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1A state weight inspector whose boss says
2he tipped the scales at 500 pounds himself and "kept growing out
3of the uniforms" is appealing his firing by the North Dakota
4Highway Patrol.
5Melvin Hansen of Wahpeton, who is awaiting a hearing before the
6state Personnel Board on Wednesday, was given five reasons in
7writing for being fired, including his weight, his lawyer, Hal
8Stutsman, said Friday.
9Hansen was dismissed July 31 from his job in a scale house where
10he weighed trucks and inspected cargo.
11"To say we terminated the guy because he was overweight is
12basically unfair," said Brian Berg, superintendent of the Highway
13Patrol. "I feel bad for the guy. We tried to work with him to
14improve his situation. He left us no alternative, in our opinion."
15Berg said Hansen's "weight probably contributed to other
16things. ... Personal health habits would be a polite way of saying
17it."
18Highway Patrol policy requires employees to maintain
19"appropriate health levels, weight levels and physical fitness
20levels" as determined by the department's doctor, personnel
21officer Richard Anagnost said.
22Anagnost said Hansen was informed that reasons for his firing
23included his failure to follow the doctor's recommendations about
24weight loss, his appearance and grooming and his inability to wear
25a uniform while on duty.
26Hansen weighed 325 in 1983 and 500 pounds when he was fired,
27Berg said. "He kept growing out of the uniforms. We refused to
28keep altering them."
29Stutsman refused to discuss details of the appeal, and Hansen
30referred all questions to his lawyer when contacted Friday.
31Stutsman called Hansen a "fairly good-sized man, that's for
32sure," but he said his client's weight is disputed, in part
33because "they have never really had an adequate scale to weigh him
34on."
35Hansen, in his 40s, had worked for the Highway Patrol since 1977
36in the agency's truck regulatory division, Stutsman said. His exact
37age was unavailable.
38
39Fighting an image that Alaska is cold and
40forsaken all year, the state tourism division is running new TV ads
41that get a little good-natured revenge by poking fun at its
42big-state rival, Texas.
43Four years ago, former Texas Gov. Mark White said he didn't
44believe anyone would want to visit Alaska, which he called a frozen
45wasteland, said state tourism marketing director Mary Klugherz.
46"We basically took that page from history" in making the
47series of six commercials, Klugherz said.
48In the commercials, a governor visits Alaska to see for himself
49why people come here. The governor's state is not identified, "but
50you can tell he's from Texas," Klugherz said. "He's sort of an
51LBJ look-alike."
52The governor also wears a 10-gallon hat and cowboy boots.
53The first commercial shows the governor visiting Alaska and
54discovering the summer weather is great. The second ad says the
55governor's aides are coming north to look for him because he
56apparently has decided he enjoys it in Alaska so much he stayed
57longer than expected.
58People still believe Alaska endures cold, snow and ice all year,
59said Klugherz. "We're trying to tell travelers the truth," she
60said.
61July temperatures in Anchorage average in the high 50s, with
62daytime temperatures often in the 60- to 70-degree range.
63In past ad campaigns, tourism officials have pitched the state's
64scenery and wildlife, Klugherz said. This year, "We're basically
65hitting the weather head-on," she said.
66The tourism division is spending $2.3 million to air the
67commercials on network stations in 20 cities in the Lower 48. The
68ads started running last month and will continue through April,
69Klugherz said.
70The ads will not run in Texas because it's too expensive to
71advertise there, she said.
72
73The stock market closed out its worst week so
74far this year, as prices fell for the second straight session.
75The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials dropped 44.92 points
76Friday to 1,978.95, finishing the week with a net loss of 108.42.
77That marked the average's biggest weekly decline since it
78dropped 143.74 points last Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
79After tumbling Thursday in foreign exchange, the dollar showed
80signs of steadying Friday. Interest rates, which had contributed to
81the stock market's woes by rising Thursday morning, dropped back a
82bit.
83But analysts said investors were still leery of stocks. They
84said Thursday's selloff dealt a significant blow to the tenuous
85confidence that had been building up in the market's rally since
86late last year.
87In the absence of any news to explain the market's weakness,
88brokers said many traders remained fearful that economic and
89inflationary pressures might soon reach a point where they would
90prompt the Federal Reserve to begin tightening credit.
91Declining issues outnumbered advances by about 3 to 1 in the
92daily tally on the New York Stock Exchange, with 385 up, 1,156 down
93and 428 unchanged.
94Big Board volume came to 163.17 million shares, against 184.91
95million in the previous session. The NYSE's composite index lost
962.42 to 146.58.
97As measured by Wilshire Associates' index of more than 5,000
98actively traded stocks, the market lost $39.81 billion, or 1.52
99percent, in value.
100
101The aging of America's population led to a
102national record of 2.1 million deaths last year, but births topped
1033.8 million for the highest number in 23 years, the government says.
104The National Center for Health Statistics reported Friday that
105deaths in 1987 totaled "2,127,000, about 28,000 more than the
106previous year and the largest number ever reported for the United
107States."
108Deaths from heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer, slipped
109slightly, but cancer claimed more victims than in the year before,
110the study showed.
111The nation's overall death rate was about the same as in 1986,
112at about 8.7 deaths per 1,000 people. That's because the number of
113fatalities increased at about the same rate as the population grew,
114the study noted.
115The study also found that marriage and divorce rates changed
116little, remaining at relatively low levels.
117Births, which had dipped somewhat in 1986, climbed 3 percent the
118following year to an estimated 3,829,000.
119"The 1987 provisional total is the largest number reported
120since 1964," the study said. The fertility rate was 66.1 live
121births per 1,000 women aged 15-44, up from 64.9 in 1986.
122The rising number of births that have occurred in recent years
123has resulted from the large number of women born during the post
124World War II Baby Boom who have now entered their main
125child-bearing years.
126That has prompted population experts to term the recent rise in
127births an echo of the Baby Boom.
128They insist it is not, in itself, another Baby Boom, however,
129pointing out that birth rates have remained well below those of the
1301950s and early 1960s.
131Subtracting deaths from births, the study reported a natural
132increase in population of 1,702,000 people last year, 3 percent
133more than in 1986.
134Just slightly over twice as many couples married as were
135divorced during the year, the annual report found.
136Marriages in 1987 totaled 2,421,000, 1 percent more than the
137year before. That represented a marriage rate of 9.9 per 1,000
138population. That was the lowest rate since 1977, when it was also
1399.9.
140Meanwhile, there were 1,157,000 divorces last year, a 1 percent
141decline. The divorce rate was 4.8 per 1,000 people, about the same
142as the year before and the lowest divorce rate since 1975.
143The report also looked at causes of death reported across the
144nation, and found a decline in heart disease fatalities, but an
145increase in cancer deaths between 1986 and 1987.
146Because it takes longer to compile the detailed figures, the
147cause-of-death statistics were reported for the 12-month period
148ending with November 1987, rather than for the calendar year.
149For all causes, the 1987 rate was reported at 873.0 deaths per
150100,000 people, down from 873.3 in 1986.
151The rate for major cardiovascular diseases slipped from 401.8
152per 100,000 in 1986 to 395.7 in 1987, the study said.
153But at the same time, the death rate for all types of cancer
154increased from 193.7 per 100,000 to 195.9.
155Among the other causes of death reported were diabetes, 15.4 per
156100,000, up from 15.2; stroke, 61.0, down from 61.6; pneumonia and
157influenza, 28.2, down from 28.7; chronic lung disease, 31.7, up
158from 31.3; chronic liver disease, 10.7, down from 10.8; accidents,
15938.1, down from 38.9, and suicide, 12.1, down from 12.6.
160
161The Defense Department will try to prop up the
162slumping U.S. bearing industry with a requirement that makers of
163jets, submarines and other military systems use only American-made
164bearings.
165The "Buy-American" regulation, due to be published Monday in
166the Federal Register, would be in place for at least three years,
167said Rep. Nancy L. Johnson, R-Conn., who pushed for the rule. She
168called it a "tremendous victory" for U.S. bearing makers.
169The domestic industry has been severely eroded by foreign
170competition in recent years. Nearly 65 percent of ball bearings
171sold in the United States come from abroad, and 40 percent of the
172roller bearing sales are from imports.
173The Defense Department is a major buyer of bearings, making up
174nearly 19 percent of the U.S. market. The Pentagon buys a majority
175of the super-precision bearings used in jets and submarines.
176Congressional proponents warn that the sagging domestic industry
177would be unable to gear up for wartime production. They point to a
1781986 Pentagon study that said the bearing industry is critical to
179the nation's defense and warned that domestic manufacturers were in
180"imminent danger of being unable to support national defense
181needs."
182"This action is clearly needed to halt a trend that directly
183jeopardizes our ability to defend ourselves," said Mrs. Johnson, a
184founder of the Congressional Bearing Caucus whose western
185Connecticut district includes several major bearing employers.
186"This new policy will prevent the loss of even more business
187overseas and give our bearings companies the breathing room they
188need to regain their competitive edge," she said.
189The new regulations would cover only combat-related systems and
190not non-military items bought by the Pentagon such as bearings for
191automobiles, according to Johnson aide Caroline Willson. Military
192bearings make up more than half the bearings purchased by the
193department.
194About $40 million of the $350 million in military-related
195bearings purchased by the Defense Department annually comes from
196foreign countries. And that trend has been increasing, the
197congresswoman said.
198From 1980 to 1986, she said, the number of foreign manufacturers
199authorized to sell bearings to the Pentagon increased from two to
20012. Mrs. Johnson said that would have climbed to 30 companies by
2011990 without the new regulations.
202Mrs. Johnson and other industrial-area lawmakers are supporting
203an industry request to the Commerce Department urging restrictions
204on foreign imports. The department has until July to respond to
205last summer's request and make a recommendation to President Reagan.
206Since 1980, the industry has lost 15,000 jobs, a 20 percent
207decrease. Thirty plant closings have left about 80 companies
208remaining and 43,000 employees, Ms. Willson said.
209
210Critics say President Reagan interfered with
211the legal process by predicting that former White House aides
212Oliver L. North and John M. Poindexter will be acquitted of charges
213in the Iran-Contra affair.
214In off-the-cuff remarks Friday, Reagan called the affair "the
215so-called scandal" and said he still considers North "a hero."
216But he refused to say whether he was considering granting any
217pardons in the case.
218"I just have to believe that they're going to be found innocent
219because I don't think they were guilty of any lawbreaking or any
220crime," Reagan said in response to a question at a seminar
221sponsored by the Center for the Study of the Presidency.
222North and Poindexter, along with arms dealers Richard V. Secord
223and Albert A. Hakim, pleaded innocent Thursday to charges of
224conspiracy, theft and fraud in the Iran-Contra case. The case
225involved the sale of U.S. arms to Iran and the diversion of
226proceeds to the Nicaraguan Contras.
227Senate Majority Whip Alan Cranston, D-Calif., said Reagan's
228comment about the innocence or guilt of people under criminal
229indictment "is highly inappropriate."
230"His statement could adversely and improperly influence the
231execution of justice," Cranston told reporters on Capitol Hill.
232"President Reagan has contributed to a prejudicial climate
233which could make it extremely difficult to get an unbiased jury in
234these cases," he said. "The president has made a judgment about
235guilt or innocence which only a jury is supposed to decide under
236our system of justice."
237Professor John F. Banzhaf III of George Washington University
238Law School, called Reagan's remarks "highly inappropriate" and
239said they could influence jurors in the case.
240"Millions of people feel strongly in favor of the president and
241his views carry great weight. He has an awful lot of credibility,"
242said Banzhaf, a consumer advocate who has been associated with
243liberal causes. "This is prejudging the case."
244In 1970, defense lawyers unsuccessfully sought dismissal of
245murder charges against Charles Manson after then-President Richard
246M. Nixon said Manson "was guilty directly or indirectly of eight
247murders without reason."
248Nixon subsequently issued a statement saying he had not intended
249to proclaim Manson guilty, and that a person was presumed innocent
250until proven otherwise.
251White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater, questioned about
252Reagan's remarks, said, "He's a man who tells you what he thinks
253and that's what he thinks." He said the president was "a man of
254rare insight and perception, just giving his perception there."
255White House chief of staff Howard H. Baker described the
256president's remarks as "personal views," and said the president's
257"official position is that the system must operate."
258Reagan said that when he learned that proceeds from the arms
259sales to Iran had been channeled to the Contra cause, he had top
260aides brief congressional leaders and appointed a commission to
261probe the matter. Reagan also noted that he had sought the
262appointment of a special counsel to investigate the diversion.
263"Now, that's the whole extent of the so-called scandal," he
264said. "What our intent was and what happened. And you know
265something? After all the investigations, today I still don't know
266who got that extra money or where it came from. I'm hoping to find
267out."
268"But I wanted you to know that I have some definite reason for
269still thinking Ollie North is a hero," he added.
270Reagan previously had said he did not think any laws were broken
271in the Iran-Contra affair, but had never gone so far as to predict
272acquittals.
273
274Five private exporters have been given the
275green light for subsidized sales to the Soviet Union of 475,000
276metric tons of hard red winter wheat, the Agriculture Department
277says.
278The government's Commodity Credit Corp. has approved in-kind
279bonuses averaging $21.95 a ton in value to the exporters to send
280the wheat to the Soviet Union in May, the Foreign Agricultural
281Service said in a statement Friday.
282Under the Export Enhancement Program, approved by Congress in
2831985, grain companies and other exporters receive government-owned
284crops as bonuses to spur overseas sales of American commodities.
285Subsidized sales of wheat to the Soviets have totaled more than
28610.8 million tons since last April, officials said. And the program
287is playing an increasingly large role in the overall U.S. farm
288export picture.
289Melvin E. Sims, general sales manager of the Foreign
290Agricultural Service, identified those receiving the bonuses and
291the amounts of grain involved as Garnac Grain Company Inc., 50,000
292tons; Richco Grain Ltd., 200,000 tons; Mitsubishi International
293Corp., 25,000 tons; Artfer Inc., 50,000 and Louis Dreyfus Corp.,
294150,000 tons.
295The Soviets may still purchase an additional 525,000 tons under
296a 2 million ton offer made by the United States on Jan. 29.
297The United States also made the Soviets a further 1 million-ton
298offer on Saturday.
299The two countries are preparing to negotiate a new long-term
300grain agreement to replace the one that expires Sept. 30.
301It calls for the Soviets to buy 9 million metric tons a year, of
302which 4 million must be wheat and 4 million corn. The remainder may
303be in wheat, corn, soybeans or soybean meal, with every ton of
304beans or meal counting as two tons of grain.
305Despite the agreement wheat sales to the Soviets slumped badly
306in 1986 but picked up against last year as the United States gave
307that country the green light for purchases under the subsidy
308program.
309
310Giveaways of government surplus milk to poor
311people are set to resume temporarily in June after a planned
312suspension in May, according to the Agriculture Department.
313Just how long the distribution of nonfat dry milk under the
314Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program can continue beyond
315June remains uncertain, the department said in a statement Friday.
316Suspension of the nonfat dry milk and cheese distributions was
317announced in February amid dwindling stocks of government-owned
318commodities. USDA inventories, however, have again climbed to the
319point that 8 million pounds can be distributed through local food
320banks in June, the department said.
321"At this time, we do not know if distribution of non-fat dry
322milk can be continued beyond June," Assistant Secretary for Food
323and Consumer Services John Bode said in a statement.
324He said the department would "monitor our inventories and keep
325states informed of availability."
326"The same is true for cheese," he said. "If we get more,
327we'll give it away."
328Also announced in February was a suspension of rice and honey
329distributions this month because of declining reserves.
330The actions have drawn fire from Capitol Hill, where Senate
331Agriculture Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., is holding
332hearings on the problem of hunger and focusing on the TEFAP.
333He planned a grocery-bagging session at a downtown Washington
334food bank on Monday to draw attention to the issue.
335Leahy said after the USDA announcement of June milk distribution
336that he was "pleased that there's an additional temporary supply
337for the month but this does not address the long-term problem."
338More than 5 billion pounds of surplus food worth more than $5
339billion has been distributed since 1981 when the program got under
340way on orders from President Reagan, the department said.
341Seven types of goods have been provided: cheese, butter, nonfat
342dry milk, honey corn meal, flour and rice.
343
344USDA has set a May referendum for cattle
345producers and cattle and beef importers on whether to continue
346their current $1 per head promotional program.
347The department announced Friday that anyone who produces cattle
348or has imported beef or beef products since Oct. 1, 1986, will be
349eligible to vote.
350A simple majority of votes will determine whether to continue
351the promotions, which have included television spots by actor James
352Garner and actress Cybill Shepherd.
353"Real food for real people" has been the slogan of the
354commercials.
355The referendum will take place on May 10 in all states except
356West Virginia, where the voting will be one day earlier.
357Extension Service offices will distribute ballots in April and
358absentee ballots will be available from them by mail.
359The program is funded by a fee of $1 per head on all domestic
360and imported cattle and an equivalent fee on beef imports.
361It was established under federal legislation approved in 1985.
362Agreement</HEAD>
363
364Republican conservatives in Congress are wary
365of the Nicaraguan cease-fire, with one saying the United States may
366have to "take some action with external forces" if the Contra
367rebels quit the field.
368"It's down to that," said Rep. Rod Chandler, R-Wash. "It's
369definitely a new era."
370Chandler was among GOP conservatives attending a retreat Friday
371in Houston. In Washington, meanwhile, President Reagan said that
372"there is reason to have caution" about whether Nicaragua's
373leftist government will keep its agreements.
374Reagan's comments were his first statement in any detail on the
37560-day nationwide cease-fire announced Wednesday in Sapoa,
376Nicaragua, by leaders of the Sandinista government and the
377U.S.-backed Contra guerrilla force.
378"Of course we look forward to this and hope it continues, but
379... just as in some other meetings that have gone on in which I
380have been involved, I think that we should keep in mind that both
381parties must be dedicated to the things that are said and agreed to
382in those meetings," the president said.
383"I think there is reason to have caution _ they have a past
384record that indicates that we should be," he added.
385Reagan was questioned by reporters as he prepared to meet with
386President Joaquin Balaguer of the Dominican Republic.
387In a formal statement as he appeared with Balaguer in the Rose
388Garden after the meeting, Reagan commended the Dominican president
389for hosting previous Nicaraguan peace talks, mediated by Roman
390Catholic Cardinal Obando y Bravo.
391"We both hope for democratic and peaceful solutions to the
392problems of the region," he said. "We want to see an end to the
393pursuit of military solutions and to the massive Soviet armament
394that fuels that pursuit."
395During his daily White House news briefing earlier, presidential
396spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said the administration believes "that
397this agreement has been reached by both sides in good faith" but
398is "skeptical of the compliance."
399"We're very hopeful that it works," Fitzwater said. "We want
400to do whatever we can to see that it works."
401The spokesman also said the administration is "very hopeful"
402that a package of humanitarian assistance to the Contras can be
403approved by the House and Senate before Congress' Easter recess.
404He said the United States had no intention of entering into
405direct discussions with the Sandinistas, as suggested by Nicaraguan
406President Daniel Ortega.
407"We've discussed that two years," Fitzwater said. "The answer
408is no."
409At the Houston retreat, Chandler said that if the Contras fold
410their tents and it is "back to the usual Sandinista behavior" of
411totalitarian rule, the United States will have to "take some
412action with external forces ... external, including the United
413States."
414Chandler, who has co-sponsored a plan to renew military aid to
415the Contras, said he expected Congress in the meantime to approve
416rapidly some new humanitarian support for the Contras with the
417option of adding military aid if things turn sour.
418In Washington, other conservatives criticized the agreement, but
419appeared willing to put the Sandinistas to the test and wait to see
420whether promised democratic reforms materialize.
421"It's an agreement that's shaded on the bad side," said Sen.
422James McClure, R-Idaho.
423Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., said, "A sense of euphoria is not in
424order ... I don't believe I've ever heard of a leopard changing his
425spots."
426Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said, "The end product of what
427they've agreed to still leaves a Soviet puppet state in Central
428America."
429
430Here are tentative schedules for the
431presidential candidates for the week beginning March 27. The
432information was provided by the candidates.
433
434New Jersey Rep. James Howard, whose death at
435age 60 leaves open a powerful congressional post, was a widely
436admired lawmaker who loved a good legislative scrap almost as much
437as he loved golf.
438The 60-year-old Democrat died Friday, a day after suffering a
439heart attack on a suburban Maryland golf course, his office said.
440Howard, influential chairman of the House Public Works and
441Transportation Committee, succumbed at the Washington Hospital
442Center here at 1:46 p.m., said aide David Smallen.
443A Roman Catholic funeral was planned for Tuesday in Spring Lake,
444N.J.
445Howard's office said the Spring Lake Heights lawmaker died "of
446complications arising from a heart attack ... from which his heart
447never fully recovered." They did not elaborate.
448Howard, a 22-year House veteran, was stricken Thursday while
449playing the first hole of a morning round of golf. "His last
450memory was that he was wearing Irish green and hit a great shot
451that landed him on the green in two," said his daughter Marie, who
452was with him at the time.
453Howard's wife, Marlene, and their two other daughters also were
454with him.
455Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., recalled Howard's fondness for
456Kennedy's brother, the late President John F. Kennedy.
457"The last time I saw him, last week, he asked me for another
458PT-109 tie clip, and we reminisced again about Jack's 1960
459campaign," Kennedy said in a statement.
460House Speaker Jim Wright, D-Texas, said of Howard: "He worked
461hard, played hard, loved his family, his state and his country with
462a burning intensity."
463Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., said Howard was one of his first
464friends in politics. "He leaves a great legacy of
465accomplishments," Bradley said.
466Howard was known among colleagues as one of the House's toughest
467horse traders. He was an aggressive and agile lawmaker who wielded
468his considerable clout in an old-fashioned, behind-the-scenes way.
469The committee he headed since 1981 is one of the least glamorous
470but most powerful in Congress. It has jurisdiction over
471multibillion dollar highway and water projects, as well as the
472airline and trucking industries.
473Once in 1985, Massachusetts lawmakers mounted a plan to legalize
474dumping of their state's sewage off the New Jersey coast. Suddenly,
475money for a much sought-after Boston Harbor tunnel slipped to the
476bottom of the Public Works Committee's agenda.
477Elected in 1964, he rose to become the second most senior member
478of the New Jersey congressional delegation after Rep. Peter Rodino,
479the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee who says he will not
480seek re-election.
481Howard represented the 3rd Congressional District along New
482Jersey's central shorefront.
483Rep. Glenn Anderson, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat of the
484Public Works committee, is in line to succeed Howard. Any new
485chairman must be approved by the House Democratic Caucus.
486
487International Business Machines Corp. offered
488last year to sell important computer chip technology to Digital
489Equipment Corp. in an effort to keep Digital from becoming more
490dependent on Japanese suppliers, a published report said Friday.
491The New York Times, citing a forthcoming book and sources in the
492industry, said IBM apparently believes the entire American
493electronics industry could be weakened by growing dependence on
494Japanese semiconductor technology.
495IBM's offer is reported in a book entitled "Trading Places: How
496We Allowed Japan to Take the Lead," written by Clyde Prestowitz
497and scheduled for publication in late April, The Times said.
498Prestowitz, formerly the Commerce Department's chief trade
499negotiator with Japan, wrote that in mid-1987, IBM approached
500Digital, "its most dangerous domestic rival, and offered to
501transfer certain key technologies.
502"At first DEC suspected a trick, then it realized the objective
503was to prevent DEC from falling even further into Japanese hands,"
504Prestowitz wrote. His book does not elaborate on what technology
505was offered or whether Digital accepted the offer, The Times said.
506Spokesmen for IBM and Digital would not confirm whether such
507talks occurred, but other industry sources who declined to be
508identified verified that IBM had made such an offer, the newspaper
509said.
510
511A lone salamander made its way through a
512tunnel built to prevent cars from crushing the amphibians during
513their annual trek across a street in this college town.
514"It was an historic event. It was the first salamander to go
515through a tunnel all on its own," Shutesbury school teacher Ken
516Lindsay said Friday.
517But 39 other salamanders bypassed the tunnels, to the dismay of
518onlookers.
519Fifty people turned out on a drizzly Thursday night to watch the
520salamanders cross Henry Street to reach a breeding pond _ a route
521that results in death for many of the creatures each spring.
522The watchers ended up barricading the street and carrying about
52340 of the struggling yellow-spotted amphibians across the road. The
524tunnels installed for the salamanders under the street were ignored
525by all but the one.
526Shouts went up when the salamander was discovered crawling along
527a fence leading to one of the tunnels. The creature made it through
528in 5 minutes, 20 seconds, said Lindsay, who lives about a mile from
529the street.
530The salamander tunnels were installed after a public outcry over
531the amphibians' plight.
532Local naturalist Robert Winston persuaded town officials to
533close the street last year until all the salamanders had emerged
534from their underground hibernation to make the nighttime trek
535during warm rains, which usually takes a week.
536The three 19-inch-high tunnels of polymer concrete were donated
537by ACO Polymer Products of Cleveland and installed in November for
538about $2,000. Volunteers erected fences in January to guide the
539salamanders to the tunnels.
540The fences failed their first test, but townspeople said it was
541too early to tell how the experiment would fare.
542"There were very few salamanders out, probably because there's
543not enough of a saturation rate yet to rouse the rest of the
544population," said Lindsay.
545Townspeople had different theories to explain why all but one of
546the salamanders bypassed the tunnels.
547Lindsay, who also coordinated a contest for "Salamander
548Crossing" sings, said the salamanders might have been hibernating
549between the fence and the road.
550Richard Minear, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said the
551tunnels may not have been wet enough for the salamanders' liking.
552The town's superintendent of public works said he is in the
553process of hanging the crossing signs, designed by Shutesbury
554fourth-grader Rachel Mackintosh.
555
556Dr. Louis Irwin Grossman, a pioneer in root
557canal therapy, has died at age 86.
558A professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of
559Dental Medicine, Grossman in 1940 wrote one of the first textbooks
560on endodontics, or root canal therapy, the removal of diseased soft
561tissue from inside the tooth.
562"Endodontic Practice" is now in its 11th printing and is used
563worldwide, said Phyllis Holzman, a university spokeswoman.
564Grossman, who died Thursday at home, began teaching at the
565dental school in 1926.
566"Through his pioneering research in the field and his clinical
567care, endodontics got started and is where it is today," he said.
568Grossman developed methods for removing diseased pulp, the soft
569tissue inside the tooth, sterilizing the hollowed area and filling
570it with inert material to strengthen the tooth, said Dr. Malcolm
571Lynch, the school's dean.
572Before root canal therapy, abscessed teeth had to be extracted.
573Grossman was named an honorary fellow of the Royal College of
574Surgeons in 1984. He retired in 1968.
575Grossman was born in a Ukrainian village near Odessa and was
576brought to the United States by his family as boy.
577He earned a doctorate in dental surgery from Penn in 1923 and a
578doctorate in medical dentistry at the University of Rostock in
579Germany in 1928.
580Survivors include his wife, Emma May; a daughter, and a son.
581pickup
582
583Stock prices declined sharply for the third
584straight day in Tokyo Saturday, following an overnight tumble on
585Wall Street.
586On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Nikkei Average of 225 selected
587issues, which lost 154.57 points Friday, shed 305.99 more points,
588or 1.2 percent, during Saturday's half-day session to finish the
589week at 25,320.72.
590"Prices were down almost across the board prompted by
591profit-taking selling," said Hiromi Yoneyama of Wako Securities.
592He said investors sidestepped the market, following the second
593straight tumble on Wall Street, and before the close of Japan's
5941987 fiscal year, which ends on March 31.
595Yoneyama, however, added investors appeared to be optimistic
596about the prospects for the new fiscal year.
597In New York Friday, the Dow Jones average of 30 industrials fell
59844.92 points to 1,978.95 at the close of the market's worst week
599this year.
600On the first section in Tokyo trading, major losers included
601large-capital issues, such as steels, heavy electricals and
602shipbuildings. A light 400 million shares were traded during the
603session.
604The foreign exchange market is closed on Saturdays.
605
606Syndicated columnist Abigail Van Buren
607called on state legislators to pass a bill that would ban the use
608of animal tests for cosmetics and household products.
609"Dear Abby," as she is known to millions of readers of her
610daily advice column, said at a news conference that she is not
611opposed to animal testing for medical research when necessary. But
612"it's not necessary for floor wax or lipstick," she said.
613Some makers of cosmetics and cleaning products told lawmakers
614that animal testing is necessary to ensure the safety of their
615products for humans.
616The Maryland appearance is not the end of Miss Van Buren's
617campaign. "I'm going to use my column as a platform to do this
618nationally," she said.
619
620Catherine Malfitano sang the title role in
621Berg's "Lulu" for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera on
622Friday night.
623She sang it well, leaving only the question of whether the
624luminous lyric quality of her soprano voice will survive a role
625composed with so many shrieks on top and such angular intervals.
626She is singing all six performances, which includes the Saturday
627afternoon radio broadcast of April 2.
628Tenor Ronald Hamilton, a native of Hamilton, Ohio, made his Met
629debut as Alwa on Friday night. "Lulu" is a difficult opera in
630which to judge voices but Hamilton certainly coped with the very
631high range of a fairly large but thankless role.
632Franz Mazura was excellent as Dr. Schon, Alwa's father. Tatiana
633Troyanos was properly self-sacrificing as the Countess. James
634Levine conducted, with the orchestra sometimes at times
635overpowering the singers.
636The John Dexter production, from 1977, captures the decadence of
637the story in which everybody falls for Lulu, some to die of
638suicide, murder or shock.
639The Met performed "Lulu" for the first time in 1977 and
640performed it with the third act added, making it a four-hour
641evening, for the first time in 1980.
642
643Nancy Reagan went two for three in goals as
644she wielded a hockey stick during a ceremony to thank athletes for
645promoting the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign.
646Mrs. Reagan made two goals in three shots during her appearance
647before a sellout crowd at the Capital Centre just after the first
648period of the Philadelphia Flyers-Washington Capitals game Friday
649night.
650When Mrs. Reagan was introduced, most of the sellout crowd of
65118,130 stood and applauded. She was joined on the Capital Centre
652ice by National Hockey League President John A. Ziegler Jr., and 30
653"Just Say No" skaters, including one dressed as the Peanuts
654character Snoopy.
655"Athletes are very important role models for our young
656people," Mrs. Reagan said. "I'm very grateful for all of their
657help."
658Mrs. Reagan took a hockey stick and made three shots on
659Washington Capitals goaltender Pete Peeters. Two shots went in.
660Each of the 21 NHL teams will participate in a salute to the
661Just Say No Foundation at games being played this week across the
662United States and Canada.
663
664A federal appeals court will hear arguments
665May 6 on whether to dismiss a contempt ruling against Eastern
666Airlines for its attempt to sell its East Coast Air shuttle.
667The hearing date was set Friday, when the court also refused a
668request by Eastern to block a set of sanctions levied against the
669carrier. The ruling by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means
670Eastern, at least temporarily, will have to halt its efforts to
671sell the shuttle while it conducts a legal battle with its largest
672labor union.
673Judges David Sentelle, James L. Buckley and Laurence H.
674Silberman all voted to deny Eastern's request to drop the sanctions.
675On March 10, District Judge John H. Pratt found Eastern in
676contempt for trying to sell its shuttle for $225 million. Eastern,
677a subsidiary of Texas Air Corp., proposed selling the shuttle to a
678new company to be created within Texas Air.
679Pratt found that the proposed sale violated an order he issued
680last July that Eastern not change the working conditions of its
68112,000 employees represented by the International Association of
682Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
683Company officials had said Eastern was in the red and needed the
684cash from the sale, but union leaders said the deal really was
685intended to weaken the labor organization.
686Monday, Pratt ruled that until the case was settled, Eastern
687would have to halt all efforts to gain government approval of the
688shuttle sale. The judge also threatened to fine the airline $10,000
689daily for future violations.
690Under Friday's ruling, the sanctions will remain in place until
691Eastern's appeal of the contempt ruling is decided.
692Settlement</HEAD>
693
694The Reagan administration is halting its
695supply of Stinger missiles to the Afghan rebels because of concern
696the weapons could be left to Afghan factions that couldn't be
697controlled if U.S. military ties were severed, according to a
698published report today.
699The Washington Post, citing diplomatic and other U.S. sources
700that it did not identify, also reported that the administration is
701rushing at least $300 million in other weapons to the resistance
702before an agreement is reached that would ban such outside
703assistance.
704Among the U.S.-purchased military equipment being rushed to the
705resistance are 120mm Spanish heavy mortars and modern mine-clearing
706weapons, the Post said.
707The decision to stop supplying the anti-aircraft Stingers
708apparently was reached late last month in anticipation of a peace
709settlement in Afghanistan, the newspaper said.
710"Certainly we would not want the war to end with a lot of them
711unused," said Rep. Charles Wilson, D-Texas, a strong supporter of
712the resistance who said he did not know if a decision had been made
713to stop supplying the Stingers.
714Last month, an Afghan guerrilla commander either sold or was
715forced to hand over some Stingers to Iran. Pieces of a Stinger were
716found on an Iranian gunboat involved in a shooting incident with a
717U.S. helicopter helping the U.S. escort mission in the Persian Gulf
718last October.
719The Afghan rebels started receiving the Stingers in mid-1986 and
720they reportedly have gotten more than 1,000 of them, the Post said.
721A withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was a major topic
722discussed during this past week's visit to Washington of Soviet
723Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze.
724
725Two Cubic Corp. employees were charged Friday
726with falsifying test results on hand-held mine detectors produced
727for the Army.
728In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Peter Nunez also
729said that the San Diego-based defense contractor had agreed to pay
730the government $7.25 million to settle a civil suit stemming from
731the allegations.
732William Bauder, 55, of Tullahoma, Tenn., and Dennis B. Fink, 39,
733of San Diego, pleaded innocent in federal court Friday to
734conspiracy to defraud the government, making false statements and
735submitting false claims for payment.
736Each of the 24 counts in the indictment carries a maximum
737penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
738Cubic held a $9 million Army contract to produce and retrofit
739more than 8,500 detectors designed to locate mines in arid soil.
740The Justice Department said the devices were never used in combat
741by American forces.
742Fink was the senior associate engineer on the technical staff,
743while Bauder was the program manager for Cubic Defense Systems on
744the contract signed in 1981.
745Before full-scale production could begin, Cubic had to
746demonstrate that it could mass produce mine-detectors that worked
747as effectively as earlier prototypes, the indictment said.
748The indictment alleged that the test results were falsified so
749that the mine detectors appeared to function better than they
750really did.
751As a result of the false information, the indictment said, the
752Army gave approval for full-scale production but terminated the
753contract in 1984 because of equipment faults.
754In the civil suit, prosecutors alleged Cubic knowingly presented
755false claims for payment because some company officials were aware
756that the detectors had failed the tests.
757Under an agreement with the Army, Cubic company will remain a
758government contractor.
759"Since the events leading to the indictment, Cubic has taken
760the necessary steps to avoid a recurrence of similar conduct,"
761Nunez said.
762^By RICHARD COLE</BYLINE>
763
764Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega has
765failed for the first time to pay the 15,000 troops supporting him
766as Panama's economic crisis deepens and the opposition promises
767more confrontation.
768Also Friday, the civilian government that acts for Noriega
769threatened to revoke stores' licenses unless they stop observing a
770week-long general strike and open to sell such essentials as food,
771medicine and gasoline.
772The strike has shut down more than 90 percent of the nation's
773commerce. Cash and food are in short supply.
774The opposition, meanwhile, said it was planning massive street
775anti-Noriega demonstrations for Monday that appeared likely to
776trigger a confrontation with troops loyal to the general.
777Noriega, under indictment in the United States on drug
778trafficking charges, once again claimed the United States, in a
779desire to hold on to the Panama Canal, is behind his country's
780troubles.
781"A man is not the problem," Noriega said of himself on Friday.
782"The problem is Panama's canal and the presence of a foreign army
783in our territory."
784In an attempt to force Noriega into exile, the White House has
785had Panamanian deposits in U.S. banks frozen and payments for use
786of the Panama Canal withheld.
787The former canal zone is headquarters to the U.S. military's
788Southern Command. Under a 1977 treaty, the United States will cede
789control of the canal by the year 2000.
790Noriega denied any connections with drug-trafficking pilots
791whose testimony led to his indictments last month, and joked about
792reports he wields a $200 million fortune: "Bring it to me, bring
793it to me and I'll pay off Panama's foreign debt."
794He implied force might be used to make the nation's banks
795re-open. On Thursday, they refused to hand over an estimated $70
796million in their vaults so the government could pay the army on
797Friday, pensioners Monday, and 130,000 public employees over the
798next week.
799Banks have refused to open, partly to support the general strike
800and partly because they fear a panic run on their deposits.
801"Those who understand such things consider it necessary to open
802the banks," Noriega said.
803Opposition leaders said they hoped Noriega's soldiers would stop
804supporting him now that they have joined the 2.5 million
805Panamanians who have gone without pay for up to a month.
806But the anti-Noriega umbrella group, The National Civic Crusade,
807suffered a surprising blow Friday when Roman Catholic Archbishop
808Marcos C. McGrath failed to issue an expected statement strongly
809condemning Noriega and supporting Monday's planned demonstration.
810McGrath, who had met with Noriega on Thursday, would only say on
811Friday that he planned to meet with again with the general, who
812heads Panamana's Defense Forces.
813Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., ended a two-day fact-finding trip
814Friday saying he was "still hopeful that at some time the Church
815will be able to make a statement that will bring a happier remedy
816than we have seen so far."
817Ackerman and Rep. Peter Kostmayer, D-Pa., issued a statement
818saying "there is absolute unanimity that Gen. Noriega should go,
819and that his departure is only a function of time."
820That sentiment was echoed in Washington, where the Senate voted
82192-0 to demand that President Reagan increase economic sanctions to
822force Noriega out.
823In the former canal zone, wives of the mostly American ship
824pilots who guide vessels through the Panama Canal _ and could shut
825the waterway down if they went on strike _ demonstrated in front of
826the joint U.S.-Panamanian commission that runs the canal.
827They complained they were being harassed by Panamanian troops
828who set up roadblocks at intersections across Panama City,
829questioning motorists and searching their cars.
830"We feel like we are hostages within the political crisis
831because we feel unsafe going into town," said Gloria Olsson, wife
832of a canal pilot.
833The problem was apparently resolved later Friday, but the Panama
834Canal Pilots Association and the commission refused to say what
835arrangements were made.
836
837A new medal being issued to honor American
838prisoners of war features an eagle surrounded by barbed wire and
839bayonet points and includes the inscription, "For Honorable
840Service While a Prisoner of War."
841The Pentagon announced Friday it was ready to begin issuing the
842new military medals, which Congress authorized two years ago.
843About 142,200 individuals or their families will be eligible for
844the awards, the Defense Department said. The medals can be awarded
845posthumously to legal next-of-kin.
846The phone number for requesting an application form is
847800-873-3768.
848Personal letters requesting award of the medal or more
849information should be sent to one of these three addresses:
850_For former Army prisoners of war: U.S. Army Reserve Personnel
851Center, Attn.: DARP-PAS-EAW, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Louis, Mo.
85263132-5200.
853_For former Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard prisoners of war:
854U.S. Navy Liaison Office, National Personnel Records Center, 9700
855Page Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63132-5199.
856_For former Air Force and Army Air Corps prisoners of war: Air
857Force Reference Branch, National Personnel Records Center, 9700
858Page Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63132-5199.
859
860A new "Fiscal Survey of the States" finds
861that most states tightened their budget belts last year and are
862reluctant to start major new programs this year because of
863uncertainty about the economy.
864The report from the National Governors' Association, says most
865states are in sound financial shape, although states such as
866Louisiana and West Virginia are facing tough financial times
867because of their reliance on the troubled energy industry.
868Most states, however, are close to the financial edge, according
869to the report released Friday. It found that the majority of states
870will end the year with only small budget balances.
871Those balances are expected to fall to 1.5 percent of total
872expenditures at the end of next fiscal year, the lowest level since
873the recession of 1983, when it was 1.3 percent.
874
875The Pentagon says this year's "Ocean
876Venture" exercise will take place in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of
877Mexico and Caribbean Sea as well as at selected bases in Florida
878and Puerto Rico.
879More than 40,000 servicemen are expected to participate in the
880exercise, which begins on April 1 and extends through April 22, the
881Pentagon said Friday.
882"Ocean Venture exercises are held every two years and are
883designed to demonstrate the joint forces capability of the U.S.
884Atlantic Command to rapidly project military power," the Pentagon
885said.
886The exercise will include aircraft carrier operations; airborne,
887amphibious and infantry assaults; live-fire exercises, and port
888security, harbor defense and combat search and rescue drills, the
889Pentagon said.
890
891Two senators say the United States should be
892cautious about allowing the sale to Canada of highly secret U.S.
893submarine technology.
894Sen. James J. Exon, D-Neb., chairman of the Senate Armed
895Services strategic weapons subcommittee, said Friday that U.S.
896nuclear-powered sub technology had only been transferred once in
897the past, to Britain, and he questioned whether Canada has "the
898money and the enormous infrastructure" needed to safely operate
899the subs.
900Any accidents aboard Canadian subs which involve U.S. technology
901would raise fears about U.S. subs and could hamper the American
902Navy's operation, he said in a speech to the Senate.
903Sen. John Warner. R-Va., said, "before we approve this
904decision, we need to know how Canada proposes to fund this program,
905how Canada proposes to insure that the standard of nuclear safety
906will be at least as high as the United States and the British."
907Canada is considering building vessels which are updated
908versions of the British Trafalgar-class subs or the French
909Rubis-class subs. The Trafalgars use U.S. technology, which means
910the information could not be supplied to Canada by the British
911unless the United States approves, both Exon and Warner said.
912^By ELOY O. AGUILAR</BYLINE>
913
914Felipe and his wife Donilda, teachers
915at government high schools who haven't been paid since mid-month,
916are selling bootleg beer to feed themselves and their three
917children.
918They eat only twice a day. Even so, they are luckier than one
919neighbor in the poor Villa Guadalupe neighborhood in the San
920Miguelito hills on the outskirts of Panama City, who had sent her
921children out to steal.
922As the opposition exerts pressure to oust strongman Gen. Manuel
923Antonio Noriega and cash grows increasingly scarce, many
924Panamanians are relying on donated food to stay alive.
925Families have sent their children to stay with relatives in the
926countryside, where fresh milk and produce is at least more readily
927available than in the capital.
928Felipe, who insisted on not being further identified for fear of
929reprisal, said several stores in his neighborhood, mostly owned by
930Panamanians of Chinese descent, have been robbed during the past
931couple of weeks.
932"People are not stealing money, they are stealing food," he
933said. "This woman the other day told her kids to go in that store
934and grab some milk. When the owner came chasing after them, she
935faced him with a big stick and told him her kids had to eat and she
936would kill him if he tried to stop them."
937"What do we tell the kids we are teaching?" Felipe asked.
938"We have suffered years of bad government in this country," he
939said of 20 years under military rule. "I am not very political,
940but things must change ... Noriega's departure would be the
941beginning of the political solution."
942The general, who heads the 15,000-strong Defense Forces and is
943Panama's de facto ruler, is under U.S. indictment on charges of
944trafficking in Colombian cocaine.
945The United States, seeking to force him out, has frozen
946virtually all Panama's funds in U.S. banks, including Panama Canal
947tolls, the country's main source of revenue.
948Since the U.S. dollar is Panama's currency, the cash shortage
949became doubly acute. Most of the country's 118 banks have been
950closed for three weeks, some for longer.
951There have been street demonstrations, some of them violent, and
952a general strike has paralyzed the nation since Monday. Noriega has
953dug in his heels and refuses to leave.
954Felipe and his wife, together normally net $170 a month after
955deductions for taxes and payments on a government-financed mortgage
956on their three-bedroom concrete block home.
957Each got their last paycheck _ for $75 _ on March 15. It was the
958last time the government paid employees, and many didn't get
959anything.
960Felipe used to make about $40 more a month refereeing soccer
961matches. But the games haven't been played since the crisis began.
962There is no money.
963A strong, wiry man with a mustache and a tiny tuft of beard on
964his chin, Felipe held his restless 4-year-old son Francisco, trying
965to quiet him.
966"We make adjustments, we survive," he said.
967That morning, Felipe and his family had oatmeal, some cheese and
968bread for breakfast. Donilda was planning to cook some fish and
969rice for lunch. But there would be "some tea and bread only in the
970evening," she said.
971Felipe said he hadn't paid his light and water bills.
972With the schools closed until further notice, Felipe spends his
973time doing odd jobs around the house, training his 12-year-old
974daughter Zulia and other kids in the neighborhood in track and
975field.
976And he digs into his savings, buying American bootleg beer and
977cigarettes which he resells, making about $4 profit on each case of
978beer.
979"A lot of people are doing that. People will always buy beer,"
980he explained, sweating in Panama's tropical heat.
981A few blocks away, several hundred people stood in line outside
982the Christ Redeemer Roman Catholic Church, which has been donating
983bags of food and running a soup kitchen for the destitute.
984^With US-Nicaragua, Bjt
985^By JAVIER PICHARDINI</BYLINE>
986
987President Miguel de la Madrid strongly
988criticized the Reagan administration for stressing might over
989diplomacy in its Central American policy _ at a high cost in death
990and destruction.
991"We oppose the justification for acts of intervention or
992economic coercion" in Central America, he said Friday during a
993state dinner for visiting President Vinicio Cerezo of Guatemala.
994"The protection of our security isn't associated with strategic
995projects of doubtful standing," he added in comments clearly aimed
996at the Reagan administration though not mentioning the United
997States by name.
998De la Madrid and Cerezo held two rounds of private talks Friday
999in this Caribbean resort on the Yucatan peninsula.
1000Mexico's own interests in Central America are jeopardized by
1001instability in the region, de la Madrid declared in the rare attack
1002on his country's northern neighbor.
1003"Mexico perceives the overflow of the Central American conflict
1004as a risk affecting its legitimate interests and provoking disorder
1005and instability that threaten our institutions," he said.
1006De la Madrid referred to U.S. financing of the Contra rebels who
1007have been fighting Nicaragua's Sandinista government for six years
1008and the dispatch of 3,200 American troops to Honduras on March 17
1009after an alleged incursion by Nicaraguan troops chasing Contra
1010fighters.
1011Military sources in Honduras say the U.S. troops are going home
1012Monday, now that a Sandinsta-Contra truce is holding with the two
1013sides' agreement Wednesday to cease hostilities and seek to forge a
1014lasting peace.
1015De la Madrid also criticized U.S. trade and economic sanctions
1016against Panama that are aimed at forcing the ouster of that
1017country's military strongman, Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega.
1018"Stubbornness in imposing military options over diplomatic
1019efforts is producing a conflict whose high costs in death and
1020destruction we can neither tolerate nor view with indifference,"
1021the president said.
1022De la Madrid first voiced criticism of U.S. policy in the region
1023Monday, when he said "it is not with the movement of troops, nor
1024with the financing of subversion from whatever origin that the
1025problems of the area which is vital to the interests of the Mexican
1026people are resolved."
1027Conflicts in Central America stems from economic and social
1028causes, he said, declaring that his nation would search for
1029solutions that "guarantee the legitimate interests" of the region.
1030Cerezo and de la Madrid were scheduled to conclude their talks
1031today.
1032
1033Eds: UPDATES throughout with NORAD spokesman saying object launched
1034from Soviet Union, eyewitness descriptions. No pickup.
1035
1036Soviet space debris bigger than a railroad boxcar
1037re-entered the atmosphere in a brilliant atmospheric fireworks
1038display Friday night that triggered phone calls from curious
1039skywatchers in three states, officials said.
1040"I saw a meteorite once that was pretty spectacular, but this
1041one just blew that away. This was the most amazing celestial event
1042I've ever seen," said Chuck Farr, 33, of Round Rock, who watched
1043from his front yard.
1044"It was part of a package that was sent up a couple of days ago
1045from the Soviet Union" said Lt. Col. Ivan Pinnell, a spokesman for
1046the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, in Colorado
1047Springs, Colo.
1048The object, which was "larger than a railroad boxcar,"
1049re-entered the atmosphere around 10:50 p.m. CST, Pinnell said. The
1050chances of it causing any damage on the ground were highly
1051improbable, he said.
1052"When an object like that re-enters, it breaks up in the
1053atmosphere, and you have these smaller pieces and sometimes you
1054have quite a show," Pinnell said.
1055The re-entry was seen in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
1056NORAD had been tracking the object by satellite, he said.
1057"We knew this was going to re-enter, but exactly where was hard
1058to predict, as far as the exact time and location," he said.
1059Most of the phone calls about the fiery re-entry came from the
1060Houston and Dallas areas, but the object was seen as far away as
1061Little Rock, Ark., Pinnell said.
1062Bill Hecke, a retired Air Force meteorologist who operates a
1063weather station from his home in Moody, 30 miles south of Waco,
1064said the object looked like a meteorite to him.
1065"It was closer and larger than anything I've ever seen anything
1066before, and I've been real active watching the skies since 1963,"
1067Hecke said.
1068He said he called a number of radio stations after the sighting
1069and said it had been seen in Lawton, Okla.
1070Cars along Interstate 35 pulled off the road to watch the
1071fireworks, said Jim Ribble, a newsman for Texas AP Network Radio
1072who was driving on the interstate when he saw the re-entry.
1073He said it looked like the sparks caused by a car whose muffler
1074has come loose and is dragging along the roadway.
1075"It just kept growing, like a sparkler," said Farr, a
107633-year-old technical writer for Texas Instruments in Austin. "It
1077went across the entire sky."
1078
1079The ancient art of weaving baskets from
1080sweetgrass, brought over from Africa by slaves and passed down for
1081generations in South Carolina's Lowcountry, is threatened by the
1082modern-day condominium.
1083Booming coastal development of the past 20 years is reducing the
1084availability of the sweetgrass favored by local artisans for the
1085baskets, a popular purchase for tourists, folklorists said.
1086"What's at stake is the continuation of this traditional
1087African craft," said Myrtle Glascoe, director of the Avery
1088Research Center for Afro-American History at the College of
1089Charleston. "If people can't get the grass, they won't continue to
1090do the craft."
1091A conference on the problem was scheduled for today at the
1092Charleston Museum. Basket weavers, government officials, historians
1093and others were invited to attend.
1094Weavers have seen their access to local sweetgrass decline in
1095recent years, and have been forced to buy it from as far away as
1096Florida.
1097"It's getting scarce," said Elizabeth Fleming, a basket weaver
1098from nearby Mount Pleasant. "People are building condominiums all
1099over and they don't want you to go on their property."
1100The preferred type of grass for the ornamental baskets,
1101Muhlenbergia filipes, generally grows in the sand beyond the dune
1102line at the beach _ the area that has been developed extensively in
1103recent years.
1104"The grass is still there and certainly not all of it has been
1105built over," said Dale Rosengarten of the University of South
1106Carolina's McKissick Museum in Columbia. "But many of the areas in
1107which it grows are restricted entry."
1108Mrs. Fleming said that, in addition to the access problem, there
1109seems to be less sweetgrass available in areas still open to
1110gathering.
1111Mrs. Fleming said she buys some of her grass from suppliers in
1112Florida, but even that is not without problems. Once, two men who
1113supply her with the grass were arrested for gathering it, she said.
1114Some local artisans have resorted to making their baskets from
1115bulrushes, which aren't as pliable or bright as sweetgrass.
1116"You can't make a small basket with a bulrush because the
1117bulrush won't bend as easily," said Mrs. Fleming, who operates a
1118family basket stand in Mount Pleasant which her grandmother
1119operated before her.
1120Mrs. Rosengarten said the economic impact of basket sales is
1121probably slight. But she said it's hard to gauge their importance
1122to Charleston's tourism economy because visitors remember the
1123historic city as one of pastel houses, horse-drawn carriages _ and
1124basket weavers.
1125Mrs. Rosengarten said there are a number of things that can be
1126done. The Charleston Museum has a plot of land where officials hope
1127to cultivate sweetgrass.
1128"We'd like to see the (commercial) nurseries carrying the grass
1129and to see it used as an ornamental," Mrs. Rosengarten said. "We
1130want people to be aware of the grass and what it is. It's great for
1131holding the dune" against erosion.
1132"We're trying to take action before it's too late," she added,
1133noting that if the sweetgrass becomes an endangered species, no
1134one, including the basket weavers, would be able to pick it.
1135voting begins at 10 a.m. EST; TOP prospects uncertain.
1136
1137Republican Bob Dole, saying "I can read the
1138numbers," admits his race for the White House is all but over, as
1139Democrat Richard Gephardt faces the prospect that today's Michigan
1140caucuses could write the end to his campaign.
1141The Democratic hopefuls searched Michigan for every last vote
1142Friday, with front-runners Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson
1143exhorting their backers to ignore the polls and make a final push
1144for victory.
1145Dukakis closed his campaign with a noisy gathering at a
1146Polish-American center in Detroit, while Jackson wrapped up his day
1147with thunderous rallies across the state.
1148Gephardt told supporters in a series of stops that he can pull
1149off a stunning upset here. Despite showing some late strength, the
1150Missouri congressman was still third in the polls and aides were
1151talking about a race for re-election to his House seat.
1152"We will pull off a miracle in Michigan tomorrow," Gephardt
1153told a crowd in Taylor, Mich.
1154Neither Sen. Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee nor fellow Democratic
1155contender, Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois, had made significant
1156organizational and advertising efforts in Michigan. Both have spent
1157more time in the upcoming primary states where they saw better
1158chances for a breakthrough.
1159On the Republican side, Dole stunned a Washington audience with
1160a frank admission that Vice President George Bush is almost
1161certainly the Republican nominee.
1162"I can read the numbers and I know probably what's going to
1163happen," the Kansas Republican told reporters after the U.S.
1164Chamber of Commerce meeting.
1165"I think it's probably a foregone conclusion what's happening
1166on the Republican side," Dole told the group.
1167Asked if he would continue until the Wisconsin primary on April
11685, Dole had this to say: "I may tell you that later this week,
1169probably next week."
1170But a spokesman was quick to deny that Dole was conceding the
1171race.
1172For his part, Bush said Dole's comments won't change any of his
1173plans.
1174"This doesn't say it's over. So I'm going to just keep going
1175right down to the wire and not speculate on somebody else's
1176campaign or on the Democratic side," he said after a campaign
1177appearance in Denver.
1178Bush brushed aside questions about potential running mates as
1179well.
1180"It's too early for me to start thinking about any running
1181mates. That would project a certain arrogance or presumption that I
1182don't want to do."
1183In Washington, White House chief of staff Howard H. Baker Jr.
1184was asked on Cable News Network's "Evans & Novak" if he would
1185accept the vice presidency if Bush turned to him.
1186Baker said he did not believe he would be the choice, but when
1187pressed, he said: "You know, most of my adult life I've spent in
1188public service, and if someone asked me to do it, I would have a
1189very difficult time trying to figure out what I was going to say.
1190"But I do not wish that to happen. I do not think that will
1191happen, and I do not expect it."
1192The Democratic spotlight was on Michigan, the latest in the
1193series of big-state primaries that may decide the party's 1988
1194nominee.
1195Dukakis, leading in the delegate count for the nomination, hoped
1196his strength across the state would give him a large share of the
1197135 delegates at stake as well as the popular vote victory. The
1198Massachusetts governor, making a joke about his heavy, dark
1199eyebrows, asked his people to work hard in the final hours.
1200"When you make those phone calls tonight and tomorrow _ and I
1201hope you will because you know in caucuses particularly turnout is
1202very important _ you just tell them to go with the guy with the
1203eyebrows and we'll have a very good Saturday," he told the
1204Polish-American Century Club in Hamtramck, Mich.
1205At his side were Mayor Coleman Young of Detroit and Sen. Don
1206Riegle.
1207In Flint, Jackson named rivals Dukakis and Gore and said he was
1208outspent 50-to-1 by them in the South "yet we got the most votes."
1209"If they had my budget, they would surrender. If I had their
1210budget, they could not compete," he said.
1211Later, Jackson spoke at a Baptist church where the crowd was so
1212large that people stood outside unable to get in.
1213Gore began suggesting that the Wisconsin primary on April 5 will
1214be where he tries again to win one from Dukakis and Jackson, who he
1215suggested are more liberal than he. In Detroit, Gore took the
1216opportunity of a question on his defense ideas to restate his claim
1217to be the moderate among the Democrats.
1218"It's not conservative. I've never used that word. Let me
1219hasten to add, you don't have to be very far to the right to be to
1220the right of this crowd," he said.
1221Dukakis held a slim lead over Jackson in the AP delegate count,
1222with 548.55 votes to 520.55 for the civil rights leaders. Gore had
1223362.8 votes, Gephardt, 154 and Simon 171.5. A total of 354.6 votes
1224are currently in the uncommitted column.
1225
1226On Aug. 25, 1986, Dorrian's Red Hand was just
1227another bar on Manhattan's Upper East Side catering to the young
1228and upwardly mobile: a hangout for yuppies and preppies, where the
1229Izod crowd came to knock back a few.
1230Twenty-four hours later, all that changed.
1231With the death of Jennifer Dawn Levin early on the morning of
1232Aug. 26, Dorrian's became _ fairly or unfairly _ a symbol of
1233youthful decadence, of teen-agers with too much money and no place
1234to go.
1235Among them was Robert Chambers Jr., who sat at the bar drinking
1236shots of tequila with beer chasers the night he killed Miss Levin.
