\nWorld.\nSOUTH AFRICA\n\"Melodrama of Modern Fiction Has Suddenly Become Real\"\nAll papers front-paged yesterday reports of the incident. South African\nBroadcasting Corporation radio ran it as top story. Typical headline was\n\"Red Jet Shoots Down Airliner\" in the Afrikaans daily Beeld of Johannesburg.\nThe afternoon daily Star of Johannesburg, yesterday said, \"Omimously, a\nmelodrama of modern fiction has suddenly become real The two superpowers\nstand eyeball to eyeball in the most dramatic and frightening confrontation\nsince the Kennedy-Khruschev Cuban missile episode two decades ago.\nThe editorialist called the incident \"the severest test for both Mr. Reagan\nand Mr. Andropov since they assumed office, and how they react may well\naffect East-West relations for a considerable time to come.\n\"Until the Russians provide some explanation for their extraordinary,\ncarefully plotted act of murder--and it is difficult to imagine what such\nexplanation could be--the words of the Speaker of the U.S. House of\nRepresentatives, Congressman Tip O'Neill, stand unchallenged: 'This act of\nairborne terrorism will not be forgotten or excused by decent people all\nover the world.\nForeign Minster \"Pik\" Botha: \"Senseless and Brutal Act\"\nMajor South African papers yesterday quoted Foreign Minister \"Pik\" Botha as\nsaying, \"There can be no excuse for it. It should not be tolerated. We in\nSouth Africa join with people everywhere in expressing our revulsion on\nthis cowardly attack.\"\nThe Star of Johannesburg cited Conservative caucus chairman Howard Phillips\nas saying, \"There is great reason to consider that the purpose of the MIG\nfighter was specifically to assassinate Congress Larry McDonald, who has\nbeen a strong and effective adversary of Communist intelligence and\nterrorist activities in the United States and throughout the free world.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n20\n9/4/83\nSPECIAL\nForeign Media\nREPORT\nReaction\nSeptember 5, 1983\nDOWNING OF SOUTH KOREAN PASSENGER PLANE - IV\nSummary\nMedia in Western Europe and the Far East and other scattered areas\ntoday led with the Washington disclosure that a U.S. reconnaissance\nplane was in the general area at the time the KAL Boeing was downed by\nSoviet MIGs.\nToday's conservative Daily Telegraph held that \"the belated American\nadmission\nis certain to prove a windfall for Soviet propaganda\nefforts.'\nLisbon's pro-Socialist Jornal de Noticias said the possibility that\nthe Soviet pilot thought he was shooting at a military plane \"may\nchange the whole case and ridicule the worldwide accusations\n=\nJapanese television networks today broadcast White House spokesman\nSpeakes' statement that a U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance plane had flown\nin the vicinity.\nAt the same time editorial writers devoted considerable speculation to\nhow the United States would and should respond. Correspondents in\nWashington maintained the Administration would be restrained. Conser-\nvative Frankfurter Allgemeine's correspondent said the President \"had\nexpressed himself in favor of...a quiet, controlled but absolutely\nfirm\" action.\nThroughout the world, media tried to reason why the tragedy happened.\nMany writers attributed it to world tensions. Hong Kong's independent\nMing Pao worried that the Soviets are \"under severe tension, nervous-\nness and full of hostility with fingers always on the trigger\n:\nUnited States Information Agency\nWESTERN EUROPE\nBRITAIN\nPresence of U.S. Reconnaissance Plane\nThe reported presence of a U.S. reconnaissance plane in the area at the\ntime of the Soviet attack on the South Korean passenger jet, made headlines\nin all London papers today.\n\"U.S. Spy Jet 'Near Jumbo'\"\nHeadlines said \"Airliner Was Mistaken for American Spy Plane\" and \"Russian\nRefusal to Accept Guilt at U.N. Proves Self-Defeating\" (Times), \"Russia\nHints Fighter Pilot Mistook His Target--U.S. Spy Plane Was Near Area of Jet\nAttack\" and \"Sanctions in Difficulty\" (Guardian), \"Reagan Hints at 'Painful\nSanctions' -U.S. Spy Jet 'Near Jumbo'\" and \"Jumbo May Have Been Fleeing the\nRussians\" (Daily Telegraph), \"No 'Major' Sanctions Against Moscow by U.S.\nOver Airliner\" (Financial Times) and \"U.S. Had a Spy Plane There\" (Daily\nMail).\n\"Soviets Admit Mistake\"\nToday's independent Times of London ran reports from correspondents that\n\"the Soviet Union indicated yesterday that it had mistaken the Korean\nairliner\nfor an American spy plane with a similar outline\n\"U.S. Response Expected to Be Restrained\"\n\"Despite strong language used by President Reagan to express his horror at\n'this murder of innocent civilians,' the U.S. response is expected to be\nrestrained and largely limited to an international effort to condemn the\nattack and take measures to make it safer to fly nearer the Soviet Union.