By David A. Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday , April 22, 2000

Attorney General Janet Reno's decision to seize Elian Gonzalez today and reunite the boy with his father generally received
praised from law enforcement officials, pediatric experts and politicians. But some of them also questioned whether the attorney general had waited too long to act, forcing her to send in armed federal agents who added to the tension by spraying pepper spray at protesters and brandishing weapons inside the home of Elian's Miami relatives.

"The use of this type of force clearly was not justified," said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.). With negotiations
between Reno and the family continuing, Lott said, the extreme show of force appeared un-American and more like "something that only happens in Fidel Castro's Cuba."

President Clinton staunchly defended the Reno's actions before departing for Camp David with his family for Easter.

"I supported the decisions that were made," Clinton said. "Even yesterday, the attorney general worked very hard on this late
into the night, showing great restraint, patience and compassion. When all efforts failed, there was no alternative but to enforce
the decision of the INS and the federal court that Juan Miguel Gonzalez should have custody of his son. The law has been
upheld, and that was the right thing to do."

Former FBI deputy director Robert M. Bryant, a veteran of law enforcement negotiations, said the attorney general handled
the matter well and had to send in armed agents after reports that the family and protesters might have weapons. Bryant also
said Reno acted patiently before seizing the child and succeeded by reuniting him with his father without any injuries or deaths.

"She did a good job," Bryant said. "There was nobody hurt, and no shots were fired, and the law was followed, so I guess it
was successful. The child was taken without any harm. .‚.‚. They had the lawful right to enter the premises, and they have to
handle the situation so nobody gets hurt, including the family, the little boy and the officers. They secured the area, got in and
got out. That is good tactics. We are a nation of laws. Either we are going to follow them or not."

But Jerry Wiener, emeritus professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at George Washington University Medical Center, said it was unfortunate that the child had to be seized with the use of force, adding to his trauma after the death of his mother at sea nearly five months ago. Wiener, who advised Reno on the matter, said there is only so much a 6-year-old can be expected to handle emotionally.

"I think it was a stressful and frightening situation for Elian," Wiener said. "It was a tense situation, and one wishes that hadn't
been necessary. On the other hand, I understand Elian calmed down quickly. .‚.‚. He ate and slept for a while and talked and
engaged with people, and he had a very positive reunion with his father."

Wiener also said Reno was forced to seize the child after his Miami relatives refused to turn him over voluntarily. "Reno acted when she realized nothing else was going to work," Wiener said, adding that from a tactical standpoint, immigration officers and federal marshals "pulled it off beautifully."

The attorney for Elian's father said the Justice Department's patience finally ran out. "We agreed to virtually everything," Greg
Craig said, "but we would not compromise on the most critical issue of custody. The relatives in Miami, however, were
intransigent on that issue and many others. To the very end, Lazaro Gonzalez placed roadblocks in the path of the orderly
transfer of custody. He gave the attorney general no alternative."

Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said he wished Reno had
moved sooner but said Elian was now in the right place with his dad, his stepmother and his younger brother. He said that Elian
seemed overjoyed to be reunited with his younger brother and that sibling relationships were critical and had been
underestimated during the saga.

"From an emotional point of view, he is now where he should be," said Redlener, who advised the Justice Department on the
case and had urged Reno to move more swiftly.

"Janet Reno, in my book, gets high grades for managing an extraordinarily difficult situation that had an almost incalculable
impact from the point of view of the emotional state of this family, of the community, and the impact on international relations
and politics. This was about as complex a set of issues as we can imagine in our society at this time."

                                 © 2000 The Washington Post Company