1237"He fouled everybody's life up," bar owner John F. "Jack"
1238Dorrian said recently. "Who needs this guy?"
1239After Miss Levin's death, investigators returned to Dorrian's
1240and closed the bar for 10 days for serving underage patrons in
1241November 1986. Dorrian has put the bar up for sale; no buyer has
1242been found.
1243Chambers, now 21, had been a regular at Dorrian's. He also was a
1244college dropout who had a very proper upbringing.
1245Dinner at the Chambers house, located next to the former Andrew
1246Carnegie mansion a few blocks north of Dorrian's, "always had
1247silver involved," said Ralph Destino, a friend of Chambers,
1248shortly after Chambers' arrest.
1249Chambers apparently had no steady job at the time of his arrest,
1250yet was drinking and flirting "five or six nights a week" at
1251Dorrian's, said its owner.
1252Interviews in the months since the slaying indicate that
1253Dorrian's remains attractive, a place where young people can gather
1254in front of an ornate fireplace and play backgammon at the tables.
1255Regulars said they avoided Dorrian's after Miss Levin died,
1256fearing the bar had been taken over by the curious. But the young
1257men and women who grew up in the wealthy neighborhood and knew one
1258another in the best prep schools came back.
1259Miss Levin was not a regular at Dorrian's but was known there.
1260Patrons don't talk much about the case, they said.
1261"I come here when I feel like sitting around like I'm in my
1262living room," said Alyssa Donati, 21, who said she has been
1263frequenting Dorrian's for five years.
1264Dorrian himself knows who's who in the bar; he can point out the
1265child of a well-known writer and the daughter of a presidential
1266adviser. John Zaccaro Jr., son of ex-Democratic vice presidential
1267nominee Geraldine Ferraro, was tending bar the night of the death.
1268Chambers would no longer be welcome, Dorrian said. Other
1269regulars would say tourists, out-of-towners and the curious are not
1270welcome either.
1271"Parents like their kids to come here," Miss Donati said.
1272"Here they know the people are from at least good families,
1273they've been to good colleges, and they're not out to rape people."
1274Want'</HEAD>
1275
1276Gov. Evan Mecham, defending himself
1277against charges he misused $80,000 from a protocol fund, said he
1278was never told it was public money and was given carte blanche to
1279do nearly anything he wanted with it.
1280Mecham testified at his Senate impeachment trial Friday that
1281when the proceeds of his inaugural ball were converted into a
1282protocol fund, nobody questioned whether it should be considered
1283public money instead of private.
1284Mecham, taking the stand for the second time in his trial, said
1285inaugural committee Chairman Bill Long told him, "We've gone
1286through all of this rigamarole" in determining that the inaugural
1287funds could not be used to pay off campaign debts.
1288Mecham said Long told him, "`You can spend it for any damn
1289thing you want' _ those are his words _ `except you can't spend it
1290for politics or for personal living expenses."'
1291Mecham is accused of misusing $80,000 from the $92,000 protocol
1292fund by loaning it to his car dealership, Mecham Pontiac.
1293The governor is scheduled to resume testifying Monday.
1294Mecham has testified on the first charge against him: that he
1295tried to thwart an investigation of an alleged death threat by a
1296state employee.
1297The Senate plans to begin hearing testimony next week on the
1298third charge: that Mecham concealed a $350,000 campaign loan.
1299Mecham, 63, also faces a recall election May 17 and an April 21
1300criminal trial on six felony charges of hiding the $350,000 loan.
1301The prosecution contends the protocol fund was state money, and
1302that Mecham Pontiac needed the loan to meet its July payroll. A
1303prosecution witness testified earlier this week that the dealership
1304had about $3.7 million in loans against an appraised value of $3.35
1305million.
1306Prosecutors have said Mecham tried to conceal the $80,000 loan.
1307Mecham and his 37-year-old son, Dennis, who has been the
1308dealership's general manager since his father ran for governor in
13091986, sought to paint a rosier financial picture.
1310Dennis Mecham said he borrowed the money simply because his
1311father offered it in an effort to get a higher interest rate for
1312the protocol fund. He said he could always use additional capital
1313in an effort to generate more profits.
1314"The rumor mill has been rampant about Mecham Pontiac since day
1315one. We've had our lives, every scrap of it, demonstrated to our
1316competitors ... and God and his angels," the younger Mecham said.
1317Defense attorney Jerris Leonard led the governor through a
1318series of calculations that he said showed that Mecham Pontiac had
1319$2.5 million worth of unencumbered property.
1320Later, Leonard told reporters, "The numbers are obvious. There
1321was at least $2.5 million worth of real estate value behind an
1322$80,000 loan. I'll take that deal anytime."
1323However, the governor acknowledged that in July 1987 _ the same
1324month the $80,000 loan was made _ he was notified that he was
1325behind on repaying a $101,905 loan from Valley National Bank.
1326"Quite frankly, I wasn't watching my details," Mecham said.
1327"I was a little red-faced when this caught up with me." He said
1328he paid part of the loan and refinanced the rest in a transaction
1329handled by telephone.
1330A two-thirds vote of the 30-member Senate is required to convict
1331Mecham, and lawmakers also could decide to bar him from holding any
1332future office. Mecham is the first U.S. governor to be impeached in
1333six decades.
1334
1335Robert Joffrey, the acclaimed choreographer
1336whose vision created the Joffrey Ballet and made it one of the
1337nation's foremost dance companies, has died after a lengthy
1338illness. He was 57.
1339Joffrey died early Friday at New York University Medical Center
1340of liver, kidney and respiratory failure, hospital spokeswoman
1341Terrie LoCicero said.
1342As artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet for three decades,
1343Joffrey guided the troupe from its early days as a struggling
1344six-member company traveling in a borrowed station wagon to
1345international acclaim.
1346"Robert Joffrey brought an unbridled passion for ballet in
1347every form to our profession," said Mikhail Baryshnikov, artistic
1348director of the American Ballet Theater.
1349"His love of the heritage of ballet was an inspiration to
1350everyone," Baryshnikov said. "He was also committed to seeking
1351out new choreographers and often was not afraid to put the most
1352untried choreographers on a ballet stage for the first time. We
1353salute his taste and his ingenuity."
1354The Joffrey Ballet, appearing in Chicago, dedicated Friday
1355night's performance to its founder.
1356Joffrey became ill in April 1986. He was diagnosed as having
1357severe myositis, which causes deterioration of the muscles,
1358enlarged liver and asthma. Medication that he was receiving for
1359asthma and the muscle condition caused his fatal liver ailment,
1360hospital spokeswoman Pennie Curry said.
1361Because of his asthma, a doctor had recommended that Joffrey
1362take up dancing as a 9-year-old to improve his health.
1363Joffrey was born Abdullah Jaffa Anver Bey Khan in Seattle on
1364Dec. 24, 1930, the son of an Italian mother and an Afghan father.
1365He started dance classes in Seattle, also studied at the School
1366of American Ballet in New York and studied with two modern-dance
1367teachers.
1368His short performance career began with a solo concert of his
1369own works in Seattle. He danced with Roland Petit's Ballets de
1370Paris in 1949; from 1950 to 1952 he sometimes danced in the concert
1371group of one of his teachers, May O'Donnell.
1372The Robert Joffrey Ballet Concert performed at a New York YMHA
1373in 1954, but Joffrey dated the founding of his company to 1956,
1374when he taught six dancers four pieces he had choreographed and
1375sent them on an 11-state tour in a borrowed station wagon.
1376Within 10 years of that tour, the Joffrey Ballet had performed
1377at the White House, in the Soviet Union and the Far East.
1378The Joffrey now ranks with the New York City Ballet and American
1379Ballet Theater as one of America's big three ballet companies.
1380"He had a passion and a love for dance. He loved to bring dance
1381to parts of the world that had never seen it," said Gary Chryst, a
1382member of the Joffrey troupe for 11 years and one of its best-known
1383dancers.
1384"Robert Joffrey was one of a handful of artists who made their
1385personal visions into a public statement. The company he started
1386will continue to bring that vision to audiences all over America,"
1387said Charles B. Raymond, managing director of the New York City
1388Ballet.
1389Among Joffrey's accomplishments was his recreation of Vaslov
1390Nijinsky's 1913 "The Rite of Spring." Joffrey engaged two dance
1391historians to recreate the ballet, danced only eight times
1392previously. It premiered in September 1987 in Los Angeles.
1393His own ballets include "The Nutcracker" in 1987 and his
1394striking 1967 "Astarte," in which a couple dance in front of a
1395billowing white silk curtain on which a movie of them dancing is
1396projected.
1397He left no immediate survivors.
1398The funeral will be private. A memorial service will be
1399scheduled later.
1400^By RODOLFO GARCIA</BYLINE>
1401
1402The nation's largest opposition
1403coalition praised the Sandinista-Contra peace accord but assailed
1404the government's pact to negotiate political reform with a small
1405segment of the opposition.
1406In other developments Friday, the Sandinista government's
1407newspaper Barricada said citizens should now prepare for
1408ideological warfare. And the U.S.-supported Contra rebels indicated
1409they would resume fighting if reconciliation talks don't achieve
1410greater political freedom.
1411The Defense Ministry said a 5-day-old cease-fire appeared to be
1412holding.
1413The Nicaraguan Democratic Coordinate, a coalition of four
1414leading political parties, two labor unions and professional and
1415business organizations, said Wednesday's peace accord represented
1416"positive advances to obtain real and effective peace in
1417Nicaragua."
1418But the coalition rejected the `National Dialogue" agreement
1419the leftist government signed two days earlier with eight smaller
1420political parties not affiliated with the Coordinate.
1421In a statement, it called the agreement "contrary to the
1422interest of the people of Nicaragua in their efforts (to promote)
1423democratization and freedom."
1424By signing the pact, the Sandinistas sought to separate
1425negotiations on democratic reform from talks with the Contras, the
1426Coordinate said.
1427The Sandinistas and Contras agreed Wednesday to maintain their
1428cease-fire until June 1, hoping negotiations to begin April 6 in
1429Managua will by then have forged a lasting peace.
1430The Contras agreed not to accept any more U.S. military aid.
1431Under the agreement, reached in the southern border town of
1432Sapoa, the Sandinistas promised a gradual amnesty and unrestricted
1433freedom of expression that would allow the Contras a role in
1434Nicaragua's political process.
1435But the Contras' future political role is unclear _ and that
1436concerns the Coordinate. Under the Sapoa agreement, up to eight
1437Contra leaders would be allowed to participate in the so-called
1438National Dialogue.
1439Ramiro Gurdian, Coordinate vice president, said he hoped Contras
1440will begin a "tripartite dialogue" with the government and the
1441Coordinate.
1442The National Dialogue, begun in October with 15 opposition
1443parties, reached an impasse two months later when the government
1444refused to discuss opposition proposals for modifying a new
1445constitution that went into effect in January.
1446Carlos Huembes, president of the Coordinate, said Friday that
1447domestic economic and political pressures, as well as international
1448opinion, had forced the Sandinistas to the negotiating table.
1449"We all know about the decomposition and lack of political
1450pluralism existing in Nicaragua. We all know and understand the
1451economic crisis the Sandinista government is foundering in and the
1452lack of international credibility and aid that the Sandinista front
1453has lost," he said.
1454Barricada said in an editorial that the cease-fire agreement
1455means the 6-year-old civil war will enter a new phase: "On an
1456internal political level, this means the incorporation of pressure
1457groups, that even though disarmed, continue to be armed
1458ideologically against the popular power and its conquests."
1459Jorge Rosales, a Contra spokesman in Miami, indicated that if
1460democracy is not achieved through the Sapoa accords, the Contras
1461could renew their armed fight: "If we can't do it peacefully, if
1462the Sandinsitas do not want to achieve democracy, then the reasons
1463Nicaraguans took up arms will still be there."
1464Carlos Huembes, president of the Coordinate, said Friday that
1465domestic economic and political pressures, as well as international
1466opinion, had forced the Sandinistas to the negotiating table.
1467"We all know about the decomposition and lack of political
1468pluralism existing in Nicaragua. We all know and understand the
1469economic crisis the Sandinista government is foundering in and the
1470lack of international credibility and aid that the Sandinista front
1471has lost," he said.
1472
1473The 3,200 U.S. troops President
1474Reagan sent to counter Nicaragua's alleged military incursion into
1475Honduras will return home Monday after an 11-day stay, U.S.
1476military officials said.
1477On Friday, the light infantry and paratroopers continued joint
1478training exercises with Honduran troops at four bases throughout
1479the country, said Cap. Brian DeLoche, a public affairs officer at
1480Palmerola Air Base.
1481In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Mike Stepp said the
1482soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne
1483Division, sent to Palmerola March 17 "will begin redeploying from
1484Honduras to their home bases in California and North Carolina on
1485Monday."
1486Honduran President Jose Azcona Hoyo had asked for the troops
1487after Sandinista troops allegedly crossed the border in pursuit of
1488Contra rebels.
1489On Wednesday, Contra and Sandinista leaders signed an agreement
1490to continue until June 1 a cease-fire that began Monday with the
1491hope they can forge a lasting peace.
1492The U.S. soldiers' arrival from Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Ord,
1493Calif., boosted the American military presence here to more than
14946,000 personnel. The deployment was intended only as a show of
1495force.
1496Calm prevailed along the border on Friday, government officials
1497said.
1498"It's peaceful on the border with Nicaragua because there are
1499no Nicaraguan troops," said presidential spokesman Lisandro
1500Quesado.
1501At the height of the alleged incursion, Sandinista troops
1502penetrated an area of about 36 square miles in the border province
1503of Olancho during their pursuit of more than 1,000 Contra fighters,
1504Honduran military intelligence sources said.
1505
1506A young Irishman, in jail on a murder charge
1507while the woman who crossed an ocean to see him lies comatose, says
1508he hopes they still can have a life together.
1509"I'm scared out of my wits," Daniel Stokes, 21, said in a
1510telephone interview Friday from the Cook County Jail, where he is
1511being held on a murder charge that could bring the death penalty if
1512he is convicted.
1513Margaret Hanley, who flew from her home in Ireland to see Stokes
1514in jail, remains in a coma at Weiss Memorial Hospital after being
1515hit by a car on St. Patrick's Day. She is in critical condition.
1516"I hope that one day I should walk away from this and make a
1517life for both of us," Stokes said.
1518Stokes and Miss Hanley met in August 1987, when Stokes returned
1519to Ireland from Chicago, where his mother lives and he lived
1520briefly.
1521Miss Hanley, 22, was an actress for Stokes' father, a theater
1522company owner in Dublin, Stokes said. That's where their love story
1523began.
1524"I met her the very day I got off the plane. She was over at my
1525house. She came over on her tea break because she and my sister are
1526best friends," Stokes recalled.
1527Romance "was in the air," he said. "We got very serious after
1528a couple of weeks. We found that we were very compatible."
1529But Stokes, a cabinetmaker, found hard economic times in Dublin,
1530so he returned to Chicago in November.
1531On Dec. 29, Stokes was charged with bludgeoning his landlord to
1532death in the man's apartment, said Lisa Howard, a spokeswoman for
1533the Cook County State's Attorney's office.
1534Stokes allegedly took hundreds of dollars and the man's car
1535before fleeing, she said. He is charged with first-degree murder,
1536residential burglary, armed robbery, home invasion, armed violence,
1537and possession of stolen motor vehicle, Ms. Howard said.
1538Stokes, who declined to discuss the case, pleaded innocent and
1539has a pretrial hearing scheduled for March 31.
1540Despite the murder charge, Miss Hanley and Stokes' sister Susie,
154120, flew to Chicago on Feb. 23. Miss Hanley knew Stokes was in
1542jail, but wanted to help him, he said.
1543She wrote him letters "saying that no matter what, she wanted
1544to be there for me," Stokes said.
1545Their reunion at the jail "was very emotional," he said. "I
1546think she was more or less speechless.
1547"I was delighted, I was overwhelmed because it proved something
1548to me ... that a woman willing to travel 1,000 miles to see me must
1549be worth keeping."
1550But he said "the emotional stress of seeing me behind bars"
1551was hard for Miss Hanley to accept.
1552She called her family, telling them she planned to return home
1553March 18.
1554"She said she'd explain it all to us later," said her father,
1555Stephen Hanley.
1556But she was hit by the car March 17.
1557Her parents flew to Chicago after the accident and have kept a
1558vigil at their daughter's bedside.
1559Stokes said he still hopes he and Miss Hanley will be together
1560again.
1561"I'm madly in love with her. There's something there that no
1562other woman has shown," Stokes said.
1563
1564The United Nations will send a team of
1565experts to Iran next week to examine victims of poison gas attacks
1566blamed on Iraq that killed thousands of people.
1567Iran said the chemical attacks have been aimed at Kurdish rebels
1568in a portion of northeastern Iraq claims to have captured. A
1569Kurdish leader asked Friday for medical aid for the victims.
1570In a related development Friday, Iran's U.N. ambassador,
1571Mohammad Ja'afar Mahallati, said Tehran would send a special
1572emissary to the United Nations for talks on seeking an end to the
15737{-year-old Iran-Iraq war.
1574Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar had requested the
1575talks and the U.N. decision to send the team to Iran was an
1576apparent compromise.
1577Earlier Friday, Mahallati had accused the United Nations of
1578foot-dragging on Iran's request for a U.N. mission to investigate
1579allegations Iraq used chemical weapons on Kurdish rebels, in
1580violation of international agreements.
1581He had indicated that lack of action on the request could lead
1582to delays in reaching a cease-fire, as called for in a July
1583resolution passed by the U.N. Security Council.
1584"It means if the United Nations remains inactive regarding all
1585aspects of the war, a political solution would be more and more
1586difficult," Mahallati told a news conference.
1587A Kurdish rebel leader appealed for urgent medical aid for
1588Kurdish villagers he said were affected by Iraqi poison gas attacks
1589this week.
1590"The situation is getting desperate as we do not have any
1591facilities to cope," said a statement issued by the office of
1592Massud Barzani's Kurdish Democratic Party in London.
1593The statement claimed at least 50 Kurdish villagers were killed
1594and scores wounded in the last such chemical weapons attack
1595Thursday, when Iraqi planes bombed Seyo and Senan villages in
1596northeastern Iraq.
1597The villages are near Halabja, where Iran said 5,000 Kurds died
1598last week after an alleged Iraqi air raid with internationally
1599banned poison gas bombs.
1600After late-afternoon consultations with Perez de Cuellar,
1601Mahallati announced that the expert mission would arrive in Iran on
1602Monday and an Iranian emissary would meet with the
1603secretary-general in New York.
1604The United Nations had been hesitant to send a team to the scene
1605of the purported attack because it is in Iraqi territory now held
1606by Iran. Baghdad has not granted permission for such a mission to
1607visit its territory.
1608The United Nations has investigated and condemned Iraq for using
1609chemical weapons in previous years, but those incidents occurred on
1610Iranian territory.
1611Perez de Cuellar said Iraq agreed to send a special envoy for
1612talks April 4-5. Mahallati would not say when the Iranian emissary
1613would meet with the secretary-general.
1614Francois Giuliani, Perez de Cuellar's spokesman, confirmed the
1615two-person team, including a doctor, will be sent to Iran to see
1616chemical attack victims.
1617Iraq claims Iran was responsible was the gas attacks, but Perez
1618de Cuellar said Friday that it appeared Baghdad was at fault.
1619"Sadly, there is considerable and most serious evidence in the
1620public domain that chemical weapons have again been used by Iraqi
1621forces in the past few days, causing a high number of casualties,
1622including civilians of both Iran and Iraq," he said in a statement.
1623Massud Barzani's party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have
1624been fighting the Iraqi government with Iranian support in recent
1625years, seeking autonomy for the 3.5 million Iraqi Kurds.
1626Iraq has been condemned by the United Nations on four previous
1627occasions since 1984 for using chemical weapons in its war with
1628Iran.
1629
1630Contra leader Adolfo Calero says the newly signed
1631cease-fire pact with the Sandinistas is an "acid test" of the
1632Nicaraguan government's sincerity, and the rebels will keep their
1633weapons just in case.
1634"We're not signing off any leverage, any power," Calero said
1635Friday on his return from Sapoa, Nicaragua, where the pact was
1636signed.
1637"We're keeping our weapons," he said. "We aren't simply
1638letting things develop any other way except the way they're
1639signed."
1640Calero, one of three top rebels who signed the preliminary peace
1641accord Wednesday in hopes of ending the bitter seven-year civil
1642war, acknowledged his skepticism toward the Sandinista government.
1643"We feel this is the acid test that will bring the Sandinistas
1644to the moment of truth," Calero said. "If they don't comply, it
1645will be very difficult for anyone to believe them.
1646"We have the right to break this accord if they don't comply,"
1647he said.
1648President Reagan and Nicaraugan exiles living in Miami have
1649expressed doubt that Nicaragua's Marxist-led government will live
1650up to the agreement. Some exiles have criticized the rebel
1651leadership for negotiating the truce.
1652Silvio Arguello Cardenal, a former vice president of Nicaragua,
1653told The Miami Herald it would be "political suicide" for the
1654rebels to turn in their weapons before the country was fully
1655democratic.
1656"There is no guarantee, just a Sandinista promise," Cardenal
1657said.
1658Calero said the decision to sign the agreement was one that had
1659to be made, whether or not the exiles favored it.
1660"This is a good decision," he told a news conference at Miami
1661International Airport. "We had the courage to make it ... and
1662strength to make sure that if it fails, we can hold our own."
1663The Nicaraguan Resistance, a Contra umbrella group, was
1664completely behind the agreement, Calero said.
1665"I think all this talk on the local radio stations that we've
1666sold out to the Sandinistas, I don't think we have," said Contra
1667spokeswoman Marta Sacasa. "Some exiles don't really understand the
1668situation well."
1669The resistance assembly, which regularly meets to discuss
1670developments, began a three-day, closed-door conference here Friday
1671and planned to review the nine-point agreement signed with the
1672Sandinistas, Ms. Sacasa said.
1673Under the peace accord, the temporary truce now in effect would
1674run into a 60-day cease-fire starting April 1. On Monday,
1675government and rebel commissions will meet to designate zones the
1676rebels will occupy for the 60 days.
1677As Contras move into the zones, the Sandinistas will begin
1678releasing political prisoners including Contras and former members
1679of the pre-revolutionary National Guard.
1680Negotiations are to resume April 6 on a permanent cease-fire,
1681including terms of rebel disarmament.
1682
1683Police and firefighters declared
1684victory and ended a two-day sick-out after city officials agreed to
1685meet with them and appoint a commission to investigate workers'
1686wage complaints.
1687The "blue flu" began Thursday after the city announced a 2
1688percent pay raise for city employees to take effect July 1. Police
1689and firefighters complained the raise was inadequate and would be
1690devoured by higher city garbage fees that would be used in part to
1691fund the pay raises.
1692The officers and firefighters ignored back-to-work orders from
1693the city council, mayor and a circuit judge, but began returning to
1694work Friday afternoon.
1695Officers will meet with five city council members Monday to
1696discuss their grievances, said police Cpl. Monon Taylor, president
1697of the Fraternal Order of Police chapter.
1698"We got what we wanted _ a meeting with the council," Taylor
1699said. "We haven't discussed money yet, but we feel we're worth
1700more than 2 percent."
1701Officers are hoping for a 5 percent pay increase, Taylor said.
1702But Mayor Chuck Gardner said there was no money for larger
1703raises. "Let them come forward and show me where the money is,"
1704he added.
1705Earlier Friday, Gardner ordered police and firefighters to end
1706their walkout and threatened to fire those who ignored the order.
1707But Patrolman Andrew Pickens said the threat had no effect on
1708the decision to return to work.
1709"I think they're eager to come back," Pickens said. "It took
1710a lot for us to take off work. We didn't come back because the
1711mayor said to. If we didn't come back for a circuit judge, we
1712wouldn't come back for the mayor."
1713Taylor added, "We think we got our point across."
1714After the walkout ended, Gardner lifted a civil emergency
1715declaration he issued Thursday.
1716Firefighters and police who returned to work faced no
1717punishment, Gardner said, but must have a doctor's excuse.
1718Officers who had been off the job said they were collecting the
1719required excuses. Taylor said he visited a doctor Thursday to
1720obtain an excuse because of "an old, nagging backache."
1721"I think everyone will have a doctor's excuse," Taylor said.
1722The city budget, approved Monday, includes appropriations for
1723165 policemen, 147 firefighters and 10 paramedics. The 2 percent
1724raise averages $438 per employee annually, city officials say.
1725Salaries for uniformed police officers range from $18,589 for a
1726patrol officer with three years' experience to $27,673 for a
1727captain with 20 years' experience.
1728City firefighters' pay ranges from $18,409 for a first-year
1729firefighter to $27,673 for an assistant fire chief with 20 years'
1730experience.
1731Spaceport</HEAD>
1732
1733Gov. Bob Martinez wants to develop
1734America's first commercial spaceport here, but the project faces a
1735number of hurdles and an uncertain future.
1736Martinez said Friday that he will ask the Legislature next week
1737for $500,000 for a feasibility study of the project called
1738Spaceport Florida.
1739He was vague about how the spaceport would be developed and
1740operated, saying only that "we feel with the money we can acquire
1741the necessary consultation and advice."
1742If the Legislature approves the money, part of a supplemental
1743budget request, the state Department of Commerce will seek bids on
1744a feasibility study that would begin in July.
1745However, legislative leaders already have warned they expect
1746difficulty finding money for new programs in the 1988 session
1747beginning April 5.
1748The governor spoke Friday to about 80 aerospace executives and
1749legislative leaders outside the Space Museum at the Cape Canaveral
1750Air Force Station.
1751Martinez said the facilities at Cape Canaveral and the adjacent
1752Kennedy Space Center give Florida a clear advantage over Hawaii and
1753other states contemplating developing facilities for commercial
1754launches.
1755"We have the tracking systems, the launch pads, the support
1756services, and most importantly we have the people to make Spaceport
1757Florida a reality," he said.
1758Asked how a commercial customer would benefit from going to
1759Spaceport Florida rather than dealing directly with a rocket maker,
1760as is done now, Martinez replied, "Maybe our role is to provide
1761the opportunities for the companies to do business.
1762"We could guarantee them a launch date months in advance," he
1763added.
1764Before reporters could ask how, he cut off questioning.
1765The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Air
1766Force have launch pad priority. It is doubtful Spaceport Florida
1767could guarantee a launch date unless it builds its own launch pads,
1768control centers and tracking facilities, an expensive undertaking.
1769All launch facilities in the United States are controlled by the
1770federal government, and commercial payloads such as communications
1771satellites have to compete for rocket space with NASA and Defense
1772Department launches.
1773U.S. launches have been scarce since the space shuttle
1774Challenger and two major unmanned rockets exploded in 1986. This
1775has created a huge backlog of payloads, and the military and NASA
1776will have priority when shuttle flights resume, now scheduled for
1777August.
1778The United States is building a new family of unmanned rockets,
1779but these are also heavly booked by the Pentagon, NASA and
1780commercial customers dealing directly with rocket makers.
1781Many American companies are seeking launch services from the
1782Europeans and Japanese, but those launch pads also are crowded.
1783"Because of the backlog of commercial payloads, there is a
1784great demand in the private sector for launch facilities,"
1785Martinez said.
1786"Our goal is to launch one commercial mission each month from
1787Spaceport Florida," he said. "At the current rate of $45 million
1788per launch, this would directly inject $540 million per year into
1789our state's economy."
1790He predicted the spaceport also would attract much of the
1791private sector space industry, which he projected would be worth
1792$60 billion by the end of the century.
1793Straight Year</HEAD>
1794
1795=
1796
1797China's finance minister says the government's
1798$71.2 billion budget will run a multibillion-dollar deficit for a
1799third straight year despite plans to impose new taxes, issue more
1800treasury bonds and slash spending.
1801And in a speech today, Vice Premier Yao Yilin warned the
1802National People's Congress that "wining and dining and giving
1803gifts out of public funds have become a bane to society."
1804Finance Minister Wang Bingqian, addressing the congress Friday,
1805said China's deficit in 1988 will be 8 billion yuan ($2.2 billion),
1806the same as in 1987 and up slightly from 1986.
1807Wang urged greater controls over government taxing and finances,
1808saying tax evasion, withholding of profits, extortion and doctored
1809accounts have led to "loss of an enormous amount of state revenue
1810and ... also sabotaged party policies and principles."
1811He said substantial revenues are needed as China transforms its
1812socialist economy to a more market-oriented model and strives for
1813rapid economic growth.
1814"It therefore will be hard to eliminate the deficit within the
1815next two or three years," Wang said, speaking on the second day of
1816the annual congress, which is China's legislature.
1817In his speech Friday, Acting Premier Li Peng stressed that China
1818must make greater efforts to control inflation and increase
1819agricultural production as it forges ahead with economic reforms.
1820Wang said state revenues rose 6 percent in 1987 to $63.4 billion
1821while expenditures also rose 6 percent to $65.6 billion. The draft
1822budget for 1988 calls for revenues of $69 billion.
1823He said $3.5 billion in revenues will come from foreign loans,
1824up from $2.8 billion in 1987, and that increased revenues will also
1825be sought by imposing a new tax on land use in urban areas. In
1826addition, state treasury bonds worth $2.4 billion will be issued,
1827$811 million more than last year.
1828Wang said the government will continue to suppress spending on
1829capital construction and hold down administrative costs, steps
1830taken after overall spending jumped 20.1 percent in 1985.
1831He said the state will substantially boost spending in
1832agriculture, up 14.6 percent in 1988 to $4.2 billion.
1833Officials have stressed the need for more investment in rural
1834areas following several years of listless grain production and a
1835trend among individual farmers to use profits to build houses and
1836buy TVs rather than further develop their land.
1837The budget for capital construction is slated to fall about 4.5
1838percent to $17.1 billion; education, science and public health is
1839to receive $12 billion, up 15 percent; and defense is allotted $5.8
1840billion, up 5 percent.
1841Yao, who also heads the State Planning Commission, asked
1842high-spending officials to remember "China is as yet very
1843underdeveloped economically, with numerous tasks to undertake and
1844inadequate funds and materials."
1845He outlined four goals for 1988, topped by the promotion of
1846agriculture production.
1847Yao said China will continue to reform its pricing system so
1848that prices, now kept artificially low by government subsidies,
1849better reflect market values. Local authorities will provide direct
1850subsidies to workers to help compensate for price rises of those
1851foodstuffs that are rationed, he said.
1852The second goal is building up the nation's infrastructure to
1853provide the materials and energy, now often in short supply, needed
1854for expanding industries.
1855Third, he said, more emphasis will be put on improving science
1856and technology levels, as well as the education system.
1857Finally the government should back the proposal, put forth by
1858party chief Zhao Ziyang, to open up coastal regions for
1859export-oriented industries.
1860Yao said the government will set up national investment
1861corporations to better monitor projects and reform China's foreign
1862trade system to make it more responsive to the international market.
1863Yao predicted the gross national product, which topped $270
1864billion in 1987, will grow by 7.5 percent in 1988. Agricultural
1865production will rise 4 percent, and industrial output by 8 percent,
1866he said.
1867He did not estimate the inflation rate, which has run at
1868double-digit levels in the past year, but said incomes "will be
1869slightly higher" than last year after adjustments for price rises.
1870Killed</HEAD>
1871
1872About 200 leftist guerrillas
1873blasted their way into the country's largest prison and battled
1874guards, allowing about 10 inmates to escape and killing two prison
1875workers, officials said.
1876No guerrilla casualties were reported in half-hour battle Friday.
1877The rebels entered the Mariona penitentiary, just north of the
1878capital of San Salvador, by blowing a hole in its wall, Gen.
1879Rinaldo Golcher, deputy security minister, told reporters. The
1880facility normally holds 1,000 inmates.
1881Seven guards were wounded by rifle fire and grenade shrapnel and
1882"some prisoners" also were injured, Golcher said, adding that 10
1883inmates escaped as the guerrillas withdrew.
1884A guard interviewed by journalists as he left the prison said
1885two civilian employees were killed. Some inmates set fires as the
1886rebels launched their attack in the early afternoon, according to
1887the guard.
1888He said "about 200" guerrillas launched the assault. Golcher
1889said a large number managed to get into the prison grounds during
1890the "very strong" attack.
1891A first-aid worker said three civilian employees suffered
1892serious bullet wounds and were taken by ambulances to hospitals.
1893Journalists were kept hundreds of yards away from the
1894penitentiary as scores of soldiers were rushed to the prison. Two
1895helicopters flew over the compound.
1896Officials did not give a breakdown on the number of common
1897criminals and the number of rebels held in Mariona.
1898The guerrillas have been fighting the U.S.-backed government
1899since 1979.
1900
1901BOGOTA, Colombia _ Two and a half years after killing 23,000
1902people, a volcano rumbled back to life, sending ash miles upward,
1903spewing fresh lava and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of
1904farmers from surrounding hillsides.
1905The Nevada del Ruiz volcano's activity had stabilized by Friday
1906night and there appeared to be little immediate danger of a major
1907eruption, said Eduardo Parra, director of Colombia's Volcano
1908Institute in Manizales.
1909"The evacuations are for avoiding any ugly surprises," he said
1910in a communique.
1911Airline pilots reported seeing steam and ash rising to 28,000
1912feet above the volcano, the Colombian Civil Aeronautics
1913Administration said.
1914About 1,900 people in the villages of Libano, Murillo and
1915Palestina, all on the volcano's western slope, were being moved out
1916Friday night, the government's National Emergency Committee said in
1917a communique.
1918Before dark Friday, about 600 people living on farms on the
1919sides of the volanco were evacuated, the emergency committee said.
1920The Volcano Institute upgraded its alert at nightfall Friday,
1921advising people living along rivers up to 20 miles away to be ready
1922to flee if the volcano erupts.
1923An estimated 50,000 people live within a 15-mile radius of the
1924volcano in what is considered the danger zone if there is a major
1925eruption.
1926The Andes Seismological Institute in Bogota said it was
1927recording almost constant tremors, but none strong enough to
1928register on the Richter scale.
1929The river danger zones were established by a National Emergency
1930Committee after the devastating Nov. 13, 1985 eruption. They
1931includes the rivers Guali, Lagunilla, Azufrado, Recio and Sabandija
1932to the east of the volcano and the Chinchinica River to the west.
1933Residents of Honda, 20 miles northeast of the volcano and at the
1934confluence of the Guali and Magdalena Rivers, suspended their
1935annual fishing festival.
1936The dancing, parades, parties and heavy drinking mark the
1937movement of millions of fish up rivers to spawn, a boon to
1938fishermen.
1939Sight of the awesome column of steam and ash sobered up many
1940revelers, the RCN radio network said.
1941About a quarter-inch of ash covered the town of Manizales about
194220 miles to the northwest of the volcano, RCN reported. Manizales
1943is not considered to be in danger because it is outside the
1944flooding zones.
1945Friday's volcanic activity was the highest since the 1985
1946eruption, when melting glaciers on the volcano created flooding
1947that left trees, boulders and other debris blocking the Lagunilla
1948River on the western slope.
1949The blockage burst, and a 10-story-high wall of mud roared down
1950the river canyon, burst onto a plain and wiped out the town of
1951Armero in seconds.
1952
1953"His love of the heritage of ballet was an inspiration to
1954everyone." _ Mikhail Baryshnikov, on the death of Robert Joffrey,
1955founder of the Joffrey Ballet.
1956
1957"President Reagan has contributed to a prejudicial climate
1958which could make it extremely difficult to get an unbiased jury in
1959these cases" _ Senate Majority Whip Alan Cranston, D-Calif.,
1960commenting on Reagan's prediction that former White House aides
1961Oliver L. North and John M. Poindexter will be acquitted of charges
1962in the Iran-Contra affair.
1963
1964"A man is not the problem. The problem is Panama's canal and
1965the presence of a foreign army in our territory." _ Gen. Manuel
1966Antonio Noriega of Panama, who claims the United States is behind
1967his nation's unrest and has rejected calls to step down.
1968
1969Unidentified gunmen killed the military
1970commander of Yasser Arafat's Fatah guerrilla group in a shootout at
1971the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon,
1972police reported today.
1973The PLO commander, Farid Hourani, was killed in a 30-minute gun
1974battle Friday in the camp on the southeastern outskirts of the port
1975city of Sidon, 25 miles south of Beirut, police said.
1976Three Fatah guerrillas with Hourani were wounded, police said,
1977who gave no other details of the shootout.
1978There have been frequent clashes between Palestinian guerrilla
1979factions supporting Arafat and those who oppose the Palestine
1980Liberation Organization leader's policies.
1981Ein el-Hilweh, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon,
1982houses 30,000 refugees registered with the United Nations Relief
1983and Works Agency.
1984
1985President Eisenhower considered dropping nuclear
1986bombs on Communist China in the 1950s to defend the Nationalist
1987Chinese islands of Quemoy and Matsu, a historian says.
1988Eisenhower "actually brought the country to the `nuclear
1989brink,' far closer to war than a distraught public feared in
19901955," said Gordon H. Chang, a historian at the International
1991Strategic Institute at Stanford University.
1992Chang, citing declassified documents, made the comment in an
1993article for the spring issue of the Harvard University-based
1994journal International Security.
1995"The possibility of using nuclear weapons was indeed
1996considered," said a former senior counselor to Eisenhower,
1997speaking on condition of anonymity.
1998"The president was definitely considering this alternative,"
1999the former official said Friday. "The use that was discussed was
2000of small nuclear weapons to be used against mainland airbases which
2001were close enough to Quemoy and Matsu to provide air cover."
2002The official said the tentative plan called for several atomic
2003bombs of 10 to 15 kilotons each _ about the yield of the bomb that
2004destroyed the Japanese city of Hiroshima _ to be dropped on the
2005coastal air bases, whiche were in populated areas.
2006Eisenhower and key aides were aware that civilian casualties
2007could number in the millions from such attacks, the official said.
2008Consideration of a nuclear attack began little more than a year
2009after Eisenhower conditionally approved a plan in May 1953 to end
2010the lingering Korean War with a full-scale military attack that
2011might have included the use of atomic weapons against the Chinese.
2012When the Chinese began shelling Quemoy in September 1954, acting
2013Secretary of Defense Robert Anderson alerted Eisenhower that the
2014intensity of the attack on the Nationalist Chinese-held island
2015seemed to herald an all-out assault.
2016"Over the next nine months, the United States, in support of
2017the Nationalists' defense of these islands, lurched toward
2018disaster," Chang wrote.
2019But the Communist Chinese unexpectedly defused tensions. On
2020April 23, 1955, Premier Zhou Enlai announced that his government
2021was willing to negotiate with the United States on the reduction of
2022tensions in the Taiwan area.
2023Chang, in a telephone interview from Palo Alto, Calif., said
2024much of his article was based on material declassified in the last
2025two or three years.
2026He cited an excerpt that he said records the substance of a
2027March 28, 1955, discussion between Secretary of State John Foster
2028Dulles and Robert Bowie, head of Eisenhower's policy planning staff.
2029"Mr. Bowie advanced the idea that we might serve notice that if
2030the CHICOMs (Chinese Communists) took Quemoy and Matsu, we would in
2031future, from time to time, drop a bomb on them, in order to
2032neutralize them and give the CHICOMs no advantage by their
2033capture," the excerpt said.
2034"The secretary disagreed, saying that this would be a
2035considerable waste of armament; and we would accomplish nothing but
2036the killing of a number of harmless fishermen, whom the CHICOMS
2037would put on the island in such an event," it said.
2038
2039A wintry storm packing snow and winds gusting to 35 mph blew
2040through the upper Midwest today as rain fell in the Northwest and
2041the Gulf Coast states.
2042Snow and gusts of 25-35 mph cut visibility to near zero between
2043Fargo, N.D. and Barnsville, Minn.
2044Showers and a few thunderstorms lined the Gulf Coast from
2045Mississippi through northern Florida late Friday, causing heavy
2046downpours and local flooding.
2047Flood warnings were posted for the lower Pearl and Bogue Chitto
2048rivers in southeast Louisiana.
2049Five to 7 inches of rain fell north of Franklinton and Bogalusa,
2050La., on Friday, triggering sharp rises in the river levels.
2051Thunderstorms produced three-quarters of an inch of rain within an
2052hour late Friday at Mobile, Ala.
2053Showers and isolated thunderstorms traveled ahead of a cold
2054front slowly moving across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys Friday
2055night. Thunderstorms produced small hail and gusty winds across a
2056small part of southeast Kentucky. A half-inch of rain was reported
2057across northwest Ohio, prompting flood warnings for the Tiffin and
2058St. Joseph rivers. Showers also extended from upstate New York into
2059Pennsylvania and Virginia.
2060Other rain showers and thunderstorms were scattered across
2061northern and central Missouri, and showers were scattered across
2062the Northwest.
2063Heavier rainfall in six hours overnight included nearly 1\
2064inches at Mobile and nearly three-quarters of an inch at Rochester,
2065N.Y.
2066Today's forecast called for scattered showers and thunderstorms
2067along the East Coast from southern New England to northern Florida
2068and in southern Mississippi and Louisiana; rain showers in the
2069northern and central Appalachians, the upper Ohio Valley and the
2070southern Great Lakes; snowshowers from northern Michigan to
2071northern Minnesota; and rain from the Northwest to northwest
2072Montana.
2073High temperatures were expected to be in the 20s or 30s from
2074northern Michigan across Minnesota to eastern North Dakota; the 40s
2075or 50s in portions of New England and from the Great Lakes region
2076to Illinois, the Missouri Valley, the northern Rockies and the
2077Northwest; the 80s over Florida, parts of Mississippi, most of
2078Louisiana and southern Texas; and the 80s or 90s in the desert
2079Southwest and Southern California. Elsewhere, highs were predicted
2080in the 60s or 70s.
2081Temperatures around the nation at 2 a.m. EST ranged from 17 at
2082Devils Lake, N.D., to 76 at Los Angeles.
2083Other reports:
2084_East: Atlanta 59 foggy; Boston 52 windy; Buffalo 46 partly
2085cloudy; Charleston, S.C. 67 cloudy; Cincinnati 46 fair; Cleveland
208646 cloudy; Detroit 44 fair; Miami 73 fair; New York 49 windy;
2087Philadelphia 61 windy; Pittsburgh 48 cloudy; Portland, Maine 42
2088drizzle; Washington 62 cloudy.
2089_Central: Bismarck 29 windy; Chicago 46 partly cloudy;
2090Dallas-Fort Worth 57 fair; Denver 36 fair; Des Moines 46 fair;
2091Indianapolis 42 fair; Minneapolis-St. Paul 26 snow; Nashville 44
2092fair; New Orleans 71 foggy.
2093_West: Albuquerque 50 fair; Anchorage 29 cloudy; Las Vegas 59
2094fair; Los Angeles 75 fair; Phoenix 71 fair; Salt Lake City 40 fair;
2095San Diego 68 fair; San Francisco 56 fair; Seattle 49 rain.
2096_Canada: Montreal 43 rain; Toronto 41 foggy.
2097
2098President Reagan sent a note of thanks to
2099a wildlife ranger who plucked a wayward bald eagle from a beach in
2100Ireland and helped it resettle in the United States.
2101The bird, believed to be the first American bald eagle sighted
2102in the British Isles, was flown to the United States amid much
2103fanfare in December.
2104Although some doubted that the bird actually flew the 3,000
2105miles across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland, Reagan lauded Pat
2106O'Connell for nursing the eagle back to health and escorting it to
2107its native continent.
2108"I and the American people thank you for your dedication in
2109rescuing this eagle and ensuring its safe return to the United
2110States," Reagan wrote.
2111The letter was dated Feb. 18, but a U.S. embassy official said
2112it was sent by diplomatic mail and received only recently.
2113
2114Deliberations in the "preppie murder" trial
2115stalled because the jury could not agree on Robert Chambers Jr.'s
2116state of mind at the time of the killing, a juror says.
2117Chambers, who could have been convicted of second-degree murder,
2118pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree manslaughter in the Aug. 26,
21191986 death of Jennifer Dawn Levin, bringing those deliberations to
2120a halt on their ninth day.
2121Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said the prospect
2122of a possible mistrial, the strain on the Levin family and
2123circumstantial evidence prompted him to agree to the plea bargain.
2124"There was one critical issue that kept swaying people back and
2125forth. That issue was understanding the concept of operation of the
2126mind," juror Mike Ognibene said after Chambers entered his plea.
2127"We had the facts, we'd put it all together. The only thing
2128lacking was what was going on in his mind at the time," Ognibene
2129said.
2130Jury forewoman Debra Cavanaugh said the panel was frustrated by
2131the amount of circumstantial evidence.
2132"Both sides proved their points. Both sides' stories could be
2133true," she said.
2134Morganthau said three jurors sent notes to the judge saying they
2135could not go on.
2136A prosecution source who spoke on condition of anonymity said a
2137black juror "thought a couple of the other jurors were racists,"
2138a woman juror was concerned because she had been scheduled to begin
2139a new job on March 1 and the third "just wanted out."
2140The jury's vote swung from 8-4 for acquittal to 9-3 for
2141conviction and ended up 7-5 for acquittal on the second-degree
2142murder charge, Ognibene said.
2143"This was the most incredible experience of my life and I am
2144satisfied the jury system works," he told reporters who mobbed him
2145as he left the courthouse.
2146
2147Jack Paladino is going all the way to
2148Iowa for people to pump gas and check oil at the Exxon station he
2149manages in affluent Greenwich, Conn.
2150"We just can't find anybody to pump gas out here," Paladino
2151said in a telephone interview from Greenwich this week. "We
2152already have three or four people from Iowa," and he's advertising
2153in Iowa newspapers for more.
2154This weekend, an employee of Paladino's will be in Iowa City and
2155Cedar Rapids to interview some of the 50 people who have submitted
2156job applications in response to the ads.
2157The process already has led to a job for Tony Moran of Van
2158Horne, who replied several weeks ago to an ad in The Cedar Rapids
2159Gazette.
2160The ad promised terms unheard of for similar work in Iowa: "We
2161offer $305 a week, free housing and benefits, plus free flight
2162out."
2163This seeming generosity, Paladino explained, stems from a severe
2164shortage of people willing to take service jobs in the high-income
2165Greenwich area.
2166"It's so bad here that the fast-food places have vans so they
2167can bus people out here from New York City," he said. Some of
2168those jobs pay $6 to $8 an hour.
2169Because of the labor shortage, Paladino placed newspaper ads in
2170upstate New York, Pennsylvania and Iowa, where he'd heard
2171unemployment rates were high.
2172"We've had better response from Iowa," he said.
2173Moran, 20, is enthusiastic about his new job.
2174"It's working out great here," he said. "It's everything I
2175expected. I was excited by the idea of living close to New York, I
2176like the idea of working with cars, I like the pay. I like the
2177apartment."
2178
2179California cockroach catchers are beating
2180the bushes in search of big bugs and big bucks.
2181The owner of the largest cockroach _ unsquashed _ gets a shot at
2182a $500 prize and the national championship, which offers the winner
2183a $1,000 prize.
2184"We're looking for the largest one from the tip of his head to
2185the end of his body. Feelers don't count," said Nancy Dunvant,
2186executive secretary of Western Exterminators Co. of Irvine, local
2187sponsor of the contest.
2188The biggest bug in the region will compete against cockroaches
2189from six other regions in the second annual Great American
2190Roach-Off.
2191This year's cockroach colossus will be chosen in June by judges
2192meeting in New York.
2193In California and Arizona, Western Exterminator will begin
2194accepting entries April 1, Ms. Dunvant said. Judging will be
2195assisted by a University of California, Riverside, roach expert.
2196
2197International Business Machines Corp. offered to
2198sell important computer chip technology to a major U.S. competitor
2199because it feared American electronics companies were relying too
2200much on Japanese technology, a newspaper reported today.
2201IBM made the offer last year to Digital Equipment Corp. in an
2202effort to keep Digital from becoming more dependent on Japanese
2203suppliers, The New York Times reported, citing a forthcoming book
2204and sources in the industry.
2205The book, titled "Trading Places: How We Allowed Japan to Take
2206the Lead," did not elaborate on what technology was offered or
2207whether Digital accepted the offer.
2208The book was written by Clyde Prestowitz and is scheduled for
2209publication in late April, The Times said.
2210Prestowitz, formerly the Commerce Department's chief trade
2211negotiator with Japan, wrote that in mid-1987, IBM approached
2212Digital, "its most dangerous domestic rival, and offered to
2213transfer certain key technologies.
2214"At first DEC suspected a trick, then it realized the objective
2215was to prevent DEC from falling even further into Japanese hands,"
2216Prestowitz wrote.
2217The book said IBM apparently believes the entire American
2218electronics industry could be weakened by growing dependence on
2219Japanese semiconductor technology.
2220Spokesmen for IBM and Digital would not confirm whether such
2221talks occurred, but other industry sources who declined to be
2222identified verified that IBM had made such an offer, the newspaper
2223said.
2224
2225Despite some misgivings, Wisconsin state
2226senators have approved a measure allowing blind people to hunt deer
2227and other game if accompanied by a sighted hunter.
2228"Do we really want people out there shooting guns when they
2229don't know where they're shooting?" Sen. Alan Lasee asked during
2230debate Friday night. "As much as I have empathy for the visually
2231handicapped, I don't believe I can support this."
2232Sen. Brian Rude supported the proposal and noted that the
2233Department of Natural Resources can issue licenses to handicapped
2234hunters.
2235People confined to wheelchairs are allowed to shoot or hunt from
2236an automobile parked off a highway and more than 50 feet from the
2237center of a roadway, he said.
2238The bill extends eligibility for a special permit to people who
2239present medical evidence that they are unable to hunt alone because
2240of a permanent physical disability or handicap, including blindness.
2241Under the measure, a visually handicapped hunter would have to
2242be accompanied by someone who could assist in sighting the firearm.
2243A 27-6 vote sent the measure to Gov. Tommy G. Thompson.
2244Picks up 13th graf, `Bill Hecke ...'
2245
2246Part of a rocket launched by the Soviet Union to
2247resupply its manned space station re-entered the atmosphere over
2248San Antonio, lighting up the sky with celestial fireworks seen in
2249three states, officials said.
2250The rocket burned up on re-entry around 10:50 p.m. Friday,
2251blazing its way across the Texas sky from southwest to northeast in
2252a light show visible for more than a minute in Texas, Arkansas and
2253Oklahoma.
2254Radio stations, police and the National Weather Service in Fort
2255Worth said they were besieged by calls from curious skywatchers.
2256"I saw a meteorite once that was pretty spectacular, but this
2257one just blew that away. This was the most amazing celestial event
2258I've ever seen," said Chuck Farr, 33, of Round Rock, who watched
2259from his front yard.
2260Although the rocket was bigger than a railroad boxcar, it was
2261unlikely that it caused any damage on the ground, said Lt. Col.
2262Ivan Pinnell, a spokesman for the North American Air Defense
2263Command, or NORAD, in Colorado Springs, Colo.
2264Pinnell said the rocket was used to launch a cargo satellite
2265carrying food and other supplies to the Mir space station manned by
2266two cosmonauts.
2267The Soviet Union launched the Progress 35 satellite Thursday,
2268according to a report by the Soviet news agency Tass. Pinnell said
2269NORAD had been tracking the rocket since its launch and had
2270expected the re-entry, but had not known when or where.
2271The reference book "Soviet Military Power" lists the SL-4 as
2272the type of rocket normally used by Soviets to launch such a
2273payload, Pinnell said.
2274The SL-4 weighs about 720,000 pounds and is about 91 feet long,
2275Pinnell said, citing the March 1988 issue of Aviation Week and
2276Space Technology.
2277"When an object like that re-enters, it breaks up in the
2278atmosphere, and you have these smaller pieces and sometimes you
2279have quite a show," Pinnell said.
2280He said he didn't know if the supplies had made it to the space
2281station, were on their way, or burned up on re-entry. "I would
2282have to refer you to Tass," the spokesman said.
2283In Moscow, the Soviet news agency Tass reported that the
2284Progress 35 cargo spacecraft carrying food, fuel, mail and
2285equipment docked with the Mir space station today. There was no
2286mention of the rocket re-entry.
2287Bill Hecke, a retired Air Force meteorologist who operates a
2288weather station from his home in Moody, 30 miles south of Waco,
2289said the object looked like a meteorite to him.
2290"It was closer and larger than anything I've ever seen anything
2291before, and I've been real active watching the skies since 1963,"
2292Hecke said.
2293Motorists on Interstate 35 south of Waco pulled over to the side
2294of the highway to watch the fireworks, said Jim Ribble, a newsman
2295for Texas AP Network Radio.
2296Ribble said it looked like the sparks caused by a car dragging a
2297loose muffler on the road.
2298"It just kept growing, like a sparkler," said Farr, a
229933-year-old technical writer for Texas Instruments in Austin.
2300"It went across the entire sky," he said. "It took from 45 to
230175 seconds. It gave me enough time to yell to the kids, and they
2302saw it, too."
2303
2304Suzuki Motor Co. may continue to import its tiny
2305Samurai sport-utility vehicle as a truck rather than a car because
2306it enters the country without back seats, the U.S. Customs Service
2307has ruled.
2308"I don't like making any decision which seems illogical. This
2309decision doesn't make any sense when people see how these vehicles
2310are being used in the United States, but in this case the Customs
2311Service has no choice," said Customs Commissioner William von Raab.
2312"These are `trucks' under the law when they enter this
2313country," he said in announcing the decision Friday.
2314Suzuki's Samurais are imported into the United States as trucks
2315because Suzuki doesn't have a large enough allocation under the
2316Japanese government's voluntary export restraints to ship them as
2317cars or sport-utility vehicles.
2318Instead of paying a 2.5 percent car tariff, Suzuki pays a 25
2319percent truck tariff on each of the vehicles, which are shipped
2320without back seats to qualify as trucks.
2321Rear seats are added either at the port of entry or at
2322dealerships. Few of the small, Jeep-like vehicles are sold without
2323rear seats. Suzuki sold 81,349 Samurais in this country in 1987 and
2324said it plans to sell 100,000 this year.
2325Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the U.S. House Energy
2326and Commerce Committee, criticized von Raab's decision.
2327"It appears that Customs is still winking at the fact that the
2328Japanese are shipping seats into the U.S. separately, then
2329installing them here to evade both Customs laws and the (voluntary
2330export restraints)," he said.
2331Last year, Customs and Commerce Department officials said the
2332U.S. government had little interest in helping the Japanese
2333government enforce its export limits, particularly since federal
2334government takes in more money when a maker opts to pay the 25
2335percent tariff instead of the lower fee.
2336Other Japanese companies that follow Suzuki's practice include
2337Nissan Motor Corp., Isuzu Motor Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and
2338Toyota Motor Corp., the companies said last year.
2339Rally</HEAD>
2340comment by organizer. Pickup 6th graf pvs: "The massive..."
2341
2342Riot police backed by water cannons beat
2343and arrested hundreds of Roman Catholics in western Czechoslovakia
2344who staged a rare demonstration for religious freedom, Western
2345reporters said today.
2346About 2,000 people in the Slovak capital of Bratislava gathered
2347Friday night in front of the National Theater for a candlelight
2348rally banned by Communist authorities, who tightly control
2349religious activities.
2350Witnesses said authorities broke up the demonstration by pushing
2351into side streets protesters who had been singing Slovak and Czech
2352national anthems, praying and holding candles.
2353Hundreds of people were arrested and many were beaten by police,
2354including some journalists, reporters said.
2355There is growing discontent among Catholics at authorities'
2356refusal to agree to Vatican candidates to fill 10 vacant
2357bishoprics. No new Czechoslovak bishops have been named since 1973
2358and the three alive are all over 75.
2359Jan Cernogursky, who helped organize the rally, said in a
2360telephone interview from Bratislava that if there were similar
2361protests in future, "then the government will no longer be able to
2362freely decide over the heads of the citizens."
2363"It was a new form of civil protest in this country after 40
2364years, because a previously announced demonstration of citizens ..
2365. has practically never taken place here before," he told Austrian
2366radio.
2367The massive police turnout and violent action to disperse the
2368crowd appeared designed to discourage opposition by Catholics,
2369430,000 of whom are said to have so far signed a petition for
2370religious freedom and the appointment of bishops and priests.
2371Otto Hoermann of Austrian state television ORF said his crew was
2372dragged away by policemen, who appeared drunk, and taken to police
2373headquarters for 2{ hours. Two other ORF journalists were held for
2374eight hours. A team of the West German ARD TV network also was
2375detained.
2376Hoermann said he saw scores of people, drenched by water cannon,
2377lined up at police headquarters with their faces to the wall. The
2378exact number of arrests could not be determined.
2379Bratislava is near the Austrian border, 40 miles east of Vienna.
2380Negotiations between the government and a Vatican delegation in
2381Prague in January were inconclusive, largely because the Holy See
2382refused to agree to candidates belonging to the pro-government
2383Pacem in Terris organization of clergymen, which is banned by the
2384Vatican.
2385The talks are scheduled to resume in Rome next month.
2386The 31-point petition being signed by hundreds of thousands of
2387Catholics nationwide _ an unprecedented manifestation of
2388Catholicism in the Soviet bloc _ has made authorities increasingly
2389nervous.
2390It calls for more bishops, more priests and separation of church
2391and state as well as the right to question Marxist dogma and to
2392petition authorities without harassment.
2393The petition's author, Augustin Navratil, was arrested earlier
2394this month and charged with committing "slander of a state organ
2395and of a public organization," which carries a term of up to one
2396year imprisonment.