\n\"In the White House it is recognized that the United States still has to do\nbusiness with the Soviet Union no matter how appalled Americans may be\n\"\n\"Soviet Classic Approach to Crisis Has Angered Diplomats\"\nAnother report in the paper said, \"Moscow's refusal to depart from the\nclassic Soviet approach to crisis, which seeks to place all blame on the\nUnited States, has angered diplomats from a broad political spectrum at the\nU.N. and has illustrated how diplomatically self-defeating the rigidity of\nthe Soviet system can be.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n2\n9/5/83\nWhite House's and Soviet General's Statements\nWashington correspondent Harold Jackson wrote in today's liberal Guardian\nthat \"the White House disclosed last night that an American military\nreconnaissance aircraft had been flying off the Russian coast at the time\nthat the ill-fated Korean airliner was approaching and that the Soviet air\ndefense system had apparently been confused about the identity of the two\nplanes\n\"\n\"At the same time, the Chief of Staff of the Soviet Air Defense Command,\nColonel-General Semyon Romanov, said, in an account circulated by TASS,\nthat the Boeing 747 'flew with extinguished lights and its outlines\nresembled those of the American Reconnaissance plane RC-135.\"\n\"Incident Encouraged 'Sense of Urgency' at Arms Talks\"\nThe paper's Brussels correspondent reported today that the disaster\n\"encouraged a greater sense of urgency in NATO at the Geneva arms control\ntalks--a sentiment which was shared yesterday by the Soviet Union's\nnegotiator who called on the United States to seize this opportunity for\n\"\nagreement\n\"Admission Is Windfall for Soviet Propaganda\"\nToday's conservative Daily Telegraph ran the report of Washington\ncorrespondent Richard Beeston that \"the Reagan Administration acknowledged\nfor the first time yesterday that the Soviet Union initially mistook a\nKorean airliner for an American spy plane but insisted that by the time the\nKorean jumbo jet was shot down its true identity was known\n\"The belated American admission\nis certain to prove a windfall for Soviet\npropaganda efforts to blame the episode on U.S. espionage activities\n=\n\"Major Economic and Political Sanctions Ruled Out\"\nToday's Financial Times said, \"President Reagan has ruled out 'major'\neconomic or political sanctions against the Soviet Union and instead is\nseeking a 'calm but firm' response with the maximum international\nbacking\n\"\nIn an editorial the paper said, \"Above all it would be wrong for sanctions\nto be taken unilaterally by the United States\nOther Soviet-U.S. and\nEast-West consultations, such as the arms talks in Geneva and the meeting\nbetween Mr. Shultz and Mr. Gromyko, should go on because they are about\nother issues\n\"\nNationalistic Daily Mail judged that \"the startling White House admission\nthat there was an American reconnaissance plane around adds a new dimension\nto the crisis\nII\nUSIA/P/RM\n3\n9/5/83\n\"Boeing Tragedy: Questions Without Answers\"\nHeadlines in Paris today included \"Reagan Prepares Sanctions\" (France-Soir),\n\"Captain Chun Pushed the Wrong Button\" (Le Matin), \"Boeing Tragedy:\nQuestions Without Answers--Was South Korean Plane Conducting Espionage\nActivities in Disdain for Safety of Its Passengers\" (Communist Humanite)\nand \"Washington Wants to Internationalize Response to USSR\" (Figaro).\n\"Crime Will Go Unpünished\"\nAn editorial in today's mass appeal France-Soir asked, \"What credit can be\nbut coldblooded killers?\"\naccorded to pacifist declarations of men (in the Kremlin) who are nothing\nToday's conservative Quotidien de Paris expected that the \"crime\" will \"go\nunpunished because skillfully, knowledgeably and scientifically the Soviets\nsucceeded in distracting the attention of the world from the only obvious\nimportant reality \" in the affair--the coldblooded assassination of the 269\npassengers\nAn editorial in Communist Humanite today said, \"Four days after the\ndisappearance of the Boeing numerous questions remain unanswered. The\nmost often asked concerns the total silence of the Boeing crew during the\nmore than two hours if its deviation from its flight path\n\"\n\"Flagrant Act of Brutality Is Going to Slip By\"\nLeftist Liberation judged today, \"It appears that the most flagrant act of\ndisturbing East-West relations.