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U.S. Suburban Sniper Captures Global Attention
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
By Deborah Zabarenko
Reuters

In Japan, coverage of the case has been eclipsed by news that neighboring North Korea admitted to having a nuclear weapons program, but the nation's top newspapers and broadcasts still put the story into daily news bulletins.

WASHINGTON -- Reuters
In Paris, he is "the man who took America hostage." In Amsterdam, he is "Spookschutter" -- ghost shooter -- or simply "the maniac."

In Chile, a news story on Wednesday calls him "misterioso francotirador," the mysterious sniper who has terrorized Washington and captured public attention around the world.

In newspapers, television and on the Web, the story of the elusive gunman who has killed 10 and injured three in the Washington area has resonance far beyond the U.S. capital.

Tuesday's threat from the sniper, relayed by police, that "Your children are not safe, anywhere at any time" screamed out of headlines in Britain.

"I'll kill your children" showed up in The Sun's Web site, while The Mirror made the sniper case its top story, calling the gunman the "Thriller Killer."

The Guardian found room on its front page for a grim cartoon about the case, showing two deer standing in a wooded area, with the first deer saying, "It's very quiet," and the second replying, "They're all out hunting one another."

The Times newspaper ran a sidebar on U.S. bettors wagering on when the sniper will be caught, while the Daily Star reported that police were investigating claims the sniper may be a French Army deserter.

Le Parisien, a popular newspaper in the French capital, also offered a dark cartoon, featuring al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden hiding in a cave with a Kalashnikov rifle and a Koran, saying, "If I were in Washington, I'd be afraid to leave home."

* PARIS HEARS POLICE CHIEF'S BRIEFINGS
* HEADLINE ON 'PANIC IN WASHINGTON'
(More: ABC News Source)
2002 © Reuters, Ltd.

Dan