2397Frantisek Miklosko, a Slovak Catholic activist, had announced
2398the rally to authorities "on behalf of several faithful fellow
2399citizens" and organizers expected up to 70,000 participants.
2400But authorities on Thursday issued a ban, saying the planned
2401demonstration was "an event guided from abroad" that was directed
2402against the socialist system.
2403patrols in Stepanakert, ADDS background of Sumgait rioting. Pick up
240414th graf pvs "Meanwhile, the..." TRIMS thereafter.
2405
2406Armenia's capital of Yerevan was like "a dead
2407city" today as residents pressing for annexation of a disputed
2408region of neighboring Azerbaijan stayed home to protest a crackdown
2409on activism, dissidents reported.
2410Soldiers and police with attack dogs were the only people on the
2411streets while army helicopters hovered over the city of 1.4
2412million, said Andrei Bavitsky, of the dissident journal Glasnost,
2413quoting sources there.
2414Thousands of Azerbaijani police in Stepanakert, capital of the
2415disputed Nagorno-Karabahk region, kept a tight hold on the city and
2416Armenian residents there also stayed home in protest, Bavitsky
2417said, quoting sources in that city. Armenians account for more than
2418three quarters of the 160,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh.
2419Four vocal leaders of the annexation campaign were arrested in
2420Yerevan Friday after police ordered the dissolution of a committee
2421organizing the quest for Armenian control of Nagorno-Karabakh.
2422Both Bavitsky and Alexander Ogorodnikov, a Christian rights
2423activist, said they were told by contacts in Yerevan that Armenians
2424had decided to protest a clampdown on public demonstrations by
2425refusing to go out of their apartments for the weekend. They said
2426the silent protest was being adhered to by virtually the entire
2427city.
2428"There are no children outside, no cars on the street, no
2429activity whatsoever except for the troops occupying the city,"
2430Ogorodnikov said. "Yerevan is like a dead city."
2431He said activists told him 60,000 soldiers were patrolling the
2432city.
2433Mass demonstrations staged in Yerevan in late February triggered
2434rioting in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait, where at least 32 were
2435killed, 197 injured and 400 arrested for murder, rape, robbery and
2436other crimes.
2437Authorities had threatened criminal action against those taking
2438part in any future illegal protests to press for annexation of
2439Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian region that has been
2440part of Azerbaijan since 1923. Armenians are predominantly
2441Christian while most Azeris are Moslem.
2442Those arrested Friday in the southern republic were identified
2443as Paruyr Arikyan, Mofses Gorgisyan, Georg Mirzoyan and Mekhak
2444Gabrielyan, said Ogorodnikov and Bavitsky. All four arrested had
2445been pressing the annexation cause and providing information to
2446foreign journalists.
2447Soviet authorities have forbidden foreign correspondents to
2448travel to the region. Telephone contact has also been disrupted.
2449Numerous attempts to telephone Yerevan today were unsuccessful.
2450Even calls to police stations and news offices went unanswered.
2451Ogorodnikov said he was arrested and sent back to Moscow after
2452arriving in Yerevan Friday night on an Aeroflot flight, and
2453Bavitsky said Glasnost magazine's office was broken into overnight
2454and ransacked in what might have been an official effort to
2455discourage continued involvement in the dispute.
2456Glasnost editor Sergei Grigoryants is Armenian and has been
2457serving as an information liaison with Western news organizations.
2458Meanwhile, a national newspaper today accused the Communist
2459Party leadership of trying to suppress the sensitive ethnic dispute.
2460Komsomolskaya Pravda said the "organs of power" should instead
2461have openly discussed the proposal with Armenians.
2462The critical commentary in the party youth newspaper contrasted
2463sharply with articles Friday in two official newspapers, Pravda and
2464Izvestia, that accused annexation activists of resorting to
2465pressure tactics.
2466Trud, the labor newspaper, criticized the state-run press today
2467for failing to accurately report the Nagorno-Karabakh issue out of
2468fear that it would stir up passions among the more than 100 Soviet
2469nationalities.
2470The Armenian government on Friday ordered the disbanding of an
2471organizing committee spearheading the annexation drive, and Radio
2472Moscow reported that self-appointed groups of activists,
2473intellectuals and republic political leaders were "disbanding
2474themselves."
2475Morning broadcasts of Radio Moscow carried no news from Armenia
2476or Nagorno-Karabakh.
2477Another round of strikes and demonstrations had been called in
2478Armenia today, when the unofficial organizing committee was to
2479meet. But activists called off the protests to avoid confrontation
2480with security forces.
2481The Communist leadership has taken a hard line against the
2482annexation campaign and public activism, though at the same time
2483attempting to appease Armenians who fear Nagorno-Karabakh is losing
2484its traditional ethnic character.
2485The Politburo has ordered a major improvement in living
2486conditions in the region, including steady reception of
2487Armenian-language television programming and more Armenian
2488literature.
2489
2490Five school children believed exposed
2491to a rabid bat are getting shots to prevent them from getting
2492rabies, and officials say more children may need treatment.
2493Officials of Alvin Dunn Elementary School said Friday they have
2494advised parents of at least 31 children who may have been exposed
2495to contact physicians to determine if treatment is necessary, said
2496Dennis Stokes, assistant principal.
2497"I would guess we would have six to eight children get the
2498shots before this is over," said Dr. William Townsend, chief of
2499the county's Division of Communicable Disease Control.
2500Stokes said three boys found the bat Tuesday while playing near
2501an apartment complex in this town about 25 miles north of San
2502Diego. They put it in a box and brought it to school for "show and
2503tell" the next day, where many fifth- and sixth-graders either saw
2504or touched the bat, he said.
2505It is not believed that the bat bit any children, but the animal
2506was salivating and the saliva carries the deadly virus.
2507The bat was determined to be rabid after a parent at the
2508apartment complex saw one of the boys with the animal, confiscated
2509it and contacted health authorities.
2510
2511Two men have been charged with
2512murdering two British soldiers during a funeral for an IRA member
2513in which the soldiers were beaten, stripped and then shot
2514execution-style.
2515Alexander Murphy, 30, and Henry Maguire, 28, both of Belfast,
2516were charged Friday night with the murders of army corporals Derek
2517Wood and David Howes, police said.
2518Maguire pleaded innocent today in court, but Murphy entered no
2519plea.
2520Judge Tom Travers ordered them held in custody until their next
2521court appearance on April 22.
2522The soldiers were killed March 19 after they drove up to the
2523funeral procession of IRA member Kevin Brady. Mourners dragged them
2524from their car and beat them unconscious. They were later shot
2525behind a wall in a soccer stadium.
2526The outlawed IRA claimed responsibility for killing the
2527soldiers, both members of the Royal Corps of Signals, in the
2528staunchly Roman Catholic Andersonstown district of west Belfast.
2529Murphy and Maguire smiled and nodded to relatives in the small
2530courtroom during the hour-long proceeding.
2531The detective in charge of the murder investigation told the
2532court that bloodstained fragments of glass were found on the
2533clothing of the two accused.
2534"There was also bloodstaining found on the trousers worn by the
2535accused (Maguire) when he was arrested and which have been
2536identified as being consistent with the blood of Cpl. Howes," the
2537detective said.
2538"An examination of the jacket belonging to Maguire contained
2539fibers consistent with fibers belonging to a sweater identified as
2540Cpl. Wood's."
2541The Royal Ulster Constabulary, Northern Ireland's police force,
2542does not release the names of its investigating officers for
2543security reasons.
2544The Times of London said the accused men were arrested in a
2545black taxi in the Andersonstown area shortly after the killings.
2546Brady was one of three people who died when a Protestant gunman
2547opened fire and hurled grenades at the March 16 funeral of three
2548IRA guerrillas slain March 6 by British commandos in Gibraltar.
2549Authorities said the guerrillas were planning a bomb attack.
2550The mainly Catholic Irish Republican Army is fighting to end
2551British rule in Northern Ireland. It wants to unite the
2552predominantly Protestant province with the overwhelmingly Catholic
2553Republic of Ireland under socialist rule.
2554A total of 391 British Army soldiers and 172 members of the
2555Ulster Defense Regiment, a locally recruited militia, have been
2556killed in Northern Ireland since sectarian and political violence
2557flared in 1969.
2558Michael Stone was charged with murder Tuesday in the slayings of
2559Brady and the two others at Milltown cemetery in west Belfast on
2560March 16. He also was charged with murdering three other Catholics
2561in separate attacks. Stone, 33, has told police he was on a revenge
2562mission against the IRA.
2563
2564Barbara Bush, wife of Vice President George Bush,
2565said in an interview published today that she feels no need to
2566defend her husband against the perception that he is a wimp.
2567"That's a figment of some cartoonist's imagination. George
2568hasn't changed," Mrs. Bush said in the interview with The Denver
2569Post.
2570The Bushes were in Denver for a campaign appearance and rally at
2571the University of Denver Field House, which was packed with
2572supporters of his campaign for the Republican presidential
2573nomination. The interview was conducted on Friday.
2574If she becomes first lady, Mrs. Bush said, she would be active
2575"within my interests." One of those is fighting illiteracy.
2576Lack of education is the greatest problem facing America, she
2577said, "because that affects everything."
2578She has proposed a business and volunteer effort to help reduce
2579the rate of U.S. illiteracy, which affects one of five Americans.
2580"Many of this country's problems would be solved, or at least
2581reduced, if more people could read," she said. "Education covers
2582everything I'm interested in. Almost everything I worry about would
2583be solved if more people were educated."
2584She named some worries: prison recidivism, drug use, the numbers
2585of abused women and children, and teen-age pregnancy. "It breaks
2586my heart to see a 14-year-old who's been tricked by life into
2587getting pregnant," she said.
2588Her husband probably agrees with her concerns, she said, "but I
2589won't wait for him. I work in the private sector. I do think I've
2590had some influence on him, opened him up to things he hadn't
2591considered."
2592Bush has 10 grandchildren, two of whom appeared on the podium
2593with their parents, Denverites Neal and Sharon Bush.
2594Mrs. Bush said she would like to leave her grandchildren a
2595legacy of peace. "I've lived through war, and I hope my
2596grandchildren won't have to.
2597
2598Testimony in the Lyndon LaRouche trial will be
2599halted so a judge can investigate whether prosecutors should be
2600sanctioned for withholding evidence from the defense.
2601U.S. District Judge Robert E. Keeton made the announcement
2602Friday after Assistant U.S. Attorney John Markham conceded
2603materials he recently surrendered to defense lawyers should have
2604been turned over before the trial began in December.
2605The material concerns a former LaRouche consultant the defense
2606contends was used by the FBI to entrap the political extremist, six
2607aides and five LaRouche groups. They are charged with plotting to
2608obstruct a grand jury investigation of alleged credit card and loan
2609fraud during LaRouche's 1984 presidential campaign.
2610Keeton said he also would hold hearings next week to determine
2611whether other documents given to the defense lawyers this month
2612should have been surrendered earlier. Those documents discuss
2613alleged FBI and CIA infiltration of LaRouche groups and include a
2614memo between two pivotal figures in the Iran-Contra scandal.
2615Keeton said the jury would be called into court briefly Monday
2616so Markham could finish questioning a former LaRouche aide about
2617the organization's hierarchy and fund raising.
2618Then Keeton will hold a hearing focusing on Ryan Quade Emerson,
2619a longtime FBI informant who also worked as a consultant to
2620LaRouche.
2621Emerson was listed as a prosecution witness until earlier this
2622month, about the same time the defense received copies of FBI
2623documents indicating a Virginia agent sought Emerson's help with
2624the LaRouche investigation. LaRouche's headquarters is in Leesburg,
2625Va.
2626Markham has said Emerson played a minimal role in the
2627investigation, but the defense claims the FBI had him make
2628erroneous statements to LaRouche aides about the case.
2629Included in the hundreds of notebooks seized by investigators
2630are several passages quoting Emerson, including one in which he
2631said LaRouche had been successful in blocking the grand jury
2632investigation.
2633Markham said the comment was evidence of a conspiracy to
2634obstruct the investigation. The prosecutor and the FBI agent who
2635sought Emerson's help deny that Emerson was told to make the
2636statement. Emerson, in an affidavit, said he had lied to the
2637LaRouche groups throughout his association with them.
2638LaRouche lawyers also learned this week that Emerson recorded an
2639interview he had with a private investigator hired by a defense
2640lawyer, and that he played the tape for Markham and another
2641prosecutor. During the interview, conducted prior to the trial, the
2642investigator discussed defense strategy.
2643At Monday's hearing, Emerson and several FBI agents are
2644scheduled to testify about his dealings with the agency.
2645Possible sanctions Keeton can impose range from a continuance to
2646allow further defense preparation to dismissal of the case.
2647Then, provided the case is not dismissed, Keeton is to hold
2648hearings to determine whether Markham should have surrendered to
2649the defense prior to trial memos discussing possible FBI and CIA
2650infiltration of LaRouche groups.
2651Among those is a memo in which retired Air Force Maj. Gen.
2652Richard Secord told then-White House aide Oliver North that an
2653associate had "collected info against LaRouche."
2654
2655China's State Council has begun a high-level
2656investigation of a train collision in Shanghai that killed 28
2657people, including 27 Japanese, official reports said today.
2658A preliminary investigation found that brake failure caused the
2659two trains to crash head-on Thursday, but it was not known why they
2660failed, Fu Yatao of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs office said.
2661Ninety-nine people were injured in the crash, China's fourth
2662fatal train wreck this year. The collision occurred when a train
2663heading south to scenic Hangzhou slammed into a northbound train
2664from Changsha.
2665The Hangzhou-bound train was carrying 193 Japanese high school
2666students and teachers on a tour of Shanghai and nearby cities.
2667In all 169 people died in the four accidents. Another 108 people
2668died in a plane crash in January.
2669Senior leaders responded to the string of accidents with demands
2670for greater attention to safety, and China's railway minister
2671resigned earlier this month in disgrace to take responsibility for
2672several train disasters.
2673The official Xinhua News Agency said the State Council appointed
2674Deputy Railway Minister Li Senmao, Vice Foreign Minister Zhu Qizhen
2675and two Shanghai vice mayors to head the group investigating the
2676latest crash.
2677"This shows that the State Council attaches great importance to
2678the work of improving transportation safety," said Fu.
2679State Council General Secretary Chen Junsheng, representing
2680acting Premier Li Peng, was in Shanghai today visiting the injured
2681Japanese students and meeting with Japanese officials, Fu said.
2682The nationally televised evening news broadcast lengthy footage
2683of Chinese officials and weeping Japanese relatives bearing flowers
2684and food visiting the 24 students who remained hospitalized.
2685Relatives of the Japanese victims flew to Shanghai by a charter
2686plane Friday, and visited the site of the crash Saturday, where
2687they laid flowers in honor of the dead.
2688Three Japanese doctors arrived on Saturday to help treat the
2689injured. Fu said two Japanese students remained in critical
2690condition.
2691A Japanese Foreign Ministry official in Tokyo said the bodies of
2692the 26 students and one teacher will be sent home by charter plane
2693Sunday. However, Fu said three of the dead will be cremated in
2694Shanghai at the request of the family.
2695The news broadcast said train service was restored on the line
2696this afternoon.
2697
2698Scorching Southern California temperatures
2699sparked beach brawls among gang members and contributed to this
2700year's first round of brushfires, authorities say, but some relief
2701is on the way.
2702Sunny but slightly cooler weather is forecast Sunday, but with
2703hot Santa Ana winds in the evening and Monday.
2704The mercury climbed to the 90s throughout the area Friday and
2705hit 100 degrees in Thermal and Anaheim, setting new records for the
2706second day in a row as tens of thousands sought escape at the
2707beaches.
2708At the downtown Civic Center, a sizzling 96 degrees shattered
2709the previous high for the day of 89, set in 1978. Thursday's high
2710of 94 topped the previous mark of 89, set in 1930.
2711San Diego sweltered in record-breaking 89-degree heat, which
2712topped the previous record of 86 degrees on March 25, 1947.
2713"It's so hot my shoes are melting on the pavement," complained
2714Susan Seeger during a mid-day walk in downtown Los Angeles.
2715Postcard-clear skies teamed up with the heat and a medium surf
2716to draw 250,000 people to Los Angeles County beaches, lifeguards
2717reported.
2718But at Zuma Beach the scene was far from idyllic. An estimated
2719100 to 200 members of two rival street gangs broke car windows and
2720started two brawls. Two 16-year-olds were taken to a hospital with
2721bruises and head injuries and four people were arrested, sheriff's
2722deputies said.
2723The high temperatures combined with hot Santa Ana winds launched
2724the unofficial start of fire season as two different blazes burned
2725nearly 200 acres Friday.
2726In northern San Diego County, firefighters were still mopping up
2727today after a 100-acre fire in rugged terrain that investigators
2728believe was caused by a spark from state Conservation Corps
2729equipment. One firefighter was treated and released for a minor
2730injury.
2731In Riverside, a discarded cigarette was believed to have caused
2732a fire which burned about 80 acres of a rocky hillside on the
2733city's northeast edge, city fire Capt. John Coryell said today.
2734Many of those who couldn't enjoy the day at the beach turned on
2735their air conditioners.
2736Southern California Edison reported a 3 p.m. peak power use of
273712,292 megawatts, about 1,500 megawatts above normal and a record
2738for the date.
2739The National Weather Service says some relief is due Sunday as
2740the high-pressure system causing the heat spell moves eastward,
2741allowing an increased marine influence.
2742Temperatures Sunday will hit the low to mid-70s in Los Angeles,
2743slightly above normal for this time of year, and the mid-70s in San
2744Diego, about normal. Highs in the desert areas will rise to the 80s
2745to low 90s.
2746Skies will remain clear except for some patchy clouds along the
2747coast during morning hours, and more Santa Ana winds are due in the
2748area Sunday night and Monday.
2749
2750An American photographer went on trial
2751today for smuggling cocaine, and a U.S. narcotics agent testified
2752that a drug ring tricked the photographer into transporting their
2753cocaine.
2754Conan Owen, a 23-year-old freelance photographer from Annandale,
2755Va., is charged with smuggling more than four pounds of cocaine
2756into Spain in a false-bottomed suitcase on March 13, 1987.
2757The prosecution is asking for 10 years in prison on charges of
2758contraband and violating public health laws that prohibit the
2759transport or sale of dangerous drugs.
2760The defense contends that Owen didn't know the cocaine was in
2761the suitcase.
2762Owen has spent the past year in pre-trial detention in
2763Barcelona's 85-year-old Model Prison without possibility of bail.
2764He told the court he had carried a suitcase to Barcelona from
2765Santiago, Chile, while on assignment to take travel brochure
2766photographs for George Barahona, an Ecuador-born, naturalized
2767American living near Washington, D.C.
2768Barahona on Feb. 5 pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of
2769conspiracy to smuggle drugs in U.S. District Court in Alexandria,
2770Va.
2771He received a two-year suspended sentence after he provided
2772information that led to the indictment of three Spaniards and three
2773Bolivians in a conspiracy to smuggle illegal drugs. They remain at
2774large.
2775Barahona told an American court he had shared a hotel room with
2776Owen in Santiago and planted the cocaine-lined suitcase on Owen.
2777Owen said he thought the suitcase contained only travel
2778brochures and film and said Barahona had represented himself as one
2779of the owners of the Sorosa Travel Agency in suburban Washington.
2780Special Agent James Kibble of the Drug Enforcement
2781Administration testified for the defense that he became interested
2782in the Owen case while assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid
2783because Owen was from the Washington, D.C. area, and the DEA was
2784investigating a cocaine-smuggling ring the agency believed operated
2785out of northern Virginia.
2786"I have found that there is a group of people involved in
2787sending drugs from South America to Spain using unsuspecting people
2788as carriers," Kibble testified.
2789Kibble also testified he came to the conclusion Owen was
2790"innocent _ or stupid _ but innocent."
2791Assistant U.S. District Attorney Justin Williams testified for
2792the defense that testimony obtained from Barahona following a
2793plea-bargain arrangement with his attorney indicated Owen had
2794unwittingly taken the cocaine-laden suitcase to Spain.
2795"He (Barahona) specifically told us that Conan Owen had no
2796knowledge that there was cocaine in the suitcase he carried into
2797Barcelona airport March 13," Williams said.
2798There are no jury trials in Spain, and Judge Jose Presencia
2799Rubio said at the close of the 2{-hour trial he would deliver his
2800verdict later.
2801Owen wore a grey suit and stood with his hands clasped behind
2802his back when addressing the court.
2803He spoke in Spanish with occasional assistance from a
2804court-appointed interpreter.
2805His parents Ernest and Raquel Owen of Annandale, Va., sat
2806directly behind him. His 25-year-old brother, Evan, also was
2807present.
2808Prosecutor Teresa Calvo called only two witnesses _ the
2809paramilitary Civil Guard on duty at El Prat Airport who discovered
2810the cocaine _ and the chemist who analysed the drug as being
281184-percent pure cocaine.
2812Defense attorney Ana Campa said the prosecution had not proven
2813Owen knew there was cocaine in the suitcase and said the defendant
2814had never denied taking the luggage from Santiago to Barcelona.
2815Owen told the court he had always obeyed the laws of the country
2816in which he was and said he could have been "stupid _ but that is
2817not a crime."
2818Owen is a graduate of Syracuse University.
2819
2820Queen Sofia joined more than a 1,000
2821mourners at a funeral Saturday for 10 children and five adults
2822killed in an accident involving a train and a nursery school bus,
2823Spanish National Radio reported.
2824Lerida Roman Catholic Bishop Ramon Malla Call read a telegram
2825sent by Pope John Paul II offering condolences for the families of
2826the dead and prayers for quick recoveries of the 17 children
2827injured in Friday's crash, the radio said.
2828The accident in the nearby town of Juneda occurred when a bus
2829carrying the children from the Los Angeles nursery school went past
2830a stop sign at a rail crossing and was rammed by a high-speed
2831passenger train bound for Barcelona, police said.
2832The crash killed six boys and four girls, four women in their
283320s, including one who was seven months pregnant, and the bus
2834driver, a Lerida province spokesman said.
2835Eleven children remained hospitalized Saturday.
2836One 3-year-old girl was in a coma with severe head injuries, and
2837another was in serious condition, a spokesman at San Juan de Dios
2838Hospital in Barcelona said.
2839The rest were in stable condition, hospital spokesmen said.
2840
2841President Corazon Aquino on Saturday
2842ordered an investigation into allegations by an anti-nuclear
2843activist who said he was tortured at headquarters of her security
2844force and his companion murdered.
2845Presidential Executive Secretary Catalino Macaraig said that
2846Mrs. Aquino told the National Bureau of Investigation, which will
2847carry out the inquiry, to ensure the safety of the activist. The
2848bureau is a civilian agency.
2849Hilario Bustamante Jr., 18, was recovering in a hospital. He
2850suffered a deep cut in the back of the neck which doctors said may
2851have been inflicted with a machete or ax.
2852The injury was similar to that which killed his companion, Rey
2853Francisco.
2854Bustamante told reporters on Friday that he, Francisco and five
2855other members of the leftist organization Youth for Democracy and
2856Nationalism were attacked March 19 while putting up posters
2857condemning nuclear arms and U.S. military bases. Bustamante said he
2858and Francisco were chased by a gang of armed men who were wearing
2859civilian clothes but identified themselves as police.
2860He said the men caught him and Francisco and took them to a
2861military compound behind the presidential palace, where they
2862tortured the two and accused them of belonging to the communist New
2863People's Army. The compound houses the president's security forces.
2864Bustamante said they were beaten with iron rods and burned with
2865cigarettes as they were kept blindfolded and handcuffed.
2866He said three men loaded them into a car Monday night and took
2867them to a field on the outskirts of Manila, where they were hacked
2868in the back of the neck.
2869Col. Voltaire Gazmin, commander of the presidential security
2870group, has denied his unit was involved. He added in a separate
2871statement that his unit was investigating Bustamante's allegations.
2872But in his statement, Macaraig said that Mrs. Aquino ordered
2873Gazmin and the Manila-area command of the Philippine Constabulary
2874to drop any investigations and leave the matter entirely to the
2875National Bureau of Investigation.
2876Earlier this month, Amnesty International, a London-based human
2877rights group, charged that the Philippine military was using
2878torture and murder to fight a 19-year-old communist insurgency.
2879Mrs. Aquino called the report one-sided.
2880
2881About 5,000 teen-agers marched 22 miles
2882Saturday to demand that the government find jobs for them and the
2883estimated 10 million unemployed people in the country.
2884Mohammad Helaluddin, general secretary of the Bangladesh Youth
2885Union, told reporters the march was to call attention to government
2886injustice and the suffering of the unemployed and their families.
2887The union sponsored the protest.
2888Helaluddin called on the government to end a hiring freeze
2889imposed 2{ years ago. The ban was issued because of financial
2890contraints.
2891Bangladesh, with a population of 105 million, is one of the
2892poorest nations in the world, with a per capita annual income of
2893$160.
2894The marchers took about nine hours to walk from the National
2895Mausoleum at Savar northwest of the capital to a monument in
2896downtown Dhaka.
2897
2898At least 40 people, including six
2899children, were injured when bombs set off by robbers at a rural
2900fair exploded, police said Saturday.
2901More than 20 bombs went off Friday during a fair in the village
2902of Kaliakandipara in Sirajganj district, about 50 miles northwest
2903of Dhaka, according to police interviewed by telephone.
2904A 7-year-old boy and five adults were critically injured, they
2905said. The fair, an annual event in the village, draws thousands of
2906farmers and traders.
2907"Some miscreants exploded bombs to loot the carnival," one
2908policeman said. Officers said many stalls set up by traders were
2909robbed, but the amount of money and goods taken was not known. The
2910robbers escaped, they said.
2911was...," to after 12th graf: "On another...." Pick up 13th graf
2912pvs: "Tehran Radio..."
2913
2914Iraq said it fired two long-range
2915missiles into Tehran today, and Iran said its fighter-bombers
2916pounded Iraqi troops in a battle for a strategic region in
2917northeastern Iraq.
2918The Al Hussein missile strike ended a two-day lull in Iraq's
2919bombardment of the Iranian capital during a month-long exchange
2920known as the "war of the cities." Missiles fired by Iraq and Iran
2921have killed hundreds of civilians during the latest outbreak.
2922The official Iraqi News Agency quoted an unidentified military
2923spokesman as saying: "The only reply we have to those who refuse
2924peace and attack our cities and borders is death and destruction.
2925We are going to ... level their cities." INA was monitored in
2926Nicosia.
2927There was no report from Tehran about where the missiles
2928exploded.
2929Meanwhile, Tehran Radio, also monitored in Cyprus, reported that
2930Iraqi warplanes bombed residential sections of the western city of
2931Ilam today. There was no immediate word of casualties.
2932Iran said at least 53 civilians were killed and 112 wounded in
2933Iraqi air raids on Borujerd and other western Iranian towns Friday.
2934Fighting in a key Iranian offensive in northeastern Iraq also
2935was fierce. Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency said today
2936Iranian fighter-bombers attacked troops there as Iranian
2937Revolutionary Guards were reported thrusting into the Kurdistan
2938mountains in the 11-day-old offensive.
2939The strategic area lies east of the Kirkuk oilfiends, which
2940produce about 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, more than half of
2941Iraq's current daily output. The Iranians claim they have killed or
2942wounded 11,500 Iraqis, captured 4,500 and destroyed 200 tanks and
2943armored vehicles since they launched the offensive March 16.
2944Iranian communiques said their forces advanced 10 miles into
2945northeastern Iraq and that Iraqi warplanes dropped chemical bombs
2946on three towns overrun by the invaders, killing 5,000 Kurdish
2947civilians and injured 5,000 more.
2948The United Nations has said it will send a team of experts to
2949investigate the reported Iraqi use of chemical weapons, outlawed
2950under a 1925 Geneva agreement.
2951On another front, the Iranian news agency said other Iranian
2952warplanes heavily bombarded Iraqi troop concentrations and defense
2953lines around the strategic southern port of Basra today.
2954It was the third straight day the Iranians have hit that sector.
2955An estimated 250,000 Revolutionary Guards and volunteer fighters
2956have amassed east of Basra in past weeks for a long-expected
2957offensive.
2958Tehran Radio said two French-built Iraqi Mirage F-1s were downed
2959by Iranian interceptors Friday over the northern gulf while two
2960Soviet-built Sukhoi-22 fighter-bombers raiding the Iranian city of
2961Borujerd also were shot down by anti-aircraft missiles.
2962Iraq said only one of its jets was lost Friday in 343 combat
2963missions, the highest one-day total in a year. Iraq also claimed
2964Friday to have shot down four U.S.-built F-5 jets in the
2965northeastern fighting, but Iran denied the claim.
2966The Iranian claims raised to eight the number of Iraqi jets
2967reported shot down in dogfights or by ground fire Friday.
2968Iran's President Ali Khamanei declared late Friday that he will
2969send an envoy to New York for talks with U.N. Secretary-General
2970Javier Perez de Cuellar on a Security Council resolution calling
2971for a cease-fire in the 7{-year-old war. But it quoted him as
2972saying he held out little hope of an agreement.
2973Iraq has also said it's ready to engage in the indirect
2974discussions.
2975
2976The political invectives exchanged between
2977China and Taiwan for decades can barely be heard over a new chorus:
2978"Let's do business together."
2979Merchants are scrambling to trade across the Taiwan Straits as
2980China presses ahead with its modernization program and Taiwan eases
2981its no-contact policy with the Communist mainland.
2982The development could profoundly influence future political
2983relations between the countries, some political experts say.
2984"How can you help but find that relations will just keep on
2985rolling after this?" said Byron Weng, a political analyst at
2986Chinese University of Hong Kong. "To be able to do business ...
2987necessarily leads to (political) cooperation."
2988Taiwanese officials say direct trade will remain outlawed for
2989the present. But signs of increased business ties, made through
2990legal and illegal channels, are apparent in both countries.
2991Taiwanese markets openly display Chinese medicinal herbs,
2992ginseng, dates, walnuts and other foodstuffs from the mainland.
2993Mouthwatering mainland specialties _ dried duck from Nanking,
2994salted fish from Canton and whole hams from Jinhua in Zhejiang
2995province _ also are available in Taiwan.
2996In China, factory tours often reveal a Taiwanese connection. The
2997state-of-the-art Haide Polyester Plant on Hainan island uses
2998polyester chips from Taiwan. Shenzhen Plastics Corp. in Guangdong
2999province boasts that money of an American-Taiwanese investor helped
3000the firm gain favorable treatment from Chinese authorities.
3001The signs of cooperation arise against a backdrop of years of
3002enmity.
3003After losing a civil war to the Communists on the Chinese
3004mainland and fleeing to Taiwan in 1949, the Nationalist government
3005strictly prohibited Taiwanese from doing business with the
3006Communists. Anyone caught doing so was considered a traitor.
3007But the Nationalists, while continuing to reject official
3008contact with the mainland, recently eased restrictions on
3009people-to-people ties. They also gave a boost last year to now
3010flourishing indirect trade by allowing imports of several mainland
3011food items through third countries.
3012Much of the business comes through the British colony of Hong
3013Kong on the southeastern China coast, where last year indirect
3014trade between Taiwan and China totaled $1.5 billion, up 58 percent
3015from 1986.
3016Taiwan's exports accounted for $1.2 billion of the trade and
3017consisted primarily of textiles, machinery and electrical
3018appliances, according to Hong Kong government trade statistics.
3019A group of Hong Kong Chinese merchants with ties to the
3020Nationalist government recently opened the Taiwan Trade Center in
3021Hong Kong to facilitate trade with China. About 150 Taiwanese
3022companies display exhibits there to entice mainland Chinese
3023companies to buy everything from machine tools to cosmetics.
3024"In the future, we will open the market in China," said center
3025representative Tina Lee N. Hwai, "so I think this is the bridge."
3026The mass-circulation United Daily News of Taiwan recently
3027reported an increasing number of companies have invested or plan to
3028invest in China in textiles, footwear, fertilizers, chemicals and
3029food processing. Such activity would have to be carried out through
3030third countries.
3031A Chinese official this month disclosed plans to set up in
3032southern Guangdong province a product-processing zone for Taiwanese
3033companies that would receive preferential treatment.
3034Weng, the political analyst, said China might use such contacts
3035with Taiwanese businesses as a way to reach "people who are not in
3036the political field."
3037Political leaders have been deadlocked for 40 years, with each
3038group claiming to be legitimate rulers over the mainland. Each
3039country says it is committed to reunification _ but under its own
3040terms.
3041Despite the increasing trade, Taiwanese officials are still
3042balking at too much contact too soon with the mainland.
3043"Too much direct trade will have a negative impact on our
3044efforts to restructure our industries," said Taiwanese Premier Yu
3045Kuo-kwa recently. "We want our companies to produce more
3046sophisticated products, but the mainland market is only a market
3047for low-end consumer goods."
3048Some Taiwan merchants, however, argue that profits from selling
3049low-end goods to China can be used to acquire advanced technology
3050and equipment from the West.
3051
3052A judge has lifted a freeze on the
3053city's bank accounts that had threatened to cast the community into
3054bankruptcy, it was reported Saturday.
3055The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said a compromise has been reached
3056between the city and the lawyer for a family seeking payment of $4
3057million jury award, permitting the lifting of the freeze.
3058The lawyer, Clyde L. Kuehn, and city spokesman James Ingram
3059would not comment on the report.
3060However, a spokesman for the Union Bank of East St. Louis said
3061the bank received a copy of the judge's order releasing the
3062accounts, according to the newspaper. It did not identify the
3063spokesman.
3064St. Clair County Circuit Judge Roger M. Scrivner imposed the
3065freeze Wednesday in response to a motion filed by Kuehn, who
3066represents Walter DeBow of Granite City.
3067DeBow suffered permanent brain damage in 1984 after being beaten
3068by a cellmate at the East St. Louis jail. He was awarded $4
3069million, and the Illinois Supreme Court ordered the city of 55,000
3070residents to pay the settlement.
3071Kuehn successfully petitioned Scrivner to freeze the bank
3072accounts to force the city to comply with the order.
3073The latest action will allow at least $85,000 in outstanding
3074checks to be cashed and probably came in time to enable the city to
3075meet next week's payroll for its 300 employees, Treasurer Charlotte
3076R. Moore said.
3077The Post-Dispatch reported that the agreement calls for payments
3078to DeBow of $25,000 Tuesday and a further $54,000 by May 17 to
3079bring interest on the settlement current.
3080The newspaper said the agreement also calls for monthly payments
3081of $20,000 to meet interest of 6 percent while setting up a payment
3082plan, and a restructuring of the city's utility tax bonds to pay
3083off the award.
3084
3085A mild earthquake shook parts of the Los
3086Angeles area Saturday, but there were no reports of damage or
3087injuries, authorities said.
3088The quake was centered three miles southwest of coastal Malibu
3089and measured 3.9 on the Richter scale of ground motion, said Robert
3090Finn, spokesman for the California Institute of Technology. It
3091struck at 6:54 a.m., he said.
3092Residents in the San Fernando Valley, Beverly Hills, Santa
3093Monica and West Los Angeles reported feeling the tremor, Finn said.
3094Police in the valley and West Los Angeles said they received one
3095phone call each, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
3096Malibu is about 30 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.
3097The Richter scale is a measure of ground motion as recorded on
3098seismographs. Every increase of one number means a tenfold increase
3099in magnitude.An earthquake of 3.5 on the Richter scale can cause
3100slight damage in the local area, 4 moderate damage.
3101
3102Rewriting his own rules for superpower
3103summitry, President Reagan is preparing to go to Moscow for talks
3104with Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev that appear unlikely to
3105produce a new arms treaty or resolve major disputes.
3106With the end of his presidency fast approaching, Reagan has
3107decided to ignore his requirement that a summit must hold the
3108promise of success and must lead to the signing of a substantial
3109agreement.
3110"The man is 77 years old, and I think he wants to come out in
3111the history books as somebody who has done tremendous things in
3112superpower relations for the long-term benefit of U.S. national
3113security," said William J. Taylor, vice president for
3114political-military affairs at the Center for Strategic and
3115International Studies.
3116"I subscribe to the theory that Ronald Reagan wants to make a
3117strategic arms agreement a centerpiece of what he will have
3118accomplished over eight years," Taylor said. "I think it's
3119possible he can do it before next January but I certainly don't
3120think it's going to happen at the May-June summit."
3121Reagan will visit Moscow from May 29 to June 2, the first
3122American president to go to the Soviet capital in 14 years.
3123The president had cited his insistence on guaranteed success in
3124refusing to meet with Soviet leaders Leonid Brezhnev, Konstantin
3125Chernenko and Yuri Andropov. He bent the rule to hold an
3126introductory meeting with Gorbachev in 1985.
3127However, the rule was back in force in 1986 when Reagan met with
3128Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland. With no advance prospects of
3129agreement, Reagan doggedly refused to call it a summit.
3130For their third meeting _ the Washington summit last December _
3131an agreement was ready for signing to abolish intermediate-range
3132nuclear missiles.
3133Gorbachev had refused to come to Washington until that treaty
3134was completed. But in inviting Reagan to Moscow, the Soviet leader
3135made no demand for the completion of an even more ambitious arms
3136agreement, the strategic arms accord that would cut deeply into
3137long-range nuclear weapons.
3138Reagan and Gorbachev both appear content to meet, merely for the
3139sake of meeting.
3140Even with no agreements, there are sure to be political rewards
3141for both leaders.
3142Reagan and Gorbachev both will get credit for continuing the
3143superpower dialogue at the highest level and for struggling with
3144the difficult problems of arms control, analysts say.
3145For Gorbachev, the summit will showcase his foreign policy
3146achievements before a Communist Party conference later in June.
3147For Reagan, it will highlight efforts toward peacemaking as the
3148presidential campaign moves toward the Democratic and Republican
3149nominating conventions.
3150"It will give the perception of progress in dealing with the
3151Soviet Union, which certainly will help George Bush," the expected
3152GOP nominee, said William Schneider, an analyst at the American
3153Enterprise Institute.
3154"Both sides (Reagan and Gorbachev) get political benefit in
3155showing progress is being made. It's hard to have a summit and not
3156come up with something," Schneider said.
3157Taylor said Reagan also will score points in Europe, where polls
3158show Gorbachev is perceived more of a peacemaker than Reagan.
3159Yet it appears unlikely they will be able to sign a new arms
3160accord. "I wouldn't want to lay you odds," Secretary of State
3161George P. Shultz said, when asked if a treaty would be ready.
3162Similarly, the superpowers have deep differences about
3163Afghanistan, Central America and the Middle East that were not
3164resolved by three days of talks between Shultz and Soviet Foreign
3165Minister Eduard Shevardnadze last week.
3166Putting a positive spin on the summit, White House spokesman
3167Marlin Fitzwater said: "It will be well prepared. There will be
3168substance to discuss. There will be good prospects for success.
3169There will be a number of important and substantive and meaningful
3170issues to be resolved, and all of those will occur at the Moscow
3171summit."
3172Asked how that would meet the old criteria of having a major
3173agreement ready for signing, Fitzwater said, "It meets all the
3174criteria that needs to be met."
3175
31761980 and is The Associated Press' White House correspondent.
3177and Lughud, State Department saying he'll return to Middle East.
3178Pick up 3rd graf pvs: "Officials at..." EDITS thereafter to
3179conform.
3180
3181A Palestinian man died today of wounds suffered
3182in a clash with Israeli troops, the army said, and the mayor of
3183Gaza City heeded a PLO call for Israeli-appointed mayors in West
3184Bank and Gaza Strip to resign.
3185Arab reporters said troops in the Gaza Strip continued a pattern
3186of overnight arrests in an apparent attempt to stifle
3187demonstrations planned for Palestinian "Land Day" next Wednesday.
3188The army had no comment on reports of arrests.
3189Secretary of State George P. Shultz met today in Washington with
3190two members of a group affiliated with the Palestine Liberation
3191Organization. The State Department announced that Shultz will
3192return to the Middle East next week to push his initiative for
3193peace.
3194Shultz invited professors Edward Said of Columbia University and
3195Ibrahim Abu Lughud to visit him at the State Department.
3196Israeli officials had reacted angrily to the meeting, saying it
3197violated a U.S. commitment not to talk to the PLO. Said and Lughud
3198belong to the Palestine National Council, the PLO's
3199parliament-in-exile.
3200Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir had protested the meeting to U.S.
3201Ambassador Thomas Pickering.
3202Officials at Al Ittihad Hospital in Nablus said Ayed Salah, 21,
3203of nearby Zawata village, died at 4 a.m. of gunshot wounds to his
3204spinal cord and liver. The army confirmed the death.
3205Israel Radio quoted a military source as saying Salah was shot
3206in a clash between soldiers and protesters who blocked the
3207Nablus-Tulkarm highway with burning tires. Another Arab was wounded
3208in the same clash, it said.
3209Today's death brings to 112 the number of Palestinians killed
3210since unrest erupted Dec. 8 in territories captured by Israel
3211during the 1967 Middle East war, according to U.N. figures. One
3212Israeli soldier has been killed.
3213Protesters in several West Bank and Gaza cities demanded the
3214resignation of muncipal councils, answering the call of a
3215clandestine PLO leaflet that called today "the day of struggle
3216against municipal councils and appointed village councils."
3217Municipal officials confirmed that the Israeli-appointed acting
3218mayor of Gaza City, Hamza Turkmani, had offered his resignation and
3219expected a reply later in the week. The officials insisted they not
3220be identified by name for fear of angering either Israel or
3221Palestinian nationalists.
3222Former Gaza City Mayor Rashid al-Shawwa told The Associated
3223Press that Turkmani was on loan to the municipality from his job in
3224the Interior Department.
3225"He has resigned from the Interior Department, thus he has
3226resigned from the municipality," he said.
3227The PLO leaflet called for marches and demonstrations "to rid
3228us of these appointed councils, and the people of the uprising will
3229be severe with anyone who remains outside national consensus and
3230refuses to resign immediately."
3231In the West Bank town of El Bireh, Arab protesters marched to
3232the municipal council building demanding the resignation of council
3233members, and troops responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, the
3234Palestine Press Services said.
3235In Bethlehem, an Associated Press reporter saw about 70 youths
3236hurl rocks at soldiers and the municipality building on Manger
3237Square. Troops responded with rubber bullets and warning shots in
3238the air.
3239An Arab reporter said troops used tear gas and rubber bullets in
3240a clash with about 150 Arab youths who marched through the Gaza
3241Strip village of Beit Hanoun carrying banners demanding the village
3242council resign.
3243The reporter also said troops forced closure of shops along Gaza
3244City's central Omar el Mukhtar street, which was blocked with rocks
3245and burning tires, and chased away street venders selling
3246vegetables.
3247
3248Pakistan's chief negotiator at the Afghanistan
3249peace talks said Saturday that an agreement could be clinched if
3250the Soviets would agree with the United States to suspend all aid
3251to the warring parties.
3252Acting Foreign Minister Zain Noorani said that since another
3253outstanding issue _ that of a transitional government _ appears to
3254have been resolved in principle, "we feel that as soon as the two
3255guarantors resolve the issue of symmetry, the instruments can be
3256signed."
3257By "symmetry," he was referring to Washington's position that
3258it would be a guarantor of a settlement only if the Soviet Union
3259stops military aid to the Kabul government at the same time the
3260United States ceases military aid to the Moslem guerrillas fighting
3261the government.
3262The Soviets have rejected that demand as amounting to
3263interference with relations between two sovereign states bound by
3264international treaties.
3265The Washington Post reported Saturday that the Reagan
3266administration is cutting off its supply of Stinger anti-aircraft
3267missiles to the Afghan resistance but is rushing at least $300
3268million in other weapons to them before an agreement is reached.
3269The Post cited diplomatic and other U.S. sources, who were not
3270identified. It said the decision to stop supplying Stingers
3271apparently was reached late last month in anticipation of a peace
3272settlement in Afghanistan.
3273Among the U.S.-purchased military equipment being rushed to the
3274resistance are 120mm Spanish heavy mortars and modern mine-clearing
3275weapons, the Post said.
3276Noorani, briefing reporters, said the Soviet Union is not
3277prepared to stop or suspend aid to Kabul. "It seeks the unilateral
3278right to continue to supply arms to the Peoples Democratic Party of
3279Afghanistan."
3280He said "a Soviet willingness to assume equal and reciprocal
3281obligations as a guarantor can clinch the Geneva agreements and a
3282political settlement of the Afghan problem."
3283Noorani said Pakistan has told U.N. mediator Diego Cordovez
3284"that the texts of the four instruments (of an agreement) are now
3285complete and that Pakistan does not seek any amendments or changes
3286or modifications in the drafts."
3287He noted that the issue of a transitional government appeared to
3288have been resolved following last week's meeting between Secretary
3289of State George P. Shultz and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard
3290Shevardnadze.
3291Pakistan has insisted during the talks that a broad-based
3292transitional government would be needed in Afghanistan to ensure
3293peace in the country following the withdrawal of the estimated
3294115,000 Red Army troops. Moscow had balked, saying this was outside
3295the scope of the peace talks.
3296But a U.S. official said in Washington on Thursday that Moscow
3297had indicated support for having Cordovez act in a personal
3298capacity to promote an intra-Afghan dialogue.
3299In a related development, diplomatic sources said that Nicolay
3300Kozyrev, the special Soviet envoy who has followed the talks from
3301the wings since the latest round began March 2, met Noorani
3302Saturday to brief him on the Shultz-Shevardnadze talks.
3303The U.N.-sponsored talks are due to resume Monday, following a
3304weekend recess.
3305
3306The State Department was close to proposing a
3307halt in covert U.S. military aid to the Afghan resistance in
3308exchange for an agreement by the Soviets to withdraw from
3309Afghanistan, but President Reagan rejected the idea, say current
3310and former administration officials.
3311Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze said after talks
3312last week in Washington that Reagan's tougher line was the final
3313obstacle to Kremlin acceptance of a U.N.-brokered deal to get the
3314Red Army out of Afghanistan. But he said the Soviets might pull out
3315even without a U.N. agreement.
3316Last December, Reagan said publicly that military assistance to
3317the Afghan mujahedeen would continue until the Soviets were
3318completely out of Afghanistan. But the Washington Post reported
3319Saturday that the administration already is ending the supply of
3320Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to the resistance in anticipation of
3321a peace settlement.
3322At the same time, the Post reported, the administration is
3323rushing at least $300 million worth of other U.S.-purchased
3324military supplies, including 120mm Spanish heavy mortars, to
3325Afghanistan in an effort to get the weaponry there before any pact
3326barring future aid takes effect.
3327The newspaper, quoting unidentified diplomatic sources, said the
3328Stinger cutoff reflects a general nervousness by the administration
3329about leaving a large number of the missiles in the hands of Afghan
3330factions that cannot be controlled after U.S. ties are cut. Iran
3331already has obtained some of the missiles, perhaps through force,
3332from one guerrilla commander.
3333The apparent confusion over U.S. policy results from what former
3334and current White House, Pentagon, State Department and
3335congressional officials say has been a poorly coordinated "end
3336game" strategy for Afghanistan.
3337"My phone rang one day, and it was someone asking what our
3338policy was on cutting off aid to the mujahedeen," said a former
3339White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I said
3340that our policy was to continue the aid until the Soviets were
3341completely out. Then, I called over to the State Department, and
3342found out they had other ideas."
3343Later that same day, Dec. 3, Reagan forced the State Department
3344to scramble when a reporter asked if aid to the guerrillas would
3345cease when the Soviets began to withdraw. Reagan said:
3346"I don't think we could do anything of the kind, because the
3347puppet government that has been left there has a military ... You
3348can't suddenly disarm them and leave them prey to the other
3349government."
3350The State Department then formulated a new policy, still not as
3351hard as the president's, telling Congress that U.S. aid would end
3352once the Soviet withdrawal began, but would be resumed if Moscow
3353continued to supply its client regime in Afghanistan with wepons.
3354"We will continue our assistance to the Afghan resistance until
3355it is no longer needed," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
3356Robert Peck told the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Asian
3357and Pacific Affairs on Feb. 25.
3358And Peck denied assertions by two congressional backers of the
3359Afghan resistance, Sen. Gordon Humphrey, R-N.H., and Rep. Charles
3360Wilson, D-Tex., that the department cut a secret deal with the
3361Kremlin to stop aid to the guerrillas.
3362"There have been no secret deals. No deals at all," said Peck.
3363Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., still found the
3364State Department position too soft, and pushed through Congress a
3365resolution calling for aid to continue until the last Soviet
3366soldier leaves Afghanistan.
3367Still unhappy with the State Department position, Byrd warned
3368Reagan in a letter last Tuesday that ending U.S. and Soviet aid at
3369the same time would have a "shocking result" and "telegraph the
3370end of our commitment to the mujahedeen while the Soviets maintain
3371the major portion of leverage in Afghanistan."
3372He urged Reagan to "make a thorough review of any commitments
3373which may have been made without your full support or knowledge."
3374Talk of a secret deal apparently stemmed from a letter from
3375Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead to U.N.
3376Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cueller in December 1985
3377describing U.S. "willingness to play an appropriate guarantor's
3378role in the context of a comprehensive and balanced settlement
3379..." Whitehead's letter was little noticed at the time, although
3380he discussed it in a speech on Dec. 13, 1985.
3381One of the provisions of the still-secret U.N. plan would
3382"require Pakistan to cease permitting the use of its territory as
3383a conduit for military assistance to the mujahedeen" within 60
3384days after the pact was signed, according to a Senate Foreign
3385Relations Committee report issued last week.
3386The Whitehead letter and the demand that Pakistan shut down the
3387supply pipeline apparently led the Kremlin to believe that Reagan
3388was ready to end aid to the guerrillas when the Red Army began to
3389pull out.
3390"Back in 1985, no one really believed that the Soviets would
3391pull out, so I guess no one really thought the policy through,"
3392said a State Department source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
3393"When we got closer to an agreement, to the end game, we began to
3394rethink the position."
3395
3396In their tenth month of crisis, many
3397Panamanians are adopting the American view that officials in
3398Washington can't see beyond the Potomac River.
3399As Panama's problems have grown from bad to desperate, the word
3400out of Washington has been that the days, even hours, of Gen.
3401Manuel Antonio Noriega are numbered.
3402Panamanians aren't convinced.
3403Jose Mulino, a leader in the opposition National Civic Crusade,
3404says Panama's military strongman shows no signs of throwing in the
3405towel soon.
3406As an anti-Noriega strike ended its first week Friday, Mulino
3407rolled his eyes when asked by a reporter if the defense chief's
3408ouster appeared close.
3409"I don't think so," he replied. "I don't know what it is
3410going to take to get him out, but the strike will continue."
3411The very different view of Washington was illustrated late last
3412week by a visiting U.S. congressman.
3413"When we were stateside, we were given a picture of a very
3414short frame of reference," said Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y. "We
3415were told we were looking at a time frame of a very few days in
3416which Noriega might be expected to depart, cave in, what have you."
3417That assessment came from State Department officials who briefed
3418Ackerman and Rep. Peter H. Kostmayer, D-Pa., before they left
3419Thursday on their two day fact-finding trip for the House Foreign
3420Affairs Committee.
3421Less than 24 hours later in Panama, Ackerman and Kostmayer had a
3422new frame of reference.
3423"The view we're getting here is quite different _ from the U.S.
3424embassy, from the American military and from Panamanians we've
3425talked with," Ackerman said. "Nobody's talking about hours,
3426nobody's talking about days. And that's for sure."
3427A few days earlier, a Panamanian woman pleaded for U.S. help as
3428she ran past an American reporter watching soldiers clear a street
3429of demonstrators with tear gas and shotgun pellets.
3430"What's the United States waiting for?" she yelled. "Can't
3431you see what's happening? There are our soldiers. Where are yours?"
3432Many Panamanians want the United States to do more in a bid to
3433force Noriega's exit. Some speak openly of military intervention _
3434something President Reagan has ruled out unless the Panama Canal is
3435clearly threatened.
3436Even the wife of Eric Arturo Delvalle _ the president in hiding
3437whose ouster by Noriega last month fueled Panama's current crisis _
3438has suggested publicly that the United States may have to send in
3439troops as a last resort.
3440But the canal appears safe for the moment, and American military
3441intervention seems unlikely.
3442"I don't think anybody _ even if their elevator doesn't go all
3443the way to the top floor _ would consider jeopardizing the canal,"
3444Ackerman said.
3445While Washington has been counting hours until Noriega's
3446anticipated departure, Panamanians have heard their clocks tick
3447through an escalating series of constitutional and financial crises
3448that have left their once prosperous country destitute, their banks
3449and businesses closed and many people without cash or food.
3450Washington has been partly responsible for the fiscal crisis
3451through its economic sanctions. But most of the crunch stems from
3452years of unbridled spending by military-dominated governments that
3453have held sway in Panama since 1968. They have given the country a
3454$4.8 billion foreign debt, one of the highest per capita in the
3455world.
3456The country is in such bad shape that Washington is worried
3457further economic sanctions could leave it a dead prospect for any
3458future, democratic government. That's one reason Reagan hasn't
3459imposed a total trade embargo against Panama, limiting American
3460sanctions instead to a series of half measures, taken a step at a
3461time.
3462"It's a very delicate line we walk," Ackerman said. "Nobody
3463wants to sink the ship in order to get at the captain.
3464"We have boxed ourselves in on this one. Noriega is to a great
3465extent a Frankenstein of our making, and the people of this country
3466are counting on us to do something."
3467
3468Three small children burned to death
3469in a village in central Yugoslavia while their parents were away,
3470the state news agency Tanjug reported Saturday.
3471The agency said a 3-year-old boy and his sisters, aged 2 and 4,
3472died as fire consumed their wooden home in the village of Imljani.
3473The village, on Mount Vlasic, is 155 miles southwest of Belgrade,
3474the capital.
3475Only their 5-year-old sister was pulled to safety by a neighbor,
3476the agency said.
3477
3478Six Moslem fishermen were shot and
3479killed off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka, and nine of their
3480companions were missing and feared dead, a Sri Lankan military
3481official said Saturday.
3482The official said six bullet-riddled bodies washed ashore
3483Saturday near the eastern port of Trincomalee. The men and nine
3484others had set out a day earlier from the village of Nilaweli,
3485north of Trincomalee harbor, he said.
3486Trincomalee is 150 miles northeast of Colombo.
3487The official said he had no information on who might have killed
3488the fishermen. He briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
3489A Sri Lankan news agency blamed the attack on the Liberation
3490Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the largest of the rebel groups that has
3491been waging a nearly five-year war for an independent Tamil
3492homeland in the north and east of the island.
3493The United News of India quoted residents of the area as saying
3494they heard the sounds of motor boats and gun shots off the coast
3495Friday night.
3496UNI said several hundred angry fishermen surrounded the police
3497station at the village of Muttur just south of Trincomalee to
3498protest the slayings.
3499Tamils, most of whom are Hindus, make up 18 percent of the
3500nation's 16 million population. They claim they are discriminated
3501against by the majority Sinhalese Buddhists.
3502The Sinhalese, who comprise about 75 percent of the population,
3503control the central government and the military. The rest of Sri
3504Lankans are Moslem descendants of early Arab traders or Christian
3505descendants of Western colonial settlers.
3506Tamil militants have, in the past, attacked Moslems in the east
3507to underscore their claim to the region.
3508India signed a peace accord with Sri Lanka last July aimed at
3509ending the Tamils' insurgency. But the Tigers have rejected the
3510accord and have continued their guerrilla war.
3511India, which has a large Tamil population in its south, has more
3512than 50,000 troops on the island to try to enforce the peace pact.
3513On Saturday, the Daily News, a pro-government newspaper, said
3514the government has taken at least 300 Sinhalese into custody on
3515suspicion they are members of the outlawed Peoples Liberation Front.
3516The front has pledged to kill anyone who supports the
3517Indian-brokered peace accord, contending that it makes too many
3518concessions to Tamils.
3519The front has been blamed for killing at least 220 people and
3520injuring 170 in the past five months.
3521Another paper, the independent Sun, put the arrest total at
3522around 650 in the past six months. Both quoted unnamed police
3523sources.
3524
3525The cease-fire agreement signed this past week
3526between Nicaragua's leftist government and the Contra rebels
3527represents the most significant turning point for that country
3528since the United States first began backing the insurgents in 1981.
3529Barring unexpected developments, the agreement will probably
3530bring the war to an end and leave the ruling Sandinistas with a
3531firm grip on power. The Sandinistas have ruled Nicaragua since
3532their 1979 revolution.
3533President Reagan expended considerable political capital over
3534the years attempting to convince his countrymen that Sandinista
3535power, left unchecked, would mean a Soviet beachhead in Central
3536America and grave national security risks for the United States.
3537But Reagan was unable to muster consistent majority support for
3538his policy. There were too many in Congress who felt that the human
3539costs of sustaining the war were too high when compared with the
3540benefits Reagan saw in trying to overthrow the Sandinistas.
3541The price paid by Nicaraguans over the past seven years has been
3542obvious. The war has claimed more than 40,000 lives and left the
3543economy in a shambles.
3544The policy never had much enthusiastic support beyond the
3545conservative wing of the Republican Party. In Latin America it was
3546difficult to find any president willing to express support for
3547Contra aid, even in those Central American countries which Reagan
3548said would be most affected by the collapse of the rebels.