\nbrutality in the entire history of the cold war is going to slip by without\n\"All signs are that, despite a concert of curses flung at the Soviet Union,\nthe Western nations are disposed to writing off the 269 victims to the\nprofits and losses of the grand geopolitical maneuvers\nITALY\n\"Mosow Admits Possible Error\"\nItalian headlines today said \"Moscow Admits 'Possible Error'\" (Corriere\ndella Sera), \"Did Military Hide From Andropov Decision to Shoot Down Jumbo\nJet?\" (La Stampa), \"Strong Measures Against Soviet Union--Reagan Will\nAnnounce Them in Agreement With Allies\" (Il Giornale), \"Reagan Consults\nAllies--Andropov Was Not Informed\" (Il Messagero) and \"Reagan Calls for\nBlocking of All Flights for USSR\" (Communist l'Unita).\nUSIA/P/RM\n4\n9/5/83\n\"U.S. Will Propose Suspension of Air Traffic to USSR\"\nMilan's centrist Corriere della Sera today ran the report of New York\ncorrespondent Ugo Stille that \"everything seems to confirm the prediction\nthat the President intends to propose to the allies the suspension\nof\ncommercial air traffic with the USSR, and to link resumption to a\ncommitment from Moscow to 'ground rules' which will avoid in the future the\ndanger of a repetition of last week's incident\n\"Even INF Talks Cannot Be Unaffected\"\nAn editorial in Turin's centrist La Stampa today said, \"Even the most\nspecific and concrete of the East-West negotiations, the INF talks, cannot\nbe unaffected by the general climate.\n\"And this climate will be determined to a large measure by the tone of the\ndialogue between the diplomatic chiefs of the superpowers, and most of all\nby the explanations which Gromyko may or may not give about the attack\n\"\n\"It Was the System That Pushed the Button\"\nMilan's conservative Il Giornale in a front-page editorial today said,\n\"Either Andropov gave orders to the generals or the generals gave orders to\nhim. It doesn't change much because the system\nis necessarily based on\nunscrupulous military expansion. It was the system that pushed the\nbutton\nWEST GERMANY\n\"Thoughtful Reaction by Washington\"\nAmong headlines today were \"U.S. Considers Boycotting Soviet Aeroflot\"\n(Bonner Rundschau), \"Reagan for Sanctions Against Aeroflot\" (Frankfurter\nNeue Presse), \"Thoughtful Reaction by Washington--Disarmament Talks To Be\nContinued\" (Frankfurter Allgemeine), \"Reagan: Geneva Discussion Must\nContinue Despite Murder of 269 People\" (Rheinische Post) and \"USSR Claims\nto Have Evidence of Intelligence Flight\" (General-Anzeiger).\n\"President in Favor of Quiet\nFirm Response\"\nConservative Frankfurter Allgemeine led today with Washington correspondent\nJan Reifenberger's report that \"President Reagan has expressed himself in\nfavor of dealing with the Soviet in a quiet, controlled but absolutely firm\nway. He announced that the INF talks and START negotiations will be\ncontinued\nThe United States also intends to adhere to the grain deal\n\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n5\n9/5/83\n\"President's View: Western Reaction Should Be Thoughtful\"\nMunich's pro-Social Democratic Sueddeutsche Zeitung ran a lead story by\nWashington correspondent Klaus Arnsperger that \"In President Reagan's view,\nWestern reaction should be marked by thoughtful determination.\n\"He said there is no justification for the 'murder of 269 people.\nHowever, the white House indicated that U.S. Soviet relations will not be\nfrozen and the Geneva negotiations will continue\n\"\nBonn's conservative Die Welt held, in an editorial today, that \"the most\nimportant aspect is the provocation and its background: there is a power\nstruggle going on in Moscow\n\"\nIndependent General-Anzeiger of Bonn said, \"President Reagan finds himself\nconfirmed in his view of the USSR. He can point to his military efforts\nwhich keep the Soviet threat within limits.\n\"He need not resort to drastic sanctions to prove his firmness toward\nMoscow. That is one explanation for his relatively mild but reasonable\n\"\nresponse\nNETHERLANDS\n\"U.S. Plane Near Boeing\"\nHeadlines today included \"U.S. Plane Was Near Boeing--Korean Plane Possibly\nConfused With Spy Plane\" (Algemeen Dagblad), \"President Reagan Considers\nLimiting Soviet Airspace\" (De Volkskrant) and \"American Plane In Area\" (De\nTelegraaf).\nAn editorial in today's conservative Algemeen Dagblad of Rotterdam,\npegged on the cancellation of a visit to Moscow by Dutch parliament-\narians, said, \"By not going to Moscow, the Dutch delegation is sending a\nclear signal to the Russians that the (airline incident) cannot be fobbed\noff in the blunt way the Russians have done so far\n\"\nFINLAND\nA radio newscast in Helsinki today had a Washington report that \"a U.S.\nespionage plane was operating in the area\" of the KAL tragedy. The report\nsaid \"U.S. intelligence officials\" said the U.S. plane, however, left two\nhours before the incident.\nUSIA?P/RM\n6\n9/5/83\nSWEDEN\n\"While Sweden Hunts Alien Submarines U.S. Pleads for Support\"\nStockholm's liberal tabloid Expressen yesterday ran the headline \"In Midst\nof (new) Submarine Hunt, U.S. Pleads: 'Help Us Punish Soviets. ... The\npaper said, \"At the same time as the hunt for alien submarines was being\nintensified President Reagan pleaded for support from Sweden and other\ncountries for concerted action to punish the soviet Union--a boycott\nagainst Aeroflot.\n\"Sweden ought to participate, in view of all the submarines, a State\nDepartment official told Expressen\n\"\nPORTUGAL\nPro-Communist paper: \"U.S. Responsible for Countless Bloody Acts\"\nLisbon's pro-Communist O Diario held that \"in the face of what is going on\nit is important not to forget that the United States and its allied regimes\nare responsible for countless events with bloody consequences (the Korean\nwar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lebanon etc.)\"\nPro-Socialist Jornal de Noticias yesterday said, \"The possibility that the\nSoviet pilot thought he was in the presence of a military aircraft without\nnavigation lights and which did not respond to radio warnings\nmay change\nthe whole case and ridicule the worldwide accusations of 'crime, 'barbar-\nism, 'paranoid act,' 'cowardly slaughter' and 'premeditated murder.\nAUSTRIA\n\"Reagan Wants His Opinion of Soviets Reconfirmed\"\nIndependent Die Presse of Vienna today had the observation of Washington\ncorrespondent Georg Possanner that \"the Reagan administration is trying to\nmake it clear that this catastrophe reconfirms the opinion it has held\nabout the Soviet Union since the very beginning\n=\nA columnist for the tabloid Kronen-Zeitung wrote that \"there is only one\nthing the Soviets should do--confess their guilt. Such behavior would be\nbecoming if they still want to be regarded as members of the community of\nnations rather than as highwaymen of the air.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n7\n9/5/83\nTURKEY\n\"Bells of Danger Are Tolling\"\nIstanbul's popular Gunes today ran the headline \"Soviets At Last Accept\nMass Murder.\" The paper ran front-page pictures comparing a Boeing jumbo\njet with a plane identified as an RC-135.\nAn editorial said, \"The reports that the bells of danger are tolling for\nthe human race are not empty statements. A mistake by a pilot or a\ncalculation or a show of superiority rips the life away from hundreds.\nICELAND\n\"Soviets Trying to Cover Up With Cheap Statements\"\nIn Reykjavik on Saturday, Althydubladid held, \"This mass murder of\ncivilians by the Red Army awakens the disgust of the entire world.\n\"The Soviets are not trying to cover up this incident by just keeping\nquiet, but they are trying CO cover up with scome cheap statements. \"\nLeading Morgunbladid said, \"It is hard to understand what lies behind the\nSoviet attack on the airliner. The act is totally inexcusable\nThe fact\nthat the airliner may have strayed into Soviet airspace does not allow them\nto shoot it down\n\"\nEASTERN EUROPE\nBULGARIA\n\"There Are Questions that Remain to Be Answered\"\nIn Sofia last night a television commentator read from a New York Times\nstory suggesting that \"there are questions that remain to be answered\n\"\nCommunist Party paper Rabotnichesko devoted half the front-page today to\ntwo TASS items on the incident accusing the U.S. of starting an anti-Soviet\npropaganda campaign.\nUSIA/P/RM\n8\n9/5/83\nEAST ASIA AND PACIFIC\nJAPAN\nSoviets Confirm Plane Shot Down by Air-to-air Missile\nNHK-TV, TBS-TV and Fuji-TV today focused attenion on an AP report from\nMoscow which said a Soviet source has confirmed for the first time that the\nKAL jumbo was shot down by an air-to-air missile. The network said the\nsource stated that the order to shoot down the Korean airliner was given by\ntop military brass in Moscow.\nSpeakes Says U.S. R-135 Had Flown in Vicinity\nThe networks also carried reports from Washington which said White House\nDeputy Press Secretary Larry Speakes has stated that a U.S. RC-135 recon-\nnaissance plane had flown in the vicinity of the KAL plane's course one or\ntwo hours before the incident, indicating, according to the networks,\nthe possibility of the Soviets' mistaking the jumbo for the RC-135.\nForeign Ministry To Press Soviets to Disclose Facts\nLiberal Asahi today reported that Chief Cabinet Secretary Gotoda, who is\nacting Foreign Minister, met officials of the Ministry to discuss counter-\nmeasures. The report said the Foreign Ministry has confirmed its policy of\nstrongly pressing the Soviet Union to disclose the facts of the incident\nand to cooperate on research operations.