3549For all the energy Reagan spent in support of the Contras,
3550Congress approved only about $209 million for them over seven years
3551_ equivalent to what the administration says the Soviet Union
3552provides to the Sandinistas every few months. During the height of
3553the Vietnam war, the United States committed thousands of troops
3554and spent that much every few days.
3555Now, it appears there is little the United States can do to
3556influence events in Nicaragua. The administration has used
3557extensive diplomatic and economic pressures to force the
3558Sandinistas' hand with minimal results and now it has been deprived
3559of what Reagan and the Contras believe is their most effective
3560lever _ military pressure. The best the Contras can hope for now is
3561a humanitarian aid package the Congress will take up next week.
3562Given its past statements, the administration may try to take
3563advantage of the new mood of reconciliation in Nicaragua and
3564explore ways to achieve a more normal relationship with the
3565Sandinistas. There have been no serious talks between the two
3566governments in more than three years.
3567There are several theoretical scenarios under which what was
3568done last week could be undone, and the war resumed. Under
3569administration prodding, the Congress could decide to commit itself
3570next week to an early vote on additional Contra military aid if the
3571peace process breaks down and Reagan makes an aid request.
3572But it appears a majority in Congress, worn down by the Contra
3573aid issue, does not want to give the president that authority.
3574The most likely outcome is a Contra surrender to terms set forth
3575by the Sandinistas during talks due to start on April 6 on a
3576permanent truce.
3577Under the agreement, the Contras will be allowed to take their
3578arms with them to mutually agreed cease-fire zones. But their
3579supplies are running low, there is little prospect for
3580replenishment, and nothing prevents the Sandinista Army from
3581surrounding these zones while talks on a permanent settlement are
3582carried out. The Contras will be at a severe disadvantage.
3583After a year in which the Contras had emerged as an effective
3584fighting force, dispatching thousands of troops into Nicaragua from
3585sanctuaries in Honduras, 1988 has marked a steady downward spiral.
3586The House defeated a key Contra aid vote on Feb. 3 and the
3587Congress decreed an end to all aid shipments on Feb. 29. The
3588Contras agreed less than a month later to a cease-fire proposal
3589that fell far short of their demands even though they won some
3590concessions from the Sandinistas, including the promise of free
3591speech and Contra participation in a national dialogue.
3592The administration has praised the agreement but this is one
3593instance in which there is a wide gap between the publicly stated
3594view and the private assessment.
3595Officials felt it was inappropriate to criticize the Contras for
3596signing an agreement after a lack of U.S. steadfastness forced
3597their hand.
3598"The Contras made their own decision and they made it
3599courageously, and we must not do anything to undo it," said White
3600House chief of staff Howard Baker in an interview on Cable News
3601Network's "Evans & Novak" Saturday. "We've got to wish them
3602well, as indeed we do."
3603Some of the most optimistic statements are being voiced by the
3604Contra leaders themselves, including Adolfo Calero, who is among
3605the most conservative of that group.
3606"Today we have taken a first but firm step to end this
3607fratricidal war," Calero said Wednesday night after the agreement
3608was signed.
3609"It is a very serious obligation that we are undertaking, the
3610government of Nicaragua as well as we in the resistance. I am
3611certain that we will both comply."
3612If Calero is right, then Reagan may be proved to have been wrong
3613all along about the nature of the Sandinista government.
3614
3615EDITOR`S NOTE _ George Gedda has covered foreign affairs for the
3616Associated Press since 1968.
3617
3618The Marine Corps has discharged a mechanic
3619who said he cross-connected instrument switches on a helicopter to
3620prove that pilots were flying the aircraft even when it appeared to
3621be unsafe.
3622Cpl. Kirk Hill agreed to the discharge rather than face a
3623special court-martial for allegedly tampering with a CH-53D "Sea
3624Stallion" helicopter before an Oct. 26 night flight, Cpl. Joe
3625Velez, a spokesman for the Marine Corps' El Toro air station, said
3626Friday.
3627Hill, 22, will be demoted one rank to lance corporal and receive
3628an administrative discharge under other-than-honorable conditions,
3629Velez said.
3630Hill faced charges of willful dereliction of duty, intentionally
3631trying to damage a helicopter, attempting to destroy the national
3632defense, using marijuana and disobeying orders by placing a foreign
3633substance into a urine sample sought for drug tests.
3634In previous testimony, the pilots testified that they detected
3635an instrument malfunction before take-off, but other system checks
3636showed nothing was wrong with the helicopter. They reported the
3637malfunction after their 45-minute flight ended.
3638Saturday.
3639
3640Secretary of State George P. Shultz will go to
3641the Middle East at the end of next week to push his initiative for
3642peace in the region, the State Department announced today.
3643The secretary, after a stopover in Rome and talks with Italian
3644officials, will arrive in Jerusalem on Sunday, April 3.
3645He will later travel to Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia,
3646returning to Washington April 8, State Department spokesman Charles
3647E. Redman said.
3648Shultz has been trying to arrange negotiations that would lead
3649to a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians and made a trip
3650to the region several weeks ago.
3651"We are continuing to work on his proposals for peace in the
3652region," said Redman.
3653He said Shultz made the decision to return to the Middle East on
3654Friday after meeting Philip Habib, his chief negotiator on Mideast
3655problems.
3656
3657Newspapers and television are coming under
3658increasing fire from governments across the world, which claim
3659their coverage of violence and unrest only creates more of the same.
3660In some cases, coverage has been limited. In others, it has been
3661banned outright.
3662A graphic television film of recent bloody rampages at two
3663Northern Ireland funerals prompted strong complaints from the
3664British government. That reaction was mild compared with other
3665countries.
3666In Israel, the army regularly bars reporters and television
3667crews from the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, rocked by
3668protests since Dec. 8. In South Africa, photographing or filming
3669unrest and security force actions is prohibited in a state where
3670anti-apartheid protests are common.
3671Tibet is closed to foreigners whenever an anti-Chinese protest
3672occurs, and no Western reporter has been allowed to the troubled
3673Soviet republics of Armenia or Azerbaijan.
3674"There does seem to be a trend to keep the television cameras
3675away," said Philip Spender, deputy editor of the Index of
3676Censorship, a London periodical that monitors media freedom
3677worldwide.
3678"A very vivid picture says volumes, and it's very hard for a
3679government to deny it's presiding over the mistreatment of
3680people," Spender said in a recent interview.
3681Some observers say in the long run, censorship won't work.
3682"If you look at South Africa at the moment, the people who are
3683being fooled by the turning off of the cameras are essentially the
3684whites; certainly not the blacks," said Leonard Sussman, executive
3685director of Freedom House, a private human rights agency in New
3686York. "The blacks know exactly what's happening. They either see
3687it with their own eyes or they hear rumors, and rumors tend to
3688exaggerate, and that builds new problems."
3689Observers say many governments use the possibility of increased
3690violence to mask their real concern: their image abroad. Other
3691governments are more forthright.
3692Panama, for example, has expelled or refused to admit foreign
3693reporters and warned others it will not tolerate what it calls
3694"the continuation of disinformation" that "damages the image of
3695our country abroad."
3696Many Israelis are angry because television has documented
3697Palestinian unrest and Israeli attempts to crush it _ in
3698particular, recent CBS-TV shots of soldiers beating two unarmed
3699Palestinians.
3700Israeli President Chaim Herzog recently referred to news reports
3701as a "weapon" being used against Israel.
3702"I ask myself whether I'm permitted, in a very liberal and
3703democratic approach, to allow this weapon to be turned against my
3704children and my country," he said.
3705Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and New York
3706Mayor Ed Koch have both suggested Israel ban television crews from
3707the occupied territories altogether.
3708Before imposing stringent media controls, South African
3709officials had complained that TV coverage encouraged unrest.
3710But their main complaint was that the coverage gave a false or
3711exaggerated impression of black dissent and encouraged sanctions
3712and disinvestment moves.
3713Sussman and others acknowledged that news reports can stir up
3714trouble.
3715"But I think you have to weigh the damage that's done by the
3716opposite, by the clampdown," he said.
3717Journalists should police themselves, he said.
3718"They have to be wary that they're not being used, or
3719exploited, by either of the parties, whether it's the government or
3720the objectors," he said.
3721Sussman said that censorship is justified when lives are at
3722stake "because of a really volatile situation."
3723"But usually governments take the easier road of stepping in
3724well before that point's arrived, and that's the damage (to
3725freedom)," he said.
3726The London-based International Press Institute said it opposes
3727any attempt to curb news gathering.
3728"Whether cameras can incite, I think there's no doubt that they
3729do," its spokesman said. "But the question is, which is the
3730greater ill. You have to inform the public."
3731In Britain, few suggest the government should limit media
3732coverage in Northern Ireland, where nearly 2,700 people have died
3733in almost 20 years of sectarian fighting.
3734Indeed, public debate over the television footage of the bloody
3735funeral has focused primarily on British police efforts to obtain
3736untransmitted videotape to identify suspects.
3737On Thursday, after threats of prosecution under anti-terrorist
3738laws, British and Irish TV networks gave police untransmitted
3739videotape of an Irish Republican Army funeral procession that ended
3740with the slayings of two British soldiers.
3741The networks had initially refused to hand over the tape on
3742grounds it would endanger the lives of their crews working in the
3743British province.
3744To Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, it was a much simpler
3745issue, as she outlined it to the House of Commons.
3746"Either one is on the side of justice in this matter, or on the
3747side of terrorism," she said.
37481280</1ST_LINE>
3749a week xxx, (grafs 2 and 3 of add) to CORRECT timing of Hart's
3750withdrawal
3751
3752As George Bush amazed the pundits with a
3753political resurrection, the Democrats lost a front-runner off the
3754good ship Monkey Business, staged what looked like candidate-a-week
3755auditions for a replacement and now worry about a convention
3756without a clear winner.
3757At its midpoint, the 1988 presidential campaign can claim more
3758than its share of unexpected twists and turns.
3759Without a front-runner, the lesser known Democrats found it hard
3760to get attention and gain stature.
3761The race became "a series of isolated judgments," said Bill
3762Carrick, campaign manager for Rep. Richard Gephardt. Carrick
3763referred to the phenomenon of no Democratic being able to put
3764together a series of victories.
3765And as both parties looked ahead to November, they expressed
3766pessimism.
3767"This looks to me like 1960 all over again," said Donald
3768Devine, a conservative Republican and adviser to Kansas Sen. Bob
3769Dole's presidential campaign. That was a year the Democrats
3770recaptured the White House at the close of Republican Dwight
3771Eisenhower's second term.
3772Once again, said Devine, "You have an aging president, who's
3773kind of loved and recognized as doing a decent job."
3774"This is the Democrats' year," he lamented. "The Republicans
3775are going to have to work real hard to change that and the
3776Democrats are going to have to help them a little in this
3777nomination process, which I think they're going to do."
3778Some Democrats agree that they could easily give the Republican
3779the help they need.
3780Gov. Mario Cuomo of New York predicted there'll be some
3781brokering before the party's nominee can be selected, and he warned
3782that if it takes place at the Democratic National Convention next
3783summer in Atlanta "the whole United States will see you in the
3784grubby business of cutting deals."
3785Two Democrats _ Gary Hart and Joseph Biden _ were knocked out of
3786contention long before any votes were cast. Television evangelist
3787Pat Robertson startled Republicans with his organizational skill,
3788and even more with his accounts of conversations with God.
3789Southern Democrats tried to give their nominating process a
3790conservative cast and created Super Tuesday which gave the biggest
3791boost to a pair of liberals _ Jesse Jackson and Michael Dukakis.
3792Iowa's reputation took a beating and so did momentum.
3793Voters demonstrated repeatedly they don't always do what the
3794pollsters predict they will.
3795And once again, money proved the indispensable element of
3796campaigns for everybody but Jackson.
3797After Ronald Reagan, who?
3798Among Republicans, the debate centered on who could legitimately
3799claim his conservative legacy and retain some of his electoral
3800magic. For the most conservative element in the party, it also was
3801the year to determine whether they or GOP moderates, represented by
3802Bush, would control the party in the post-Reagan era.
3803The Democrats looked forward to a presidential campaign without
3804Reagan on the ballot, but also were aware they had lost four of the
3805last five national elections, being virtually shut out in the South
3806and West.
3807They, too, talked of a fight for control of the party's future.
3808Both parties started out with bumper crops of candidates and
3809near candidates.
3810Remember Donald Rumsfeld? A former Illinois congressman, White
3811House chief of staff and defense secretary, he had a resume that
3812rivaled Bush's and a speaking style that was a sure cure for
3813insomnia. He appeared at Republican events around the country
3814trying to drum up support for a presidential bid before finally
3815giving up on April 2, 1987.
3816Former Sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada, best known as Reagan's close
3817friend, also dipped a toe into the presidential waters but pulled
3818it out when he discovered how tough it could be to raise millions
3819of dollars.
3820Conseratives were titillated by the prospect that Pat Buchanan,
3821the former White House communications director, or Jeane
3822Kirkpatrick, the former United Nations ambassador would run. Both
3823eventually said no.
3824The Democrats had their share of reluctant dragons.
3825Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia considered running and then didn't;
3826Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey said, no, no, a thousand times no.
3827Sen. Dale Bumpers of Arkansas and his governor, Bill Clinton,
3828decided against running. Rep. Pat Schroeder of Colorado wanted to
3829run but found raising enough money too great a hurdle.
3830And then, of course, there was the ubiquitous Governor Cuomo of
3831New York.
3832"I will not be a candidate," Cuomo declared in 1987, setting
3833off still more speculation on whether or not he was running.
3834"Why don't you want to be president?" he was asked a year
3835later.
3836"Who said I don't want to be president?" he retorted.
3837"Do you want to be president?" pressed the questioner.
3838"No," he replied.
3839But there plenty of real candidates.
3840Bush, Dole, Robertson, Rep. Jack Kemp of New York, former Gov.
3841Pete du Pont of Delaware and former secretary of state Alexander M.
3842Haig Jr. on the Republican side.
3843Hart, Biden, Dukakis, Jackson, Rep. Richard Gephardt of
3844Missouri, Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois, former Gov. Bruce Babbitt of
3845Arizona and Sen. Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee for the Democrats.
3846The race began early with Democrats Gephardt, Biden and Babbitt
3847taking the traditional route throught the small towns of Iowa,
3848campaigning for legislative candidates in the 1986 elections. Dole,
3849Kemp and du Pont did much the same thing on the Republican side.
3850Meanwhile, Michigan Republicans tried to grab some of the
3851presidential campaign spotlight. In the summer of 1986, they
3852elected thousands of precinct level party officials who eventually
3853would decide the allocation of the state's 77-member delegation to
3854the GOP convention in New Orleans in August 1988.
3855The Bush campaign liked the idea. The vice president beat Reagan
3856in Michigan's 1980 primary.
3857But Robertson was already at work and his forces matched the
3858vice president's at the crucial task of recruiting candidates for
3859the Michigan election. That was the first indication of Robertson's
3860potential.
3861It was bad news for Bush and even worse for Kemp.
3862Then came Iran-Contra and the disclosures that the
3863administration had been involved in covert arms sales to the
3864Ayatollah.
3865It was a bleak moment for the administration and it looked like
3866Bush would be the principal political victim.
3867Dole's advisers were split on the likely impact, but the senator
3868was among those who thought it would severely wound Bush.
3869"I thought it was serious," said Lee Atwater, Bush campaign
3870manager. "But I never thought it would deprive the vice president
3871of the nomination."
3872Iowa's economy would prove an even greater hurdle for Bush.
3873Throughout the Reagan presidency, things had gone from bad to
3874worse in the state and it was one of the few soft spots in Reagan's
3875generally strong approval from Americans.
3876Dole campaigned there as a fellow Midwesterner with a rural
3877background and an understanding of the problems of farmers.
3878"I'm from Russell, Kansas, and proud of it," he told countless
3879audiences.
3880The campaign began to get nasty.
3881"He's sort of had a charmed life in politics, he's gotten quite
3882a ways without ever doing much," Dole said of the vice president.
3883As Dole continued to portray Bush as a vice president who had no
3884more than a passive role in administration affairs, the Bush
3885campaign accused the senator of being "mean-spirited" and
3886practicing "cronyism."
3887Dole later accused the Bush campaign of deliberately trying to
3888provoke him.
3889"I think that was the effort," he said. "I was a bit testy a
3890time or two. I was getting angry."
3891today, picking up 6th graf pvs, "I'll feel ....'
3892^LaserPhotos NY9,11
3893
3894Robert Chambers Jr. surrendered today after
3895pleading guilty to strangling a young woman during a Central Park
3896tryst. His plea ended the 10-week-long "preppie murder" trial
3897that focused attention on the lifestyles of the young rich.
3898Chambers, 21, admitted guilt Friday to a lesser charge of
3899first-degree manslaughter, halting jury deliberations that lasted
3900nine days and raised fears of a possible mistrial.
3901Chambers' plea calls for a sentence of five to 15 years in
3902prison, and he surrendered about 10:30 a.m. today at Criminal Court
3903in Manhattan, where he began processing before being sent to the
3904city jail at Rikers Island. Formal sentencing is scheduled April 15.
3905Chambers admitted that he intended to seriously hurt Jennifer
3906Dawn Levin, 18, the night of her death. Her battered, partly nude
3907body was found under a tree behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art
3908on Aug. 26, 1986.
3909The agreement under which he made his plea was approved by Miss
3910Levin's family. Chambers must serve five years before being
3911eligible for parole.
3912"I'll feel better ... when he's in jail, where he should be,"
3913said Ellen Levin, the victim's mother. "He wasn't the lily-white
3914altar boy he appeared to be."
3915During the trial, Chambers' defense had been that he had lashed
3916out at Jennifer Levin when she hurt him during rough sex, and that
3917he had not meant to kill her.
3918Chambers' parents, Robert and Phyllis Chambers, stared silently
3919and showed no emotion as their only child reluctantly entered his
3920plea.
3921He seemed both angry and sad as he stood before State Supreme
3922Court Justice Howard Bell, who asked Chambers whether he had
3923"intended to cause serious physical injury" to Miss Levin _ the
3924key element for the manslaughter charge.
3925"Looking back on everthing, I'd have to say yes," Chambers
3926replied in a lowered voice as he appeared to choke back sobs. "In
3927my heart that is not what I intended."
3928The jury could have convicted Chambers of second-degree murder,
3929a more serious charge, but Manhattan District Attorney Robert
3930Morgenthau said the prospect of a possible mistrial, the strain on
3931the Levin family and the circumstantial evidence in a murder trial
3932prompted the plea bargain.
3933A prosecution source told The Associated Press that among their
3934considerations were notes from three jurors who wanted to leave,
3935leading to the concern over a mistrial. The source spoke only on
3936condition of anonymity.
3937The slaying was dubbed the "preppie murder" because the victim
3938and the prime suspect were products of New York's monied elite, who
3939went to private schools and came from wealthy families.
3940Chambers, a former altar boy, flunked out of the exclusive
3941Choate school before entering and graduating from York Prep in
3942Manhattan.
3943He dropped out of Boston University in his first year and
3944developed a cocaine habit for which he was institutionalized twice.
3945To help feed the habit, he committed burglaries, a prosecutor said.
3946Chambers, who had been charged with three counts of burglary,
3947pleaded guilty to one of those counts Friday.
3948Miss Levin went to the park with Chambers after telling friends
3949he was the best sex partner she ever had and that she was
3950determined to have sex with him that night.
3951Shortly after his arrest, Chambers told police in a videotaped
3952statement that he had never intended to hurt Miss Levin.
3953He said she had molested him sexually and hurt his genitals, and
3954he killed her accidentally. He said Miss Levin had tied his hands
3955behind his back with her panties, sat on his chest facing his feet
3956and grabbed his genitals.
3957Chambers said he freed his hands, reached up with his left
3958forearm and yanked back against her throat, flipping her off him.
3959Assistant District Attorney Linda Fairstein called Chambers'
3960story "ludicrous."
3961She told the jury that he attacked Miss Levin in a rage, punched
3962her, chased her when she tried to flee, caught her and "squeezed
3963the life out of her."
3964Fairstein, holding a photo of Miss Levin taken in Dorrian's Red
3965Hand bar hours before her death, said, "One can't help but look at
3966that photograph and pray for time to stand still, for time to grab
3967her and say, `Don't go with Robert Chambers."'
3968picking up 3rd graf pvs, `Under the ....' SUBS last graf with 1
3969graf to UPDATE with House approval of revenue sharing delay.
3970
3971The Legislature today approved a bill
3972giving Gov. Buddy Roemer unprecedented power to deal with
3973Louisiana's fiscal crisis by slashing government spending, after
3974several lawmakers said the state had no other choice.
3975By a 32-4 vote in special session Friday, the Senate sent the
3976budget-cutting bill to the House for consideration of amendments.
3977The House concurred by a 101-0 vote today, sending the measure to
3978Roemer's desk for his signature.
3979Under the bill, Roemer would have the authority until June 30 to
3980cut up to 20 percent from department budgets, eliminate entire
3981programs and close institutions if necessary to keep the state from
3982running out of cash.
3983The governor has said the state will run out of money sometime
3984in early May if emergency steps are not taken. The special
3985legislative session to consider his program was to continue today.
3986In proposing the legislation, Roemer said lawmakers would be
3987able to reverse his cuts while formulating the budget during the
3988regular legislative session beginning April 18.
3989At the center of the Senate debate was the issue of whether the
3990Legislature should be handing over such authority.
3991Sen. Ron Landry questioned the constitutionality of the bill.
3992"We're supposed to have a constitutional separation of
3993powers," he said.
3994But other lawmakers said the state had no other practical choice.
3995"It is either this or a much greater evil," said Sen. Fritz
3996Windhorst. "If we don't like what he does, we can undo it during
3997the regular session."
3998Also Friday, lawmakers sent to Roemer a bill that is the
3999keystone of the governor's plans to reorganize state government _
4000the splitting of the Department of Health and Human Resources into
4001two agencies. The House approved the bill 97-3, and the Senate
4002later concurred with House amendments.
4003The measure is aimed at better management of health and welfare
4004services that fall under the agency's $2 billion budget. With about
400527,000 employees, Health and Human Resources is the state's largest
4006agency and is the frequent target of charges of mismanagement.
4007The bill would create two agencies: one to deal with welfare and
4008other social programs and the other to supervise health and
4009hospital programs.
4010In addition, the Senate approved a bill that would allow Roemer
4011to reappropriate funds in his office without legislative approval
4012and another measure authorizing a delay in the state's final
40131987-88 revenue sharing payment of about $30 million to city
4014governments from May 15 to June 30.
4015The House gave final approval to the revenue sharing measure
4016today.
4017graf, Department spokesman, to include more detail on Shultz trip.
4018
4019Secretary of State George P. Shultz met today
4020with two members of a group affiliated with the Palestine
4021Liberation Organization and the State Department announced Shultz
4022will got to the Middle East next week to again push a U.S. peace
4023initiative.
4024Professors Edward Said of Columbia University and Ibrahim Abu
4025Lughud met for more than an hour with Shultz, who had invited them
4026to the State Department.
4027"We conveyed to Secretary Shultz the urgent need to lift
4028Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as a preparatory step
4029on the road to achieving peaceful coexistence between Palestinian
4030Arabs and Israeli Jews," Said said after the meeting. The
4031professor earlier said he had been in touch with PLO Chairman
4032Yasser Arafat about the meeting with Shultz.
4033The State Department rejected news organizations' requests to
4034photograph Shultz and the Palestinian leaders, both U.S. citizens,
4035at the start of their meeting.
4036The secretary, whose last Mideast peace-seeking trip was a month
4037ago, has been trying to arrange negotiations that would lead to a
4038settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel rejects PLO
4039participation in any negotiations.
4040Department spokesman Charles Redman said Shultz made the
4041decision to return to the Middle East on Friday after meeting
4042Philip Habib, his chief negotiator on Mideast problems. He will
4043arrive in Jerusalem Sunday, April 3, and visit Jordan, Egypt, Syria
4044and Saudi Arabia the following week, Redman said.
4045State Department spokeswoman Phyllis Oakley called the visitors
4046"prominent Americans with an intimate knowledge of contemporary
4047Middle Eastern politics." She also confirmed they are members of
4048the Palestine National Council, which is often called the PLO's
4049legislative arm.
4050Under U.S. law, administration officials are barred from holding
4051meetings with PLO officials, but Mrs. Oakley stressed that the two
4052guests are U.S. citizens and said the meeting did not represent a
4053change in U.S. policy.
4054Both the United States and Israel have called the PLO a
4055terrorist organization.
4056Asked in a telephone interview Friday if he received permission
4057from Arafat to attend the session, Said replied he did not need
4058such a "green light."
4059He added, however, "We did notify Chairman Arafat, and that was
4060fine with him _ absolutely." He said he and Abu-Lughud were
4061interested in "an exchange of views" with Shultz. They want to
4062know more about the U.S. proposal for Arab-Israeli negotiations and
4063"we're going to tell him about the Palestinians' view of the
4064matter," Said commented.
4065Israeli Ambassador Moshe Arad protested Shultz's invitation to
4066the two as in conflict with a 13-year U.S. policy against dealing
4067with the PLO, which is pledged to dismantling Israel as a Jewish
4068state.
4069For several weeks, Shultz has been trying to open negotiations
4070by May 1 to provide self-rule for the Palestinians and move toward
4071an overall Middle East peace agreement. The plan, designed to
4072overcome Israeli objections to talking to the PLO, envisions
4073participation in talks by PLO-approved Palestinians as part of a
4074Jordanian delegation.
4075None of the parties in the region has accepted the plan.
4076In January, Shultz met here with two Palestinian Arabs, Hanna
4077Siniora, a Jerusalem editor, and Fayez Abu Rahme, a Gaza lawyer.
4078During a Mideast shuttle trip last month, Shultz tried to
4079arrange a meeting in Jerusalem with 15 Palestinian Arabs, but none
4080showed up, apparently by order of the PLO.
4081The State Department, meanwhile, issued a warning to Americans
4082not to travel to the Israeli-held West Bank and Gaza, where 111
4083Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in clashes
4084since January 9.
4085There was no explanation for the timing of the advisory, but it
4086coincided with the approach of Easter and Passover holidays that
4087usually attract U.S. tourists to the holy land, including sites on
4088the West Bank.
4089Israel is safe for American travel, Mrs. Oakley said.
4090The West Bank was held by Jordan and Gaza by Egypt from 1949
4091until 1967 when the Arabs lost the territories to Israel in the
4092Six-Day War. About 96 percent of the population is Palestinian.
4093The situation in East Jerusalem was described as
4094"unpredictable" and Americans were advised to check with U.S.
4095diplomats in the city before entering the area.
4096"Under all circumstances, Americans should avoid demonstrations
4097and other situations that have the potential to lead to violence,"
4098the advisory said. "American travelers should carry their U.S.
4099passports at all times."
4100Veto</HEAD>
4101
4102President Reagan's defeat last week on a major
4103anti-discrimination bill demonstrates the chasm between his
4104administration and the rest of America when it comes to civil
4105rights, say those who fought for passage of the measure.
4106Some conservatives counter that Reagan's positions are very much
4107in tune with the American mainstream.
4108The enactment of the Civil Rights Restoration Act over Reagan's
4109veto was the latest skirmish in the administration's rocky
4110seven-year attempt to redefine _ and some say erase _ the federal
4111government's role in ensuring basic rights to all citizens.
4112Reagan and his conservative allies contend they are committed to
4113a "colorblind" society and reject the idea that they are less
4114concerned about discrimination than those who support stronger
4115remedies.
4116But their vision has led to years of confrontation with
4117Democrats and liberals and often with moderates, conservatives,
4118Republicans and business people as well.
4119"People simply don't want to go back and undo things that have
4120been accomplished over the last 20 years," says veteran civil
4121rights attorney William Taylor, who helped draft the restoration
4122act.
4123But some conservatives say the administration's victories have
4124not drawn the attention they deserve and do, in fact, reflect the
4125public's feelings.
4126"The picture is more mixed than perhaps some would have people
4127think about the Reagan administration and its civil rights policy
4128and how much it's in sync with the public," said former Associate
4129Deputy Attorney General Bruce Fein, now a fellow at the
4130conservative Heritage Foundation.
4131Fein said the media has not fairly portrayed the
4132administration's progress toward its civil rights goals. "On the
4133victories, they end up with a little three-graf snippet on page
413425," he complained.
4135But Ralph Neas, executive director of the 185-group Leadership
4136Conference on Civil Rights, said the victories have been small
4137and-or temporary.
4138"Congress and the Supreme Court have reined in the excesses of
4139the Reagan administration," he said. "The only time they (the
4140administration) have been able to do anything or change anything is
4141when they have acted by executive fiat."
4142The administration provoked an uproar early in 1982 when it
4143tried to reverse a longstanding policy of not giving tax breaks to
4144segregated schools and caused more controversy a year later by
4145firing three liberal members of the supposedly independent Civil
4146Rights Commission.
4147Among other things, the administration has also tried and failed
4148to:
4149_Block strong economic sanctions against the South African
4150government for its apartheid policy.
4151_Dismantle or weaken ongoing school busing and affirmative
4152action plans.
4153_End affirmative action goals and timetables for government
4154contractors.
4155_Block a tough new extension of the Voting Rights Act in 1982
4156and win a different interpretation of it three years later in the
4157Supreme Court.
4158_Dissuade Congress from enacting a new holiday honoring Martin
4159Luther King.
4160_Elevate the architect of its civil rights policies, Assistant
4161Attorney General William Bradford Reynolds, to associate attorney
4162general.
4163Those are the major defeats. Where are the comparable victories?
4164Some point to the Supreme Court's 1984 decision narrowing
4165protection under four civil rights laws to specific federally
4166assisted programs, rather than prohibiting an entire institution
4167from discriminating if any part of it receives aid. But that ruling
4168was reversed last week with the veto override.
4169There were also two Supreme Court rulings in which the justices
4170found newer minority employees were improperly shielded from
4171layoffs while innocent white workers with more seniority were let
4172go.
4173But the Justice Department later was rebuffed when it asked 51
4174local jurisdictions to scrap hiring and promotion plans on the
4175basis of the court rulings on seniority and layoffs. One Republican
4176mayor, William Hudnut of Indianapolis, said he refused to comply
4177with the request because he felt it was wrong constitutionally,
4178morally and politically.
4179The high court went on to deal a double blow to the
4180administration in 1986, approving the Cleveland Fire Department's
4181plan to reserve half of all promotions for minority candidates and
4182endorsing a labor union's use of racial quotas to help more
4183minorities get jobs.
4184Fein cited several lower court rulings that threw out racial
4185quotas in government contracting and said the Supreme Court would
4186review them. He also noted a federal appeals court decision this
4187month striking down racial quotas used to avert "white flight" at
4188an integrated Brooklyn housing development, Starrett City. The
4189decision stemmed from a 1984 suit filed by the Justice Department.
4190Taylor and others in the civil rights community do say that
4191Reagan has succeeded in dismantling much of the federal civil
4192rights law enforcement machinery and has kept advocates busy for
4193seven years with rearguard actions.
4194On the other hand, they say, in their forced re-examination and
4195re-evaluation of the nation's civil rights policies, Congress and
4196the courts have deemed them essentially sound.
4197"The basic threat the administration posed was turning the
4198clock back and turning the country in a different direction,"
4199Taylor said. "They sure tried hard. They failed every time. To me,
4200that is a very encouraging development."
4201
4202A Lumbee Indian activist and candidate
4203for Superior Court judge in racially troubled Robeson County was
4204shot to death at his home, the FBI said today.
4205Julian Pierce was killed sometime Friday night or early this
4206morning, agent Paul Daly said.
4207"We've been notified that Julian was found dead," Daly said,
4208adding that there had been "an apparent burglary" at Pierce's
4209home. He said agents from the FBI and State Bureau of Investigation
4210were assisting Robeson County sheriff's deputies.
4211Pierce, 42, was a candidate for a newly created Superior Court
4212judgeship. He was running against District Attorney Joe Freeman
4213Britt in the May 3 primary.
4214
4215Here is a chronology of U.S.-Nicaraguan
4216relations, dating back nearly a decade. It ends with the
4217Sandinistas and Contra rebels signing a tentative peace accord last
4218week:
42191979
4220JULY 17 _ Anastasio Somoza, the Nicaraguan president, resigns
4221and flies to Miami, ending more than four decades of rule by his
4222rightist, pro-American family. Somoza had been weakened from both
4223inside and outside the country. His refusal to allow democracy and
4224freedom alienated businessmen, professionals and students, while
4225his ties to Washington were weakened by President Carter's concerns
4226about human rights abuses in Nicaragua. Two days after Somoza
4227flees, the leftist Sandinista rebels take control of Managua.
4228Somoza dies in 1980.
42291982
4230NOVEMBER _ First reports emerge alleging covert U.S. aid to
4231anti-Sandinista rebels. The aid actually had begun secretly in 1981
4232as part of legislation on intelligence activities and had been
4233managed by the Central Intelligence Agency.
42341983
4235MAY 1 _ Nicaragua claims violations of its territory by U.S. spy
4236planes and warships.
42371984
4238APRIL 6-7 _ Congressional and Reagan administration sources
4239reveal that U.S.-trained commando units, operating from a U.S. ship
4240off the Nicaraguan coast and directed by the CIA, had placed mines
4241in Nicaragua's ports.
4242APRIL 9 _ Nicaragua asks the World Court to order the United
4243States to halt the mining and cease aiding attacks on Nicaraguan
4244territory. A day earlier, in anticipation of Nicaragua's move, the
4245Reagan administration had announced that, for a two-year period, it
4246would not accept the court's jurisdiction in U.S. disputes
4247involving Central America.
4248JUNE 25 _ Senate votes to shelve the administration's request
4249for $21 million in military aid to the Contra rebels, a month after
4250the House also rejected the aid.
42511985
4252JAN. 10 _ Daniel Ortega inaugurated as Nicaraguan president.
4253JAN. 18 _ The United States withdraws from World Court
4254proceedings involving Nicaragua's suit against U.S. aggression,
4255claiming the case presents political questions "that under the
4256United Nations Charter are not intended for the World Court."
4257MAY 1 _ President Reagan announces a trade embargo against
4258Nicaragua.
4259AUG. 8 _ Reagan signs a foreign aid bill into law that resumes
4260aid to the Contras _ $27 million in "non-lethal" assistance.
42611986
4262MARCH 20 _ The House defeats Reagan's proposal for $100 million
4263in military and humanitarian aid to the Contras.
4264JUNE 25 _ After an intensive lobbying campaign by Reagan, the
4265House reverses itself and approves the $100 million aid package for
4266the Contras.
4267JUNE 27 _ The World Court denounces U.S.-sponsored military
4268actions against Nicaragua and U.S. support for the Contras as a
4269violation of the U.N. Charter ban on the use of force.
4270AUG. 13 _ The Senate approves Reagan's $100 million aid package
4271for the Contra guerillas.
4272OCT. 5 _ An American-manned military cargo plane is shot down in
4273southern Nicaragua. Two Americans are killed; the surviving crew
4274member, Eugene Hasenfus, is captured and implicates the CIA in the
4275Contra-supply operation.
4276NOV. 25 _ Attorney General Edwin Meese III discloses that some
4277of the profits from the sale of American arms to Iran had been
4278secretly diverted to the Contras. It is later revealed that some
4279foreign countries have donated money to aid the Contras.
42801987
4281AUG. 7 _ Five Central American presidents sign a peace plan
4282calling for cease-fires and additional steps toward democratization
4283in the region.
4284SEPT. 30 _ The last of the $100 million Contra aid package
4285technically expires, but money and materiel still in the
4286"pipeline" continue to flow to the rebels into 1988.
4287DEC. 22 _ Reagan signs a pair of spending bills for fiscal year
42881988 that include $8.1 million in non-lethal aid for the Contras.
4289The aid expires Feb. 29, 1988.
42901988
4291FEB. 3 _ The House rejects Reagan's request for $36.2 million in
4292new aid for the rebels. The next day, the Senate votes in favor of
4293the plan in a purely symbolic move.
4294MARCH 3 _ Liberal Democrats, who oppose all aid, and
4295conservative Republicans, who want military aid, join in the House
4296to defeat a Democratic alternative package of humanitarian aid for
4297the Contras.
4298MARCH 16 _ White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater announces that
4299the United States is sending 3,200 troops on an "emergency
4300deployment" exercise to southern Honduras in response to the
4301reported incursion of Nicaraguan forces into that country.
4302MARCH 21 _ The Nicaraguan Sandinista government and the Contras
4303open peace talks.
4304MARCH 23 _ The Sandinistas and Contras sign an agreement for a
430560-day cease-fire to start April 1. Both sides schedule a meeting
4306in Managua for April 6 to start negotiations on a definitive truce.
4307Remain</HEAD>
4308
4309President Reagan said Saturday that pre-summit
4310talks have "made clear how difficult the issues are between the
4311United States and the Soviet Union" and it remains to be seen how
4312much good the Moscow summit will do.
4313Reagan opened his weekly radio address with a review of his
4314meeting Wednesday with Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze,
4315during which he announced that he and Soviet leader Mikhail
4316Gorbachev will meet in Moscow May 29 through June 2.
4317"My talks with him were cordial but, as you might expect, to
4318the point," he said.
4319"Let me also say that while lengthy talks held between
4320Secretary (of State George P.) Shultz and Mr. Shevardnadze at the
4321State Department were useful, they also made clear how difficult
4322the issues are between the United States and the Soviet Union,"
4323the president added.
4324"Some progress was made here and there in various areas, but
4325much more remains to be done, given the importance of the topics
4326discussed."
4327Touching on arms control, human rights and other issues between
4328the two countries, Reagan told his audience that "the United
4329States will sign only those agreements that are in our best
4330interest."
4331"We've come a long way in our attempts to deal with the Soviets
4332and to further the cause of peace and freedom around the world,"
4333the president said.
4334"The next summit will help," he said. "How much we'll have to
4335see."
4336Reagan also used his speech to urge Senate approval of the
4337treaty limiting intermediate- and shorter-range missiles that he
4338and Gorbachev signed in Washington in December. The Foreign
4339Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on the treaty during the
4340coming week.
4341Reagan also discussed an international trade bill being
4342considered by a House-Senate conference committee, saying some
4343administration objections to it have been met but that it "still
4344contains provisions that would restrict trade, deter investment in
4345the United States, require mandatory retaliation that invites trade
4346wars, and unnecessarily hamper my prerogatives as president."
4347"For example, one proposal still very much alive would create
4348an obligation for the government to help each and every company
4349that can't keep up with legal, totally fair imports _ in effect, an
4350entitlement program for businesses that can't compete," he said.
4351He urged Congress to "stay on course and ... settle on a bill
4352that avoids the great danger of choking off international trade and
4353slowing down economic growth."
4354"I will not sign a bill that imperils our economy and threatens
4355growth," he said.
4356
4357A large section of Jesse James' tombstone,
4358which historians thought had been chipped away decades ago by
4359souvenir hunters, has been found intact and will be delivered to
4360the outlaw's old Missouri home.
4361The section of the marble tombstone is about 18 inches high and
4362contains James' name and the date April 3, 1882, when he was shot
4363to death by Robert Ford in St. Joseph, Mo., officials said.
4364The tombstone had been about 8 feet high originally.
4365"We thought it disappeared 60 years ago, but it showed up
4366recently," said Milt Perry, curator of historical property for
4367Clay County. Perry said he found the section of the tombstone in
4368Kansas City, but refused to give details.
4369The tombstone disappeared from Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kearney,
4370a town of about 1,400 people 15 miles northeast of Kansas City,
4371where James' grave was moved in 1902.
4372County officials plan to unveil the recovered section Thursday
4373and put it on display at the James farm near Kearney.
4374
4375State District Judge Don Leonard says
4376he understands a man's fondness for his cowboy hat, but don't try
4377wearing one in his court.
4378"The judge asked if I would remove it and said he could give me
4379six months or a $5,000 fine," said Keven Beaird. "I told him I
4380wouldn't, his gavel fell, and it was 10 days in the county jail."
4381Leonard sentenced the General Dynamics toolmaker for contempt of
4382court Monday for refusing to take off his hat in a jury assembly
4383room. The judge released him three days later after Beaird
4384apologized.
4385"He said he was sorry, that he knew he had to follow the rules
4386of the court," Leonard said Friday. "I told him I admired his
4387belief, but to save himself for the big battles of life."
4388District Judge Joe Drago said he supports Leonard's decision.
4389"I've never heard of specifically a hat. But I've asked people
4390to take off hats before, and no one has ever refused," Drago said.
4391"He must like his hat."
4392"I don't like anybody to tell me to take my hat off," Beaird
4393said. "I just won't do it, but I guess if I go to court again .. .
4394well, I believe I would take it off."
4395
4396The Environmental Protection Agency says that
4397three out of four municipal waste treatment plants it surveyed
4398aren't able to stop water pollution from industrial toxics.
4399The EPA audit, made public at a House hearing last week, is
4400likely to rekindle a long-standing debate over whether the agency
4401has properly enforced the anti-toxics provisions of the Clean Water
4402Act.
4403The audit focused on 265 of the 1,500 publicly owned sewage
4404treatment plants with EPA-approved plans, which are supposed to
4405minimize the amount of toxics reaching the environment.
4406The audit said that 57 plants have been generally unsuccessful
4407in carrying out their plans, while another 147 plants have been
4408only partially successful in meeting the EPA-approved goals.
4409Only 61 plants _ 23 percent of the total surveyed _ "have
4410implemented a generally successful program and are effectively
4411carrying out program responsibilities," the audit said.
4412James Elder, director of EPA's Office of Water Enforcement and
4413Permits, said the audit indicates "that the toxic impacts on
4414receiving waters from publicly owned treatment works is more
4415significant than previously thought."
4416The audit focused on the so-called pre-treatment aspects of the
4417Clean Water Act, which is considered one of the nation's most
4418successful environmental laws because it has halted much direct
4419discharging of untreated human waste into waterways.
4420According to EPA, between 100,000 and 200,000 industrial
4421concerns of varying size pump their wastes directly into sewers
4422along with the wastes of millions of households and other non-toxic
4423sources.
4424The municipal plants are geared principally to treat human and
4425other organic matter so it can be pumped into waterways with
4426minimal environmental impact.
4427Toxic waste from industry, however, remains largely untreated in
4428the process, exiting plants either in the pumpings into waterways
4429or trapped in sewage sluge, the residue that is disposed of in a
4430variety of ways, including landfills.
4431In order to minimize the amount of toxics reaching a treatment
4432plant, the law requires manufacturers to pre-treat waste to remove
4433chemicals, often an expensive proposition.
4434Under the pre-treatment program, begun in the mid-1970s, EPA
4435generally leaves it up to municipalities to police the toxic
4436sources for compliance with EPA-approved pre-treatment plans.
4437The audit, with findings similar to a smaller survey in in 1985,
4438showed that 104 of the 267 plants had basically failed to implement
4439their pre-treatment programs.
4440The audit also said that municipalities are also hampered in the
4441battle against toxic waste in the sewage stream by inadequate legal
4442authority, ineffective enforcement and too little money committed
4443to the job.
4444"The results are shocking," Frances Dubrowski, a lawyer
4445formerly with the National Resources Defense Council, told the
4446hearing by two Merchant Marine and Fisheries subcommittees that are
4447taking an in-depth look at pollution of coastal waters.
4448"Extrapolating this data nationwide, some 500 to 900 (plants)
4449merited enforcement for failure to implement the pre-treatment
4450program as Congress intended," she said. "Yet EPA referred only
445110 enforcement cases for failing to implement pre-treatment."
4452The EPA's Elder said that while increased emphasis on the toxics
4453problem is "making an impact, I agree we still have a lot to do."
4454Ms. Dubrowski said that EPA should require treatment plants to
4455develop local limits for 126 toxics cited by Congress in the 1987
4456updating of the Clean Water Act. EPA has issued requirements for
4457only 10.
4458She also said EPA should finally issue standards to regulate the
4459toxic content of sewage sludge, which can contaminate groundwater
4460if deposited in a leaking landfill. EPA missed sludge standards
4461deadlines in 1978 and 1987, but officials say standards are in the
4462works.
4463Ms. Dubrowski and Reps. Gerry Studds, D-Mass., and William
4464Hughes, D-N.J., said that EPA and the states might need to take a
4465more active role enforcing pre-treatment requirements, rather than
4466leaving this to municipalities.
4467"For a city to decide to take action against its biggest
4468employer takes a big dose of political backbone," Studds said.
4469"But it's very clear a major part of the problem is political will
4470at all levels of government."
4471Hughes said that unless enforcement is brought against more
4472violators of the Clean Water Act, "it's like the drug traffickers:
4473they don't feel a risk because the chances of their being targeted
4474are very low."
4475
4476Shaking down shopkeepers. Taking protection
4477money from criminals. Dealing drugs. Collecting kickbacks.
4478Demanding bribes. This, prosecutors say, is how some municipal
4479employees spend their days.
4480The problem is as old as government and the prognosis for a cure
4481is as bleak as ever.
4482"There's always going to be people who take advantage of the
4483system. Eight percent of the Apostles were corrupt, and look at who
4484screened them," said U.S. Attorney Andrew Maloney.
4485Maloney displayed the latest example of his thesis last week,
4486announcing charges that 28 current and former city health
4487inspectors and supervisors extorted payoffs from restaurateurs by
4488threatening sanitary law citations.
4489The alleged scam may have been "repellent and painful," as
4490Health Commissioner Stephen Joseph said, but it was not
4491particularly new or clever.
4492"It's a classic shakedown situation," said Maloney.
4493It was just another in a long string of cases alleging municipal
4494corruption in the city in recent years, ranging from high officials
4495taking massive kickbacks to functionaries skimming or extorting
4496cash.
4497"It's pretty simple: human nature and greed," said Kevin
4498Frawley, the city commissioner of investigation. "It's going after
4499something that is tempting to you, which is an easy buck."
4500The local FBI chief, James M. Fox, blamed some of the temptation
4501on the city government itself.
4502"The vast majority of government workers in New York are honest
4503and competent _ and grossly underpaid," Fox said. "If you want to
4504maintain integrity in any profession, you must pay a living wage to
4505the employees. Government is not doing that today, and that is part
4506of their problem."
4507The end result: corruption that runs across the range of
4508government activities. Among the most prominent is the case of
4509Wedtech Corp., a military contractor accused of paying off state
4510and federal politicians for favored treatment. Another is the
4511Parking Violations Bureau case, in which some top city political
4512leaders were convicted of taking kickbacks for contracts.
4513But if those lead the list, it is the litany of cases that
4514indicate the extent of corruption:
4515_In a sting operation revealed in January, state prosecutors
4516said court representatives stole property from the apartments of
4517people they thought had died without family or a will.
4518_In October, 35 workers for a company hired by the city to empty
4519the cash from parking meters were accused of skimming nearly $1
4520million in quarters.
4521_In July, authorities charged that guards at a city yard where
4522illegally parked cars are towed took bribes to release vehicles to
4523their owners.
4524_In May, nine current or former maintenance workers and
4525supervisors in the city school system were indicted in a nine-year
4526kickback scheme; 19 people were charged in 1986.
4527_In November 1986, prosecutors charged more than a dozen police
4528officers at the 77th Precinct in Brooklyn with crimes ranging from
4529selling cocaine to stealing garbage cans.
4530_In June 1986, U.S. District Judge Leonard Wexler sentenced two
4531former Housing Authority officials to prison for extorting kickback
4532money. Said Wexler, "Corruption is turning the city into a
4533cesspool."
4534Frawley, the city's in-house corruption investigator, has
4535another view: New York corruption is no greater than in other
4536governments or in private business, he said. But in New York,
4537grifters get caught.
4538"It's a two-edged sword. You go after it vigorously, you
4539announce arrests. And the public perception is, `Oh, well, more
4540corruption,"' Frawley said. "If you closed your eyes you wouldn't
4541see it. This agency and the federal government work very hard to
4542expose it."
4543Indeed, Frawley noted that the FBI's local office has beefed up
4544its corruption squad and the budget for his own department has
4545doubled since 1985. "We have a number of active investigations"
4546he said.
4547Just since the restaurant inspectors arrests, the FBI's New York
4548office has received several calls reporting graft in government,
4549enough to persuade it to open a 24-hour hotline for corruption tips
4550this week.
4551"We're looking harder than we ever have," said Fox. "You say
4552there's been a lot of cases. There are more coming."
4553Allies</HEAD>
4554
4555The cease-fire pact between the
4556Sandinistas and Contra rebels puts new pressure on the United
4557States to hold direct talks with the Nicaraguan government _
4558something Washington has long refused to do.
4559It also highlights how little progress U.S. allies in Central
4560America have made in negotiating cease-fires under a regional peace
4561plan.
4562Before last week's agreement, many observers doubted the leftist
4563Sandinistas would ever make political concessions to the
4564U.S.-backed Contras.
4565For years, the Sandinistas flatly refused to talk to the rebels.
4566The Nicaraguan government insisted the only path to peace was
4567direct negotiations with the Reagan administration, which it saw as
4568the true instigator of the civil war.
4569But the United States said it would only talk to the Sandinistas
4570after they and the Contras made significant headway toward settling
4571their differences.
4572That headway appears to have been made and, after signing the
4573pact Wednesday in the border town of Sapoa, Nicaraguan President
4574Daniel Ortega renewed his call for direct talks with Washington.
4575The last U.S.-Nicaragua talks were in 1984.
4576"Now is the time for the government of the United States to
4577respect the force of peace and dispose itself to normalizing its
4578relations with Nicaragua," he said.
4579On Friday, however, White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said
4580the administration has no plans for direct talks with the
4581Sandinistas.
4582"We would be willing to talk on a multilateral, regional
4583basis," he said.
4584The Reagan Administration says it is skeptical about the
4585Sandinista promises made in Sapoa.
4586In the agreement, the Sandinistas promised to gradually end the
4587more than six-year war, restore all democratic freedoms and grant
4588amnesty to political prisoners.
4589In so doing, Nicaragua could become the first Central American
4590nation other than Costa Rica _ which has no war and no armed forces
4591_ to fully comply with the accord signed Aug. 7, 1987, by Costa
4592Rican President Oscar Arias, Ortega and the presidents of El
4593Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
4594Neither El Salvador nor Guatemala, both U.S. allies, have come
4595close to working out agreements with their leftist insurgents.
4596Chronic guerrilla wars persist in both countries.
4597When they began the cease-fire talks last Monday, the Contras
4598and the Sandinistas faced intense pressure.
4599Overt U.S. military aid to the rebels had recently ended, and
4600President Reagan was having trouble convincing lawmakers that it
4601should resume. The CIA has backed the Contras since 1981, but
4602Congressional funding has been an on-again-off-again proposition.
4603The Sandinistas faced pressure from chronic food shortages, the
4604military draft and an economy shattered by a war that the
4605government says has cost more than $3 billion and killed more than
460650,000.
4607The Soviet bloc supplies the Sandinistas. The Reagan
4608administration, which contends the Sandinistas are the beachhead of
4609a hemispheric communist threat, stopped economic aid to Nicaragua
4610in 1981 and imposed a trade embargo in 1985.
4611In January, the Sandinistas moved to comply with Arias' peace
4612plan by lifting a state of emergency that had barred most basic
4613freedoms since 1982.
4614It resulted in the most open expressions of discontent since the
4615leftists came to power in a 1979 revolution. There have been
4616demonstrations, strikes, media criticism and public complaints that
4617the Sandinistas reneged on their revolutionary pledge of democracy
4618by becoming a Marxist regime.
4619But Sandinista critics in Nicaragua are now praising the
4620agreement with the Contras, in contrast to the Reagan
4621administration's pessimism.
4622"Perhaps the Sandinista Front will finally comply with its
4623word," said Enrique Bolanos, head of a private enterprise council.
4624The Contras say they will resume fighting if the agreement falls
4625through.
4626The Sandinistas, in their newspaper Barricada, said Friday the
4627Contra war is moving from the battleground to the political arena.
4628It said the Contras, "even though disarmed, continue to be
4629armed ideologically against the popular power and its conquests."
4630Arias, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for designing the
4631regional plan, said the Nicaraguan pact offers "a new and firm
4632hope that all Central Americans can live in peace."
4633The regional plan is aimed at ending the wars in El Salvador and
4634Guatemala as well as Nicaragua. It calls for political amnesties,
4635democratic reforms, and an end to support for insurgencies _ but
4636the key provision is the one calling for cease-fires.
4637So far, the only one to be reached in the region is the one
4638between the Sandinistas and the Contras, who suspended offensive
4639military operations Monday and agreed to begin a formal 60-day
4640cease-fire on April 1.
4641
4642Central American correspondent Bryna Brennan has
4643been covering the region for The Associated Press for two years.
4644
4645Tens of thousands of people marched through central
4646Rome on Saturday to call for more job opportunities for women and
4647tougher laws against sexual abuse.
4648Organizers estimated that 100,000 people took part in the
4649afternoon demonstration, in which marchers slowly made their way
4650across the city's historic center.
4651The marchers, including large numbers of men as well as women,
4652came from all parts of Italy by car, train and special buses. They
4653carried banners, chanted slogans and blew whistles.
4654The demonstration was organized by the country's three main
4655labor federations. Their slogan was "A job for everyone. A
4656different kind of work. A society without violence."
4657They are seeking more jobs and better conditions for women,
4658including flexible schedules for working mothers. The groups noted
4659that the national unemployment rate for women is 19 percent,
4660compared with 8 percent for men, with 32 percent of women without
4661jobs in the Mezzogiorno, the underdeveloped south.
4662The women are also pushing for new laws against sexual violence,
4663with the aim of making a sexual offense a crime "against the
4664person" rather than a crime "against morals" as it is considered
4665now.
4666Contras</HEAD>
4667
4668President Reagan should show his support of
4669the Nicaraguan cease-fire agreement by refraining from pushing for
4670renewed military aid for the Contra rebels, a House Democratic
4671leader said Saturday.
4672"Old policies _ like old habits _ die hard. We must resist the
4673temptation to say `we know better' by approving military aid before
4674the peace plan has a chance to succeed," Rep. Tony Coelho,
4675D-Calif., said in the Democrats' weekly radio address.
4676Coelho, the assistant House majority leader, said: "The burden
4677on President Reagan is to recognize that diplomacy works ... and
4678make peace his highest priority."
4679The president, commenting Friday on the cease-fire accord
4680reached Wednesday, said "there is reason to have caution" about
4681whether Nicaragua's Sandinista government will abide by the pact.
4682The Sandinistas "have a past record that indicates that we should
4683be" cautious, Reagan told reporters.
4684The administration is pushing for approval of a package of
4685humanitarian aid to the Contras before Congress recesses for
4686Easter. Coelho said House Speaker Jim Wright of Texas is ready to
4687schedule a vote this week.
4688"If our Republican colleagues help us write and pass a plan, we
4689can speed humanitarian aid to the Contras. And the chance for a
4690truly bipartisan policy toward Central America would be at hand,"
4691Coelho said.
4692Earlier this month liberal Democrats opposed to any aid for the
4693Contras and conservative Republicans pushing for military aid
4694teamed to defeat a humanitarian aid bill offered by Wright.
4695
4696Top television series such as "The Cosby
4697Show" and "Moonlighting" have had their seasons shortened and
4698anxious advertisers have broken ranks to sign separate contracts as
4699scriptwriters and commercial actors turn up the heat in their
4700strikes.
4701Hollywood labor's spring offensive against motion picture and
4702television producers and advertisers has put more than 109,000
4703people on strike and forced more than 1,100 others out of their
4704jobs due to the resulting shutdown of projects.
4705The action has cost workers $4 million in lost salaries and
4706benefits and threatened network advertising revenue by forcing
4707early reruns.
4708On Monday, the 9,000-member Writers Guild of America enters the
4709fourth week of its strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture
4710and Television Producers.
4711Guild spokeswoman Cheryl Rhoden said Friday that informal talks
4712were taking place between the union and producers; alliance
4713spokesman Herb Steinberg refused comment.
4714Meanwhile, 100,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild and the
4715American Federation of Television and Radio Artists who work on
4716commercials enter the second week of a strike against the Joint
4717Policy Committee of the American Association of Advertising
4718Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers.
4719The actors, many of whom make their livings off commercials, and
4720advertisers have agreed to meet April 6.
4721Of the two labor actions, the writers strike has done the most
4722immediate damage to the industry.
4723Networks will be forced to show reruns as early as next month in
4724order to save some new product for the critical May "sweeps"
4725ratings period, when advertising rates for local stations are
4726determined.
4727Among the shows that will fall short of a full schedule this
4728season are NBC's "Cheers," short one show; "L.A. Law," short
4729two shows, and "The Cosby Show," short three episodes, said David
4730Brokaw, a spokesman for "Cosby's" Carsey-Werner Productions.
4731"It hurts," said Brokaw. "Those were three scripts that
4732weren't written, and three shows that won't be produced. And you
4733can't make those up later."
4734In addition, NBC's "Saturday Night Live," "Late Night With
4735David Letterman" and "The Tonight Show" will all be in reruns
4736until the strike is resolved.
4737A much-publicized 3-D sequence for ABC's "Moonlighting" that
4738was to be shown during the May sweeps will not be produced.
4739Last week's "Moonlighting" episode ended early, leaving the
4740cast filling in with a lip-synched rendition of the rock oldie
4741"Wooly Bully." Stars Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis explained
4742the script couldn't be lengthened because the writers were on
4743strike.
4744Also shut down on ABC is "thirtysomething," one episode shy of
4745a full season, which is usually 25 episodes.
4746On CBS, three shows in production were affected, with
4747replacement series "The Dictator," starring Christopher Lloyd,
4748taken off the schedule for its March 15 debut. Only six of eight
4749shows were shot for "Coming of Age," a new half-hour comedy.
4750The new "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" will go ahead with at
4751least three shows written before the strike.
4752Daytime soap operas, usually the first affected by a talent
4753union strike, were able to stockpile several weeks of scripts,
4754although some could be in trouble by mid-April.
4755On the advertising strike front, there were signs of erosion in
4756management solidarity with separate interim contracts being signed
4757between SAG and AFTRA and 41 advertising agencies and 42 production
4758companies.
4759John McGuinn, chief negotiator for the advertisers, said he had
4760expected the interim agreements. "When they sign P&G (Procter &
4761Gamble, which has a massive advertising budget), I'll take note,"
4762he said.
4763Writers struck over creative control, demands for a greater
4764share of residuals for foreign-distributed products and rejection
4765of producers' reformulation of residuals for syndicated one-hour
4766television shows.
4767Writers made more than $57 million in residuals last year.
4768The two sides are so far apart that the producers claim their
4769offer is a $50 million increase over the life of the
4770three-year-contract, while guild officials claim it would be a
4771$37.8 million loss. The guild says its own package would net its
4772members an $8.7 million increase.
4773Actors striking against advertisers want to keep a
4774cost-of-living formula written into their contract 10 years ago,
4775and seek a new formula for increased residuals for commercials
4776shown on cable television.
4777Advertisers say they have offered significant increases for all
4778types of fees in return for surrendering the cost-of-living clause.
4779
4780Here is a text of the Democratic radio address
4781delivered Saturday by Rep. Tony Coelho, D-Calif.:
4782This is Congressman Tony Coelho.
4783There is no harder decision in a nation's life than to abandon a
4784failed course even at a time new policies could promise success.
4785History is never generous in offering such moments, and it seldom
4786selects leaders with the wisdom to seize them.
4787But one such moment arrived late Wednesday in a Central American
4788border town. Two hardened enemies _ the Sandinistas and the Contras
4789_ decided to stop killing each other and signed a plan bringing
4790political freedom to Nicaragua. America should honor this pact and
4791their courage for signing it.
4792The Contras showed great character simply by sitting down with
4793the Nicaraguan government. Days before, Sandinista troops crossed
4794the Honduran border and jeopardized the Contra's war supplies.
4795Honoring engrained habits, the Contra leadership could easily have
4796appealed to American anger and urged renewed military aid. This
4797they did not do.
4798The Sandinistas also resisted the practices of the past. When
4799President Reagan deployed 3,200 American soldiers in support of the
4800Hondurans, many predicted Nicaragua would break off the peace talks
4801and ask Moscow for a fresh infusion of weapons. Such a request
4802would have likely rendered Nicaragua's cycle of war unbreakable;
4803its search for peace unachievable.
4804But after six years of battle, and 40,000 Nicaraguans dead, the
4805Sandinistas and the Contras concluded that war had become a
4806cowardly and costly escape from the problems of peace.
4807Instead, they negotiated an historic accord that offered a road
4808to democracy for Nicaragua and new avenues of aid for America. The
4809agreement provides a 60-day cease-fire, an amnesty for political
4810prisoners, and freedom for estranged Nicaraguans to return home. It
4811guarantees press freedom and rights for the Sandinista's opponents
4812to run for political office. In almost every respect, this accord
4813satisfies the concerns which prompted us to fund the Nicaragua war
4814in the first place.
4815The agreement bears the witness of Nicaragua's Cardinal Obando
4816and the Organization of American States. And it assigns the United
4817States a role to ensure fulfillment. Under its terms, we can
4818provide strictly humanitarian aid to the Contras, providing the aid
4819is delivered to the resistance forces by neutral parties.
4820If it works, the agreement will take on the aspect of modern
4821art, with Republicans and Democrats each finding in it qualities
4822that conform to their own political agendas.
4823Any politician who wants to claim credit will surely do so, but
4824let's remember one central point: Nicaraguans from both sides of
4825the civil war have closed ranks behind a blueprint for peace. And
4826the United States will underscore their efforts or undermine the
4827agreement depending upon how we respond.
4828Old policies _ like old habits _ die hard. We must resist the
4829temptation to say "we know better" by approving military aid
4830before the peace plan has a chance to succeed. The burden on
4831President Reagan is to recognize that diplomacy works, join our
4832call to end partisanship, and make peace his highest priority.
4833Speaker Wright wants to put the new agreement to the test. He's
4834ready to schedule a vote on a humanitarian aid bill next week. If
4835our Republican colleagues help us write and pass a plan, we can
4836speed humanitarian aid to the Contras. And the chance for a truly
4837bipartisan policy toward Central America would be at hand.
4838At another time, at another struggle, Robert F. Kennedy said of
4839Latin America: "A revolution is coming _ a revolution which will
4840be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough;
4841successful if we are fortunate enough. While we cannot alter its
4842inevitability," he wrote, "we can affect its character."
4843This is the moment all Nicaraguans have been waiting to seize.
4844But in a very real sense, it is our moment too. They have pledged
4845to bury past hatreds and forge new beginnings. We can do the same.
4846This week, Americans welcomed the arrival of spring and prepared
4847to observe the Easter and Passover holidays. It is a time to
4848celebrate rebirth and redemption of people and the resurrection of
4849a savior. It is a time for renewal.
4850This year, in the prayers of all Americans, let us remember the
4851struggle and the sacrifice of the Nicaraguan people, who have known
4852too much war, too much repression, and too little freedom. Let us
4853hope, this time that they find the peace that has eluded them for
4854generations.
4855Thank you, and God bless you.
4856
4857Here is the text of President Reagan's radio
4858address from the White House on Saturday:
4859My fellow Americans, this week, as our thoughts begin to turn
4860toward Easter, the cause of peace among nations is foremost in our
4861minds, a cause that was also at the top of our work agenda here in
4862Washington as I received Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze at
4863the White House.
4864My talks with him were cordial, but, as you might expect, to the
4865point. During Mr. Shevardnadze's stay, I announced May 29 through
4866June 2 as the dates for my summit meeting in Moscow with the leader
4867of the Soviet Union, General Secretary Gorbachev. And, of course,
4868this was good news.
4869The last U.S.-Soviet Summit in the USSR was 14 years ago. So
4870this meeting will give me and, in a sense, you the American people,
4871an opportunity to convey the message of peace and freedom to the
4872Soviet people. But let me also say that while lengthy talks held
4873between Secretary Shultz and Mr. Shevardnadze at the State
4874Department were useful, they also made clear how difficult the
4875issues are between the United States and the Soviet Union.
4876Now some progress was made here and there in various areas, but
4877there's much more that needs to be done given the importance of the
4878topics discussed. Our agenda with the Soviet Union deals not only
4879with arms reductions, but also regional matters, human rights, and
4880people-to-people exchanges. And as our discussions continue in each
4881of these areas I can assure you that the United States will sign
4882only those agreements that are in our best interest.
4883Let me also assure you as negotiations continue on efforts to
4884further reduce U.S. and Soviet strategic nuclear arms, that my
4885administration will carefully review such proposals. Still, we've
4886come a long way in our attempts to deal with the Soviets and to
4887further the cause of peace and freedom around the world.
4888The next Summit will help; how much, we'll have to see. An
4889important accomplishment of the first few summits however, will be
4890before the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee next
4891week for approval. This is the INF Treaty on intermediate-range
4892nuclear forces that Mr. Gorbachev and I signed when he was here for
4893the Washington Summit last December.
4894It's an important vote, and I'm hopeful the Senate will, as it
4895exercises its Constitutional duty, speedily approve what amounts to
4896the first real nuclear arms reductions ever achieved.
4897Now, some of you heard me say before that our progress with the
4898Soviets is based on their awareness that we have no illusions about
4899them. And on our determination to deal from a position of strength.
4900Now, that strength means, of course, keeping our defenses ready and
4901second to none. But it also means a strong and vigorous economy and
4902a place for America as the world leader in trade.
4903That's one of the other matters that is being considered in the
4904Congress that is of critical importance. That is the legislative
4905conference on trade legislation. Last year, there was trade
4906legislation coming through the Congress that would have meant
4907serious risks to America's prosperity, and indeed, the world's.
4908Fortunately, working with our administration, Congress has made
4909some progress in producing a sounder bit of legislation. Now, the
4910legislation now before the conference committee still contains
4911provisions that would restrict trade, deter investment in the
4912United States, require mandatory retaliation that invites trade
4913wars, and unnecessarily hamper my perogatives as President.
4914For example, one proposal still very much alive would create an
4915obligation for the government to help each and every company that
4916can't keep up with legal, totally fair imports. In effect, an
4917entitlement program for businesses that can't compete. So my hope
4918is that the Congress will stay on course. And that we will settle
4919on a bill that avoids the great danger of choking off international
4920trade and slowing down economic growth.
4921I will not sign a bill that imperils our economy and threatens
4922growth. And by the way, that economic growth keeps coming right
4923along. Only this week we heard that the gross national product
4924growth for last year was four percent. Now, this was higher than
4925our own expectations. Expectations that by the way were criticized
4926as too rosey a scenario when we first made them. Well, the rosey
4927scenario was even rosier than the one the critics were down on.
4928It just shows what can happen when spending and taxes are held
4929down, and trade is encouraged. In fact, right now much of our
4930economy is being driven by the growth in exports that bad trade
4931legislation would discourage. So you can see there's much on our
4932minds this week in Washington.
4933And before anyone looks prematurely forward to the arrival of
4934the Easter Bunny, I hope Congress will stay focused on the
4935important matters this week; the INF treaty, and trade legislation.
4936Until next week, thanks for listening and God bless you.
4937Takeovers</HEAD>
4938
4939Congressional and administration negotiators
4940have agreed to give the president authority to block foreign
4941takeovers of U.S. companies if the change in ownership would
4942threaten national security.
4943Treasury Department officials agreed Thursday to support the
4944provision in a catch-all trade bill pending in a House-Senate
4945conference committee, Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., said Friday.
4946The president would not be required block a foreign takeover,
4947"but if anyone calls to the attention of the president a threat to
4948national security, this bill gives the president the tool to stop
4949it without declaring a national emergency," said Exon, who had
4950proposed a similar measure that was approved by the Senate.
4951He said he expected the House and Senate conferees to adopt the
4952compromise on Tuesday.
4953The administration initially opposed the proposal, fearing that
4954the bill would chill foreign investment in the United States.
4955The compromise would give the president or someone he designates
4956the power to investigate a takeover or a merger when a foreign
4957person or company is involved.
4958The investigation would be limited to 45 days, a provision added
4959to re-assure the business community that it wouldn't be prolonged.
4960The president then would decide whether to intervene by issuing an
4961executive order.
4962During the negotiations, several changes were made at the
4963administration's insistence, Exon said. Those changes included
4964dropping a provision that would have allowed Congress to veto a
4965presidential decision to block a takeover and the addition of
4966assurances that any information obtained during the investigation
4967from the U.S. or the foreign entity involved would be kept
4968confidential.
4969first name to Charley, sted Charlie, in first graf
4970
4971Country music singer Charley Pride says the
4972ribbing he took as a skinny kid taught him not to be afraid of
4973life's challenges.
4974Pride, in town for the taping of the 20th anniversary show of
4975television's "Hee Haw," said he was often teased and told,
4976"You're so skinny, you ain't going to be nothing."
4977The singer, now a well-built man who has won nearly every award
4978given by the music industry, wears a gold astrological medallion of
4979two fish swimming around the letters "G.I.D.," standing for "get
4980it done."
4981"It's a challenge when people tell you that you can't do
4982something," Pride said Friday, "but what is it that isn't
4983attainable? I was given incentive by my dad, who always says, `If
4984you're going to do it, get it done.' So I had to prove something
4985after hearing people keep saying that."
4986The anniversary show of the syndicated country variety program
4987is scheduled for Wednesday at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie.
4988
4989Armenians abandoned the streets of their capital
4990to soldiers and attack dogs Saturday to protest an official
4991crackdown that prompted activists to cancel a nationalist
4992demonstration, dissidents said.
4993One activist said most Armenians heeded the call to stay inside
4994and made Yerevan look like a ghost town.
4995"There are no children outside, no cars on the street, no
4996activity whatsoever except for the troops occupying the city.
4997Yerevan is like a dead city," said Christian rights activist
4998Alexander Ogorodnikov of Moscow, who said he talked to witnesses by
4999telephone.
5000The vast majority of people in Armenian-dominated
5001Nagorno-Karabakh, in the neighboring republican of Azerbaijan, also
5002refused to go outside, the dissidents' reports said.
5003Armenians campaigning for annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh had
5004called for protests Saturday, when an unofficial committee
5005spearheading the drive was to meet. But authorities threatened
5006criminal action against those taking part in illegal protests in
5007the region south of the Caucasus Mountains.
5008Nagorno-Karabakh has been part of the overwhelmingly Moslem
5009Azerbaijan republic since 1923. Most Armenians are Christians, and
5010many fear the ethnic character of Nagorno-Karabakh is being diluted.
5011In Moscow, Armenian church official Tiran Gureghian said about
501215 young Armenians gathered Saturday at a small church inside
5013Yerevan's Armenian cemetery to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh. Gureghian
5014said police prevented them from going into the cemetery, which had
5015been posted with a sign advising visitors to obtain permits before
5016entering.
5017An Armenian telephone operator said in a phone interview that 20
5018to 30 people gathered near the Yerevan Opera Theater, the scene of
5019huge demonstrations last month. The operator, who spoke on
5020condition of anonymity, said that group was also talking about
5021Nagorno-Karabakh.
5022The operator said Armenians were disappointed that their demands
5023for annexation had been rejected. "They believed it would be ours.
5024It probably won't be," she said.
5025Police patrolled Yerevan's streets and helicopters crisscrossed
5026its skies. Radio Yerevan, monitored in London, appealed for calm
5027and restraint.
5028Leaders of the unofficial Karabakh Committee in Yerevan had
5029called off the strikes and demonstrations earlier in the week to
5030avoid confrontation. But the Armenian government on Friday ordered
5031police to "put an end to the activities of the Karabakh
5032Committee," Radio Moscow reported.
5033Four Armenian activists were arrested Friday as authorities
5034moved to prevent protests.
5035Andrei Bavitsky of the dissident journal Glasnost said he was
5036told Nagorno-Karabakh's central city, Stepanakert, was occupied by
503715,000 Azerbaijani policemen on Saturday. He said residents of the
5038region were staying indoors to protest the show of force.
5039Local authorities said little of the situation. Someone who
5040answered the telephone at the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs
5041refused to give his name and said Saturday's activity was normal.
5042Soviet authorities have forbidden foreign correspondents to
5043travel to the area.
5044It was not clear how many Armenians stayed home out of fear of
5045confronting authorities and how many stayed home to signal their
5046displeasure. Bavitsky said he was told 60,000 troops were
5047patrolling Yerevan, a city of about 640,000 people.
5048A national newspaper accused the Communist Party leadership of
5049trying to suppress the sensitive ethnic dispute. Komsomolskaya
5050Pravda said authorities should have openly discussed the proposal
5051with Armenians.
5052The critical commentary in the party's youth newspaper
5053contrasted sharply with articles Friday in the nation's two most
5054official newspapers, Pravda and Izvestia.
5055Despite its hard line, the Soviet Politburo has ordered a major
5056improvement in living conditions in the region, including improved
5057reception of Armenian-language television programming and more
5058Armenian literature.
5059Soviet authorities, meanwhile, allowed nationalist displays in
5060Latvia and Estonia on Friday, activists said. They said the
5061displays marked the anniversary of Soviet leader Josef V. Stalin's
50621940 deportation of thousands of anti-communists before the Soviets
5063took over the states on the Baltic Sea.
5064In the Baltic, as many as 3,000 people were reported to have
5065joined in a nationalist display in the Latvian capital of Riga and
5066about 5,000 in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.
5067One resident, Ints Zalitis of Riga, said human rights activists
5068were warned against organizing mass demonstrations. He said
5069Latvians showed up in small groups to lay flowers at a central
5070monument, and police did not disturb those who left quickly.
5071The official news agency Tass quoted Latvian newspapers
5072reporting several hundred people gathered around Riga's Freedom
5073monument to make a "blasphemous provocation."
5074Nine people were detained for trespassing and disrupting
5075transportation, Tass said.
5076
5077The pastor selected to lead a group of
5078moderate Baptists for the next year says his alliance seeks only a
5079return to religious freedom within the fundamentalist-dominated
5080Southern Baptist Convention,
5081But the moderates are willing to act independently, for the time
5082being, if necessary, said the Rev. John Thomason, elected president
5083of the Southern Baptist Alliance at its annual meeting in Macon
5084last week.
5085The group celebrated its first year of existence by poking fun
5086at itself and at the fundamentalists, but also worrying about what
5087fundamentalist control is doing to the church.
5088Delegates often likened the meeting to a family reunion, without
5089the tensions that have grown up around their denomination's annual
5090meeting.
5091The alliance meetings "have reminded us of former days when
5092Southern Baptists could gather without hostility to learn together
5093and share in the gospel ministry," said the Rev. Henry Crouch, who
5094stepped down as president of the group.
5095"I have a home with you and do not have to explain or defend
5096myself," said Anne Thomas Neil, a former missionary in Africa who
5097was elected first vice president.
5098Leaders of the alliance insist they do not plan to split from
5099the 14.7-million member Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's
5100largest Protestant denomination.
5101At the same time, however, the alliance is publishing books,
5102setting up an office to help place moderate pastors with moderate
5103congregations, and discussing providing Sunday school material and
5104the possibilities of a new Baptist seminary or divinity school.
5105"Whenever we take specific steps like that, we are acting
5106independently of the institutions of the Southern Baptist
5107Convention and that gives the appearance of independence," said
5108Thomason, whose 561-member Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson,
5109Miss., was the third to join the alliance.
5110The words of some of the speakers at the meeting appeared
5111intended to keep open the door for flight.
5112"We would find it very uncomfortable to support indefinitely
5113the present trend of (SBC) leadership," Crouch said in his status
5114report to the delegates at Mercer University, a Baptist-supported
5115school that avoided a fundamentalist takeover attempt last year.
5116One sentence later, however, Crouch was applauded when he said,
5117"Pulling out has not been our goal or intention."
5118Thomason admitted the words and actions don't necessarily match.
5119But, he said, "we have to be advocates of groups that we feel to
5120be disenfranchised" by the fundamentalist control of the
5121denomination's offices.
5122The alliance was formed in Charlotte, N.C., in February 1987 by
5123moderates who felt shut out of their church through nine years of
5124losing the Southern Baptist Convention presidental election to
5125fundamentalists.
5126Although both groups are generally conservative, they differ on
5127key points, and victorious fundamentalists have used the
5128presidency's broad appointive powers to put their supporters on the
5129boards of Baptist agencies and institutions.
5130Fundamentalists maintain that the Bible is literally,
5131word-for-word, without error, while moderates hold there is room
5132for interpretation, especially in historical and scientific
5133concepts.
5134Also, fundamentalists oppose ordination of women; the alliance
5135has made one of its main activities welcoming female pastors.
5136The alliance unanimously passed a resolution supporting W.
5137Randall Lolley, who resigned as president of Southeastern Baptist
5138Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., rather than follow the
5139orders of a fundamentalist-controlled board of directors that said
5140only biblical inerrantists could be hired as professors.
5141Another resolution decried "restrictive understanding of
5142Scripture," saying the emphasis placed on biblical inerrancy
5143"undermines free inquiry and diversity of opinion which have been
5144a hallmark of Baptist life."
5145Alliance leaders are quick to point out that other groups within
5146the denomination are political, but that the alliance is
5147philosophical, intent on upholding what it sees as Baptist
5148principles.
5149Many of the alliance leaders admit, however, that the convention
5150election in San Antonio, Texas, next June may determine if
5151moderates will retain a place in the denomination.
5152Impeachment</HEAD>
5153
5154The two lives of Evan Mecham _ embattled
5155governor and wheeler-dealer car salesman _ have emerged in the
5156second act of his impeachment trial as witnesses sketch a complex
5157saga of money, politics and family ties.
5158Mecham, fighting to save his political life, is in his second
5159round of testimony in the trial as the Senate considers the second
5160of three charges. His son, Dennis, has stepped forward in a
5161supporting role to help Mecham explain why an $80,000 loan from a
5162protocol fund to the family car dealership wasn't illegal.
5163The governor, admitting he was "not enthused" about having his
5164personal finances spread out in public, said he was told he could
5165use the protocol fund for practically anything he wanted.
5166"I never heard the words discussed, `public funds,"' said the
5167first-term Republican who is the first U.S. governor to face an
5168impeachment trial in six decades.
5169The Senate is examining a charge that Mecham misused state funds
5170by borrowing the $80,000 originally raised by his inaugural ball.
5171When state law barred his inaugural committee from using the
5172funds to pay off campaign debts, a "protocol fund" was set up
5173instead to promote Arizona through events and gifts to visiting
5174dignitaries.
5175The defense contends the fund always remained private money to
5176be used at the governor's discretion. The prosecution says it was
5177clearly transformed into a public fund by an agreement between
5178Mecham's inaugural chairman, William Long, and the Maricopa County
5179attorney.
5180The governor, whose testimony is to continue Monday, said Long
5181told him exactly what to do with the money.
5182"Mr. Long said, `We have gone through all of this rigamarole
5183and you can spend it for any damn thing that you want,' those were
5184his words, `except you can't spend it for politics or personal
5185living expenses," Mecham testified.
5186What he used it for, the prosecution contends, was to save his
5187auto dealership from financial disaster. They presented evidence of
5188overdue loans and bounced checks at the car company.
5189Mecham and his son insist that Mecham Pontiac was on sure
5190financial footing and that Mecham's only motive for borrowing the
5191$80,000 was to increase the fund by paying higher interest than it
5192was getting in a bank.
5193To evaluate the opposing views, senators were given an education
5194in the car dealership business. At the end of a week in which they
5195examined loan agreements and check receipts and heard about car
5196"floor planning" and cars "sold out of trust," the senators who
5197sit as judges and jury appeared perplexed.
5198"Mr. Mecham, I'm absolutely baffled and confused!" state Sen.
5199Tony West told Dennis Mecham at the end of a long discourse on
5200deeds of trust, interest rates and loan agreements. He questioned
5201the extensive "paper trail" of checks linking Mecham Pontiac to
5202assorted members of the Mecham family and an organization called
5203Constituent Communications.
5204Asked what that group was, Dennis Mecham, 37, who received a
5205$15,000 loan from it, said he had no idea except "I know my uncle
5206Wayne controls the checkbook."
5207Wayne and Willard Mecham, brothers of the governor, were among
5208those who loaned money in a hurry when Mecham Pontiac was asked to
5209pay back the $80,000 last Oct. 22. Dennis Mecham said the family
5210loans were interest-free and were quickly repaid.
5211He remembered that Mecham chief of staff Jim Colter called and
5212said that "a political question" had arisen and the money had to
5213be replaced right away. But Dennis Mecham couldn't remember until
5214he was reminded by a prosecutor what political crisis spurred the
5215Oct. 22 call.
5216That was the day after Phoenix newspapers broke the story of
5217Mecham's secret $350,000 campaign loan from developer Barry Wolfson.
5218The charge that Mecham concealed that loan is the basis of the
5219next count to be addressed at his impeachment trial and is the
5220subject of felony criminal charges on which the governor and his
5221brother Willard face trial April 21. The first count before the
5222Senate involved allegations that Mecham tried to halt an
5223investigation of an alleged death threat by a member of his staff.
5224title. Picks up 20th, "`He (Barahona) ...
5225
5226An American photographer stood trial
5227Saturday on drug smuggling charges and testified that his only
5228crime was being stupid enough to let a cocaine ring dupe him into
5229doing its dirty work.
5230The trial of 23-year-old Conan Owen, whose case has drawn the
5231attention of Attorney General Edwin Meese III, began and ended
5232Saturday. The three-judge panel that took testimony for 2{ hours
5233wasn't expected to issue a verdict for about a week.
5234The free-lance photographer from Annandale, Va., is charged with
5235smuggling 4.13 pounds of cocaine into Spain in a suitcase on March
523613, 1987.
5237James Kibble, a special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement
5238Administration, testified that Owen was tricked by a drug
5239trafficking ring into carrying the cocaine. Owen, he said, is
5240"innocent _ or stupid _ but innocent."
5241The prosecution is asking for 10 years in prison on contraband
5242charges and on charges Owen violated public health laws that
5243prohibit the transport or sale of dangerous drugs.
5244The defense contends Owen thought the suitcase only contained
5245travel brochures, photographs and film.
5246Owen, a 1986 graduate of Syracuse University and a former summer
5247intern in Vice President George Bush's office, has spent the past
5248year in Barcelona's 85-year-old Model Prison without possibility of
5249bail.
5250He told the court Saturday that he carried a suitcase to
5251Barcelona from Santiago, Chile, for George Barahona, an
5252Equadorean-born naturalized American who was living near
5253Washington, D.C.
5254Owen said Barahona represented himself as one of the owners of
5255the Sorosa Travel Agency near Washington, D.C. and offered him
5256$1,000 to take travel brochure pictures in Spain. Owen said
5257Barahona gave him a suitcase to take with him, which he believed to
5258contain the brochures and film.
5259The suitcase contained $200,000 in cocaine.
5260Owen told the court he had always obeyed the law and
5261acknowledged he had been "stupid _ but that is not a crime."
5262Judge Jose Presencia Rubio, who heads a three-member panel
5263hearing the case, refused to admit as evidence testimony about a
5264polygraph test Owen took.
5265Owen's lawyer, Ana Campa, said the test, administered by a DEA
5266agent, indicates Owen was telling the truth when he said he knew
5267nothing about the drug.
5268Federal agents allege Barahona is part of a drug ring that moves
5269cocaine from South America to Spain.
5270On Feb. 5, Barahona pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to
5271smuggle drugs in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va.
5272He received a two-year suspended sentence after providing
5273information that led to the indictment of three Spaniards and three
5274Bolivians in a conspiracy to smuggle illegal drugs. They remain at
5275large.
5276When Meese came to Spain to sign an annex to a 1970 extradition
5277treaty Feb. 9, he handed over copies of Barahona's testimony to
5278Spanish judicial authorities.
5279Prosecutor Teresa Calvo called only two witnesses _ the
5280paramilitary Civil Guard on duty at El Prat Airport who discovered
5281the cocaine and the chemist who analyzed the drug as being 84
5282percent pure cocaine.
5283Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Williams of Alexandria, Va.,
5284testified for the defense that statements obtained from Barahona
5285following the plea-bargain arrangement indicated Owen had
5286unwittingly taken the cocaine-laden suitcase to Spain.
5287"He (Barahona) specifically told us that Conan Owen had no
5288knowledge that there was cocaine in the suitcase he carried into
5289Barcelona airport March 13," Williams said.
5290Kibble, also testifying for the defense, said he became
5291interested in the Owen case because Owen was from the Washington,
5292D.C. area and the DEA was investigating a cocaine-smuggling ring
5293that operated out of northern Virginia.
5294"I have found that there is a group of people involved in
5295sending drugs from South America to Spain using unsuspecting people
5296as carriers," Kibble testified.
5297"The DEA was interested in the details Conan Owen had to tell
5298for the conspiracy case we were working on," he said.
5299Owen wore a gray suit and stood with his hands clasped behind
5300his back when addressing the court.
5301He spoke in Spanish with occasional assistance from a
5302court-appointed interpreter.
5303His parents Ernest and Raquel Owen of Annandale, Va., sat
5304directly behind him. His 25-year-old brother Evan was also present.
5305According to the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, as of last month there
5306were 25 U.S. citizens in jail in Spain. Six are serving prison
5307terms following conviction on drug-related charges, and another
5308eight, not including Owen, are awaiting trial.
5309There are no jury trials in Spain, and courts generally take
5310about a week to issue verdicts.
5311Azcona. Picks up 7th graf, `But the ...
5312
5313The 3,200 American soldiers sent to
5314Honduras on an emergency mission 10 days ago are training up to the
5315last minute before they begin an airlift home, a U.S. military
5316spokesman said Saturday.
5317Maj. Gary Hovatter, U.S. public affairs officer at Palmerola air
5318base, said the troops were training at four sites throughout this
5319country of 4.5 million people. Palmerola is about 40 miles
5320northwest of the capital.
5321"We're just training down to the wire. It's nothing exotic,"
5322Hovatter said in a telephone interview.
5323He said about 6,000 American soldiers currently are stationed in
5324Honduras, including the 3,200 from the 82nd Airborne Division at
5325Fort Bragg., N.C., and the 7th Light Infantry Division at Fort Ord,
5326Calif., who will begin the trip home Monday.
5327President Reagan rushed the soldiers to Honduras on March 17 and
532818 after Sandinista troops from neighboring Nicaragua reportedly
5329entered Honduras in pursuit of U.S.-backed Contra rebels.
5330The U.S. government billed the current military presence in
5331Honduras an emergency training exercise meant both as a show of
5332support for Honduran President Jose Azcona Hoyo and a warning to
5333the leftist Sandinistas against further actions in the region.
5334But the Nicaraguan government denied Sandinista troops were
5335inside Honduras and charged that the Americans came to Honduras in
5336order to leave behind weapons and equipment that the Contras could
5337use.
5338Hovatter said Saturday that three auditors from the General
5339Accounting Office were staying at Palmerola, the headquarters for
5340U.S. military operations in Honduras, to ensure that the all the
5341equipment brought in by the Americans got back to the United States.
5342The equipment includes two Sheridan tanks, a dozen 105mm
5343howitzers, more than 100 machine guns, several thousand M-16
5344automatic rifles, mortars and ammunition.
5345"There will be a full accounting of all ammunition," Hovatter
5346said.
5347Tensions rose in the region after the American troops arrived,
5348however, and the Honduran air force said it twice bombed the Bocay
5349border region inside Honduras where Sandinista activity was spotted.
5350Hovatter said Saturday the exercises here, nicknamed "Golden
5351Pheasant," have been productive because they gave American
5352soldiers the opportunity to practice in the field.
5353
5354Soviet and American representatives agreed
5355on how to defuse international tensions at a just-ended "special
5356session" that marked unparalleled cooperation between the
5357superpowers _ but it was only on paper.
5358The Soviets and Americans were students.
5359They met at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and
5360Diplomacy in a U.N. Security Council conference mock-up. Unlike
5361their diplomatic counterparts at United Nations headquarters, they
5362found quick solutions to delicate problems.
5363Take the Gulf War, for instance.
5364It took months last summer for the real Security Council to draw
5365up a resolution with language acceptable to both superpowers. The
5366two-day mock meeting, which ended Saturday, accomplished the same
5367feat in just hours.
5368The two sides at the mock session also found common ground on
5369Southern Africa and the Israeli-occupied territories, issues that
5370have split East and West at the United Nations for years.
5371And unlike the normally somber, ponderous affairs at the real
5372Security Council, the simulated meeting also generated laughter,
5373applause and a palpable sense of enthusiasm.
5374"I think you can get an objective idea of the positions of
5375different countries," said Vladimir Titov, a 25-year-old from the
5376Moscow State Institute on International Relations. "At the same
5377time, we learn to understand each other."
5378The Americans also were enthused.
5379"It's working beautifully," said Pam Burianek, 25, from
5380Atlanta. "We are really experiencing a great rapport with the
5381Soviets who are here."
5382Four Soviet students and four from the Fletcher School were
5383paired to act out the negotiating and maneuvering of a Security
5384Council meeting. They joined 22 other students from other colleges
5385and countries to represent the 15 member nations of the Security
5386Council.
5387The Soviets came to the United States under a program sponsored
5388by the U.S. United Nations Association and the United Nations
5389Association of the Soviet Union.
5390Spokesman Jim Muldoon of the privately funded U.S. United
5391Nations Association suggested the event had more than symbolic
5392significance because students later would use the lessons they had
5393learned.
5394"At least on the Soviet side, many of them will be brought into
5395the Foreign Ministry," he said. "Many of the students that are at
5396the school from elsewhere are already in their ministries."
5397For Burianek, who wants to join a non-profit international
5398organization after graduation, "the shaking of hands, the eye
5399contact, the upfront discussion" will remain as impressions with
5400"much more educational value that something that's in books."
5401Titov, who teamed up with Fletcher student Alison Avery to
5402represent communist Bulgaria, said he was most impressed by the
5403cooperation of the U.S.-Soviet teams despite different ideological
5404backgrounds.
5405"Now I know it's possible to bridge any gap," he chuckled.
5406"Both of us are working very hard for Bulgaria here."
5407
5408The U.S.
5409Navy Saturday escorted its 40th convoy of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers
5410into the Persian Gulf. Followed by merchant vessels from other
5411nations seeking informal U.S. protection against an upsurge in
5412attacks by Iranian gunboats.
5413A procession of as many as nine vessels, including two American
5414warships, three U.S.-flagged tankers and at least four non-U.S.
5415ships, slipped through the Strait of Hormuz and past the Iranian
5416gunboat base at Abu Nusa at 11 a.m. local time, where the convoy
5417briefly encountered an Iranian warship that steamed down the
5418majestic line of vessels.
5419The Navy was assigned only to accompany the ships flying the
5420Stars and Stripes. But its presence appeared to suspend for a while
5421the Iranian warship's radio challenges to merchant shipping that
5422often fall victim to Iranian gunboats in the Iran-Iraq tanker war.
5423The parade of five U.S. ships included two Kuwaiti tankers _ the
5424290,085-ton Middletown, a products carrier, and the 46,723-ton
5425liquefied gas carrier Gas Princess _ and the 39,000 ton MV Courier,
5426a U.S. Navy fuel tanker.
5427The escort was provided by this guided missile frigate, making
5428one of the last voyages in the gulf before returning home to Long
5429Beach, Calif.
5430Four unidentified tankers joined the convoy as hitchhikers as it
5431passed through the so-called Silkworm Envelope, a 100-mile stretch
5432of the Hormuz passage where vessels come within the 60-mile range
5433of Silkworm anti-ship missile batteries installed by Iran a year
5434ago but never fired.
5435Some of the ships turned off on other courses as they cleared
5436what Comdr. John J. Kieley III, skipper of the Reuben James, calls
5437the "Worm Hole."
5438As the convoy approached the next perilous stretch, the waters
5439around the Abu Musa Island base for Iranian gunboats, two more
5440tankers lined up behind the American group. The line of vessels,
5441with Middletown in the lead and Reuben James directly behind it,
5442extended four miles long.
5443Kieley, of Huntington Beach, Calif., said it was commonplace for
5444non-U.S. flag tankers to tag along with American convoys in the
5445narrow strait. "But it is sometimes hard to tell whether they're
5446actually trying to join us. Everybody has to go use the same
5447traffic separation channels in the strait."
5448As the convoy neared the Abu Musa area, the frigate peeled
5449sharply out of its slot just behind the lead ship, Middletown,
5450surged ahead at 25 knots and maneuvered into a position to screen
5451the convoy from an Iranian navy ship, the Bushehr, which had turned
5452up in the area. Issuing radio challenges to other commercial
5453vessels to identify themselves and their destinations.
5454Farther back in the convoy, the frigate Samuel B. Roberts did
5455the same.
5456As the Bushehr, a 3,100-ton supply ship, approached on the
5457Reuben James' starboard side, Kieley radioed him to "state your
5458intentions."
5459The Iranian replied: "This an is Iranian warship. We are in
5460normal patrol in this area of international waters."
5461Kieley told him to "stay clear" of the convoy. The Bushehr
5462held to its passing course, about two miles away.
5463In rapid-fire sequence, an Iranian aircraft also showed up on
5464the radar, approaching Abu Musa from about 48 miles away from the
5465convoy.
5466But the flurry of activity eased as quickly as it had developed.
5467The American warships fell back in line as the Bushehr vanished
5468behind. The approaching aircraft were identified as non-hostile.
5469The small boats proved to be fishing craft.
5470
5471Vice President George Bush on
5472Saturday picked up the support of California backers of Bob Dole,
5473another sign that the Kansas senator's Republican presidential
5474campaign is fading fast.
5475The converts said they wanted to unify the Republican Party.
5476"It's vital to party unity that we rally around our nominee,
5477which you appear to be," said Jim Nielsen, former Los Angeles area
5478campaign leader for Dole.
5479"It's a very important signal for those across the country that
5480we can bring things together," Bush said after receiving the
5481pledges of support.
5482Bush said he would keep driving for the GOP nod, despite Dole's
5483statement Friday that the vice president's nomination appeared to
5484be "a forgone conclusion."
5485"I don't think there's any such thing as a free lunch," Bush
5486said.
5487Bush later toured the TRW Space and Research Center. Company
5488officials showed Bush a high-orbit spacecraft-tracking satellite
5489expected to be the first cargo for the renewed space shuttle
5490program.
5491The vice president and his wife, Barbara, will spend most of the
5492weekend at the Rancho Mirage estate of Walter H. Annenberg, a major
5493California Republican power and longtime friend of President Reagan.
5494A fund-raising cocktail party for Bush was scheduled Saturday
5495night with a target of $325,000.
5496
5497Gunmen killed the military commander of
5498Yasser Arafat's Fatah guerrilla group and two bodyguards and
5499wounded nine others in a raid on a refugee camp in south Lebanon,
5500police reported Saturday.
5501The commander, Farid Hourani, was killed when unidentified
5502gunmen raked a military convoy driving through the Ein el-Hilweh
5503refugee camp on Sidon's southern flank Friday.
5504Police initially said Hourani was killed in a shootout with
5505gunmen who may have been members of a rival Palestinian group.
5506They later said Hourani and Jamal Suleiman, commander of Fatah's
5507Ein el-Hilweh Martyrs' Battalion, were on their way to arrest a
5508guerrilla linked to drug trafficking when the convoy was ambushed.
5509Suleiman escaped unscathed, but his brother, a Hourani
5510bodyguard, was killed along with a second bodyguard. The
5511bodyguards' names were not available.
5512Ein el-Hilweh's 60,000 inhabitants went on strike Saturday to
5513protest the killings.
5514All shops, schools and businesses were closed in the camp, the
5515largest in Lebanon. Angry Palestinians blocked approaches to the
5516shantytown with burning tires and rocks.
5517After the killing, Suleiman placed Fatah guerrillas on alert and
5518warned of possible attacks on Arafat loyalists, who make up the
5519majority in the camp.
5520Many guerrillas later were seen patrolling the narrow alleys of
5521Ein el-Hilweh.
5522Arafat's Fatah is the largest guerrilla faction of the Palestine
5523Liberation Organization.
5524
5525Police arrested 21 members of a banned
5526peace group who met in a Warsaw apartment Saturday, a spokesman for
5527the group said.
5528Jacek Czaputowicz, leader of Freedom and Peace, said there had
5529been no attempt to keep the meeting a secret. It was the first time
5530police detained members of the group at such a session, he said.
5531The meeting was of the group's national board in charge of
5532raising money, paying legal fines and providing financial
5533assistance for imprisoned activists, he said.
5534A municipal official arrived with police at the apartment at
5535about 11 a.m. and declared the meeting illegal, Czaputowicz said.
5536Police detained everyone present, and 17 people remained in
5537custody Saturday night, he said. Opposition activists in Poland
5538frequently are detained for up to 48 hours on misdemeanor charges.
5539Freedom and Peace opposes Poland's military draft and demands
5540the right to alternative civilian service. It continues to operate
5541even though it has been declared illegal.
5542On Friday, Poland's National Defense Ministry Council endorsed
5543government proposals announced earlier to permit "alternative
5544forms of military service."
5545Czaputowicz said the detentions may be intended to show that
5546alternative service, if it eventually becomes law, did not result
5547from pressure from Freedom and Peace.
5548
5549PLO chairman Yasser Arafat said Saturday
5550that several Arab states pressured him to accept a U.S. plan for
5551Middle East peace, but he rejected it anyway.
5552Arafat did not name the Arab nations but said he would ask
5553leaders at an Arab League conference next month to renew their
5554backing of the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the
5555Palestinian people.
5556Arafat said his movement rejects any Middle East peace
5557initiative that does not recognize his group as such, including the
5558plan put forward by Secretary of State George P. Shultz.
5559"America still says `no' to the PLO, `no' to the Palestinians'
5560right to self-determination, `no' to the Palestinian state, `no' to
5561the representation of the PLO at this conference," Arafat declared
5562at the news conference at his heavily guarded military headquarters
5563near Baghdad. " We say `no' to this American position."
5564Shultz has called for interim negotiations, possibly beginning
5565May 1, and subsequent broader peace talks aimed at settling the
5566Arab-Israeli dispute. The discussions would be designed to return
5567the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip to Palestinian
5568control while providing security for Israel.
5569Shultz will travel to the Middle East next week to push the
5570initiative.
5571Arafat declined comment on meetings Shultz held Saturday in
5572Washington with two members of the Palestine National Council, the
5573PLO's parliament in exile. U.S. officials refuse to meet members of
5574the PLO, which they view as a terrorist group.
5575The Americans launched their effort after anti-Israeli violence
5576erupted in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip in December.
5577Arafat, who arrived in Baghdad on Friday after visits to several
5578Arab capitals, said Saturday he will push the Arab summit
5579conference to support the cause of the Palestinian protesters.
5580The 22-nation Arab League was expected to hold its session in
5581either Tunisia or Algeria sometime next month. No date was set.
5582
5583Former President Carter applauded Secretary of
5584State George Shultz's meeting Saturday with two American members of
5585the Palestine Liberation Organization's legislative body and said,
5586"He should have met with them long ago."
5587Israeli officials angrily charged that Shultz was violating a
5588longstanding U.S. commitment not to "recognize or negotiate" with
5589the PLO as long as it refuses to acknowledge Israel's right to
5590exist. But Carter said Shultz "is not violating anything."
5591Shultz conferred for one hour with the two Palestinian-Americans
5592at the State Department to hear their views on Shultz's latest
5593Middle East peace plan. The two professors, Edward Said of Columbia
5594University and Ibrahim Abu Lughud of Northwestern University, are
5595members of the Palestine National Council, the PLO's
5596parliament-in-exile.
5597State Department spokesman Charles Redman stressed that Said and
5598Lughud are U.S. citizens who did not characterize themselves as PLO
5599members. He said the meeting was "not a negotiation" but "a very
5600useful exchange of views" that represented no change in U.S.
5601policy toward the PLO.
5602Carter, interviewed at a luncheon of business and government
5603officials at Gannett Co. Inc. headquarters in suburban Arlington,
5604Va., said he knew Said and Lughud personally. "They are very
5605constructive in nature," Carter said. "They're American citizens.
5606They're not radicals."
5607"We don't have any obligation not to meet with Palestinian
5608leaders," the former president said. "The obligation we have is
5609not to recognize the PLO officially and not to negotiate with the
5610PLO. And Secretary Shultz is not violating any commitment."
5611Carter said Shultz "should have met with them long ago" as
5612part of the Reagan administration's efforts to arrange Arab-Israeli
5613peace talks. He said he hoped that Shultz's "belated effort" will
5614succeed.
5615Carter endorsed Shultz's proposal for a preliminary
5616international conference on the Middle East convened by the five
5617permanent members of the U.N. Security Council _ the United States,
5618the Soviet Union, China, Britain and France.
5619Under Shultz's plan, a joint Jordanian and Palestinian
5620delegation would attend the conference with Israel and other
5621Mideast parties.
5622Carter said such a conference is favored by the leaders of
5623Egypt, Syria, Jordan, "the overwhelming number of Palestinians and
5624half the Israelis."
5625If such a conference were held, Carter predicted, the Arab and
5626Israeli leaders would be "very moderate and constructive in their
5627presentation" because "it would be their one chance to have the
5628world listening to their best arguments."
5629The former president, who has conferred extensively with Middle
5630East leaders since he left the White House in 1981, also endorsed
5631Shultz's call for direct Arab-Israeli peace talks after the
5632international conference, with the aim of finding a way to grant
5633self-rule to the 1.5 Palestinian Arabs living in the
5634Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
5635Carter said deadlocks in bilateral talks between Israel and its
5636Arab neighbors could be referred to a wider conference for
5637discussion of "new ideas."
5638He said the Security Council members would be charged with
5639guaranteeing enforcement of any Mideast settlement and, together
5640with such wealthy nations as Japan and Saudi Arabia, would help
5641finance the substantial costs of a settlement. Carter estimated
5642those costs at about $15 billion over five years.
5643Carter said a peace settlement won't be easy to achieve, but he
5644insisted that "the potential is there" for accommodations on both
5645sides.
5646He warned that "it is almost impossible to break down these
5647barriers without a firm and persistent commitment from Washington,
5648and that's what we have been missing for the last seven years"
5649under President Reagan.
5650"It may be that Secretary Shultz's belated effort will be
5651successful," Carter said. "I sincerely hope and pray that it
5652will."
5653
5654The state Senate voted to designate the
5655cranberry muffin the state muffin, then showed fourth-grade pupils
5656who proposed the idea how difficult politics can be.
5657A senator who said he had little taste for the idea added an
5658amendment likely to make the measure unpalatable to Gov. Tommy G.
5659Thompson. The amendment, approved Friday night on a voice vote by
5660bemused senators, would designate the Egg McMuffin the state
5661breakfast muffin and the ragamuffin the state's child muffin.
5662Sen. Mordecai Lee sponsored the amendment after calling the
5663cranberry-muffin campaign was a waste of legislative time. The
5664Legislature then adjourned its winter session early Saturday
5665without Lee's amendment being considered by the Assembly.
5666The bill, introduced last year at the request of a class from
5667Merrill that traveled to the Capitol as a class project to lobby,
5668was left in limbo.
5669
5670No knees is bad news, say eight male
5671students who wore miniskirts to protest a ban on shorts.
5672"I would like to know what is wrong with the boys' knees?"
5673said Alicia Williams, mother of Kennith Miller, sent home from
5674Jacksonville High School on Friday along with classmates who wore
5675miniskirts with hems a few inches above their knees.
5676"And why are they enforcing the dress code (on boys) when girls
5677can wear skirts up to their (hips)?" she continued. "If girls can
5678show their legs, why can't boys?"
5679Principal James Johnson said the school's dress code allows
5680skirts, but bars shorts and halter tops. He said he sends home any
5681girl who wears a miniskirt that is too short or revealing, but that
5682he has bent the rules by allowing male students to wear "jams,"
5683or shorts that end below the knees.
5684Ms. Williams said the style nowadays is to wear jams at knee
5685level or a little above.
5686The boys said they thought their protest was a humorous way to
5687make a point.
5688"I don't find it humorous at all," Johnson said. "They were
5689interfering with the educational process ... parading around and
5690disrupting classes."
5691Johnson said the protest hurt his feelings. The boys should have
5692talked to him about the problem before wearing skirts to school, he
5693said.
5694
5695The producers of the action-adventure
5696movie "Burning Vengeance" wore their low-budget label proudly as
5697they arrived here for the world premiere.
5698Ron and Susana Ross showed up at Jake's Theater in a horse-drawn
5699carriage, which rents by the hour in this historic coastal city. It
5700carried a home-made sign calling it the "R.S.R. Productions
5701Executive Limo."
5702"We're just going to have some fun with this," Mrs. Ross said.
5703The line outside the theater Friday night was a fashion
5704hodge-podge of tuxedos and tennis shoes, sequins and sweatpants.
5705The 80 local actors and technicians who filmed the movie in
5706Wilmington last November were treated to a dinner with entrees
5707labeled ""Burning Vengeance' Blackened Snapper" and "Flaming
5708Ron Ross Tempura Shrimp Platter."
5709Before the lights went down, the Rosses presented Golden Pentz
5710Awards _ named in honor of the film's star, Robert Pentz of
5711Carolina Beach.
5712Categories included "Best Actor with Ability to Grunt in Three
5713Languages While Being Choked to Death" and "Best Performance by
5714an Actor Wearing Tight Jeans Without Appearing to be in Pain."
5715"The main criteria for winning the Golden Pentz is how cheaply
5716you said you'd work on the next picture," said Ross, who filmed
5717"Burning Vengeance" for $350,000.
5718
5719The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
5720Foundation has awarded 14 grants totaling $4.4 million to support
5721programs aimed at boosting childhood literacy and parent
5722involvement in education.
5723John E. Corbally, president of the Chicago-based foundation,
5724said the grants, to be formally announced Tuesday, are designed to
5725address problems outside the classroom that can determine whether
5726children considered at risk of failure eventually can succeed in
5727school.
5728Such children, he said, often fail because schools don't meet
5729their needs or because they lack parental support.
5730The grants include:
5731_$750,000 to Ohio State University to support a program to help
5732Ohio grade-school children with early reading difficulties.
5733_$733,000 for a four-year matching grant to the National Academy
5734of Sciences to develop science units for use in elementary schools.
5735_$700,000 to Brandeis University to support its "Career
5736Beginnings Program," which uses college and community mentors to
5737help low-income students complete school and find jobs.
5738_$500,000 to the National Committee for Citizens in Education to
5739support "ACCESS," the Columbia, Md.-based group's education
5740information clearinghouse.
5741_$424,900 to the Domestic Policy Association in Dayton, Ohio, to
5742support adult literacy programs.
5743_$400,000 to the College Board to support its "Reading,
5744Thinking and Concept Development" project, which will develop and
5745distribute video and print material to foster learning skills in
5746elementary and middle-school students.
5747_$400,000 to Work in America Institute Inc. in Scarsdale, N.Y.,
5748to support a two-year study on how to create home environments
5749conducive to learning.
5750_$150,000 to help support and expand KIDSNET, in Washington,
5751D.C., the nation's only database listing audio, video, radio and
5752television programs for children.
5753_$90,000 to Applied Behavioral & Cognitive Sciences Inc. in San
5754Diego to support research on how parents contribute to educational
5755skills of their children.
5756_$83,000 to the National Alliance of Business Inc. in
5757Washington, D.C., to support projects including development of
5758school-business partnerships in 12 cities to help at-risk students.
5759_$80,000 to the Council for Basic Education to prepare and
5760distribute a report on learning standards for students promoted
5761from elementary school.
5762_$50,000 to Designs for Change, in Chicago, to support a study
5763analyzing the effectiveness of advocacy groups in boosting
5764achievement in urban schools.
5765_$25,000 to the University of Washington, in Seattle, to support
5766research aimed at improving teacher training.
5767_$15,000 to Citizens Education Center Northwest in Seattle to
5768support a project aimed at assisting Hispanic farmworkers in
5769helping their preschool children make a successful transition to
5770public school.
5771
5772Local elections in Lagos state,
5773rescheduled after authorities annulled the results of balloting in
5774December, were completed Saturday without violence, officials
5775reported.
5776"Everything has been orderly and peaceful. This is evidence
5777that the National Electoral Commission has learned a lot from the
5778mistakes of the December exercise," said Vice Adm. Augusut Aikhomu.
5779Aikhomu, No. 2-man in the military government, toured voting
5780centers Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria said 10,000 police
5781were deployed at the 7,000 polling centers in the state.
5782Local elections had been held across the country Dec. 8. The
5783electoral commission said the voting in most areas went smoothly,
5784but it canceled the results in Lagos state saying there was
5785disorganization, including the late delivery of ballots,
5786indications of fraud and street disturbances.
5787Voters elected members of local councils.
5788National Electoral Commission spokesman Tonnie Iredia told
5789reporters Saturday's voting was better organized than in December,
5790but the turnout was lower. He gave noi figures.
5791Some people said their names were not on the lists of eligible
5792voters at polling centers, but Aikhomu dismissed their complaints.
5793He said all lists had been posted at centers in advance of the
5794voting and there was adequate time for eligible voters to have the
5795lists corrected.
5796The government of President Ibrahim Babangida had vowed the
5797elections in Africa's most populous nation would be conducted
5798without violence and fraud.
5799Gen. Babangida, head of state since a coup in August 1985, has
5800said Nigeria will return to civilian rule by 1992.
5801
5802A life of privilege and promise came to an end
5803Saturday as Robert Chambers left his comfortable Manhattan home for
5804the city jail to await sentencing for killing a teen-age girl
5805during a Central Park tryst.
5806Shortly after 10 a.m. under gray and rainy skies, the
580721-year-old Chambers and his lawyer rushed past a horde of
5808reporters outside his Upper East Side apartment and sped away in
5809the back of a black limousine.
5810Chambers was processed at Manhattan Criminal Court and then
5811delivered early Saturday afternoon to the hospital at Rikers Island
5812where he will be held in protective custody until his formal
5813sentencing April 15.
5814Defendants in cases that have received wide publicity are
5815routinely segregated from the city jail's general population and
5816held in the hospital, said Ruby Ryles, spokeswoman for the city
5817Correction Department.
5818After sentencing, Chambers will be transferred to the state
5819prison system.
5820Chambers reluctantly pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree
5821manslaughter, bringing a surprise end to his murder case.
5822Throughout 10 weeks of trial, he had insisted he killed 18-year-old
5823Jennifer Dawn Levin accidentally during a rough sexual encounter in
5824Central Park early on the morning of Aug. 26, 1986.
5825The case, with its elements of fast-lane lives of easy sex,
5826drugs and drink, offered a glimpse into the lifestyle of some of
5827the city's most privileged youth.
5828Chambers, a former altar boy and preparatory school graduate,
5829and later a college dropout and drug addict, had been charged with
5830second-degree murder in Miss Levin's death.
5831But he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge Friday evening
5832and admitted he had intended to hurt Miss Levin the night he killed
5833her.
5834The plea, proposed by Chambers' lawyer Jack Litman, was part of
5835a deal that included burglary charges against Chambers and calls
5836for a sentence of five to 15 years in prison.
5837The bargain was justified by the district attorney's office
5838because the jury appeared headed for a deadlock after nine days of
5839deliberations.
5840One of the jurors, Michael Ognibene, expressed "great relief"
5841at having the trial over Saturday.
5842"I'm satisfied," said Ognibene, who works for an international
5843banking concern. "To me it proves the justice system works."
5844pickup.
5845
5846Iraq on Saturday admitted losing ground
5847to Iran in a major battle in its strategic northeast, and it
5848reopened a deadly duel of the cities by firing two missiles into
5849Tehran.
5850Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, assembled by President
5851Saddam Hussein, acknowledged Baghdad had lost land to an Iranian
5852offensive, which Iran claims has resulted in 11,500 Iraqi
5853casualties. The battle region is about 80 miles east of the Kirkuk
5854oilfields, which produce about 1.5 million barrels of oil a day _
5855more than half Iran's daily output.
5856Despite the losses, the Iraqi command said it was resolved to
5857fight "with all available weapons" until Tehran agrees to settle
5858the 7{-year-old war.
5859Tehran's official Islamic Republic News Agency, also monitored
5860in Nicosia, said one Iraqi projectile hit an orphanage and the
5861other roared into a residential neighborhood. It reported seven
5862civilians killed.
5863The official Iraqi News Agency quoted an unidentified military
5864spokesman Saturday as vowing to "level their (Iran's) cities."
5865In the Persian Gulf, U.S. warships were escorting reflagged
5866Kuwaiti tankers in the 18th convoy of the year, part of an
5867operation to protect the Kuwaiti vessels from Iranian attacks.
5868Iraq has fired 112 long-range missiles into Tehran and Qom, seat
5869of Iran's religious hierarchy, in a missile duel that has killed
5870hundreds of civilians. Tehran says it fired 43 such projectiles
5871into Baghdad and dozens into other Iraqi cities since Feb.29.
5872In the offensive, the Iranian agency said Iranian
5873fighter-bombers attacked Iraqi ground troops Saturday while Iranian
5874Revolutionary Guards thrusted into the Kurdistan mountains.
5875Iranian communiques said Revolutionary Guards advancing into
5876northeastern Iraq have also seized control of the eastern shore of
5877Lake Darbandikhan. A hydroelectric dam on the lake provides power
5878for most of the region.
5879The Iranians claim they have killed or wounded 11,500 Iraqis,
5880captured 4,500 and destroyed 200 tanks and armored vehicles since
5881they launched the offensive March 16. They say their troops have
5882moved 10 miles into Iraq.
5883Meanwhile, other Iranian warplanes heavily bombarded Iraqi
5884troops around the strategic southern port of Basra, Iran said.
5885It was the third straight day the Iranians have hit that area.
5886An estimated 250,000 Revolutionary Guards and volunteers have
5887massed east of Basra in past weeks for a long-expected offensive.
5888Baghdad Radio reported three Iranian warplanes, all U.S.-built
5889F-5s, were shot down as they tried to bomb targets in the embattled
5890Kurdistan province on Saturday. The Iranian news agency reported a
5891Soviet-built Iraqi Sukhoi SU-22 was downed Saturday.
5892Iraq also hinted it may have used chemicals weapons that Iran
5893claims killed about 5,000 Iraqi Kurds during the offensive. Many
5894Kurds have long fought the Baghdad government for autonomy, and
5895Iran claimed it had "liberated" their communities before the
5896attack.
5897"Iraq has the determination and power to use all available
5898weapons to crush the invaders," its command council announced
5899Saturday in a veiled response to international condemnation of any
5900use of poison gases.
5901The United Nations has said it will send a team of experts to
5902investigate the reported Iraqi use of the weapons, outlawed under a
59031925 Geneva agreement.
5904Iran agreed late Friday to send an envoy to the United Nations
5905for indirect peace talks with the Iraqis. But a top Iranian
5906official said he was pessimistic about the outcome.