\nIn order to draw out a reply from the Soviet side, Asahi said the Foreign\nMinistry has decided to (1) study joint action with the United States in\nseeking permission to enter Soviet territorial waters to conduct U.S.-\nJapan search activities and (2) not to carry out sanctions against the\nSoviet Union.\nModerate Yomiuri today said Prime Minister Nakasone has stated that Japan\nwill strongly purse Soviet responsibility through close contacts with the\nUnited States and South Korea.\n\"Soviets Should Cooperate in Search for Passengers and Crew\"\nThe Tokyo Shinbum in an editorial today said, \"If the Soviet Union does not\nadmit its mistake on the shooting down of the KAL plane and continues to\ntake an insincere attitude toward international opinion which seeks\nclarification of the truth, future East-West relations will be seriously\naffected.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n9\n9/5/83\n\"An agreement must be reached at the U.S.-Soviet disarmament negotiations\nbecause this is of top importance. While continuing to pursue Soviet\nresponsibility for shooting down the Korean airliner, it is necessary on\nthe other hand to promote calm diplomacy toward the Soviet Union on other\nissues.\"\nThe paper said that_ \"the stand taken\" by the United States and Japan in not\nimposing sanctions against the Soviet Union \"is proper and we give our full\nsupport.\n\"The first step the Soviet Union must take is to reveal all the facts\nThe Soviet Union should then cooperate in the Japanese search for the\npassengers and the crew\nand compensate the families of the victims as\nwell as make maximum efforts to prevent recurrence of such incidents.\"\n\"Mutual Sincerity and Honesty Are Needed at Madrid\"\nLiberal Asahi in an editorial on the Madrid CSCE conference said today,\n\"The KAL incident could lead to East-West exchanges at the Madrid talks.\nMutual sincerity and honesty are needed the most to regain confidence and\novercome the present ordeal. We especially hope that Foreign Minister\nGromyko will keep this in mind.\"\nHONG KONG\nReagan to Announce Sanctions Against USSR\nMost independent papers today front-paged AP reports that President Reagan\nis to announce sanctions against the USSR.\n\"Will Never Escape the Judgment of History\"\nCenter-right Wah Kiu Yat Po in an editorial today said, \"This savage act of\n'aerial massacre' will forever be hated by God, be forever reviled by the\nwhole world and will never escape the judgment of history.\"\n\"USSR Conducting Secret Military Activities in the Far East?\"\nThe independent Hong Kong Daily in an editorial today asked, \"Is the USSR\nconducting some secret military activities or deployment near northern\nJapan or the Far East?\"\nWhether or not the downing of the Korean airliner was to conceal any move\nof Soviet missiles to the Far East, the paper concluded, \"At least it\ncontains a sting toward Japan's increase in its military posture, and to\nshow its colors toward the Sino-Soviet talks which are about to resume.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n10\n9/5/83\n\"Moscow Has Single-handedly Changed Its Own Image\"\nCenter-right Sing Tao Jin Pao said in an editorial today that Moscow \"has\nsingle-handedly changed its own image and put itself in an extremely\nisolated position.\" The paper said the incident allows everyone to learn\nhow \"not to entertain any illusions about the expansionist USSR\" and \"begin\na relentless attack against 'Great Russian Expansionism.\n\"Soviet Fingers Always on the Trigger\"\nIndependent Ming Pao in an editorial today said the Soviet Union gave\norders to fire on the Korean airliner \"because they are constantly under\nsevere tension, nervousness and full of hostility, ready to fight any time,\nwith fingers always on the trigger, monitoring their imagined enemies day\nand night, their every moment waiting for enemies to descend from the air\nor rush in from the sea, palpitating with anxiety and fear, treating every\nbush and tree as an enemy.\"\nSuch a state of mind, said the editorial, is extremely \"abnormal\" and\n\"greater disasters can be concealed behind such a mentality.\n\"A Missile, a Commercial Airliner Exposed Soviet Hegemonism\"\nPro-PRC Ching Po said on Saturday that \"on certain questions and at certain\ntimes, the USSR adopts a conciliartory posture, but in fact there is no\nchange in its basic hegemonism. One missile and one commercial airliner\nexposed the 'hegemonist' air of the Soviet Union.\"\n\"Shameful Brand on Soviet Communism\"\nMass appeal independent Sing Pao Daily News said at least the Chinese\nCommunists have issued indirect criticism. \"The shooting down of a\ncommercial airlines and the killing of over 200 people is a shameful brand\non Soviet Communism.