5907In the gulf, the guided missile frigates Reuben James and Samuel
5908B. Roberts escorted the 290,085-ton supertanker Middletown and the
590946,723-ton gas carrier Gas Princess into the gulf. The 35,663-ton
5910Courier, a Navy tanker, was sailing with them.
5911The trip north to Kuwait usually takes about two or three days.
5912The convoys began last July after Kuwait re-registered 11 of its
5913tankers in the United States. Iran accuses Kuwait of aiding Iraq in
5914the war.
5915comment; picks up 11th graf pvs, In what
5916
5917Secretary of State George P. Shultz, trying to
5918invigorate a Mideast peace plan, met Saturday with two members of a
5919group affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization and
5920will travel to Israel and four Arab countries next week to push the
5921initiative.
5922Shultz will arrive in Jerusalem April 3 for talks with Israeli
5923leaders and move on to Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt before
5924returning to Washington on April 8, State Department spokesman
5925Charles E. Redman said.
5926"We're intensely involved in this process and we're going to
5927continue to push forward to do everything we can," Redman said.
5928Asked if there had been any progress in getting other nations'
5929approval of the plan since Shultz returned from his last trip,
5930March 5, Redman asserted, "no one has said no; our proposal is
5931still on the table, people are actively and seriously considering
5932it."
5933Shultz's return trip "will give us a chance to continue to do
5934what it is we've been trying to do, which is to see if we can be
5935helpful in getting this this Middle East peace process underway,"
5936Redman said.
5937He said Shultz decided to make the trip Friday night after
5938meeting his chief Mideast envoy, Philip Habib, who recently toured
5939the area.
5940The U.S. initiative calls for interim negotiations beginning
5941perhaps by May 1 and eventually more intensive talks designed to
5942return the West Bank and Gaza to Palestinian control and to assure
5943security for Israel.
5944While none of the countries in the region has rejected the plan
5945outright, they have all expressed dissatisfaction with some of the
5946proposals.
5947One of the stickiest points has been arranging for
5948representatives of the Palestinians to take part in the talks. The
5949Palestinians want to be represented by the PLO, but Israel will not
5950meet that group and there also is a U.S. law against dealing with
5951the PLO, which the United States has declared a terrorist
5952organization.
5953The United States has sought to find representatives who would
5954be acceptable to both sides and include them in a Jordanian
5955delegation to any talks.
5956PLO chairman Yasser Arafat told a news conference in Baghdad,
5957Iraq, meanwhile, that he rejected pleas by several Arab states to
5958accept the Shultz plan because it does not recognize his
5959organization as spokesman for the Palestinians.
5960"America still says `no' to the PLO, `no' to the Palestinians'
5961right to self-determination, `no' to the Palestinian state, `no' to
5962the representation of the PLO at this conference," Arafat said.
5963"We say `no' to this American position."
5964In what appeared to be a bow toward the Palestinians, Shultz
5965invited two American members of the Palestine National Council _
5966the PLO's self-described legislative arm _ to an hour-long meeting
5967at the State Department Saturday.
5968Israeli officials denounced the talks as a violation of a U.S.
5969commitment not to meet with the PLO. Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
5970had protested the meeting to U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering,
5971negotiator on Mideast problems.
5972The guests, Edward Said, a Columbia University professor and
5973Ibrahim Abu Lughud of Northwestern University said they complained
5974to Shultz about Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
5975where 111 Arabs have been killed in recent demonstrations.
5976"One of the major aspects of our interest in seeing Secretary
5977Shultz was to relate to him directly as Palestinians our
5978extraordinary unhappiness, our anger at the repressive measures
5979taken by Israel," Said told reporters.
5980"We also made clear to the secretary that all Palestinians
5981regard the United States as directly involved in the repression
5982since it is clear to everyone that the United States supports
5983Israel and supplies it militarily and economically to an
5984unprecedented degree," he said.
5985He and Lughud also reiterated the Arab view that the PLO, headed
5986by Arafat, is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian
5987people.
5988Both Redman and the two PNC members were repeatedly asked by
5989reporters after the meeting if they considered Shultz's invitation
5990a deviation from the U.S. policy of not dealing with the PLO.
5991"These gentlemen did not characterize themselves as members of
5992the PLO," Redman said. He said the meeting did not represent a
5993change in U.S. policy and he stressed the fact that the visitors
5994are U.S. citizens.
5995"This was not a negotiation," he said. "This was a very
5996useful exchange of views as far as the secretary was concerned. The
5997secretary of course explained our proposal and what it is we're
5998trying to accomplish in working with the parties in trying to
5999advance the peace process."
6000The visitors agreed that they were not negotiators or designated
6001representatives of the PLO.
6002At the same time, they likened the Palestine National Council to
6003a national congress and said it plays an important role in PLO
6004decision-making. They also said they had been in contact with
6005Arafat about the meeting.
6006"This is probably one of the rare times that the secretary of
6007state in practice is dealing with Palestinians in exile and
6008therefore the message that ought to be understood by this is that
6009there is a Palestinian people, irrespective of location that must
6010be involved in the peace-making process," Lughud said.
6011Before heading to Israel next Sunday, Shultz will spend the
6012weekend in Rome, meeting Italian officials and taking part in
6013Easter celebrations.
6014for general strike; edits to tighten. Pick up 21st graf pvs: An
6015Arab...
6016
6017Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in a
6018West Bank clash Saturday and another died of wounds suffered
6019earlier. The Israel-appointed mayor of Gaza City offered to resign
6020in response to a PLO demand.
6021The army said nine other Palestinians were wounded by gunfire in
6022clashes on the West Bank.
6023Israeli officials protested a meeting between Secretary of State
6024George P. Shultz and two officials from the Palestine National
6025Council, the Palestine Liberation Organization's
6026parliament-in-exile.
6027Arab reporters in the Gaza Strip said troops continued a pattern
6028of overnight arrests in an attempt to choke off demonstrations
6029planned for Palestinian "Land Day" on March 30.
6030On that date in 1976, Israeli gunfire killed six Arabs during
6031rioting against the forced purchase of 1,500 acres of Arab-owned
6032land by Israeli authorities.Leaders of the Israeli Arabs called for
6033a general strike to commemorate the day, Israel Radio said.
6034Meanwhile, police closed predominantly Arab east Jerusalem to
6035vehicles from the occupied territorites. Only local residents,
6036United Nations personnel and foreigners were allowed to drive in,
6037Israel TV reported.
6038Arab reporters said there were arrests in the Jabalia, Nuseirat
6039and Breij refugee camps. The army had no comment on the arrest
6040reports.
6041The army said villagers in Kafr Thulth, 28 miles northwest of
6042Jerusalem, erected roadblocks, burned tires and surrounded an army
6043force, attacking it with metal bars, rocks and bottles.
6044It said troops fired at the crowd after it failed to respond to
6045warning shots, killing two Arabs and wounding others.
6046The Arab-run Palestine Press Service identified the dead as
604719-year-old Majed Hussein Deeb and Hawad Qassem Ibrahim, 30.
6048Officials at Nablus' Al Ittihad Hospital said Ayed Salah, 21, of
6049nearby Zawata village, died at 4 a.m. of gunshot wounds to his
6050spinal cord and liver suffered on Friday. The army confirmed the
6051death.
6052Israel Radio quoted a military source as saying troops shot
6053Salah while trying to disperse Arabs who blocked the Nablus-Tulkarm
6054highway with burning tires. Another Arab was wounded, it said.
6055According to U.N. figures, 114 Palestinians have been killed
6056since unrest erupted Dec. 8 in territories captured by Israel
6057during the 1967 Middle East war.
6058Demonstrators in several occupied cities demanded the
6059resignation of municipal councils, following the lead of a
6060clandestine PLO leaflet calling for Saturday to be "the day of
6061struggle against municipal councils and appointed village
6062councils."
6063The Israeli-appointed Gaza City mayor, Hamza Turkmani, offered
6064his resignation and expected a reply later in the week, according
6065to knowledgeable municipal officials. They spoke on condition of
6066anonymity.
6067In the West Bank town of El Bireh, Arab protesters marched to
6068the municipal building and demanded the resignation of council
6069members. Troops responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, the
6070Palestine Press Service said.
6071In Bethlehem, slogans painted on the walls called for the
6072resignation of municipal council members.
6073An Associated Press reporter saw about 70 youths fling rocks at
6074soldiers and at the muncipal building, which faces the traditional
6075site of Jesus' birth across Manger Square. Troops fired rubber
6076bullets, then warning shots in the air.
6077An Arab reporter said troops used tear gas and rubber bullets in
6078a clash with about 150 young Palestinians who marched through the
6079Gaza Strip village of Beit Hanoun carrying banners demanding the
6080village council resign.
6081The reporter also said troops forced closure of shops along Gaza
6082City's central Omar el Mukhtar street, which was blocked with rocks
6083and burning tires.
6084The State Department announced that Shultz would return to the
6085Middle East April 3 to continue campaigning for his Arab-Israeli
6086peace plan, which was denounced in Baghdad by PLO chairman Yasser
6087Arafat.
6088Arafat told reporters the PLO rejects any Middle East peace
6089initiative that does not recognize the PLO as the sole
6090representative of the Palestinian people.
6091Shultz on Saturday discussed the plan with Edward Said and
6092Ibrahim Abu-Lughud, two Palestinian-American university professors
6093who belong to the legislative arm of the PLO.
6094Arafat declined comment on the meeting.
6095The U.S. envisions Israel exchanging land to the Palestinians
6096for peace.
6097Israeli Ambassador Moshe Arad protested that the meeting
6098violated a 13-year-old U.S. commitment to avoid talks with PLO
6099officials. The State Department maintains that Palestine National
6100Council members are not necessarily PLO officials.
6101jury investigating Rochon's charges; picks up 17th graf pvs,
6102Rochon's lawsuit
6103
6104Black FBI agent Donald Rochon, an alleged
6105victim of racial discrimination at the hands of fellow agents, was
6106also victimized by bureaucratic foot-dragging and a possible
6107cover-up by federal criminal investigators looking into the case,
6108his lawyer says.
6109Rochon's story of racial harassment _ portions of which have
6110been upheld by an administrative judge at the Equal Employment
6111Opportunity Commission and an adjudication officer at the Justice
6112Department _ has been widely publicized.
6113Another part of his story that also could prove damaging for the
6114government is how Rochon's supervisors at the FBI and officials at
6115the Justice Department allegedly failed to aggressively follow up
6116his complaints.
6117A Justice Department spokeswoman, Deborah Burstion-Wade,
6118declined comment Saturday on the specifics of Rochon's allegations,
6119saying the department is investigating the case. But she did say
6120that "it is not unusual for any thorough investigation to take"
6121months to complete.
6122Rochon's lawsuit against FBI and Justice Department officials
6123says that in early 1986 he was unable to persuade his superiors at
6124the FBI office in Chicago to investigate as a criminal matter death
6125threats he had received from fellow agents.
6126The suit alleges that he received anonymous obscene letters
6127threatening him with mutilation and death and threatening his wife
6128with sexual assault. The suit also charges that a fellow agent
6129forged Rochon's name on an application for an insurance policy
6130covering death and mutilation.
6131Rochon also has said he received a picture of a badly beaten
6132black man in his office mail, and that a picture of a monkey or ape
6133was pasted over the faces of his children in a photograph that he
6134kept on his desk.
6135FBI Director William Sessions has characterized Rochon's
6136complaints about harassment as "extremely serious" and said that
6137racial discrimination "has absolutely no place in the FBI and will
6138not be tolerated."
6139Rochon alleges in his suit that he was assured at one point that
6140his complaints were being followed up, but that he soon found out
6141otherwise.
6142In frustration, in April 1986 Rochon went outside the FBI,
6143sending a packet of material concerning alleged racial harassment
6144at the Chicago FBI office to the Justice Department's Office of
6145Professional Responsibility.
6146Two months later, the office referred Rochon's allegations to
6147the Justice Department's civil rights division.
6148To determine whether criminal action would be appropriate, the
6149division's criminal section asked the FBI to launch a criminal
6150investigation of Rochon's claims.
6151The ensuing FBI probe was "a paper review," Rochon's attorney,
6152David Kairys, said in an interview.
6153In a court filing this month, the Justice Department said the
6154FBI conducted 75 interviews in its criminal probe. But Kairys says
6155he was told that all of the interviews were conducted last summer
6156following an EEOC decision that declared that Rochon had indeed
6157been discriminated against when he served in the Omaha, Neb., FBI
6158office in 1983 and 1984.
6159"This investigation it seems clear was a sham from the start,"
6160Kairys said. "They never took the allegations seriously and they
6161never intended to really investigate and only started interviewing
6162people when they faced extreme embarrassment."
6163It wasn't until last December, the month after Rochon sued FBI
6164and Justice Department officials, that the FBI referred its
6165evidence in the criminal probe back to the civil rights division.
6166At about that time, the Justice Department initiated a grand
6167jury investigation of Rochon's complaints.
6168Rochon's lawsuit says the Justice Department and the FBI used
6169the criminal probe as a basis to sidetrack two administrative
6170complaints Rochon had pending before the EEOC in connection with
6171alleged discrimination while he was serving at the Chicago office.
6172Rochon got a letter from an FBI official saying that the Justice
6173Department's civil rights division didn't want interviews in the
6174administrative proceedings taking place while the criminal
6175investigation was under way.
6176The FBI suspended action on the administrative EEOC matters
6177regarding Rochon's service in the Chicago FBI office.
6178"No further action will be taken concerning the processing of
6179your complaints until such time as we are advised to proceed" by
6180the civil rights division, an FBI official wrote Rochon in August
61811986.
6182In its court filing this month, the Justice Department said that
6183"as a matter of standard business practice, the criminal section
6184(of the Justice Department's civil rights division) seeks to ensure
6185the integrity of potential criminal proceedings by requesting that
6186civil investigations be stayed if they relate to the same events
6187that are the subject of the criminal proceedings."
6188Court rulings say that certain compulsory statements taken from
6189law enforcement personnel in administrative proceedings could not
6190be used in subsequent criminal proceedings against them.
6191
6192Evidence presented in a New Jersey court that
6193cigarette makers were aware up to 40 years ago that smoking might
6194cause cancer and other ailments will lead to a flood of
6195tobacco-liability cases, attorneys said Saturday.
6196The attorneys, including one involved in the New Jersey trial,
6197said they expected the documents would lead to the first verdict
6198against a tobacco company in a product-liability case. And now that
6199the documents are a matter of public record, their availability
6200will substantially reduce the cost of pretrial proceedings in other
6201cases, the attorneys said.
6202"This is a product that is as dangerous as alcohol and as
6203addictive as heroin," said Professor Richard Daynard of the
6204Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University.
6205"The evidence shows that."
6206The project, which assists attorneys involved in suits against
6207tobacco companies, brought together lawyers involved in more than
6208100 tobacco liability cases nationwide as part of its fourth
6209anniversary conference.
6210A lawyer for cigarette maker Philip Morris Cos., one of the
6211defendants in the New Jersey case, said Daynard and other attorneys
6212at the conference were taking the documents out of context. The
6213attorney, Charles R. Wall, also criticized the group for discussing
6214them while the New Jersey was still under way.
6215"These issues will be decided in the courtroom where they
6216should be decided," Wall said. "We disagree that there has been
6217proof that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer."
6218Daynard and others at a Northeastern news conference said past
6219cases blaming smoking for deaths have failed because of
6220insufficient evidence that tobacco companies knew smoking was or
6221possibly was a health hazard.
6222The documents gathered for the New Jersey trial include internal
6223tobacco industry memos dating back to 1946 in which researchers for
6224cigarette makers discuss growing evidence of a link between smoking
6225and lung cancer and heart and respiratory problems.
6226They also include verification that cigarette makers developed
6227less dangerous cigarettes, and memos in which the companies are
6228advised that marketing those products would amount to an admission
6229that other cigarettes were dangerous.
6230Don Davis, an attorney in a Mississippi tobacco-liability case
6231that ended in a mistrial in January, said he hopes to use some of
6232the documents as evidence at the retrial.
6233William Townsley, a lawyer from Beaumont, Texas, called on
6234Congress to investigate the tobacco industry. He charged that
6235cigarette makers flouted laws that require manufacturers to warn
6236consumers of hazards or potential hazards of their products.
6237Wall maintained that tobacco industry documents discussing
6238possible health risks were part of industry reviews that contained
6239conflicting opinions.
6240"I don't believe these documents are incriminatory in any
6241way," he said. "They show that the industry was concerned about
6242the charges against the product."
6243Alan Darnell, one of the attorneys representing the estate of
6244Rose Cipollone in the New Jersey suit against three cigarette
6245makers, said the tobacco industry has a history of funding new
6246studies of the harmful effects of smoking to create the impression
6247that the link between smoking and health problems is inconclusive.
6248"They did worse than doing nothing," he said. "What they did
6249was a sham."
6250The Cipollone case is expected to go to the jury in May. She
6251died of lung cancer in 1984 at the age of 58 and had smoked for 40
6252years.
6253
6254Angolan forces repelled a South African
6255attack on the southern town of Cuito Cuanavale, killing 18 black
6256South African soldiers and destroying four tanks, the official
6257Angolan news agency said Saturday.
6258ANGOP quoted an unidentified Angolan military source as saying
6259South Africa used artillery, jet fighters, helicopters and mortars
6260in a drive that began March 18 and lasted until Wednesday.
6261Cuito Cuanavale, 188 miles north of Angola's border with South
6262African-ruled South-West Africa, also known as Namibia, has been
6263under sporadic attack by South African forces and Angolan rebels
6264since December.
6265Angola's Marxist government has said the South Africans were
6266trying to seize the town's air strip to provide them with a staging
6267post for launching attacks further north.
6268Recent news reports said South African forces have moved west
6269and north of Cuito Cuanavale in an effort to outflank Angolan
6270government forces and Cuban soldiers defending the town.
6271The ANGOP report, monitored in Lisbon, said the South African
6272drive was repelled by government forces who also captured artillery
6273shells, other ammunition and documents.
6274It said 18 black South African soldiers were killed in the
6275latest fighting, but did not specify if they were from South Africa
6276or Namibia. Angola usually refers to troops from both countries as
6277South Africans.
6278The main Angolan rebel group, the National Union for the Total
6279Independence of Angola, has been fighting since Angola gained its
6280independence from Portugal in 1975 to force the Cuban- and
6281Soviet-backed government to share power. South Africa and the
6282United States support the rebels.
6283
6284Sometimes it's hard to tell who's really on
6285trial in the federal racketeering case against Rep. Mario Biaggi,
6286D-N.Y., and six other men.
6287Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and Rep. Robert Garcia aren't on trial _ or
6288even charged with wrongdoing _ but a key prosecution witness spent
6289much of last week telling jurors how he made at least $30,000 in
6290illegal campaign contributions to D'Amato and helped pay $80,000 to
6291Garcia.
6292Attorney General Edwin Meese III isn't on trial either, but the
6293witness _ former Wedtech Vice Chairman Mario Moreno _ also
6294testified the company paid an additional $800,000 to a close friend
6295and former lawyer of the attorney general "for his influence with
6296Ed Meese."
6297Defense lawyers, in their cross-examination of Moreno, have
6298hammered at his admitted illegal acts in their effort to prove that
6299Wedtech "corrupted an entire administration" and didn't need to
6300bribe Biaggi for his help.
6301Biaggi, his eldest son, his law partner and four others are
6302charged with turning Wedtech, a South Bronx defense contractor,
6303into a racketeering enterprise that paid out millions of dollars to
6304obtain and then hold onto government contracts.
6305Wedtech, currently in bankruptcy proceedings, grew from a small
6306machine shop into a $100-million-a-year business through a series
6307of no-bid contracts set aside for minority-controlled companies.
6308Moreno has linked the defendants to numerous payoff and fraud
6309schemes and also admitted personally stealing $1.5 million in
6310company funds. Moreno is among four ex-Wedtech officials
6311cooperating with the government in return for leniency on state and
6312federal charges to which they pleaded guilty.
6313A D'Amato spokesman branded Moreno's testimony "ridiculous,"
6314and prosecutors have said the senator will testify for the
6315government.
6316The prosecution contends that Biaggi enlisted the help of
6317D'Amato and other politicians to help secure no-bid contracts for
6318Wedtech, then extorted millions of dollars in Wedtech stock as a
6319payoff.
6320Moreno claimed Wedtech paid $80,000 to Garcia at the request of
6321the congressman and his wife for "political favors and political
6322introductions." Garcia later denied the allegation through a
6323spokesman.
6324Moreno also testified that Wedtech paid $800,000 to San
6325Francisco lawyer E. Robert Wallach, a close friend of the attorney
6326general, "for his influence with Ed Meese."
6327According to the witness, Wallach said he had gotten Meese, then
6328presidential counselor, to intercede for Wedtech in contract
6329negotiations with the Pentagon and Commerce Department.
6330Moreno also said he and another Wedtech official offered Wallach
6331$200,000 to fix the Wedtech investigation. Wallach said "he would
6332take a look and told us we were not going to go to jail," Moreno
6333testified, adding that Wallach never got back to them and the money
6334was never paid.
6335Moreno also said Wedtech paid: $130,000 to two Bronx bankers in
6336early 1984 for helping the company obtain a $500,000 cash loan _ at
6337$150,000 interest over three months _ from a Bronx businessman; an
6338additional $15,000 to a Manhattan banker Manhattan banker who
6339helped them launder the $500,000 cash; $10,000-$15,000 over six
6340years to a a manager at Consolidated Edison, a local utility, "to
6341have Con Edison on our side whenever we needed it"; and $100,000
6342to two Teamsters officials in 1985 to settle a dispute with another
6343union.
6344The witness will continue his testimony Monday.
6345
6346President Miguel de la Madrid on Saturday
6347said indirectly that the United States is meddling in Panama's
6348internal affairs by trying to oust Panamanian strongman Gen. Manuel
6349Antonio Noriega.
6350"We urge that through reflection and dialogue it be the
6351Panamanian people who determine their political future," de la
6352Madrid said.
6353He spoke at a news conference after reviewing the situation in
6354Central America during two days of talks in this Caribbean resort
6355with Guatemalan President Vinicio Cerezo.
6356Although de la Madrid did not mention the United States by name,
6357his references to Reagan administration efforts in Panama were
6358clear.
6359"We two presidents (de la Madrid and Cerezo) are very worried
6360by the present situation, in which Panama is suffering
6361destabilization," he said.
6362"Of course we condemn any foreign intervention that aims at
6363destabilizing (Panama) and interfere in political matters that are
6364the sole concern of the Panamanian people," he added.
6365The Reagan administration has frozen all Panamanian funds in the
6366United States, causing a huge cash shortage in Panama. It has
6367called on Noriega to step down as the commander of Panama's
636815,000-member Defense Forces.
6369Noriega is under U.S. indictments in Florida accused of drug
6370trafficking and money laundering.
6371In a joint communique issued earlier in the day, the two
6372presidents praised Nicaragua's Sandinista government and leaders of
6373the U.S.-supported rebel organization known as the Nicaraguan
6374Resistance for agreeing on a cease-fire in their six-year-old war.
6375The two sides reached agreement Thursday during talks at the
6376Nicaraguan border town of Sapoa for a 60-day cease-fire. During
6377that two-month period, the Sandinistas and rebels are to try to
6378arrange a more permanent truce.
6379"The two presidents considered it encouraging for the process
6380of pacification in Central America the developments in matters of
6381democratization, national reconciliation and cease-firing that have
6382taken place recently," the joint communique said.
6383with police description of the device
6384
6385Green laser fire ripped through the mist and the
6386faithful heard the words they've been waiting to hear.
6387"If we Republicans can let that future into our hearts... We
6388can, I am certain, become the leaders of the Congress of tomorrow."
6389House Minority Leader Bob Michel of Illinois, who spoke the
6390words, isn't Moses, and the laser show at the Johnson Space Center
6391doesn't equal lightning on Mount Sinai. But Republicans are longing
6392to enter the promised land of congressional control. They came to a
6393conference in Houston to find the key.
6394About 70 GOP lawmakers visited the space center, the Texas
6395Medical Center, and institutes of higher learning that have made
6396Houston a technological haven. After years of being the complainers
6397and nay-sayers on Capitol Hill, they are searching for something
6398they can champion and capture the imagination of the American
6399public.
6400"You don't get votes by just saying the Democrats are mean to
6401us," said Rep. Lynn Martin, R-Ill., who heads a committee working
6402to overcome the Democrats' 255-177 advantage and win the House back
6403to the GOP.
6404Like the desert-wandering Israelites of old, the Republicans
6405have seen an entire generation move on during their exile from
6406power. Not a single current GOP member was serving the last time
6407the speaker of the House was a Republican 34 years ago.
6408With their three-day "Congress of Tomorrow" conference, which
6409ended Saturday, House Republicans launched a campaign to become
6410known as the party of the future.
6411Public investments in technology and education were the themes
6412of the weekend, including meetings with businessman H. Ross Perot,
6413supercomputer scientist Paul Chu, heart surgeon Michael DeBakey,
6414and workers at an oil refinery.
6415Secretary of Education William Bennett urged Republicans to take
6416the issue of quality education away from the Democrats.
6417"Americans are really quite Republican and conservative when it
6418comes to education," he said, alluding to the back-to-basics
6419movement in the schools.
6420Rep. Jack Buechner of Missouri, the only Republican to unseat an
6421incumbent House Democrat two years ago, said he was working to
6422convince fellow Republicans and Vice President George Bush,
6423accepted here as the obvious nominee of the party, that a strong
6424space and science plank was needed in the party platform.
6425Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., enthusiastically pointed out that at
6426the same time the Republicans were exploring 21st century ideas
6427here, Democratic presidential candidates were campaigning in
6428Michigan with a promise of trade protectionism for industrial
6429technologies of the past.
6430But as much as they wanted to look toward the future, the
6431Republicans found in Houston a healthy dose of the present.
6432Instead of the expected address on his latest heart-surgery
6433breakthroughs, Dr. DeBakey gave the lawmakers a lecture on the need
6434for stray dogs and cats in medical research and asked them to
6435oppose animal rights legislation.
6436Michel's keynote address at the space center rapped what he
6437called backward looking Democrats and trade protectionists. Sony
6438television cameras taped the speech and when lawmakers went later
6439to buy "NASA" lapel pins, they said "made in Canada" on the
6440back.
6441The city's oil-bust economy could be viewed only a short walk
6442from the plush conference hotel.
6443Entire neighborhoods seemed nearly vacant, with many houses
6444boarded up and dilapidated. As the police-escorted bus motorcade
6445roared to one of the events, one man held out his upturned hat as
6446though begging for money.
6447A planned outing Saturday to the new Wortham performing arts
6448center had to be canceled when police found what they thought was a
6449bomb. It was later discovered the device was harmless.
6450Houston Special Operations Sgt. John Scroggins described the
6451object as a pipe about five or six inches long, two inches in
6452diameter, that had caps on both ends.
6453A party was held Friday night at the El Mercado Del Sol, a mall
6454created to help the Hispanic community but which has been mostly
6455empty and financially troubled.
6456Privately, it was conceded that one Republican leader had
6457questioned whether Houston was the symbol they were seeking. The
6458organizers of the event, which was paid for largely by corporate
6459sponsors, were clearly disappointed that less than half the House
6460Republicans attended.
6461Even the most optimistic lawmakers said it was unlikely the GOP
6462could take over the House before 1992, when a post-census
6463redistricting could throw many seats their way if the party
6464succeeds in gaining control of key state legislatures.
6465The plight was illustrated by the two fundraisers held during
6466the weekend _ for Republicans bailing out of the House to seek the
6467Senate.
6468Rep. Beau Boulter's quest to unseat Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas,
6469is a long shot. And Rep. Trent Lott's campaign for the Mississippi
6470slot held by Sen. John Stennis, the senior Democrat who is
6471retiring, is even more indicative of the House Republicans' morale
6472troubles.
6473Lott, 46, is the Republican Whip, which means he would have
6474become party leader after Michel decides to step down. Lott said
6475his decision to run for the Senate was mostly because of the
6476opportunity afforded by Stennis' retirement and personal reasons.
6477But, he condeded, his decision might have been different.
6478"If I thought that we had the prospect of having a majority (in
6479the House) next year or in four years, certainly that would be a
6480factor," he said.
6481Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said he was optimistic but realistic.
6482"you win these things one step at a time," he said. "We're
6483ready. The question is when."
6484All the Republicans were hoping they wouldn't have to be as
6485patient as indicated by the laser computer-generated image of James
6486Madison that spoke to them at the space center.
6487"God speed to you, founding fathers of the 21st century," it
6488said.
6489
6490Former President Jimmy Carter criticized
6491President Reagan on Saturday for proclaiming the innocence of
6492former national security aides Oliver L. North and John M.
6493Poindexter, indicted on criminal charges in the Iran-Contra affair.
6494Carter told a meeting of government and business leaders that
6495Reagan showed "a callous attitude toward the principles of law
6496enforcement" when he said Friday that North and Poindexter would
6497be found innocent of the charges and that he still thinks North is
6498a hero.
6499"I think they violate basic principles of law enforcement in
6500this country for the chief law enforcement officer _ that is
6501President Reagan, in case you've forgotten _ to make the statement
6502that indicted persons are guilty in his opinion ... or not
6503guilty," Carter said at a meeting held at Gannett Co. Inc.
6504headquarters in suburban Arlington, Va.
6505North and Poindexter, along with arms dealers Richard V. Secord
6506and Albert A. Hakim, pleaded innocent Thursday to charges of
6507consipiracy, theft and fraud in the Iran-Contra case.
6508Reagan has said previously he did not think any laws were broken
6509in the Iran-Contra affair.
6510In what seemed to be an off-the-cuff response to a question
6511posed from the audience after a speech to young people Friday,
6512Reagan said, "I just have to believe they're going to be found
6513innocent because I don't think they were guilty of any lawbreaking
6514or any crime.
6515"I still think Ollie North is a hero," the president said.
6516
6517Attorney General Edwin Meese III's personal
6518finances are under investigation to see "whether there was an
6519unexplained amount of money" coming to him, a newspaper reported
6520Saturday.
6521The primary purpose of the investigation is to determine whether
6522Meese derived any benefit, or promise of benefit, from his
6523relationship with his longtime friend E. Robert Wallach while
6524Wallach was representing Wedtech Corp. and the promoters of a $1
6525billion Iraqi oil pipeline, the Los Angeles Times reported.
6526The inquiry under the supervision of independent counsel James
6527C. McKay is comparable to an Internal Revenue Service "net worth"
6528examination, conducted in cases in which persons are suspected of
6529not having paid taxes on substantial illicit gains, the Los Angeles
6530Times said.
6531"The purpose is to see and analyze whether there was an
6532unexplained amount of money coming to Mr. Meese," the newspaper
6533said, quoting an unidentified source familiar with the
6534investigation.
6535However, Nathan Lewin, a lawyer representing Meese, said it
6536would be "the most outrageous thing in the world to draw a
6537negative inference" about Meese because of the type of
6538investigation under way.
6539Lewin said the investigation focuses on transactions made before
65401985, when Meese invested his funds with San Francisco financial
6541adviser W. Franklyn Chinn in what the attorney general described as
6542a limited blind trust.
6543The Times said investigators were looking at how Chinn turned
6544Meese's investment of about $50,000 into $95,000 within 18 months,
6545a return exceeding 80 percent.
6546Wallach, Meese's former lawyer, and Chinn, who was introduced to
6547Meese by Wallach, were indicted Dec. 22 on federal charges of
6548defrauding Wedtech, a now-defunct defense contractor based in New
6549York. At the time, McKay said there was insufficient evidence to
6550indicate Meese was involved in any criminal activity in connection
6551with Wedtech.
6552Meese has acknowledged intervening with the Pentagon in 1982 at
6553Wallach's request to be sure Wedtech got "a fair hearing" in its
6554effort to win an Army engine contract.
6555Investigators are also scrutinizing Meese's moves to arrange a
6556meeting between Wallach, who had been hired by a major financier in
6557the Iraqi oil pipeline project, and Robert C. McFarlane, who was
6558President Reagan's national security adviser at the time, the Times
6559said.
6560
6561Sobbing elderly women clad in black
6562begged President George Vassiliou Saturday to help locate hundreds
6563of Greek Cypriots who disappeared during the Turkish invasion of
6564Cyprus 14 years ago.
6565It was Vassiliou's first official encounter with the anguished
6566relatives of missing Greek Cypriots since he was elected last
6567month. He assured the families he would do "everything possible to
6568speed up procedures to end your ordeal."
6569More than 2,000 people packed a downtown Nicosia movie theater
6570for the meeting with Vassiliou.
6571The meeting was organized by the Committee of Relatives of the
6572Missing after Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal declared last
6573month there were no Greek Cypriots missing in the Turkish sector of
6574the divided Mediterranean island.
6575Vassiliou is a native of Famagusta, a port city that now is part
6576of the Turkish-held eastern zone.
6577Speakers told the meeting there has been no progress in efforts
6578to determine the fate of the 1,619 Greek Cypriots missing since
6579Turkey sent troops into Cyprus in July 1974.
6580Turkey said it acted to protect Turkish Cypriots after Greek
6581Cypriot militants temporarily seized power from the Cypriot
6582governnment. Turkish Cypriots later declared their zone a republic,
6583but only Turkey has recognized that move.
6584"We want to know if our children are dead or alive," one woman
6585shouted at the meeting. "We've been living in anguish for 14
6586years."
6587Many of the missing disappeared after the International
6588Committee of the Red Cross had listed them as prisoners of war in
6589camps in Turkey.
6590"There's no doubt the responsibility for determining the fate
6591of your missing loved ones lies with Turkey," Vassiliou said.
6592A special United Nations committee appointed in 1984 to try to
6593trace the Greek Cypriots and 600 Turkish Cypriots also listed as
6594missing has failed to determine what happened to them.
6595Vassiliou said he will ask U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez
6596de Cuellar to make the committee more effective.
6597The U.N. group's failure was "due to a lack of sincere
6598cooperation by the Turkish side," said the Rev. Christophos
6599Papachristoforou, a Greek Orthodox priest and president of the
6600relatives committee.
6601"Turkey holds the key ... and our aim must be to find a way to
6602force it to cooperate," said Papachristoforou, who has four sons
6603among the missing.
6604
6605The case of a 23-year-old American
6606photographer, tried Saturday on charges of drug smuggling, has
6607hightlighted differences between the legal systems and national
6608customs of Spain and the United States.
6609Conan Owen, a 1986 graduate of Syracuse University, was charged
6610with smuggling more than four pounds of cocaine from Chile to Spain
6611in a false-bottomed suitcase. He received the suitcase from a
6612travel agent near his home in Annandale, Va.
6613Both prosecuting attorney Teresa Calvo, who asked for a 10-year
6614jail sentence, and presiding Judge Jose Presencia Rubio expressed
6615incredulity that a university graduate would accept a job from a
6616passing acquaintance and agree to carry a suitcase halfway around
6617the world for someone he hardly knew.
6618In Spain, the custom is only to do business with people you know.
6619During his year in Barcelona's 85-year-old Model Prison, Owen
6620said he didn't understand why he had not been freed on bail pending
6621trial. Bail was denied because Owen was a foreigner caught with a
6622substantial amount of relatively pure cocaine.
6623When U.S. law enforcement agents testified Saturday that Owen
6624had provided them with information leading to a half dozen
6625indictments of members of a suspected cocaine smuggling ring, the
6626judge called it all "very interesting" but said he was only
6627interested in Owen's case.
6628Attorney General Edwin Meese III even delivered copies to
6629Spanish judicial authorities of a statement made by George
6630Barahona, the man who hired Owen, and who early last month received
6631a two-year suspended sentence for narcotics violations from a
6632federal court in Virginia.
6633In the statement made in a plea bargain agreement, Barahona said
6634Owen knew nothing about the drugs and had been used as a carrier.
6635But plea bargaining does not exist in Spain.
6636In her summary, Calvo implied that plea bargaining was a
6637less-than-honorable institution.
6638U.S. officials faced a similar problem several years ago when a
6639Spanish court was considering U.S. and Spanish requests for
6640extradition of Colombian cocaine baron Jorge Luis Ochoa Vasquez.
6641The U.S. indictment of Ochoa, who was arrested in Madrid in
6642November 1984, was based on extensive testimony obtained through a
6643plea bargin.
6644The Spanish court instead sent Ochoa back to Colombia in July
66451986. He went free a week later.
6646situation during war years. Picks up 6th graf pvs, `Assigned
6647to...'.
6648
6649An underage World War II soldier dubbed
6650"the Boy Hero," who was decorated for shooting down Japanese
6651aircraft and helping shipmates in two battles, says his age was
6652both a blessing and a curse.
6653At age 12, Calvin Graham was one of this country's youngest war
6654heroes.
6655For his exploits, which will be the subject of a two-hour
6656television movie Sunday night, Graham was awarded a Bronze Star and
6657a Purple Heart.
6658But his youthful looks and a bureaucratic error landed him in
6659the brig and cost him his medals. It took him over 30 years to win
6660back his decorations, and the former gunner, now 58 and a resident
6661of a Fort Worth suburb, is still seeking disability benefits for
6662his war injuries.
6663The son of sharecroppers, Graham left home after his father died
6664in a traffic accident and his mother remarried. He said his
6665stepfather beat him and his brother and then threw them out of
6666their Houston home when they tried to fight back.
6667Graham shined shoes and sold newspapers to make money until he
6668joined the Navy in July 1942, enlisting with the aid of forged
6669papers that claimed he was 17. He was sent to the USS South Dakota
6670for a Pacific tour.
6671Assigned to a 40mm gun crew on the ship's fantail, Graham helped
6672shoot down about 300 enemy planes launched from five Japanese
6673aircraft carriers in the battle of Santa Cruz.
6674Graham's gunnery officer asked him his age when he congratulated
6675the crew.
6676"I told him I would be 13 in April," Graham said, according to
6677a story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He was shocked and I
6678knew I had made a mistake. But I was proud of what we had done and
6679I felt like I was 6-foot tall. I didn't care at the time if people
6680knew how old I was. I felt like I had done what I set out to do."
6681Later, Graham tried to tell the officer he had been kidding, but
6682the boy hero was called before the ship's captain, who told him he
6683would have to go back home.
6684"He told me it wasn't anything to be ashamed of, he had already
6685sent three others back that same day. But I stuck to my story and
6686claimed I was 17," Graham said.
6687"He said, `Well, you may have wished you took me up on this in
6688the next 24 hours,' " Graham remembered. "We were headed for
6689another battle."
6690At Guadalcanal, an enemy ship knocked out Graham's gun with a
669114-inch shell, and he was assigned to help the wounded. The ship
6692later took 47 hits on its superstructure.
6693"Everyone who was in there that night was either killed or
6694wounded," said Graham. "I went up there and there were guys'
6695hands and arms and legs floating around in the water. The bloody
6696water was waist-high."
6697Exploding shrapnel hit Graham in the mouth but he continued to
6698help medical officers attend to injured crewmen.
6699Graham received the Bronze Star for his actions. When his ship
6700returned to Brooklyn Naval Yard in New York, the captain gave him
6701leave to get a notarized letter from his mother permitting him to
6702stay in the Navy despite his age.
6703But when Graham returned with his letter, he was told instead by
6704an executive officer to turn himself in to naval authorities in
6705Houston. He was sent to the brig at the Naval Air Station in Corpus
6706Christi for over a month and treated like a deserter because
6707authorities thought he was really 17 and trying to lie about his
6708age. He also had his medals taken away..
6709Then the Navy admitted its mistake and released Graham after his
671013th birthday, giving him a "cancellation enlistment" with
6711honorable conditions. But the Navy did not return his medals.
6712Years later, Graham enlisted the support of Rep. Jim Wright and
6713Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and won his honorable discharge from the Navy
6714and reinstatement of his medals. But he is still denied disability
6715benefits for his war injuries.
6716Now confined to a wheelchair and crutches because of injuries he
6717suffered after the war while a legitimate member of the Marine
6718Corps, Graham monitors the status of proposed legislation that
6719could restore his war benefits, corresponds with former shipmates
6720and writes stories of his experiences. He helped write some of the
6721material for "Too Young the Hero," to air on CBS.
6722
6723President Daniel arap Moi was sworn in
6724Saturday for a third five-year term and called on Kenyans to heal
6725the wounds left by the violent election campaign.
6726Thousands of people gathered for the outdoor inauguration
6727ceremony in Nairobi's Uhuru Park, and pro-Western Moi told the
6728crowd, "My government is committed to defending our constitution
6729and to abide by the tenets of democratic rule."
6730He made a 30-minute speech after his new and expanded Cabinet of
673129 ministers was sworn in.
6732Moi also said four people were killed during the campaign, which
6733was marked by frequent street battles between rival political
6734groups. It was the first report of election-related deaths.
6735Most of the violence occurred during the nominating process on
6736Feb. 22 by Moi's ruling Kenya African National Union. There were
6737few disturbances during the general election on March 21 and Moi
6738ran unopposed for another term.
6739Some church leaders, lawyers and legislators criticized the
6740system used by Moi's party to nominate candidates for the general
6741election. Under the system, party members physically lined up
6742behind candidates' photos or their representatives to be counted,
6743and there were clashes.
6744Critics also denounced the rule that allowed party nominees who
6745won more than 70 percent of their nomination votes to go to
6746Parliament unopposed.
6747About 4.3 million of Kenya's 5.6 million registered voters are
6748listed as members of the Kenya African National Union, the
6749country's only legal political party.
6750Moi, 64, referred in his speech to rumors he is seriously ill.
6751"Many say: Moi is sick ... I say go on imagining. If anyone is
6752praying for my death, then that is his own business."
6753Moi has ruled since the August 1978 death of Kenya's first
6754president, Jomo Kenyatta, who became head of state after Kenya
6755gained independence from Britain in 1963.
6756Moi survived a major crisis in August 1982, when junior air
6757force officers attempted a coup.
6758Two years ago, Moi's government cracked down on a Marxist
6759movement called Mwakenya.
6760Several international organizations and local lawyers accused
6761the government of human rights violations, including torture, of
6762some of nearly 100 people arrested for alleged links with Mwakenya.
6763About 80 were convicted and jailed. Human rights activists said
6764many were tortured into confessing. The government said 13 people
6765were detained without charge or trial, and that all but three were
6766freed by the time Moi called elections on Feb. 5.
6767
6768About 8,400 gallons of slightly
6769radioactive water leaked into the Hudson River from the Indian
6770Point No. 2 nuclear power plant, the plant's operator said Saturday.
6771The water was discovered missing from a 345,000-gallon storage
6772tank outside the containment structure, said Bea Meltzer,
6773spokeswoman for Consolidated Edison.
6774"It's really a minuscule amount" that is undetectable, because
6775river water normally contains a small amount of ambient, or
6776background, radiation, said Meltzer.
6777The discovery was made Saturday morning, but officials were
6778unsure how long the leak had existed.
6779Carl Abraham, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
6780said the leak posed no health hazard.
6781The radioactivity in the water, he said, was "about one-tenth
6782of 1 percent of what they would be allowed to release to the river
6783if they did it on purpose" in a scheduled discharge.
6784The leak in a steam line allowed water from a refueling water
6785storage tank to leak into a non-nuclear boiler and condenser
6786system, then into the river, said Con Ed spokesman John McCann. The
6787leak was stopped by closing valves on the line.
6788The incident had no effect on operations at the plant, located
6789roughly 25 miles north of the New York City line, McCann said.
6790
6791Fourteen of 47 Tanzanians charged
6792with murder in the massacre of government militiamen four years ago
6793have died in prison from various illnesses, a published report said
6794Saturday.
6795Hospital death certificates produced during a court hearing
6796showed the men died of illnesses that included pneumonia, diarrhea
6797and kidney failure at varying times during their imprisonment, the
6798government-owned Daily News reported.
6799The hearing was held Wednesday before High Court Judge A.G.
6800Korosso, who granted a government application for the state to
6801withdraw its cases against the dead men, the newspaper said.
6802The 33 remaining defendants have denied the charges and their
6803trial is continuing.
6804They are accused of ambushing and killing 48 militiamen at
6805Mwamalole village in central Maswa district on May 23, 1984. The
6806troops were attacked as they prepared an assault on rustlers who
6807had stolen 680 head of cattle and killed a herdsboy.
6808Tanzanians were shocked by the viciousness of the attack.
6809Slashed bodies were found scattered in the bush and 42 of the
6810militiamen were buried in a mass grave because the bodies could not
6811be identified.
6812Tanzanian courts have a huge backlog. It is not unusual for
6813people to spend more than a year in jail before they are brought to
6814trial.
6815
6816Fire swept through a three-story apartment
6817building early Saturday, killing six immigrants, including two
6818children, as they huddled in their kitchen, authorities said.
6819The fire started in a vacant second-floor apartment and spread
6820to the hallway and third floor, said Newark Fire Department
6821spokesman Larry Krieger.
6822"There was no one in the apartment when it started," he said.
6823"It was being remodeled and someone could have left something on."
6824Three men, a woman and two young children died when their
6825third-floor apartment was engulfed by flames, Krieger said. The
6826victims were found in the kitchen, he said.
6827Another man in the apartment, Juan Rodriguez, managed to escape
6828by jumping out a window. Krieger said the seven, natives of the
6829Dominican Republic, had moved in less than a week earlier.
6830Identities of the victims were not immediately released because
6831relatives had not been notified, Krieger said. He said one child
6832was about 3 months old, the other 2 years old.
6833Rodriguez and five residents of another apartment were taken to
6834University Hospital, Krieger said, but hospital officials said
6835their records indicated that only five people were treated. Three
6836of the five, including Rodriguez, were admitted for observation and
6837were listed in fair condition, hospital officials said.
6838
6839A Defense Ministry spokesman said
6840Saturday there have been no violations of the cease-fire between
6841government troops and rebels, known as Contras.
6842The official, speaking with the condition he not be identified,
6843said "all is calm" in zones where fighting had occurred
6844frequently before the truce.
6845Sandinista and Contra leaders agreed to a provisional truce at
6846the beginning of their cease-fire talks on Tuesday in the southern
6847border town of Sapoa.
6848A 60-day cease-fire agreed to Wednesday is to begin April 1. The
6849two sides scheduled a meeting in Managua for April 6 to begin
6850negotiations on a permanent.
6851A Defense Ministry report said there was no military activity in
6852Manteles Verdes, Cama, Wilson and other towns in Zelaya province
6853that were the scenes of earlier battles.
6854"There has been no (rebel) activity these days against the
6855Sandinista army," said Hermenegildo Torres, a peasant from the Rio
6856Cama area that is considered a rebel stronghold in central Zelaya
6857province.
6858Carlos Suarez of Guapi, a village about 140 miles east of
6859Managua, told The Associated Press a large number of Sandinista had
6860gathered in the village but he said "there is calm and tranquility
6861and we can sow the fields."
6862mill owners... with report flour taken to government warehouses.
6863
6864Troops loyal to Gen. Manuel Antonio
6865Noriega raided Panama City's port area Saturday and cleared it of
6866barricades set up by striking dockworkers. The army threatened
6867force to make the nation's banks reopen.
6868Banks ignored the threats, and dockworkers stayed away from work
6869as part of a general strike called by opposition leaders to force
6870Noriega from power.
6871Troops also raided several flour mills and shut down a union
6872hall.
6873Noriega announced Friday that soldiers would seize flour from
6874the nation's mills, apparently to distribute it to Panamanians who
6875have been short of food because of the strike.
6876Defiant mill owners retaliated by announcing they were donating
6877the flour to the Roman Catholic church's food program for the
6878needy, but troops began raiding the mills before donations could be
6879made.
6880Esther Kwaiben, treasurer of the church's program, said more
6881than 1.3 million pounds of flour stored in the mills apparently had
6882been taken to government warehouses.
6883At the Harinas Panama mill, the general manager, Tirso
6884Wolfschoon, his wife and other company employees were arrested. At
6885General Mills de Panama, troops kicked out all the employees and
6886took over the plant.
6887Noriega opponents got a boost when groups representing 55,000
6888retirees announced they will join nationwide street demonstrations
6889which the National Civic Crusade has called for Monday.
6890"We will block the streets of this country. Let the president
6891come and speak to us in the street," said retiree Manuel Escudero.
6892The Crusade is made up of about 200 political parties,
6893professional groups, and student and labor unions. It was formed
6894last June for the sole purpose of forcing out Noriega.
6895Noriega controls Panama through the 15,000-member Defense Forces
6896which he heads. But that control could weaken the longer his
6897soldiers go without pay. Their payday was Friday, but because of
6898Panama's current cash crisis, they didn't receive money.
6899Armed troops raided the capital's port before dawn, moving aside
6900several ship containers that had been blocking the entranceway to
6901the docks since March 14, when the port's 300 workers went out on
6902strike because they had not been paid.
6903A few hours later, the nearby union headquarters was wired shut
6904and scores of workers who had been keeping vigil disappeared.
6905National Port Director General Diomedes Concepcion denied reports
6906that some had been arrested.
6907"The port had to be opened," Concepcion told reporters, adding
6908"if not, we are aiding the enemy."
6909Noriega reiterated threats to force banks to hand over an
6910estimated $70 million in their vaults so the government could pay
6911its troops.
6912But the Panamanian Bankers Association, which groups 90 of the
6913118 Panamanian and foreign banks operating in this country,
6914rejected the request.
6915The government's request "does not solve the problem of the
6916fiscal and financial crisis of the nation that has deep political
6917roots," said a statement by the group.
6918Panama ran short of cash last month after the Reagan
6919administration blocked all Panamanian funds in the United States,
6920including revenues from the Panama Canal.
6921The Reagan administration recognizes Eric Arturo Delvalle _ now
6922in hiding _ as Panama's legitimate president. Noriega supporters in
6923the national legislature ousted Delvalle, who had been the civilian
6924president, on Feb. 26 after Delvalle tried to fire Noriega.
6925Since then, street demonstrations and a general strike have
6926failed to push Noriega out of power.
6927The strike has shut down more than 90 percent of the nation's
6928industry. Cash and food are in short supply.
6929In a decree made public Saturday, the government declared a
6930moratorium on all rent payments. The gesture was a hollow one,
6931since people have not been paying their rents for more than a month
6932because of the cash shortage.
6933Most supermarkets and drug stores remained closed Saturday,
6934defying a warning from the Noriega regime the previous day that
6935they would lose their business licences if they did not reopen.
6936The Panama Canal so far has not been affected by the turmoil.
6937New Book</HEAD>
6938
6939Getting President Reagan ready for a news
6940conference was "like reinventing the wheel," says former White
6941House press spokesman Larry Speakes in a gossipy new book, portions
6942of which were published Saturday.
6943Some tidbits from the book entitled "Speaking Out" by Speakes
6944and Washington writer Robert Pack, were included in the April 4
6945edition of U.S. News & World Report.
6946Despite the difficulties preparing the president for news
6947conferences, Speakes describes him as a super guy, according to the
6948magazine.
6949But Nancy Reagan is "likely to stab you in the back" when
6950stirred up, while daughter Maureen is a "punch-you-in-the-nose
6951type" who is "to the right of Attila the Hun," the book says.
6952In a generous sprinkling of criticism, Speakes describes former
6953Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger as "a whiny type ... the
6954loosest of cannons, the baddest boy," while Vice President George
6955Bush is called "the perfect `yes' man" who "tried to avoid
6956taking a portfolio."
6957Robert McFarlane, the former national security adviser who
6958pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with the
6959Iran-Contra affair, is "one of the most bizarre characters I've
6960met," Speakes writes.
6961Speakes says Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North, a former National
6962Security Council aide who has been indicted in the Iran-Contra
6963affair, is not a favorite of Mrs. Reagan's, even though her husband
6964has referred to him as recently as Friday as a "hero."
6965The first lady is said to have quipped, "Not funny, sonny,"
6966while watching North banter during a television interview.
6967Speakes left the White House in February 1987 to accept a
6968communications position with Merrill Lynch in New York.
6969{
6970
6971The Vatican's official newspaper on Saturday
6972denounced as "tragic and startling" the decision by a Swedish
6973hospital to set an age limit for radiation treatment of cancer
6974victims.
6975In a front-page editorial, L'Osservatore Romano described as
6976anti-human the recent decision by Stockholm's Radiumhemmet cancer
6977clinic to refuse radiation treatment of patients over 70 because it
6978said it lacked sufficient resources.
6979"Without going into the merits of the technical and financial
6980problems that the state's health service has to confront in very
6981civilized Sweden, there remains the tragic and startling decision
6982left to the discretion of a head physician," the newspaper said.
6983The editorial compared the action to "the aberration" of
6984euthanasia and added: "To let die on a humanitarian pretext such
6985as relief from suffering, or to let die for an opportunistic
6986calculation based on age, are two sides of the same coin."
6987It said the Swedish case "is even more alarming for the bleak
6988greyness of the motivations: Lack of equipment, financial cuts by
6989the state, lack of personnel....The substance is that the life of a
6990man is no longer the normative worth for a doctor.
6991"The only criteria for discrimination would be age. Would there
6992then be an age in which life ceases being the most precious gift?"
6993L'Osservatore Romano also commented on abortions in Britain.
6994An editorial said the Vatican hoped that a move in the British
6995Parliament to prohibit late-term abortions would be the first step
6996toward a complete ban by Britain on abortions.
6997A bill before Parliament would reduce the time limit for
6998abortions from 28 weeks to 18 weeks. The measure is now in
6999committee.
7000
7001Hundreds of thousands of people inundated
7002beaches Saturday as the third day of record heat scorched Southern
7003California, while authorities guarded against gang violence and
7004brush fires.
7005The noon high of 93 degrees at Lindbergh Field in San Diego
7006broke a mark for the day set in 1923. Inland areas of San Diego
7007County had highs near 100 degrees.
7008A high of 100 was reported in the desert resort of Palm Springs
7009100 miles east of Los Angeles, where the high of 98 broke the
7010record for the date set in 1986.
7011The National Weather Service blamed northeasterly winds caused
7012by a high pressure system over Western states reversing the usual
7013flow of cooling ocean breezes for Southern California. Instead, the
7014hot winds blew out of the desert.
7015Heat records were also set in Arizona, where the reading of 100
7016in Phoenix broke the record for the date by seven degrees, and a
7017reading of 99 in Tucson topped the record for the date there by 10
7018degrees.
7019California forecasters predicted temperatures would drop to the
702070s on Sunday as a front brought cooler marine air.
7021In Palm Springs, an estimated 50,000 young people on spring
7022break dressed for the weather, wearing "bathing suits, shorts,
7023tanks tops, as little as possible," said police Officer Karen
7024Holtz. "They all seem to hover around the yogurt places and ice
7025cream places. I don't blame them."
7026An estimated 200,000 people swarmed to Zuma and Santa Monica
7027beaches to splash in 62-to-64-degree water, but surfers had to make
7028do with 2-foot swells.
7029"It's just a full-out summer day," said lifeguard Capt. Don
7030Rohrer at Santa Monica.
7031By early afternoon, there already had been several rescues,
7032including a person who was taken to a hospital for a possibly
7033serious neck or spine injury, he said. Rohrer estimated there would
7034be up to 50 rescues for the day.
7035"The only thing that's saving us right now is favorable tide
7036conditions," he said. "If the rips (riptides) were pulling a
7037little stronger, we'd probably have well over 100."
7038On Friday night, three people were hospitalized after more than
703920 gang members got into a scuffle at Dockweiler State Beach, near
7040Los Angeles International Airport.
7041At Zuma Beach in the Malibu area, Los Angeles County sheriff's
7042deputies were called in Friday night to quell a fight involving 300
7043youths.
7044The situation was under control Saturday, said Zuma lifeguard
7045Glen DuPont.
7046"There is a large force of sheriffs (deputies) here, and that
7047is a wonderful deterrent," he said.
7048Those who opted to stay home and use their air conditioners sent
7049power usage soaring, but not to the record heights reached a day
7050earlier. Spokesmen for the Southern California Edison and San Diego
7051Gas & Electric companies said the power drain was less because many
7052businesses were closed for the weekend.
7053Not everyone was relaxing, however.
7054In San Diego, city firefighters continued to mop up a 100-acre
7055brushfire near Lake Hodges, where one firefighter was treated
7056Friday for heat exhaustion.
7057"We've got a lot of hot spots. If the wind were to spring up,
7058we might lose it," said a fire dispatcher who declined to identify
7059herself. "They're up there practically stomping it out by hand."
7060sted tribal law, bars Stevens' use of real eagle feathers.
7061
7062A businessman was named a special Sioux
7063chief Saturday and pledged to unite Indians to regain land they
7064lost after gold was discovered, although some Sioux believe he is
7065"impersonating an Indian."
7066"I promise you I will carry the battle lance of our people ...
7067until the Black Hills are once again ours forever more," Phillip
7068J. Stevens, of Irvine, Calif., told a crowd of more than 600 people
7069who attended a ceremony at the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.
7070Stevens, who wore fringed buckskins decorated with Indian
7071beadwork, was given a shield and headdress made of imitation eagle
7072feathers and the name Man Who Walks With The Shield. He could not
7073receive real eagle feathers under federal law because he is not an
7074enrolled member of a Sioux tribe.
7075The plan to make Stevens a special chief to lead the land battle
7076was pushed by members of the Grey Eagle Society, a group of Sioux
7077elders, and other traditional-minded Indians.