\"\nJAKARTA\nIndonesian Government: \"An Act Beyond Humanity\"\nPapers today reported Foreign Minister Mochtar Kusumaatmadja's statement,\nafter a meeting with President Soeharto, that the incident was \"an act\nbeyond humanity\" and that \"the Soviet Government is fully responsibile.\nHe added that the tragedy was all the more regrettable \"because the Soviet\nUnion, with its modern and sophisticated technological equipment, has all\nthe capability to prevent such a tragedy from occurring.'\nUSIA/P/RM\n11\n9/5/83\n\"Shocking and Repulsive\"\nThe pro-Government English language Indonesia Times said in an editorial\ntoday, \"Shooting down of an unarmed civilian plane with SO many passengers\nand crew is certainly cruel and inhuman and in violation of human rights\nand civilized human conduct.\n\"Whatever, the reason, it should not have been done. It is shocking and\nrepulsive.\"\n\"All Countries of the World Strongly Condemn This Incident\"\nMilitary-oriented Berita Yudha commented, \"It is not surprising that all\ncountries of the world strongly condemn this incident. More than a few\nstamp it as a barbaric act, uncivilized.'\nSOUTH ASIA\nINDIA\n\"Indian Reaction Sounded Ludicrous\"\nThe Chandigarh Tribune, in an editorial today, said, \"Among the inter-\nnational reactions the official Indian comment was conspicuous for what\ncould only be described as fumbling nonalignment or, if a more charitable\nview were to be taken, deplorably poor draftsmanship. As things turned out\nthe Indian reaction sounded ludicrous.\"\nSRI LANKA\n\"What If the Plane Had Belonged to a U.S. Airline?\"\nThe Government-owned English language Daily News wrote today, \"The event\nhas certainly not left its perpetators with any psychological or moral\nadvantage. It is clear that the world stands outraged\n\"Explanations can sometimes be more painful than the error they seek to\nexcuse.\n\"Even more fateful could be the caution which the shooting raises against\nthe possiblity of triggering off a greater missile catastrophe.\nThere are many observers today asking themselves what might have followed\nif the plane had belonged to a U.S. airline.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n12\n9/5/83\nBANGLADESH\n\"Soviet Image Blackened for Many Days to Come\"\nThe New Nation of Dahka in an editorial yesterday said, \"The Soviets have\nnot reacted satisfactorily to the mounting world pressure by even as much\nas giving their whole facts, whatever their merit, of the incident. Why?\n\"However the wheels of international justice may turn and the Soviets be\nmade to make amends, the way the sensibilities of fairminded people all\nover the world has been outraged is sure to keep the Soviet image blackened\nfor many days to come.\"\nPro-Government Ittefaq said, \"The Soviet Union, by destroying a defenseless\npassenger aircraft, violated the international airspace law as well as the\nprinciple of general international peace and coexistence.\"\n\"Afghanistan Precedent for Soviets' Barbarous Masssacre\"\nSangram commented, \"There is precedent that only the Soviets can commit\nsuch barbarous act of masssacre--not in air, but on land. Those who can\nindiscriminately kill the innocent people of Afghanistan for no offense\nalso can hurl a missile to down a civilian passenger carrier plane.' \"\nNEPAL\nForeign Ministry: \"Loss of Innocent Lives Was Indeed Deplorable\"\nMedia today carried a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman's statement\nthat \"the reported shooting was both tragic and disturbing. Although the\nplain facts are yet to be ascertained, the incident leading to the loss of\n269 innocent lives on board the aircraft, if correct, was deplorable.\"\n\"World Must Strongly Protest\"\nPro-PRC Naya Nepal Current yestrerday wrote, \"By such an inhuman and cruel\naction the Soviet Union has earned a great deal of hatred and anger from\nthe people of the world\ntrack, it is important that the world must strongly protest and the same\nIn order to bring the Soviets back on the right\ntime not cooperate with the Soviets.\"\nThe independent weekly Valley News and Views today said, \"Even given the\nbox benefit of the doubt, this ugly international tragedy opens up a Pandora's\nof unlimited possibilities of the mighty.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n13\n9/5/83\nSRI LANKA\n\"What If the Plane Had Belonged to a U.S. Airline?\"\nThe Government-owned English language Daily News wrote today, \"The event\nhas certainly not left its perpetators with any psychological or moral\nadvantage. It is clear that the world stands outraged\n\"Explanations can sometimes be more painful than the error they seek to\nexcuse.\n\"Even more fateful could be the caution which the shooting raises against\nthe possiblity of triggering off a greater missile catastrophe.\nThere are many observers today asking themselves what might have followed\nif the plane had belonged to a U.S. airline.\"\nMIDDLE EAST\nJORDAN\nPapers Recall Downing of Libyan Plane by Israelis in 1973\nThe Jordan Times of Amman today described the incident as \"shocking and\nworrisome\" but warned again \"the further sharpening of the already tense\ninternational situation following the tragedy.\"\nWhile condemning \"whoever is responsible,\" the paper added \"it is incon-\nceivable for us to understand the U.S. total obsession with the use of big\nstick diplomacy in every problem except that of the Palestinians.\"\nRecalling an incident over the Sinai in 1973 when a Libyan airliner was\nshot down by Israeli fighters, the paper asked, \"Does Washington remember\nits reaction then? Did the Americans contemplate imposing sanctions\nagainst the Zionist state for its ugly crime?\"\nIndependent ar-Ray yesterday warried a byliner's assertion that \"no human\nbeing can condone the shooting However, this crusade against the Soviet\nUnion is inexplicable to us Arabs who suffered the downing of a Libyan\nairline by Israeli fighters in 1973 and no such crusade was launched\nagainst the Zionist state.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n14\n9/5/83\nLATIN AMERICA\nBRAZIL\nSao Paulo Newspapers Quote President Reagan\nLeading O Estado de Sao Paulo and Folha de Sao Paulo yesterday both cited\nthe President's statement that the USSR continues to distort the truth and\nthat the Soviets still owe the world \"explanations and apologies for this\nact of brutality\n\"This Tragedy Will Have Results\"\nLiberal Folha de Sao Paulo carried a Paris correspondent's conclusions\nyesterday that \"the tragedy and crime of the Boeing will result in destroy-\ning all the efforts made by the Soviet Government to show its intention to\nnegotiate with a tough adversary, the United States\n\"The Pershing missiles will now definitely be installed in Europe, the\nGeneva conference will not progress a single step and Japan will finally be\nprepared to adhere to adhere to the U.S. system of military defense. From\nnow on, the Soviet Union is really besieged.\"\nTV: \"I Hope the World Shows Its Repudiation\"\nTV Cultura's foreign policy commentator yesterday emphasized \"worldwide\ncondemnation of the act of barbarism committed by the USSR.\"\nAsserting that the downing of the airliner resulted from centralized Soviet\ncommand, the commentator called it \"a typical act of barbarism, a criminal\nact. The USSR intentionally despised those human lives and shot the plane\ndown. It was a crime against mankind. The 269 lives were sacrificed on\nbehalf of a supposed political principle and of a domestic security which\nwas not at stake. I hope the world shows its repudiation of Moscow's\nattitude.'\n=\nARGENTINA\nBuenos Aires Papers Carry Korean Communique\nYesterday, leading La Nacion and La Prensa carried the text of the South\nKorean Embassy's communique that \"in this case, humanitarian considerations\nwere laid aside in order to adjust to rigid military instructions..\nUSIA/P/RM\n15\n9/5/83\n\"Kremlin's Savage Act Not Surprising\"\nConservative La Prensa yesterday ran an article by a byliner who\nmaintained: \"It is a general mistake in the West to feel surprised or\nindignant. The destruction of the Korean airliner would have been\nappalling had it been the work of a civilized or indifferently civilized\nregime\n\"But the Moscow regime is not civilized, even indifferently\nIt does not\ntry to be. It is a regime made up of savages whose first and preferred\nvictims are their own people\n\"\n\"If All Countries Acted as the Soviet Union Did\n11\nYesterday's conservative La Nacion held that \"the Soviet charge that the\nUnited States Government was using the plane for espionage purposes is\nchildish, to say the least. Considering the extraordinary resources\navailable to the big powers for espionage, it is difficult to conceive of\nsuch rudimentary methods\n\"Even if the charge were true, one cannot understand why the Soviet Union,\nwith its impressive defensive and offensive technological arsenal, was\nunable to prevent the alleged mission in some other way\n\"If all countries in the world were to act as the Soviet Union did\nthe\nhard-earned safety of airliners would disappear\nH\nCHILE\n\"Difference Between Soviet Words and Deeds\"\nYesterday's conservative El Mercurio in Santiago cited President Reagan to\nthe effect that the people of the world should perceive the \"difference\nbetween Soviet words and deeds\" from its action in downing the Korean plane.