7078Chieftainships are unrelated to the legal governance of a tribe,
7079which under federal law is done by an elected president and council.
7080At the ceremony, Stevens smoked a sacred pipe with Oglala Sioux
7081Chief Oliver Red Cloud, Northern Cheyenne Chief Austin Two Moons of
7082Montana and other leaders after singing and praying.
7083"We seek to injure no one in South Dakota. We only seek the
7084return of lands that are rightfully owned by the Lakota (Sioux)
7085people," Stevens told reporters.
7086"They (the Black Hills) are sacred to the Sioux people. They
7087are our altar to God. ... It is like stealing their church," he
7088said of the rugged area of western South Dakota.
7089The federal government signed a treaty in 1868 saying 7.3
7090million acres of the region belonged to the Sioux, but then
7091abrogated the treaty and took the land after gold was found in the
7092Black Hills.
7093Stevens supports a bill that would give the Sioux over 1 million
7094acres plus money, but says more money is necessary to improve
7095living conditions on reservations where unemployment reaches 85
7096percent.
7097However, not all Sioux believe Stevens has earned the right to
7098become a special chief, and a historian said it's an unprecedented
7099title. Some argued Stevens was not an enrolled member of any Sioux
7100tribe and has not substantiated his claim to be a great-grandson of
7101Sioux warrior Standing Bear.
7102Opponents also said he is splitting the Indian community and
7103could damage efforts to regain the land.
7104On Friday, the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council filed for
7105a temporary restraining order in federal court in Rapid City to
7106make Stevens prove he is of Indian descent or stop making the
7107claim. The council advises the eight Sioux tribal councils on
7108treaty issues.
7109The complaint said Stevens "is impersonating an Indian,
7110claiming Indian heritage that is questionable."
7111No ruling was expected until sometime this week at the earliest.
7112Stevens said at Saturday's news conference that he had given
7113Sioux leaders an affidavit signed by his father saying Standing
7114Bear was his great-grandfather. Two members of the Standing Bear
7115family appeared at the ceremony Saturday to support Stevens.
7116Another supporter, Homer Whirlwind Soldier, said at the ceremony
7117that Stevens would have the status to negotiate with federal
7118officials for land. "We send a general in to fight a general, so
7119we give Mr. Phillip Stevens the symbol of authority."
7120Stevens told reporters that he and other Sioux chiefs will ask
7121Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel to meet with them and set up a
7122public hearing on the issue.
7123Stevens acknowledged that only one of the seven tribal councils
7124that support the return of the Black Hills has endorsed his
7125proposal and the plan to make him a special chief, but he said a
7126petition signed by Sioux people in South Dakota indicates he is
7127supported by a majority.
7128"I think that the will of the people has been neglected by the
7129people elected to do the will of the people," Stevens said.
7130Stevens is an engineer who played a role in development of the
7131Minuteman III before he founded Ultrasystems Inc. in Irvine,
7132Calif., in 1969. He recently sold the $160 million-a-year
7133engineering company to devote his time to the Black Hills effort.
7134Stevens, 58, supports legislation introduced by Sen. Bill
7135Bradley, D-N.J., that would return 1.3 million acres of federal
7136land in the Black Hills to the Sioux.
7137The Black Hills region was deeded to the Sioux in the Fort
7138Laramie Treaty of 1868. But after gold was discovered by an
7139expedition led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, prospectors
7140swarmed in and the treaty was abrogated in 1877. The Indians were
7141forced onto reservations in less desirable parts of the state.
7142The Supreme Court in 1980 upheld a settlement for the land,
7143which with interest has grown to nearly $200 million. Most of the
7144Sioux tribal governments have refused the money, saying they want
7145the land.
7146Bradley's bill would return about 1.3 million of the land
7147covered by the original treaty. It applies only to federal land in
7148the area of timbering, mining and tourism, and does not include
7149Mount Rushmore.
7150Stevens argues the Sioux also should get up to $3.1 billion for
7151their loss of revenue since the land was taken.
7152Bradley's bill, introduced two years ago and still not out of
7153committee, is opposed by South Dakota's congressional delegation.
7154Many backers of Bradley's bill say Stevens' plan to seek
7155additional money would wreck the bill's chances in Congress.
7156
7157A lawmaker called for a government inquiry
7158Saturday after the body of a guided missiles engineer was found
7159inside a car filled with exhaust fumes, the latest in a mysterious
7160string of deaths of British scientists.
7161Trevor Knight, 52, who was found dead Friday, was the eighth
7162British scientist involved in defense-related work to die in
7163unusual circumstances since August 1986.
7164Doug Hoyle, a member of Parliament for the Labor Party, said he
7165would ask Defense Secretary George Younger to order an urgent probe
7166of the deaths and report the findings to Parliament.
7167"What is the link between all these?" Hoyle asked. "Is it not
7168surprising what is happening to top scientists?
7169"Is it simply overwork, or is there something more sinister
7170afoot?"
7171The government so far has rejected an inquiry, saying there was
7172no evidence to suggest the deaths were linked other than by
7173coincidence.
7174A Defense Ministry spokeswoman said Saturday that any
7175investigation would have to be done by police on a case-by-case
7176basis.
7177Knight, who worked in the guided missiles division of the
7178Marconi electronics firm, was found in a car parked in a garage at
7179his home in Harpenden, 25 miles northwest of London, after he
7180failed to report for work.
7181Hertfordshire police said the car was filled with exhaust fumes,
7182but gave no details. Chief Inspector Chris Partridge said, however,
7183that the death was "not being treated as suspicious," a phrase
7184British police use for a suspected suicide.
7185Marconi spokesman Ray Bryant confirmed Knight worked in the
7186guided missiles division of the company's Stanmore plant.
7187Bryant refused comment on the fact that five of the scientists
7188worked for Marconi, a major British defense contractor, or an
7189affiliated company.
7190The string of deaths began Aug. 5, 1986, when Vimal Dajibhai,
719124, was found dead in a gorge beneath a bridge in Bristol. The
7192inquest returned an open verdict, meaning there was insufficient
7193evidence to establish a cause of death.
7194Dajibhai was a junior software engineer checking torpedo
7195guidance systems at Marconi Underwater Systems in Watford, near
7196London.
7197The other deaths were:
7198_Ashhad Shariff, a computer systems analyst working for another
7199Marconi unit near London, who was found strangled in October 1986
7200in a park near Bristol. An inquest ruled he killed himself by tying
7201one end of a rope to a tree and the other to his neck, then driving
7202off in his car.
7203_Richard Pugh, a computer designer found dead in his Essex home
7204in January 1987 under circumstances police never have explained.
7205_Peter Peapell, a lecturer at the Royal Military College of
7206Science at Shrivenham, who was found dead in February 1987 beneath
7207his car with the engine running and the garage doors shut. The
7208coronor's report was inconclusive.
7209_David Sands, who was working on an air defense systems contract
7210for Easams, a Marconi affiliate, died in March 1987 when he drove
7211his car loaded with tanks of gasoline into a vacant restaurant.
7212_Victor Moore, 46, a Marconi scientist who died of a drug
7213overdose in April 1987. His wife told an inquest he had been under
7214strain in his job at Marconi Space and Defense Systems in
7215Portsmouth.
7216_Russell Smith, 23, a lab technician for Britain's Atomic Energy
7217Authority, whose body was found Feb. 1 halfway down a cliff at
7218Boscastle in western England. Police found a note but have not
7219disclosed its contents.
7220
7221Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis conceded
7222Saturday that Jesse Jackson had won a popular-vote victory in
7223Michigan's Democratic presidential caucuses.
7224"It looks as if Reverend Jackson has won the popular vote in
7225Michigan," Dukakis said at a news conference prior to a Wisconsin
7226Democratic fund-raising dinner attended by all the party's
7227presidential contenders.
7228"I congratulate him for that. He ran a good campaign and he has
7229my congratulations," Dukakis said.
7230But Dukakis refused to categorize the Michigan loss as a
7231significant setback.
7232"I don't think I did very well in Michigan. I think I did
7233reasonably well, but I don't think I did spectacularly well,"
7234Dukakis said.
7235He said Michigan's troubled economy, plagued by auto-industry
7236layoffs, was a factor in Jackson's victory and his own defeat.
7237"The people of Michigan have been through a very difficult
7238time," said Dukakis, who has campaigned in part on his ability to
7239turn around what was a faltering economy in Massachusetts. "There
7240is great unhappiness, great concern, great uncertainty. There are
7241laid-off workers. Workers today who have jobs are worried they are
7242going to be next.
7243"Jesse has strong feelings about that, as I do," he said.
7244Although the full United Auto Workers Union has not endorsed any
7245candidate, UAW Local 72 in Kenosha, Wis., endorsed Jackson, who
7246rallied to them when Chrysler Corp. announced it was closing down
7247an auto plant there later this year, a move that will cost 5,500
7248jobs.
7249Dukakis said he would campaign hard in Connecticut, which holds
7250its primary Tuesday, as well as Wisconsin, which votes April 5, and
7251then on to later primaries.
7252"As I said in the beginning of this campaign, it's a
7253marathon," Dukakis said. "You've asked me about inevitability. As
7254I have said on more than one occasion, nothing is inevitable about
7255anything in American politics.
7256"I hope when we finish up in California and New Jersey, I have
7257a lead I can take into the convention . . . and win the
7258nomination."
7259with San Francisco protest ending; several arrests in Washington,
7260rally near White House. Picks up 10th graf pvs, "In Chicago."
7261
7262Protesters opposed to U.S. policies in Central America marched
7263in major cities Saturday with chants including "Hey, hey, Uncle
7264Sam, not another Vietnam," and signs reading "No Contra Aid."
7265The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but police in Boston
7266had to break up a shoving match between the protesters and
7267counter-demonstrators.
7268The rallies were organized by a group calling itself the Pledge
7269of Resistance, which claims 80,000 supporters nationwide.
7270About 1,500 people marched in the rain in Boston, saying they
7271backed the signing last week of a ceasefire in Nicaragua between
7272the leftist Sandinista government and the U.S.-backed Contra rebels.
7273"We have to make it clear to the government that there's no way
7274we're going to go for giving aid to the Contras right now," said
7275Lauren Voloshen, a spokewoman for the Central American Solidarity
7276Association, which sponsored the Boston rally.
7277The counter-demonstration was staged by about 30 members of
7278Young Americans for Freedom, who shouted, "Peace through
7279strength!"
7280More than 2,000 demonstrators rallied peacefully in front of San
7281Francisco's City Hall as part of the "national day of emergency
7282protest."
7283"You're strong and you're right," city Supervisor Nancy Walker
7284told the cheering crowd, adding that demonstrations in the United
7285States helped lead to the end of the Vietnam War.
7286Demonstrators in Civic Center Park across from the City Hall
7287held signs reading "Stop Reagan's War," "No Contra Aid," and
7288"Hands Off Nicaragua." As the protesters marched cross town to
7289gates of the Presidio Army base, their ranks swelled to 5,000, and
7290a few demonstrators lobbed eggs toward police officers at the base
7291gate. The demonstration ended with a rally a short distance away.
7292Police reported no arrests.
7293Police said several people were arrested in Washington, D.C., on
7294charges of blocking traffic when they unfurled a banner on
7295Pennsylvania Avenue.
7296About 600 demonstrators marched from the Capitol to a rally in
7297Lafayette Park, in front of the White House. President Reagan was
7298inside, but it could not be determined if he witnessed the protest.
7299In Chicago, about 500 protesters marched through downtown,
7300carrying a mock casket emblazoned with the words "Bury Contra Aid
7301Forever."
7302"A public message has to be given that this is serious _ the
7303whole effort for peace in Central America," said Sister Joellen
7304McCarthy, 45, of Chicago, a nun who has spent five years in
7305Nicaragua. "It's so important for our national credibility. We
7306preach democracy, and yet we won't accept the democratic processes
7307in other countries."
7308Joe Hansen, 20, of Edgerton, Wis., said he does not believe
7309Reagan's warning that the ruling Sandinista government in Nicaragua
7310poses a long-term threat to the United States. "I think it's just
7311a lot of propaganda," he said.
7312"I'm speaking out against an immoral war," he said. "The U.S.
7313doesn't belong in someone else's politics."
7314The Chicago demonstrators chanted slogans including "Hey, hey,
7315Uncle Sam, not another Vietnam," and "Cease fire, way to go;
7316Reagan, this is not your show."
7317About 200 people demonstrated in Pittsburgh. They chanted
7318anti-administration slogans and carried signs reading "Peace with
7319Nicaragua," "U.S. Troops out of Honduras," "End Contra war!"
7320and "Reagan, how many more Nicaraguan children must you kill."
7321About 200 people gathered in Miami, where Central America peace
7322activists just two years ago were pelted with rocks and eggs.
7323"This is a day to rejoice because at least, and at last, reason
7324has been heard," said Andreas Gomez of the Latin
7325American-Caribbean Solidarity Association.
7326
7327Jesse Jackson won a decisive victory Saturday
7328over Michael Dukakis in Michigan's Democratic caucuses, where
7329Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt's fading presidential hopes may have
7330come to an end.
7331
7332Britons lost one hour's sleep as clocks were put
7333forward one hour at 1 a.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. to start British Summer
7334Time.
7335British Summer Time is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and
7336will end early on Sunday Oct. 23 when clocks revert to GMT.
7337In the United States, the Eastern Standard Time zone is five
7338hours ahead of GMT and four hours ahead during Eastern Daylight
7339Savings.
7340Western Europe is one hour ahead of GMT and two hours ahead for
7341a short period in summer and Britain is being pressed by its 11
7342partners in the European Economic Community to introduce Summer
7343Time hours in line with Western Europe. Britain has been reluctant
7344to agree.
7345
7346A man who became the first Coloradoan to
7347cite the state's "make my day" law after he shot and killed a
7348neighbor was found guilty Saturday in the unrelated murder of his
7349estranged wife.
7350David Guenther, 35, showed little emotion as an Adams County
7351jury found him guilty in the death of his wife and the attempted
7352murder of her friend in March 1987. The jurors had deliberated for
7353three hours.
7354"It made my day," said prosecutor Bruce Levin, in a reference
7355to an earlier case in which Guenther achieved notoriety as the
7356first person to invoke Colorado's law allowing homeowners to use
7357deadly force against intruders.
7358The law was nicknamed after a line in a Clint Eastwood film in
7359which a detective invites a criminal to "make my day" and give
7360the detective an excuse to shoot.
7361Authorities dropped the charges against Guenther in the 1986
7362shooting death of a neighbor and the wounding of two other people
7363on the basis of that law. He shot the three after his wife got into
7364an argument with them on the Guenthers' front porch.
7365However, a higher court later reversed that ruling, tightening
7366the criteria under which homeowners could claim immunity from
7367prosecution under the law. Guenther than was acquitted of all
7368charges in the case last fall, basing his argument on self-defense,
7369rather than the "make my day" rule.
7370Levin, who called Guenther "a murderer who can't keep his story
7371straight" in closing arguments Saturday, said the guilty verdict
7372"was supported by the evidence and it was a just verdict."
7373Prosecutors said earlier they would not seek the death penalty.
7374Sentencing was set for May.
7375Guenther's estranged wife, Pamela, was killed and a friend,
7376Stanley Stinson, was shot several times outside a restaurant in
7377Commerce City on March 1, 1987. The Guenthers' two children, ages
737811 and 13, witnessed the shootings and testified at their father's
7379trial.
7380Guenther initially denied any involvement, but later claimed he
7381shot the two because he saw them kissing. Guenther's attorneys
7382argued he shot the pair in an "act of passion" and without
7383premeditation.
7384Prosecutors maintained the shootings were part of a pattern of
7385threats and violence by Guenther against his wife. Testimony showed
7386he had taken Mrs. Guenther hostage at their home one week before
7387her death, violating a court order to stay away from her. He
7388released her unharmed after a standoff with police that lasted
7389several hours.
7390Guenther was free on bond from that incident when his wife and
7391Stinson were shot.
7392
7393Lord Carrington, NATO secretary-general, said in a
7394report published Sunday he doubts that nuclear weapons will be
7395totally abolished.
7396"I am not optimistic that you can ever get rid of nuclear
7397weapons altogether. I am not sure it would be a good thing anyway,
7398because they are the ultimate deterrent," he was quoted as saying
7399in an interview with London's Sunday Express weekly.
7400"I am sure, though, that we can all live at a much lower level
7401of armaments, and one of the reasons I am optimistic is that it is
7402very much in Mr. (Soviet leader Mikhail S.) Gorbachev's interests
7403to do that," he said.
7404Carrington will be 69 when he retires from his post with the
7405North Atlantic Treaty Organization in July.
7406He told the Express the West cannot disarm on its own, expecting
7407the Soviet Union to do the same.
7408The agreement reached by President Reagan and Gorbachev at a
7409December summit in Washington for the superpowers to eliminate
7410medium-range nuclear weapons and for continued talks on chemical
7411weapons and reducing long-range missiles were originated by NATO,
7412Carrington said. He added that Gorbachev "contrived to let it be
7413thought that all these initiatives are actually his." Because of
7414the superiority of Soviet-bloc conventional forces in Europe, "the
7415idea that you can maintain a deterrent which is obsolete is not an
7416idea which makes any sense," he said.
7417temperatures and more records broken. Picks up 10th graf,
7418`Temperatures around...'. Conforms with AM-Heat Wave, a0657.
7419
7420Rain and scattered thunderstorms drenched parts of the South and
7421East from Texas to New England on Saturday, while snow and strong
7422winds chilled the mountains in the Northwest, and some Southwest
7423cities basked in record high temperatures.
7424Morning and early afternoon rain showers and thunderstorms were
7425scattered from south central Texas across the central Gulf Coast,
7426northwest Florida and southwest Georgia.
7427Thunderstorms produced three-quarter-inch hail at Gulf Shores,
7428La., and marble-size hail at Mexia, Texas. Lightning and heavy rain
7429caused power outages at Elba, Ala.
7430Showers and thunderstorms also extended from Tennessee across
7431the Ohio Valley and from eastern North Carolina across eastern New
7432York state and New England.
7433More than an inch and a half of rain fell between 7 a.m. and 1
7434p.m. EST Saturday at Patuxent River, Md., while an inch was
7435measured at Salisbury, Md., and Dover, Del.
7436One inch of snow fell at Marquette, Mich., during the same six
7437hours. Snow was scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin and upper
7438Michigan.
7439Snow was expected to continue through Saturday night across the
7440Olympic Mountains in Washington and the Cascade Range in Washington
7441and Oregon. Snow was forecast through Sunday morning in the western
7442and southern mountains and passes of Montana.
7443Rain continued along the northern Pacific Coast.
7444A high temperature of 100 in Phoenix, Ariz., Saturday broke the
7445record for the date and was the earliest in the spring that 100
7446degrees has been recorded. A reading of 99 in Tucson, Ariz.,
7447surpassed by 6 degrees the previous record for March set just the
7448day before.
7449Los Angeles International Airport and Santa Maria, Calif., also
7450had records for March with 95 degrees. The high was 98 in downtown
7451Los Angeles. A reading of 93 in San Diego broke a record of 82 set
7452in 1923.
7453Temperatures around the nation at 2 p.m. EST ranged from 19
7454degrees at International Falls, Minn., to 98 degrees at Thermal,
7455Calif. The nation's low Saturday morning was 12 degrees at Warroad,
7456Minn.
7457Sunday's forecast called for rain showers across New York state
7458and New England, as well as the northern Pacific Coast. Snow should
7459be scattered across the northern Rockies, changing to rain across
7460the upper Missouri Valley. Winds were expected to be strong and
7461gusty from Nevada across the Rockies and the central Plains into
7462the Texas Panhandle.
7463High temperatures were forecast in the 30s and 40s from the
7464Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley and the upper Mississippi Valley,
7465and in the northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest; in the 50s and
746660s from New England across North Carolina, the Tennessee Valley,
7467the northern Plains, the central Rockies, Nevada and the central
7468Pacific Coast; the 80s in central and southern Florida and much of
7469Texas; the 80s and low 90s in the Southwest deserts; and the 70s in
7470most of the rest of the nation.
7471
7472The Defense Department has scaled back its
7473plans to develop a massive space security shield and instead has
7474settled on a far less ambitious immediate goal of protecting U.S.
7475military installations, The Washington Post said in Sunday's
7476editions.
7477The newspaper said the department _ five years and $12 billion
7478after President Reagan launched the Strategic Defense Initiative
7479(SDI) program _ has abandoned plans to try to protect U.S. cities
7480as well as its military centers from a Soviet attack.
7481The Post quoted senior U.S. officials as saying that the
7482decision to concentrate on a limited defensive system reflects
7483broad agreement within the administration that the president's
7484dream cannot be attained.
7485The threat of a ballistic missile attack will not be diminished
7486in the foreseeable future, the officials told the Post, which did
7487not identify them.
7488The reorientation of Reagan's SDI program, also known as Star
7489Wars, was revealed in part by a 1987 Joint Chiefs of Staff
7490classified document calling for developments and deployment of a
7491defensive system to stop only 30 percent of the nuclear warheads in
7492a massive Soviet first strike, the Post said.
7493The four-page secret document accepted the view of SDI officials
7494that even this limited defense would help deter a Soviet attack,
7495the paper said. However, if this American view turns out to be
7496wrong and the Soviets initiate a massive first strike, the system
7497the Pentagon now envisions may stop only 1,500 nuclear warheads,
7498allowing as many as 3,500 others to penetrate and wreak devestation
7499on U.S. and allied territory, the Post said.
7500The newspaper said SDI officials believe this limited defensive
7501system could be deployed beginning in 1996 at a cost of up to $150
7502billion in current dollars, double the expense they predicted last
7503year.
7504Many scientists and military experts, however, question whether
7505the defensive weapons being pursued in the SDI program will be able
7506to achieve even the scaled-back goals, the paper said.
7507The Post cited U.S. officials as saying the Soviets may have
7508sensed the course of internal American decision-making over SDI and
7509predicted that Reagan's dream would be abandoned, causing them to
7510tone down their public criticism of SDI in recent months and
7511tolerate more aggressive SDI research under a potential new arms
7512pact.
7513
7514Donald J. Trump said Saturday he bought the posh
7515Plaza Hotel for $390 million but he does not plan to put his name
7516on it as he has so many of his other prized buildings, according to
7517a published report.
7518The multimillionaire real estate mogul outbid two other
7519Manhattan real estate developers who wanted the hotel at 59th
7520Street and Fifth Avenue, The New York Times reported in its Sunday
7521editions.
7522The new president of the hotel will be Trump's wife, Ivana, who
7523will be paid "$1 a year plus all the dresses she can buy," Trump
7524said.
7525Trump, whose other properties include Trump Tower in Manhattan
7526and Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, N.J., said he plans to make the
7527building "the most luxurious hotel in the world," but the name
7528will remain the same, the Times said.
7529"It's got the most important name in the world and it's going
7530to remain that way," he said.
7531Trump said he signed a contract for the deal Friday and would
7532take possession in 120 days.
7533The hotel's current owners are Robert M. Bass, the Texas
7534multimillionaire, and the Aoki Corp. of Japan. They took over the
7535hotel three months ago as part of their joint $1.5 billion purchase
7536of the Westin hotel chain from the Allegis Corp.
7537Trump said he paid $210 million for the real estate, including a
7538small apartment house next door to the hotel, and $180 million for
7539the hotel and its contents.
7540The hotel was built in 1907 along the lines of the French
7541chateau and its first guest was Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, son of
7542Cornelius Vanderbilt, then the richest man in America.
7543Guests at the nearly 1,000-room hotel have included Princess
7544Grace, the King of Morocco, and the Beatles, whose visit in 1964
7545drew throngs of screaming teens to the Plaza.
7546The Plaza is in the final stages of a major renovation, but
7547Trump said he planned to upgrade everything even further.
7548national delegate figures; picks up 8th graf pvs, bgng: "We are...
7549
7550Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis
7551overcame a strong showing by Jesse Jackson in the final weekend of
7552Democratic caucuses to win North Dakota's presidential preference
7553poll Saturday.
7554Dukakis had 629 votes to Jackson's 416 with two rural districts
7555left to be counted Saturday and Sunday in the precinct caucuses,
7556which are the first step toward picking 15 of North Dakota's
7557national convention delegates. Another 467 people voted uncommitted.
7558Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt received 393 votes, followed by
7559Illinois Sen. Paul Simon with 145 and Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore
7560Jr. with 130. Other candidates received a total of 57 votes.
7561Gephardt had been backed by fellow House member Byron Dorgan,
7562North Dakota's lone representative in the House.
7563If those results hold up at the state convention next month,
7564Dukakis will win five national convention delegates from North
7565Dakota, Jackson will gain three and Gephardt two. Another five
7566delegates would be uncommitted.
7567Ellen Austin, state campaign coordinator for Dukakis, said North
7568Dakota voters liked his stands on agriculture and health care
7569issues. The endorsement of Sen. Kent Conrad also helped, she said.
7570"We are more than pleased at the super showing Mike has shown
7571in North Dakota," Ms. Austin said.
7572"We can't see how Dukakis can lose the (Democratic)
7573nomination," she said. "And I would like to predict he will be
7574elected the 41st president of the United States."
7575The precinct caucuses elect delegates to attend legislative
7576district conventions, which are held immediately after each caucus
7577is adjourned. The district conventions will elect 1,372 delegates
7578to the state convention, where 15 of North Dakota's 20 delegates to
7579the Democratic National Convention will be selected next month.
7580While people attending the caucuses express preferences for
7581presidential candidates, the delegates to the state convention
7582often label themselves instead on the basis of their sentiment on
7583various state issues, such as agriculture or labor.
7584The outcome, however, does reflect the presidential preferences
7585expressed at the first level of the process, said state party
7586Chairman George Gaukler.
7587One small town planned to hold its meeting Sunday but the
7588outcome would not affect the overall statewide result.
7589
7590Jesse Jackson said Saturday that cab drivers,
7591cooks, maids, small business people, farmers and other working men
7592and women shared his dramatic victory in Michigan's primary-like
7593Democratic presidential caucuses.
7594"The excitement is when you consider how the common people,
7595workers, men and women, people who want a higher minimum wage,
7596those who want work as an alternative to welfare, they are
7597winning," Jackson said at a news conference while attending a
7598Democratic fundraising dinner.
7599"Cab drivers are winning. Cooks are winning. Maids are winning.
7600Small business people are winning. People who want jobs are
7601winning. Those who want to save their farms are winning."
7602Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis came in second in Michigan.
7603"People are responding to authenticity and message and soul
7604over just money and mechanics," Jackson said. "The only thing
7605that is inevitable tonight is that when we, the working people,
7606stand together, we win and we make America stronger."
7607Jackson said he has stood with farmers fighting foreclosure,
7608with striking factory workers and with high school students and
7609their parents trying to stop the flow of illegal drugs.
7610"That Rainbow Coalition of people with whom I have worked has
7611been standing by me," Jackson said.
7612Jackson refused to characterize the Democratic race as a
7613two-person contest between himself and Dukakis, the two men who
7614lead in national convention delegates.
7615"In my opinion it is a five-person race," Jackson said. "I
7616would not be presumptuous enough to eliminate anyone from the
7617race."
7618But Jackson did not shy away when a reporter asked him if he
7619might be the front-runner after the Michigan win.
7620"I've been there for over a year," Jackson said.
7621Jackson is mounting a strong campaign in Wisconsin, where he has
7622been endorsed by United Auto Workers Local 72, which represents
7623about 5,000 workers at a Chrysler plant in Kenosha that is to be
7624closed later this year. Jackson also has been endorsed by the union
7625representing striking workers at the Patrick Cudahy meat packing
7626plant in Cudahy.
7627He picked up two significant political endorsements on Saturday:
7628William Dixon of Madison, Wis., former national campaign manager
7629for Gary Hart, and Karen Lamb, wife of veteran Milwaukee Mayor
7630Henry Meier. The mayor, however, has not endorsed Jackson.
7631County</HEAD>
7632later taken from house, autopsy set for Sunday. SUBS last 2 grafs,
7633bgng `A crowd...', with 5 grafs to UPDATE with 100 people attending
7634closed meeting called by local leaders. No pickup.
7635
7636A Lumbee Indian activist running for judge
7637in his racially troubled county was found shot to death Saturday at
7638his home, officials said.
7639Julian T. Pierce, who had complained to a friend of death
7640threats, was shot three times at point-blank range with a shotgun,
7641Sheriff Hubert Stone said.
7642"It just looks like he was actually assassinated," the sheriff
7643said, calling it "one of the worst" murders he had investigated
7644in his 33 years as a lawman.
7645Gov. Jim Martin appealed for calm in Robeson County, where two
7646Indians were charged with holding a newspaper staff hostage in
7647February. He said the state had offered a $5,000 reward for
7648information leading to the killer's arrest and conviction.
7649"North Carolina has suffered another tragedy," Martin said at
7650a Raleigh news conference. "I want to express on ... behalf of the
7651people of the state the grief we share and the sadness for what has
7652happened."
7653"The investigation will leave no stone unturned," the governor
7654said.
7655Pierce, 42, was an attorney in nearby Pembroke. He had resigned
7656as director of Lumbee River Legal Services, which provided legal
7657representation to low-income county residents, to seek a newly
7658created Superior Court judgeship.
7659He was running against District Attorney Joe Freeman Britt in
7660the May 3 Democratic primary. Britt released a statement saying he
7661was "shocked and dismayed" at learning of the death.
7662Pierce was found lying face down in the blood-spattered kitchen
7663near a door which had several glass panes broken. Stone said the
7664murderer either forced his way inside or broke the glass, stuck the
7665gun through the opening and fired.
7666A longtime friend who said he had spent several hours with
7667Pierce on Friday said Pierce had been threatened and feared for his
7668life.
7669"We were looking for this to happen," said Earl Moore, owner
7670of a cabinet shop. "He knew something could happen _ I won't go
7671into it. ... If he had been white he wouldn't be dead today."
7672Moore said he wouldn't cooperate with authorities because he didn't
7673trust them.
7674Stone said he knew nothing about threats against Pierce.
7675Pierce was "liked by all ... he had no enemies that I know of
7676...," the sheriff said. "It took a very mad person to commit a
7677crime like that."
7678Nothing appeared to have been stolen from the house, Stone said.
7679Robert Morgan, director of the State Bureau of Investigation,
7680said "we don't have any motive." Morgan said he believed Pierce
7681lived alone.
7682Authorities believe that the shooting occurred between midnight
7683and 6 a.m., the sheriff said.
7684The Red Springs Police Department received a call about the
7685death Saturday morning, said Chief Deputy Al Parnell of the Robeson
7686County sheriff's department.
7687Authorities received the first word of the death from "a
7688friend" of Pierce, said Morgan, who would not identify the caller.
7689FBI agent Paul Daly said agents from the FBI and the State
7690Bureau of Investigation were assisting county investigators.
7691"We will look into it from the aspect that it could be a
7692potential civil rights violation," said Daly, in charge of FBI
7693operations in North Carolina.
7694"He had a real good chance (to be elected) ...," said the Rev.
7695Elbert Chavis. "I don't think he had any enemies. He was a fine
7696man. He would have been elected. All we want now is a thorough
7697investigation."
7698At midafternoon, the body was still in the house, in a rural
7699area about 15 miles from Lumberton, as forensic experts combed the
7700scene. The body was later transferred to a hospital morgue in
7701Lumberton and officials said it would be transferred to the state
7702medical examiner's office in Chapel Hill on Sunday for autopsy.
7703Robeson County, bordering South Carolina in the southeast corner
7704of North Carolina, is the home of The Robesonian newspaper, where
7705two Lumbee Indians were charged with holding the staff hostage Feb.
77061. The men charged with hostage-taking, Eddie Hatcher and Tim
7707Jacobs, said they wanted to call attention to racial injustice and
7708corruption in the county.
7709A letter written by Hatcher before the hostage incident
7710criticized The Robesonian's coverage of Pierce's announcement for
7711the judgeship. The letter, which was published in the weekly
7712Carolina Indian Voice newspaper in January, said Pierce's story
7713didn't receive as prominent display as did Britt's announcement.
7714But Robesonian Editor Bob Horne said both candidates received
7715front-page display with a photograph.
7716The protesters also cited the death of a black jail inmate in
7717January and the shooting death of an unarmed Indian in November
77181986. The Indian was shot by Deputy Kevin Stone, the sheriff's son,
7719in an incident that a coroner's jury later ruled to be an
7720"accident and-or self-defense."
7721Robeson County's population of 100,000 is 37 percent white, 37
7722percent Indian and 26 percent black. Blacks and Indians long have
7723alleged racism and corruption in the local criminal justice system.
7724Britt, who is known for the number of death-penalty verdicts he
7725has won, has been a frequent target of the complaints.
7726"I was shocked and dismayed by the death of Mr. Pierce," Britt
7727said in a statement released to the Robesonian on Saturday. "His
7728murder was so senseless and violent. It is very sad and tragic, and
7729I extend my personal condolences to his family and friends."
7730He declined further comment to the newspaper, and there was no
7731answer when telephone calls were placed to his home Saturday
7732evening.
7733Saturday evening, about 100 people gathered at an elementary
7734school outside Lumberton for a meeting called by various local
7735officials and clergymen in an effort to calm citizens' feelings.
7736The meeting, closed to the press, broke up quietly after about 2{
7737hours.
7738Jack Morgan, a county commissioner, said he asked for the
7739community to remain calm and let justice take its course. He said
7740participants suggested that the county commission ask the state
7741attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor in the case, and
7742vowed to bring such a proposal to the county group Monday.
7743Because of the meeting, he said, "I feel a little better about
7744what they will do in their communities tomorrow."
7745Earlier, a crowd of about 60 people, mostly Lumbee Indians,
7746stood outside Pierce's one-story brick ranch house. Many said they
7747believed the slaying was politically motivated and that they didn't
7748have much faith that the sheriff's department would investigate the
7749killing adequately.
7750Morgan said, "I'm sure that there are those who share that
7751feeling, but if they don't trust the county, the SBI and the FBI, I
7752don't know who else we can turn to."
7753
7754An armored truck was hijacked on a street Friday
7755by a gun-toting duo who made off with more than $1.2 million,
7756police said.
7757Officer Joe Gallagher said the robbery occurred at 8:20 a.m. in
7758Brooklyn. Two employees of Rapid Armor stopped for breakfast and
7759left a third employee, Robert Molinelli, in the back of the truck.
7760Gallagher said a man carrying a gun entered the back of the
7761truck by unknown means and handcuffed Molinelli. Another man got
7762into the truck and drove away.
7763At an intersection, witnesses said, the men fled in a white van,
7764taking two canvas bags containing $1,235,177 in cash. They left
7765behind $50,000 in cash and coins, said Sgt. Peter Sweeney.
7766Molinelli was uninjured, police said.
7767A secretary who answered the phone at Rapid Armor said the
7768company had no comment.
7769
7770
7771Ballots to more than 4,400 voting members of
7772the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be mailed this
7773weekend, Academy President Robert E. Wise said Friday.
7774The returned ballots will determine Academy Award winners in 23
7775motion picture categories.
7776The ballots must be received by Price Waterhouse and Co., an
7777international auditing firm, no later than 5 p.m. April 5, Wise
7778said.
7779Price Waterhouse officials will tabulate the ballots and place
7780the winners' names in sealed envelopes. Those envelopes are opened
7781April 11 during the 60th annual Academy Awards presentation at the
7782Shrine Civic Auditorium.
7783That show will be televised by ABC.
7784Georgia prison sentences.
7785
7786A 17-year-old was arrested Friday for allegedly
7787burning a 3-foot cross and smearing racial ephitets on the house
7788and car of a black woman who moved into a mostly white neighborhood
7789three weeks ago, police said.
7790The suspect, charged as a juvenile, was arrested by an officer
7791who saw him walking near the neighborhood where incidents were
7792committed, said Lt. Larry Leeson.
7793Leeson said officers investigating the burning of a 3-foot cross
7794Friday also found "KKK" painted in shaving cream on the
7795windshield of a car owned by Carrie Venable, 50.
7796Police found similar writings on a cardboard sign on the porch
7797of Ms. Venable's house, Leeson said. Ms. Venable told police she
7798had also had a car tire slashed and a license plate stolen.
7799Ms. Venable said she has no plans to move. "I'm not going
7800anywhere. I'm here to stay so they might as well get used to it,"
7801she said.
7802In Rome, Ga., on Friday, U.S. District Judge Robert L. Vining
7803sentenced four men to six months in prison for burning a cross in
7804the yard of a black family in an Atlanta suburb.
7805The four pleaded guilty in January to felony charges of
7806conspiring to violate the family's civil rights.
7807Alan Tieger, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice's
7808Civil Rights Division, said the four were members of a loose-knit
7809group called the "Liberty Heights Klan," intent on keeping blacks
7810out of the Liberty Heights neighborhood in Doraville.
7811
7812The Soviet Union has purchased an additional
7813475,000 metric tons of federally subsidized wheat for delivery in
7814May, the Agriculture Department said Friday.
7815The Foreign Agriculture Service said the Commodity Credit Corp.
7816had agreed to pay in-kind bonuses to five grain exporters at an
7817average value of $21.95 a ton.
7818The subsidy payments were being made under the Export
7819Enhancement Program, which provides grain companies and others with
7820government-owned crops as bonuses to stimulate overseas sales of
7821American commodities.
7822Since last April, total subsidized sales of wheat to the Soviets
7823have totaled amore than 10.8 million tons.
7824The Foreign Agricultural Service identified those receiving the
7825bonuses and the amounts of grain involved as Garnac Grain Company
7826Inc., 50,000 tons; Richco Grain Ltd., 200,000 tons; Mitsubishi
7827International Corp., 25,000 tons; Artfer Inc., 50,000 tons; and
7828Louis Dreyfus Corp., 150,000 tons.
7829The sales left 525,000 tons still remaining for the Soviets to
7830purchase under a 2 million ton offer made by the United States on
7831Jan. 29.
7832The United States also made the Soviets an additional 1 million
7833ton offer on Saturday.
7834The two countries are preparing to negotiate a new long-term
7835grain agreement to replace the one that expires Sept. 30.
7836It calls for the Soviets to buy 9 million metric tons a year, of
7837which 4 million must be wheat and 4 million corn. The rest may be
7838purchased in wheat, corn, soybeans or soybean meal, with every ton
7839of beans or meal counting as two tons of grain.
7840Wheat sales to the Soviets slumped badly in 1986 despite the
7841agreement but picked up against last year as the United States gave
7842that country the green light for purchases under the subsidy
7843program.
7844
7845Cattle producers and cattle and beef importers
7846will vote in a referendum in May to determine if their current
7847promotional program will continue, the Agriculture Department
7848announced Friday.
7849Anyone who produces cattle or has imported beef or beef products
7850since Oct. 1, 1986 will be eligible to vote. A simple majority of
7851votes will determine whether to continue the promotions, which have
7852included television spots by actor James Garner and actress Cybill
7853Shepherd.
7854"Real food for real people" has been the slogan of the
7855commercials.
7856The referendum will take place on May 10 in all states except
7857West Virginia, where the voting will be one day earlier.
7858Extension Service offices will distribute ballots in April and
7859absentee ballots will be available from them by mail.
7860The program is funded by a fee of $1 per head on all domestic
7861and imported cattle and an equivalent fee on beef imports. It was
7862established under federal legislation approved in 1985.
7863UPDATE update with demonstration by Angela Davis and others.
7864
7865City health officials are ready to begin
7866clinical trials on drugs to treat AIDS victims but are prevented by
7867cumbersome federal policies, the city's chief health officer told a
7868presidential commission on Friday.
7869"We could do community trials; we'd be happy to. We could get
7870clinical trials with controls going tomorrow," Dr. David Werdegar,
7871director of the city's Health Department told members of the
7872Presidential Commission on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
7873Epidemic.
7874Large-scale clinical trials that could begin at San Francisco
7875General Hospital, community hospitals and the University of
7876California Health Science Center are prevented by a national
7877cooperative drug trial policy Werdegar called "lead-footed."
7878The national policy is "unduly long and cumbersome," said
7879Werdegar, who estimated the city's 4,514 AIDS patients will
7880increase to as many as 18,000 by 1993.
7881"As our own projections show only too well, time is of the
7882essence," he said.
7883Former Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who also testified during the
7884second day of the commission's three-day stay in San Francisco,
7885urged the panel to eliminate the use of placebo-controlled trials
7886in patients with AIDS where possible.
7887"Science protocols must not be used to deprive individuals with
7888these fatal conditions of possible relief from suffering,"
7889Feinstein told the seven commissioners.
7890She also called for national civil rights legislation barring
7891discrimination in housing, jobs, medical care and insurance
7892coverage against people with AIDS.
7893Despite local ordinances, AIDS patients are still summarily
7894fired from jobs, evicted from apartments and denied insurance when
7895people learn of their conditions, said Feinstein, who left office
7896in January.
7897Cities such as San Francisco, which has spent $50 million since
78981981 to fight AIDS _ more per capita than any other city in the
7899nation _ will not be able to keep pace with the epidemic unless
7900federal grants to cities increase, Feinstein said.
7901Meanwhile, several blocks away at United Nations Plaza,
7902demonstrators including Angela Davis joined supporters of the
7903city's AIDS-ARC vigil who chained themselves briefly to the doors
7904of the old Federal Building in a protest against President Reagan's
7905response to AIDS.
7906"The money that should be used toward an extensive system of
7907education around AIDS and toward development of a national health
7908plan for every single person is going into the war machine," said
7909Davis, a member of the Communist Party of the USA, which helped
7910organize the demonstration.
7911Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is caused by a virus that
7912damages the body's immune system, leaving victims susceptible to
7913infections and cancer. It is spread most often through sexual
7914contact, needles or syringes shared by drug abusers, infected blood
7915or blood products, and from pregnant women to their offspring.
7916As of Monday, 57,024 cases had been reported to the U.S. Centers
7917for Disease Control. Of those, 31,836 people have died.
7918
7919A museum security guard pleaded guilty Friday
7920to kidnapping a 2-day-old boy from his mother's hospital room, then
7921pretending for four months the child was hers.
7922Dorothy Jean Brown, 44, of Riesterstown, Md., could receive up
7923to life in prison at sentencing May 13 in U.S. District Court.
7924Ms. Brown answered "yes" and "no" to Judge Frederic N.
7925Smalkin's questions in a barely audible voice as she admitted
7926taking Kendol Kernes from a bassinet at Johns Hopkins Hospital on
7927June 18 while his mother, Patricia Nixon, slept.
7928A government statement of facts, to which the defendant agreed
7929in pleading guilty to kidnapping, said that police in mid-October
7930received an anonymous tip that she had a 4-month-old baby but had
7931not been pregnant.
7932Ms. Brown, a guard at the Baltimore Museum of Art for 14 years,
7933told police that she had delivered the child in Baltimore on June
793418. She identified him as Tony Gilmore Jr., named for her
7935boyfriend, the statement said.
7936Police could not find any birth or hospital records to back up
7937her account. Confronted with that information, Ms. Brown told a
7938detective her twin sister had delivered the baby in Ms. Brown's
7939home, the statement said.
7940Ms. Brown later fled with the child to Philadelphia, where she
7941was arrested Oct. 30. The baby was returned safely to his mother.
7942
7943A woman has sued Continental Airlines for
7944detaining her at Dulles International Airport after she doodled on
7945her food tray.
7946Nita Brasch of Dumfries filed the $150,000 suit Thursday in
7947state court, claiming the airline falsely imprisoned her and
7948humiliated her when she and her son returned from Boston last year.
7949Mrs. Brasch said the jet landed in a snowstorm and passengers
7950had to wait aboard three hours. Frustrated, she drew on the airline
7951food tray a cartoon of someone trapped in a plane, she said.
7952Though her son offered to wash the tray, Mrs. Brasch said, she
7953was arrested and charged with defacing an aircraft. A U.S. District
7954Court judge dismissed the charge, but she had to pay attorney fees,
7955the lawsuit says.
7956Continental spokesman Ned Walker in Houston said the company had
7957no comment because it had not been served with the suit.
7958
7959A contract dispute left more than half
7960the school district's 1,200 teachers speechless, but they taught
7961nonetheless.
7962The teachers proclaimed Thursday a "day of silent protest,"
7963during which they would not speak while school was in session.
7964They wrote assignments on blackboards or on overhead projectors
7965and answered questions from students with nods, gestures and notes.
7966"They had some clever things," said Stu Reeder, principal of
7967La Puente High School. "Some teachers made signs that would say,
7968`Please be quiet,' `No, you can't go to the restroom,' or `You're
7969goofing off. Get back to work."'
7970"It's kind of funny, actually," said Dana Watanabe, 16, a
7971junior at Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights, 20 miles east
7972of Los Angeles.
7973"They all gave us tests and a lot of people saw movies. ... I
7974think it's better than having them go on strike or something."
7975Teachers in the Hacienda-La Puenta Unified School district,
7976which serves 22,000 students in La Puente, Hacienda Heights,
7977Valinda and parts of the City of Industry, have been working
7978without a contract since August
7979They are seeking a 12 percent raise over the next two years,
7980while the district's top offer has been 3 percent. Starting salary
7981is $20,265.
7982"I thought the teachers handled their action satisfactorily,"
7983said John Clonts, assistant district superintendent. "From what I
7984saw, it didn't seem to have any adverse effects on the students."
7985Union officials estimated that between 80 percent and 85 percent
7986of the district's teachers kept their vows of silence, while
7987district officials estimated participation at between 50 percent
7988and 75 percent.
7989The next negotiating session is scheduled for April 8.
7990
7991Larry Dobbs thought some denture adhesive
7992was all he needed to get out of jail, but he's still stuck behind
7993bars.
7994Dobbs, 39, ate a tube of Poli-Grip _ container and all _ about
7995six hours after being booked into the Delaware County Jail on
7996Thursday.
7997Sgt. Richard Pickett said Friday he wasn't surprised. During
7998previous stays, the jail commander said, Dobbs ate a soda bottle
7999and a light bulb.
8000"We were just waiting to see what it was going to be this
8001time," Pickett said. "He just wants out of jail."
8002Dobbs, who was returned to Indiana from Florida to face a charge
8003of driving while intoxicated, was treated at a hospital and
8004transferred to the Indiana Reformatory at Pendleton, where he can
8005be watched more closely, Pickett said.
8006Dobbs also is awaiting trial on charges including forgery, theft
8007and criminal conversion, the officer said.
8008
8009A student who had threatened to burn a
8010puppy to draw attention to U.S. policy in Centra America pleaded
8011innocent Friday to carrying a knife.
8012David Read, 26, was released on his signature after arraignment
8013on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon, said Dane County Deputy
8014District Attorney Steve Tinker.
8015Police who arrested Read on Thursday on a warrant issued in July
8016for non-payment of a fine found a seven-inch dagger in his pocket,
8017Officer Maryanne Thurber said. "He said he was afraid for his
8018safety," she said.
8019Earlier this week, enraged people across the nation had called
8020humane societies, radio stations and police to denounce the
8021University of Wisconsin-Madison student's announced plans to burn a
8022puppy to demonstrate the brutality of war.
8023The warrant was issued after Read failed to pay a fine from a
80241985 disorderly conduct charge, said Jeanine Hayes, a Sheriff's
8025Department clerk. Officers knew Read because of attention resulting
8026from the puppy threat, Thurber said.
8027Read said Thursday he never really intended to burn a puppy, but
8028had made earlier this week to focus public attention on war in
8029Central America.
8030"People panicked to save the life of one mythical puppy while
8031thousands were dying," he said.
8032
8033The U.N.-sponsored Afghanistan peace talks went
8034into weekend recess on an upbeat note Friday after word came that
8035the superpowers were softening their positions on key issues.
8036The Soviet Union was said to have dropped its objections to a
8037Pakistani proposal to let U.N. mediator Diego Cordovez play a role
8038in getting the process under way of forming a transitional Afghan
8039government.
8040The United States signaled new flexibility in trying to resolve
8041a second major problem concerning future military aid to parties in
8042the 8-year-old Afghanistan war.
8043A Western source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
8044Cordovez asked both Washington and Moscow to assign high-ranking
8045officials to a new search for a compromise in the aid issue. There
8046was speculation he wanted the co-chairmen of a special U.S.-Soviet
8047working group to concentrate on the problem.
8048That working group was set up at the Washington meeting between
8049Secretary of State George Shultz and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard
8050Shevardnadze this week. They named Michael Armacost, U.S.
8051undersecretary of state for political affairs, and Anatoly
8052Adamishin, a Soviet vice foreign minister, as co-chairmen.
8053Cordovez told reporters negotiations will resume Monday.
8054He met with both the Pakistani and Afghan delegations after a
8055senior U.S. official said in Washington that the interim government
8056issue was now "swiftly soluble." The official, speaking on
8057condition of anonymity, said Thursday that Moscow indicated support
8058for having Cordovez act in a personal capacity to promote an
8059infra-Afghan dialogue.
8060Pakistan argues that only such a government, replacing the
8061Soviet-backed one headed by President Najib, could oversee
8062implementation of a peace settlement and ensure the safe return of
8063more than 5 million Afghan refugees.
8064Moscow and its Kabul allies maintained that the question of
8065Afghanistan's future government was not a subject of Geneva talks
8066and any attempt to link its formation with the settlement would be
8067interfering with Afghanistan's internal affairs.
8068Last week, the chief Pakistani negotiator, acting Foreign
8069Minister Zain Noorani, indicated a modified position. He told
8070journalists Pakistan wants signing of a settlement accompanied by
8071an "all-round commitment to the principle of forming" such a
8072government. Cordovez might subsequently convene a meeting between
8073the Afghan factions.
8074Originally, according to a Pakistani source, this was also
8075vetoed by Moscow.
8076The first indication that Moscow had dropped its objections came
8077at Shultz's Wednesday news conference. He said the United States
8078welcomes "the development through which Mr. Cordovez will, in a
8079personal capacity, be ready to serve as mediator among the
8080contending parties."
8081Shultz in turn seemed to be taking a more flexible stance on
8082Washington's demand that Soviet military aid to the Kabul
8083government cease at the same time as U.S. aid to the Islamic,
8084anti-Marxist guerrillas fighting it. The Soviets said that amounted
8085to interfering with relations between two sovereign states bound by
8086international treaties.
8087Shultz suggested in Washington that both sides agree at least on
8088a temporary freeze on arms assistance "or on something close to
8089it." He said this would ensure stable conditions during the
8090projected withdrawal of the estimated 115,000 Soviet troops from
8091Afghanistan.
8092The secretary said the Soviets "did not feel they could agree
8093to that," but he made plain his hope that Moscow would have second
8094thoughts, saying the U.S. proposal remains on the table.
8095Special Soviet envoy Nikolay Kozyrev called on Cordovez Friday,
8096feeding rumors that there was movement in what the senior U.S.
8097official in Washington termed the "only unresolved issue."
8098arrangements.
8099
8100Rep. James Howard of New Jersey, the
8101influential chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation
8102Committee, died Friday, a day after suffering a heart attack while
8103playing golf. He was 60.
8104"It was very peaceful and he experienced no pain," his
8105daughter, Marie Howard, said in a statement.
8106Howard, a Democratic member of the House for 22 years, collapsed
8107Thursday on a suburban Maryland golf course. Doctors at Montgomery
8108General Hospital in Olney, Md., labored for nearly two hours to get
8109the lawmaker breathing on his own. He was then rushed by helicopter
8110to the cardiac unit at Washington Hospital Center.
8111He never regained consciousness. A statement issued by his
8112office said Howard died of complications from the heart attack, his
8113third.
8114Funeral Services were scheduled for Tuesday at St. Catharine's
8115Roman Catholic Church in Spring Lake, N.J.
8116Reaction to Howard's death was quick.
8117Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said, "Jim always said he was
8118inspired by President Kennedy to enter public service, and was one
8119of the most effective and loyal supporters that John and Robert
8120Kennedy and I ever had."
8121House Speaker Jim Wright, D-Texas, said of Howard: "He worked
8122hard, played hard, loved his family, his state and his country with
8123a burning intensity."
8124Reps. Glenn Anderson, D-Calif., and John Paul Hammerschmidt,
8125R-Ark., the two ranking members on the Public Works panel, issued a
8126joint statement saying, "No person ever has done more to build
8127this nation's backbone, its highway and public transit network, its
8128dams and sewage treatment plants, its airports and its buildings."
8129Transportation Secretary James Burnley said in a statement, "He
8130was a knowledgeable and effective lawmaker who was, above all, a
8131dedicated public servant."
8132Howard was known among colleagues as one of the House's toughest
8133horse traders. He was an aggressive and agile lawmaker who wielded
8134his considerable clout in an old-fashioned, behind-the-scenes way.
8135He was instrumental in passage of the Clean Air and Clean Water
8136acts, and fought to end ocean pollution and to protect his largely
8137coastal New Jersey district from the ravages of erosion.
8138When stricken on Thursday, Howard was in the company of one of
8139the literally hundreds of lobbyists seeking to curry favor with his
8140influential committee.
8141The Spring Lake Heights, N.J., Democrat was an avid golfer. He
8142had a fondness for cigarettes and coffee.
8143Howard excelled at eyeball-to-eyeball negotiations with other
8144members, using his clout to make deals, or to push his position.
8145Despite his power, Howard has sometimes held a tentative grip on
8146his seat. During the Reagan landslide of 1980, he won re-election
8147by a margin of only about 2,000 votes over his GOP challenger.
8148The committee which he headed since 1981 was one of Congress'
8149least glamorous, but most powerful. The panel has jurisdiction over
8150multibillion dollar highway and water projects, as well as the
8151airline and trucking industries.
8152Howard was criticized for traveling and being entertained on the
8153expense accounts of groups seeking his influence. He was also one
8154of the largest recipients in the House of business-related campaign
8155contributions.
8156
8157British journalist Alec Collett's fate
8158was still a mystery Friday, the third anniversary of his kidnapping
8159in Beirut by terrorists who have claimed they killed him in 1986.
8160Collett worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency,
8161or UNWRA, which marked the third year of his abduction with an
8162appeal for his release.
8163"We call on those who unjustifiably kidnapped the innocent Alec
8164Collett to let him return to his family immediately," said Per
8165Olof Hallqvist, UNRWA's director in Lebanon, ignoring the report of
8166his death.
8167Collett, 66, a New York-based journalist, was abducted March 25,
81681985 while on a writing assignment for the U.N. agency.
8169The Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Moslems said its
8170members kidnapped Collett. It demanded the release of three Arab
8171guerrillas jailed in Britain in connection with the June 1982
8172attempt to kill Shlomo Argov, Israel's ambassador to London.
8173The group claimed it hanged Collett on April 23, 1986, to avenge
8174British support of U.S. air raids on Libya. Some of the American
8175fighter-bombers that attacked Tripoli and Benghazi on April 15,
81761986, flew from bases in Britain.
8177President Reagan ordered the raids, accusing Libyan leader Col.
8178Moammar Ghadafi of supporting international terrorism.
8179After announcing Collett had been killed, the organization
8180released a video tape purporting to show Collett's body hanging
8181from a gallows. Those who viewed the 4-minute tape said the victim
8182resembled UNWRA photographs of Collett.
8183But Collett's colleages said they could not be certain the
8184hanged man was the missing journalist.
8185Twenty-two foreigners, including Collett, are still listed as
8186missing after being kidnapped in Lebanon. Among them are nine
8187Americans.
8188Terry Anderson, 40, chief Middle East correspondent for The
8189Associated Press, has been held the longest. He was kidnapped in
8190west Beirut on March 16, 1985.
8191At the United Nations in New York on Friday, officials and
8192journalists marked the anniversary of Collett's abduction with a
8193vigil.
8194"It pains me deeply to acknowledge that another year has
8195passed," said U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar.
8196"Despite my frustration at the complete lack of information, we
8197continue to pursue every outlet of information."
8198Collett's wife, Elaine, told the group at the U.N.
8199Correspondents Association Club "the call I received three years
8200ago remains a nightmare today."
8201"I want to know the whereabouts of my husband. The reality is
8202harsh, and despite rumors circulating that he is alive, which
8203confirms my gut reaction, there are no assurances to verify them."
8204Roy Murphy, president of the Foreign Press Association, said in
8205a statement addressed to the kidnappers: "Alec Collett is not an
8206oppressor _ he was working on behalf of the dispossessed and
8207homeless when he was taken.
8208"Claiming to execute Alec Collett in retaliation for the U.S.
8209bombing of Libya is pointless _ he is a British citizen working for
8210an international agency."
8211"If Alec Collett is alive, you can gain sympathy and goodwill
8212for your cause by releasing him, now," the statement said. "If he
8213is dead, you can still gain by revealing where he is buried. By
8214staying silent, you gain nothing but the revulsion and contempt of
8215all."
8216
8217Four applications to build a bullet
8218train linking Miami, Orlando and Tampa were submitted Friday,
8219bringing Florida a step closer to a spage-age, high-speed passenger
8220rail system between its top tourist spots.
8221The applications are to be revealed Monday by Gov. Bob Martinez
8222and legislative leaders.
8223After a year's review, the state's High Speed Rail Commission
8224expects to narrow the list to three semifinalists and award the
8225franchise in 1991. Planners hope to have the trains running by
82261995, Florida's 150th birthday.
8227"This is a major milestone in this project," said Diana Hull,
8228commission spokeswoman. "Today's deadline will put us one large
8229step along toward putting high-speed rail in Florida."