\n\"Many Information Gaps in What We Know\"\nAn editorial in Saturday's La Nacion of Santiago could find no legitimate\nexplanation for the Soviet action but asked a number of questions. It\nsaid:\n\"\nThere are many information gaps in what we know to date. Planes\nare constantly in touch with a communications center. They never fly on\ntheir own, never blindly. There is always a center, a control tower that\nknows everything that is happening on board.\nUSIA/P/RM\n16\n9/5/83\n\"Is it that such centers in Anchorage, Tokyo or Seoul knew nothing at the\ntime? On the other hand, through U.S. Naval and Japanese land intelli-\ngence, we know what was said by the Soviet pilots of the eight fighter-\nbombers which flanked the Korean jumbo jet?\n\"\nCOLOMBIA\n\"Soviet Arms to Be Used, Not to Maintain Peaceful Equilibrium\"\nIn Bogota yesterday, conservative El Siglo carried a byliner's comment that\n\"the terrible, unjustified and perfidious attack on a commercial Korean\nairliner by a Soviet fighter is a clear and precise warning by the hammer\nand sickle to all of the Western world that the arms they have are not for\nthe purpose of maintaining a peaceful equilibrium\nbut to be used in\nwhatever circumstances, including against defenseless passengers\n\"President Reagan is right when he deploys U.S. military power with the\nvision that he has regarding international problems. He knows that Russian\nintentions go much further than the words they use in international forums.' \"\nPERU\n\"A Repulsive Crime\"\nPro-Government Expreso of Lima yesterday editorialized under the title\n\"Genocide in the Air\" and declared: \"There can exist no justification for\nsuch a repulsive crime, not even the fact that a defenseless plane overflew\nsecurity zones, since it was not only evident that it was a matter of a\nnavigational error but also that its passing over territory controlled by\nthe USSR did not represent a threat of attack\n\"The plane was an unarmed, vulnerable, commercial, passenger airliner\n\"\nECUADOR\n\"Shows the Terrible Vulnerability to Atomic Holocaust\"\nCenter-left La Razon of Quito yesterday pointed out that \"what just\nhappened to the Korean plane with premeditation and in cold blood\nseems\nto reflect the disappearance of the most basic sense of humanity\n=\nUSIA/P/RM\n17\n9/5/83\nPARAGUAY\nStroessner Letter to President Reagan\nIn Asuncion Saturday, Colorado Party newspaper Patria carried a letter from\nPresident Alfredo Stroessner to President Reagan expressing \"our most\nenergetic condemnation and repudiation of this brutal episode\nPANAMA\nUtlimate Danger of Soviet \"Tension, Fear and Excessive Zeal\"\nA commentator said on Panamanian TV Friday that the incident resulted from\n\"the tension among those who guard the Soviet borders and of the fear and\nexcessive zeal of the Soviets on foreign planes flying over their area.\n\"May the terrible tragedy serve for reflection on what might happen on\nthe day that zeal, error or lack of communication precipitates a nuclear\nattack.\"\nAFRICA\nTANZANIA\nNews Coverage of UN Debate\nToday's official Daily News of Dar es Salaam carried news coverage of the\nU.N. debate under the headline \"UN Discusses Korean Plane.' It devoted two\nparagraphs to a Soviet TASS report that Soviet radar operators may have\nmistaken the airliner for a U.S. Air Force plane resembling the Boeing 747.\nZAIRE\n\"Has Shocked Human Conscience\"\nIn Kinshasa today, the Zaire news agency (AZAP) had the Government's\nstatement that the Soviet action resulted \"in the deaths of hundreds of\ninnocent persons in violation of international law and morals.\"\nUSIA/P/RM\n18\n9/5/83\nThe paper said Zaire had sent a message of sympathy to the Government and\npeople of South Korea and to the families of the victims and had condemend\nthe shooting down of the plane as an action that \"has shocked human\nconscience\" and that comes at a time \"when international relations are\nalready tense, leading, in turn, to mistrust, violence and insecurity in\nthe international community.\"\nSWAZILAND\n\"World Outrage Over Downing of Airliner\"\nThe Swazi News yesterday devoted a page to the incident under the headline\n\"World Outrage Over Downing of Airliner.\" The Swazi Observer's headline\nfor a Reuters article was \"South Korea Demands Apology from Soviet Union.\"\nLESOTHO\n\"Darkest Cloud\" Over U.S. Soviet Relations Since Afghanistan\nRadio Lesotho's morning news program on Friday provided a compendium of\nexpressions of outrage from world capitals. Among those quoted were Figaro\nof Paris, reports from Tokyo and New York. The radio commented that the\nincident had provoked the \"darkest cloud\" over U.S.-Soviet relations since\nthe Russian invasion of Afghanistan.\nUSIA/P/RM\n19\n9/5/83"
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