8230The 300-mile, multibillion-dollar project will link Miami with
8231Tampa, on the Gulf Coast, and Orlando, in central Florida, but the
8232applicants will determine precise routes, financing agreements and
8233which technology to use.
8234The train, which is still being developed, is expected to travel
8235at average speed of 250 mph.
8236Amtrak provides passenger service between Miami and the Orlando
8237area, about 250 miles apart, but there is no rail service
8238connecting Tampa to either city. Tampa is about 85 miles from
8239Orlando.
8240The team that wins the franchise will be allowed to develop
8241property for rail stations and connecting attractions, a financing
8242plan that mirrors one used by industrialist Henry Flagler when he
8243built a rail line nearly 100 years ago down Florida's Atlantic
8244Coast and eventually to Key West.
8245In theory, the plan will allow the franchise holder to recoup
8246its $2 billion to $5 billion in startup costs, while fares will
8247support operation and maintenance. The idea has been in the
8248planning for six years.
8249The comission will balance financial arrangements, environmental
8250concerns, growth patterns and technologies, select the best overall
8251plan _ or reject all of them _ and make a recommendation to the
8252governor and Cabinet.
8253
8254A white-supremacist
8255paramilitary group was denied permission for an outdoor rally
8256Friday, so the members met in a town hall where their leader
8257delivered a fiery denunciation of the government.
8258A magistrate banned the outdoor meeting under security
8259legislation white authorities usually apply to black organizations.
8260The move followed a Cabinet minister's statement that the extremist
8261white group should stop "intimidatory actions."
8262The Afrikaner Resistance Movement, whose members wear
8263swastika-like emblems and carry guns at public appearances, said it
8264had expected 4,000 supporters at a stadium in Randfontein, about 20
8265miles west of Johannesburg. Hundreds of members packed the town
8266hall in nearby Krugersdrop.
8267Eugene TerreBlanche, the group's leader, condemned President
8268P.W. Botha's government for subjecting his group to the same
8269restrictions applied to black anti-apartheid groups.
8270He said the Afrikaner Resistance was being treated like the
8271outlawed African National Congress, the black guerrilla movement
8272seeking to end rule by South Africa's white minority.
8273Under the state of emergency in effect since June 12, 1986,
8274outdoor rallies are illegal unless approved by a magistrate or by
8275Adriaan Vlok, the law and order minister.
8276The government has been criticized for restricting black
8277gatherings, even funerals or meetings in churches, while allowing
8278TerreBlanche's group to hold rallies for racial division and armed
8279resistance to any political power for blacks.
8280Botha's National Party has tried to discredit the Conservative
8281Party, the main opposition, by emphasizing its links with the
8282Afrikaner Resistance, but white voters chose Conservatives in two
8283parliamentary by-elections March 2 and are expected to do so in
8284another at Randfontein next week.
8285
8286About 35 Kurdish exiles protesting the alleged use
8287of chemical weapons by Iraq burst into the London office of Air
8288France on Friday and threatened to set themselves on fire, police
8289said.
8290The protest, on New Bond Street in central London, ended
8291peacefully after 3{ hours. There were no reports of injury or
8292arrest.
8293It was the third sit-in demonstration in London this week by the
8294group, which calls itself Kurdish Organizations in the United
8295Kingdom.
8296Group spokesman Kurdo Ali said the protesters want France to
8297intervene through the United Nations to halt the alleged use of
8298chemical weapons by Iraq against Kurdish border towns during the
82996{-year-old Iran-Iraq war.
8300He said France is the main supplier of weapons to Iraq and
8301added: "We would not be suprised that components of chemical
8302weapons have been supplied by France."
8303Police said protesters threatened to douse themselves with
8304gasoline and set their clothes afire. But they left the building
8305peacefully after speaking with a representative of the French
8306Embassy. Kurdo said French Ambassador Luc de La Barre agreed to
8307meet with the group Monday to discuss their grievances.
8308Earlier, the embassy said in a statement: "We deny sending any
8309kind of component for chemical weapons to Iraq. It is of great
8310concern to us, the use of chemical weapons in the Iran-Iraq war,
8311and we condemn these practices."
8312On Wednesday in London, about 40 Kurdish demonstrators occupied
8313British Red Cross headquarters and 20 Kurdish students occupied
8314Arab League headquarters.
8315
8316Prosecutors probing accusations of
8317widespread government corruption said Friday that they are
8318examining secret bank accounts belonging to the brother of former
8319President Chun Doo-hwan.
8320Hundreds of students at three universities staged
8321anti-government rallies, with many protesting the alleged
8322corruption. Violent clashes broke out as students hurled rocks and
8323firebombs and fought with riot police.
8324Prosecutor-General Lee Chong-nam said investigators have located
8325secret bank accounts used by Chun's younger brother, Chun
8326Kyung-hwan. Lee said the younger Chun would be questioned soon
8327about whether he misappropriated funds of the semi-official Saemaul
8328development movement he once headed.
8329Prosecutor Kang Won-il said officials had seized secret ledgers
8330showing how Chun Kyung-hwan and other top Saemaul officials had
8331diverted funds.
8332The ongoing investigation now centers on charges the younger
8333Chun embezzled $8 million under a false name to invest in stocks,
8334Kang said.
8335"Considerable progress has been made in the prosecution
8336investigation on Chun's alleged embezzlement and receiving of money
8337through influence peddling," Kang said.
8338A probe into the activities of Saemaul movement has revealed
8339widespread corruption, embezzlement and influence peddling.
8340Officials believe huge sums of money, land and other property were
8341embezzled.
8342The Saemaul movement was set up in 1971 to organize rural and
8343urban development and modernization. Saemaul means "New
8344Community."
8345About 200 Saemaul and government officials have been questioned
8346about diverting funds, selling influence, extorting donations and
8347other crimes, according to the prosecutor-general's office.
8348Prosecutors are investigating charges government officials were
8349involved in corruption or helped to cover it up to protect
8350President Chun and his family.
8351The younger Chun, who was named to head Saemaul while his
8352brother was president, resigned in 1987 after being linked to
8353gangsters. He tried to flee to Japan last week, but returned Sunday
8354to face questioning.
8355President Roh Tae-woo, who took over from the elder Chun on Feb.
835625, promised before he was elected in December that his
8357administration would put an end to high-level corruption.
8358In Seoul, riot police firing tear gas thwarted an
8359anti-government and anti-U.S. demonstration by about 300 radical
8360students who tried to march out of Yonsei University.
8361The Korean news agency Yonhap said about 1,000 students clashed
8362with riot police firing tear gas at two separate universities in
8363Kwangju.
8364Kwangju was the scene of a bloody nine-day anti-government
8365insurrection in 1980. At least 191 people were killed and more than
8366800 others injured in the uprising, the worst in modern South
8367Korean history.
8368
8369Howard; AMs separate moved as a0691 on Joffrey.
8370
8371Robert Joffrey, dancer-choreographer who guided
8372his Joffrey Ballet from an itinerant troupe in a station wagon to
8373international acclaim, died Friday. He was 57.
8374The Joffrey Ballet now ranks with the New York City Ballet and
8375American Ballet Theater as one of America's big three ballet
8376companies, but it began in 1956 when Joffrey borrowed a station
8377wagon to tour the United States with his fledgling troupe.
8378Within 10 years of its 22-city auto tour, the Joffrey Ballet had
8379performed throughout the Far East, in the Soviet Union and at the
8380White House. Joffrey built by far the most far-ranging repertory.
8381He brought into the company ballets of strong classical base and
8382flowing quality by the British Royal Ballet's Frederick Ashton; the
83831932 stylized anti-war masterpiece, "The Green Table," by Kurt
8384Jooss; a group of ballets created for Serge Diaghilev; John
8385Cranko's full-length "Romeo and Juliet," and dances by American
8386choreographers from Agnes de Mille to the avant garde.
8387Joffrey own ballets include "The Nutcracker" in 1987 and his
8388striking 1967 "Astarte," in which a couple dance in front of a
8389billowing white silk curtain on which a movie of them dancing is
8390projected.
8391
8392Durwood Manford, former speaker of the
8393Texas House of Representatives and member of the State Board of
8394Insurance for 22 years, died Thursday at age 71.
8395Manford was first elected to the House in 1940 at the age of 23
8396and served five terms. He served as speaker for one term, which
8397included the 51st Legislature in 1949. That Legislature was the
8398longest continuous session in state history _ 177 days.
8399Manford served as chairman of the State Board for Texas State
8400Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, on the
8401Industrial Accident Board, and as a member of the Board of Water
8402Engineers, 1957-61. In 1961, Gov. Price Daniel appointed him to the
8403State Board of Insurance, where he served until 1983.
8404
8405James Howard, a New Jersey State
8406representative, died Thursday of a heart attack. He was 60
8407Howard gained his congressional seat on the coattails of
8408President Johnson's 1964 victory. During the Reagan landslide of
84091980, he retained his seat by a margin of only about 2,000 votes
8410over his GOP challenger. In 1986, Howard won re-election with 59
8411percent of the vote in a largely Republican district.
8412He had been chairman of the Public Works Committee since 1981.
8413The panel considers multibillion-dollar highway and water projects.
8414Cancer</HEAD>
8415
8416Seven-year-old Brooke Ward, cancer-free after
8417receiving the first bone marrow transplant arranged through a
8418computerized donor registry, wrinkled her nose at TV cameras Friday
8419and left no doubt where she'd rather be.
8420"Home," the little girl from Raleigh, N.C., said from behind a
8421baby-blue face mask during her one-word news conference. She and
8422her mother fly home Saturday after four months' treatment in
8423Seattle.
8424"We're very excited about it," Margurite Ward said as she held
8425an occasionally fussy Brooke. "Back at Christmas time we didn't
8426even think we'd probably reach this day."
8427Mrs. Ward said there had been little hope for her daughter, who
8428had acute lymphocytic leukemia when she arrived at Fred Hutchinson
8429Cancer Research Center on Dec. 2.
8430The Wards had been told the odds of finding a bone-marrow donor
8431outside the family were one in 15,000.
8432However, the new computerized National Bone Barrow Donor
8433Registry, based in Minneapolis, located Diane Walters of Milwaukee,
8434whose marrow matched Brooke's. The transplant was performed Dec. 15.
8435Christmas week was especially difficult, as Brooke's body tried
8436to rid itself of the new, foreign marrow.
8437She left the hospital as an outpatient Jan. 29, staying in the
8438Seattle area with her mother, and they returned on Friday to thank
8439doctors before leaving for home.
8440Dr. William Bensinger said there was no evidence of leukemia in
8441Brooke's body. "I think the outlook for her is favorable," he
8442said.
8443Dr. Pat Beatty, director of the bone marrow registry at Fred
8444Hutchinson, said three similar transplants had been performed at
8445the cancer center since Brooke's operation, and five more were
8446scheduled.
8447About $118,000 in donations have been raised to help Brooke's
8448bills. The operation costs about $100,000.
8449
8450Overheated wiring is believed to have caused a
8451fatal fire Feb. 20 aboard a passenger train in Nebraska, an Amtrak
8452spokeswoman said Friday.
8453"This is a preliminary determination, and the official cause of
8454the fire will be announced at the appropriate time by the National
8455Transportation Safety Board," said the spokeswoman, Debbie
8456Marciniak.
8457The fire broke out in a crew car on Amtrak's California Zephyr
8458as the Chicago-bound train was pulling into Hastings, Neb., 150
8459miles west of Omaha.
8460A crew member died of smoke inhalation. Nineteen other crew
8461members, passengers, police and firefighters were treated at
8462hospitals for smoke inhalation.
8463Ms. Marciniak said the burned car was inspected March 1 by a
8464private fire investigator and by representatives of the Federal
8465Railroad Administration, the NTSB, the Nebraska Fire Marshal's
8466office, Amtrak and one of its unions.
8467Preliminary reports show the fire originated in wiring in the
8468wall behind a heater in the luggage compartment of the crew car,
8469she said.
8470"Rubber insulation became separated from the wiring because of
8471extensive tightening of the plastic straps that were used to bundle
8472the wires. Overheating was caused by the reduced insulation," Ms.
8473Marciniak said.
8474"The plastic straps began to melt due to the extreme heat,
8475dripping burning globs of plastic on the wooden floor, causing the
8476floor to catch fire. Then the flames proceeded into the body of the
8477car."
8478Ms. Marciniak said Amtrak already has taken steps to prevent a
8479recurrence.
8480"We've disconnected power-source wiring on cars of this type,"
8481she said. "We are adding a stainless steel plating to the floors
8482to prevent fire from spreading."
8483There were no smoke detectors on the train, but because of the
8484fire, Amtrak began installing them in all crew cars and is
8485considering using them in passenger sleepers.
8486NTSB spokesmen in Chicago did not return a telephone call Friday
8487evening.
8488number killed to 12, not 11; picks up 8th graf pvs, The meeting ..
8489. SUBBING 13th graf pvs, British news ... to UPDATE with scheduled
8490arraignments. Picks up 14th graf pvs, A private ....
8491
8492Britain's Cabinet officer for Northern Ireland
8493said Friday he is exploring a new political structure for the
8494province in an effort to bring peace, possibly based on power
8495sharing between Protestants and Catholics.
8496Tom King, the Northern Ireland secretary, gave no details but
8497said he would discuss the prospects Tuesday with the moderate
8498Social Democratic and Labor Party, which represents most of
8499Northern Ireland's Roman Catholic minority.
8500There was no immediate reaction. Previous attempts at sectarian
8501power sharing have collapsed under opposition from Protestants.
8502Britain governs Northern Ireland directly from London.
8503Protestant political leaders oppose any weakening of British
8504control over the province's affairs.
8505King spoke with reporters after hours of talks with Foreign
8506Minister Brian Lenihan of the Irish Republic that focused on
8507increasing security cooperation against a common threat, the
8508outlawed Irish Republican Army.
8509A joint statement said both governments condemned the increase
8510of violence Northern Ireland and urged both Protestants and
8511Catholics to repudiate those responsible.
8512"They appealed to both communities to repudiate those in their
8513midst who sought to promote the spiral of violence and to do all in
8514their power to bring this violence to an end," said the statement
8515issued by the Northern Ireland Office
8516The talks in a heavily guarded London office marked the first
8517full British-Irish government meeting since Oct. 21, King said.
8518Twelve people, including two British soldiers, have been killed
8519since March 6, when British commandos shot dead three unarmed IRA
8520guerrillas who allegedly were on a bombing mission in Gibraltar. At
8521the guerrillas' March 16 burial, a Protestant gunman killed three
8522people and wounded 68 at Belfast cemetery.
8523The meeting was called under the British-Irish Agreement of
8524November 1985, which gave the government of the overwhelmingly
8525Catholic Irish Republic a consultative say in the running of
8526Protestant-dominated Northern Ireland.
8527The ministers agreed to hold further meetings after Easter to
8528include social and economic issues.
8529Among the issues discussed Friday was Britain's decision to
8530abandon a short-lived policy of not attending IRA funerals
8531following the killing of two British soldiers who drove into an IRA
8532cortege in Catholic West Belfast on March 19.
8533Moderate Catholic leaders, including bishops, had advocated the
8534policy in the hope of avoiding clashes between police and mourners.
8535The soldiers were mobbed, beaten, stripped and then shot when they
8536drove into the funeral of one of the Milltown victims, an IRA man.
8537The Irish delegation "stressed the continuing importance of
8538ensuring that these and other public occasions should be organized
8539in a sensitive manner," the statement said.
8540Belfast police said in a statement Friday that two men will
8541appear in Belfast Magistrates Court on Saturday to be formally
8542arraigned on charges of murdering the two British soldiers at an
8543IRA funeral in west Belfast on March 19. Police did not name the
8544two accused men.
8545A private family funeral was held Friday in the central England
8546county of Bedfordshire for one of the slain soldiers, Cpl. David
8547Howes. His colleague, Cpl. Derek Wood, was buried Thursday with
8548full military honors.
8549The violence erupted at an already low point in British-Irish
8550relations, chilled by a series of incidents beginning in January
8551when Britain announced it would not prosecute Northern Ireland
8552policemen for an alleged "shoot-to-kill" policy operated by the
8553mainly Protestant police force in 1982.
8554
8555Federal police have arrested a number
8556of West Germans suspected of spying for communist countries,
8557security officials said Friday.
8558They were responding to a report in the newspaper Bild that said
8559eight "high-karat" agents, including government employees and
8560border policemen, were arrested in raids across West Germany
8561Thursday and Friday.
8562Security officials, speaking on condition they not be
8563identified, were asked about reports that up to 15 people were
8564arrested. One official told The Associated Press: "That number is
8565too high. It is several, but less than 10."
8566The officials said a doctor in the Aachen area was among those
8567arrested, but they did not identify him and would not give
8568additional details.
8569Hans-Juergen Foerster, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor's
8570office in Karlsruhe, refused comment. "We will explain everything
8571on Monday," he said.
8572Bild said the raids may have been connected to last week's
8573arrest of Elke Falk, a secretary in the Federal Ministry for
8574Economic Cooperation in Bonn.
8575Ms. Falk is suspected of being a communist spy for years,
8576according to the prosecutors' office.
8577She worked in the West German chancellory from 1974 to 1977 and
8578later in several ministries.
8579She is being held in investigative custody and no charges have
8580been filed against her.
8581Officials have not said which communist country she allegedly
8582worked for.
8583In West Germany's last major espionage scandal, 15 communist
8584agents were arrested or disappeared between August and December
85851985.
8586Among them was Hans-Joachim Tiedge, the chief counter-espionage
8587officer responsible for catching East German agents. He fled to
8588East Germany.
8589
8590A policeman who shot to death a teen-ager
8591carrying what turned out to be a pellet pistol was acquitted Friday
8592of involuntary manslaughter.
8593"This reassures me how fair the criminal justice system is,"
8594said Patrolman John Dolan Jr., 40. The 19-year veteran was charged
8595in the death of 16-year-old Marcus Norris, who was felled by a
8596shotgun blast Dec. 31.
8597Dolan said he shot Norris because the teen-ager pointed a pistol
8598at him that appeared to be real. Authorities said Norris had a
8599pellet pistol, a non-lethal gun that uses air pressure to fire
8600small projectiles.
8601Norris had been target shooting at cans shortly before he was
8602killed, authorities said.
8603Norris' death led City Council to pass an ordinance banning the
8604sale of toys that look like firearms. The shooting had also sparked
8605complaints that police are overly rough with blacks. Norris was
8606black; Dolan is white.
8607The jury of four blacks and eight whites deliberated for eight
8608hours over two days.
8609James Turner, the teen-ager's godfather, said of the acquittal:
8610"Here, there is no justice."
8611Norris was killed at a motel his mother manages after Dolan was
8612summoned to check out a report of a man brandishing a pistol.
8613Norris' mother, Faye Black, testified along with a family friend
8614that her son had dropped the gun and raised his hands in surrender
8615before he was shot, but a passerby told the court the teen-ager
8616pointed the pistol at Dolan.
8617"It was a tragedy," Dolan said. "I would give anything if it
8618hadn't happened, but it was totally beyond my control."
8619Dolan's defense was financed by the Memphis Police Association,
8620and a half-dozen or more off-duty officers in uniform attended his
8621trial each day.
8622Ray Maples, president of the police association, said Dolan
8623acted properly. "Anytime somebody points a gun at you after he's
8624been told to drop it and does not, your life is in danger," he
8625said.
8626Dolan, who has been assigned to desk work since the shooting,
8627said he looks forward to returning to patrol.
8628"I hope a situation like this never develops again, but on an
8629armed robbery-type call, I will do what I've been trained to do,"
8630he said.
8631
8632Two young brothers were seriously
8633injured Friday by the explosion of a homemade grenade they found,
8634officials said.
8635They said the children, aged 7 and 8, were injured in the face,
8636throat, legs and arms when the grenade blew up in San Fernando, a
8637working-class suburb 12 miles north of Buenos Aires.
8638A third child playing with the brothers escaped injury,
8639firefighters reported.
8640
8641The Soviet Union has asked Portugal
8642about the possibility of dividing Angola into north and south,
8643sources close to the Angolan rebel movement UNITA said Friday.
8644They said Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze raised the
8645question with Portuguese officials during a four-hour visit to
8646Lisbon on Thursday. The sources, who spoke on condition of
8647anonymity, cited well-placed informants but would not elaborate.
8648Government officials could not be reached for comment Friday
8649evening.
8650Shevardnardze said after meeting with President Mario Soares,
8651Prime Minister Anibal Cavaco Silva and Foreign Minister Joao de
8652Deus Pinheiro that he felt Portugal could play an important role in
8653resolving the conflict in its former colony.
8654UNITA, supported by the United States and South Africa, has
8655fought Angola's Marxist government since independence in 1975 and
8656claims to control large areas in the south.
8657A Lisbon-based spokesman for UNITA, the National Union for the
8658Total Independence of Angola, denied reports that it proclaimed a
8659separate government in southern Angola.
8660He said that was a misintrepretation of a new system of
8661administering areas under rebel control, and UNITA opposes any
8662division of the country.
8663
8664A high school honor student driving
8665his mother's sports car plowed into a group of partying teen-agers
8666early Friday, killing one and leaving another brain dead, police
8667said. Five others were injured.
8668About 50 teen-agers had gathered at the end of dead-end road to
8669celebrate the first night of Santaluces High School's spring break,
8670and most scattered when they saw Eric Christopher Norstrom speeding
8671toward them, police said.
8672Norstrom, 16, lost control of the Mazda RX7 when he tried to
8673stop in front of the group, police said. Police estimated his speed
8674reached 85 mph before the 200-foot skid.
8675Amber Hunter, 16, died at the scene, police said. Charles Hamby,
8676an 18-year-old dropout, was declared brain dead at Bethesda
8677Memorial Hospital in Boca Raton, doctors said.
8678Four others were hospitalized in fair or stable condition, and
8679one was treated and released.
8680No charges were filed. Police said they were awaiting the
8681results of a blood-alcohol test on Norstrom.
8682
8683This pool report was written by Stewart Powell
8684of Hearst News Service.
8685
8686_
8687ABOARD THE USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS IN THE PERSIAN GULF (AP) _ The
8688cherished traditions of seamen sailing wooden ships "with a star
8689to steer her by" are living in close quarters with technicolor
8690technology aboard the Navy's most modern warships.
8691The interplay is constant between past and present aboard
8692vessels such as this 445-foot frigate patrolling near the Strait of
8693Hormus as part of the U.S. mission to protect merchant vessels in
8694the Persian Gulf.
8695The sounds and practices of yesterday merge imperceptibly with
8696those of today, as the warship monitors the activities of Iranian
8697naval vessels and passes combatants of allied nations on station
8698near Abu Musa Island, a staging point for Iranian speed boat
8699attacks against international shipping.
8700Nostalgia has nothing to do with it. Binoculars, barometers and
8701paper navigation charts, every bit as much as the radar screen and
8702computer, play a critical role in keeping this $400 million guided
8703missile warship and her 202-member crew on the warrior's edge,
8704ready to fight with a handful of captain's commands.
8705No matter what the crisis, the familiar clang of the ship's
8706polished brass bell sets the rhythm of the day, calmly parceling
8707out the hours of day and night in half-hour increments. Eight bells
8708struck every four hours still marks the change of watch even though
8709the sound is now passed via ship intercom.
8710The shrill whistle of the boatswain's pipe echoes as well,
8711alerting the crew to an announcement of importance much as the pipe
8712once orchestrated the actions of yeomen high in the yardarms on
8713clippers rounding the Horn.
8714Technology has its place, to be sure, often hidden deep within
8715the ship where millions of dollars in sophisticated gear work
8716around the clock. One deck beneath the bridge, where lookouts
8717strain to spot "contacts" with binoculars and young mates polish
8718brass each morning, the amber, blue and green displays of a
8719computerized combat information center flicker and glow. The
8720command center, geared to "fight the ship" into the 21st century,
8721links the ship with "eye-in-the sky" surveillance aircraft that
8722track every ship and plane for hundreds of miles.
8723But ships like these, plowing through the best and worst nature
8724has to offer, hold on to what they know best, chary to relinquish
8725what has worked for generations.
8726Says Senior Chief Petty Officer George "Jack" Frost, the
8727senior enlisted man who has been in the navy for 20 of his 37
8728years: "I don't think you can ever replace the seaman's eye no
8729matter how much technology you have. Instinct is still a man's best
8730defense."
8731The systems that are "up" today, in the 20th century computer
8732slang, could be "down" tomorrow. SATNAV _ satellite navigation _
8733could be off a few crucial miles if the earth orbit has
8734deteriorated.
8735"I always tell my men that stars and planets never go down,"
8736observes the Roberts skipper, Cmdr. Paul X. Rinew, a
8737detail-oriented leader who prides himself on being ready for
8738anything. "Venus is always there."
8739"You can walk out on the bridgeway at night and it's like Times
8740Square," says the 40-year-old skipper, a native of the Bronx
8741borough of New York City. Celestial navigation "was good enough to
8742get them (explorers) across the Atlantic, it's good enough for us."
8743On this humid, hazy day, the ship frequently spurns radio
8744communications to use a 1000-watt, 12-inch signal lamp to blink out
8745messages in Morse code _ a method in use since before the Titanic.
8746Administrative messages, greetings to captain, words of praise _
8747all are blinked from one U.S. ship to another to keep secure radio
8748channels open for more important communications.
8749"I take pride in my rating, no doubt about that," explains
8750Petty Officer Charles Dumas, 30, of Newport, R.I., a signalmen
8751first class planning to re-enlist at sea next week after years in
8752the Navy. "It's a good life, a signalman's life."
8753Signalmen often exchange pleasantries of their own between
8754official messages. "It's great to talk to other country's ships to
8755find out what's going on," says First Class Petty Officer Serge
8756Kingery, 40. "It's the only place on the ship to be afforded that
8757opportunity, we can talk no matter what nation it is."
8758Signal flags of yore are flung, as well, just as they did in
8759John Paul Jones' time. Each multicolored flag spells a letter for
8760messages, with certain single letter flags signals specific ships
8761actions.
8762Boatswain mates similarly carry forward the traditions of
8763forefathers on fore decks. Deck lines are wrapped and stowed neatly
8764within several feet of the missile launcher capable of remotely
8765firing harpoon anti-ship and standard anti-aircraft missilers at a
8766moment's notice.
8767Like the men before them, the bosun's mates scrub, chip paint,
8768handle the ship's small boats and use a "monkey fist" on a light
8769line to cast a rope over to an adjacent vessel to begin an underway
8770replenishment. The lead-centered woven rope ball has been used
8771almost as long as men have been at sea. The rating today attracts
8772much the same type of sailors it did before.
8773"I like working outside," says Jim Owens, 24, a bosun's mate
8774third class from Newport, R.I.
8775Now as then, the mates with idle time stage practical jokes on
8776newcomers to the "Sammy B" as she is affectionately known. A
8777favorite: ordering a rookie on board to the rail to keep an eye out
8778for the "mail buoy" _ a fictitious navigational buoy where
8779vessels supposedly pick up their mail bag.
8780"Sure, we keep 'em up there for a while," say Owens. "'Course
8781a year later, he's doing the same to someone else."
8782And for anyone thinking the tatoo has gone out of fashion in
8783this man's Navy, just ask Frost, 37 of Kingstown R.I.
8784"I would never let anyone put anything on me when I was
8785drunk," he says. "I would at least want to know what was going
8786on."
8787A star adorns his left hand. His wife's name, Dawn, wreathes his
8788wrist beneath his watch strap. The phrase "American Navy" in
8789Chinese characters adorns his shoulder, along with his outdated
8790service identification number _ all needled in to his ruddy,
8791freckled skin at Pinkies, a notorious tatoo parlor in Hong Kong.
8792The ship intercom announces the "smoking lamp is lit," which
8793allows smoking by sailors who in previous generations used a
8794constantly lit "smoking lamp" to light cigarettes on wind-swept
8795ships.
8796And the "dog watch" now as then remains the watch that rotates
8797the starting hour for work details forward by several hours a week.
8798The phrase traces its origins either to the watch during the dog
8799hours of early morning, or "dodging the watch."
8800Like so much in the Navy, the language and practices of
8801yesterday blend with the demands of today _ assuring that today's
8802Navy will pass it all on to tomorrow's.
8803
8804A bomb exploded Friday night in front of
8805a Bogota bank, injuring several people, news reports said.
8806The blast occurred about 10:50 p.m. at a branch of Banco
8807Internacional in the northern part of the capital. The Bogota radio
8808station RCN said several people were injured, but no other details
8809were available.
8810Citibank of New York owns 48 percent of the Banco Internacional,
8811bank officials in Bogota said.
8812
8813A judge Friday refused to bar the city
8814from altering a City Hall mosaic of a smiling black man freed from
8815slavery.
8816Edward A. Kane Jr., the son of the designer, had sued after
8817residents, contending the mosaic is demeaning to blacks, persuaded
8818City Council to remove the smile, add other facial features and
8819replace the man's broken rope with a hoe.
8820But Madison County Judge Edward Ferguson said Friday the lawsuit
8821did not contain enough information for him to grant a preliminary
8822injunction.
8823In the lawsuit filed last week, Kane contended that the mosiac
8824created by his late father in 1965 is a work of art and that
8825alterations would violate constitutional rights to free speech and
8826artistic expression.
8827The 10- by 40-foot mosaic shows white pre-Civil War settlers in
8828covered wagons and a freed slave, with a broken rope hanging from
8829his wrists, celebrating his freedom.
8830Residents of this predominantly white town of more than 12,000
8831contend it does not show blacks making any contribution to the
8832city. The artist was white. Kane said he hasn't decided whether to
8833pursue the case.
8834"I'm a little let down, but this is America, the land of change
8835... don't preserve anything," Kane said, shaking his head.
8836News Digest: PANAMA CITY, Panama _ PM-Panama, a0448; DETROIT _
8837PM-Political Rdp, a0456; JERUSALEM _ PM-Israel, a0438; WASHINGTON _
8838PM-Shultz-Palestinians, a0412.
8839
8840
8841Republican conservatives in Congress are wary
8842of the Nicaraguan cease-fire, with one saying the United States may
8843have to "take some action with external forces" if the Contra
8844rebels quit the field.
8845"It's down to that," said Rep. Rod Chandler, R-Wash. "It's
8846definitely a new era."
8847Chandler was among GOP conservatives attending a retreat Friday
8848in Houston. In Washington, meanwhile, President Reagan said that
8849"there is reason to have caution" about whether Nicaragua's
8850leftist government will keep its agreements.
8851
8852Critics say President Reagan interfered with
8853the legal process by predicting that former White House aides
8854Oliver L. North and John M. Poindexter will be acquitted of charges
8855in the Iran-Contra affair.
8856In off-the-cuff remarks Friday, Reagan called the affair "the
8857so-called scandal" and said he still considers North "a hero."
8858But he refused to say whether he was considering granting any
8859pardons in the case.
8860"I just have to believe that they're going to be found innocent
8861because I don't think they were guilty of any lawbreaking or any
8862crime," Reagan said in response to a question at a seminar
8863sponsored by the Center for the Study of the Presidency.
8864
8865A subdued Robert Chambers Jr. pleaded guilty to
8866strangling a young woman during sex in Central Park, ending the
886710-week-long "preppie murder" trial that focused attention on the
8868lifestyles of the young rich.
8869Chambers, 21, pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge of
8870first-degree manslaughter, halting jury deliberations that lasted
8871nine days and raised fears of a possible mistrial.
8872Chambers admitted that he intended to seriously hurt Jennifer
8873Dawn Levin, 18, the night of her death. Her battered, partly nude
8874body was found under a tree behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art
8875on Aug. 26, 1986.
8876
8877Gov. Evan Mecham, defending himself
8878against charges he misused $80,000 from a protocol fund, said he
8879was never told it was public money and was given carte blanche to
8880do nearly anything he wanted with it.
8881Mecham testified at his Senate impeachment trial Friday that
8882when the proceeds of his inaugural ball were converted into a
8883protocol fund, nobody questioned whether it should be considered
8884public money instead of private.
8885Mecham, taking the stand for the second time in his trial, said
8886inaugural committee Chairman Bill Long told him, "We've gone
8887through all of this rigamarole" in determining that the inaugural
8888funds could not be used to pay off campaign debts.
8889
8890Robert Joffrey, the acclaimed choreographer
8891whose vision created the Joffrey Ballet and made it one of the
8892nation's foremost dance companies, has died after a lengthy
8893illness. He was 57.
8894Joffrey died early Friday at New York University Medical Center
8895of liver, kidney and respiratory failure, hospital spokeswoman
8896Terrie LoCicero said.
8897As artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet for three decades,
8898Joffrey guided the troupe from its early days as a struggling
8899six-member company traveling in a borrowed station wagon to
8900international acclaim.
8901
8902The aging of America's population led to a
8903national record of 2.1 million deaths last year, but births topped
89043.8 million for the highest number in 23 years, the government says.
8905The National Center for Health Statistics reported Friday that
8906deaths in 1987 totaled "2,127,000, about 28,000 more than the
8907previous year and the largest number ever reported for the United
8908States."
8909Deaths from heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer, slipped
8910slightly, but cancer claimed more victims than in the year before,
8911the study showed.
8912
8913The ancient art of weaving baskets from
8914sweetgrass, brought over from Africa by slaves and passed down for
8915generations in South Carolina's Lowcountry, is threatened by the
8916modern-day condominium.
8917Booming coastal development of the past 20 years is reducing the
8918availability of the sweetgrass favored by local artisans for the
8919baskets, a popular purchase for tourists, folklorists said.
8920"What's at stake is the continuation of this traditional
8921African craft," said Myrtle Glascoe, director of the Avery
8922Research Center for Afro-American History at the College of
8923Charleston. "If people can't get the grass, they won't continue to
8924do the craft."
8925News Digest: DETROIT. Slug AM-Caucus Rdp. NICOSIA, Cyprus. Slug
8926AM-Iran-Iraq. WASHINGTON. Slug AM-Afghan End Games. WASHINGTON.
8927Slug AM-Unsafe Water. JERUSALEM. Slug Am-Isreal. MISSION, S.D. Slug
8928AM-Sioux Chief. UNDATED. Slug AM-Elderly Guardians.
8929^By The Associated Press
8930
8931Michael Dukakis has laid out plans to establish
8932himself as the Democratic presidential front-runner by building up
8933a lead of 250-350 delegates over his nearest challenger, targeting
8934delegate-rich New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
8935In addition, the Dukakis organization hopes to reap delegates
8936from what it sees as two rival campaigns about to collapse, as well
8937as pick up support from "super delegates" and others now counted
8938as uncommitted.
8939"I think that there's a magic number in this process in terms
8940of what kind of distance is going to be adequate to separate a
8941front-runner from second- or third-place candidates in this
8942process," said Tad Devine, who handles delegate selection for the
8943Massachusetts governor.
8944
8945Secretary of State George P. Shultz, trying to
8946invigorate a Mideast peace plan, met Saturday with two members of a
8947group affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization and
8948will travel to Israel and four Arab countries next week to push the
8949initiative.
8950Shultz will arrive in Jerusalem April 3 for talks with Israeli
8951leaders and move on to Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt before
8952returning to Washington on April 8, State Department spokesman
8953Charles E. Redman said.
8954"We're intensely involved in this process and we're going to
8955continue to push forward to do everything we can," Redman said.
8956
8957Newspapers and television are coming under
8958increasing fire from governments across the world, which claim
8959their coverage of violence and unrest only creates more of the same.
8960In some cases, coverage has been limited. In others, it has been
8961banned outright.
8962A graphic television film of recent bloody rampages at two
8963Northern Ireland funerals prompted strong complaints from the
8964British government. That reaction was mild compared with other
8965countries.
8966
8967The cease-fire pact between the
8968Sandinistas and Contra rebels puts new pressure on the United
8969States to hold direct talks with the Nicaraguan government _
8970something Washington has long refused to do.
8971It also highlights how little progress U.S. allies in Central
8972America have made in negotiating cease-fires under a regional peace
8973plan.
8974Before last week's agreement, many observers doubted the leftist
8975Sandinistas would ever make political concessions to the
8976U.S.-backed Contras.
8977
8978In their tenth month of crisis, many
8979Panamanians are adopting the American view that officials in
8980Washington can't see beyond the Potomac River.
8981As Panama's problems have grown from bad to desperate, the word
8982out of Washington has been that the days, even hours, of Gen.
8983Manuel Antonio Noriega are numbered.
8984Panamanians aren't convinced.
8985
8986A Lumbee Indian activist who was a
8987candidate for Superior Court judge in his racially troubled county
8988was found shot to death Saturday at his home, the FBI said.
8989Julian T. Pierce was killed sometime Friday night or early
8990Saturday, said special agent Paul Daly, calling him the victim of
8991an apparent burglary.
8992The Red Springs Police Department received a call about the
8993death Saturday morning, said Chief Deputy Al Parnell of the Robeson
8994County sheriff's department.
8995
8996Rewriting his own rules for superpower
8997summitry, President Reagan is preparing to go to Moscow for talks
8998with Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev that appear unlikely to
8999produce a new arms treaty or resolve major disputes.
9000With the end of his presidency fast approaching, Reagan has
9001decided to ignore his requirement that a summit must hold the
9002promise of success and must lead to the signing of a substantial
9003agreement.
9004"The man is 77 years old, and I think he wants to come out in
9005the history books as somebody who has done tremendous things in
9006superpower relations for the long-term benefit of U.S. national
9007security," said William J. Taylor, vice president for
9008political-military affairs at the Center for Strategic and
9009International Studies.
9010
9011President Reagan's defeat last week on a major
9012anti-discrimination bill demonstrates the chasm between his
9013administration and the rest of America when it comes to civil
9014rights, say those who fought for passage of the measure.
9015Some conservatives counter that Reagan's positions are very much
9016in tune with the American mainstream.
9017The enactment of the Civil Rights Restoration Act over Reagan's
9018veto was the latest skirmish in the administration's rocky
9019seven-year attempt to redefine _ and some say erase _ the federal
9020government's role in ensuring basic rights to all citizens.
9021
9022Top television series such as "The Cosby
9023Show" and "Moonlighting" have had their seasons shortened and
9024anxious advertisers have broken ranks to sign separate contracts as
9025scriptwriters and commercial actors turn up the heat in their
9026strikes.
9027Hollywood labor's spring offensive against motion picture and
9028television producers and advertisers has put more than 109,000
9029people on strike and forced more than 1,100 others out of their
9030jobs due to the resulting shutdown of projects.
9031The action has cost workers $4 million in lost salaries and
9032benefits and threatened network advertising revenue by forcing
9033early reruns.
9034
9035Black FBI agent Donald Rochon, an alleged
9036victim of racial discrimination at the hands of fellow agents, was
9037also victimized by bureaucratic foot-dragging and a possible
9038cover-up by federal criminal investigators looking into the case,
9039his lawyer says.
9040Rochon's story of racial harassment _ portions of which have
9041been upheld by an administrative judge at the Equal Employment
9042Opportunity Commission and an adjudication officer at the Justice
9043Department _ has been widely publicized.
9044Another part of his story that also could prove damaging for the
9045government is how Rochon's supervisors at the FBI and officials at
9046the Justice Department allegedly failed to aggressively follow up
9047his complaints.
9048
9049An American photographer stood trial
9050Saturday on drug smuggling charges and testified that his only
9051crime was being stupid enough to let a cocaine ring dupe him into
9052doing its dirty work.
9053The trial of 23-year-old Conan Owen, whose case has drawn the
9054attention of Attorney General Edwin Meese III, began and ended
9055Saturday. The three-judge panel that took testimony for 2{ hours
9056wasn't expected to issue a verdict for about a week.
9057The free-lance photographer from Annandale, Va., is charged with
9058smuggling 4.13 pounds of cocaine into Spain in a suitcase on March
905913, 1987.
9060
9061Shaking down shopkeepers. Taking protection
9062money from criminals. Dealing drugs. Collecting kickbacks.
9063Demanding bribes. This, prosecutors say, is how some municipal
9064employees spend their days.
9065The problem is as old as government and the prognosis for a cure
9066is as bleak as ever.
9067"There's always going to be people who take advantage of the
9068system. Eight percent of the Apostles were corrupt, and look at who
9069screened them," said U.S. Attorney Andrew Maloney.
9070
9071The aging of the baby-boom generation is
9072creating a "couch-potato economy" that will be marked by low
9073unemployment, more savings and rising productivity, economists and
9074population experts say.
9075The dawning of a couch-potato economy is the best thing that
9076could happen to the United States after years of yuppie splurging,
9077says Edward Yardeni, the economist who coined the term.
9078"Yuppies are slowing down. We're all getting older, a little
9079less frivolous," Yardeni, 38, director of economics and
9080fixed-income research for Prudential-Bache Securities Inc., said
9081this past week.
9082Exhibit No. 1 in Yardeni's case is the shift noted last year in
9083consumer-spending priorities after the go-go years of 1985 and 1986.
9084In 1985, the two fastest-growing segments were brokerage and
9085investment fees and audio and video equipment.
9086In 1986, the leaders were boats and recreational vehicles.
9087In 1987, America seemed to turn suddenly sedentary. Books and
9088maps finished first, followed closely by funeral and burial
9089expenses.
9090The numbers from the Commerce Department may be misleading
9091because the biggest percentage risers are small segments that
9092fluctuate widely, but Yardeni is convinced that they tell a story.
9093"I'm not promising you that the transformation definitely
9094happened in '87," but something is afoot, Yardeni said.
9095He said the shift could point to an increased savings rate.
9096"And that should leave room for a boom in exports and a boom in
9097capital spending. Which is not a bad mix at all."
9098One reason for Japan's extraordinary success is its high savings
9099rate, which creates a pool of money for investment.
9100Trailing behind the American baby boomers is the "baby-bust"
9101generation _ the smaller complement of workers that is entering the
9102work force now.
9103There are too few qualified baby busters to fill all the
9104entry-level jobs. But Yardeni optimistically sees a positive side
9105to that: It will force business to find ways to automate more, he
9106says, increasing the nation's productivity.
9107Yardeni's ideas are supported by others, including Cheryl
9108Russell, editor-in-chief of American Demographics magazine in
9109Ithaca, N.Y.
9110As baby boomers settle down, they are beginning to put aside
9111money for their children's education and their own retirement, Ms.
9112Russell said.
9113But baby boomers will still be spending, too, something that is
9114good news for producers of consumer goods.
9115"Baby boomers are entering their peak earnings years, so they
9116will be able to spend more and save more at the same time," Ms.
9117Russell said.
9118In spite of the free-spending reputation of the young, Ms.
9119Russell said, households headed by people aged 35 and over lead
9120their juniors in every broad category of spending except two:
9121alcohol and rented dwellings.
9122The mix of spending is what is changing. Couch potatoes spend
9123less money on movie tickets, more on things like VCRs. And, of
9124course, couches.
9125The changing habits of the nation are more than a myth. The
9126Roper Organization last year reported a poll finding that more than
9127half of people over 30 prefer doing things at home, while more than
9128half of people under 30 prefer doing things outside the home.
9129The median age in the United States is rising, Ms. Russell
9130notes, and it has just passed 30.
9131"Everyone's tired," said Thomas Miller, 30, editor of the
9132Public Pulse, a Roper newsletter. "Some peole call it the
9133cocooning phenomenon. Some people call it the couch-potato economy.
9134We think it's mainly exhaustion."
9135
9136In other business and economic news this past week:
9137_The government said the economy, as measured by the gross
9138national product, grew at a brisk 4.8 percent annual pace in the
9139final three months of last year.
9140_The government reported that in February consumer prices rose
9141just 0.2 percent, factory orders for durable goods fell 1.8
9142percent, personal incomes advanced 0.9 percent and spending
9143increased 0.7 percent.
9144_A government report said that corporations' after-tax profits
9145shot up 8.4 percent in 1987, the best performance in three years.
9146_The Federal Home Loan Bank Board said the savings and loan
9147industry lost $3.2 billion last year _ the largest amount since the
9148Great Depression _ mainly due to insolvent institutions in Texas.
9149_The government said it posted a $23.9 billion budget deficit in
9150February after a $16.1 billion surplus the previous month.
9151_The National Association of Realtors said that sales of
9152existing homes posted a modest increase of 3.8 percent in February.
9153_Automakers reported a slight decline in domestic car sales in
9154mid-March.
9155_The Postal Service announced that higher postage rates,
9156including a 25-cent charge for first-class letters, would take
9157effect April 3.
9158_Texaco Inc. won final bankruptcy court approval for a plan that
9159would settle its multibillion-dollar dispute with Pennzoil Co. and
9160bring it out of Chapter 11 protection early next month.
9161_A federal bankruptcy judge approved Prudential Insurance Co. of
9162America's offer to pay $11 million to settle claims resulting from
9163a clerical error in which a lien it held was listed as worth
9164$92,885 instead of $92,885,000.
9165_Eight states filed suit accusing dozens of insurance companies
9166of conspiring to create the liability insurance crisis, making
9167coverage unavailable or too costly for many governments and
9168businesses.
9169_The Supreme Court ruled the government may limit a family's
9170eligibility for food stamps when a family member is on strike.
9171_Former stock speculator Ivan F. Boesky began a three-year
9172prison term for his conviction in the nation's biggest
9173insider-trading scandal.
9174_Northwest Airlines announced a smoking ban on all its domestic
9175flights except to and from Hawaii and on some foreign routes.
9176_Du Pont Co. said it would stop producing chlorofluorocarbon
9177compounds, which destroy the earth's protective ozone layer.
9178_Campeau Corp. raised to $6.53 billion its bid for Federated
9179Department Stores Inc., while friendly suitor R.H. Macy & Co. said
9180it might sweeten its $6.3 billion offer for the retailer.
9181_American Stores Co. offered $1.72 billion to acquire Lucky
9182Stores Inc. of California in a deal that would create one of the
9183nation's largest supermarket and discount drug chains.
9184_Bank of New York Co. began a hostile $1.08 billion tender offer
9185for Irving Bank Corp., but Iriving said it was seeking a "white
9186knight" friendly bidder and other alternatives.
9187_General Electric Co. launched a double-pronged attack in its
9188bid for Roper Corp. by boosting its tender offer to $507 million
9189and filing lawsuits challenging Roper's agreement to merge with
9190Whirlpool Corp.
9191_West Point-Pepperell Inc. intensified the bidding war for J.P.
9192Stevens & Co. Inc. by announcing a $1.1 billion tender offer for
9193the textile maker and indicated it could go even higher if Stevens
9194agrees to a friendly deal.
9195_Beazer PLC raised to $1.63 billion its hostile tender offer for
9196Koppers Co., a building materials and cement company.
9197_Entertainer Merv Griffin raised his bid for hotel and casino
9198operator Resorts International Inc. by $70 million to $295 million,
9199more than twice the amount real estate tycoon Donald Trump proposed
9200to pay for the portion of the company he doesn't already own.
9201_A group led by investor Howard Kaskel offered Kansas City
9202Southern Industries Inc. $60 a share, or about $594 million, for
9203the 89 percent of the railroad concern it didn't own.
9204_Black & Decker Corp. withdrew its $2.45 billion bid for
9205American Standard Inc., ending the bidding war over the plumbing
9206giant.
9207
9208Wall Street analysts are expecting new signals
9209in the next few days of a healthy outlook for the economy.
9210They're not so sure, however, whether the figures will be enough
9211to prop up the stock market after its sharp selloff of late.
9212When the government reports Tuesday on the index of leading
9213economic indicators for February, economists at Shearson Lehman
9214Hutton Inc. expect it to show an increase of 0.9 percent. Another
9215major brokerage firm, Merrill Lynch, is looking for a 1.0 percent
9216rise.
9217Anything in that range would be the best showing for the index,
9218which is designed to measure forces influencing the future course
9219of the economy, since last summer, well before the market crash.
9220Among the 12 components of the index, Shearson says, building
9221permits are likely to make a strong contribution, rebounding from
9222an "abnormally low" level in January.
9223Another indicator already known to be upbeat is the stock market
9224itself, which turned in a good showing last month.
9225For a while at midwinter, worries mounted that the index was
9226foreshadowing a recession with three consecutive monthly declines.
9227That caution light stopped flashing, however, when the decline
9228originally reported for December was revised to show a small gain.
9229Now, if the February figure lives up to its advance billing,
9230fears of an impending business slump will presumably continue to
9231fade. Yet Wall Street, with its traditional perversity, may not
9232find the news reassuring.
9233As the Merrill Lynch Market Letter observes in its current
9234issue, "A faster pace for the economy could be a double-edged
9235sword for the market.
9236"It would support our projections that corporate profits _
9237based on Standard & Poor's industrial index _ will climb about 17
9238percent this year. But it would also fuel fears about increases in
9239interest rates."
9240That same reasoning applies to the report on the employment
9241situation for March, which is scheduled to be issued by the Labor
9242Department on April 1, when the markets will be closed in
9243observance of Good Friday.
9244The February figures, which showed a much larger-than-expected
9245increase of 531,000 in nonfarm payroll employment, came as a blow
9246to the bond market by quashing hopes that the Federal Reserve might
9247ease credit further.
9248Shearson analysts figure that pace is unsustainable, and are
9249projecting a "somewhat weak payroll employment gain of 150,000"
9250for this month. Still, past experience has shown that these data
9251can spring some big surprises.
9252While near-term recession fears were supposedly ebbing in the
9253past week, so were stock prices. The Dow Jones average of 30
9254industrials dropped 108.42 points to 1,978.95, for its worst weekly
9255showing so far in 1988.
9256The New York Stock Exchange composite index fell 6.07 to 146.58;
9257the NASDAQ composite index for the over-the-counter market 9.04 to
9258372.54, and the American Stock Exchange market value index 4.47 to
9259294.64.
9260Volume on the Big Board averaged 157.26 million shares a day,
9261against 175.26 million the week before.
9262As bizarre as investors' responses to positive economic news
9263might seem, there is a logical thread that runs through them,
9264especially when you consider that the market's biggest concern is
9265not the known present but the unknown future.
9266Most economists agree that employment figures are a
9267"coincident" indicator _ in other words, a rise in employment now
9268is no reliable indication of better business conditions later on.
9269The leading indicators, similarly, are old news for the market
9270in the sense that they partly reflect what stock prices themselves
9271were doing several weeks ago.
9272The chief concern about economic strength is that it may be
9273setting the stage for a tighter credit policy, increasing
9274inflationary pressures, and other forces that might bring on a
9275recession six months or even a year from now.
9276
9277Gillette Co. stock was up in heavy trading for the
9278third consecutive day Friday amid speculation that yet another
9279suitor was mulling an attempt to takeover the consumer products
9280firm.
9281Stock of Gillette, already the subject of a hostile takeover bid
9282by Coniston Partners, was up 2} to 46}.
9283Meanwhile, the New York Stock Exchange took a sharp drop for the
9284second straight session. In its worst week so far in 1988, the Dow
9285Jones average of 30 industrials closed at 1,978.95, down 44.92
9286points from Thursday and 108.42 points for the week.
9287A Gillette spokesman would not comment on the rumors, nor would
9288a spokesman for Philip Morris Cos., rumored on Wall Street to be
9289planning to pay $60 a share for Gillette in an acquisition. Philip
9290Morris shares fell 3 to 88{.
9291Reese Stone, spokesman for Philip Morris Cos. Inc., said he had
9292not heard any conversations concerning his company and Gillette.
9293"I don't know anything about it, but our policy is we don't
9294comment on acquisition rumors," he said.
9295Gillette spokesman Dave Fausch said "we don't comment on
9296rumors." Asked to explain why Gillette stock was up Friday on a
9297generally bearish market, he said, "we also have no comment on
9298stock market activities."
9299Allan Kaplan, a tobacco and beverage analyst for Merrill Lynch
9300in New York, said he had heard the rumors but doubted their
9301validity.
9302"(Philip Morris) Management has been saying all along that they
9303aren't in the market for a large acquisition," he said. "They
9304just announced a small one. But this would cost them $7 billion, if
9305they paid $60 a share for it. And I'm not sure they are willing to
9306make another acquisition until they get General Foods going."
9307Philip Morris acquired General Foods in November 1985, he said.
9308"All you hear is rumors," said Marc Cohenm, a Sandford
9309Bernstein analyst who follows Philip Morris. "It's all over the
9310place but I have no way of knowing if there are any transactions
9311taking place."
9312Coniston, a New York investment firm which controls about 6
9313percent of Gillette's stock, announced last month it was
9314approaching potential buyers of the Boston-based company and might
9315take other moves to boost Gillette's share price.
9316Last month Coniston nominated four candidates for the seats
9317available on the 12-member board of directors at Gillette's annual
9318meeting April 21.
9319Gillette Chairman Colman M. Mockler Jr. responded by asking
9320stockholders not to sign proxy cards being distributed by Coniston
9321soliciting support in the elections.
9322Earlier this month, New York real estate developer Donald Trump
9323was granted a Federal Trade Commission waiver of the standard
9324waiting period for acquiring large blocks of stock and was allowed
9325to purchase up to 24.9 percent of Gillette stock.
9326Trump owns about 400,000 shares, which was less than
9327three-tenths of 1 percent of Gillette's 115 million common shares
9328outstanding.
9329Gillette underwent a major restructuring after rebuffing a third
9330hostile takeover bid by Revlon in 1986, which agreed not to seek to
9331gain control of Gillette under a 10-year pact signed in November
93321986.
9333John C. Maxwell, an analyst with Wheat First Securities of
9334Richmond, Va., said the rumored takeover of Gillette by Philip
9335Morris has been around for days and added that it makes no sense.
9336"It's another cash cow. It's in the razor blade business.
9337That's not exactly a growth industry," said Maxwell, who follows
9338Philip Morris.
9339"I can't pronounce the name, but there's also rumors that a
9340Japanese pharmaceutical company is interested."
9341Maxwell said the flurry of rumors riddling the market is a sign
9342of another fall. "They pushed up all these stocks the last time on
9343disingenuous rumors. They just pumped all these stocks and then the
9344market fell 500 points."
9345
9346Roper Corp. said Friday its board will
9347meet next week to review General Electric Corp.'s $507 million
9348tender offer and the $470 million acquisition agreement it has with
9349Whirlpool Corp.
9350A meeting date was not set, Roper spokeswoman Kathy Sanders said.
9351Whirlpool asked Roper's board of directors to confirm its March
935218 recommendation that Roper shareholders accept Whirlpool's
9353$50-a-share offer. The board said earlier this week it would
9354consider GE's sweetened $54-a-share offer.
9355GE, meanwhile, said it would move its federal court action in
9356the Roper acquisition struggle to Michigan after a judge in
9357Kalamazoo rejected its request to move a related lawsuit by
9358Whirlpool to Delaware.
9359"It was simply a matter of whether it would be consolidated in
9360Delaware or Michigan," said spokesman George Jameson at GE's
9361Fairfield, Conn., headquarters.
9362Jameson said GE will withdraw the federal suit it filed in
9363Delaware and refile it in U.S. District Judge Richard A. Enslen's
9364court in Kalamazoo.
9365"Whirlpool will be inconvenienced by litigating in Delaware,
9366while GE will be inconvenienced by litigating in Michigan," Enslen
9367said in a written order Thursday, but he noted many of the main
9368witnesses are in Michigan.
9369GE raised its per-share offering from $45 to $54 for the
9370Augusta, Ga.-based appliance and lawn equipment maker after Roper
9371board's ecommended that shareholders accept the $50-a-share bid
9372from Whirlpool.
9373Whirlpool has not said whether it will respond with another
9374increase. "We don't have a comment on that at this point,"
9375spokeswoman Donna McLean said Friday.
9376Analysts said merging with Roper would move Whirlpool ahead of
9377GE as the nation's top appliance maker.
9378Whirlpool's federal court suit charged that GE's initial offer
9379for Roper was an attempt to sabotage a Whirlpool-Roper merger
9380agreement announced in February, in which Whirlpool said it would
9381pay $37.50 a share.
9382In its lawsuits, GE claimed Whirlpool and Roper failed to
9383adequately disclose terms of their merger agreement under
9384Securities and Exchange Commission laws and failed to publicly
9385disclose a prior interest by GE in acquiring Roper.
9386
9387The oil market has ended the week on a firm
9388note, with crude prices rising above the psychologically important
9389$17-a-barrel mark for the first time since mid-February.
9390On the New York Mercantile Exchange, the May contract for West
9391Texas Intemediate, the benchmark U.S. crude, settled at $17.03 per
9392barrel Friday. That was 7 cents higher than Thursday's close.
9393Among refined products traded on the exchange, the April
9394contract for wholesale heating oil rose 0.38 cent to 47.78 cents
9395per gallon, after slipping 0.33 cent Thursday. Unleaded gasoline,
9396up 0.08 cent Thursday, rose 0.61 cent to 47.94 cents a gallon.
9397Traders attributed the increase to speculation that the
9398five-member pricing committee of the Organization of Petroleum
9399Exporting Countries would take substantive action to stabilize
9400prices when it meets the first week in April.
9401OPEC President Rilwanu Lukman had announced plans to hold the
9402meeting earlier this week. Analysts, though, expressed doubts over
9403whether anything would be accomplished prior to the cartel's
9404regular meeting in June.
9405Still,"the marketplace is telling us it's afraid of selling,"
9406explained Madison Galbraith, a senior trader with Merrill Lynch
9407Energy Futures. "There was very strong trade buying."
9408Oil prices have fallen recently amid allegations that the OPEC
9409member states were cheating on production levels as well as pricing
9410rules.
9411There will be no Economy Rdp this cycle.